“ThanksGIVING!”
Dear Fremont Family:
What are your plans for Thanksgiving? On Sunday after church, our family will be boarding a plane and flying to Denver, Colorado to join Charlie there along with members of his extended family. It’s kind of a thing we do. That is, each year, Charlie attends his big American Academy of Religion Conference somewhere in the U.S. Sometimes it is on the East Coast. Sometimes it is in Texas or California. This year, it is in Denver. We go to wherever he is because the Conference is always the week of Thanksgiving. So, this year, we will feast in Denver!
Wherever and with whomever you are gathering this year, I hope your time around table is wonderful. And, I hope as you are enjoying the abundance of a good meal with people you love, you will take a moment to offer gratitude to God for the gifts of food and family. I also hope you will consider ways to give beyond yourselves. I find that one of the best ways to express my gratitude is through generosity.
This holiday season, we have some easy and tangible ways to give. At the bottom of this email are links to two flyers. The first one is a list of Thanksgiving food items that we are collecting in partnership with a ministry to students at Warner Pacific University. Methodist pastors, Forrest Nameniuk and Nicholle Ortiz, have a connection to the school and have identified 40 students and staff members who have food insecurity. They are making Thanksgiving boxes to hand out to those individuals. Because the holiday is fast approaching, they will be distributing the boxes this Friday. If you would like to participate, then please get food items to the church by tomorrow, Thursday, November 17 at 5pm.
The second flyer is for a sock and underwear drive in partnership with Do Good Multnomah. Do Good Multnomah is an extraordinary organization that works with unhoused Veterans in providing shelter and helping Vets move toward housing stability. They have asked us to work with them to provide socks and underwear because on the streets, these items are essential.
Both of these opportunities to give are just small things that we can do to give beyond ourselves this season, AND, they are a sign of our hope to live in a world, not without need, because need is human, but rather, to live in a world where we participate in meeting human need. Our giving is a reflection of God’s abundance in the world.
Also, don’t forget, this Sunday is “Consecration Sunday” for our annual Pledge Campaign. If you have not already, please return your completed pledge forms so that we bless your gifts and anticipate another inspiring year of ministry together.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Grace and peace,
Erin
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