Another new month is beginning, and it comes bringing excitement and expectation for the holiday season. Even though Walmart has already stocked its shelves with trees, wreaths, and decorations, I am actually not talking about Christmas. Instead, I am talking about Thanksgiving!

For me, November is all about Thanksgiving. I am not one of those people who skips straight past Halloween and Thanksgiving to get in the Christmas spirit. In fact, I have a strict rule that I will NOT listen to any Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. I love the simplicity of Thanksgiving because it doesn’t involve any gift-giving or shopping; it is all about gratitude and spending time with people you love.

Some of my favorite Thanksgiving memories center around being with my family and doing things together. When I was growing up, I loved going to my Nana’s house because she had this snack table for everyone to graze on until the big shebang later in the day. And, before we all ate, we would often go around the table and all say something we were thankful for. In the years when we didn’t travel for the holiday, I loved waking up and watching the Macy’s Parade in my pajamas with my family. In recent years, I have loved competing with Shane to see who can create the best decoration for our apple pies.

But, what really makes each of these memories so special is the fact that they were shared with my family. I am grateful for the simple gift of time together with people I love. I am grateful for a holiday that helps me slow down and be intentional about giving thanks for all the blessings in my life. As we get closer to Thanksgiving, I encourage you to think about the things you are grateful for. Adopt a practice of giving thanks and celebrating the many blessings in your lives. And most importantly, adopt a practice of giving thanks and praise to God for all of those blessings. Because we know that all good things are a gift from God.

Blessings,

Wesley United

Methodist Church Mission Statement:

!

826 NW 23rd Avenue Gainesville, FL

32609 Office: 372-2845 Fax: 372-9544

We are on Facebook!!!

Pastor’s E-mail:

pastorsarah826@gmail.com

Secretary’s E-mail: Terri Manche

secretary@wumc.cfcoxmail.com

Witness Articles E-mail: Sharren Gibbs

sharren2@cox.net Deadline for articles: 15th of each

month

Website: www.WesleyUMCon23.org

Weekly Sunday Activities

Sunday School Adult Ages @ 9:30AM

Sunday School in the Park @10:00AM (Greentree Park)

Worship @ 10:45AM (Sanctuary)

Come join Pastor Sarah from noon to 1:00PM in the Conference Room on Tuesdays. We discuss a variety of themes and topics, but there is always rich discussion. All are welcome and we would love to have you join us!

WE WILL SALUTE OUR WESLEY VETERANS ON

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10th

NURSERY CLEANING DAY—On Saturday, November 23

rd at 10AM the

Children’s Church team will be cleaning the nursery and would like some help. Come and join us!

Barbara Baldwin Linda Baldwin

Micke Bergeron Agnes Burke

Carolyn Clarke Joan Croft

Betty Dees Nancy Hardee

Rachelle Hines Sonya Hodges

Barb Loehr Beth Loehr-Moody

Paula Mathis Billy Moring

Clydia Reichert Beth Senn

Polly Teele Clarence Witt

Save these dates:

November 1—World Community Day

November 9—UMW Conference Annual Meeting. More information will be forthcoming.

Our next UMW General meeting will be November 16 at 10:00 AM in the Conference Room. The Nightingales will present the program concerning the World Thank Offering. (Don’t forget to bring your Thank Banks!)

Blessings, Yvonne Hodges.

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NEWS FROM THE KITCHEN Come on out and fellowship with your Wesley Family the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM. Our next regular dinner is on Wednesday, November 13th, and we’re serving some kind of chicken. It will be good, whatever recipe we use—so come on down! Please RSVP to the office by Sunday, November 10th, if you’re not on the “permanent list.”

Blessings, Donna Weseman

ALACHUA GIRLS’ ACADEMY

A big thank you to the Girls' Academy for bringing quite a few young ladies to help unload pumpkins on October 12

th. I had a chance to greet a few and

talk with one of the leaders. They were so sweet and so happy to come and help!

I will take goody bags to them in the first week of November, so there is still time to contribute if you'd like. We are giving personal care items this time around. As always, thank you for your support with this ministry.

Many blessings,

Joyce Welsh

Thank you, thank you, for helping us fill 24 shoe boxes for Samaritan's Purse/Project Christmas Child! You know the children will appreciate their gifts and remember

Americans kindly in this sometimes angry world.

The YAHs will meet on the 15th at 11:30 AM at the Weseman home for our annual Thanksgiving dinner. Meat and iced tea will be provided; please bring a side dish to share. On December 5th, we will again head to the Weseman’s to celebrate Christmas with our dear friends. Please RSVP to me or the church office by Wednesday noon before our Friday meetings if you plan to attend. See you soon!

Donna Weseman

GAINESVILLE HOPE LODGE

During November we will collect items for Hope Lodge. Not to be confused with Ronald McDonald House, the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge program provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers. More than just a roof over their heads, it's a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. Each Hope Lodge community offers a supportive, homelike environment where guests can share a meal, join in the evening's activities, or unwind in their own private room. Patients staying at a Hope Lodge must be in active cancer treatment, and permanently reside more than 40 miles or one hour away from their cancer treatment center. Each patient must be accompanied by a caregiver. Their needs include:

Aluminum foil Plastic food containers

Umbrellas Individually wrapped rolls of toilet tissue

Paper towels Styrofoam coffee cups with lids

Pots and pans Current DVD's for their lending library

Hair dryers Gift cards for groceries - CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, Publix

There is a box in the narthex to place your contributions during the month. We hope you’ll give generously to this new addition to our Mission of the Month!

WESLEY MUSIC LOVERS’ GROUP

The Wesley Music Lovers’ Group met for the first time on June 17th. There were 13 members in attendance. The group members filled out a form regarding their favorite kind of music, and also if they play a musical instrument, what kind, if they sing, and if they perform for others. They also let us know if they want to do karaoke. We have three singers, three guitar players, a ukulele and a harmonica player. There is an interest from some veterans to start a military veterans’ band. One veteran is interested in singing in the chancel choir. We also had many wonderful Wesley Church members in attendance. The group played many wonderful music selections and enjoyed the diversity of ages in the group. Our guitar players and singers will perform for 30 minutes at our next meeting. We look forward to more members joining the group in the future. It was a joyful experience.

We meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, from 1PM to 3PM. Questions, email Pamela at PamelaMcKearn@SBCGlobal.net or call Terri at the

Wesley UMC Church office at 352-372-2845.

It takes a village to have a pumpkin patch. From digging post holes and setting up lights, transporting an RV for Patch storage, providing bales of hay, borrowing a fork lift to transport pallets - LOTS of pallets, (thanks to our neighborhood feed store), to helping hands to unload 1,065 pumpkins and get them arranged for sales. Approximately 60 people came to help with the great unload, including church members, grandkids, spouses, in-laws, friends, veterans, GHS Key Club members and their sponsor, Gainesville Girls' Academy (one of our missions), teachers plus principal from Metcalfe Elementary (another of our missions), Gator Wesley mem-bers, even favorite servers from a local restaurant! We were finished in record time.

Then we got the sales area ready ... tent, tables, chairs so we could start selling immediately. Over 40 members (and a few friends) came to "man" the sales tent each day. Daily refreshments were provided (cold water and cookies) for our workers and goodies for kid shoppers. So many shoppers expressed their pleasure that we were back selling pumpkins...we have been missed the last two years! And we spent some remembering our members that have passed on. A few of our neighbors were just thrilled that we were back. Even though our sales were not extraordinary we at least made it to the 30% profit point!

Then we had the day-after clean up. About 20 people came out to help load up pumpkins to take to Grace Market Place, St Francis House, an assisted living place, and to friends’ and members’ cows. The tent and lights had to be taken down and the tables moved back into the storage areas. Exhausting but at least for three weeks we put ourselves back out there to greet the public...and I so enjoy getting to know my fellow members better! That is always a plus.

So, a big THANK YOU to all who supported our Pumpkin Patch this year!

Cindy Holmes, Nancy Slaydon and the Team

Thanks to Dale Smith for the photography!

Kim Harrell—Narrator Sandy Reeves—Michal Nancy Case—Deborah Story from 1sr & 2nd Samuel Story from Judges 4 & 5

Mimi Carr—Shiprah Joyce Story—Bathsheba Violet Asmuth—Naomi Story from Exodus 1:15-21 Story from 2nd Samuel, Chap 11 & 12 Story from Ruth

Karelisa Hartigan—Ruth Cynthia Christianson—Esther Nancy Case—Jezebel Story from Ruth Story from Esther Story from 1st & 2nd Kings

Nancy Case coordinated and wrote most of the scripts for this touching and sometimes very funny telling of women’s stories from the Bible. Prior to the presentation, Donna Weseman and the Kitchen Committee served a yummy chili supper to the attendees. And of course, special thanks to Linda Nosko and Rob Reeves for their sound and lighting expertise! All proceeds from the event went to UMCOR earmarked for Bahamas relief.

Storytime in the Park

We continue to meet at Greentree Park for Story time in the Park. We meet at 10:00 am in case you know anyone who may enjoy the outdoors and this pretty Fall weather. We learned about Noah's Ark and the story of Moses as a baby. Also, all about Jonah and the whale. The children are really having a good time learning about the Lord and his teachings. A big thank you to Lori Hales, Bonnie Carlin, and Yang Lu for filling in when we need help. Please let us know if you would like to help on any given Sunday. The weather has been very nice so it’s a good time for those who don't like the heat!! We will continue into November for a few weeks until we take a break until Spring.

Many blessings,

Sherry Adams, Diane Blucher, and Joyce Welsh

Wesley United Methodist Church 826 NW 23rd Avenue

Music Lovers’ Group Meets: Monday, Nov. 4, 18, Dec. 2, 16.

Place: Wesley Conference Room

Time: 1PM – 3PM

Free of charge to all who come.

Enjoy a variety of different music with other music

lovers and bring your favorite music to share

with the group.

We always have the option to form sub-groups

addressing the unique musical interests of

each member.

We will also be playing DVD and VHS recordings of

yourfavorite music concerts from time to time!

Church members, military veterans, and community

musicians are invited to perform.

We will have group sing-alongs based on music

the members choose and also karaoke.

Come and join the fun and rock with your

favorite music!

We play a variety of musical games like

“Name that Tune”.

Please RSVP so adequate space can be provided. Questions: Contact Harley and Pamela Christensen at

PamelaMcKearn@SBCGlobal.net or Wesley Church office

at 352-372-2845

11/13 6:00PM Finance Committee

11/20 6:00PM Administrative Council

FUN AND GAMES Join the Canasta card club at Wesley United Methodist Church! Have fun and meet great people! Invite family and friends, the more the merrier! When: Thursdays, 12:00 Noon (except holidays) Where: Wesley United Methodist Church 826 Northwest 23rd Avenue Fellowship Hall

Call Harley or Pamela Christensen at 352-505-0694 for information. We have wonderful members waiting to teach you Hand and Foot Canasta!

Card Club Guidelines

Bring a sack lunch and beverage if you wish.

Please arrive on time if possible.

Please help clean up after the games end.

Please give us your email address and phone number in case of scheduling changes.

1st Matt Alday

Kitty Manasco

5th Wyatt Alday

7th Alex Reeves

9th Austin Sapp

10th Lisa Tatum-Alday

11th Margie Sapp

12th Noah Boyle

Ernest Muhammad

17th Jim Carlin

Pam McCormick

18th Harley Christensen

19th Jordan Newstadt

23rd John Easter

27th Helen Tate

30th William R. Dees

Clarence Witt

None!