Good Samaritan News
New Member Sunday November 17
This Sunday, November 17, during our 10:00 a.m. worship we are excited to welcome several new members who are joining our church.
All-Church Conference November 17
An All-Church Conference will be held Sunday, November 17 at 11:00 a.m. following worship to approve Pastor Max’s compensation for 2025. Rev. Mary Ellen Nielsen will preside.
Order Your Poinsettia
Order forms are available on the Welcome Table in the Narthex or by the Church Office for poinsettias to adorn our Sanctuary on Christmas Eve and take home following the late service. Order deadline is Sunday, December 1.
Join the Orchaband!
Our annual Hanging of the Greens service is on Sunday, December 1, 3:00 p.m. Anyone who plays a string or wind instrument (young or old) is invited to join the Orchaband in playing familiar carols for the service. Pick up the music ahead of time from the reception area by the Church Office. We will rehearse an hour before the service, December 1 at 3:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. It’s great fun! Contact Sarah Kumagai with questions - 952-944-2683.
Lessons & Carols
As we prepare our hearts for the Christmas season, we warmly invite you to join us for a beautiful evening of Lessons & Carols on Sunday, December 15 at 4:00 p.m. This beloved service will feature our music ensembles Chancel Choir, Chancel Chimes, and Homeward Bound as well as readings of the Nine Lessons and singing of traditional carols.
Following the service, we’ll gather for a festive reception to share in the joy of the season and fellowship with one another.
There’s still time to be a part of this year’s Lessons & Carols service! If you’ve been thinking about joining the choir, we’d love to have you sing with us. Rehearsals for Lessons & Carols are Wednesdays 7-8:30pm beginning on November 20.
Bring your loved ones, invite your friends, and let’s celebrate together the hope and joy that Christmas brings! We look forward to seeing you there!
Sanctuary Live Streaming & Recording Training
Christian Nielsen is offering training for operating our built-in sanctuary camera system for live streaming and recording. We need volunteers willing to train so that we can reliably offer live streaming for funerals, weddings, special services, and other events. Please reach out to Christian at christian@good.org or 952-221-1857 for more information or to sign up.
Let the Play Begin!
The Good Sam Pickleball Club invites interested adult Good Samaritan members to join in the newly added introduction/beginners pickleball sessions. The sessions will be held in the church Gym each Saturday from 10:00-11:00 a.m. No previous experience is necessary. Paddle equipment will be available. Regular pickleball play time is Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Registration is required for ANY/ALL sessions. Registration forms are available outside the church office or at the Gym.
Give A Book - Read a Book!
We once again have an opportunity to donate new books to the Good Samaritan Library. The Library Group - Vicki Dunn, Joan Hursh, Mary Lewis, and Marcia Willett - have established a list of books that would be good for the library to have available for the congregation for checkout.
The list of books to choose from is online – www.tinyurl.com/GSLibraryDonate - and displayed in the library. If you would like to donate and have purchased the new book, it can be dropped off in the reception area by the Church Office.
Please include a note with your name and contact information so we may send you a donation receipt and a thank you. If you have questions, please contact anyone on the library group. Thanks for your help as we try to stretch out the budget with new and current books.
Memorial Service Help
We are looking for people who are interested in occasionally helping with memorial services held at Good Samaritan. This is something we used to do years ago and are exploring restarting it. The areas we could use help with are baking cookies, making coffee, washing tablecloths, and coordinating. You would be contacted when a memorial service is planned at Good Samaritan where the bereaved would appreciate cookies and bars provided by the church. If you are interested in being on the list, please contact Kathy Clark at kjcclark@icloud.com. Thank you for your time.
Chancel Chimes Needs You!
Chancel Chimes handbell ensemble is looking for new members. If you are interested in ringing handbells or even just trying them, now is the time. Rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:15 pm and we participate in worship approximately once a month. The ability to read music and a can-do attitude are helpful. Contact Kate Graber, kate@good.org, for details. The Bell Room 153 is on the lower level in the Music Wing..
Online Worship on SW Community Television!
Our Online Worship is now on Southwest Community Television, accessible to cable subscribers in Edina and surrounding communities on Channel 15 (Standard Definition) 799 (High Definition). Having our worship on cable will make it more accessible for those with limited technology access or knowledge and we hope it will increase our visibility in the area. Online Worship will also be available on demand from their website http://edinamn.gov/swtv and through their “Cablecast” streaming app for iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV users. Our schedule on channel 15 & 799 is:
- Wednesdays 7:30-8:30 pm
- Fridays 9-10 am
- Saturdays 7 - 8 pm
- Sundays 10 am (airs one week behind due to our production schedule)
Help Beautify our Worship
Our altar flower signup sheet for Sunday morning worship is looking very empty. Consider signing up! You can acknowledge an anniversary, honor someone, or provide flowers just because! There are several ways to provide flowers for the altar for all different budgets, including:
- Have Cindy in the office order an arrangement from Bachman’s for a cost of $65 (or more for a larger arrangement).
- To avoid the $18 delivery fee, order your own arrangement and pick it up yourself.
- Grab a bouquet from your local grocery store (Trader Joe’s has a great selection for lower cost) or farmers market (Fulton Farmers Market meets at Lake Harriet UMC on Saturday mornings).
- Cut flowers and foliage from your own yard.
When you sign up on the Altar Flowers chart on the Narthex kiosk, Cindy will be in touch with you to discuss what you would like to do. Contact her with questions - cindy@good.org or 952-929-0049.
Helping Migrants
Here is an update from Charisse Litteken on the Equidorian family seeking asylum in the Twin Cities:
“Brian Boisen and I set up three donated wooden beds (including an awe-inducing bunk bed) for a husband (21), wife (22), wife's brother (19) and daughter (3) who have secured a room in the main house of the "Ecuadorian" residence. We are happy that they are no longer sleeping on the garage floor. We secured an additional mattress, and required bed parts for this young family's sleeping needs. Ten English-language learning books are on order. Pat Deckas Becerra and Charisse will conduct their first English lesson for interested adults in the home tonight at 7:00pm. We would love for more people to join us in the English efforts. We received a generous $500 donation that the Missions Committee will use for other supplies. We are still looking for two working cell phones, Boost Mobile cards and Metro transit cards.”
If you have items on the list or questions, please contact Charisse directly at charisse.litteken@gmail.com. Thank you on behalf of the Missions Team.