Pastor's Page

(updated 10-30-24)  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”  John 14:1-3 NRSV 
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I am blessed to have wonderful church families and a wife and children and grandchildren who love me and share their lives with me. Even though I cherish these precious gifts, I often find myself wandering back in my mind during this season to my family of origin.

Congregational Care and Family Ministries

(updated 10-30-24)  Friends, It is not the only time we think about blessings and gratitude, but Thanksgiving brings those sentiments front and center. It is a time as we gather with close friends and family that we refocus our hearts and minds on what we’re grateful for, and begin to count those blessings around us. There are so many blessings around me that I have almost lost count. Sometimes I am surprised by all the different ways we are blessed here at BFUMC.  Throughout the newsletter, you will see updates and invitations for a variety of new and established ministries. My prayer is that you will spend time exploring these new opportunities. Here are just a few I want to highlight: 
Sunday School – We have been going BIG this year with our BIG Faith classroom, which begins right after the Children’s Time during our 9:00 a.m. worship. Our November schedule is in this issue.

Men's Bible Study

The Pauline Epistles were written by Paul to guide early Christians and provide valuable insight into modern-day Christian living. Tuesdays at 6:30 PM. George Ramseyer (315-720-6184) and David Horan (315-638-2407).

Youth Group

Youth are invited to be part of our twice-monthly Youth Group, which meets on Sunday evenings 4:00-6:00 p.m.  Walking in the CROP Walk, which raised over $700 for CROP/CWS, marked the beginning for the youth group this fall. Thank you to everyone who participated by walking and/or donating to the CROP Hunger Walk this year. On October 20, we had fun with apples, making delicious apple sauce to share with others – and apple crisp to enjoy as a group. We also focused on planting seeds of kindness, sharing with one another kind words of encouragement. Here is a preview of upcming weeks:
November 3          Scavenger Hunt
November 17        Thanksgiving Dinner prep and Thanksgiving related activities
December 1          First Sunday of Advent & Hanging of the greens (May be held earlier)
December 21 or 22    Churchwide Caroling & Las Posadas
January 5, 2025   Youth Epiphany Party

Advent Study ~ Zoom

We will discuss the Good, Bad & the Ugly of Christmas as we prepare our hearts for the Coming Christ. The discussion of Richard Wilke’s book will happen three Wednesdays in Advent – December 4, 11 & 18 at 6:30 p.m.  Sign up in the dining room or in the office. Be sure to include your e-mail address. Books are $10 each and will be available after November 15.