THIS WEEK

At the Worship service, Rev. Dr. Mike Sherrill will preach from John 15 on “Bearing Abundant Fruit.” Communion, “Socks and gifts for the children of `Nozomi No Ie`” annual giving opportunity begins.  After the worship service will be a robust fellowship time.  Our monthly steering committee will be held after the service in the Upper Room.

We are also very thankful to those who help set up and take down the chairs and the sanctuary = )  *Interested/or know someone who is, in a paid position, setting up and/or taking down the chairs of our sanctuary?  Contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com

WORSHIP:  11:00 AM

FELLOWSHIP HOUR:  after service

STEERING COMMITTEE: after the fellowship hour, in the Upper Room

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about the preacher … Rev. Dr. Mike Sherrill is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Aoyama Gakuin University in Shibuya where he also serves as chaplain. In addition to campus ministry activities, his classes include: Introduction to Christianity, World Religion, Comparative Religions, and Service Learning. Mike is also currently involved in government funded research on university volunteer service in addition to his personal research interest in Christian Renewal and Celtic Spirituality. With regard to hobbies he trades in pen and paper for wrenches and power tools to grapple with projects in car repair and home improvement. He is the husband of Pastor Teresa, and dad of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Sophia – & Moses the super dog.

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)  Any questions, please contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com, or Julie Rogers for HS; Amy Harbaugh and Steve Bennett for Upper ES and Lower MS, grades 4-7; and Carrie Bennett for Lower ES, grades K-3.

LITTLE KIDS during worship – after the children`s message you may go with Allie who has prepared a fun lesson about God`s laws.

YOUTH FRIDAYS  ES & MS will meet for learning and fellowship December 5th. Times and locations will vary depending on the event. 

HS YOUTH will be at Kristi Hoskins’s house on Sunday, November 16th at 5 pm.  All are welcome.

NEXT MULTI GENERATIONAL Sunday School in Cafeteria – Sunday, November 23rd from 9:30-10:30am

NEXT ADULT Sunday School – in the Sacks` Living Room, Sunday, November 23rd 9:30-10:30 am.

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Time

November 16th          Rev. Dr. Mike Sherrill preaching, Communion, “Socks and gifts for the children of `Nozomi No Ie`” annual giving opportunity begins.  Steering Committee after the fellowship time.

November 23rd         Pastor Teresa preaching, Multigenerational Sunday School,  Adult Sunday at the Sacks`, after Worship: Thanksgiving feast – invite your friends! 

November 30th         Covenant Players http://www.covenantplayers.org/ – in worship, invite your friends!

December 7th             Youth Christmas Pageant practice, Rev. Dr. Jim Sack preaching, special music by Ide Sensei & choir, We will also have a Mission Moment from Yukio Saito talking about the activities of Inochi no Denwa http://www.find-j.jp/index.html. Communion, after service: concert of Hiroko Ide & the Senzoku Conservatory – all are welcome!

December 14th            Adult Sunday School at the Sacks`, Youth Christmas Pageant – invite your friends!

December 21st             Rev. Dr. Timothy McKenzie preaching, Communion

December 24th            Christmas Eve Service from 6:30pm

December 28th            Pastor Teresa preaching, Year end worship service

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MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!

This fall again we will have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month.  Who is welcome? All ages. We will be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more. 

The Sacks will host the Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30 am in their living room. The method for looking at the texts for the service is called the, “Swedish Bible study method,” interacting with  the text through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary. Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = ) 

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Socks and gifts for the children of “Nozomi No Ie,” an orphanage in Mitaka.

The tradition of collecting socks and gifts for the children residing at Nozomi No Ie goes back well over 20 years. Members of WTUC are asked to select a child (or children) and buy them both some socks and a present for Christmas. This year please feel free to accept more than one child. We ask each giver to sign up for a child by writing their name on a master list. The names of the children are also placed on a slip of paper that is given to the gift giver. It lists the name of the child, their sex, their age and sock size. The slips of paper have been color coded in case you forget their sex, with boys being blue and girls being red. If you happen to lose the piece of paper, ( which I am sure will never happen) you can call me at 0422-34-4266 to be reminded of who it is you are buying for.

Presents should not cost more than \2,000. We want to get them something that is meaningful but we don’t want this to become a contest between children. Nozomi No Ie has asked that coupons, money and gift cards NOT be given. The orphanage would like each child to be able to open the gift and immediately be able to make use of it. If the socks and the gift are wrapped separately that gives each child the opportunity to open up two things. Please make sure the name of the child is SECURELY attached to each gift. If the name comes apart from the gift it is difficult to know who should receive the gift. The name of the giver may or may not be written on the gifts. That is up to each individual to decide. 

They can be placed under the Christmas tree at the church. I take the gifts home each Sunday and put them in a secure place until they can be delivered to the orphanage by Christmas Eve. 

This project continues to be a very concrete example of sharing the love of Christ during the Christmas season. Thank you to all who support this ministry.

Jim Sack

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WTUC  Announcements:

  *Questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.

  *Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others.  Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee.   

  *If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Gene Witt ewitt@asij.ac.jp

  *If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo Ozawa.

  *Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or on the list on the white board for next year. We appreciate your contributions to our community life! 

  *Each week we will be setting up the chairs for worship and preparing the sanctuary, anyone around at 10:30am is invited to be involved in the fun = )  Each week we will also return our sanctuary to it`s classroom style after the fellowship time.

*Interested in baptism or membership, please contact Pastor Teresa. 

*Interested in a paid position setting up and/or taking down the chairs of our sanctuary?  Contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com

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John 15:5-11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become[a] my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.