A Light So Lovely

 December 30, 2024

 

 

Happy new year, church family and friends!

I swear, as much as I adore the Thanksgiving and Advent seasons, I most definitely love the actual
Christmas season even more. The preparations are done, the worship services are complete, gifts are given and received, meals have been shared, visitors welcomed, the mess is more or less cleaned up, Jesus’ birth is well and truly celebrated, and then: that big sigh of contentment, and all the fullness of the holiday season gives way to a couple weeks of calm, blissful peace. Bittersweet, maybe, if you (like me) have to say goodbye to beloved family and friends who have to head back to faraway homes, but I hope in this after-Christmas calm you feel a sense of peace and care, wrapped in the arms of the God who adores you.

After a crazy 2024 of way too much travel, I am very much looking forward to a few weeks in January of STAYING HOME. I just want to…paint stuff. And fix stuff. And make stuff. And clean out closets. And baby my garden, which was sorely neglected this past year and needs some major tidying and composting. There is a week in the middle of the month where I’ll be attending the required Gathering of the Spiritual Leaders with our new Bishop, and then leading the celebration of life for our beloved Claudia Pace, but other than that I’ll be home in sweatpants enjoying some restful, playful weeks. It sounds glorious.

While I’m away, you’ll be led in worship by our very capable and creative leadership team, with assists by guest preachers Gary Pope-Sears and Bob and Betty Weiser. Margaret Knox, Maggie Neidigh, Ashlee McGarity, and hopefully a couple of others will be helping in the office and with bulletins and PowerPoints. I and your leadership team will be receiving your prayer requests, and praying with you as always, and will be on call for any emergencies. For any trustees, finance, or other needs, consult the list of amazing folks on the back of this newsletter, whose phone numbers are in our church directory. Thanks again to Carolyn Parrish and her team for their wonderful work on that for us!

We have done a lot of great work this year, sharing the Gospel with our community and beyond. I hear stories all the time about the way folks are inspired by the ways we follow Jesus in our living and serving together. This year, I hope to build on that good news by turning it into a vital, thriving community. I hope we will invite more people to join us in the worship, in the study, in the prayer we do together that fuels our commitment to serving the Lord by serving one another. People already know us as the church that helps folks in need…I pray this year that people in our community come to know Epworth as the uniquely special place we are, where people love each other deeply, without question or condition. Who are deeply, passionately grounded in our love for Jesus Christ, even as we continue to learn and grow. I pray that (and I know I’ve quoted her before, but) as Madeleine L’Engle once wrote, “we draw people to Christ…by shining a light so lovely that people want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”

This newsletter will serve as your letter for all of January. See you in a few weeks!

Pastor Dawn

Worship This Month 

Christmas and Epiphany

Christmas doesn’t end on December 25. That’s when it begins. Twelve days of wonder and awe, remembering the birth of God-with-Us, Emmanuel. Christmas continues through January 6 with the arrival of the Magi, which kicks off the season of Epiphany. The Christian world marks Epiphany in lots of different ways, with lots of different traditions, but the point of it is to look for the ways God shows up in unexpected ways. Like a star in the sky that points to a child in a manger, or a stranger who turns out to be an angel in disguise, God will surprise us everywhere we look. In worship, of course, and also at the grocery store, and in the kitchen, and at work, and serving folks in need at the Wolf Center. Everywhere.

 

This month, while Pastor Dawn is taking some vacation time, we will be led in worship by many faithful, creative, capable leaders. The sermons will be given by Gary Pope-Sears (Jan 5), Kelly Frost (Jan 12), Bob and Betty Weiser (Jan 19), and Margaret Knox (Jan 26). Please be in prayer for all of them, that God speaks a wonderful word and the Holy Spirit fills us all with grace and hope.

 

Worship begins at 9:00am every Sunday, in person. If you can’t be there, remember to find us on YouTube so that you can watch live from wherever you are, or join us on KVLV radio on AM980 every Sunday beginning at 9:30am. If you have ideas or questions, or if we can be in prayer for you in any way, please call the church at 775-423-4714. We’d love to hear from you.

 

Wednesday Evening Prayer with Lectio Divina

Wednesday Evening Prayer is held on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm on YouTube Live. Lectio Divina is an ancient, special way of reading and praying with Scripture. Most people who try it find it deeply meaningful. We’ll meet next on February 5. Hope you’ll join us.

News and Fun Stuff

Online Giving

Everything we do to serve God and our neighbors is made possible because of your generosity. THANK YOU! If you'd like to set up online giving, just head over to our website at epworthfallon.org/give.

No Pizza with the Pastor in January

Pastor Dawn will be taking a little vacation time, so we’ll get together next on February 11. See you then!

 

Church Family Potluck on Sunday, Jan 26 after worship

Bring something tasty to share if you’re able, and we’ll enjoy Sunday brunch together before we head out to Bible study, Messy Church, or the rest of our Sunday. See you then!

And Then, Stay for Messy Church!

Our January lesson will be led by Ashlee McGarity and friends. Music, games, art, science, and all kinds of ways to worship and learn together. It’s great for all ages, and definitely does not make a mess of any kind. It’s not that kind of “messy.” We’ll start our lesson around 10:45 in the Fireside Room, and finish up around 11:30am. Bring a friend, everyone welcome.

 

It's The Princess Bride at the Fallon Theatre!

Yes, it is time once again for that festival of romance and silliness that IS the interactive Princess Bride at the Fallon Theatre. This time we’re making it a fundraiser for the Wolf Center, and dialing up the silliness a bit. We are still looking at dates, so stay tuned!!

 

Church Council Meeting Sunday Feb 11

Our first Council meeting of the year will be on Sunday, February 11 after worship. Join us to pray, dream, plan, and celebrate all that God is doing in and through us!

 

Continuing Bible Studies in January

After Christmas and a little break, our Bible study groups will return. To suggest new Bible studies or to find out more, please call Kelly Frost via the church office at 775-423-4714. Join any class, any time!

·      “Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets” by Andy Stanley, Mondays at 10:30am in the Good News Room

·      “God Never Gives Up On Us” by Max Lucado, Sundays after worship in the Good News Room

·      The Book of Acts, Sundays after worship in the Wolf Center, led by the author Jeanette Strong. 

 

Music at Epworth UMC

Music is a big part of worship for many of us at Epworth. You are invited to join the bell choir, or the traditional choir, or the praise team, or participate in music however your heart moves you! Please call Jackie, our music director, via the church office at 775-423-4714 to find out more. Tell her or Pastor Dawn about your favorite hymns or modern Christian songs, too, so that we can sing them together in church!

 

Neighborhood Game Days Return on Sunday, March 9!

Let’s get the neighborhood together for fun and friendship, with a wide variety of games in a fun, comfortable environment. We’d love your ideas and your help spreading the word! Call Steve Russell or Pastor Dawn with your ideas, mark your calendars, and plan to be there! 

Almost Christmas

  

December 18, 2024

 

 

Merry almost-Christmas, church family and friends!

Well, in the midst of the mad scramble that this season always is, this has been an absolutely wonderful week at your church. Crazy God moments absolutely everywhere. I know you’ve heard me say it, that our church is much bigger than the friends who come to worship on Sunday, but here is what I mean:

A member of our community who uses the Wolf Center asked me to pray and bless the home of a young man and his kids, who just moved into town. It became a wonderful, deeply meaningful conversation about God and hope and parenthood and redemption.

A couple of weeks ago, a young woman came in needing some help that we were thankfully able to give. Today, she joined us to make lunches for folks in need, and it was a wonderful day full of laughter and friendship and a very special kind of worship.

This afternoon was the Churchill Community Coalition’s quarterly meeting, and we got to give awards to very special people who were nominated Community Champions. While we were there I was able to connect with Cynthia Wassmuth from the Tribal Behavioral Health office, and discovered that 15 years ago she was instrumental in starting the United Methodist Church in Schurz! How amazing is that! So she and I and Betty and Bob Weiser will be getting together after Christmas to see what we can do to reinvigorate the ministry there.

When that meeting was over, we all were pondering what to do with all of the leftover food. We thought of a family in need that several of us know, I reached out to them, and they were SO surprised and blessed by it. Not only that, but the caterers who made the delicious meal were clearly very, very moved by it. Blessings in the giving, and in the receiving.

And THEN – friends, it has been a truly God-filled week! – I got a call from a woman looking for shelter after leaving an abusive relationship. She’s already been in touch with the amazing folks at Domestic Violence Intervention, but I called them anyway to get their advice and met the most WONDERFUL PERSON who works there. She brought by some blankets and clothing and other odds and ends that folks in need could use, and she and I had an amazing tearful conversation about God and healing and acceptance. She is clearly a passionate believer in Jesus, and has been longing to find a new church family after moving here some months ago. It was a conversation that was a Christmas gift for us both. 

I am writing this with tears in my eyes, and I just can’t say it enough: God is at work through all the ministries we are doing. Hearts are being healed. Lives are being changed. Hope is being found. It’s such an incredible privilege to be a part of it.

I will be taking most of January off to rest and do some home projects, but I’ll be here for Claudia’s service and a couple other things. We have some awesome preachers and worship leaders lined up, including our very own Rev Gary Pope-Sears who will be here on January 5! Spread the word and give him and Sybella a really, really warm welcome. See you Sunday!

Pastor Dawn

Worship This Week 

Advent 4: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love

And here we are, after the time of waiting, almost at the moment of birth. We have one more Sunday to hear the words of the prophets, and the familiar words of the Christmas story…one more Sunday of anticipation and praise, before we remember with awe and wonder the miracle of Jesus’ birth as God-with-Us, Emmanuel. Take a deep breath and fill your lungs and body and heart with the LIFE that is the light of all people, and we’ll see you in church.

 

Worship begins at 9:00am every Sunday, in person. If you can’t be there, remember to find us on YouTube so that you can watch live from wherever you are, or join us on KVLV radio on AM980 every Sunday beginning at 9:30am. If you have ideas or questions, or if we can be in prayer for you in any way, please call the church at 775-423-4714, or call Pastor Dawn directly at 775-671-5553. We’d love to hear from you.

 

Wednesday Evening Prayer with Lectio Divina

Wednesday Evening Prayer is held on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm on YouTube Live. Lectio Divina is an ancient, special way of reading and praying with Scripture. Most people who try it find it deeply meaningful. We’ll meet next on February 5. Hope you’ll join us.

 

News and Fun Stuff

Candlelight Christmas Eve Tuesday December 24

3pm, 7pm, and 11pm

We’ve added a daytime service this year for folks who prefer driving in the daylight, for young families, and for anyone else who might like to come to worship before their dinnertime holiday celebrations. Each service will be similar: Christmas carols, telling the Christmas story directly from scripture, a special Christmas story rather than a sermon, and lighting candles and singing Silent Night at the end. The 11pm service will be a bit more meditative, and include a service of Holy Communion. 

 

Lahontan Valley Choir Christmas Concert

If you missed them at the tree lighting or here at Epworth a couple of weeks ago, you can still catch them on Monday December 23 at 11am at the Senior Center! Come hear some fun and inspiring Christmas music to add to your Christmas season.

Messy Church THIS SUNDAY after Worship

It’s a special Advent lesson with art, silly games, great conversation, prayer and worship. It’s great for all ages, and definitely does not make a mess of any kind, it’s not that kind of “messy.” Join us at 10:30am in the Fireside Room, everyone welcome.

 

No Pizza with the Pastor in January

Pastor Dawn will be taking a little vacation time, so we’ll get together next on February 11. See you then!

 

Continuing Bible Studies in January

After Christmas and a little break, our Bible study groups will return. To suggest new Bible studies or to find out more, please call Kelly Frost via the church office at 775-423-4714. Join any class, any time!

·      “Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets” by Andy Stanley, Mondays at 10:30am in the Good News Room

·      “God Never Gives Up On Us” by Max Lucado, Sundays after worship in the Good News Room

·      The Book of Acts, Sundays after worship in the Wolf Center, led by the author Jeanette Strong. 

Sing Joy!

 December 10, 2024

 

Merry almost-Christmas, church family and friends!

How, I ask you. How does this happen EVERY YEAR? We are halfway through advent, and my tree at home is still naked, my traditional decorations are only partially up, gifts are not purchased, and according to my calculations I will have no time to do any of those things in the next week or so unless I do them at 2am. When will I learn? DO THESE THINGS ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND. 

But Thanksgiving weekend is for sleep, see. For sprawling on the couch, and doing absolutely nothing. Which is important, too, right? Of course it is. And so, here we are.

One of the recent questions asked of us who write for the Faith Forum in the Reno Gazette-Journal was whether or not we should resist things less, and let life go along as it will. My own answer, as it so often is, was yes and no. I know you’ll agree, there is a big piece of our faith dedicated to self-control and discipline, and living through Christ in such a way as to literally change the world. So the idea of “eh, it’s fine, let people do what they will do, let life be what it will be” makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up like exclamation points. I mean, our baptismal vows specifically call us to actively stand against and oppose “evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” 

At the same time, though, all of that healthy self-discipline and seeking first the kingdom can go a little sideways in us. It can morph into self-destructiveness sometimes, stealing our joy and replacing it with a constant sense of failure and inadequacy. It can also warp into an unhealthy obsession with judging and controlling the lives of other people. This is why love of God and one another must be nurtured carefully alongside self-discipline and humility, to keep it all healthy and balanced and lifegiving.

So yes, resistance and discipline are very important parts of our faith. But another big piece of our faith is dedicated to resting in God. Trusting in God’s will, and God’s wisdom. Letting Jesus lead us beside still waters, and restore our souls. In my own life, this part has never gotten nearly enough attention. I have learned to set aside time for prayer, of course, but the focus of my life and my faith has always been about doing stuff. That’s why it drives me a little crazy when there is too much stuff to realistically accomplish…I have always found it difficult to just breathe, and let go, and enjoy things as they are.

When I was in seminary 25 years ago, contemplative prayer practices were experiencing a kind of resurgence in protestant Christianity. They are an ancient thing among Christians, and long periods of prayerful quiet or specially designed prayer services have always been an integral part of the Catholic faith. But among Protestants, much less so. My instructor told us then, and I try to remember now, this kind of prayer is not just a way of praying but rather a whole different way of living. It’s a practice that teaches us to let more go, so that we can let in more joy and peace…it builds the habit in us of seeing, and hearing, and tasting what is right in front of us, and giving thanks to God in each moment. 

In these days of seasonal busy-ness, I am praying that we can all laugh at our own foibles more, forgive ourselves and others, want less and be content more, and truly enjoy each moment with God and one another. 

Come, let us adore him,

Pastor Dawn

Worship This Week 

Advent 3: “Joy to the World” Choir Cantata!

It’s one of our very favorite times of the year! Our choir will be filling our sanctuary with music as we
sing Jay Althouse’s “Joy to the World.” Paul Grumstrup will be doing the narration, and we are SO THANKFUL to Jackie Warburton for her skillful and loving leadership, Mike Irby for his talent and dedication as our pianist, and all of our singers for their time and hard work and beautiful voices. It will be a wonderful day. 

Worship begins at 9:00am every Sunday, in person. If you can’t be there, remember to find us on YouTube so that you can watch live from wherever you are, or join us on KVLV radio on AM980 every Sunday beginning at 9:30am. If you have ideas or questions, or if we can be in prayer for you in any way, please call the church at 775-423-4714, or call Pastor Dawn directly at 775-671-5553. We’d love to hear from you.

 

News and Fun Stuff

Online Giving

Everything we do to serve God and our neighbors is made possible because of your generosity. THANK YOU! If you'd like to set up online giving, head over to our website, epworthfallon.org/give.

See You at the Craft Fair on Dec 13 & 14

We’ll be selling fresh undecorated wreaths, and decorated ones too, at the Christmas Craft Fair at CCHS. Join us to greet folks and answer their questions about Epworth and the Wolf Center. The more of our smiling faces, the better. 

Lahontan Valley Choir Christmas Concerts

Come hear some fun and inspiring Christmas music at the Fallon Theater on Friday December 6 after the tree lighting, on Wednesday December 11 at 7pm at Epworth, or on Monday December 23 at 11am at the Senior Center. Buy raffle tickets for the gorgeous winter quilt, too, made by our very own Carolyn Parrish! Drawing will be held on December 14 at the Christmas Craft Fair at CCHS.

The Longest Night Saturday Dec 21

3pm and 7pm

In the midst of holiday mania, this special service is a respite of quiet and prayer on the longest night of the year. It is a time to miss those who aren’t with us, to recognize that things are not as perfect as we wish they were, and to rest in the presence of the God who loves and cares for us. We’ll have 2 services this year, one at 3pm for those who prefer driving in the daylight, and one at 7pm. Help us spread the word to anyone who might need a sweet, healing time like this at Christmas.

 

Candlelight Christmas Eve Tuesday December 24

3pm, 7pm, and 11pm

We’ve added a daytime service this year for folks who prefer driving in the daylight, for young families, and for anyone else who might like to come to worship before their dinnertime holiday celebrations. Each service will be similar: Christmas carols, telling the Christmas story directly from scripture, a special Christmas story rather than a sermon, and lighting candles and singing Silent Night at the end. The 11pm service will be a bit more meditative, and include a service of Holy Communion. 

 

Pogonip

 December 4, 2024

  

Happy gorgeous pogonip-ed Advent, church family and friends!

As I sit here writing in my warm bed, with my warm puppy dogs snuggled up next to me and  my warm cup of coffee on the side table, the freezing fog outside my window looks SO COOL. This weekend I tried everything I knew with my iPhone camera to get pictures of the pogonip, with no luck. They all come out blurry, kinda like when I was trying to take a picture of the COOLEST orb weaver and her web in my tomato plants this past summer. User error, I’m sure…I know there is a way, just haven’t found it yet. So for now, I have to be content with looking at the ice crystals on the bare branches and fall leaves with my boring old eyeballs. Anyway, I just love it. It looks like fairy winter wonderland outside.

My husband, whose job it is to keep planes safely in the air out at NAS Fallon, enjoys the pogonip much less. Apparently planes don’t love freezing fog? Car tires don’t love it either, really, so every morning this week I’ve gotten “be really careful driving” texts from my beloved. But from here in the house, it’s beautiful. All about perspective. Probably there is a sermon in there somewhere. 

I am especially thankful for our friends at Social Services and so many open-hearted folks all over our community who are stepping up to make sure folks are safe and warm this time of year. Folks who sleep outdoors take good care of each other, our law enforcement officers are especially kind and good, and our whole community rallies to provide warm blankets and clothing and other supplies. We pray a whole lot, all the time, that folks will become motivated to improve their situations, because there is SO MUCH HELP available for them when they’re ready. We’ve found it’s often just a matter of convincing them: convincing them to show up for appointments, to be patient with paperwork, to trust that there are good people in the world who truly want to help, and that they deserve the help. I know you are praying with us, too.

This time of year is very full, and thus so is this newsletter. A couple of important tidbits that don’t fit in the next pages:

1.     I decided to change the time for Pizza with the Pastor to 12:30pm, to accommodate choir rehearsal. That’s this Sunday!

2.     In consultation with several members, your worship team has decided to add a 3:00pm service on the Longest Night and Christmas Eve, for the sake of folks who don’t drive at night. And anybody else who would prefer a service before dinner. Yay! So, our Christmas services will be:

·      The Longest Night, Saturday December 21, 3:00pm and 7:00pm

·      Candlelit Christmas Eve, 3:00pm, 7:00pm, and 11:00pm

I feel like there is a bunch of stuff I’m forgetting. Par for the course, really. Thank God we have each other, and are serving the Lord together as a team! See you in church.

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,

Pastor Dawn

Worship This Week 

Advent 2: Who Needs Christmas

We are aided this season by Andy Stanley and his Advent Bible Study, “Who Needs Christmas?” Pastor Stanley’s approach is really unique and inspiring, and I (Pastor Dawn) am getting a lot out of it. I hope you are, too. We’ll start by kind of combining his first 2 topics: the blessing God gave to Abram in Genesis 12 fulfilled in Jesus, and the way that blessing is LIFE for each of us and all the world. As you prepare your heart for worship, you might like to spend some time reading and praying with Genesis 12:1-3, Galatians 4:4, and Matthew 1:20-21.

Worship begins at 9:00am every Sunday, in person. If you can’t be there, remember to find us on YouTube so that you can watch live from wherever you are, or join us on KVLV radio on AM980 every Sunday beginning at 9:30am. If you have ideas or questions, or if we can be in prayer for you in any way, please call the church at 775-423-4714, or call Pastor Dawn directly at 775-671-5553. We’d love to hear from you.

 

News and Fun Stuff

Online Giving

Everything we do to serve God and our neighbors is made possible because of your generosity. THANK YOU! To set up online giving, go to our website epworthfallon.org/give.

Wreaths are Here!

They will be available in the Fireside Room for pickup on Sunday and all week. Stop in any time Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, or give Pastor Dawn a call at 775-671-5553 to arrange a time.

 

Help Us Staff Our Table at the Craft Fair on Dec 13 & 14

We’ll be selling fresh undecorated wreaths, and decorated ones too, at the Christmas Craft Fair at CCHS. Join us to greet folks and answer their questions about Epworth and the Wolf Center. The more of our smiling faces, the better. 

Lahontan Valley Choir Christmas Concerts 

Come hear some fun and inspiring Christmas music at the Fallon Theater on Friday December 6 after the tree lighting, on Wednesday December 11 at 7pm at Epworth, or on Monday December 23 at 11am at the Senior Center. Buy raffle tickets for the gorgeous winter quilt, too, made by our very own Carolyn Parrish! Drawing will be held on December 14 at the Christmas Craft Fair at CCHS.

Advent Bible Study “Who Needs Christmas”

Our Advent study this year is called “Who Needs Christmas” by Andy Stanley. We’ll have one class on Sundays after worship in the Good News Room, one on Mondays at 10:30am also in the Good News Room, and one on Wednesdays at 6pm via Zoom. There is no book to purchase this time, just video in class and discussion. Join any class, any time. All are welcome.  Meanwhile, Jeanette Strong’s class will continue their study on the Book of Acts, at 10:30 in the Wolf Center dining room. All are welcome there, too!

 

Tintabulations FREE Christmas Concert!

We LOVE our incredibly talented bell-ringing friends. They will be at Churchill County Museum on Saturday, December 14 at 1pm. As always, the concert is free. It’s likely to be standing room only, so get there early!

Nudges

 November 26, 2024

 

Happy harvest time, church family and friends!

Growing up in suburbia, “harvest” was not part of my world. But I met a gentleman today who gave us a generous donation, because he sold a bunch of good hay this year and wanted to share the blessing with us. He and his wife got married in our church in 1975, he said. We sat and talked awhile, and I showed him around the Wolf Center and told him about last night’s Thanksgiving feast and some of the other stuff we’re up to…but I feel like we didn’t get to talk for nearly long enough, and as I sit down to write I have a thousand questions. I’ll have to send them a note and invite them both for coffee.

But what a neat thing. I just love when people do that, perfect strangers who listen to a nudge from God and wind up on our doorstep wanting to bless someone.

On Monday (yesterday), as some folks were prepping dinner, and Margaret’s team were doing their best to manage without her in the food pantry (just kidding, she has taught them VERY well and they do excellent work), and others of us were helping folks with showers and laundry and conversation, in came Tammie and Cullen from the Churchill Coalition with a whole bunch of packets of hygiene supplies that some sweet neighbors brought to give to folks in need. They had packed socks, crackers, water, tissues, nail clippers, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and pocket-sized copies of the New Testament. Tammie thought Epworth was the perfect place to bring them. And she was right, they went like hot cakes.

More nudges from God, moving people to want to bless someone. And how blessed are we to be able to facilitate, and witness!

Our church is so much bigger than the friends we see in church on Sundays. Margaret Knox and her team gather in prayer together every Monday morning before they open the food pantry, and I can’t tell you the number of times I have seen them sitting with our guests in deep conversation and prayer. When folks come to us needing to do court-ordered community service – which, as you can imagine, is never for reasons they are proud of – we work hard to make the experience affirming, positive, lifegiving. Transformative, we hope. My own office time on Mondays and Tuesdays is full of folks seeking prayer, comfort, and pastoral care. Our time making lunches on Wednesdays has become like worship.

ALL of it is worship. And it is touching people far beyond the walls of our little church. Which is why, when they feel these nudges from God, they know where to go to respond to his call.

What an incredible privilege it is, to serve the Lord together with you. All these hundreds of us praying, singing, seeking, learning, serving God side by side, in the name of Jesus Christ. I am so, so grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Pastor Dawn

Worship This Week 

Advent Begins! The Hanging of the Greens

We love this tradition of remembering the meaning of this wonderful season, and setting our traditions in the context of the birth of Jesus Christ. Worship on Sunday will be filled with scripture and Advent carols, and sharing Holy Communion. 

Worship begins at 9:00am every Sunday, in person. If you can’t be there, remember to find us on YouTube so that you can watch live from wherever you are, or join us on KVLV radio on AM980 every Sunday beginning at 9:30am. If you have ideas or questions, or if we can be in prayer for you in any way, please call the church at 775-423-4714, or call Pastor Dawn directly at 775-671-5553. We’d love to hear from you.

 

Wednesday Evening Prayer with Lectio Divina

Wednesday Evening Prayer is held on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm on YouTube Live. Lectio Divina is an ancient, special way of reading and praying with Scripture. Most people who try it find it deeply meaningful. We’ll meet next on December 4. Hope you’ll join us.

News and Fun Stuff

Online Giving

Everything we do to serve God and our neighbors is made possible because of your generosity. THANK YOU! You can set up online giving at our website, epworthfallon.org/give.  

Christmas Wreath Decorating Contest and Sale

Use one of our fresh holiday wreaths (they should be here the first week in December), decorate it however you’d like, and let us sell it at the Christmas Craft Fair at Churchill County High School on December 13 and 14. Tell your artistic friends and neighbors and help us raise money for all we do.

 

And Help Us Staff Our Table!

We’ll be selling fresh undecorated wreaths, too, and be there to greet folks and answer their questions about Epworth and the Wolf Center. The more of our smiling faces, the better. 

 

Advent Bible Study “Who Needs Christmas”

Our Advent study this year is called “Who Needs Christmas” by Andy Stanley. We’ll have one class on Sundays after worship in the Good News Room, one on Mondays at 10:30am also in the Good News Room, and one on Wednesdays at 6pm via Zoom. There is no book to purchase this time, just video in class and discussion. Join any class, any time. All are welcome. 

 

Meanwhile, Jeanette Strong’s class will continue their study on the Book of Acts, at 10:30 in the Wolf Center dining room. All are welcome there, too!

THANK YOU to Everyone Who Baked and Bought Desserts

There were some gorgeous and mouth-watering pies, cakes, and sweets for our auction this year! Your church is so grateful for your talents, and our Thanksgiving meals will be extra blessed by your delicious gifts.

 

And THANK YOU to Everyone Who Made Our FDB Thanksgiving Feast a Delicious Success!

Thanks to Steve Russell’s leadership and the hard work of MANY volunteers from church and our friends and neighbors, we cooked 20 turkeys, boiled and mashed many many pounds of potatoes, cut SO MANY onions and celery for the stuffing, moved tables and chairs, decorated, cleaned, and served almost 200 people. THANK YOU to New Millenium, Robertson and Koenig, Carol Ledesma, and Mike and Michele Berney for providing the turkeys, Jim Flemming for making the stuffing, Carole Leanza for making delicious pumpkin crunch for dessert, and Scout Troop 1776 for serving and cleaning up. Our backs and feet were killing us, but the food was excellent and our guests felt loved and full to the brim. Praise God!

 

Wolf Center Community Services

2025 will have us working hard on getting our newly minted 501c3 nonprofit properly organized and running efficiently. We always need your thoughts, ideas, and questions. Here are the current WCCS Board members, any and all of whom would love to hear from you.

Grant Mills grantmfi@cccomm.net, Steve Russell stever49@gmail.com, 

Margaret Knox coke@cccomm.net, Edith Isidoro-Mills eaim@phonewave.net

Kathy Fraker kathyfraker59@gmail.com, Lori Crook, loricrook1999@gmail.com

Tammie Sheminski Tammie@churchillcoalition.com

Steve Endacott endacottsteve@charter.net, Sean Rowe seanrowe@fallonlegal.com

Glenn Wassmuth gwassmuth54@outlook.com