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November 29 Congregational Meeting

There will be a congregational meeting on Sunday, November 29th at 10:30 AM. The meeting will be in-person in the sanctuary & fellowship hall but members can join the meeting by phone.

The purpose of the meeting is to elect Council members for the 2021-2023 term. The nominating committee has presented Suzan Adams, David Johnson, and Steve Klingel as nominees. Additional nominations can be made from the floor.

To join by phone, you will need to contact Angel in the office, asteinway@edenchurch-edw.org, ASAP to inform us that you will be participating by phone. You will receive additional information from Council Secretary, Holly Hampton, about how to participate.

CAC Christmas Party

While we can’t go and visit the CAC in East St Louis for our annual Christmas Party, we are excited to still bring each child a party in a bag! Susan and Erin are busy getting everything together to deliver the bags the week before Christmas. Here is how you can help: 1. Join us in prayer that the message of Jesus touches their hearts through the bags. 2. Donate money towards the cost of each bag. Mark your donation: CAC Party. Whatever money is left over will be used to purchase supplies (detergent, cleaning products, trash bags, etc) for the CAC to hand out to the families or for their use. 3. Contact Susan or Erin to help with cutting and getting supplies ready. Thank you for sharing the love of Jesus with our friends in East St. Louis. Questions: snewby@edenchurch-edw.org or eswank@edenchurch-edw.org.

OCC Thank You!

Thank you to everyone at Eden for donating to OCC shoeboxes! We collected 40 boxes, 206 bars of soap/washcloths, 140 toothbrushes, and 140 sewing projects for girls! While the youth group didn’t get a chance to help at the scheduled packing party, here is what Aimee Folmer, a youth group mom who organizes the event, had to say about Eden’s participation that helped her to pack 245 boxes! The ladies at Eden Church made hundreds of washable sanitary pads. This may seem like a strange thing to include, but they may possibly help girls who don’t have access to hygiene items stay in school an extra week each month! Eden folks also donated hundreds of bars of soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, and underwear of all sizes! Ladies from another church donated mini sewing kits in medicine bottles. So many other people dropped off items, boxes (wrapped and unwrapped), and other supplies! Even in this crazy, uncertain time, God made a way! I love the OCC ministry because each box is not just a gift, but an opportunity for the child to hear the good news of God’s love. Well done Eden!!!

Cookie Shop

Want someone else to bake those holiday goodies you are craving? Place your order for our cookie shop by Sunday, December 6. There is no set price for the cookies, but a generous donation is appreciated. You can follow the link to place your order. Friends and family are welcome to order- if they are local we will be happy to deliver them. They will be available for pick up/delivery on Sunday, December 13. You can order at church or follow the link: https://edenchurch.breezechms.com/form/192cb5

Moms Group Meet-Up

Meet with other moms at our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group! This group is for ALL moms, not just mothers of young children and we meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month.

The first meet-up of the month includes dinner, dessert, and conversation about specific topics regarding motherhood. Free childcare is available, so kids can learn and play while moms get a much-needed break!

The second meet-up of the month is an informal playdate for moms and their kids at an off-campus location (ex: Drost Park, Edwardsville Township Park, St. Louis Zoo, etc.). It usually takes place on the 2nd Thursday of the month but may change depending on the schedules of the moms who regularly attend. Contact Susan Newby at snewby@edenchurch-edw.org for information about the meet-up for the current month.

MOPS International encourages and equips moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women, and leaders, in relationship with Jesus, and partnership with the local church. We hope to see you there!

For more information visit www.mops.org.

Family Fort Fellowship

Join our Family Ministry Coordinator, Susan Newby, for some fun this holiday season! Every Friday during Advent (December 4th, 11th, and 18th) at 7:00p, bring your family together for Family Fort Fellowship. Simply make a fort as a family somewhere in the house, connect with us on Zoom, and enjoy a time of fellowship and advent stories. Stories and Bible readings will be intended for children ages preschool to 5th grade and their grown-ups, but anyone is welcome to join. Contact Susan Newby at snewby@edenchurch-edw.org for Zoom link and or more information. We hope to see you there!

Council Moment

Eden Church Council met in person in the fellowship hall using social distancing protocol on Monday, November 9, 2020, for the regular council meeting.

Treasurer Greg Schmidt highlighted details of the financial report:

*Month Net $334 Income more than expenses for the month.

*FYTD net income and expense compared to the budget are $109.

*In terms of contributions the General Fund is -$6,156 below budget for this calendar year.

Other Church Happenings:

*Christie Highlander gave an update on the plans to update the parlor/Bride’s Room using Memorial funds from Ron and Eunice Highlander.

*Eden’s Blood Drive on October 18 collected 28 units.

*The property committee has been hard at work fixing cabinet hinges, getting bids on roof leaks, updating LED lighting, trimming trees, and evaluating lower parking lot issues.

*Fellowship Committee is planning the Miraculous ADVENTure.

*Gym usage has significantly increased. Gym fees are now $40 an hour.

*New screen for the sanctuary has shipped and will be installed soon.

*In-person Adult Sunday School classes will begin the first week in December and run for four Sundays in classroom B/C using the book “The Case for Christmas,” by Lee Strobel following the 9:15 a.m. church service. A Bible study on Judges is being planned in the new year.

* Congregational Meeting is planned for November 29 at the Church. If an Eden member is unable to come in person, they need to call the church office. Holly Hampton, church council secretary, will provide a call-in number to participate.

*Eden is considering 5 and 8 p.m. Christmas Eve Services. The services will also be live streamed.

*Currently, Eden’s policy is to allow 50 people in the Sanctuary and 43 people in the annex. Everyone is required to wear a mask in the sanctuary.

*New offering envelopes were ordered, and we will begin using these envelopes on January 1.

*Despite the many challenges Eden has faced this year, we are grateful for the many blessings Eden has also received this year.

Advent Readers

Eden Church needs volunteers to help with lighting the Advent Wreath at each of our 9:15 AM in-person services. We need readers beginning November 29-December 20. We also need volunteers at our Christmas Eve services. If you would like to volunteer, contact Pastor John at 656-4330 or at jroberts@edenchurch-edw.org.

Final Sunday for Scrip!

This is a great way for the youth group to generate funds for our summer trips to J Creek and MFuge this summer! Our group gets a percentage of every gift card ordered. It is perfect for those wishing to skip shopping or using the cards to purchase Christmas gifts. They should arrive by Sunday, December 6! We will even do deliveries if you are local. You can order at church or follow the link: https://edenchurch.breezechms.com/form/002ebf

Adult Sunday School Class study of The Case for Christmas

On Sunday, December 6th, Eden will begin the four-week study of The Case for Christmas by Lee Strobel, an investigative journalist who decided to investigate the real meaning behind Christmas. Lee will reveal what he discovered as he sought to separate the holiday from the holy day, the facts from the fantasy, and the truth from the tradition.

In each session, we will explore:

·What the Bible actually says about Jesus’ birth and how you can know it is accurate
·Whether the Christmas story truly occurred or just developed from legends
·The Bible’s claim that Jesus was born of a virgin and why it is important
·How only Jesus fulfilled dozens of biblical prophecies about the Messiah

We will be invited to look beyond the familiar traditions of the season, be challenged to examine the evidence for ourselves and consider why Christmas really matters.

Our class will meet weekly in Classroom B/C beginning Sunday, December 6 at 10:30 am. Class leaders are Linda Romann and Denise Engelke. You may also join our live class remotely. Email Pastor John if you would like for him to email you an invitation link to join the Sunday morning sessions. You will also need a Right Now Media account to participate in the live class remotely. Let Pastor John know if you need an RNM account set-up. Please join us!

The Eden Guild Christmas Luncheon

The Eden Guild Christmas Luncheon will be held in the Fellowship Hall on Friday, December 4 at 12 PM. Tickets will cost $10 each and are available from a Circle representative or Bev Meyer (656-8092). If no answer, just leave a message and she will get back to you. Please indicate your sandwich choice when you purchase a ticket—ham & cheese or chicken salad. Covid guidelines will be followed, so tickets will be limited. All Eden ladies are invited. You don’t have to be a Circle member; you just need a ticket. Hope to see you for food, fellowship, and fun. please note that November 29 is the final day to purchase tickets.

Guild Planning Committee

Know Your Church Family

Pastor Karl Kindt, Eden’s Visiting Pastor, created a website for members and friends of Eden to use to share their God-given talents, crafts, hobbies, pets, and special interests so we can get to know each other better especially during the pandemic.  The site has only been up for about 3 weeks and we already have about 16 members and some friends of Eden who have participated.

Here is the link: https://sites.google.com/site/godcreatedthesebyedenmembers/home.

Pastor Karl says if you all would email him a photo of something you and or your children and family have made or a picture of your pet or a description of your special interests or a photo of God’s creations, he will add them to the website. Pastor Karl can be reached at kkindt@earthlink.net.

Miraculous ADVENTure: Save the Date!

Take time this holiday season to celebrate the birth of Jesus with your church family at Miraculous ADVENTure on December 5th at 5:30p! Christmas-themed family feud for all ages, crafts and games for kids and youth, Christmas card signing for our shut-ins and military, and more. Bring dinner for yourself and we’ll provide the drinks and dessert. This event is free, but we will be collecting a love offering for local charities. If you would like to donate your leftover Christmas cards for this event, please bring them to the church by November 29th. We’ll see you there!

Faith in Action

Faith in Action Edwardsville/Glen Carbon needs volunteer drivers to drive care receivers to and from medical and beauty appointments, grocery shopping or provide light housekeeping/yardwork, a small household repair, or respite care, etc.

Faith in Action is not for profit organization focused on serving seniors aged 60 and over who live in Edwardsville Community School District #7 which serve the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Hamel, Worden, Midway, Moro, Dorsey, and Prairietown, Illinois. Faith in Action has provided services as well as safe reliable transportation for our clients for over 20 years. With your help, we can reach out to many more people.

Do you have a caring spirit? Like helping others? Want to make a difference? Enjoy meeting new people? Have 2 or more hours of free time? Faith in Action could provide a great opportunity to minister to your neighbors. Interested in answering the call? Take the time to reach out to us. You will be so glad you did!

Let’s continue to work together as partners in our community; serving, sharing, and caring about our senior population. We look forward to the possibility of having someone from your congregation become a driving Angel for Faith in Action. For more information please contact our Faith in Action office at (618) 692-0480, email us at fiaegc@yahoo.com or visit us on the website at www.fiaegc.org.

Blessings,

Dorcas “Dee” Jackson

Executive Director

Eden Daily Devotional & Prayer Time:

Eden will host a daily conference call for a devotional & prayer time Monday thru Friday from 9-10am. You are invited to join these daily calls. Shortly before 9am, call the church office 618-656-4330 and enter extension 8501. Once prompted, enter the code 0000 to join the call. We will begin with the daily scripture and then offer a time for prayer.

We look forward to connecting with our church family. Contact Pam Heepke (Cell: 618-920-6940 / Email: fpheepke@aol.com) if you have any questions.