Greetings Topeka First UMC,
I hope that you are having a great week! Karissa, Grace and I spent 3 days this week in Kearney, Nebraska at the Great Plains Conference Orders and Fellowship meeting. This is the yearly meeting where all the clergy from the conference gather for learning and community. It was a fun couple of days, but I am glad to be home! I had a wonderful time telling everyone about our 100-year celebration and Heritage Sunday last week! Thank you to everyone who made last weekend so special! We uploaded Heritage Sunday & the 100-year celebration of the sanctuary pictures to an album on the church facebook page (search for Topeka First United Methodist Church) if you'd like view all the photos.
As you know, our mission focus this month has been to raise funds to use towards State Street Elementary's request for 500 water reusable water bottles for their students. As of today, we have collected enough for 331 water bottles. We're getting close but have a ways to go. There are envelopes in the Celebration Room or you can simply write "water bottles" on your check/envelope or you could even utilize our online giving system if you'd like to support this mission.
Coming up this Sunday, we are moving toward the season that celebrates thankfulness, so the message this weekend is simply entitled, "Thank you." In the scriptures, we encounter a number of Psalms and passages that remind us of the power of being thankful and the need we have as human beings for gratitude. Also, at the 10:45 service on Sunday, we have baptisms and new members who are professing their faith to officially join the church! It is an exciting time in our church!
On Sunday afternoon, we are having our annual Trunk-or-Treat event for the community, but because it may rain/snow that day and is going to be very cold, we have decided with the other downtown churches (Grace Episcopal and First Presbyterian) to move the event indoors at our church! Even if you weren't planning to decorate a trunk, you are more than welcome to come and hand out candy as families make their way through a path on the main level of our church. Bonus points for dressing up in a costume and/or for decorating one of the tables that we will have along the path. It would be very helpful as we plan if you could let Pastor Karissa know you'll be coming to pass out candy. In our Celebration Room, we will be serving hotdogs and chips for all who come, just as we were planning to do in Grace Episcopal Cathedral's parking lot. Please help us get the word out about the change in location by sharing our post about it on Facebook.
There is one more opportunity to join Pastor Brad as he leads a Bible study centered around studying Biblical texts that speak to homosexuality & have discussions about them on Thursday, November 2, at 10 am (Please sign up by clicking the link.) The purpose of the study is to read, discuss, and allow space for story around this topic.
Finally, I want to encourage you to sign up to participate in our upcoming strategic planning weekend. We will be learning about the findings of the Community Listening Process that we conducted from March-September, in which we interviewed 34 community members, facilitated 6 focus groups, and completed a wide variety of other listening activities. After we hear about the findings, we will begin exploring how God is calling us to respond and brainstorming next steps. We value your voice and perspective and hope that as many of you can be there as possible. Below are the various days and times that you can participate:
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Friday, November 3rd from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall
- Findings from the listening process will be shared.
- A light dinner will be provided
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Saturday, November 4th from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall
- We will process the findings of the Listening Process and begin brainstorming.
- A light breakfast will be provided.
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Sunday, November 5th from 10:30-11:15 a.m. in the Hearth Room
- Coffee hour in which highlights from our planning weekend will be shared (intended for people who attend the earlier two services).
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Sunday, November 5th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall
- Light lunch at which highlights from our planning weekend will be shared (intended for people who attend the later service).
Please let us know you will be coming so that we can make sure to have enough food and plan for various activities! You can sign up at the front desk or by clicking on this link.
The youth hayrack ride has been rescheduled to next Wednesday! See Pastor Grace if you have any questions.
Hope you have a great start to your weekend! See you Sunday at 8:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m., or 10:45 a.m or via the live stream at 9:30 a.m. or 10:45 a.m.
Blessings,
Pastor Brad
The United Women in Faith will have a board meeting Wednesday, November 1, at 11:30 a.m. in the room 105 and then at 1 p.m for the Unit meeting at 1:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. This month, the program will be centered around World Thank Offering and All Saints Day. You can learn more about World Thank Offering 
