Fellowship spread joy on Sunday, October 23rd in the Christian Education Hall as families and friends of Sweet Hollow enjoyed one of Chef Ron Fischer's signature dinners, spaghetti, meatballs and Apple Brown Bettys. Carol Mason and Kathy Reiser headed the crew of helpers. Everyone was then delighted with a program if magic and illusion. It was a great start to fall devotion at Sweet Hollow.

Both of my parents grew up on farms, and they truly understood the blessing of a good harvest after a season of toiling the earth. Not only did such a harvest ensure my grandparents’ livelihoods, it also connected my parents to the lifecycles of nature. Today, most of us are far removed from our agrarian roots. Maybe the words of the hymn “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” do not resonate with the experiences of our lives because we do not know what it means to raise the song of harvest home. Perhaps, in this season of Thanksgiving, the hymn “Now Thank We All Our God” has more meaning for many of us. I know it does for me. I am thankful to you, the people of The Presbyterian Church of Sweet Hollow, for inviting me to share in the life and ministry of this congregation during this interim period. I am grateful to those of you who have taken a few moments to stop by my office and tell me a story or two about the history of your special church and how this church and its people have had dynamic and long-lasting effects upon the lives of many persons in the Melville area. I am especially grateful for the efforts of all those who contributed funds, materials, and labor to the modernization and beautification of the manse. David and I are overwhelmed by the time and talents contributed by so many, from planting flowers and painting walls, to installing windows and laying tile, to enlarging the bedroom and finishing the den. This has been a Herculean effort! Of course, the entire project could not have been completed without the hard work and dedication of Joe Moder, who spent countless hours working on the manse and coordinating the entire endeavor, and to Ray Moder, who tackled the most daunting construction tasks. I also would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to those who donated their special construction skills, including George Bures, Fred Chacalos, Glen Homeyer, Warren Moder, Don Ogilvie, and Bill Wansor. And the work on the manse would not be complete without all the finishing touches provided through the vision, creativity, and labor of Mattie Bauser, John Chacalos, Carol and Tim Mason, Doris Opitz, Kathy Reiser, Everett Smith, Bill Walter, and Alice Wansor. If I have failed to mention anyone who contributed his or her time, please be assured that it in no way reflects my gratitude for your work. Thanks also to the many unnamed persons who contributed financially to the upgrade of the manse. As I have just described, I have so much for which to be thankful. All of us are blessed in unique ways by the people in our lives, and we enjoy relative abundance compared to the rest of the world. During this season of Thanksgiving, let us all reflect on God’s generosity and grace towards us. In concert with Thanksgiving, Stewardship Season begins Sunday, November 12th. When you receive your letter from the Stewardship Committee, I hope that you prayerfully will consider returning your thanks to God by pledging the support of your time, talents, and money. On Sunday, November 19th , we will celebrate Thanksgiving and Stewardship Sunday in worship. Make plans now to join us and to raise your voice alongside that of your neighbor as we sing together, “Now Thank We All Our God!”

The UPW held a pot luck supper in September. Guest of honor was our new interim pastor Connie Wilkerson. Many tasty dishes were brought and enjoyed. We are borrowing a canvas labyrinth from Presbytery. It will be available in the Great Hall on November 13th at 7:30 p.m. during our meeting. On November 14th from 12 noon - 4 p.m. and November 15th from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Information on how to walk this meditative path will be provided. Those of us that have walked it have found the experience to be very rewarding. Please stop by and join us. There will be two coffee hour boutiques featuring hand crafted items. The first took place on October 29th and featured fall crafts. The second will feature Christmas items and will take place on December 10th. Money raised will go to help support our many projects. We are waiting to see who our adoptive family will be. Once we know, we will post information and sizes for those who wish to do shopping for this family. If you wish us to do the shopping we are always willing to accept cash donations. Wrapping for the family will be done on the morning of December 18th. The UPW provides all the supplies for the coffee hour including the juice and cookies for the children. The person who volunteers to do the coffee hour need only to supply two cakes or other baked goods and a half gallon of milk. A sign up sheet is available at the back of the church.

Our Annual Estimate of Giving Pledge Program will shortly be upon us. This important part of church life is essential as we enter a most important and exciting time in the life of our church. Working through the session, several church committees are actively planning some exciting changes as we enter 2001. We are not only looking to upgrade all of our church facilities i.e. Manse and Church facility, but also to enhance the spiritual, devotional and musical components of the Church. With this in mind, we need your help. The budget committee is looking at a needed $140,000 budget for fiscal year 2001. If you compare past budgets, you will note this represents an approximate 25% increase. An increase which is most needed. We have kept expenses low over the past years since our Pledged dollars have unfortunately been below $50,000 representing only 40% of our total Church Budget. In order to move into the 21st century, and into a more vibrant church community, we need you to seriously consider upgrading your previous pledge to help meet our new goals. You are the Church, your support is what allows us to make it all work. If you have not pledged before, we ask you to join us. If you have pledged, we ask you to consider increasing your estimate of giving. Over the next several weeks you will be receiving more information about our Stewardship Program both in the mail and at church. We invite you to participate in this important part of our life at Sweet Hollow.

The UPW has borrowed a canvas labyrinth from the Presbytery. It will be available to walk in the Great Hall on November 13th at 7:30 p.m. at the UPW meeting, on November 14th noon - 4:00 p.m., and November 15th 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The labyrinth is an ancient tool for prayer and meditation consisting of a winding path that begins at the periphery and leads to a central space, and then out again. Labyrinth-like patterns have been discovered in many ancient and contemporary cultures. In Christian history, the eleven circuit labyrinth inlaid into the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France is the most famous. It was used as a way of symbolically participating in the great pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Today labyrinths either permanent or temporary, outdoors or inside, are used as a meditative walk, a tool for prayerful introspection. An outdoor labyrinth at Little Portion Friary at 48 Old Post Road, Mount Sinai, Long Island is open to the public. (631)473-0553 For further information on labyrinths try: http//gracecom.org/labyrinth/ or www.labyrinthproject.com.

For our Sunday School special Christmas Holiday Mission Project, the Children will be sponsoring the collection of new hats, gloves, mittens and scarves in sizes foe adults and children. The items will be donated locally to those in need. We welcome the participation of all Sweet Hollow family and Friends. All donations will be accepted throughout the holiday season. Please bring your donations to the morning worship service.

Click here for Sunday School Calendar.