THE CARILLON Page 1

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020

Greetings friends, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though our worship services and meetings

have been marked by social distancing, face coverings and limits on singing, it has been wonderful to be able

to spend time getting to know many of you. I have also enjoyed “meeting” others via our Morning Break

live stream, Zoom conferences and phone calls. In the midst of a very strange and uncertain season, it is

encouraging to know that Epworth church is open and continuing to worship, grow in discipleship together

and offer the love of Christ to the world around us.

At the same time, I know many of you are frustrated that life and church have changed so much in a very

short time. I know you are missing being with family and friends, concerned about safety and health and

frustrated by political turmoil. As we move into the holiday season and look ahead to 2021, that danger and

uncertainty seems to stretch into that future. I would like to encourage you to remember that God, the Alpha

and Omega, Beginning and End, has already invaded that future. If we have been willing to put our faith in

Jesus Christ and trust our lives to Him, God has already taken control of the present situation and guaranteed

our future. As Paul writes in Romans 8:

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been

called according to his purpose…37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him

who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither

the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all

creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If God has you, nothing in all creation, not COVID19, not racism, not political division, not financial

struggles, cancer, pain, divorce, depression, not even death itself can separate you from the love of God and

the future he has planned for you. And that future is good. That future is eternity in his presence. Jeremiah

29 tells us:

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm

you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I

will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Yes, our limited physical future—tomorrow, next week, this holiday season, next year—are uncertain. But

our immeasurable, eternal spiritual future is not. Our eternal future has already been planned by God and

those plans include prosperity and hope, not harm and uncertainty. We just need to trust him. So how do

we do that? How do we trust and rest in the peace and provision of God when faced with danger and

uncertainty? Call on him and seek him with all of your heart. He promises that when we turn to him in

prayer, he will listen. We will find him and the love, compassion and peace he promises. No matter what

might be happening today or tomorrow, God has you, me and Epworth Church wrapped in loving plans for

eternity. Nothing can separate us from that. It’s God’s guarantee.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Saunnie

Grace and peace,

Pastor Saunnie

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WE EXTEND OUR

CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY

TO:

Family and friends on

the death of Dorothy

Payne, August 12, 2020.

May God comfort them in their loss.

Mary Banks 7

Janice Smith 7

Jan Root 9

Grayson Bailey 14

Ron Bennington 21

Judi Bowen 21

Syler Ward 22

Dylan Cook 29

Eric Grieve 29

Jake Harlow 29

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D

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Amy Sumner 2

B. J. Blankenship 7

Jeanne Luse 11

Diane Maxwell 13

Lacey Park 19

Kacy Bailey 21

Jay Demeter 27

Carolyn Rogers 29

N o vem b er B i r thd a ys December Birthdays

Holiday Service

Schedule November 5 - 11 am

All Saints Day Remembering loved ones & friends.

December 3rd - 11 am

1st Sunday of Advent - Hanging of the Chrismons

December 24th - 6 p.m.

Candlelight Communion Service

In order to make it more convenient for those who wish to continue

to send in their tithes, we have set up a PayPal account for the church.

Just login to PayPal and click on "send money" choose the option

"send to friends abroad"(this option avoids the merchant fee of 3%) and

select "send to a PayPal account”, enter the amount and the church email

address: epworth@epworthva.org.

You may also donate online by visiting our website: www.epworthva.org, and click on the donate button

located on the home page.

Don’t forget – We are still collecting monetary

donations for Ghent Area Ministries on the first

Sunday of each month. Remember, 100% of

your offerings go to Ghent Area Ministry. When

making your check payable to Epworth UMC,

please note “GAM” on the memo line.

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Dear God,

We praise You for: Your Righteousness

Your Holiness

Your Faithfulness

Your Justice

Your Truth

Your Second Chances

Your Infinite Mercy

Your Abounding Grace

It amazes me what importance a mere mortal man is to You that You sacrificed Your Son to reach us--

-----to reunite us to You as it was before sin entered the world. How much a relationship with us

means to You!

You opened to us the door of opportunity when You sent Your Son,

Jesus, ------------to walk among us.

Let us remember this as a chance to kindle-------to set ablaze a relationship with

You this Christmas season and the coming year.

God, give us the grace to capture You in our hearts!

In Jesus Name,

Amen

---Jane Edwards

H – L send to:

Elinor Edwards

538 Washington Park, B1

Norfolk, VA 23517

Marilyn Sarko

432 Bartell Drive

Chesapeake, VA 23452

M - Q send to:

Ann Gatling

5417 Wesleyan Drive #204

Virginia Beach, VA 23455

Beverly Smeltzer

310 24th St., #102

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Make someone’s day special by participating in our monthly

“Card Shower”

for members in Health Care facilities or Homebound, AKA our Missing Angels

A – C send to:

Ms. Louise Gwaltney

10 Applewood Drive

Hopewell, N. J. 08525

Mary Lee Lowe

6311 Granby Street, #209

Norfolk, VA 23505

D – G send to:

Mary Banks

350 S. Ridgewood Ave #208

Ormond Beach, FL 32174

Dorothy Whitfield

1213 Suffield Drive

McLean VA 22101

R – Z send to:

Jane Lewis

6311 Granby Street, #221

Norfolk, VA 23505

Nora Roadcap

5598 Lawson Hall Rd.

Virginia Beach, VA 23455

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With the continuing health crisis, we have all had to adjust; masks, social distancing, cancelled events,

etc. However, our continuing commitments, such community outreach and our nurturing ministry keep the

O.N. committee busy and able to serve in the following ways:

Community Outreach: We will again provide donations of children’s mittens and/or gloves to the

Buffalo Family Community Outreach this year for their Christmas Mitten Tree (see below). We also continue

to partner with Ghent Area Ministries in collecting clothing, hygiene items and, this month, our latest project is

the “Blessing Box” which we will keep stocked with food items (see list of needed food items below) also,

Our nurturing ministry: Sending weekly church bulletins, Christmas, and Easter greeting cards to our

Missing Angels (homebound), and although we cannot celebrate monthly birthdays in person at this time, we

still remember our congregants by sending them birthday greetings in the mail.

And, lastly don’t forget –

When shopping this holiday season:

Donna Benken, Chair Outreach

Members: Ann Long, Mary Baker, Karen Ward,

Sharing God's love through outreach remains our joy and our mission. As we enter this holiday season,

we continue to pray for everyone’s health and safety.

Donna Benken, Chair

Mary Baker, Jackie Fulcher, Mary Lee Howlett, Ann Long, Karen Ward

and Carolyn Rogers and Ann Gatling, members emeritus

Help us help children by donating mittens and gloves to keep little hands warm this winter.

All donations will be donated to the Buffalo Family Community Service Project for their Christmas Mitten Tree. Deadline for

donations is December 13.

Epworth is part of the Kroger Community Rewards Program. Every dollar you spend at

Kroger Grocery store earns money toward our mission projects. To register your card go to:

krogercommunityrewards.com and enter NPO/Pin #EY815.

When you shop AmazonSmile, 5% of the purchase price will be donated to

Epworth. Simply log onto https://smile.amazon.com/ch/54-0534400 to receive

donations from eligible purchases

UMCmarket is now powered by iGive - a free service where shopping at any of 2357 stores like Travelocity, Macys, Overstock, Cokesbury and many more,

means a donation to your favorite cause. Help Epworth UMC every time

you shop by visiting https://www.igive.com/EpworthUMC?jltest=1

Food Items Needed: Juice Boxes Small bottles of water Snack crackers Snackables Small poptop cans tuna Small poptop cans chicken Small cans Vienna sausages Small packages of fruit/jello

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Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the Grand Illumination Parade in Downtown Norfolk has been

cancelled

As we approach the holiday season of Thanksgiving and

Christmas, I find my emotions are all over the place. We all seem

stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. But those feelings come when I

look at the world. I need to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. When my

eyes are on Jesus, the whole perception changes.

I can be thankful and joyful for the holidays, because the season let us celebrate His goodness. November we

can thank him for all His wonderful provisions. As I am washing my hands for the hundredth time, I am thankful

that we have running water. So much of the world has no water at all. I am thankful for the seasonal changes

which bring brilliant new colors and smells for the senses. He starts my days with beautiful sunrises, and ends

my days with gorgeous sunsets. Many places experience so much smog and smoke, they can’t see the sky

clearly. And, in spite of face coverings, and social distancing, we have grocery stores that are full of foods for

our Thanksgiving dinner.

As Christmas approaches and I think about all that I won’t be able to do this year because of COVID-19, I fix

my eyes on Jesus, and remember that I can celebrate the Advent season with joy. I look forward to His returning,

and I look back at His wondrous birth. I have Zoom now that allows me to stay connected to my family, (even

in Afghanistan). I still have my church family and can worship freely without being persecuted.

And as Epworth Day School enters this holiday season, we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He has provided the

way for us to remain open, our enrollment continues to grow, and He has protected us and kept our staff,

children, and families safe and healthy.

May you have a joyful season of gratitude and praise.

Respectfully,

Ellen Belfi, Director Epworth Day School

Christmas Poinsettias You are invited to place a poinsettia(s) in the Sanctuary for the

Christmas Season. Please submit your check payable to

Epworth UMC and mark it “Poinsettia.” Deadline for orders is December 13th. Please place: 6.5” Poinsettia plant(s) (write in color choice &

number of each below)

Red ____ Pink ____ White ____ In honor of/memory of (circle your choice) Please PRINT

____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ GIVEN BY: __________________________________________________ ___ Please take my poinsettia(s) to an Epworth shut-in or sick

member. (tax deductible) $8/ea.

___ I will pick up my poinsettia(s). (non tax deductible) $8/ea.

Saturday

November 28, @ 10 a.m.

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Epworth United Methodist Church 124 W. Freemason Street Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 622-2970 Email: epworth@epworthva.org website: www.epworthva.org Address Service Requested

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

P A I D

Norfolk, VA

Permit No. 2461

www.facebook.com/epworthumc124

Daylight Savings

Time ends

November 1st.

The Carillon newsletter is published bi-monthly.

Articles for the January/February 2021 issue

are due no later than December 14th.