December 2024
Dear Fellow Congregants and Friends,
Christmas is upon us again with all the traditions each of us holds dear to our hearts. My family has operated a Christmas tree farm for over 25 years and one of my favorite traditions is reconnecting each year with the families that come to hunt for the “perfect” Christmas tree. We have watched as toddlers grew to teenagers and now arrive with their own families to continue a cherished family tradition.
TUCC also provides cherished traditions to the congregants and their families who come to worship during the Christmas season. The choir and bell choir fill the sanctuary with music to set the holiday mood. The Deacons decorate with symbols of the Christmas season – wreaths, garland, poinsettias, a Christmas tree, and the manger scene. Christian Education teaches the young and older the story and importance of Jesus birth, and Pastor Rick helps us to find ways to include Jesus’ birth and teaching in our daily lives.
As with our Christmas tree farm, TUCC offers all of us an opportunity at Christmas time to reconnect with our church family as we grow and change over the years. We hope you will join us this holiday season and share the love and joy of family as we all celebrate Christ’s birth.
In Christian Fellowship,
Kim Guttendorf
November 2024
Dear Fellow Congregants and Friends,
November is a wonderful month to celebrate our faith and fellowship. Our crops have been harvested and shared with family and friends and/or preserved for future use. The seeds or seedlings that were sown in hopes that God’s blessing would provide a successful garden can be likened to a beginning in our own religious journey. We only need to have faith and believe in the sanctity of our church and church family.
Thanksgiving is a perfect time to give thanks not only for health and happiness but also for the peace and contentment we feel as we give back to the church through our monetary support and shared labor with our various programs and activities.
So, as we have enjoyed our floral and vegetable gardens, let’s now give thanks to God as we celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. Then as we celebrate Advent and await the celebration of the birth of Christ!
Faithfully yours, Millie Elgaway, Home Gardener/Harvester
October 2024
Dear Friends,
Our Church reaches out to children, youth, and adults in an effort to administer to their spiritual growth through various avenues.
We look forward to reaching out to Pre-K children ages 2-4 this Fall under the leadership of Ann Sedore.
The quarterly Adult Bible Study offers inspirational thought-provoking material on a variety of religious and biblical subjects. These sessions enhance our faith and provide an opportunity to share personal experiences related to the subject provided.
Del Wayne continues to offer leadership and faith building to our youth through Sunday School as well as outside activities as opportunities arise.
Two multi-generational events sponsored by our church for the community to attend are the Holiday Family Craft Workshop during Advent and the Easter Craft, Fund and Faith Event during Lent. Both offer cookie decorating, card making, and storytelling. Also included are Christmas ornament decorating and Easter egg painting. These provide a good interaction with youth, teenagers, and adults participating as we reach out beyond our church family.
May we continue to grow in our faith journey.
In Christian fellowship,
Nancy Chawgo, Past Sunday School Teacher, Adult Bible Study Participant
September 2024
Dear Friends,
As with any board in our church, the people and not just the board make our church what it is and that is so true of Mission and Outreach.
One of our missions each year is collecting backpacks and school supplies for children locally. It is unknown when Flo Williams first fostered this mission, which she did with passion and determination for many years. She knew the need. As a result, parents and families were not burdened with providing all the school supplies for their children that they could not readily afford.
We partner with PEACE, Inc., a national network of Community Action Agencies, with an outreach program here in Tully. PEACE’s goal is to help people become more self-sufficient by strengthening families, improving the conditions in which people live, encouraging people to own a stake in their own community, and developing partnerships with other organizations, businesses, and individuals to support these efforts.
The backpacks and supplies are distributed by PEACE prior to and during the school year. You, the people, have made this undertaking successful in the past and that is true of our latest endeavor for the 2024-2025 school year. We have collected and purchased over 325 items for distribution this year.
The congregation can continue giving to this mission by collecting good, clean backpacks and other school necessities throughout the year, as well as contributing money to purchase supplies. God calls us to share his love with others, and giving is an essential part of doing so.
In Christian fellowship,
Mission and Outreach