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FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK
I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. (Ephesians 1:16) The Apostle Paul said this of the Ephesian church; I can say the same of Central United. It was a delight for me that the 20th anniversary of my ministry at Central was marked by such a happy celebration last Sunday. The kind speeches and individual expressions of love and appreciation were of profound encouragement and makes the heart burst with joy. Thank you to those who organized a memorable occasion. It is a joy to pastor such a loving congregation.
SUNDAY WORSHIP 10:00 A.M.
Central United Church welcomes you to join our Worship Service Sunday mornings at 10:00 am. In worship we proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour; God’s word is read and preached, sacraments celebrated, faith sung and prayers offered.
Sunday services are also livestreamed (and recorded) through the Church website or you can join here. A copy of the bulletin for this Sunday’s Service is attached here.
This Sunday’s Scripture readings are Ezekiel 1:1, 4-11a, Revelation 4:6-8 and John 1:1-18. You can also find a daily scripture message at the top of our website.
SAMARITAN’S PURSE – Christmas Shoebox
Our Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoebox Outreach event ends this Sunday, Nov. 12th. This is also the deadline for handing in the completed shoeboxes. On behalf of all the children, a grateful thank you goes out to all the generous participants, you have helped bring great joy to so many children. The total number of boxes donated will be announced shortly. If you had Samaritan’s Purse pack a box for you and you’d like your contribution counted in the final tally of boxes donated by Central United, please advise Sharlene (admin@centralunitedchurch.com or 905-474-0183).
UCW MEETING
Next Tuesday, November 14th the UCW will be holding their next meeting at 12:30 pm. Ralph Garbe will be giving insight on growing up in war time. Please feel free to join as we look forward to hearing about Ralph’s experiences. Refreshments will be available.
COMFORT SERVICE
Our Annual Comfort Service will be held on Sunday, Dec. 3rd at 7:00 pm. This service is offered to those who have experienced loss of a loved one and is a good opportunity to reach out to our congregation and community at large. All are welcome to attend and please invite family and friends who may benefit from such a service.
CHRISTMAS CAROLING AND HOT CHOCOLATE
Central United Church will be part of this year’s Unionville Main Street Olde Time Christmas parade on Saturday, December 9th at 6:30 pm. Members of the choir and anyone else interested can join in walking down Main Street in the Parade, singing carols.
We will also be resuming our well attended Carol Sing at the church running from approximately 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Anyone who is out enjoying the parade, is welcome to come join in the Carol Sing as well. We will be offering our always well received hot chocolate & cookies! This is a fun and meaningful outreach activity for our community. Please sign up in the narthex if you can help with things such as preparing and serving hot chocolate, clean up, welcoming visitors, or singing in the parade.
WHITE GIFT SUNDAY
Sunday, Dec. 10th we will celebrate White Gift Sunday during the morning worship service. Your donations of unwrapped nonperishable foods are appreciated. Cash gifts will also be received – special “White Gift” offering envelopes will be made available. Your gifts of food/money will also be used to assist the Markham Food Bank.
MITTEN TREE
With the Christmas season soon upon us, the Mitten Tree will once again be up in the Friendship Room. Should you wish to donate, please drop off hats, toques, scarves and gloves by Sunday, Dec. 17th so that we can deliver them to the Salvation Army before Christmas. They can be dropped off at the church on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm or if you’re attending in person worship on Sunday morning and prefer to drop them off then, that would be fine as well.
CENTRAL UNITED FINANCIAL UPDATE
As of 9/30/23
As of YTD September 30th, we currently have an operating deficit of $15,241, compared to a budgeted operating deficit of $14,728. An explanation follows:
Offerings are $165,119, compared to a YTD Budget of $156,300, so we are still ahead by approximately $8,800. A good trend. Thank you for your support!
Rental income continues to trend ahead of budget. We extended the lease arrangement with the Unionville Home Society to the end of 2023 and also entered into a small rental arrangement with the Unionville Bridge Club for the use of the Main Hall on Monday evenings. As a result, Rental Income exceeds YTD Budget by $7,746. Thanks to the Rental Committee for doing a great job!
During the month of September, the Church received $22,227 distribution from an Estate bequest. This was allocated to the Capital Fund, as directed by Council. As a result, the Capital Fund has increased to $33,861, which will allow us to complete planned 2023 Capital projects without a special fund raiser. Good news!
On the Expense front, we are about $14,000 over YTD Budget, based on some unplanned but necessary expenditures, including additional church maintenance, music conference attendance, a new insurance appraisal, some payroll catch-up and higher utility bills.
As the end of 2023 fast approaches, it’s a time of reflection and gratitude. Historically, 1/3 of annual donations are received in the fourth quarter. We encourage you to look at your year-to-date donations and continue to support the Church in our mission and operations. We’d like to finish the year with a balanced budget!
Please contact Lindsay Duffield or Scott Wetmore with any questions.
Sally Sandiford, our Envelope Steward, can provide you with YTD donation information.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING & TIME OF FELLOWSHIP
You are welcome to join the Thursday prayer meeting tonight at 7:00 PM for a time of prayer and fellowship. The meeting is held using Zoom technology.
Here are the details for those who wish to participate:
Access to Join from your PC, Tablet or Smartphone:
Copy this address into your web browser https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8925458525 or click here
Quick access by phone:
1. Call: 647 374-4685
2. When prompted press: 892 545 8525 #
3. Then when prompted again press: # to enter the call
PASTORAL CARE
Should you become aware of any illness, bereavement, hospitalization, etc., among people of our church, please notify the church office as soon as possible.
If you would like a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Clubine at the church office 905.474.0183 or mobile office 416.358.4924 or by email jclubine@centralunitedchurch.com.
STAY CONNECTED…..
We want to help you stay connected so if you happen to be wondering “who’s doing what” in terms of duties, the list for this week is below….
November 12th 2023
LAY WORSHIP LEADER: Trevlyn Ganes
MUSIC: Sarah Wyse
POWER POINT: Henry Wong
GREETER: Cynthia Yee
WORSHIP HOST: Cynthia Yee
COFFEE HOUR: Thursday Prayer Committee
SUNDAY SCHOOL: Sharon Gayman Laird
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