Church of Christ Uniting

A new pictorial directory is in the works for Church of Christ Uniting!

For your convenience, Olan Mills will convert our Fellowship Hall into a professional portrait studio. Reserve your appointment time at one of the sign-up locations in the Narthex or the entrance to Fellowship Hall or call 1-800-866-2263 or online at www.signup.olanmills.com.

Each family/household that comes for photography and portrait viewing at the church will receive a complimentary directory and an 8×10 color portrait. You will be able to electronically view and select your portrait from a variety of poses.

The first round of portrait sessions is Tuesday, November 24 and Monday, November 30. If you purchase additional portraits your order will be ready to present to friends and family as Christmas gifts. If you miss the first round, don’t worry. We will have a second round of portrait sessions in early 2010.

For more information please contact Linda Lewis. We hope to see you in the new directory!

Church of Christ Uniting is seeking to fill the position of Nursery Care Giver beginning December 6th.  If interested please call the church office at

288-8434 or send an email to cocu@cocu4u.org.

Job Description

NURSERY CARE GIVER

Job Title:                                Nursery Care Giver

Qualifications:                        Have and maintain current clearance with Pennsylvania Act 34, or successor statue, and child abuse clearance from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.  (For persons who have been non-Pennsylvania residents, a Federal Bureau of Investigation clearance.)

Have and maintain current certification in a basic First Aid course and CPR Certification, and a current physical.

Time Commitment:                Each Sunday from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, with two (2) Sundays of vacation time throughout the year.

Accountable To:                     Senior Pastor, Director of Christian Education/ Christian Formation, and the Personnel Task Force

Duties and Responsibilities:

A.            Child Care

• Maintain a log to insure children are released only to the appropriate adult.
• Maintain safety and wellbeing of children.
• Attend to personal hygiene of children if necessary.
• Clean up any toys or other materials, which may have become soiled.

B.            Communication

• Contact the ushers, and/ or otherwise seek aid in the event of an      

emergency.

•  Inform parent of any unusual happenings.

C.            Maintenance of Nursery

• Dispose of any broken toys.
• Replace toys as needed, submitting bill to Education Task Force.

D.            Other duties as assigned by the Senior Pastor or directed by the Personal Task Force.

 (Revised May 2006)

The Property Ministry Team and the Parish Council have approved two major projects for the church. In conjunction with a roofing consultant, it has been decided to make repairs and significantly upgrade the flat roofs over Fellowship Hall, the S3 apartment, and the Education wing of the church. The upgrading of the flat roofs comes with a fifteen year warranty and is very cost effective compared to replacing the roof. The cost for this project is in the $40,000 to $45,000 range depending on what is found when the roof is removed from the areas to be repaired.

A number of the ranks of pipes in the church organ need major work in terms of tuning. This work will greatly improve the proper volume, clarity and timber of the sound of the instrument. The proposed work will cost $4,400 and will be done during the week between Sunday services.

The church does not have these funds available in the annual budget and is only able to accomplish these projects because of the generosity of bequests to the endowment fund from the estates of deceased members.

Classes held in Lukens Lounge, 1st Floor of Educational Building, at 11:30 a.m.

Enjoy some refreshments in Fellowship Hall following worship and then come to class for some spiritual refreshment

ALL ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE CLASSES

DVD Series and Study

Enough – Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity

By Adam Hamilton

Publisher’s Description:

Money has great power in our lives. Used wisely, it is one key to accomplishing our goals, providing for our needs, and fulfilling our life purpose. In recent years, many of us ignored the wisdom of the past when it came to managing and spending our money. Credit card debt soared, savings rates plummeted, and our home equity became something to be tapped into and spent rather than a source of security in retirement. We felt an insatiable desire for more. And we found ourselves spending tomorrow’s money today in order to have what we hoped would satisfy. The result of all of this was not greater happiness and satisfaction, but greater stress and anxiety.

Enough is an invitation to rediscover the Bible’s wisdom when it comes to prudent financial practices. In these pages are found the keys to experiencing contentment, overcoming fear, and discovering joy through simplicity and generosity. This book could change your life, by changing your relationship with money.

November 1, 15, 22 and 29

(No class on November 8 – Consecration Sunday)

During September, 175 food orders were distributed on eight days. The 175 orders provided food for 497 persons. These were comprised of 161 children aged to 19 years, 262 adults aged 20 to 59 and 74 persons aged 60 and older. The average number of orders per month is about 190 so this is slightly below the average. On one day, a low of only 13 orders were distributed. This is considerably low since the maximum that can be given on any one day is 35 orders. August and September both had low distribution. Some items that are needed and have been in short supply from the CEO are peanut butter, cereal and boxes of macaroni & cheese. Donations of these items would be appreciated.

November 1 All Saint’s Communion Service

Sermon: “No More Tears”
Isaiah 25: 6-9 The heavenly banquet when the Lord saves
Revelation 21: 1-6 A new heaven and a new earth when God is with us

Hymns:
• A Mighty Fortress is Our God
• Hymn of Promise
• For All the Saints

November 8 Consecration Sunday- Congregation Brunch Following

Sermon: The Rev. Virginia Miner- First United Church of Lackawanna Valley
Mark 12: 38-42 The widow gives everything she has
Ruth 3: 1-5, 4: 13-17 Ruth marries Boaz and they have ancestor of David

Hymns:
• Take My Life and Let it Be
• Pass it On
• Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service

November 15 Annual Meeting of the Congregation

Sermon: Pass It On
1 Samuel 1: 4-20 Hannah’s prayer for a child is answered
Hebrews 10: 11-18 Sacrifice of Christ is once and for all

Hymns:
• O God, Our Help in Ages Past
• Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
• Be Thou My Vision
• My Lord, What a Morning

November 22 Christ the King Sunday

Sermon: From Beginning to End
2 Samuel 23: 1-7 The last words of David- God’s everlasting covenant
Revelation 1: 4-8 Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega- beginning and end

Hymns:
• Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
• Rejoice the Lord is King
• Crown Him with Many Crowns

November 29 The First Sunday of Advent

Sermon: Promises we Make
Jeremiah 33: 14-16 Righteous Branch of David- the New Covenant
1 Thessalonians 3: 9-13 Paul urges disciples to love each other

Hymns:
• People, Look East
• O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
• Once in Royal David’s City

5:00 p.m. The Annual Tree Trim

I love fall…its colors, and smells of wood fires burning, the sound of geese flying south, cold apples and warm cider, the crisp fall air that puts color in cheeks, and makes us want to wrap up in sweaters or cuddle up with a book by a warm fire. It also is a time of home-coming. This year we are planning a first Fleming Thanksgiving at my brother’s home outside Philadelphia…the result of having become closer knit after celebrating my niece’s wedding on 8-08-08 and having us all together for a week in North Carolina for Charis and Tim’s event this year, 7-17-09. As our family grows we count so many blessings in our lives!

However, whatever the situations in our families, our churches, or individually- Gratitude is a Choice we make on a daily basis. Robert Emmons has written the book THANKS- a life of Gratitude can make you happier! We know that people who count their blessings are those who not only feel happier, but spread that attitude to others. He lists three important aspects of living with gratitude and how it can change someone’s life:

• An appreciation of the goodness of the gifts given-AND the goodness of the giver
• A sense that gifts are unearned- they come to us from God not thru our deserving
• A knowledge that our gifts and blessings are MORE than we expected

In other words, as a friend Debby Heida recently shared her father’s words of wisdom often repeated in their family- with Scott’s church for their consecration celebration:

“We’re Rich- and we have some money too!”

We have lots of opportunities in this month of Thanks-giving to show our appreciation for the gifts we have been given- and to the GIVER of all gifts- our triune God!

On November 1 we will celebrate all the saints in our congregation; giving thanks for all the children baptized into our church this year, as well as those who have gone on to the church triumphant- those faithful saints who have died over this past year but whose legacy of giving will long be remembered

November 8 will be our Consecration Sunday, when we will dedicate our pledges to the ongoing ministries and outreach from COCU and our new care ministries. Please make every effort to join us in worship where Virginia Miner of Peckville will be bringing us the message “don’t eat the chicken till we see who’s at the door”! Then we will enjoy a celebration lunch prepared by Mike Carr of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Scranton- after worship in our fellowship hall.

November 15 is our annual conference meeting- after worship here at COCU and the Wyoming Cluster Church conference at 2pm at the Nesbitt Center

November 22 we celebrate “Christ the King Sunday” in our traditional worship time

November 29 is the first Sunday in Advent (already!) with candle-lighting and our annual Trim the Tree at 5pm with a carry-in dinner and games/crafts for all attending.

It’s a full month of celebrating who we are as the ‘whole family of God’ together- but it won’t be the whole family if YOU aren’t there! Remember, Gratitude is a Choice- every day- so “Choose this day whom you will serve; as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24)

Pastor Carol

PECAN SALE – Betty Harris is selling mammoth pecans for $8.00. All proceeds from the sale will benefit COCU. The pecans will be available by the middle of November.

It’s Apple Pie Time Again!!

Purchase a fresh apple pie from the youth group for $8.00. They need your order by November 15th. The youth will be taking orders on November 1st, November 8th, and November 15th before and after the worship service. Please look for them and order your pies. They are offering baked and unbaked pies again this year. Pick-up time will be November 21st, 12 – 2 P.M. or November 22nd after the worship service. Thank you for helping out the youth program.

CHURCH WOMEN UNITED OF WYOMING VALLEY will be sponsoring World Community Day 2009. It will be held at the Salvation Army Center on Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre, on Friday, November 6. The theme for the day is Piecing Earth Together. The speaker will be Dr. Marlene Troy, Chairperson of the Environmental Engineering Studies Department at Wilkes University. Registration begins at 11:15 a.m. the annual business meeting will follow at 11:30 a.m. with lunch from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. and the program at 1:15 p.m. The cost of the lunch is $6.00. You are invited to attend this special day. Please make reservations with either Joyce Shiplett or Yvonne Baker.

One or two licensed drivers are needed on Sunday mornings to keep the church van ministry to Wesley Village available. Training in the operation of the van would be provided. Drivers would need to be capable of helping passengers board and disembark from the van.

If interested, please contact the church office for more information about wages and duties.