October 2023 News
October 2023 Newsletter
Worship Schedule this Month
October 1st - 18th Sunday after Pentecost, “Confess, Commit and Contribute (Even if You Are a
Little Late)” - Exodus 17:1-7; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32. Worldwide Communion, 1st Sunday Fellowship
October 8th - 19th Sunday after Pentecost – “Showing Respect to God for the Unexpected Ways
God Shows Up”- Exodus 20:1-21; Philippians 3: 4b-14; Matthew 21-33-46.
October 15th - 20th Sunday after Pentecost, “How to Respond to God’s Initiative and Invitation”
– Exodus 32:1-14; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14
October 22nd - 21st Sunday after Pentecost, “How Involved Is God in Our Daily Lives”- Exodus
33:12-23; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22. Fall Highway Clean-up
October 29th – 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, “Love Carries the Day” – Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians
2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46
Looking Further Ahead
November 5th - All Saints Sunday
November 12th - Harvest Home Collection
November 19th - Thanksgiving Service @ 6:00P.M. Joint service with Faith Lutheran.
December 3rd – Christmas Brunch and Carol Sing
Wednesday Evening Bible Study, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
October 4th - 1 John 5:1-12 - Jesus, the Spirit & Overcoming the World
October 11th - 1 John 5:13-21 – Good vs. Evil
October 18th – 2 John - Walking in Truth & Obedience
October 25th – 3 John – Hospitality
“Neighbors in Need” Offering
In 2023, the Neighbors in Need “BEHOLD!” theme continues. This year’s focus is on environmental justice. Plastics, electronics, and other non-compostable wastes are being shipped across, and even tossed into, our waterways, launched into space, as well as buried in landfills. As people of faith, we believe these egregious acts are sinful and unholy. We must be better stewards of our planet!
Join us by promoting this year’s NIN “Behold!” campaign at your church. As you may recall, one-third of the offering supports Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds are used by Justice and Witness Ministries to provide grants to UCC churches and organizations as well as supporting a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.
We will collect throughout the month of October. Envelopes are available at the church or simply include a note with your offering.
September Consistory Meeting Highlights
Consistory is very excited to welcome Pastor John Yost as our Part-time Pastor!!! His willingness to serve Dreisbach in this capacity is very much appreciated. The kindness and leadership he brings to us is invaluable. Welcome Aboard Pastor John Yost!!!
I can’t believe we are talking about Christmas already, but there are many activities coming up for the Holidays!! Please see the calendar of events to see what is going on and plan to participate!!!
The microphone project install has been completed. We are now scheduling Dewey from Robert M. Sides to come train our tech group on how to use them. We do need more volunteers to run sound and camera equipment for the Sunday Service. Please let me know if you would be interested in volunteering.
Pam Pfirman and Lori Leitzel are experiencing email computer issues with gmail accounts. We are in the process of fixing this issue.
Consistory is getting a quote to clean the carpet in the back of the sanctuary, front foyer steps and the downstairs social room. We are hoping to get the carpets cleaned sometime after the Fall Festival.
Consistory voted to rekey all the locked doors to the church, and recode the combination door where it is currently located. Moving the combination lock to the front door was very costly. If you are interested in a key for the front door, please let Pam Pfirman know.
Fall Highway Clean-up
On Sunday October 22nd, following the worship service (10:30) Dreisbach's commitment to helping keep the Buffalo Valley beautiful continues with our Fall "Adopt A Highway" day! Volunteers are needed to pick-up roadside litter on Dreisbach Church Road between Route 45 and Turkey Run Road. Garbage bags, gloves, vests will be provided. Your help is needed. A signup sheet will be on the table in the rear of the church or contact Don Bowman at 570-966-0785 or donbowman@windstream.net by October 15 if you can help to keep our valley beautiful. Your support is appreciated.
All Saints Sunday
All Saints Sunday will be on November 5th. If you have a loved one that has passed during the last year that you would like remembered on that day, please contact Pam Pfirman (pam_adminsec@dreisbachucc.org, 570-898-9774) so that we can include them in this year’s service.
7th Annual Fall Festival
Our 7th Annual Fall Festival will take place Saturday, October 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be a great day of fellowship with our church family and people from our community. Some of Dreisbach's best bakers will be filling the bake stand with their scrumptious pies, whoopie pies, cookies and goodies of all kinds. Why not enter your pies in the pie tasting contest for all ages? We will have Clyde’s Fries, pulled pork made by Rod Heddens on the premises, hot dogs, chicken corn, ham & bean, and vegetable soup at the food stand. More pies are requested at the bake sale stand to sell and provide dessert at the food stand. There will be all kinds of games to entertain the children. Entertainment will be provided by Alex Cooke who plays country rock, southern rock. Contemporary Christian and praise music.
In order to make the festival run smoothly, we need volunteers. Volunteers are needed for the food stand, games, bake sale stand and the pie tasting stand. A sign-up sheet will be posted in the back of the sanctuary listing the donations that are needed and volunteers for the different jobs.
Even if you can’t help in anyway with the day’s events please come, with your lawn chair, to the festival to enjoy the day with your family at Dreisbach and bring along some friends!
Food vouchers will be available at the back of the sanctuary for a discount on the many food options. Please use these to invite a friend, neighbor, family member or coworker. These make great invitations!
Pie Contest
Calling all bakers young, old and in between to bake a pie for the Fall Festival pie baking contest. So, start thinking about which one of your favorite pie recipes you would like to take 1st place! And yes, there is prize money for the top 3 winners in each division (adult female, adult male and youth up to age 18).
Entry forms will be available Friday afternoon, October 13th in the downstairs social hall. All pies should be at the church no later than Saturday morning, October 14th by 10:30 am. Three taster tickets will be available for $3 to cast your vote for your favorite pie. Any questions see, call or text Sharon Rein at 570-713-9503. Good luck to all the contestants!
Trunk or Treat
Dreisbach will again host a fun fall event for our young as well as those who are simply
young at heart on October 29th.
Spread the word about our “Trunk or Treat” from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the
Dreisbach UCC parking lot.
Decorate your car and pass out treats to all the kids. Feel free to dress up too!
Sharing the love of Christ! Please let Mallory Leitzel know if you are willing to participate in this event.
Rummage Sale Wrap-up
We had another successful Rummage Sale thanks to all of you. Whether you donated to the cause or came and worked, we couldn’t do it without you. The fall totals are $5044 for the Rummage Sale. The Bake Sale earned $480 and we had 50 quarts of soup that sold out on the first day and brought in $375. Thank you all! A special thanks goes to Nathan Pfirman’s Boy Scout Troop #520 for setting up tables before the sale.
In November we will gather to distribute the proceeds from this year’s sales. If you have any ideas about causes we might support, please talk to Diane Hackenberg. Not only does the money we earn help people near and far, the sale of clothes and household goods helps our neighbors. This sale also included a delivery service, when Wayne Stump and Judy Willow delivered a crib to a Mennonite woman who came to shop riding her bike, so she needed help getting the crib home. We are also developing a relationship with Mazeppa’s Manna. For the last two sales, they have come on Sunday with a trailer load of good, clean clothes that they can’t use and given them to us for our sale. We return the favor by allowing them to go through the clothing at the end of the week and pick out clothes that they can use. In addition, The Brethren church comes and bags leftover clothes on Saturday to send to Community Aid. Finally, the American Rescue Workers pick up everything that is left to sell in their stores. Dreisbach is a small part of a large circle of caring in the Buffalo Valley.
In many ways the Rummage Sale is like the church retreat, we spend an extended time together and get to know each other better as we share life stories and concerns and build community. We laugh a lot and eat well. The big difference is at the retreat we rest and at the Rummage Sale we work hard and are ready for a rest at the end! It really is a time of joy.
Nursery Volunteers
Volunteers are available to care for your child in the nursery every Sunday after the Children’s Time until the end of the service. Parents and caretakers are welcome to send their children to the nursery during that time. All volunteers have appropriate clearances. If you would like to participate in this ministry, please contact Diane Hackenberg.
The volunteers for October are: October 1 – Lori Leitzel; October 8 – Sharon Rein; October 15 – Tara Young; October 22 – Michelle Owens; October 29 – Bonnie Dodge.