Sunday Morning Announcements 11-22-15

Additional:

1) United Methodist Student Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of November, Nov. 29 this year, and furnishes scholarships and loans for students attending United Methodist-related and other accredited colleges and universities. Want to learn more? Click here for an explainer video about Student Day and to learn how The United Methodist Church is making a difference in students' lives.

2)    Perry’s Official Book, Henry Loves Hills, makes a perfect Christmas gift for young and old. A project of Read Around Perry (RAP), with support from the Town of Perry and its bicentennial committee, the book tells the story of a school bus named Henry as he travels the hills of Perry. Driven by Ed, Henry faces his biggest challenge during a snowstorm, reminiscent of the Blizzard of ’77. Readers will see local landscapes and buildings in the illustrations by Dan Butler. The story, written by Patrick Brennan, mentions many local roads, streets, buildings, and the region’s agriculture and parks. Henry Loves Hills is available at Burlingham Books for $17.99, plus tax. Proceeds support RAP’s community literacy programs.

3)    VOLUNTEER NEEDED: If someone is available to help pack Thanksgiving Baskets on Tuesday, November 24^th at 9:00 AM. Please let Pastor Ray know. Thanks.

4)    Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I share with you a statement from the President of the Council of Bishops, Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr., on the recent acts of violence in Paris. I join the rest of the Council of Bishop and United Methodists around the world in holding up in prayer the people of Paris and all those impacted by violence, and I invite you to pray with me.

 The President of the United Methodist Council of Bishops issued the following statement about the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris:

John 11:35

Jesus wept.

This week, we weep for those in Paris. We weep for the senseless violence. We weep for the innocents whose lives were cut short. We weep for those who are grieving, who are frightened, who are hurting. We weep for those whose hearts are breaking, in France and all over the world. As several world leaders have stated, this is an attack on all humanity.

Even as we weep, we know that God is with us, that he sustains us with hope and that he will dry our tears. Once again, the forces of evil have tried to dominate; but, as disciples of Jesus, we must make our witness that the darkness will not overcome our light.

Let us be in prayer for Paris and the people of France. These events have impacted them in the way Sept. 11, 2001, grieved the U.S. Also, please pray for communities around our world that will not make the news, but cringe under the threat of violence. May the Holy Spirit guide us in ways that will break this cycle of violence.

Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr.

President, Council of Bishops