Good Samaritan News
Expanded Good Samaritan Office Hours
The church office is now open from 9:00am-2:00pm Monday through Friday.
Contact Cindy Bergstrom, Office Manager, at cindy@good.org or 952-929-0049.
“De-Mystifying The Book of Revelation”
with Pastor Jim
You can still join! In vivid, sometimes shocking, images of the future, the Book of Revelation portrays the triumphant finale of God’s just rule throughout all of creation. John’s visions stretch our imaginations, fuel our anticipation, and comfort us as we await the final curtain call. The words are mysterious for those who don’t know how to make sense of them. Join us for this series where together we’ll aim to make sense of it all.
- Sundays 11:15am – 12:15pm through February 9 or
- Tuesdays 9:30am – 10:30am through February 11
Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/
Special News for Youth and Families
BFF – Building Faithful Families! We all have such crazy schedules. Making it to church can sometimes be difficult. To help you build your family’s faith, each month we will have a new resource for you to try at home with your family. These resources don’t need a theology degree, just a desire to be come closer as a family and to strengthen your family’s spirituality. January is all about setting your intentions for 2025. You can pick up these resources at the welcome desk in the Narthex or Jan can email them to you! Let her know at jan@good.org if you would like a copy.
Sub Sandwiches for Sale
Need a Sub for the Superbowl? The ASP mission trip youth will be taking orders for sub sandwiches Sundays, January 26 and February 2, at a table in the Narthex. Options are ham, turkey or veggie, 6-inch sub for $10. Delivery will be on February 9 after worship.
New Member Classes
Our next new membership exploration classes will be offered on February 9 and 16 (new dates!) following worship in Fellowship Hall (new location!). Attend one or both sessions to get acquainted, ask questions, learn some basic United Methodist history and theology and more about the ministries of Good Samaritan UMC. Please see Pastor Max to sign up and to ask any questions you might have.
Online Readers Wanted
We want to extend an invitation to those who participate in Online Worship to be readers, especially for those who are not able to come to our in-person services. If you’re in the local area, we would be happy to come to you to record. If you are distant, we can find a way to help you record. We may even include the recording during In-Person Worship as well. Please reach out to christian@good.org if you would like to participate in worship remotely. You don’t have to be the perfect reader to be a part of worship.
Pledge Cards available
Extra pledge cards and letters are available on the Welcome Table in the Narthex and on the table near the Church Office. Look for the envelopes labeled “2025 Stewardship Packet”. Completed cards can be left in the Deposit Box near the mail slots by the office. Thanks to those who have already turned them in!
2024 Donations to Good Samaritan
Due to potential holiday mail delays and best practices for year-end accounting, please mail any 2024 offerings to Good Samaritan by December 10 so we may receive them by December 15. Thank you!
Sanctuary Camera System Training
Training is still available for our sanctuary camera systems for Recording and Live streaming. If operating our built-in sanctuary cameras seems too much, there is also training available for our free-standing cameras, which we use in creating Online Worship, and we could use your help. Please contact Chrisitan Nielsen at christian@good.org to learn more 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.
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.