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 November 2026 Vol.I, No.11 |
| Welcome to the new format for the this edition of The Ivy Vine,Ivy Chapel’s monthly newsletter-please click at the bottom of the email to view the entire newsletter in this format. The newsletter can be opened in a pdf format by clicking this link. If you would like a pdf format of the Vine emailed,please contact Kara in the office at ivychapelucc@ivychapel.org . |
 November’s Message From the Pastor Rev. Dr. Carol Trissell |
| November is upon us. Hard to believe we are nearing the end of 2026. November does bring an end to the liturgical church year. In the final days of this month, Ordinary Time will draw to a close and Advent will begin. Beginnings and endings are the stuff of the church liturgical year as we have moved from Advent to Christmas, to Epiphany, to Lent, to Easter, to Pentecost, and finally to Ordinary Time. Beginnings and endings are the stuff of our ordinary human lives. We celebrate the additions to our families through birth and marriage. We mourn the loss of beloved family members and friends. We begin our working life in our teens and twenties. We end our careers in retirement. This cycle of life continues to turn on and on and on. Here at Ivy Chapel, we are bringing an end to the interim transition period. The Pastoral Search Committee has posted our church profile for a Settled Pastor. Several applications have been received and reviewed. Interviews of selected candidates have started and continue. In the near future, the Pastoral Search Committee will narrow these candidates to a final one to recommend to the congregation. In the next few months, Ivy Chapel will call a new Pastor and celebrate the beginning of another chapter in the rich history of our faith community. My time as your Interim Pastor will conclude. This is the stuff of church life and a normal cycle of church leadership. Pastors come and pastors go. The mission of Ivy Chapel carries on unabated during these changes for you as members are the Church. You have done the challenging work of an interim period. You have added new spiritual muscles. We have grieved the past, such as the massive changes that happened during the COVID pandemic. We have worked together to address some unresolved issues, like the replacement of the Sweet Gum trees near our main entrance. We have tried on new things like “Homecoming” and a drive through style Pet Blessing. We have restored essential parts of who we are, such as weekly fellowship time and quarterly opportunities to share a meal together. Through all of this work, we have carried on the mission and ministries of Ivy Chapel. So, as we near the end of our liturgical year and interim period, let’s celebrate what God has done in us and through us! Let’s embrace what is to come and what God has for in store for us in 2027. We have been blessed. May we go forward, filled with the Spirit, in our commitment to Be A Blessing to each other and to our community. May it be so! Amen. |
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| 1 Nov 2026, Twenty-third Sun after Pentecost: Psalm 34:1-10,22 and Hebrews 12:1-3 8 Nov 2026, Twenty-fourth Sun after Pentecost: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25, Psalm 78:1-7 15 Nov 2026, Twenty-fifth Sun after Pentecost: Psalm 123, Matthew 25:14-30 22 Nov 2026, Twenty-sixth Sun after Pentecost, Reign of Christ: Psalm 95:1-7, Matthew 25:31-40 29 Nov 2026, First Sun of Advent: Isaiah 64:1-9, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37 6 Dec 2026, Second Sun of Advent: Isaiah 40:1-11, Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8 All of the scripture we use for worship can be found through this link to the Vanderbilt University library’s lectionary collection. |
| Ivy will now be including Prayer Requests in our weekly KYPs .If you would like a prayer to be included in our weekly KYP or worship announcements, please contact Pastor Carol, the main office or submit them through our website on the prayer request page. |
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| Each month the Ivy Chapel Council will provide an update to the Ivy community in the monthly newsletter, The Ivy Vine, regarding the search for our new Pastor. If there are special updates those will also be announced in the weekly KYP’s and posted on the website. |
| SEARCH UPDATE: In October, the Settled Pastor Selection Committee held online interviews with potential candidates. They are looking to schedule second interviews and continue to move forward in this process. They are very excited about the candidates so far and for what that will mean for Ivy’s future. |
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| —Valerie Waterman for her efforts to provide worship music, particularly right after returning from vacation! —EVERYONE who worked to make the Fall BBQ and Pet Blessing a success! —Stewardship Committee for this year’s Stewardship season and Consecration luncheon, especially Kara White for her efforts planning and organizing the luncheon. —Dave Mentzel and Frank Purviance for crafting the “old rugged cross” from the sweet gum trees previously cut down |
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| Thank you to everyone who participated in our Stewardship season this year. All of our guest speakers who shared from their hearts so willingly and those who planned everything- we truly appreciate your efforts. Ivy would also like to thank everyone who filled out their pledge cards for 2027. We are looking forward to a bright future where we can all “Be A Blessing” here at Ivy Chapel. |
 Mark your calendars to join us on Sunday, December 6th after worship, for the Annual Congregational Meeting. Look for a letter from the Moderator and more information in the coming weeks. |
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| #VoteWith Love Elections are this month and the United Church of Christ encourages you to #VoteWithLove when you go to the polls. To check your registration and get information on where to vote and what the issues are on Nov. 3rd you can check Vote411.org |
| Ivy Chapel will be hosting their annual Fall Blood Drive on Thursday, Nov. 5th from 4-7pm–If you are able to give and haven’t yet signed up please follow the link below and -Give Blood-Save a Life! Sign up is available by clicking here. |
| Chesterfield UCC’s Tri-Family Thanksgiving Feast! Sign up now for the annual Tri-Family Thanksgiving feast on Sunday, Nov 22nd, at 11:30 at St. John’s UCC. We will again join together with our sister churches in the Chesterfield area –St. John’s and St. Thomas- to have a meal and fellowship together. We will gather around the table to break bread with one another just like the first Thanksgiving. Please sign up so we have plenty of turkey and bring your favorite Thanksgiving side or dessert to share. Click here to sign up through the online form. |
Be sure to join us on Sunday, Nov. 29th for a special service to celebrate the beginning of the Advent Season. We will be “Hanging the Greens” during worship. During our Fellowship Time following worship, there will be a Soup Potluck Lunch. After we have “fueled up” we will be finishing the rest of our decorating. A sign-up sheet will be available starting Sunday. We will be asking for crock pots of soup. The Christian Education Board will supply crackers, bread, drinks and dessert. Contact Linda Lowry with questions. All hands are welcome! Come and share this festive time as we prepare ourselves and Ivy Chapel for the Advent Season, leading us to Christmas.
Isaiah 58 provides holiday meals to over 700 local families. Each family receives holiday groceries and gift cards to celebrate the season with joy and grace. If you wish to donate, please make checks out to Ivy Chapel, designate Buy-A-Bird and place in the offering plate. Donations can be made through Dec. 14th.
Christmas preparations begin early when there are many children and families to serve. This year Every Child’s Hope is asking for $25 Amazon gift cards so that all children in their residential care , foster homes and day programs can receive a gift that has meaning for each of them. Beginning November 1, you can help bring joy by donating a $25 Amazon gift card or a monetary donation labeled ECH Christmas. Please place them in the offering plate or hand them to Kathryn Kuntzman any Sunday in November. Thank you for sharing the Christmas spirit with the children.
| The Mary and Martha Women’s Group and All Those Who Will Have A Warm Coat This Winter want to our express our APPRECIATION AND MANY THANKS to all of you who donated coats to Isaiah 58 in October. Our collection box overflowed with coats! We hope you will think of the people you blessed by keeping them warm in cold weather. |
| Trustees contracted with Schaeffer Electric to replace a failed light fixture in the Men’s room and were able to have them replace three lamps in the Sanctuary ceiling. All are shining brightly. This was done on an emergency basis last Friday before a busy weekend with the Square Dance folks on Friday eve and a busy Saturday with large AA groups. All the Sanctuary ceiling lights are now on after a long period of three lights being out. Assistance was given to assist Dave Mentzel in the “recovery” of the tree that was removed, and it is now a hand carved CROSS. Great job Dave….Grass cutting and yard maintenance continue. Our new member Mary O’Brien–has steered clean-up of the Memorial garden and new plantings have been added. Mark Gerdes continues to heal from his surgery and thanked us for the prayers. He is looking forward to getting back at full speed. |
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| The Women’s Mary and Martha Group met at noon Oct. 17th in the Multipurpose Room and began with a devotion from Linda Lowry. Sarah Heend joined us for the meeting and presented materials from the County Library and gave us information on new books available for ourselves or to buy for gifts. A flyer featuring Library Services which you may not be aware of will be placed on Ivy’s Bulletin Board. Our next meeting will be on Nov. 17th at 1:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room and we will bring candies and items to fill the decorated favor boxes for Lydia’s House Thanksgiving Meal that we made in Sept. We will also bring a favorite Thanksgiving memory to share and we will discuss a Christmas Basket for the Seven Pines Emmaus Home. |
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| The Confirmation class is scheduled for Sunday, November 15th after Worship and Fellowship time. Sunday School will still happen on the first and third Sundays of the month after the Children’s Worship portion of the service. Confirmation Sunday is on the horizon, and we are excited for the youth who have been involved in the process over the past year to be able to share their journey with Ivy and join our membership. Be on the lookout for more information regarding fall and winter activities and ways to participate in the upcoming holiday season’s events! |
| Be sure to stay up to date with everything related to Ivy Youth by following us on Instagram and Facebook. All of our activities are also posted on the Youth page of the Ivy website. Please Let Tara know if you have any questions regarding the Youthby contacting her at tara@ivychapel.org |
Sunday Youth Activities
| Nov. 1— Sunday School for ALL youth following the Children’s Message Nov. 8 —Grab a worship bag and join us for the service Nov. 15 —Sunday School for ALL youth following the Children’s Message Confirmation Class meets after Fellowship Nov. 22 —Grab a worship bag and join us for the service Nov. 29 —Join us as we participate in worship through helping with the”Hanging of the Greens” during service *Everything is tentatively scheduled-please check with Christian Ed for details |
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| November Birthdays: Alicia Carr — Erin Bowman — Pastor Carol — Matthew Amsler Shannon Farrell — Ralph Weiland — Norma Pasia Julie Mc Allister — Jennifer Wintrode –Thom Kuntzman |
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| November Anniversaries: Bill and Jan Wirtz Steve and Linda Lowry Valerie Waterman and Jim Parsons |
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| 1 Nov– Kathryn Kuntzman And Jack Molyneaux communion preparer Donna Grote 8 Nov– Donna Grote and Jan Wirtz 15 Nov– Dottie Foster and Gail Thoele 22 Nov–Kay and Earl Kreder 29 Nov– Julie McAllister and Dave Mentzel 6 Dec– Kathryn Kuntzman And Jack Molyneaux communion preparer Jan Wirtz |
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| 1 Nov– John Weiland 8 Nov– Jim French 15 Nov– Linda Lowry 22 Nov–Audrey Farrell 29 Nov– Blair Bittick 6 Dec– Julie McAllister |
| November Pat Winship — Leader Valerie Waterman — Co-leader December Kay Kreder — Leader Kathryn Kuntzman — Co-leader Please reach out to the office if you need their contact information. |
| Ahead on the Calendar –please click here for a downloadable November calendar. |
| -Totenfest, Sunday, November 1 =Weekly Worship Service, Sunday, November 1, 10am –Coffee Fellowship, Sunday, November 1, 11am –#VoteWithLove- Election Day, Tuesday, November 3 =ImpactLife Blood Drive, Thursday, November 5, 4-7pm =Weekly Worship Service, Sunday, November 8, 10am –Coffee Fellowship, Sunday, November 8, 11am -Church Council, Monday, November 9, 7pm via Zoom –Weekly Worship Service, Sunday, November 15, 10am –Coffee Fellowship, Sunday, November 15, 11am –Confirmation Class following Fellowship, Sunday, November 15, 11:30am -Mary & Martha Women’s Group Meeting, Tuesday, November 17, 1pm -Men’s Luncheon, Wednesday, November 18, 11:30 @ Spiros –Weekly Worship Service, Sunday, November 22, 10am –Tri-Fam Thanksgiving Feast, Sunday, November 22, 11:30am –Hanging of the Greens Prep, Tuesday, November 24, 10am-2pm –Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 25 –First Sunday in Advent and Hanging of the Greens, Sunday, November 29 –Weekly Worship Service, Sunday, November 29, 10am –Decorating and Fellowship, Sunday, November 29, 11am –Second Sunday of Advent –Weekly Worship Service, Sunday, December 6, 10am –Congregational Meeting following worship, Sunday, December 6 –Coffee Fellowship following Congregational Meeting, Sunday, December 6 |
| For information between newsletters be sure to follow us on our other social media- FaceBook and Instagram, links are below, and you can always find more about everything Ivy on our website! |
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Ivy Chapel United Church of Christ 620 N. Woods Mills Road Chesterfield, MO 63017 314-434-4991 ivychapelucc@ivychapel.org  |
