Pine Cone Press
Pine Tree Cumberland Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 5340
1805 Pine Tree Road
Longview, Texas 75608
(903) 759-2685
Rev. Cindy Barton, Pastor
(442) 235-1393
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: https://www.pinetreecpchurch.org
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From the Pastor’s Desk: The Season to Celebrate the Fullness of God
November finds us fully into the meteorologic season of autumn. Change is afoot in cooling temperatures and distinct weather patterns; we observe the differences in the lives of plants and animals. November is also a season of change in the church calendar. It is a season to celebrate the fullness, goodness, and blessing of God!
All Saints Day (November 1) gives us opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of faithful believers in Christ who have nurtured and shaped our own faith lives. We rejoice that God’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that will never pass away or be destroyed, and there the saints, faithful believers who belong to God, are set apart to dwell with him forever (Daniel 7:14 and 27).
Christ the King Sunday (November 23) marks the end of the church calendar year. It is a day to celebrate the completeness of God’s plan to restore his people to himself through the sovereign reign of Christ (Colossians 1:12-14).
The Thanksgiving holiday (November 27), though secular rather than religious, aligns with the Feast of Harvest, when the firstfruits of the crops gathered from the fields are offered with praise and gratitude to God (Exodus 23:16-17).
This year, the last Sunday of November (November 30) will be the first Sunday of Advent, the season of anticipation and hope as we wait for the second coming of Christ the King and Savior.
Psalm 100 is a perfect meditation for this season of fullness, giving grateful praise to God:
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Thanksgiving Feast at November’s Noon Meal
This month’s noon meal gathering will be held on November 16 and will feature a Thanksgiving theme. Turkey will be provided. Bring your favorite Thanksgiving dish and join us for food, fellowship and giving thanks!
Important Dates to Remember
Saturday, November 1 All Saints Day
Turn Clocks Back One Hour
At Midnight, gain an extra
Hour of sleep.
Sunday, November 2 Sunday School – 9:30 A.M.
Worship – 10:30 A.M.
Communion
All Saints Day Observed
November 6 – 8 Symposium
Chattanooga, TN
Sunday, November 9 Sunday School – 9:30 A.M.
Worship – 10:30 A.M.
Tuesday, November 11 Veterans Day
Thursday, November 13 Session Meeting 1:00 P.M
Sunday, November 16 Sunday School – 9:30 A.M.
Worship – 10:30 A.M.
Noon Meal
Our Thanksgiving
Sunday, November 23 Sunday School – 9:30 A.M.
Worship – 10:30 A.M.
Christ the King Sunday
Loaves and Fishes Offering
Thursday, November 27 Thanksgiving Day
Sunday, November 30 Sunday School – 9:30 A.M.
Worship – 10:30 A.M.
First Sunday of Advent
Operation Christmas Child
We are collecting items for filling Operation Christmas Child boxes. Please bring purchased gifts to the church by Sunday, November 16. Gifts may be for a boy or girl, ages 2 to 4, 5 to 9, or 10 to 14. Do include: fun and quality toys that fit in a shoebox, hygiene and personal care items, school supplies, and accessories such as socks, sunglasses, or flashlights with batteries. Do not include: food or edible items, liquids or lotions, breakable or glass items, aerosols, or scary or war-related items. For more suggestions come by the office or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Loaves and Fishes Offering
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church collects the annual “Loaves and Fishes” offering to bring God’s abundance into places of need. This year’s offering will support the Cumberland Presbyterian Hot Lunch ministry in Iloilo City, Philippines. This offering will allow children living in poverty to receive hot lunches, educational support, and Christian discipleship through the work of missionaries Rev. Daniel and Kay Jang. We will distribute boxes for collecting funds on November 9 and will collect the funds during worship on November 23.
All Saints Day Observance and Dedication of Paraments
Pine Tree CP Church will mark our traditional All Saints Day observance during worship on November 2. In prayerful ceremony, we will read the names of church and family members who have died in the past year, and family members will have the opportunity to enter names of beloved saints on a worship banner. “All Saints Day”, also called All Hallows or the Feast of All Saints, is a religious festival held on November 1 each year to honor all saints (faithful believers in Christ) who have passed away, whether canonized or not. The day is preceded by All Saints Eve (secularly known as Halloween) the night before. This is a time to honor and remember saints, martyrs, and faithful believers who are no longer with us and have shared, influenced, and nurtured our Christian faith.
The worship service on November 2 will include Communion and a dedication of new paraments (altar coverings) which were purchased from memorial gifts given in honor of William Everett. We are grateful to the Everett family and to all who contributed to the memorial fund.
