Path to Bethlehem this Saturday!

Published: Fri, 12/02/16

Annual Path to Bethlehem - Saturday December 3 from 6-8 pm
The weather forecast for our event is the low 50s until after 8 pm when it starts to dip below that. Dress warm!

Our beloved Path to Bethlehem is coming up tomorrow, and I am looking forward to it being as wonderful and magical as ever!

Please consider participating and supporting this special event!
It's not too late to bring more cookies for the refreshment time, or to volunteer to help in a variety of ways. Talk with Billie or Elise or me.

Also, we will need people to help "strike the set" - partly on Saturday night and then more on Sunday afternoon and Monday.

Thank you to everyone who is making this a special event - the best ever! May the Lord bless our efforts, and may it help us continue to serve our church and community.

With anticipation and love,
Nathan

SATURDAY 12/3/2016
    PATH TO BETHLEHEM CAST & CREW SCHEDULE
    4:00 pm Pizza supper for cast & crew in Friendship Hall
    4:15 pm Start getting in costume (Elise will group people)
    4:45 pm Pizza dinner over; clean up in Friendship Hall
    5:40 pm Deadline for everyone in place & ready for first group
    6-8 pm THE PATH TO BETHLEHEM!
    8:05 pm Return costume; enjoy refreshments in Friendship Hall

If you use Facebook, please like and share the event on the Sunrise Chapel page, and say you are "GOING".  Here is the direct link  https://www.facebook.com/events/1348321078559617/

 
Sunday Worship Service December 4 @ 11 AM
Mary's Having a Baby!  - Nathan Gladish
One of the first stories of the Advent Season is "The Annunciation" - when an angel appears to Mary and announces that she is going to give birth miraculously. Every birth is miraculous, in a sense. How is the birth of Jesus the same or different than all others? And how can each of us "give birth" to the Lord in our own lives?    

OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES:
Preparations for our Path to Bethlehem - Thank you to many people who have already done a lot of prep work for this Saturday's special event. Someone said it's like Sunrise Chapel's Christmas Card to the community. Once again, it's going to be great! Jingles, the donkey, will be back for scene two as well as four sheep for the shepherd and manger scenes.  Gandalf, the Morey's goat, is planning to come.  And in addition to our regular activities in Friendship Hall, this year, for the first time, we will have a vocal quartet to entertain everyone with Christmas Carols.

Today and Saturday we will continue prepping the sets and the areas where the scenes will be. There is also weeding, raking, and general clean up. So, if you have an hour to volunteer, just let me know and I would love to give you a few things to work on to improve our welcome!!  

Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting LAST Sunday, Nov 27 - Thank you to everyone who came to our By-Law required meeting last Sunday. We met our quorum and accomplished the goal. Thank you for your support!! 

Another Eduardo Costa Concert here at Sunrise Chapel!
I'm looking forward to welcoming Eduardo back for another Christmas concert, with a new repertoire from last year. The concert, open to the public, will be Friday, December 16 at 7 pm. This is a fundraiser for the church; tickets are $20 per person.

With love and respect,
Nathan
Notes from last Sunday's Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting
Last Sunday I circulated a document with a list of activities and accomplishments since our previous Annual Meeting in June 
Here is the text of that document:

Sunrise Chapel Activities and Accomplishments
July – November 2016

July
  • The “Serve More People Team” began
  • Arizona Spiritual Growth Foundation energized under new leadership of Kelly Woofenden
  • Connie Guan retired as keyboardist – Pablo González hired as primary accompanist (guitar) – Katrina Fest hired as keyboardist-in-training
  • Planning began for 30th Anniversary of Sunrise Chapel celebration
  • Beginning of expansion of Sunday lunch leadership and participation

August
  • Labyrinth planning began
  • Asplundh Grant team began work on Chapel with sound booth repair
  • Women’s Group starts Spiritual Growth book study
  • Sunday School begins serving church lunches each second Sunday

September
  • Another Spiritual Growth Group began with leaders Frank Rose and Judith Keane
  • Another session of New Church Foundation Classes began with Nathan Gladish
  • Asplundh Grant team oversees Chapel painting, drywall repair, removal of baseboard heaters

October
  • Labyrinth installed on Oct. 1, East of the Chapel
  • Hearing loop installed in Chapel - a gift from a member in honor of her husband
  • Asplundh Grant team oversees installation of new carpet and upgraded baseboards in Chapel
  • Halloween Party held in Celebration Garden

November
  • Planning and preparations for The Path to Bethlehem
  • Sound board in Chapel tune up - ongoing
  • Congregational Thanksgiving celebration and feast

Other Activities
  • Sunrise Chapel Meet Yourself – 2 times
  • Care for our Church day – 4 times
  • Weddings (community) – 5
  • Memorial Services (community) – 1
  • Rental activities – Lots! Weekly + Polling Place (twice), LifeLine Screening, PiYo Classes, etc.
  • Service Projects to benefit the community:
July – Peanut butter drive
August – Backpacks for school children, under Judith Keane’s leadership
Donations for the homeless – September through November, under Judith Kean’s and Susan Cooper’s leadership
Arizona Mountain Camp lunches last Sunday of each month

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED WITH EACH OF THESE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS! IT'S A GREAT FEELING TO LOOK BACK AND SEE HOW MUCH WE ACCOMPLISH AS A GROUP!

UPCOMING CHURCH ACTIVITIES: 


SATURDAY 12/3/2016
    PATH TO BETHLEHEM SCHEDULE
    4:00 pm Pizza supper for cast & crew in Friendship Hall
    4:15 pm Start getting in costume (Elise will group people)
    4:45 pm Pizza dinner over; clean up in Friendship Hall
    5:40 pm Deadline for everyone in place & ready for first group
    6-8 pm THE PATH TO BETHLEHEM!
    8:05 pm Return costume; enjoy refreshments in Friendship Hall
 
SUNDAY 12/4/2016
    10 am Music rehearsal
    11 am Worship Service - Nathan Gladish, Preaching 
    12 pm Luncheon + Strike the Set

MONDAY 12/5/2016
    11 am Tai Chi for Health
    12:15 pm "Go for it" Meeting

TUESDAY 12/6/2016
    6:30 pm Bereavement Support Group

WEDNESDAY 12/7/2016
    9:30 am Sermon Writing Team

THURSDAY 12/8/2016
    10 am Tai Chi Class
    7 pm Women's Group tonight - Contact Elise Gladish, Betsy Gladish or Kelly Woofenden for the meeting's topic and location

SUNDAY 12/11/2016
    10 AM Music rehearsal
    11 am Worship Service - Nathan Gladish, Preaching
    12 pm Luncheon + 30th Anniversary Planning Meeting


 
Thirtieth Anniversary Planning Continues
Next Planning Meeting -- Sunday, December 11 during lunch

This coming March 24-26, 2017 will be the 30th anniversary weekend of the dedication of Sunrise Chapel!! Let's celebrate!

We had another good, energetic planning meeting last Sunday. Several teams of people are working on planning each day's activities. We are also trimming down the wealth of ideas to what we can reasonably fit in the schedule.
Thank you to everyone who is eager to see this event succeed! To get involved, contact Frank Rose, Betsy Gladish, Elise Gladish, or me, Nathan. One of us will answer your questions or direct you to someone who can.   

The next planning meeting will be Sunday, December 11 during lunch 
Bring your ideas, thought, and questions.


New Church Foundations CLASS REUNION
Planning for an evening in January
Recently we concluded another session of this introductory course. Among those who attended, we had 5 people who are relatively new to the church, 2 people born and raised in the church, and 1 who was baptized as an adult a number of years ago.

I love this course. It's been delightful to connect with each other in this group over the weeks we have been meeting. Such a great opportunity to explore basic questions together. 

We decided to have a get-together in January and to invite anyone else who has taken the course in the past five years. We're thinking of enjoying a pot luck supper and taking up a new topic for discussion that night, perhaps watching a brief video, too. 

Watch for the invitation, date, and time.
Nathan

 
Nathan Gladish
Helping people experience heavenly joy through spiritual growth
www.sunrisechapel.org
nathan@sunrisechapel.org    Office 520-298-1245