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THE MESSENGER GOOD SAMARITAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER VOLUME 111 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2021 FROM THE PASTOR S DESK THE INVITATION OF ADVENT It seems Christmas came early this year I noticed Christmas sections popping up in stores before Halloween bringing their bright cheery decorations their pine and cinnamon scents and their twinkling lights I ll admit I too am guilty of this Our family Christmas tree went up Halloween weekend Why not we shrugged and said to ourselves It has been a hard year Harder in some ways than the first pandemic year Why not bring a little extra light and cheer into our home Of course many of you know that Christmas didn t begin as a Christian holiday Instead a celebration of the birth of Jesus was overlaid on top of an existing pagan holiday a Roman mid winter solstice feast it is from this that we get the tradition of bringing an evergreen into our homes and trimming it with lights The green reminds us that the buds and leaves of spring will come again while the lights bring hope that the days will lengthen again Interestingly almost every culture and faith has a holiday or festival of light around the solstice the longest night of the year It seems to be a very human thing to want to cut through the dark dreariness of long cold nights with a little light cheer and warmth That is perhaps why it felt a little strange last Sunday the first Sunday of Advent to plunge ourselves even deeper into the dark by starting in Luke s Little Apocalypse with it s doom and gloom vision of a world thrown into fear chaos confusion and anxiety Luke 21 25 36 The words struck a little too close to home The state of our world is hard to look at much less talk about right now It needs some twinkling lights sugar and mistletoe laid over top otherwise we get downright depressed about it But Advent in the church doesn t try to cover over the hard things with a fake phony shallow cheer because it is looking for a real light in the dark We are waiting for the one who can enter in with a light that is more than just a glossy cover up a light that can truly transform and brighten our world Those who seek and wait for Jesus during Advent don t let their fear of the dark chart the course They bravely dive into it knowing that somewhere in that womb of long night they will find Jesus they will find new life being formed in their own hearts they will find sparks of hope peace joy and love that are more than just a fluffy fa ade and they will find their way home to that home they ve been homesick for their whole lives the kin dom and beloved community of God So go ahead Hang your lights put up your trees bake your cookies but don t stop there Go seeking after the real light of the world Step into the dark and pay attention because Emmanuel God with us will crawl in beside us when we least expect God s presence Pastor Jen SUSPENSION OF MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS Since October of 2010 Carolyn Woodard has produced a monthly newsletter for Good Samaritan Church Some years we cut back during the summer and put out a June July issue because there was very little news but most of the time we produced 12 issues per year Because of some life changes Carolyn and Jean both will be cutting back on some of their responsibilities at Good Sam Jean is retiring in December from her job as a professor of Science at Pasco Hernando State College She and Carolyn have sold their home in Land O Lakes and have moved to Lakeland Their plan is to travel about 6 months out of the year and start to enjoy their retirement together Carolyn has served two consecutive terms as a session member and is getting off session this coming January She has decided to also cut back on doing the newsletter We have the weekly e blast that provides necessary information to congregants about upcoming events and news The weekly announcements slides are also helpful in keeping you informed so the newsletter is not as crucial as it once was We may decide to do quarterly or occasional newsletters if we feel they are warranted but otherwise you will be getting your news and announcements through other avenues So with this edition of the Messenger we bid you adieu for a time but you will still be seeing our smiling faces on zoom and in person on occasion 1

OUR ADVENT WORSHIP SERIES EXPLORES NOVEMBER 28 THROUGH DECEMBER 3 2

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The rain came down the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock Matthew 7 25 4

TREASURER S REPORT The total of pledges collected in October were under budget by 5 520 Expenses continue to run well below budget primarily due to lower Building Office expenses and less Pastor s Continuing Ed and Mileage expense After the Personnel Committee met and voted on salary increases for our staff I have been able to complete the proposed 2022 Budget for submission to the Resource Development Team If the RD Team approves it the proposed 2022 Budget will be recommended for approval of the Session I reported last month that the Market Value of our investments with United Church Funds had decreased by 4 632 over the 3rd quarter The October 31 2021 statement shows a 22 000 increase over the last statement The roof replacement project commenced on Saturday November 6 It had been scheduled for Friday but we had a rain storm that day The project included covering over the skylight in the Worship Center The roofing contractor has not presented their invoice The cost of wood that needed replacement will be included in the final invoice The Session voted to have the cost of roofing taken from the investment account with United Church Funds Submitted by Kate Hall 5 NEWS FAST has been scheduling virtual and hybrid meetings with those in authority regarding our three issues Affordable Housing Criminal Justice and Water Quality and Flooding Any network member interested in one of these topics is welcome to join the committee and sign up to attend these meetings It helps to know the history and the present status of each of these problems Getting to speak with those in authority and other experts can increase one s knowledge of these issues and often give direction as to how to address the needs Our update emails give dates and times for the research meetings and you are always welcome to participate The Christmas season is a time of renewal and hope as we look forward to bringing justice to our community Peace be with you How do we stand FAST TOGETHER Submitted by Bev Kelly

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In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God He was with God in the beginning Through him all things were made without him nothing was made that has been made In him was life and that life was the light of all mankind The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it John 1 1 5 7

OUR MONEY STORY MANDALA PRAYER MOSAIC REMEMBER The first week we created spirals spiraling our way back into our history and remembering where we have been in our money stories and where the people in all of our sacred texts have been We remembered the Israelites feelings of scarcity as they wandered in the wilderness the way they emotionally spiraled out even though God was providing their daily bread and we thought about all the times we too have not been content with enough We remembered Judas still being fed by Jesus at the last supper even though Jesus knew he would betray him We put our spirals on our Mandala looking eerily like the silver coins Judas sold Jesus out for and we thought about all the times we have sold out God s beloved with our own fears and greed We put up tear drops to mark the sadness and struggle in our own money stories RELEASE The second week we thought about what in our money stories we needed to release we wrote down all sorts of words greed over spending guilt shame We wrote them on the hands because those are the things that keep us from putting our hands and our hearts to the work of building beloved community And we wrote them in green ink on coffee filters that we then brought up to the baptismal font We brought them to the waters that wash away because we needed to release all in our money stories that imprisons us We watched that ink run We felt the release and as we did we thought about how the would restore wholeness and peace As we re imagined what our world could look like we held beans in our hands things with the potential to grow into nourishment We thanked God for our own abundance for giving us all that nourishes and sustains us and we prayed for those who don t have enough nourishment And then we planted those prayers here on our mandala Israelites emerging from Slavery and setting up a new community decided to release each other from their debts every seven years and we thought about the rich man who couldn t release his wealth to follow Jesus We released And the following Sunday we came back to discover that our release had blossomed into flowers and opened the way for growth RE IMAGINE The third week we put ourselves to the work of reimagining what the world could look like according to God s economy We recalled Jesus lament as he watched what was happening at the temple treasury the way widows homes were being devoured And thought about all of our own broken money systems in this world We remembered how when the Hebrew people reimagined their money story as a beloved community they imagined Jubilee rhythms of rest release and reconnection that 8 RESTORE The fourth and final week we committed ourselves to be part of God s work of restoration in the world We remembered how two brothers Jacob and Esau were able to repair a relationship and a money that was so very broken We remembered how Jesus put himself to the work of restoration when he forgave and commissioned Peter He understood that we are each other s safety net and we can nourish each other if we choose Finally we remembered how here at Good Sam we stand in a long line of people who have chosen to be part of God s work of restoration part of God s work of bringing shalom into the world healing wholeness and peace We wrote words to describe what we think the kin dom of God looks tastes smell sounds and feels like in the hands clasped together because the kin dom of God is within reach when we invest in each other We surrounded that vision with hearts symbolizing our prayers for love and peace for our world Pastor Jen

BEAUTIFUL SHALOM BELL GIFTED TO GOOD SAM BY THE BROCKUS FAMILY IN HONOR OF REV DR HAROLD BROCKUS Good Sam members and friends rang our new Shalom bell as they turned in their pledges for 2022 a sign of their commitment to participate in our mission of building beloved community 9

CHRISTMAS CARDS Due to sickness or distance these dear Good Sam members or friends are no longer able to attend on a regular basis They would love to hear from you with a Merry Christmas card to let them know they are loved and missed JoJo and Amanda Byrd 3740 King William Ave Apt 306 West Point Virginia 23181 Dotti Boake 1255 Pasadena Ave S Apt 1704 South Pasadena FL 33707 6222 Ken Booker 123 Court St Appomattox Va 24522 Grace Forsythe 21 Conifer Lane Avon CT 06001 Annie Gambino 1200 S Missouri Ave 336 Clearwater FL 33756 Chris Johnson 38444 13th Ave Zephyrhills FL 33542 Dawn Johnson 5004 Springwood Ave N Pinellas Park FL 33782 Carol and Eddie Kosinski 7615 62nd St N Pinellas Park FL 33781 3210 Chris Osberg 555 Belcher Road Apt P205 Largo FL 33771 5506 Nancy and Roy Rudasill 9715 Mainlands Blvd Pinellas Park FL 33782 Georgann Schlosser 4200 62nd Avenue 291 Pinellas Park FL 33781 Sylvia and Bill Sedlacek 24550 230th Ave Eldridge IO 52748 9544 Barbara Wright 13016 Bartow St Hudson FL 34667 Sophia Stringer with Shadai Simmons her daughter 3450 52nd Ave N St Petersburg FL 33714 FOOD PANTRY REPORT OCTOBER 2021 Number of days open to serve clients 8 Number of clients served Adults 1 080 Children 335 Total 1 415 Volunteers during October were Bev Kelly Ginnie Thompson Ginger Breitkreutz Kate Hall Carole Diehm Tom Fauquet Sarah Butz Beryl Fruth Judy Friend Joni and John Melville Robin Becker Beverly Finn Linda Rupp Kay Snyder Dick Hall Pastor Jen Daysa and Jane Gaylord The number of households served in October was 498 47 more than in September That means that 498 bags of groceries were given out in the 8 days we were open in October For the first 10 months of 2021 we have served 11 304 individuals In October we provided small bags of individual serving foods to 11 Assisted Living residents Beryl Fruth and Joni Melville prepare sandwiches and fresh fruit to give to the many homeless individuals who regularly come to the pantry The food is sometimes eaten while waiting on the porch for their bag of food The Pantry received another check from The Chapel of the Hill The check received in October was for 5 000 Our good friend Isabell Caruso from Pass a Grille Community Church delivered a large load of groceries collected by the families and teachers of the Montessori by the Sea School The school is affiliated with Pass a Grille Community Church Oakhurst United Methodist Church in Seminole continues to hold monthly Pop the Trunk food drives for our pantry on the third Saturday of each month These food drives have been helping us for over a year Other outside groups and individuals have been bringing food to the Donations door Some of the regular donors ask us what we most need and bring those items the next time they deliver to us As always thanks to all who keep this important mission running Submitted by Kate Hall 2021 FOOD PANTRY CLIENTS 1400 1075 750 425 100 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The Pantry Steering Committee voted to stay open only Mondays and Thursdays The situation will be reviewed periodically as needed but we have found that we are serving the same number of families in two days as we had in three Since volunteers come from a small pool and it takes six to eight volunteers to staff each shift we find that 3 days is too much Submitted by Kate Hall CURRENT FOOD PANTRY NEEDS PASTA SAUCE AND SOUPS OTHER THAN TOMATO 10

Wishing you and yours a blessed holiday season From Good Samarian Church Barb Steger has a new phone number and wanted her Good Sam church family to have it Please update her contact info in your phones Her new number is 727 677 1777 11

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 2021 Lisa Ware Carolyn Woodard Vacant CLASS OF 2022 Beverly Finn Linda Rupp Clarence Wilkinson CLASS OF 2023 Sarah Butz Beryl Fruth Chris Osberg 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 Jeremy Wallace and family Ferris VanDien and his wife Vicky VanDien Dawn Johnson Sophia Stringer Shaddai Simmons Jo Jo and Amanda Byrd Drew Taylor and family Martha Taylor s son the Brockus family Dottie Boake Nancy Rudasill Eddie Kosinski Sandy Badger Donna Knight Harry Miller Carolyn Woodard and 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 Mikal Mancini Director of Music Ministries Rebecca Kessel Office Administrator Position to be Filled Bookkeeper Shelby Lamb On furlough Nursery Assistant Mirko Bratic Custodian Rev Dr Harold M Brockus Pastor Emeritus GOOD SAMARITAN MINISTRY TEAMS Resource Development Team Clarence Wilkinson Moderator Gretchen Ackerson Celeste Behret Beverly Finn Beryl Fruth Kate Hall Treasurer Liaison Care Team Ginger Breitkreutz Moderator Beverly Finn Jane Gaylord Jim Moore Mickey Moore Clarence Wilkinson Disaster Preparedness Liaison Justice and Mercy Team Rev Jean Cooley Moderator Gretchen Ackerson Sarah Butz Judy Friend Lewis Hill Linda Rupp Rachael Wells Clarence Wilkinson Kate Hall Food Pantry Liaison Bev Kelly FAST Liaison Spiritual Formation Team Carolyn Woodard Moderator Jean Adams Sarah Butz Steve Crist Rev Bill Cooley Judy Friend Chris Osberg Debbie Rasmussin Fellowship and Outreach Team Eric Johnson Moderator Sandy Badger Robin Becker Annie Gambino Barb Steger Suzie Steger Martha Taylor Personnel Committee Gretchen Ackerson Robin Becker Kate Hall Clarence Wilkinson Pastor Relations Committee Carolyn Woodard Moderator Ginger Breitkreutz Bev Kelly Chris Osberg Lisa Ware Clarence Wilkinson