December 2020 Messenger : simplebooklet.com

THE MESSENGER GOOD SAMARITAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER VOLUME 110 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2020 FROM THE PASTOR S DESK A LITTLE HOPE AND LIGHT AND LOVE When the Pevensie children discover the land of Narnia through the wardrobe in C S Lewis s The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe they are introduced to a place where as Mr Tumnus the fawn explains it is winter and has been for quite some time always winter and never Christmas How awful remarks Lucy the first of the children to discover Narnia As I sit down to write this Thanksgiving and the beginning of Advent is only days away and in the past week the US recorded over 10 000 deaths due to Covid 10 000 deaths in just one week that s almost three 9 11 s in only one week after more than a 9 11 worth of deaths per week for several months now I have a hard time wrapping my head around that kind of staggering loss that magnitude of crisis How many families in our nation and our world are weeping this Holiday season for the family member or friend not present at the table Even if we ve not been personally touched by the losses how do we prepare to celebrate when we are surrounded by such loss of life Are we stuck in a land and time where it is always winter and never Christmas Someone I know recently remarked I always enjoy Christmas but this year I need it Then I heard that sentiment again and again echoed in the words of others I think many of us sense it we need Christmas this year We need the light and magic the hope and the joy of Christmas We need the real Christmas not the artificial kind not the kind that glosses over the pain only to return us to it when the Christmas decorations go back in their box This year we need the real Christmas that can truly heal our souls restore our hope and bring us peace We need Emmanuel God with us to come crawl in next to us We need to be reminded that God is with us in this messy broken grief stricken world We need God to reach out to us like a newborn infant s tiny hand grasping our finger need to be transfixed in a moment of pure joy the way a new parent is transfixed as they gaze at their child We need to crawl into the womb of God and there be held in the waters of grace cocooned in the warmth of love and lulled to sleep by God s own heartbeat We need our wrinkles to shake like Elizabeth s as something inside us leaps for joy at the closeness of God We need God to silence all of 1 our wild fear filled despair filled thoughts as God did for Zechariah and not open our lips again until we are filled with a vision of hope We need even for just a moment for gloomy clouds of night to part as they did for the shepherds so that we too can witness the heavenly messengers dancing and singing in the streets We need something to pull us like a magnet toward a hope for tomorrow as the star drew the wise ones from the East We need God s messengers to show up in our dreams and steer us away from our bad self destructive decisions as God did for Joseph We need God to show up in our conscience and reveal to us the way we are participating in harm just as God did for those Magi We need to discover as Mary and Joseph did that when one door closes a manger opens somewhere else ready to hold the life we are birthing into the world We need to find a new way home as the astronomers did because clearly we aren t going to get home by our old ways And mostly we need to be reminded as the gospel writers of those stories were trying to do that even if we can t see it just yet the world is about to turn the heavens are rejoicing winter won t last forever As I have begun to plan our Advent and Christmas worship this year the themes feel more relevant than ever We are a people wintering Yes even here in Florida And I can think of no better companions for the winter than all of you I am deeply grateful we can winter together and I hope together we can find a little Christmas a little hope and light and love in the midst of all this winter Pastor Jen

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STAY INVOLVED BE A PART OF SUNDAY WORSHIP EACH WEEK GIVING AT CHRISTMASTIME THROUGH OUR DENOMINATIONS Gifts to the Christmas Fund and Christmas Joy Offering Both of our denominations ask for donations to a Christmastime offering As with the other special offerings taken during the year Good Sam splits the amount collected equally between the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church USA The UCC Christmas Fund is for the benefit of the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund The aid is distributed to retired clergy and lay employees in the following areas Pension Supplementation Health Premium Supplementation Christmas Thank You Gift Checks Emergency Grants for example home damage from natural disasters The PCUSA Christmas Joy Offering distributes gifts equally to the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions and to Presbyterian related racial ethnic schools and colleges The Assistance Program operates very much as the UCC programs in assisting retired church workers Fifty percent of the Christmas Joy Offering supports opportunities for future leaders at Presbyterian colleges and secondary schools Please consider making a donation to as we prepare to receive the Christ child into our hearts 3 Submitted by Kate Hall

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GOOD SAMARITAN CHURCH LEADERS DELIVER STEWARDSHIP PACKETS envelope was provided in your packet Just fill out your pledge card front and back and send it in There are many ways in which you can donate your time The food pantry can always use volunteers There are volunteers needed each Sunday to help bring the worship service to you There are calls and contacts that need to be made so that no one is left feeling alone or isolated This pandemic has taken so much from so many but together we have rallied and though some of our ministries have been less busy than others our Fellowship Outreach Team has worked tirelessly to offer ways that we can still fellowship together have fun together and stay in touch even without PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY CAROLYN WOODARD AND SUZIE STEGER Many of you this week received a knock on your door and found a special package and a smiling face Our Good Sam elders took the Stewardship packages put together by Pastor Jen and our Resource and Development Team to distribute them across a three or four county area Some carried signs some just wore a big Good Sam smile but all showed their love for the church and felt the love coming back from those who support Good Sam in so many ways We ask the you prayerfully consider your investment of time talents and treasure into the vibrant ministry of our church Please mail your pledge card back to the church by the end of November A self addressed stamped being together in person Our Resource and Development Team has worked to put together a budget keep the church campus in good shape and stay aware of our spending and income Our Care Team has made calls and offered prayers when needed In person visits right now are on hold except when social distancing and wearing masks can be done The Justice and Mercy Team continue to work with FAST to bring about changes in our area where folks are being treated unfairly and are needing to be heard Our Food Pantry volunteers have worked diligently to feed our community Our Spiritual Formation Team have been working hard behind the scenes to create a worship experience that is meaningful and anointed They have worked together with pastor to Jen on the logistics of online worship as well as the messages and songs that we need to hear Many churches will not survive this pandemic With your help prayers and gifts we can continue to stand as a witness to our community of the love that Christ brings to the world rOn the far left the Daysa family delivered some of the Stewardship packets and even Jaylah the family dog came along to help On the right Jeremy Wallace makes a stop to drop off a packet and is also bearing a sign sharing our Good Sam love DON T FORGET TO MAIL IN YOUR PLEDGE CARD THE THEME OF OUR 2021 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN IS OVERFLOWING WITH LOVE During the next few weeks you will be getting information about the budget for 2021 and how to give of your time talents and treasures in a meaningful way to enrich the beloved community 4

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GOOD SAMARITAN CHURCH NEEDS YOUR HELP The year 2020 is like no other any of us have experienced There was a feeling of uneasiness in January and February as we began to hear of a new disease in China and then spreading into Europe Areas on the West coast started to become hot spots for what we were then calling the novel coronavirus We at Good Sam started 2020 looking forward to our Pastor s well earned sabbatical leave and the many activities and guest speakers that the Sabbatical Committee had spent months planning We wished Pastor Jen and her family bon voyage in late February and participated in the first of the planned events on February 29 March 1 Then on Sunday March 15 2020 we learned that our session had voted to close the church building and cancelled all activities indefinitely due to Covid 19 that was spreading across the country and our state Pastor Jen and family had to return from their trip to Europe by driving from Spain to the tunnel under the English Channel and flying back to Miami from London They drove back home to Clearwater and quarantined there for 2 weeks Pastor Jen and the Spiritual Development Team worked on creating virtual worship using Zoom so we could have a time of worship and fellowship Each week we have grown in the number of participants as more of us became comfortable with the technology needed to participate Many other Pop up events and meetings have happened as well Although our buildings are not being used for worship and fellowship the expenses do not go away Our employees other than our custodian are working remotely as we continue to pay their salaries Because we are not meeting in person and the offering plates are not passed we are not receiving gifts from guests and non members We know that we will not have the many visitors for the traditional Christmas Eve service that we have had in the past If you have not been sending gifts to the church or giving through the discovergoodsam org website please consider making a gift today For all those who have generously supported us through 2020 can you consider a year end gift to the church Submitted by Kate Hall We pray the blessings of Christmastime fill your hearts as you welcome the Christ Child this year 5

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GREAT OUTDOOR EVENT AT TURTLECRAWL POINT PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY ERIC JOHNSON SUZIE STEGER AND CAROLYN WOODARD The Fellowship and Outreach Team along with the Spiritual Formation Team and Jen arranged our first in person gathering so that we could all spend some time in each other s presence Careful guidelines were established and the social distancing and mask police even showed up to keep things in order Our wonderful entertainment was provided by Eric Johnson s friend Rose Mallare played the cello and her superb talent was enjoyed by all She played two 45 minute sets of a variety of music and took only a short break in between The day was gorgeous and everyone brought chairs sat socially distanced and kept their masks on while they visited with those around them Some walked around and visited but all seemed to be very careful to keep a safe distance and respect other s space The donations for the cellist were even taken with a bucket on a pole Thanks to everyone who contributed We hope to have more of these events but will continue to proceed with the utmost caution so that when this pandemic is over we will all be present to meet again 6

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EXPRESSIONS OF JOY AND PAIN FROM OUR COVID EXPERIENCES At the beginning of our time of isolation due to COVID 19 Pastor Jen suggested that we create something together for a remembrance of this time of separation We had two art projects one of which is still ongoing The first was the guilt pictured below and the second is the painting of peace stones for the Peace Garden Many of you have contributed to both A few weeks back we called for anyone who had done a quilt panel to turn them in at the church so we could put together the quilt for a new altar cloth We also put together a Pop Up event showing different ways to create your own small panel And we were thrilled at your response The panels started pouring in and many of them original pieces of art by members and friends some pieces of printed fabric that spoke to some of you about the pandemic and some asked for help from Carolyn Woodard who was willing to take your ideas and portray them get them printed on fabric commercially and make them a part of the project Sarah Butz took on the role of overall designer and seamstress extraordinaire and spent many hours chosing how the panels fit together the best choosing the colors of material to use for borders and exactly how it would all piece together to express our message 10 Below you see the final result of all the ideas and hard work of so many of you and Sarah s hard work putting it all together Since we cannot all be at church right now we are putting a copy in the newsletter for your enjoyment But when you get a chance to see the altar cloth in person make sure you take time to read and look at each individual panel In the years ahead we will remember the times we couldn t find toilet paper or when our offices closed or when we were afraid to go out and these images will continue to remind us During this holiday season continue to be careful and stay safe

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CHRISTMAS CARDS Due to sickness distance or lack of resources to join our zoom services these dear Good Sam members or friends are no longer able to attend on a regular basis If you didn t get a chance to send out Thanksgiving cards they would love to hear from you with a Merry Christmas card to let them know they are loved and missed This year more than ever we need to reach out in love and let them know that even in this time of COVID 19 when they are more isolated than ever that they are still in our hearts minds and prayers Also use your Good Sam directory to send to others in the congregation and let them feel your love For unto us a Child is born James Anderson Rafael Catala 6510 Main Street Apt 112 Miami Lakes FL 33014 Leslie Kille Rose Stauffer 6847 Surrey Trail Roxborough CO 80125 Gabe Oberholzer Cynthia Patterson 10050 62nd Avenue North St Petersburg FL 33708 Dotti Boake 1255 Pasadena Ave S Apt 1704 South Pasadena FL 33707 6222 Carol Eddie Kosinski 7615 62nd Street N Pinellas Park FL 33781 3210 Nancy Roy Rudasill 9715 Mainlands Blvd Pinellas Park FL 33782 Anita Cape 5451 96th Terrace Pinellas Park FL 33782 Gail Martin 17010 Dolphin Drive N Redington Beach FL 33708 Theresa Segarra 11088 51st Avenue North St Petersburg FL 33708 Grace Forsythe 21 Conifer Lane Avon CT 06001 Harry Miller 2001 83rd Avenue North 1005 St Petersburg FL 33702 Georgann Schlosser 4200 62nd Avenue N 291 Pinellas Park FL 33781 Annie Gambino 1200 S Missouri Ave 336 Clearwater FL 33756 Scott Shaw 2411 13th Avenue N St Petersburg FL 33713 David Hay 4661 87th Avenue N Pinellas Park FL 33782 Sophia Stringer c o Shadai Simmons 3450 52nd Avenue N St Petersburg FL 33714 Lewis Hill 13630 96th Terrace Seminole FL 33776 Ted Cathi Swift Box 242 25 Government Dock Rd Norland ON Canada Ann Loren Hodson 3235 Pepper Ridge Drive Maumee OH 47375 Ferris VanDien 390 Boca Ciega Point Blvd St Petersburg FL 33708 Dawn Johnson 5004 Springwood Avenue N Pinellas Park FL 33782 Bruce Barbara Wright family 4207 Haines Rd Lewisburg TN 37901 Chris Johnson 38444 13th Avenue Zephyrhills FL 33542 3659 Steve Zebos 9021 41st Way Pinellas Park FL 33782 14

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PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY JUDY FRIEND FOOD PANTRY BEHIND THE SCENES There are lots of moving parts at the food pantry that have to interact to keep everything operating smoothly One of those actions is performed by Jane Gaylord Each client is handed a bag of groceries It is a large brown bag and two plastic bags pulled over the bottom The plastic bags provide handles and the extra strength that makes it able to carry the bag without the bottom tearing out When Kate Hall reports we distributed 481 bags in October that means Jane put three bags together 481 times Jane does this at home while watching the Rays news or the election She has been working behind the scenes for the past several months and performs this task with a smile Thanks Jane for all you do Submitted by Judy Friend 15 FAST UPDATE FAST Faith in Action Strength Together justice ministry has three committees this year focusing on local problem areas Affordable Housing Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice The research is beginning with a KickOff on November 30th at 6 45 PM Network members are each encouraged to select a committee to work with All meetings are virtual of course The Kick Off presents methods of research and then the participants will break into committee groups to begin their work FAST staff members arrange virtual meetings with experts authorities and others dealing with specific aspects of this work All of this prepares us to make specific recommendations to those elected officials about what steps to take to achieve the best solution at our Nehemiah Action on March 22 2021 We will continue to update you throughout the research process If you wish to participate in one of the research advocacy committees please contact Rachael Wells or Jean Cooley How do we stand FAST TOGETHER Submitted by Jean Cooley Bev Kelly

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FOOD PANTRY CLIENTS AND THEY KEEP COMING Client A is a woman probably in her 40 s well groomed and homeless When the temperature dropped she appeared at our food pantry door asking for food and a blanket We had one for her which she thanked us for as she walked away with her blanket and food The day after the tropical storm she appeared at our door hungry and wet She had hidden under the bleachers at the ballpark during the pouring rain and wind until the police forced her to leave the safety of the bleachers at midnight into the raging storm She is a survivor and one of our regulars Client B is a 56 year old man who comes weekly to the food pantry for two bags of food One is for his house and the other for his 86 year old neighbor Everyday Client B cooks the meals for his neighbor and arranges them on a plate to take to his neighbor He shared that he enjoys exploring the bag sorting the items and planning the meals to prepare for the week What a blessing that bag of food provides Submitted by Judy Friend 16

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REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR EACH DAY ADD AN ITEM TO A BOX ON CHRISTMAS EVE DONATE THE CONTENTS TO YOUR GOOD SAMARITAN FOOD PANTRY December 1 box of cereal December 2 peanut butter December 3 stuffing mix December 4 boxed potatoes December 5 macaroni and chees December 6 canned fruit December 7 canned tomatoes December 8 canned tuna December 9 dessert mix December 10 jar of applesauce December 11 canned sweet potatoes December 12 cranberry sauce December 13 canned beans December 14 box of crackers December 15 package of rice December 16 package of oatmeal December 17 package of pasta December 18 spaghetti sauce December 19 chicken noodle soup December 20 tomato soup December 21 canned corn December 22 canned mixed vegetables December 23 canned carrots December 24 canned green beans 17

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BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY CLUBS As part of Stewardship we ask that those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries donate to Good Sam a dollar per year The following are the names of those in the Birthday and Anniversary Club for 2020 The total collected so far this year is 1 096 BIRTHDAY CLUB Jane Gaylord Jean Cooley Kate Hall Bill Cooley Judy Friend Carolyn Woodard Suzie Steger Bev Kelly Robin Becker Martha Taylor Ralph Madison FOOD PANTRY REPORT OCTOBER 2020 Number of days open to serve clients 13 Number of clients served Adults 1 058 Children 313 Total 1 371 Volunteers during October were Bev Kelly Ginnie Thompson Ginger Breitkreutz Kate Hall Carole Diehm Tom Fauquet Sarah Butz Beryl Fruth Judy Friend Lewis Hill Katie Fullerton Kay Snyder Joanie and John Melville and Jane Gaylord Also helping to pack the 55 Plus bags for seniors were Mickey and Jim Moore Beverly Finn and Robin Becker The number of households served in October was 481 That means that our volunteers packed 481 bags of groceries for distribution in the 13 days we were open in October The pantry has served 7 307 individuals in 2020 through October These numbers represent a dramatic increase due to the Covid 19 pandemic The good folks at Oakhurst United Methodist Church in Seminole had another Pop the Trunk food drive for our pantry on Saturday October 17 We welcomed Jeremy Wallace our seminary field education student to the work crew This was the fifth drive they had that benefited the Good Sam pantry Sarah Butz and Beryl Fruth have been going on Wednesday afternoons to The Haven of Rest in St Petersburg They have recently been told that they can come on Friday also for pick up The Haven of Rest allows local food pantries to come for a distribution of canned goods and sometimes fresh produce and baked goods It is a surprise on Thursdays to see what was available for pickup on Wednesday Thanks to all who stop by the pantry to bring us food It is nice to see some of you in person again We have received many donations through the Good Sam website These donations along with the grant the pantry received from the Presbytery of Tampa Bay and monetary donations from community members have sustained us as we have needed to make large purchases from retail stores to keep us going Submitted by Kate Hall Dick Hall Ginger Breitkreutz ANNIVERSARY CLUB Jean Adams Carolyn Woodard Dick Kate Hall Bill Jean Cooley Thank you to all who participate Submitted by Kate Hall CURRENT FOOD PANTRY NEEDS CANNED SOUPS VEGETABLES AND SALTINES TREASURER S REPORT October Total Giving was 1 611 under Budget The October Total Income was 1 635 under Budget The year to date income is more than 18 000 under Budget The year to date expenses are 17 000 lower than the Budget However I have not yet paid the balance of the PCUSA Per Capita dues or the General Mission donations to both denominations The 3rd quarter dues to F A S T has been paid in November We received a donation of 8 91 from AmazonSmile This represents 1 of purchases made between July 1 and September 30 by friends who have Good Sam designated through AmazonSmile Go to org amazon com to sign up The Stewardship campaign for 2021 is underway Expect to be contacted by a session member and have your pledge material delivered to your home Please be sure to return your pledge card in the envelope provided During October our two denominations ask for a special offering on Worldwide Communion Sunday This year we were able to send 150 to each denomination for the Peace Offering PCUSA and Neighbors in Need UCC thanks to your donations Submitted by Kate Hall 18

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THE MESSENGER of Good Samaritan Church 6085 Park Boulevard Pinellas Park FL 33781 727 544 8558 Email office goodsam church org Web Site discovergoodsam org Our Mission To Build The Beloved Community A Ministry of Hospitality Vision and Justice A Global Mission Church Check out Good Sam on FACEBOOK SESSION Katie Fullerton Clerk Kate Hall Treasurer CLASS OF 2020 Beryl Fruth Sarah Butz Sophia Stringer CLASS OF 2021 Lisa Ware Carolyn Woodard Vacant CLASS OF 2022 Clarence Wilkinson Beverly Finn Linda Rupp ST JAMES LIST Pray for one another that you may be healed James 5 16 Let us remember those members and friends who have asked for our prayers and those who are unable to attend worship Vicky VanDien wife of Ferris VanDien Dawn Johnson Sophia Stringer Shaddai Simmons Drew Taylor and family Martha Taylor s son Kirsten Ginger Breitkreutz s daughter the family of Harold Brockus Paul Brockus Dottie Boake Nancy Rudasill Jean Adams Eddie Kosinski Sandy Badger Donna Knight all the families in our community affected by COVID 19 whether through sickness or financial stress and Good Samaritan Church Jesus didn t reject people Neither do we CELEBRATING OVER 100 YEARS THE MESSENGER Newsletter of Good Samaritan Church Presbyterian Church USA More Light and United Church of Christ Open and Affirming Sunday Worship 10 30 a m Fellowship Coffee Hour Following Worship GOOD SAMARITAN CHURCH STAFF Rev Jen Daysa Pastor Rev Jean Cooley Parish Associate Position to be Filled Director of Music Ministries Rebecca Kessel Office Administrator Shelby Lamb Nursery Assistant Mirko Bratic Custodian Rev Dr Harold M Brockus Pastor Emeritus GOOD SAMARITAN MINISTRY TEAMS Resource Development Team Clarence Wilkinson Moderator Beryl Fruth Gretchen Ackerson Kate Hall Treasurer Liaison Care Team Ginger Breitkreutz Moderator Mickey Moore Jim Moore Beverly Finn Jane Gaylord Clarence Wilkinson Disaster Preparedness Liaison Justice and Mercy Team Rev Jean Cooley Moderator Gretchen Ackerson Lewis Hill Linda Rupp Sarah Butz Rachel Wells Judy Friend Clarence Wilkinson Kate Hall Food Pantry Liaison Bev Kelly FAST Liaison Spiritual Formation Team Debbie Rasmussin Moderator Judy Friend Chris Osberg Sarah Butz Rev Bill Cooley Lisa Ware Steve Crist Fellowship and Outreach Team Eric Johnson Moderator Jean Adams Carolyn Woodard Barb Steger Robin Becker Sandy Badger Annie Gambino Martha Taylor Personnel Committee Clarence Wilkinson Robin Becker Gretchen Ackerson Kate Hall Pastor Relations Committee Carolyn Woodard Moderator Chris Osberg Clarence Wilkinson Ginger Breitkreutz Lisa Ware Bev Kelly