Pullen Update November 23, 2014

What does God require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. —Micah 6:8

Fifth Sunday Offering Benefits Round Table Fellowship On the fifth Sunday of the month, any cash received during the regular offer-

ing will be used to support the Community Ministry fund at Pullen. This fund

is the primary source of support for Pullen’s Round Table Fellowship, which

offers hospitality and acceptance—along with tangible gifts of food, bus tick-

ets and coffee—to about 165 guests each week. Your contributions are al-

ways appreciated. You may also write “Community Ministry” in the memo

line of your check if you would like to designate your gift to this cause.

Missions & Outreach Council

Have News to Share? Be Featured Here Next Week! All submissions for publication should be sent to: news@pullen.org. The

deadline for the Sunday Update is always the preceding Tuesday. Articles

should be less than 500 words for PullenNews or 200 words for the Update.

Share Christmas Gifts with Hope Center Client Families By Dec. 7 Pullen members have an opportunity to reach

out to foster youth participating in programs

with The Hope Center at Pullen

this holiday season. Please

consider sponsoring one of

these young people with

Christmas gifts this year.

Our focus for this

Christmas gift giving will

be on young people who

have already aged out of fos-

ter care, and their own children.

There is a notebook in the church library with

brief bios on the young people participating

this year so that you will have a better under-

standing of their circumstances and get to

know them a bit more. The shopping guide

also includes a list of three places the young

person would like a gift card from, so that the

gift is tailored to their specific needs.

To maintain consistency, we are asking

for gift cards that total approximately $100

for each program participant, and $50 for

each child in the family. You may sponsor a

family on your own, or join with a Sunday

school class or a few friends to collect multi-

ple gift cards of smaller amounts. Your gen-

erosity will be thoroughly appreciated by our

participants. We are asking for gift cards in-

stead of wrapped presents this year because:

Gift cards allow our clients to make a

choice about how they use the gift you

offer. Many of our young people have

lived in situations where most of their

choices are made for them—what clothes

they have to wear, what food they have

to eat and what schedule they must keep.

Giving them an opportunity to make

choices for themselves is empowering!

Gift cards ensure that items our young

people receive are the perfect size and

style— something they will enjoy wear-

ing or using.

Gift cards allow our young people to

plan their shopping trips and practice

budgeting their funds—whether they are

buying items for themselves or gifts to

share with others.

Gift cards will be due by December 7 in order

for us to have enough time to distribute the

cards and for the parents to use the children’s

cards to shop for presents if they so choose.

We can’t thank you enough for your

support of our young people in this way. It

undoubtedly makes the holiday season bright-

er for our young people who are working so

hard to establish their lives and future.

Pullen & Hope Center Staff

Wednesday Night Program Ideas The Wednesday Night Committee is getting

ready to develop the adult program schedule

for the Spring 2015 Wednesday nights. If

you have an idea for a program you believe

would be of broad interest to the Pullen

community, please send it before Thanks-

giving to Cathy Tamsberg at ctamsberg

@pullen.org.

Wednesday Night Committee

Interested in Joining Pullen? Take a Walk December 7! Do you wish to join Pullen but don’t want to make that long walk up the

aisle by yourself? Then here is your opportunity. On Sunday, December 7,

those wishing to join Pullen in a group will be presented at the end of the

worship service. If you have interest in joining the church on that day,

please contact our pastor Nancy Petty. She will be happy to meet with you

and explain the details. If this way of joining appeals to you, but you cannot

be in attendance that day, don’t worry. Another opportunity to join en

masse will be provided in a few months.

Of course, those who have no con-

cerns about walking the aisle alone are

invited to unite with Pullen at the end of

any worship service. Even if you join by

yourself we would still encourage you to contact the pastor so that she can

provide helpful information about the church and get to know you better.

Deacon & Worship Councils

Today’s Anthem: A Gift from Pullen’s Church Music Search This year Pullen’s Music Ministry launched its first Church Music Search,

an annual contest that will seek anthems, hymns and orchestral music to

resource the worship and ministries of theologically liberal congregations.

One of the benefits of the Search has been the discovery of and connection

with authors and composers from around the world who are also interested

in creating such words and music.

Not long after announcing the Search, an encouraging email was re-

ceived from 89-year-old composer, Ann MacDonald Diers, who did

not have a suitable entry for this year’s Search, but who shared

several of her wonderful compositions for Pullen’s use. A

graduate of the Hart and Columbia University schools of

music, Ann is a gifted composer who resides in Cape

Cod, MA. As a Cape Cod resident, she was particular-

ly well-suited to create the choral anthem, “Hold Your

Hands Out Over the Earth,” which is a setting of the final paragraph of

Henry Beston’s literary classic, The Outermost House. Beston, an author

and naturalist, spent one year observing and writing about nature’s wonders

while living on the beach of Cape Cod.

During this time of Thanksgiving, Beston’s words and Dier’s music

help us express deep connection to the Earth as we offer gratitude for the

many gifts of life it gives to all.

Larry Schultz

2014 Advent Mission Offering Gift Cards Available We begin a new church year when the season of Advent begins on No-

vember 30. As you make plans for Christmas gift-giving, please remem-

ber our Advent Mission Offering. Once again our offering will go to plac-

es around the world where your contributions can make a big difference:

Coventry, Cuba, Nicaragua, Republic of Georgia, and Zimbabwe as well

as Heifer International and Plenty International. Simple gift cards are

available to use in notifying loved ones of gifts to our partners in their

honor. The cards are available on the tables next to the chapel entrances

and in the Information Room.

Our partners and friends will be grateful for your help in supporting

their important ministries. The offering will be received each Sunday in

Advent. Offering envelopes can be found in the pew racks. Receipts not

otherwise designated on the offering envelope will be divided equally

among our five mission partners.

Missions and Outreach Council

Sunday, November 23

11:00 AM Worship, Sanctuary

12:00 PM Sabbath Sunday Gathering, Finlator Hall

2:00 PM Congregational Meeting, Finlator Hall

Monday, November 24 6:30 PM Education Council, Room 122

Tuesday, November 25

10:00 AM Pullen Stitchers, Griffin Parlor

2:00 PM Round Table Fellowship, Finlator Hall

6:30 PM Young Adult Gathering, TBA

7:00 PM Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus, Room 128-B

Wednesday, November 26

12:00 PM Lectionary Lunch, Library

Thursday, November 27

Church Offices Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 28

Church Offices Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

12:00 PM Alcoholics Anonymous, Griffin Parlor

6:30 PM Alcoholics Anonymous, Finlator Hall

Sunday, November 30

9:45 AM Sunday School

10:30 AM Choral Worship Preparation, Room 128-B

11:00 AM Worship, Sanctuary

12:00 PM Chronologically Advantaged Potluck, Finlator Hall

Christmas Greenery and Poinsettias The sanctuary will be decorated with greenery and poinsettias for Advent and Christmas. You may

make a donation of $11.00 to request a poinsettia in memory or in honor of a loved one. Your do-

nation will be recognized in the December 14 worship guide. If you would like to make a donation in remembrance or honor of

someone dear to you, please complete this form and return it with your check or cash to the church office by Monday, December

10 (place in basket marked poinsettias).

Your name__________________________________________________________ Phone # _____________________________

In honor or memory of (1)______________________________________ (2)______________________________________

In honor or memory of (3)______________________________________ (4)______________________________________

Relationship to you (1)____________________ (2)____________________ (3)____________________ (4)_____________________

Chronologically Advantaged Potluck Lunch Next Sunday If you have more than 60 years of life expe-

rience to share, or simply want to mingle

with an interesting crowd, come and join us.

The only agenda is food, fun, and fellowship.

Duane Adkinson

Calendar for November 23—November 30 The Hope Center at Pullen connects young peo-

ple aging out of

foster care in Wake

County with the

resources and sup-

port they need for a

successful transition to adulthood.

Phone | 919-322-2751

Web | www.hopecenteratpullen.org

| fb.com/hopecenteratpullen

| @HopeCtrPullen

Volunteers Needed to Transport Foster Youth for Job Internship The Hope Center needs a pool of volunteers

to help a soft-spoken, well-mannered 18-

year-old get to and from his internship. This

young man would like to become a nurse

and plans to start at Wake Tech in January.

His internship at the Tammy Lynn Center

will allow him to shadow nurses at the cen-

ter as well as help in the development office

and earn money towards a car. The intern-

ship is for 10 hours a week for 10 weeks.

The hours are flexible and could be adjusted

based on the volunteer’s availability. Right

now we are tentatively planning for him to

work five hours on Monday and Wednes-

day. Volunteers can either pick him up or

take him home or drive a complete trip to

and from work. This young man lives on

Stowecroft Lane in north Raleigh and needs

to get to and from the Tammy Lynn Center

at 739 Chappell Dr. in southwest Raleigh.

Please contact Meredith Yuckman at

myuckman@hopecenteratpullen.org or Pat

Hielscher at phielscher@hopecenteratpullen

.org for more information.

LGBT Potluck Christmas Party Sunday, Dec. 7 You are invited to our annual Christmas Party at the

home of Pat and Brooks, 1333 Diehl Street in Raleigh.

Bring a dish to share and enjoy food, games and sing-

ing for all ages. Ham, turkey, soft drinks, paper sup-

plies & ice are provided. New folks to Pullen are es-

pecially invited to come & join the Christmas celebra-

tion. Questions call Jan at 919-417-0801.

Jan Hibbetts

Serve Pullenites on Sunday Mornings: Help Usher in 2015 Please contact Rick Higgins at 919-673-9449 if you are interested in usher-

ing in 2015. This is a small commitment of time (approximately eight Sun-

day's a year) and a great way to serve Pullen and meet people! Thanks!

Rick Higgins

Calling All Writers & Photographers: Advent Blog Posts The Education Council is pulling entries for our Advent blog together and

we’d love to have a submission from you. Although the theme is family

traditions, Christmas or otherwise, we’re happy to accept thoughts, poems,

prayers, etc. on the general Advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love as

well. These can be original or you can share something written by another

with attribution and perhaps a line or two about why this piece speaks to

you during the Advent season. Photos are welcome as well.

Time is short since we need the entries before Thanksgiving. Email

them to Cathy Tamsberg at ctamsberg@pullen.org by November 26.

Education Council

Vienna Sausages Needed for Lunch Bags We are getting plenty of juice pouches and cereal bars, as well as some

crackers, from the Food Bank for packing Round Table Ministry lunches.

What we really need are cans of Vienna Sausages. Any donations are wel-

come, but if you grocer gives you an option, our guests prefer the Armour

brand. We could also use some crackers, especially smaller packs with 4

crackers that we can pair with longer packs of 8 crackers. If you can help

us, please place the items on the cart outside Cathy’s office. Thank you!

Round Table Fellowship Lunch Packers

Nicaragua Work Trip May 2015 We have set our Nicaragua

travel dates for 2015! We

anticipate leaving Friday

May 15, and returning to

the US between May 24

and 26. We will provide

vision screening and glasses

in AMOS communities, as we did in 2013. If

you are interested or want more information,

please contact jonathansledge@earthlink.net

or doctordebnorton@earthlink.net, or call us

at 919-828-0721. We'll start group travel

preparation in January. Nicaragua Mission Group