October 31st, 2025 | Rev. Dr. Mark Charles

Dear Memorial Family,

How can it be October 31st already? As we move into November, we start as we always do - by marking one of the most sacred and comforting days in our church year: All Saints' Sunday.

At all our worship services this weekend, we will pause to remember those beloved saints from our Memorial family who have entered eternal life in the past year. As we name them, we will ring a bell and light a candle in their memory. This is a powerful, sacred moment of remembrance that we know is especially helpful for the families who mourn.

Beyond those we have loved and lost recently, we also give profound thanks for the entire great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us—for their faithfulness, for the influence they had in our lives, and for how they faithfully told us the story of God's great love, the Gospel. This is the community that holds us together in grace.

As we honor the saints, we must also continue their work of mission. Tomorrow, November 1st, due to the current government shutdown, vast numbers of Americans will lose their SNAP benefits. This is an immediate crisis that strips families of their ability to put food on their tables and will put immense pressure on food banks and feeding ministries in the weeks ahead.

This is a moment where our commitment to ensure that Christ’s love shows up must meet the immediate needs of our neighbors.

We are all in a position to help in some way. I invite you to respond with extra, wholehearted generosity this Sunday morning by bringing non-perishable food items for Barnabas to church.

(The most requested items for Barnabas right now are: Canned fruits and vegetables (low sodium/low sugar), Canned beans and proteins (tuna or chicken), Whole grains (pasta and rice.)

Other ways you can help through Memorial are by making a financial donation marked for one of our faithful feeding ministry partners: Gracie's Kitchen or IDN.

You can hear a direct and heartfelt call to action from our Bishop, Tom Berlin, in this short video: HERE.

And you can learn more about our local feeding ministries and how you can help HERE.

Let us come together this Sunday to both remember the saints and emulate their boundless generosity.

Blessings

Pastor Charlie

P.S. A Couple of Other Reminders!

1. We gain an extra hour of sleep this weekend as Daylight Saving Time ends! Please remember to set your clocks back one hour so you can join us on time for our All Saints' services.

2. As I always say, "It’s never too late to make a pledge!” We are still receiving completed pledge cards. Feel free to return them in the offering plate or drop them by/mail them in to the church office at your convenience. Or use our digital pledge card HERE.