Please join in praying for Selam and her family as her husband died suddenly on November 11^th. 

We grieve with Selam and pray for her to know God’s comfort and peace in the midst of deep grief.

Join us this Sunday as we practice being prepared.  Prepared for Advent. Prepared for journeying again into the biblical narratives of the arrival of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. We’ll look at ways of increasing our preparedness and heightened anticipation to God’s arrival through Jesus. We will practice hopeful waiting together.   “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Mark 1)

Advent begins on November 30^th, let’s join in preparing our hearts and minds for what God desires to reveal to us as we enter the story again. We hope you will join us Sunday at 10:30 at CMCC.

Child Dedication

This Sunday we will celebrate Child Dedication.  We will bless Luke, son of Craig and Alisha.  Together we will offer our welcome and prayers over Luke.

Next Sunday we will continue practicing being prepared.  We’ll also hear from our youth.

Please plan to stay for the Youth Fundraising Lunch following the service.

Please pray for Snack Attack. For relationships to form. For encouragement to be given and received and for the community to experience the love of God.

Snack Attack continues each Tuesday of the school year.

We are invited to pray for one another as members of God's family.

This week we are invited to pray for:

• Selam and her family in this time of loss and grief.

• Hans' health

• Our youth as they prepare for their Fundraising Lunch

Our Christmas Community Supper has become a tradition for The Gathering and the Chandler Mowat Community.  The Supper allows for us to join with our neighbours to celebrate the love of God and to pass the Peace of Christ to one another.

We hope that you will join us on Saturday December 13^th.  Please let Ruth (office@gatheringchurch.ca) know if you are able to join in preparing and serving the meal.

We have completed our three part series where we entered into a time of learning together through listening to different voices, theological understanding and life experiences. We were invited to grow in love, understanding and unity as we addressed one of the priorities discerned this past year while Credence and Co. led us in a time of listening to God and one another.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for inviting staff and leadership into conversations. Thank you for continuing to give time to prayer as we discern God’s leading around finding unity in diversity as God’s people, The Gathering Church.  

Both the Leadership Board and Vision and Care meet in November. Time will be given to discussing what we have heard from the congregation and discerning where we believe, in faith, that God is inviting us as next steps.

We will communicate with the congregation over the coming months about next steps.

We take seriously this time of listening and discerning. Please continue to pray. Please speak to staff or leaders with your questions and input.  Please stay with us as we continue to be the church, The Gathering Church, to one another, the community and God.

On November 30^th, we as a congregation will enter into the sacred time of Advent. In Advent we focus on Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. We are invited to join this season with expectant hope.  We will light candles representing God’s Light in and around us. We will be reminded again of God’s love for the world through the sending of His Son. 

Let’s join together in our ongoing time of discernment and Advent with the words of Psalm 27 as our hope:

 Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord. (amplified version)

Would you like to become a member of The Gathering Church?  Do you have questions about membership? Please speak to Catherine (catherine@gatheringchurch.ca).  We would love to welcome you into membership at the church.

Baby Dedication - November 16

Christmas Community Supper - December 13

Our Vision and Care team members serve the church through offering prayer, care and wise leadership around our vision.  The Vision and Care team members are:  Marlene Hoekstra, Frank Hoekstra, Gloria Lebold, Doris Maiolo, and Alisha Nafziger.

The Leadership Board brings prayerful leadership to our faith community, meeting monthly to ensure we fulfill our mission and vision and faithfully oversee the many areas of ministry of The Gathering. The members of the Board are: Wazir Ally,  Craig Nafziger and Chris Pot.

• E-transfer to donations@gatheringchurch.ca.
• Cheque or cash in the white donation box at CMCC.
• Online through the donation button on our church website. (Part of your donation will cover processing and admin fees.)
• Please contact Marlene Hoekstra if you would like to arrange an alternate way of giving (click here).

Click  here for the regular MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) Newsletter.

Please submit any bulletin announcements for next week to Ruth at office@gatheringchurch.ca by Thursday at noon.