-Gather with us anytime in our Facebook group "Spirit of Hope Friends and Family" Share your joys, concerns, and prayer requests with your church family. It's a private group, so anything you post will only be visible to members of the group.
As many of you who are on our Facebook group know, Pastor Deborah was hospitalized last Sunday with embolisms that had gone to her heart and lungs. A procedure to break up the clot in her heart was successful, as were other interventions to address the remaining clots. God is good!
Please keep Deborah and Skip in prayer as she continues her recovery. They are hopeful that she will be able to go home today.
DS Nancy Cushman will be preaching for this Sunday's YouTube worship service, and we will plan to have our Sunday morning ZOOM gathering at the usual time.
Pastor Deborah's Office Hours by Zoom is cancelled next Wednesday (December 16th).
It's Raining!!!!
Angel Tree Gifts
We plan on delivering the Angel Tree gifts to Golden Gate Community Center early on Friday afternoon (2 PM?). So far, we have about half of the gifts returned. Please bring those Friday morning at the latest. If you have access to the sanctuary, you can leave them there, or you can bring them to Mike and Lorraine's house or call us and we'll meet you (623) 512-6631.
Habitat for Humanity
New Build for 2021
The MIGHTY United Methodist Coalition (about 12-15 churches active) is planning for another "Winter/Spring" build in SOUTH PHOENIX starting in February (we think) and continuing for 24 weeks. The coalition has pledged $50,000.
Spirit of Hope has a STRONG tradition of supporting Habitat. This is home build #15 for SOH. We raised over $88,000,000 for the first 14 homes we supported. This year we are pledging $4,000, but praying for $5,000. We have historically raised a little over $6,000 annually for Habitat; a feat that you can be proud of accomplishing. We recognize the challenge this year with Covid-19. We typically raise the money through tax credit contributions. Donations can be made directly through Spirit of Hope. Write "Habitat" in the memo line of your check. In this manner the donation will be a line item on the quarterly contributions statement you receive from the church and that is all that is needed to claim the tax credit. If you contribute directly to Habitat, please put Spirit of Hope (Methodist Coalition) in memo line.
If you could help a needy family purchase a home by donating up to $400 as an individual; $800 as a couple, and in the end it would cost you nothing, would you?? Consider making a charitable Tax Credit to a Qualified Charitable Organization for 2020 – which can be used in addition to the state education tax credit. As a taxpayer, you can determine where a portion of your taxes will be spent. Your gift would be a great way to redirect money you would have otherwise given to the State of Arizona. Let it work for you. Help a family in need and our community! You do NOT need to itemize to qualify for the tax credit!! Donations for Tax Credit must be received by Christmas so the Church can write a check to Habitat for Humanity before the end of the year.
Work Conditions Due to Covid:
Groups are limited to 6-10 ppl depending on task.
Masks are required to be worn on site.
Temperatures will be taken at sign-in.
Volunteers are required to sign-up online to create a touchless sign-in process.
Lunches are asked to be store-bought and individually wrapped.
Volunteers Signing up online - http://vhub.at/Faithgroups
All volunteers are now asked to sign up online at the link above! Events can be sorted by coalition and volunteers are only required to fill out their waiver once a year!
Please contact Paul Simonsen (paulsimonsen@msn.com) or Mike Eyer (clnmwe@gmail.com) for more information or if you are interested in "swinging a hammer."
West Valley Youth Gathering
Sunday, December 13, 2 PM
Youth 6th grade and up are invited to join west valley youth groups by Zoom on Sunday, December 13th,
Christ Community UMC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Contact Mike Eyer if you have questions.
Topic: Combined Youth Group
Time: Dec 13, 2020 02:00 PM Arizona
Dial by your location
888 475 4499 US Toll-free
833 548 0276 US Toll-free
833 548 0282 US Toll-free
877 853 5257 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 941 2744 9897
Passcode: 994640
December Birthdays
December 3 Nancy Oyler
December 7 Dimitre Yanes
December 10 Sheri Stark
December 11 Kathy Elvrum
December 11 Gladys Greeson
December 12 Betts McCalla
December 13 Lorraine Eyer
December 16 Jan Burdick
December 16 Jo Willis
December 18 Jameson Melbye
December 20 Jon Elvrum
December 20 Howard Hunt
December 26 Cliff Asay
A Birthday Prayer: O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on these friends as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Day 1: Hebrews 5-6
Day 2: Hebrews 7-8
Day 3: Hebrews 9-10
Day 4: Hebrews 11-13
Day 5: James 1-2 Video on James
Day 6: James 3-4
Day 7: 1 Peter 1-2 Video on 1 Peter
A Prayer For Reading the Bible: Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
.A Prayer for the Third Sunday of Advent: Stir up your power, O lord, and with great might come among us, and because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful mercy speedily help and deliver us, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen
A Prayer in Times of Conflict: O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Please Pray for our sister churches in the West District
Sunrise UMC, Phoenix
Willowbrook UMC, Sun City
Surprise Us God!
Good morning God!
Surprise us.
Make our faith greater than our fears; grow us in the covering of your love.
December verse: 1 John 5:13-16
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
