A Word from the Pastor

November 2020

"Gratitude goes beyond the 'mine' and the 'thine' and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy." Henri Nouwen

November is a month when we take the time to notice and celebrate gratitude. Although there has been a long history of celebrating Thanksgiving in November, it wasn't until 1863, during the middle of the Civil War, that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national holiday of Thanksgiving.

We often mark our thanksgiving by what we have, by the things in our lives for which we are grateful. We might consider ourselves blessed that we have a loving family, or plenty of food, clean water, so many things that we know we often take for granted that others around the world live without.

While it is important to recognize the good things in our lives and to remember the people who might not have those things, is this comparison really the heart of blessing or thanksgiving? The beginning of Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the midst of the Civil War reminds us that we can practice gratitude even in the midst of difficulty, that we can find blessing even in the midst of pain. Perhaps our blessings have less to do with the list of all the things we have and more to do with the very gift of life, the gift of love, and the gift of God's caring presence with us.

Mary embodies this spirit, when she sings in thanksgiving for her blessings in the midst of dealing with all the fallout of her pregnancy with Jesus: a fiance who isn't sure if he can trust her and stay with her, a community judging her as an unwed teenage mother in a time when that was considered unacceptable. Con’t on Pg 4

The deadline for the

December edition of

the Grapevine:

November 19th

The Grapevine

Inside this issue:

Calendar 2

Schedules 3

Thrift Shop News 4

Session at Work 4-8

Stewardship 5

Operation Christmas

Child 8

Dates to Remember 8

Christmas Memorial

Tree 10

Contact Us:

Rev. David Pepper:

dpepper@presbyleroy.org

(585) 409-6929

Church Office:

office@presbyleroy.org

(585) 768-8700

Website:

www.presbyleroy.org

Office Hours:

Mon. & Wed. 9-Noon

Thurs. 9-1

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November 2020

Sun

Mon Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

6:00 SESSION

Stewardship

Dedication

GRAPEVINE

Deadline

6:15 TOPS

6:15 TOPS

6:15 TOPS

6:15 TOPS

6:15 TOPS

6:30 Garden

Club

Maintenance

committee after

service

Decorate

Sanctuary for

Advent

Last Day for

Shoebox

Collection

Page 3

Date Communion Servers / Bread Bakers

Ushers

Pulpit Assistant

Flower Chairperson

11/1

Servers:

Bread Baker:

June Dusen Candy Bower

11/8 Candy Bower

11/15 Peg Wetzel

11/22

Sue Price

11/29 Karl Washington

12/6 Servers:

Bread Baker: Deb Shultz Jeanne Smith

12/13 Doreen Bortle

12/20 Sandy Brady

12/27 Candy Bower

November Birthdays:

2nd: Ralph Worthington Sr.

3rd: Sam Giraulo

9th: Dennis Beaumont

11th: Martha Davis

16th: Sylvia Traxler

17th: Orion Hiler

23rd: Debra Shultz

26th: Ashley Smith

27th: Indigo Hiler

November Anniversary:

22nd: Frank & Martha Davis

The Grapevine

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con’t from pg. 1

All that is true, and yet she sings: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:46-48). She boldly claims herself as blessed in the midst of it all because she trusts that God is with her and doing something amazing.

How can we this practice this kind of gratitude, not through comparisons, but through the awareness of God with us this Thanksgiving season?

As you reflect back over the year or perhaps over your life, where have you seen and noticed God's presence with you? That question may be particularly difficult to answer, given the changes Covid-19 has brought to our lives. Even so, may we be consciously aware and grateful for the ways God is present and at work in all of our lives.

Dave

THRIFT SHOP NEWS

Thrift Shop Open

Tuesday 10:00- Noon & 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 – Noon

The Thrift Shop continues to have wonderful support from the community. Displays are updated each week with new items.

Christmas items are now out along with household items, kitchen wares, toys, books and décor.

Precautions are still in place:

Wear a mask, adhere to social distancing, no more than 4 shoppers in the room at any one time. Sales total to date: $4,735.00

Vera Bradley Winter Tote Raffle: A beautiful brand new winter Vera Bradley Tote, donated by Joan Ruppersberger, will be given away Thanksgiving weekend. Donation is $1.00 per ticket. Stop by the Thrift Shop to purchase your ticket or see June, Sandy or Robin after church on any Sunday morning.

Christmas Items are now on display and priced. Many nice decorations and gifts available.

Stop down to take a look and start your shopping.

Donations are no longer being accepted for 2020.

Thanks for all your support this year! Without the community’s support this endeavor would not be possible.

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STEWARDSHIP 2021

Gratitude & Stewardship

Why is gratitude important in our lives?

Gratitude creates a sense of fullness and from this fullness we feel more moved to give of ourselves to others though service and stewardship.

The more you give, the more you receive….love, friendship, a sense of purpose and accomplishment. When we live within a grateful heart we will see endless opportunities to give both spiritually and financially.

Empirical research has confirmed the emotional and physical benefits of giving thanks. Martin Seligman’s study concluded that 92% of a study group felt happier after counting their blessings for one week. 94% who had been depressed, felt less depressed. From other research, we learn that concentrating on positive thoughts, like gratitude, kindness and optimism, activates our left prefrontal cortex and floods our bodies with endorphins to create an upswing in mood.

Gratitude reminds us that we are not self-made but God made. An expression of gratitude is acknowledgement of the bigger picture and God’s place in the center of it. Feelings of gratitude inspire us to help others in our society. I encourage you to examine your own lives and feel gratitude for the blessings you have.

True stewardship cannot happen without feelings of gratitude and we all have reasons to be thankful for what we have, despite travails and setbacks.

Our stewardship committee invites you to give back by volunteering, serving on church committees or helping financially. We welcome help in our Thrift Shop and our Community Garden. If you know of any available Grants, which are appropriate, please let us know.

Without your help our missions both local and international will fall short. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

God Bless,

Candace Bower

Treasurer

Dedication Sunday for the Pledges will be November 22nd.

“Let us give thanks to the Lord, for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for us all.”

We, the faithful people of a loving God, are the caring congregation of the First

Presbyterian Church of Le Roy, dedicated to Christ’s ministry. We will share our faith

through worship, fellowship, and in service to our church and the greater community.

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On Sunday, November 29th, please stay to help decorate the sanctuary.

It only takes about 45 minutes and many hands make light work so all are welcomed to assist the Maintenance Committee in this annual ritual!

Did you know that the Grapevine is posted on our website every

month (www.presbyleroy.org)? Did you also know that you can

receive your Grapevine via email? If you would like it sent to your

inbox, please send an email to:

office@presbyleroy.org

First Presbyterian Church

of LeRoy

Session Ministries 2020-2021

Care of Church Families/Mission: Pat Patton

Finance: June Dusen and John Ruppersberger

Maintenance: Beth Patton and Lora Allen

Program/Christian Education: Deb Shultz

Music & Worship: Karl Washington and Dawn Ireland-Monsees

Treasurer: Candace Bower

Clerks of Session: Lynda Taylor

Moderator: Rev. David Pepper

From Debbie Shultz:

Thank you my church family for the beautiful basket of flowers.

What a happy surprise!!

They’re bright and cheery and I appreciate each one of you!

Thanks for thinking of me! God Bless!

LeRoy Pantry & Help Fund

Macaroni & cheese, canned vegetables,

spaghettiOs , canned stew, oatmeal, soups, snacks,

canned fruits & juices, pancake mix, syrup, coffee, tea, etc.

When you are grocery shopping, please add a few of these items to your grocery cart.

Help fill the donation box outside Olmsted Hall, so these items can be donated to the

local food pantry. There is also a collection bin at LeRoy Dollar General.

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It is that time again to ask you to consider finding a place for The LeRoy Pantry and Help Fund on your year

ending donation list. The community’s generous contributions have allowed us not only to “Make Christmas

Merry” but to continue providing food throughout the year to those in need.

Please contact The Pantry at 768-4559, if you would like to volunteer your time, donate food, new or almost

new toys, etc…for this year’s Christmas project. All distributions are made within the Le Roy School District.

PRAYER CHAIN

Tell your troubles and they are halved, share your joys and they are doubled.

Even with our busy lives it is so very important that we do not forget our friends who are ill or

in harm’s way. Help lift up their spirits with your prayers.

Kathy Fitch Barb Scott Naomi Slusser

Elizabeth Barber (Nevin-Brown) Deb Shultz

Martha Monsees Gretchen Oakes Lois Nicholson

You can initiate the Prayer Chain anytime by calling Rev. Pepper (585-409-6929).

Remember that patient privacy laws prohibit hospitals and nursing homes from contacting

clergy when patients are admitted, so we ask that families notify the church when a family

member is admitted.

DATES TO REMEMBER - MARK YOUR CALENDARS

November 22, 2020 - Stewardship Dedication — during Service

November 29, 2020– Decorate Sanctuary—First Sunday in Advent

December 1, 2020 - Memorial Tree Bulb Deadline

December 6, 2020 - Memorial Tree Dedication

December-Date TBD-Homebound Member Holiday Thoughts

December is also Christmas Joy Offering Month.

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Christmas Shoe Boxes We have ordered and received the preprinted Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

again this year.

All you need to do is pick up one of these boxes, fill it with your items and return to the

church. Ideas of items to include: School supplies (notebooks, pencils, crayons etc.), Hygiene

items (toothbrush, towel, washcloth, soap) and a Fun toy (doll, soccer ball with pump, stuffed

animal.) An items to pack information leaflet is on table in Narthax.

Boxes need to be delivered to church no later than November 15th.

The cost to mail these boxes is $9.00 per box. If you are not able to fill a box, you could donate to the postage fund.

This offsets the postage the church must include when these boxes are delivered to the drop-off location on November 16th.

The collected shoeboxes are gifts for children around the world as an expression of God’s love.

Senior Citizens of LeRoy and Stafford have cancelled all meetings

and activities for 2020. They will assess the situation again in 2021

and decide on how to resume.

Questions please contact Rosemary Miller 506-5233.

Page 9 The Grapevine

Presbyterian Diggers and Cutters

It's time to recognize and thank all the diggers, cutters, and pruners who've worked for the church over the Summer season. These workers are a good example of people working cooperatively, smoothly, together for the church.

The Mower Army has dealt with our mowers—both the riding mower which is “quirky” to work with, and then, lo and behold, a new self-propelled walk behind mower. Thank you to the anonymous party

who donated it! From April to the end of September, 18 volunteers kept the lawns of the church and 9 Clay St. looking trim and attractive. Thank you to Jay and Bill Jones, Robin and Steve Upson, Ken and Mary Smith, Ged and Sandy Brady, Don Higgins, Karl Washington, Al Plath, John Allen, Heiko Monsees, Jack and Jason Doemling, Chuck and June Dusen, and Don Bortle. Someday we should gather all the mowing stories and happenings they've experienced, for fun reading. The church/9 Clay properties are located along the busiest spots in the Village, as we've all experenced.

The “Diggers” are the volunteers who've kept the flower gardens going, despite drought, clay soil and crab grass. Candy Bower planted and maintains the flowers on the front garden at Olmsted entrance as well as the front entrance planters. Sandy Brady keeps the flower bed behind the ramp at Olmsted entrance. And new this year, Barbara Galliford has successfully tackled renovating the Steward Sel-den iris bed along the sidewalk to Thrift Shop/Nursery School entrance. This was a two day job of digging and transplanting----with beautiful results. Thank you to all our green-thumbed “Diggers”!

A side note re gardening, we have a new plant in the most challenging garden spot---at the highest point on the Olmsted Hall ramp, the plot of soil that doesn't get much sun and is hidden away---Aralia racemosa, popularly known as American Spikenard. Genesee Co. Master Gardeners recommended this plant for the spot because it's tough, tall, tolerates drought, and is beautiful during the growing season. Aralia isn't beautiful now in its Fall mode, closing down for winter and losing its leaves. We will be watching for it to show up in Spring, and fill the tall, empty spot.

This has been a successful year for maintaining the trim appearance of the church at the main corner of the Village---thanks to our volunteers

Sandy Brady,

Lawn Coordinator

Phone: 585-768-8700

Email: office@presbyleroy.org

F i r s t P re sby t er ian Ch ur ch 7 C lay S t re et Le Roy , NY 1 448 2

Know Christ. Live Christ.

Share Christ.

Christmas Memorial Tree

Once again this holiday season the Church will set up a Christmas tree on the

front porch. This tree will be filled with lights in memory of our loved ones and

also as a sign of the light of Jesus Christ on the night of His birth to all who pass

by the four corners of LeRoy.

You may purchase a bulb for $5.00 in memory of your loved one. You may

purchase as many Christmas bulbs as you wish. Help us to shine many lights to

share with others the gift of remembrance, joy and hope during this wondrous holiday season.

The dedication ceremony will be on Sunday, December 6th. Fill out the form below and put

in the collection plate with your contribution or mail to the Church office no later than:

*Tuesday, December 1, 2020.*

Given by: ________________________________________________

In Memory of: _____________________________________________