Dear Glen Mar friends,

December is here! Journey to Bethlehem is underway! I hope you’ll join us for this Christmas Experience and also for our Advent Worship Series, The Heart that Grew Three Sizes. We’re starting this week with HOPE… and having Communion together. Bring a friend! You will be so blessed to make worship part of your faith journey to the manger this year.

I wanted to share my video of our recent Zoom Coffee with Mandy, where I highlighted the results of our Mission Possible Capital Campaign from earlier this year. While we are pleased with how far we have come, it is very important that folks continue to fulfill their estimates of giving and continue to give, whether “pledged” or “unpledged to our church and to the capital fund so that we can finish the year strong, and continue the faithful giving of those who have helped bring us this far by faith. View the video here. View the Powerpoint slides here.

Don’t forget—if you are required to make a minimum distribution from your retirement account before the end of the year, you can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution to Glen Mar, resulting in tax savings for you and a real gift to the mission and ministry of our church. Contact the church office for more info.

Also, Howard County’s Cold Weather Shelter seeks meal donations for guests in a December-January hotel stay. They need 40 dinners daily, along with 40 bagged breakfasts and lunches for the following day. Drop-off at Extended Stay Columbia 100 Parkway between 5:30 and 6 pm. Volunteer to supply meals for December 4-11, December 18-26, or January 2-8, 2024. Sign ups are on our Meals for Cold Weather Shelter blog. This is separate from Glen Mar Church’s responsibility during Feb 26 – Mar 4 for our regular CWS week and is a service opportunity for small groups or families.

See you in Church,

Pastor Mandy

All are welcome to join us for our Longest Night Service on December 21 at 7:00 pm. This service of candlelight and prayer is especially for anyone who might be in a season of hardship or grief, or just in a place where “Joy to the World” might be a little hard to find. If you need a ride to the service, let us know, and we’ll be glad to help you get to the service and safely home again.