November 2017 The Church at Horseshoe Bay A Season of Thanks British neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks spent much of his life working with the sick and frail, the unusual and difficult, and abnormal patients as a medical doctor. You may know him from the movie “Awakenings” where actor Daylight Robin Williams portrays a doctor helping his patient brains “awaken” with experimental drugs. Sacks loved to say, “The brain is the most incredible thing Savings in the universe.” Near the end of his life, Sacks began to reflect on his life: the ups and Time downs, the good and bad, the opportunities seized and the opportunities lost. He even reflected on his Jewish heritage, faith, and simple things like the Daylight Sabbath, a solitary practice he long abandoned as a busy, high achieving adult. Read one of his books you have a sense that he wished to return to those Savings Time ends at 2:00 am spiritual roots. on Sunday, November 5. Don’t Sacks reflected on life near the end of his own life because of a forget to “fall back” and set your recurrence of cancer. He battled cancer, specifically, melanoma in his right eye clocks one hour BACK before for nine years. He died in August of 2015 at the age of eighty two. He grew up in England, moved to the United States as young man, and had, what you might going to bed on Saturday describe, as a full and adventurous life. Near the end of his life he described a evening ... and enjoy an extra one word summary of his life: gratitude. hour of sleep! While I disagree with some of Sacks theories about life, I can fully agree that one of life’s richest rewards comes in the spirit of grace that yields a grateful heart. The Psalmist writes, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm BOARD OF TRUSTEE 118:29, NIV). NOMINATIONS: Jesus gave thanks in the presence of his disciples as they broke bread and It is that time of year again to shared the cup in the upper room before his crucifixion. And Paul reminded the submit your suggestions or church at Thessalonica, recommendations to the Nominat- “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is ing Committee. The Committee for God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV). 2017 consists of Ken Lindgren, November arrives with crisp morning air and fresh mornings kissed with Chair, Don Eckelbarger, Pat glory, splendor and dew on the grass. It also arrives as a season of McMurtrie, Wayne Anderson, thanksgiving. Look up to Christ, hold the family close, and give thanks to God. and Karen Jarrard. All recommen- Express gratitude with joy, in prayer, and for God’s goodness and blessing in dations can be made by contact- your life. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. Yes, gratitude expresses in ing any committee member listed simplicity our joy in Christ. above. Your Co-Pastor is thankful to serve here at the Church at HSB, John WORSHIP + 2 Opportunities Joseph’s Feast of Thanksgiving St. Frederick’s Baptist Church in Mar- November 18, 2017 ble Falls shared their Thanksgiving meal needs with us. They are serving from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 18. Food prep will take place Volunteers Needed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Can you work for an hour or two? Come and be a part of helping serve our Neighbors and Giving Thanks In addition, they are accepting donations such as: to the Lord for All of His Blessings! Please sign up on our Web-site: www.josephsfoodpantry.com Money Turkeys Bell Peppers Event will take place at the Celery Onions Cornbread/ Meal Highland Lakes Elementary School Cakes Pies Cranberry sauce in Granite Shoals, TX. November 18,2017 Times for volunteering starting at 6:00 a.m. The Church at Horseshoe Bay has a long-standing till 4:00 p.m. relationship with St. Fred’s; they rely on the generosity of individuals and organizations like us for support. Without our support, this vital service can’t be done. Help us further the mission of St. Fred’s, “feeding For more information those less fortunate than others.” They served over Contact Frances Highsmith 1,000 plates last year. 830-596-9130 or Rhonda Rodman, St. Frederick’s contact: 830-693-4499 or Worship + 2 Chairperson “Worship + 2” Chairperson, Ronda Rodman, 830-613-9681 [email protected] Thanksgiving for Others Coffee Fellowship and Canned Food Drive Sunday, November 12 at 9:45 am There are four food pantries that our church regularly supports through the Benevolence Committee. They are Joseph’s Food Pantry, Helping Hands Food Pantry, The Helping Center and St. Fredericks . We will have food boxes in the Fellowship Hall and the office for drop offs when convenient. Canned goods and non-perishable food items are needed. Please make sure that the expirations dates are current. We are not allowed to donate any food items that are out of date. Our congregation has always been so very generous with helping this benevolence event and the organizations are so appreciative, but mostly those that receive the benefit are the most blessed! Musically Speaking By Garry Kesler Happy 35th Birthday to Us!!!! The choirs continue to prepare for each and every Sunday as well as for the Advent season. As in the The Church at Horseshoe Bay is turning thirty-five on past, there are several special musical services December 12, 2017. What a wonderful history we planned you want to get on your calendar. The first have and we want to share some of that history with Sunday of advent, December 3, will contain carols you and celebrate the thirty-five years of blessings we have received. of advent leading up to the birth of Jesus. December 10, the second Sunday of advent, will have hand Kent Graham, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, will bell selections of the season again featuring songs be our speaker and highlight some of the memorable that lead us to the anticipation of the Christ Child’s events in our church’s progress for these past thirty- birth. The choirs will present “O Come to My Heart”, five years. Our guests of honor will be the founding members of the church. a Christmas cantata with orchestra on the third Sun- day of advent, December 17. On Sunday, Decem- Come join us for fellowship, music, light refreshments ber 24, the fourth Sunday in advent, Christmas Eve, and birthday cupcakes. See you there! the morning as well as the two evening services will be in praise and glory of the most holy birth of Jesus Date: Tuesday, December 12 at 5:00 pm Christ. Music will be fitting for the occasion with hymns, solos and anthems. So mark your calendars now for all the events of the advent season at The Church of Horseshoe Bay. P.S. It is not too late to join the choir to sing the Christmas music!!! Books and Scones will meet on Tuesday, November 28 at 2:30 pm in the Library. They will celebrate the Christmas season with a DVD of “Bethlehem Beyond the Christmas Story” and a Christmas party. Come, join us for our Christmas cele- bration. Financial Report and Attendance as of October 31, 2017 When you shop at Average 8:30 Attendance 79 AmazonSmile, Average 11:00 Attendance 212 Average Sunday School Total Attendance 119 Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to The October Actual YTD Actual Last YTD Actual Remaining Budget Church at Horseshoe Bay. Contributions $ 71,629 $ 815,733 $ 820,804 $ 277,267 Bookmark the link http:// Miscellaneous Income $ 1,473 $ 25,083 $ 10,378 $ (14,583) Operating Expenses $ (58,081) $ (596,947) $ (575,530) $ (135,678) smile.amazon.com/ch/74- Building Fund Transfers $ - $ (2,167) $ (21,667) $ (23,833) 2261932 and support us Benevolence Giving $ (15,650) $ (298,780) $ (275,760) $ (45,220) every time you shop. Net Excess/(Shortfall) $ (629) $ (57,078) $ (41,775) $ 57,952 Remaining steadfast in our vision to become a dollar-for-dollar congregation Remembering the Reformation (Last week marked the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, a history-altering event that began a monumental movement. Each month we’ll explore the background to the Reformation and why it still impacts the world today. So far, we’ve looked at some of the underlying reasons that started a “pre- reformation” ferment in Europe, England and Scotland with Englishman John Wycliffe being a key person in the spread of reformation ideas. In addition, we saw how those ideas cost the lives of persons such as Czech priest Jan (John) Hus and Scottish vicar Thomas Thomas Forret (under the persecution of Mary, Queen of Scots). We also looked at the person and event which sparked the Reformation: Martin Luther posting his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Last month we examined the legacy of John Calvin – a sec- ond generation Reformer who was the “think tank” of the Reformation. His Institutes of the Christian Religion provided Biblical theology that stands even today. This month we look at the Reformation as it spread to Eng- land). The Reformation in England can be almost single-handedly attributed to William Tyndale. He gave the English an accurate and accessible translation of the Bible. This laid the foundation for Protestant faith. All this was against the policy of the Catholic Church and King Henry VIII.