Fellow Olivetians,
As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, may the light of the Christmas season fill your hearts with hope, peace, and joy. We are so grateful for each of you and for the community we share in faith and love. May your homes be filled with warmth of family, the spirit of giving, and the blessings of a truly Merry Christmas.
Please join us on December 6th at Olivet for our Holiday fundraiser event. It will entail “Cookies with Santa” from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, a spaghetti dinner from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm and a Sing-A-Long after dinner with lots of music. We hope you can join us for this special event.
We are always looking for more ideas for fundraisers. If you have anything to suggest, we are always open to new ideas. You can email us at olivetucc.columbus@gmail.com or give the church office a call at 920-623-5140.
Merry Christmas…
Darlene Crombie, Moderator
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Conversations and Connections
Thursday, December 11th at noon anyone and everyone is welcome to join us at Erin's Snug Irish Pub located at 4601 American Parkway, Madison for some great conversations, good food, new connections and strengthening our church family. Hope to see you there. Any questions contact Gina at 608-697-6749.
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Community Holiday Meal
Methodist will be hosting the Holiday Community Meal this year on Thursday, December 11thbeginning at 5 pm until 6:30 pm. They will be serving ham with all the trimmings. These are meals for the whole community, and not only those who might need a meal, but just to come out and meet people, visit with friends, or just not cook for a night. You can join in this endeavor by volunteering at the meal (great bunch to work with) or by just coming to the meal. Hope to see you there!
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IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS!
December 5th & December 13th
Saturday, December 6th
Sunday, December 14th
Sunday, December 21st
Wednesday, December 24th
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OLIVET CHRISTMAS EVENT
Beth Hellpap our Music Director, is working on putting on a great Christmas event at Olivet on December 6th. The posters below give more details. There will be Cookies with Santa, a Spaghetti Dinner and a wonderful musical sing-along event.
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Ushering and Fellowship sign-up
We are using a digital sign up for fellowship and ushering. We are hopeful that it will give more people opportunities to sign up. This will be a trial through December. The links are below, or you can go to our website at olivetucc.org and click on the links there. Let us know if you have any questions. You can also find the links on our website at olivetucc.org.
Fellowship link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0D48AAAC2AA4FD0-57788260-olivet
Usher Link
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0D48AAAC2AA4FD0-57788674-olivet
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"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring - all of which have the potential to turn a life around"- Leo Buscaglia -
Christmas Eve Worship
Please join us on December 24th at 4:30 pm for our Christmas Eve Worship Service at Olivet. All are welcome!
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Christmas Parade
The Christian Ed committee is putting together a float again this year for the Columbus Holiday Parade on Saturday, Dec. 13th. Any Sunday School or Confirmation families that would like to walk along with the float are welcome to do so. The parade starts at 6 pm and they line up on Mill Street and N. Dickason Blvd. Getting there 15 minutes ahead of time should be fine. Hope to see you there!
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Columbus Fall River Food Pantry
We rely on donations during this season of giving to help carry us through the upcoming year. We are currently serving 216 families in Columbus and Fall River. Demand is high, so the need is great. Our expenses are surpassing our donations, and our reserves have dipped to a critical level. Your ongoing support and generosity will allow us to continue serving. We are a volunteer organization and 100% of your donations go towards feeding people in our local communities. Please remember us during the holiday season.
If you would like to donate non-perishable, non-expired food donations may be dropped in the bin at Columbus Pick n Save and monetary donations may be deposited into our savings account at Farmers and Merchants Union Bank. We will also be receiving donations at the Stuff the Squad event at Columbus Pick n Save on Sunday, November 23rd and at the Holiday Train in Columbus on Wednesday, December 10th.
If you have questions, are planning a food drive, or have a large amount of food to donate, please contact Colleen @ 920-210-6266. More information about the Food Pantry is available by going to www.cityofcolumbuswi.com and clicking on: Government/Departments/Community Center/Food Pantry. Thank you for your continued support!
Thank you. Colleen Waterworth
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Pastoral Search
Pastor Laura Hawkins has accepted the call to be Olivet’s part-time Pastor. We will be meeting with Pastor Laura soon to determine what a part-time pastor’s schedule will look like for Olivet. We are also working on scheduling a Sunday in January for her to deliver the sermon and the children’s message so that everyone can get to know her. We will then have the opportunity for members of Olivet to cast our votes on her acceptance.
Without an interim Pastor we will all need to step up to fill in the gaps. If you are interested in visiting our members who cannot make it to church, please call the church office at 920-623-5140 or contact any Council member. You may also email the church office at olivetucc.columbus@gmail.com.
God Bless,
Darlene Crombie, Moderator
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Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary to all who are celebrating this month!
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Adult Bible Study
You are invited to join us for our next adult bible study on December 7 following the service. We will be discussing Luke 1:26-38 which is the story of the Angel coming to Mary and telling her she will have a baby. The Serendipity Bible helps us to look at stories we have maybe heard many times in a different light. We will love to have you there.
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Be the change, donate now
Aubrey Nerswick is participating in a fundraiser, and she is wondering if we can help. WHAT: We are looking for new or gently used luggage. That means suitcases, backpacks, or duffle bags. Or, new or gently used mittens or gloves, new underwear, socks, coats, shoes, and bedding. If you feel you cannot donate but would like to help, you can reach out with a monetary donation as well. All donations go to the nonprofit “Touched by Foster Care Service” to be used by children in foster care. The church will have a donation spot for these items. Please reach out to Aubrey Nerswick, Sadie Nerswick or Nancy Liverseed with any questions. We thank you for your support in this very important project for Aubrey.
Church Council Ongoing Activities
Endowment Committee Update
Thank you for your continued support and prayers for Olivet. If you have any questions or concerns during this transitional time, please don’t hesitate to contact the church office or any council member.
God Bless,
Olivet Church Council
Our finance department now has a new email: finance@olivetucc.gmail.com. Please feel free to email us for finance inquiries.
Columbus/Fall River Food Pantry - New Scheduling Information
Effective January 1, 2025, the Columbus Fall River Food Pantry will have a new phone number for scheduling an appointment. The new number is 608-893-3079. Please leave a message if there is no answer. The messages will be checked daily by the church that is hosting for that month. The food pantry is open on Thursdays from 4:00 pm to 6:45 pm. It is in the back of the Columbus Community Center, 125 N. Dickason Blvd., Columbus.
Thank you to the following churches for serving: Connection Church-Pastor Jamie Turner, St. Jerom Jim Leeser, Faith Lutheran Church-Pastor Andrew Perger, Olivet Congregational UCC-Pastor Sandy Schieble (Interim Pastor), Zion Lutheran Church-Pastor Tim Schwartz, First Presbyterian Church, Columbus United Methodist Church-Rev. Sang Wook Park, Columbus Community Church of the Nazarene-Pastor Chris Baker, and Wisconsin Academy-Pastor Jonathon Fetrick.
News from Our Quilters
Like clockwork each second & fourth Wednesday mornings our ladies can be found laying out color schemes for quilts, tying them, sorting fabric and cutting squares (the sewing takes place in their homes). It is a beehive of activity in the fellowship hall. We would love to have you come - No experience necessary!
We are also in need of blankets and batting for the inside of our quilts and flat sheets for the back.
Receiving the Newsletter – Get It Your Way
The majority of newsletters, however, will be sent electronically to members and friends for whom we have correct email addresses. And the third means of distribution is to pick up a copy from the info table in the narthex.
Please contact the church office should you wish to change the manner in which you receive this valuable monthly document, or to update any of your contact information. If you have not received the newsletter at all, let the office know that too. We want you to be informed so you can participate in the goings-on at Olivet.
New Email Address for Olivet
Please note that Olivet has a new email address: olivetucc.columbus@gmail.com
Our email account was hacked, and the only option was to open a new account for us. Please update your contact information for Olivet UCC.
As a reminder
We had some trouble with our church being unlocked with the lights on after worship. It is mostly a case of our not knowing if someone else is in the building and not wanting to disrupt them. With a multi-story building that can easily happen. However, we all need to be vigilant about locking up. Lights left burning cost us $$.
We are always striving to keep our records current at Olivet. If you have a new address, phone number or email please let us know by giving us a call at 920-623-5140 or email us at:
olivetucc.columbus@gmail.com. Thank you for your help with this!
Messages on the Outdoor Sign
Are you watching the messages on the outdoor sign? They change about weekly. If you walk near the sign, you will see a number of “ministry rocks.” They are for the taking, if you wish. You might have fun placing them around town to be found by others as sort of a fun surprise.
Olivet now features E-Giving; an online service to allow you to make your donations in a secure way that also helps you track your donations over the year. Please see our E-Giving page on this website.
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