Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church
Midweek Update November 24, 2021

In this issue: Reflection, Nov Mission, Treasurer’s Note, New Member Class, Camino Thanks, Zoom worship idea, Art at EPC, December Bdays

Gratitude
Happy Thanksgiving, People of God. Do you have some kind of GRATITUDE practice in your life? Something simple, like listing your gratitudes in the morning or at mealtimes or before bedtime?
The Bible is overflowing with gratitude and calls for gratitude. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul says to these new Christians, “I give thanks to God for you!” Modern science is also catching on to the power of everyday gratitude. I read a recent article out of Stanford that claimed that daily gratitude leads to the following benefits:
• An increase in happiness, joy, feelings of satisfaction, and even awe
• Increased resilience to trauma, including both a buffer against current harmful effects and an “inoculation” of sorts against future negative trauma
• A loosening of the “fear circuitry” of the brain
• Improved social relationships in all of life
• Positive health and mental impacts on a level with pharmaceutical intervention or high-impact physical exercise
Take drugs, begin a high-intensity workout, or be grateful. The choice is yours.
Most evenings when the GebbenGreens sit down to dinner, each of us says what we are grateful for in that moment. I can’t tell you how many times Luna or I say, The Edgcumbe community. Luna and I do indeed give thanks to God for each one of you today. You make the world and our lives a better place!!

Fluffing the Greens
On this Friday, November 26, at 10:00 AM, we will begin fluffing the greens to hang in the sanctuary. This is a time-honored tradition at EPC. Everyone is welcome, as it requires no particular skills. Please bring something like gardening gloves, as the greens can been rough on your hands after awhile. If we have time, we will also begin hanging the greens. This would include garlands, wreaths and a giant tree. Thank you to all who can participate. Meredith November Mission

Union Gospel Mission's Thanksgiving Bag Drive
The drive kicks off to provide Thanksgiving meals to people around the Twin Cities through Union Gospel Mission! Instead of collecting bags of Thanksgiving groceries, we will be collecting money so that the Mission can purchase those items instead. Thousands of hungry families will come to the Mission for bags of free Thanksgiving food just prior to the holiday. Each bag contains enough food for a family of 5 and costs just $25. This year we have pledged 20 bags worth from our church. Donations can be either mailed to the church, or use our online giving platform, and note “Union Gospel Mission” in the memo. Thank you!

Treasurer's Note
Once again it is pledge season. The purpose of making a pledge is to allow your Session to know approximately how much money is available for next year's budget. Planning is difficult if the Session does not have a reasonably accurate estimate of income. So I urge all of our members to pledge. In addition I urge us all to consider increasing our 2022 pledges at least a little from 2021. The cost of everything from snow plowing to base salaries has gone up or will go up.
A financial pledge form for 2022 is attached to this message. Pledge form hard copies will also be available at worship on Sunday (or could be mailed to you at your request). Turning in all pledges by November 28 will help our Session plan next year’s budget! You are also always welcome to email your pledge into the church office at epchurch2149@gmail.com. Thank you, Ron Eggert

New Member Exploration Class
As we welcomed Heather Grantham into EPC membership this past weekend, Session expressed interest in having a New Member Exploration class for anyone who has been a part of the Edgcumbe Church community, and might be interested in becoming a member of the church. If you are curious about this conversation, please communicate with Pastor Luna (pastorlunagg@gmail.com).

Thank you from the Camino Pilgrims
From a card EPC received: We are so grateful to have this church as our gathering place. The Spirit of the Camino provides and you (Pastor Luna and the EPC community) continue that great tradition. Thank you! From: Bev Moe, Minnesota Chapter Co-ordinator of the American Pilgrims on the Camino

Take Care of Our Plants
We are in need of an attentive person who would be willing to care for the potted indoor plants EPC has been given. They are located in the parlor, sanctuary and entry/narthex. The watering container is in the narthex coat area to use for the seven plants. Please let Pastor Phil know if you would be willing to check the plants on Sundays to see if they need water.

Once-per-Month Zoom Worship
As you can see in the Session Update below, we are exploring the possibility of meeting one-Sunday-per-month on Zoom over the winter. The primary reason for this is accessibility and inclusivity--meeting on Zoom puts us all on equal footing on a regular basis. It is an expression of our value of belonging to let our virtual members know, “You are not simply an observer but a full participant in our worship and communal life.” Other advantages mentioned in the conversation:
• The ease of staying at home sometimes
• The opportunity to see and connect with folx who cannot join us in-person
• Seeing each other face-to-face, like sitting in a circle without masks on
• Increased intimacy and group conversations after worship
• The reminder that church is the people and not a building or place
Of course we would miss singing and being physically together on those Sundays, and of course we would design good signs to let any visitors know our plans. This switch would add some complications for the choir, and Jenya assures us that she and the choir are flexible and ready. If you have input about this possibility, please talk to any pastor or elder.
Relatedly, if winter weather is threatening, check your email on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings for updates about whether worship would be in-person or on Zoom. No news would always mean no change of plans.

December Birthdays And Anniversaries
Happy Birthday to:
Mel Houle 12/5
Heather Marschinke 12/6
Micah GebbenGreen 12/12
Warner Gunsell 12/16
Ollie (Tierra) Hunt 12/27

Happy Anniversary to:
Jenya & Vladimir Turbunikava 12/3
Lorenz Fett & Ngoc Nguyen 12/30