The Circuit Rider Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church November, 2018

Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church Worship and Church School

604 Seven Mile Road Sunday, 9:30 a.m.

Hope, RI 02831 Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9:00-12:00

Phone: 821-8217 Fax: 826-7787 E-mail: office@sovumc.org Web site: sovumc.org

Rev. Katherine Mitchell

Also in this Issue

Articles

Antique Appraisal Fair

And Marketplace .......... 3

Stewardship .................. 5

Electronic Funds

Transfer .......................... 5

Regular features

Office Notes ................... 5

Upcoming Events .......... 6

Music Notes ................... 8

Help Wanted .................. 8

Caring and Sharing ....... 8

Church Council

Minutes .......................... 9

Musings from the Blue Couch Dear Shepherd of the Valley Friends and Family,

I was recently reading Luke 17:11-19 in which Jesus is walking

along outside a village and he comes across a group of lepers. Such

a sight would be very common because lepers were not allowed in

the village because of their disease. They often traveled in groups as

they tended to create their own communities after being rejected by

the communities from which they came.

So they are walking along. They see Jesus and ask for him to have

mercy and heal them. Jesus tells them to go into the village and see

the priest. While this may seem like an unusual direction for Jesus

to give, it really isn’t because the priest was considered the health

officer of his time. The priest had to confirm that the leper was

cured before he can return to his home and normal life. Jesus tells

them to go ahead and see the priest. As they head on their way they

find themselves cured of their disease.

One of the Lepers, a Samaritan realizes that he is healed and runs

back to Jesus praising God for having been healed. The Greek word

that is used in the original text is “Doxa” which means to honor or

glorify. He runs back to Jesus honoring and glorifying God for the

healing. Jesus points out that the only one who offered thanks was a

Samaritan who are considered by Jesus’ community as Godless. But

here the Samaritan is offering his thanks and praise. And Jesus tells

him that his faith has made him well, his faith that healed him.

I really think that what Jesus was saying was that although all the

Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church

Mission Statement

We are Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church, a multi-generational Christ community

seeking to sing God’s spirit into the world by inviting all, serving all, loving all.

November, 2018 Page 2

men were cured. Only the Samaritan man was

truly healed. What this story emphasizes it the

difference between being cured and being healed.

When we are cured whatever is wrong with us is

fixed, whether that means our body is made

physically healthy or perhaps a particular crisis is

resolved. What Jesus tells the Samaritan man that

he is more than cured. He is “made whole.” This

is a very important nuance, the difference between

being healed and being cured. When we are

healed we are made whole. And it is the

Samaritan’s faith, his gratitude that heals him.

So often in life we go through a difficult time. We

struggle through something that at the time seems

impossible to survive. And then when we come

out of it we just go on with our lives as if nothing

had ever happened. Maybe we are relieved it is

over, when the problem is fixed or we are cured,

often times we just want to put the unpleasantness

behind us and move on. But when we just move

on we miss the opportunity to grow as human

beings and to grow in relationship with God. Real

soul deep healing comes with gratitude, which

changes us. When we come through something,

or even when we are going through something,

whether it is physical or emotional, when we

know gratitude, we can be truly healed. We

experience God’s grace and are transformed by

gratitude.

Melody Beattie who is a very popular self-help

guru says:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns

what we have into enough, and more. It turns

denial into acceptance, chaos to order,

confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a

feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a

friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past,

brings peace for today, and creates a vision

for tomorrow.

The more we are able to live a life of gratitude the

more we are able to fully live our lives and maybe

even leave our lives when the time comes without

fear and anxiety, without worry because our

relationship with God, love and life strengthens

and grows.

This November as we head towards the

Thanksgiving season lets be intentional about

reflecting over the past year and finding those

things for which we are deeply grateful. Let’s

share them with other and let people know when

we are grateful for their presence in our lives.

I can definitely tell you this. I sure am thankful

for you!

May You Live Fully and Love Wastefully,

Pastor Katherine

November 11th

Sharing of gifts and pledges

Guest preacher

Catered celebration brunch

following worship

December

Circuit Rider

Information Due

November 4 (Early due to the

Thanksgiving holiday)

November, 2018 Page 3

Past and Presents Antique Appraisal Fair and Holiday Market

Saturday, November 17th, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Antique Appraisal Fair Ever wonder if your knick-knacks are worth any money? Do you swear something you own must be worth millions? Come find out for sure at our Antique Appraisal

Fair and Holiday Market! Bring up to three things ($5 for one antique item, $10 for three) you would like to be appraised by experts in the field from Bruneau & Co.

Auctioneers, and while you wait, browse for Christmas presents, craft items, baked goods or grab a bite to eat at the Holiday Market. The Appraisal Fair will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in the Hope Room.

Holiday Market See Fellowship Hall and the Narthex transformed into a Christmas Market. We’ll

have all the goods and rooms we’ve offered in past bazaars, but set up as booths or pop-up tents. This is a great way to start your shopping and support SOV.

Congregational Support Needed This is one of our major fundraisers so we need your support in these ways:

Baskets: Come up with a theme (movies, pets, teatime, crafts, etc.) and bring us the contents (either purchased or out of items you have at home). You can make

the basket yourself or we’ll be glad to assemble it for you at our workshop. Please make sure to sign the sign-up sheet on the Bulletin Board in Fellowship Hall so we can keep track!

Mystery Gift: For the mystery gift, bring something with a $5-10 value to sell at

the market. We will be organizing and selling these items by theme (age range/gender, bath, kitchen, games, etc.). Please bring this in wrapped and labeled! They will be sold for $5.

Christmas Items: Bring in any unwanted Christmas items/decorations that are in good shape that could be sold in the Christmas Booth

Grandma's Attic: Grandma’s Attic is back! Bring in any unwanted, good condition items that could be sold for under $5 in Grandma's Attic.

Baked Goods, Candy, Etc.: All the cooks, bakers, and candy makers out there—we need your contributions!

Volunteer: We will be setting up on November 9th and 10th—please come help out. We also need help the day of the Fair. Contact Sam Dyl at 401-862-6748 or

samanthaldyl@gmail.com if you can help.

Flyer: You will find a flyer about the Fair and Market on the next page. Please

print or copy and post in the public spaces your frequent: local stores or shops, libraries, or other places where our community can learn about it.

November, 2018 Page 4

Insert bazaar flyer here.

November, 2018 Page 5

Stewardship:

Supporting SOV’s

Missions and Ministry

at Home and Abroad By the time you read this we will be in the midst

of our 2019 Stewardship Campaign. This is the

time when we pledge our support for the missions

and ministry of Shepherd of the Valley for next

year. Our campaign will be a four-week program

highlighting local, conference and worldwide

missions and ministry. We will already have

heard about the nature of a mission church in the

New England Conference when we had the dialog

about Open Table of Christ on 10/21. Over the

next several Sundays, we will be hearing about the

following:

10/21: The nature of a Mission Church in the

NE Conference. Dialogue about Open Table

of Christ.

10/28: Personal witness - Kristin Hayes-Leite

11/4: International Mission of Peace - Lisa

Marciniak

11/11: Consecration Sunday - the Rev. David

Abbott, United Methodist Foundation of New

England, will lead us in worship. Following

the service, we will celebrate with a catered

brunch in Fellowship Hall.

As members of our church family, you will shortly

receive a letter celebrating your support of the

work of our church this year, and asking for your

continued support of current and new ministries in

2019. After prayerful reflection, we ask you to

express your commitments on an enclosed pledge

card. We also encourage you to join those

members who already use the convenience of our

secure EFT (Electronic Funds Program) program.

Thank you for your contributions of time, talents

and gifts to Shepherd of the Valley this year. We

look forward to your continued support in 2019.

Together we make a difference!

Linda and Howard Gay

Stewardship Chairs

Electronic Funds

Transfer Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) provides a safe

and secure way for you to give regularly—your

gift will be deducted from your checking account

on a weekly or monthly basis. Forms are available

in the narthex at church. Please note that if you

already use EFT and you have changed your gift,

you will have to fill out a new form. If your gift is

the same, you don’t need to do anything—your

regular withdrawals will continue.

Office Notes Upcoming Event?

If you have an upcoming event or are hosting

coffee hour and need supplies, please check what

we have in the kitchen and storage area. If

something is missing, let Pam know if we need to

order something at least two weeks ahead of time.

Sunday Bulletin Announcements

Just a reminder that your announcements for the

Sunday bulletin must be submitted to the office

not later than the Tuesday before you’d like them

to appear. Call the church office (821-8217),

leave a note in the church office mailbox, or email

office@sovumc.org. Thank you!

Church Program Drop-offs

Are you dropping something off for Open Table,

the Christmas Fair, the food pantry, or another

mission project or event? Please put a label on

your items/boxes so we can ensure they end up in

the proper place. If you put it in the clothing

closet (next to the sanctuary), please leave Pam a

note so she knows it’s there.

Shop ‘til You Drop! (and support the United Methodist

Women)

Charming Treasures Danielson Pike, North Scituate

November 7th

5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

November, 2018 Page 6

Upcoming Events

All Hallows Eve Labyrinth Walk

On October 31st we will hold our third annual All

Hallows Eve Labyrinth Walk. According to

folklore, Halloween night has been considered the

time in the year where the veil between this world

and the next is thinnest. On Halloween night we

will light our labyrinth with luminaries and take

time to walk with those we love who have passed

on. We will gather at the parsonage for a bowl of

soup a 7:00 p.m. Bring a mug and a spoon. Then

we will walk the labyrinth together. This

experience is open to the public.

All-Saints Sunday

November 4th. we will be

celebrating all Saints Day. You

are welcome to bring pictures

of people you have love and

lost either this year or in the

past. We will take the time to honor the saints in

our lives.

Wednesday Day Bible Study

This group meets Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. in the

Hope Room. We are currently looking at the

Bible itself. Who wrote it? Why is it structured the

way it is? This group is open to all! Join us!

Women in Spiritual Harmony (WISH)

WISH will be starting our Advent study on

November 28th

. We will be doing Christmas Gifts

That Won't Break by James W. Moore. The

product description is as follows. "This year as

you light the candles of your Advent wreath,

reflect on the unbreakable gifts that God has given

us: hope, love, joy, and peace, and be reminded of

God’s greatest gift…a baby who leads us through

all the days of our lives. Beloved teacher James

W. Moore explores the spirit of Christmas with

stories, Scriptures, and thoughts that warm our

hearts throughout the season while challenging us

to rethink the gifts we ask for and give at this

time." If anyone is interested in participating in

this study, contact Dorothy Fassbender before

November 6th

. We meet Wednesdays from 9:30 to

11:00 a.m. at the church. All women are welcome

to join us!

Wednesday Evening Bible Study

This group meets at 7:00 p.m. in the Hope Room

and will be continuing our study of Painting the

Stars: Science, Religion and an Evolving Faith.

Celebrating the communion of science and

faith, Painting the Stars explores the promise of

evolutionary Christian spirituality. Featuring over

a dozen leading theologians and progressive

thinkers, the seven-session program includes a

downloadable/printable participant reader (written

by evolutionary theologian Bruce Sanguin) and a

facilitator guide with discussion questions. The

basic format for each 1-1 1/2-hour session

includes conversation around the readings, a 20-

minute video presentation and guided discussion.

No previous study experience is necessary and all

are welcome to join at any time! Please note that

we will not be meeting on October 31st or

November21st.

Buy Local and Support the United Methodist

Women!

We will be having an in-store party, at Charming

Treasures on Danielson Pike in North Scituate. On

Wednesday November 7th, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Stop in anytime for appetizers, dessert, socializing

and shopping! Get a head start on your Christmas

shopping, or treat yourself! There is no pressure

to buy anything. A percentage of the sales will go

to United Methodist Women to support local and

global missions. Any questions call Pat Rodin at

647-3111, or email Nurse1PR@cox.net.

Family Friday

"Family Fun Night” will be Friday, November 9th

starting at 6:00 p.m. It will be the first Parents'

Night Out and Kids' Night In! Kids can come in

their pajamas to enjoy a movie and the adults will

have their own fun elsewhere! Hope to see you

there and remember, dinner is provided for both

adults and children!"

United Methodist Women (UMW)

November Meeting - The UMW will meet on

Thursday, November 15th at 11:00 a.m. We will

gather and begin with our business portion

followed by a program featuring making

Thanksgiving Day cards for our shut-ins. We are

November, 2018 Page 7

working on having someone to show us the

various techniques available. All supplies will be

provided, just bring your ideas and talents with

you. Every woman is invited. Bring a lunch,

drinks are provided. Come and share this time

together.

Advance Notice: Christmas Party! - Our

December Christmas party will be held on Friday

the 14th at 6:00 p.m. It will be a pot luck dinner

followed by a Yankee Swap. You are asked to

bring a $10.00 gift, all nicely wrapped. The

prettier the package the more enthusiasm you will

create. We are also going to collect items that

Cramar Nursing Home on Seven Mile Road in

Hope is in need of. A notice as to what we will be

donating will be in the December Circuit Rider

and the Sunday Bulletin.

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

On November 21st at 7:00 p.m. we will be joining

Trinity Episcopal and St. Joseph’s Catholic

Church in celebrating an ecumenical

Thanksgiving service. This will be an excellent

opportunity to center ourselves in a spirit of

gratitude as we enter into the holiday season.

Pastor Katherine will be preaching for this service.

Ann Brandt Memorial

On November 23rd

at 2:00 p.m. you are invited to

join the family of Ann Brandt in a life celebration

memorial service at Shepherd of the Valley. Ann

was a long-time, active member of our church.

Hanging of the Greens

On November 25th

, we will

be celebrating a Hanging of

the Greens service. Please

bring a special ornament to

church to hang on our family

tree. The children will be

leading this service.

Regular Meetings and Events

Editor’s Note: Our church has many meetings,

classes, and fellowship opportunities that occur on

a regular basis. Please check the list below for the

schedules of programs or opportunities you might

be interested in. If you have something you’d like

included in this section, please email me at

belllomb@cox.net, call me at 944-9668, or leave a

note in the Circuit Rider mailbox at church.

Hannah Bell-Lombardo

Monday Morning Prayer Group: We gather for

prayer in the Hope Room at 10:00 a.m. on the

second and fourth Mondays of each month.

United Methodist Women (UMW): The

UMW is now meeting on the third Thursday of

the month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please

see the article in the “Upcoming Events”

section for details on this month’s meeting.

Knitting Ministry: The Knitting Ministry

meets on the second Tuesday of each month at

1:00 in the library. Our projects include

prayer shawls, baptismal shawls, preemie and

chemo hats, and sweaters for World Vision.

Even if you can't attend the meetings, you can

always knit at home. If you have questions,

please call Sue Kizlinski at 401-527-8702.

Women in Spiritual Harmony (WISH): WISH

meets Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at

the church. See information on our g studies

in the “Women in Spiritual Harmony” article.

All women are welcome.

Wednesday Day Bible Study: This group will

be studying the Bible, Wednesdays at 11:00

a.m. in the Hope Room. See the article on the

prior page.

Wednesday Evening Study: This group will

resume meeting Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in

the Hope Room. See the article on the prior

page.

Men’s Fellowship Breakfasts: This group

meets at the Phenix Square Restaurant at 6:00

a.m. November’s meetings are on the 2nd

,

16th

, and 30th

. All men are welcome.

Signing Choir: The Signing Choir rehearses

on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome to

join—no signing experience needed!

Family Sunday: The last Sunday of each

month is Family Sunday where our children

serve as ushers, greeters, Communion

stewards, and liturgists. If you have children

who are taking part in the worship, please

arrive by 9:00 a.m. so we can run through the

bulletin and review our “jobs” for the day.

November, 2018 Page 8

Music Notes Reminding all again that the SOV Adult Choir

will begin in earnest our preparation for our

annual Christmas Cantata. We are looking

forward to as many singers as possible to join with

us again for this great

worship experience and

offering for the

Advent/Christmas season.

As they say, come one,

come all! Remember that

you don’t have to read music

to participate.

Steve Haunschild

Help Wanted Antique Appraisal Fair and Holiday Market

Lots of help is needed to make this event, one of

SOV’s major fundraisers, a success. Please see all

the ways you can help under “Congregational

Support Needed” in the article on page 3.

Sunday School

Our Sunday School can always use helping hands.

We have three classes (pre-school, elementary,

and middle school), each taught by co-teachers. If

you are interested in teaching, or in helping out in

any way, please email Lisa Marciniak, our Family

Ministry Coordinator at lhardgrove@yahoo.com.

Lisa will also be passing around a binder with help

requests during worship on Sundays. Please

review this carefully to see if there’s somewhere

our Sunday School can use your talents, even on

an occasional basis.

Fellowship Hour Sign-Up Hosting Fellowship Hour is a great time to

promote fellowship in the church. You don’t have

to provide anything elaborate—just some goodies

and coffee (and

help/instructions are

available for the coffee-

making). Simply sign up

on the list in Fellowship

Hall.

Caring and Sharing

Turkey Tree

The Thanksgiving Tree is on display in

Fellowship Hall. We anticipate needing 40 baskets

but that number could rise. Please grab a card (or

two) with our needs from the board. All donations

are due by Sunday, November 18th

and place in

the appropriate box in Fellowship Hall or in a

fridge/freezer. If you prefer to make a monetary

donation, we'll be happy to do the shopping.

Shepherd’s Pantry

Our food pantry continues needs all the basics,.We

can use vegetables, tuna, pasta, spaghetti sauce,

cereal, fruit, soup, and crackers. Since many of

our clients have health issues, healthier food

options, including lower sodium/fat free items, are

always welcome. Have boxes? Computer paper

boxes are the perfect size. Toilet paper is needed

as well. Many thanks for your continued

donations and cash gifts for the support to help our

neighbors in need.

Grocery Tapes for Missions

Save your register tapes from Brigidos! We

receive $.01 for missions for each dollar spent.

Give them to Regina Sprague or drop them off in

the UMW mailbox at church.

Shut-Ins

The Nurture-Outreach Ministry Team has a new

shut-in list posted on the bulletin board next to the

kitchen. Please think of these important members

of our community and send them a card, or better

yet, stop by for a visit. If there’s anyone you

know who needs a visit, let one of the team

members or the church office know and we’ll add

them to the list.

Fellowship Hour Thank You There is not a lot to say about how important

fellowship hour after church is until you look

around and see everyone visiting and connecting

during this time. A special thank you goes out to

all our Sunday Fellowship Hour hosts and

hostesses who provide the goodies and make this

time possible. All should step up to the plate and

take a turn. Feel free to have a friend or family

November, 2018 Page 9

member help you out—volunteers are needed and

help showing how everything is done is available.

Facebook

PK invites you to “friend” her on Facebook.

Save Your Pop-Tabs!

We are continuing to collect your pop tabs—

there’s a box in the kitchen for them. These tabs

go toward helping with food, supplies, and utilities

for the Ronald McDonald House in Providence.

The House provides a home-away-from-home for

families of critically ill children. Without these

donations, the House would not be able to provide

for the families. Thank you for the tabs and if you

have any questions about donations, please contact

Sue Dyl.

Blood Pressure Measurement

We are able to check blood pressures in the office.

Check with Pastor Katherine.

Church Council

Minutes: September

24, 2018

Present: Council members present included Rob

Bower, John Lombardo, Samantha Dyl, Maryanne

Desrosiers, Lisa Marciniak, Barbara Walz,

Howard Gay, and Tom Senerchia. Also present

were church members Donna Faria and Marti

Bower, Pastor Katherine Mitchell, and guest

David Abbot, Director of Stewardship for the

United Methodist Foundation.

The meeting was opened at 7:05 p.m. with sharing

our joys and concerns, introduction of those

present, and an opening prayer.

David Abbot provided some information on his

background and experience with fundraising, and

asked about our hopes. John brought up the need

for a new roof, and our plan to fund that by

borrowing from our endowment, to be paid back

with interest from the trustees’ funds. He also

noted that improvements to the sanctuary and

Fellowship Hall are needed, and referenced the

problems experienced in planning for and funding

the Hope Room. David discussed a capital

campaign as spiritual work, and noted the

relationship of our spaces to our vision and

mission as well as our relationship to each other.

The next step for us to consider would be an

outside-facilitated “dream session” to start

identifying what’s important to us in our space.

Out of that would come a wish list with visuals,

and a feasibility study.

Howard described the fall stewardship campaign,

which will be modeled on last year’s successful

campaign. There will be outside and internal

speakers, with a culmination of the drive on

November 11th

.

Sam brought us up to date on the Christmas

Market, which will be similar to last year’s with

some tweaks. The big difference will be the

appraisal portion, being coordinated by Jay

O’Connor.

Pastor Katherine closed us with a prayer. The

meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Hannah Bell-Lombardo

Shepherd of the Valley Non-Profit Organization

United Methodist Church U.S. POSTAGE PAID

604 Seven Mile Road West Warwick, RI

Hope, RI 02831 PERMIT 1

DO NOT FORWARD— CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

TIME VALUE—DO NOT DELAY NOVEMBER, 2018 CIRCUIT RIDER

Saturday November 17th

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Antique appraisals from 10 a.m. - 12 noon

$5 per antique item or $10 for three