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Advent Schedule

Chargers Pancake Breakfast

 We had a great start to our our Pancake Breakfast in November.  Hope to see you on December 21st from 7 to 9 am.

GENEROSITY IN OUR COMMUNITY

 

Community Feast - Desert Chapel will serving a FREE dinner every Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. This is open to our church family as well as the community.

 

Clothes Closet - is open from 11 am to 2 pm Saturdays.   Adults and childrens clothes and shoes are availble for those in need.

MONTHLY CHURCH MEETINGS

 

The Leadership Board will meet on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 4:00 pm. 

Message from Our Lay Leader

It is that exciting time again, when our traditional worship events grow and new opportunities to spread our joys blossom. I’m referring to each as events, to illustrate that we as worshipers, seem to have to compete with other “events” like football games, elections, trips to Sedona, elk hunting, NASCAR, other churches, and the list goes on and on.

I know that worship is not a competition of contest, but sometimes it seems that way. And, maybe that is not all bad. We, Christians, need to be “on our toes” all the time. The distractions are many and formidable. The competition for our eyes, ears, and time is fierce.

As Lay Leader, I have the privilege to observe, receive suggestions, communicate, and promote our various worship, social, outreach, and ministry both within and outside Desert. So, yes, this is an exciting time for me and I expect each of you.

Mid-November is like a renaissance for the Arizona Valley. Desert Chapel awakens from the doldrums of a long hot summer. Returning faces light up the sanctuary and light up the faces of those us that wait-out the 100++ heat.

Familiar events like the Chargers Pancake Breakfast, are joined by new events like our Rummage Sale. The Community Feast and Clothing Closet are joined by The Shoebox campaign and the Turkey boxes for Avalon School.

Coffee and donuts on the third Sunday after services now joins our existing Noisy Change Sunday as fun events on Sunday mornings.

For the first time before the Pandemic, we have office staffing for five days a week! We could still use a few more volun- teers to augment the limited scheduling, but the office is now open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 11:00am, with extended hours till 3:00pm on Monday and Friday.

And, for the first time in a while, the Leadership Board has all the major areas filled. We could use another “At Large” member to round out the Board.

The Leadership Board is tackling some important needs as we plan for 2025. Such areas as facility usage (both, inside areas as well as unused land), outside appearances like paint and landscaping, audio and video systems, gathering areas (Narthex/lounge and rear sanctuary areas, carpet, choir and bell areas) are all being evaluated for upgrade and reconfiguration.

The areas of finance, accounting and budgeting have all benefitted from the audit conducted earlier this year. The changes recommended and implemented have enabled the Board to be better prepared for 2025 and long-range planning.

All of the above will be part of the Charge Conference presentations on Tuesday, November 26th. On that date the Board will meet with the District Superintendent (DS) at 4:00pm, followed by and open to all meeting with the Board and the DS at 5:00pm.

One last thing, Peggy Cabrinha has asked to take a break from Choir Director. Several of us will try to provide special music in her absence. If there is anyone who would like to volunteer to direct the choir, even for a limited time, that would be great. And, as always, we need more voices.