ALL CHURCH

GRIEFSHARE MEETING COMING UP THIS SUNDAY, DEC. 14^TH, 4-6PM. Maybe you’ve recently lost a loved one … or maybe it was quite some time ago, but the feelings are still raw and difficult to manage. We would love for you to join us as we help you navigate HOLIDAY SURVIVAL: HELP FOR THE SEASON. Facilitated by Pastor Clarence & his wife, Joan, Dave Colborn and Sharon Moore, all understand the difficulty of the holiday season. Meet in the Fireside room. Questions? Contact Dave Colborn, 614.361-2321 or dccolborn@aol.com.

ARE YOU MISSING ANYTHING???? Then please check the LOST & FOUND, which is at the Info. Desk. We’ve accumulated lots of items over the last several weeks, so if you’re missing anything, you may find it there! 😊

CAN YOU HELP? NOVEMBER 22^ND WIDE OPEN HEARTS VENDOR EVENT. We need your help! WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOME VOLUNTEERS AND WE ALSO NEED CAKES AND ITEMS FOR THE SECRET SANTA SHOP. This event will benefit our school partnerships, and the concessions will benefit our Mexico trip. This event offers free kids area - cookie decorating, letters to Santa, & ornament making, and free Santa and Mrs. Claus pictures. Free Hot Cocoa Bar. Secret Santa Shop and cake walk!

CHAMBER SINGERS CONCERT NOV. 23^RD – Join the Grove City Chamber Singers, along with the Reynoldsburg High School Chamber Singers, for their concert in our sanctuary on Nov. 23^rd. Doors open at 3pm, and concert begins at 3:30pm. It’s a wonderful way to start the holiday season! 

REMINDER TO GET YOUR BIDS & VOTES IN FOR THE SILENT AUCTION – CHRISTMAS TREES - Don’t forget! Voting and bidding has begun! We want everyone to vote, so be sure to grab a ballot and pick your favorites! Everyone who votes will receive a Purple Door ornament. Final day to put a bid in at the Grove City campus is November 23^rd, and thereafter, they will travel to St. Mark’s for the bilingual Thanksgiving service that day and the bids will come to an end!

THANKSGIVING MEALS! 

To date, we have committed as a church

to provide 183 Thanksgiving meals, 85 of those are still needing sponsorship

. In addition, we will have two more schools and some district needs coming our way, so this number will grow. Will you prayerfully consider sponsoring a meal? We are estimating it will be a $40-$50 commitment per meal.  Further, we could use some help with the turkey collection on the 24^th, as well as delivering meals and cooking meals. Please reach out to Pastor Brandi to plug in, BrandiB@gcumc.org.

WEEKLY SCHOOL BAGS – We are now sending out 108 food bags per week, with 8 schools represented. If you’d like to give towards this ministry, mark it on your offering envelope, or you can shop our Amazon wishlist here  and have items delivered directly to the church. 

MISSIONS TASK FORCE

As Pastor Lizzy shared with us last week, we’d LOVE for YOU to be a part of our MISSIONS TASK FORCE – to help dream BIG for the ministries of our church! THIS SUNDAY, stop by our table during the Ministry Fair, and if you have an idea for a ministry we can implement, please feel free to put your idea in the IDEA BOX on the table. We are excited to see how God will continue to grow the ministry of the Purple Door Church and St. Mark’s as He has set us in place for such a time as this! 

GIVING

YEAR-END CHARITABLE GIVING. As we approach the end of 2025, you may want to know where your giving stands - be it for end of year tax purposes, pledge match, etc. If you’d like information regarding year to date giving, you may reach out to finance@gcumc.org. As always, we are so grateful for the gifts given in order to further the ministry of our church and impact the Kingdom.

SUPPORTING YOUR CHURCH FINANCIALLY: You have a few options: collection plates during all services brought around by ushers, giving boxes outside of both worship spaces where you can drop off your offering anytime, and also ONLINE through our online offering platform, QR CODE in seat back pocket and/or on our website purpledoorchurch.com. For help with setting up online giving, or any questions regarding your contributions, please send all inquiries to finance@gcumc.org.

CALL TO ONLINE GIVERS - Thank you for your faithful giving! If you'd like to help our church with offsetting the fees associated with your online gift, but not sure how to... Email Andrea! She would be happy to help with this small change that helps in a BIG WAY when it comes to online giving! 

KIDS/FAMILY/YOUTH/MERGE

FAMILIES! On December 21^st during the 11am service, we will have our FAMILY MINISTRY CHRISTMAS PROGRAM, AND we want your family to be involved! Please sign up with Pastor Brandi for children or youth who would like a speaking part, as well as those who would like to be a part of the singing and dancing. We ask that you attend Merge starting November 19^th to practice!

YOUTH GROUP MEETINGS:

November 23^rd - Normal Youth

November 30th - No Youth

December 7^th - Normal Youth

December 14^th - 5:00 Small Group Christmas Parties & 6:00 Normal Youth

December 21^st - Christmas Party - Gift Exchange, Food Share and Games

December 28^th - No Youth

MERGE: 

November 19^th - Mergesgiving & Christmas Program Launch

December 3^rd - Christmas Program Practice & Advent Celebration

December 10^th - Christmas Program Practice & Advent Celebration

December 17^th - Christmas Program Practice & Advent Celebration

Wednesday evening family programming. Sign up here .

November 12^th, we will have an offsite bonfire, and then November 19^th will be our Mergesgiving and we will also kick off our preparations for our Christmas program which will be during the 11 service on December 21st. Be sure to get signed up!  

FREE STORE

Always in need of toiletry donations or new socks & underwear.

MISSIONS TRIP TO MEXICO!

ST. MARK'S

There is a FAMILY DEVOTIONAL for the month is available for pickup. Grab it at the family ministry resource shelves!!! 

MERGE! 

Merge is our mid-week family Programming that runs during the typical school year! We meet Wednesday evenings, 6-8pm. Sign up to attend here . 

HEY TEENS (7th-12^th grade)! YOUTH! SUNDAY NIGHTS, WE MEET AT 6PM IN THE FLC FOR A TIME OF DINNER, WORSHIP, MESSAGE & SERVICE OPPORTUNITY! If you were able to go to camp all week long this year, you can join us Sunday evenings for youth group! This is our summer schedule:

We are looking for DINNER volunteers! Sign Up here .

Don't forget about our YOUTH SMALL GROUPS!  The second Sunday of each month at 5pm, we have a GIRLS SMALL GROUP and a BOYS SMALL GROUP.  These groups are open to those preteen and older.

Questions on any of the above or to RSVP for events, contact Pastor Brandi .

If you'd like to visit our Children/Family/Teens page, go here .

NEW BIBLE STUDY! Justin Long has started a new Bible study on Fridays at 1pm at the church. He is leading us in a deep dive into particular books of the Bible, beginning with the book of Acts. Bring your Bibles and notebooks. If you need a Bible or have questions, contact Pastor Brandi, BrandiB@gcumc.org.

LUNCH & LEARN will be December 2nd. A guest from the West Ohio conference to talk with us about legacy giving and estate planning. Please plan to join us and be sure to RSVP to Pastor Brandi to reserve your lunch! BrandiB@gcumc.org.

NEXT DINE OUT NIGHT IN SUPPORT OF OUR MEXICO MISSIONS TRIP – NOV. 26TH, DONATOS PIZZA – 2233 STRINGTOWN ROAD, GROVE CITY. Order food this day by placing a pick-up or delivery order online at donatos.com or through the mobile app from the participating location. Enter 539 as your coupon code during checkout to apply your purchase to the fundraiser, and Donatos will donate 20% to our church!

CHURCH BLANKETS ARE IN! If you ordered one grab it in the Great Hall Sunday. If you didn’t order one, don’t worry - we have extra! 

IT'S TIME TO ORDER POINSETTIAS FOR CHRISTMAS! You can order your poinsettias in honor of or in memory of a loved one to be displayed in our church during the holiday season. They are $9/each, and will be red. You may pay your money at the Info. Desk, the church office, or give directly to Faye Davidson.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who walks through our doors at The Purple Door Church Gove City and our St. Mark’s Campus! You CHOOSE to be part of our church family and that is such a blessing. Churches, just like houses, need regular care and maintenance and unfortunately, as they age, things need replaced from time to time. Currently, we need to replace the HVAC SYSTEM at our St. Mark’s Campus. The existing unit was installed in 2000 and while we have made some repairs to get as much as we can from it, the unit is no longer repairable. After researching and consulting with several companies, the best option is to install four mini-split units which will be more efficient, easier to maintain and provide excellent heating and cooling within the sanctuary. That was not a cost we had budgeted for this fiscal year. The total cost is $37,578. If you feel called to support this project financially, it would be greatly appreciated, and we thank you for your willingness to do so. 

HOLIDAY NEEDS

We are sponsoring 50 residents at Monterey Rehab Facility for Christmas. When we have the names, they will be available in the Great Hall for you to adopt. 

We currently have 183 Thanksgiving meal requests from our local schools, all verified by principals and teachers, and that is without several schools reporting, so we do expect that number will rise. 85 of those meals still need sponsorship. Shopping bags with the shopping lists are available in the Great Hall for you to grab. We will have a turkey drop off on Nov. 24th. 

Questions for either of these, contact Pastor Brandi, BrandiB@gcumc.org. 

Church family, we could use your help! Highland Elementary is in need of some volunteers to come during the school day and read to students.  If this is something you might be interested in, please email Pastor Brandi .

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN FINDING A SMALL GROUP TO JOIN? We have many small groups that meet all throughout the week, different times, different days. If you’re interested in finding your people, reach out to Pastor Brandi, and she will help! BrandiB@gcumc.org. 

SPONSOR A PLATE: A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY IN A TANGIBLE WAY – Sponsor a Plate was born out of the need for this community meal to continue, and for a donation of just $2.50, you can provide a meal for a person in need walking through our doors. Your donations are tax deductible and can be attributed to your giving records. Perhaps your business or your small group would be willing to contribute – or even just a single gifted donation of the $2.50 would help.

We thank you for continuing to partner with us in this endeavor as we become the hands and feet of Jesus, giving to those in need. Should you have any questions, please contact Andrea Nance, AndreaN@gcumc.org. 

ARE YOU PROFICIENT IN A SKILL OR TRADE? We are seeking volunteers that have skill trades or just like to work with their hands that might be willing to serve in the church using those skills! If you're willing to come alongside and help, contact Tony Haughn, Tonyhaughn1@gmail.com. 

STREET CLEANING – 1st Saturday of the month. Questions? Contact Pastor Brandi, BrandiB@gcumc.org. 

MEN! YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN OUR MONTHLY GATHERING. Family calendars book up, so please try to block out these dates for the year. Contact Bo Blackstone to get plugged in. 

Friday December 5

NEEDS:

BOTH CAMPUSES NEED BIBLES. Go here  to our specific Amazon link!

REMINDER – OUR ALUMINUM CAN COLLECTION IS ONGOING and is a way we continue to raise funds for our mission trips. You can leave them at the Info. Desk!

LOCAL SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS: 

BAGS OF HOPE - FOOD/BACKPACK PROGRAM – LOCAL SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

Many children in our community experience food poverty and we are trying our best to provide for those needs. We have partnered with many local schools to send home weekend food bags for those kiddos. Check out the Amazon Wishlist we’ve created with specific food items for those who would like a simple way to grab some of our needed items. One of the best parts: you can have it delivered straight to the church (2650 Columbus St., Grove City, OH 43123)! 

 Amazon Wishlist 

IMPORTANT NOTES - NO GLASS. Cans that have tab tops are preferred. Precooked items are helpful or items that only need water added. This is not an exhaustive list, but examples.

Cereal*Poptarts*Oatmeal*Pancake Mix*Syrup*Peanut Butter*Jelly*Honey*Pasta Sauce*Canned Veggies*Fruit cups*Applesauce*Rice*Pasta*Instant potatoes*Macaroni & Cheese*Ramen Noodles*Granola Bars*Crackers*Soups*Canned Meat - Chicken, beef, tuna, etc.*Fruit Snacks*Koolaids packs

Toiletries - deodorant, Q-tips, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, underwear

GET YOUR MERCH ON DEMAND! MERCH! Check out the website at HERE  for merch! T-shirts, hoodies, hats –you can order it online and get it in a SUPER FAST turnaround – AND – the company will donate $5 back to the church for every item purchased! You can also request your favorite name brands be used – for an increased price! If you ordered merch, you can pick it up at the Info. Desk!

TECH – We are in need of tech personnel for our traditional services. Training provided. Able to serve? Contact Traci, traciw@gcumc.org to get plugged in! It’s a GREAT place to be!

MENTAL HEALTH: REAL TALK, REAL SUPPORT - A peer-led, social-emotional support group for parents and caregivers of children with mental health struggles. Two meetings a month:

• 2nd Tuesday of the month, 6:30-8pm – The Buckeye Ranch (5665 Hoover Rd.), Mary Dunn Building
• 4th Tuesday of the month, 6:30-8pm – The Purple Door Church, Fireside Room

For questions, contact Sheri Dunagan at sheri.dunagan@att.net or call/text 614-439-7110. Learn more online: www.RealTalkOhio.org.

• CONNECT ON FACEBOOK HERE .

GET INVOLVED! We love being able to serve our families and our community and we have SO many opportunities to plug in at The Purple Door Church. We are fully open and have all of our activities available to our congregation and community! There are plenty of places for you to serve – WE NEED YOU and want to encourage you to check out list of opportunities – go to our website: https://www.purpledoorchurch.com/opportunities-to-serve.

A LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED: It truly takes the hands and feet of ALL of us to do our part to make this church run day in and day out! We have some AMAZING volunteers who make this place exceptional and a place to call HOME. Here is a look at where we could use some help:

TECH TEAM - traditional services - Contact TRACI WURSCHMIDT 

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS – Contact PASTOR BRANDI 

MONEY COUNTERS – Contact andrea nance 

LANDSCAPE TEAM – Help keep our grounds looking glorious! Kids are welcome! Contact communications

HOSPITALITY TEAMS – Contact Pastor Brandi, or sign up HERE .

WE NEED CHURCH OFFICE HELPERS - We need volunteers to work in the church office. You mainly will be answering the phones and other small jobs that might need to be done. If you are available, we need several spots to be filled on a regular basis: the second and fourth Tuesday in the afternoon from 9am-noon and the first and second Wednesday afternoon, 12-4pm. Also, we always need substitutes to fill in spots for our regular volunteers. If interested, please contact PEG ADDINGTON  or 614/270-1639.

PRAYER BOX – Did you know we have a Prayer Box located in our parking lot? It is a little purple mailbox located in the front of our parking lot facing Columbus Street. Our Prayer Chain is committed to praying for the people of this church and our city. If you have a prayer request, you can drop it in that box at any time. Prayer requests are collected weekly and prayed over by our committed prayer team.

PRAYER TEAM - Prayer is powerful and an amazing gift from God. We have the opportunity to talk directly to our Creator and the ability to pray on the behalf of others. Our prayer team started meeting this past Monday and we will continue to meet every week on Mondays at 9am. During our time together, we will be praying over our Sunday morning prayer requests, needs of the church, our community and nation. We will be prayer walking the church as well. If you are interested in joining, please contact CLARENCE DINNEN.

TO REQUEST PRAYER - If you'd like us to pray alongside you, you may fill out a prayer card during one of our services and put in the offering plate or in the offering boxes outside of our worship spaces; or, you may send an email to commuincations@gcucm.org . We would be honored to pray alongside you.

*RIGHT NOW MEDIA - Just a reminder that Right Now Media is available to all of our members as you think about your relationship with God in this upcoming year. Right Now Media is a database FULL of online Bible studies and social groups for individuals, families, children and groups. We often use this media resource in our Bible studies and small groups throughout the year. It’s a GREAT resource for you or for your family to be able to plug in to God’s Word and in the times we use it in our own church group setting. If you’d like to take advantage of this FREE online resource, contact Pastor Brandi to get set up. She just needs your email address. Your faith journey isn’t one you were ever meant to take alone. God made us for community!

MONDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY - VIA ZOOM - a study on praying the Scriptures

PASTOR BRIAN’S FALL BIBLE STUDY - From Heroes to Zeros: Lessons from the Judges of Israel. We will explore both the triumphs and the tragedies of the Judges of Israel and what they have to say to us today. We’ll look at the familiar judges such as Samson and Gideon, plus a host of the more unfamiliar as well. The Pastor’s Bible Study began Sept. 2nd and runs through November 18th – time: 6:30-7:30pm. Please join us! 

FRIDAY AFTERNOON BIBLE STUDY - 1pm, at the church. Led by Justin Long, and begins Nov. 7th. This study will dive in to particular books of the Bible, beginning with the book of Acts. Bring your Bibles and your notebooks. If you need a Bible, contact Pastor Brandi, BrandiB@gcumc.org. 

SATURDAY MORNING WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY - VIA ZOOM - meets the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, 8am.

CONTACT PASTOR BRANDI, BRANDIB@GCUMC.ORG FOR ZOOM LINKS

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

This study meets every Thursday morning at 10am studying the Parables of Jesus.

BIBLE JOURNALING - 3RD MONDAY OF EACH MONTH, 6PM, CHURCH OFFICE

Are you creative? Do you enjoy time in the Word? Join the two together, and come hang out with us on the 3^rd Monday of the month at 6pm at the church office. Questions? Contact Pastor Brandi, BrandiB@gcumc.org. 

PURPLE DOOR WOMEN’S GROUP: Join our new group! Our focus is on our church and parishioners/shut-ins. Need more info.? Contact Jean Davis, 614/282-8590. We meet on the 2nd Monday of each month at 10am.

This year, we would love to give a BILINGUAL BOOK to each kid! If you feel led, please share the good news with them: https://a.co/aY7SmM1.

LA CASITA – “THE LITTLE HOUSE” - at our St. Mark’s Campus is a dream that is beginning to come to life! Pastor Lizzy is beginning to collect kitchen gadgets and household goods and furnishing so we can give them to those members of our extended church family at the St. Mark’s Campus in need. Did you know that many have arrived in Columbus with NOTHING? Many are sleeping on the floor, or have no bedding, no kitchen utensils – the things we use daily and take for granted. We’d love to be able to provide those items to them that we use daily. As you are replacing items in your home, if they are still in good working condition, we’d appreciate it if you’d consider donating them to our St. Mark’s Campus. There is a bin beside the Info. Desk where you can place the items (toasters, coffee pots, toaster ovens, etc.), silverware, cooking pots, pans, skillets, cooking utensils, blenders, dishes (i.e., plates, bowls, etc.), bedding (sheets, mattress pads, comforters, etc.). Bigger items also needed: washer, dryer & love seats. To drop off these bigger items, contact Pastor Lizzy to arrange. If you have an item that is not listed here, but you’d like to ask if it’s needed, you may contact Pastor Lizzy, LizzyO@gcumc.org. Thank you for your continued support of our St. Mark’s Campus as we continue to reach those in that west side community!

BOOK COLLECTION! We are collecting Christian base books or coloring books (for babies to high school age). If you have some in good condition, we will take them! We have been buying some for our toddlers at the dollar store. This is to share with the kids who are attending the afterschool program in our church.

There will be a box on the Information Desk with a sign

 “Iglesia Hispana / St. Mark’s Campus.”

CAN YOU GIVE A DAY? Do you love your church and cleaning is something you enjoy? Every month, we have a cleaning day at our west side campus, St. Mark’s Iglesia Hispana. Every 3^rd Saturday of the month at 9am, we go through our building and make it pretty! Email Pastor Lizzy for more info: lizzyo@gcumc.org.

We hope you will participate in our new mentor program, ADOPT A FAMILY OR FRIEND. Psalm 145:4 “One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts.” Jesus invested in others, and Paul did the same. Indeed, the Apostle expected older believers to teach and train younger believers (Titus 2). When we do what the Scriptures mandate, we can expect God to bless it. When the generations learn from each other, the church will be stronger.

So, what are you signing up for?

ADOPT A FAMILY GUIDE

• Pray for the paired family weekly.
• Connect with this family when you see them at church. All we are asking is that you go out of your way to say “Hi! Good to see you! How was your week?” to this family. 
• Have two meals together in this coming year. It certainly doesn’t have to be fancy, and this can be at a restaurant, at your house, or you bringing take-out meal to their house! 
• Go a long way in making sure families know they are thought of.
• Connect with the family once a month outside of church. This can be in a phone call, email, Facebook message or something more formal. 
• Offer help/resources as able. 
• Give cards on their birthday, anniversary, other special times. A gift is absolutely NOT expected, but handwritten cards can be in a phone call, email, Facebook message or something more formal. 

Looking for a place to fellowship with other women, gain encouragement, give encouragement and grow deeper in your faith? We have several groups (aka “Circles”) that meet regularly throughout the week, have different areas of interests, and we’d love to invite you to find your fit!

We currently have three Circles:

REBECCA CIRCLE - meets the third Tuesday of the month @ 11:30am. For more info. or questions, contact Ann Beal (614-371-4472) or Peg Addington (614-877-4200), who are the leaders.

HANNAH CIRCLE - meets the 2nd Monday @ noon. For more info. or questions, contact Sue Flowers (614-357-7935) or Nina Riley (614-579-4624), who are the leaders.

MIRIAM CIRCLE – meets the 3^rd Sunday of each month @ 12:30pm. For more info. or questions, contact Brandi Blackstone (614-402-6706) or Tami Adams (614-545-8887), who are the leaders.

Each of the Circles would love to welcome new members. You do not need to be a member of our church. If you are interested in any of the Circles, please free to call the leaders or just show up at a meeting. Our UWF Circles are a wonderful way to meet new people and learn more about what actions they each do to help our church family and community.

CURRENT FUNDRAISERS:

SHOP AT KROGER AND GIVE BACK! Did you know that you can make a financial contribution to our Missions Task Force JUST by shopping at Kroger? It’s simple! All you have to do is link your Kroger Shopping Card to Grove City United Methodist Church.

Go to Kroger.com and log into your digital account (or create a digital account, if not already created).

Scroll down to “Community Rewards” and click. From there, you can select our organization by either scrolling or searching for “Grove City United Methodist Church.” Make sure our name matches our organization number, which is XY804. Enroll. Easy as that! Kroger will make donations to the organization based upon spending of those whose cards are connected to that organization.

Any questions regarding enrollment need to be directed to Kroger individually.

FREE STORE: 

Our Free Store is open every Wednesday, 5-6:30pm and serves 150-275 people each week. Lately, we have been serving individuals from 4 or 5 halfway houses, drug/alcohol rehab centers and addiction recovery centers. Therefore, we have several critical needs, especially for men.

GIRLS WINTER

2T,3T,4T,5T,6,18 & up - All

7/8,10/12,14/16 - Dresses

WOMENS

Leggings & sweatpants - All

Winter dresses - XS,S,XL & up

Blue jeans ONLY- 0  thru 8

Long Sleeve - XS,M,L,2x,4x&up

MEN

Shorts-33&below

Ath Pants/Ath Shorts-All

Shirts/Sweaters-S,4X & up

Pants-38,33 & below

Jeans-38 & below

Hoodies, Coats & Belts-All

BOYS-

Shorts,Shirts,Sweaters-7,12&up

Pants-6,7,8,10&up

Infant-24 mo only

Coats-All

New Underwear and Toiletries are always needed.  

Monetary donations are also welcome.

 ******PLEASE NOTE: WE ONLY ACCEPT CLOTHING. WE DO NOT ACCEPT APPLIANCES, TOYS, OR FURNITURE.

CAFÉ:

The time slots to volunteer in the café are: 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30am.

A sign-up sheet will be on the Mission Counter in the café area. If you’d like more info. or to volunteer, contact Pastor Lizzy . 

Refreshments are available in the café upon donation and all proceeds will go to further Missions projects throughout the year.

CONNECT & SERVE COMMUNITY MEAL!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THIS MINISTRY.

DON’T FORGET, OUR COMMUNITY MEAL IS THE SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH, 4:30-5:30PM, and is for our congregation, as well as for the City of Grove City!