Join us Sunday for the next message in our series “The Greatest Teacher” Great Faith is Always Rewarded. Mark 2:1-11 Services at 8:15/10:45 am.

Next Sunday evening, October 22, we are excited to welcome the 3 Heath Brothers for a 6:30 pm concert. Doors will open at 6:00 pm. The concert is free, but you are encouraged to bring a love offering. 

And more exciting news…

We will welcome the 3 Heath Brothers for a Christmas concert on Wednesday, December 20! Tickets are available on their website now (this concert does require a ticket for admittance). General admission is $20, VIP tickets are $35 and kids 12 and under are free! Get your tickets by visiting the link below.

https://aftontickets.com/event/buyticket/k3xdyrmxw0/the-not-so-silent-night-tour

Sunday, October 29, we will be blessed by Walt Smith portraying Zacchaeus at both 8:15/10:45 am. (Pastor Brian will be here to lead the services) Invite your friends and family to visit us that day for this dramatic portrayal! 

This week we were blessed by some upgrades beginning here at the church, by Home Depot. More changes will be coming! Thanks to the Hospitality Committee for making this happen!  Please help us take care of these updated spaces! 

Thanks to those who donated for the Winter Care Kits the ROCK is making. So far, 15 of the 50 kits have been sponsored. The ROCK will still be collecting money for this project until next Sunday, envelopes are in the sanctuary. For just $12.00 you can sponsor a kit!

The October Soup & Sandwich Luncheon will be held Saturday, October 21 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. Sign up in the sanctuary if you’d like to provide a soup or volunteer the day of the luncheon. 

The Youth Group meets Sunday evenings from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. All kids in grades 6^th – 12^th are welcome! Kids are invited to bring their friends as well! Please contact Ashley or Nic Harclerode with any questions.

**Christmas Pageant Practice** Practice will begin on Sunday, November 5 during the 10:45 service (this will replace Jr. Church until after Christmas). All kids age 4 – 5^th grade are welcome to join in! If any older kids would like to participate, they are welcome (there are quite a few reading parts this year) Please contact Ashley to let her know!

Join us Sunday for the next message in our sermon series “The Greatest Teacher” The Right Message, The Wrong People. John 4:7-26

If you can’t be here in person, join us on YouTube or listen on Spotify the next day.

Join us on Sunday evening October 22 at 6:30 pm for the 3 Heath Brothers concert. The event is free, but a love offering will be taken. There are some VIP tickets for sale for the front few rows, please contact Pastor Brian to find out more information about purchasing these tickets.

Save the Date! Sunday, October 19 we will have a 10:00 am combined worship service, followed by a potluck lunch and our Church-Wide Meeting. (This meeting replaces Church Conference) All are welcome to attend! (Please note: there will not be Sunday school this day, but the nursery will be staffed and there will still be Jr. Church)

It’s hard to believe, but our 2nd Ave Kids will begin Christmas Pageant practice on Sunday, November 5 during the Jr. Church time at 10:45. All Jr. Church age kids (age 4 – 5^th grade) are invited to participate; if any Youth age kids would like to participate, they are totally welcome, please see Ashley! The pageant will be performed at a combined worship service on Sunday, December 17.  Contact Ashley with questions or for more information ashleymiller1228@gmail.com

The ROCK will be making winter kits for local agencies to pass out to unhoused people before this upcoming winter.  All kits will be given out locally.

They are looking for folks to help sponsor kits to help offset the cost of the project. The kits they are making include a hat, gloves, socks, ponchos, hygiene items and first aid items. For just $12 you can sponsor one of these kits. We will take donations until October 15.

Envelopes are available in the sanctuary for this special sponsorship.  Please make any checks payable to “The ROCK.” 

Please contact Ashley with any questions ashleymiller1228@gmail.com

November 19 will be a combined service at 10:00 am followed by a church pot luck lunch and all-church meeting. This meeting will replace Church Conference. It will recap 2023 and look ahead to 2024. If you are apart of any committees in the church and plan to not participate in 2024, please let the committee head know ASAP so a replacement can be found and approved before this meeting.

This Sunday, we will celebrate World Communion Sunday at both 8:15 & 10:45 pm and be blessed by special music at each service as well.  We will continue our sermon series “The Greatest Teacher” with this week’s message The Spirit is Coming, from John 14:15-21. If you missed last week’s message, you can catch up on YouTube or by listening on Spotify or from our app.

Youtube
2nd Ave GMC Youtube channel

Link to Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5cLpEiYVVTXscfz4Tijk9P

Link to our
https://www.jotform.com/app/232194707336155

Sunday is also our Hoss’s fundraiser for The ROCK and BEN Blessed. Please take a flyer to the Altoona Hoss’s, have a delicious meal and 20% of your total will be donated back to these causes. (You must take a copy of the flyer, which is available in the church sanctuary). Hoss’s is open 11:00 am – 8:30 pm. 

Sunday, October 22 at 6:30 pm, we will host a free concert with The 3 Heath Brothers. (A love offering will be taken). All are welcome. Check them out on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@3heathbrothers

This Friday is our food giveaway for any Blair county residents in need. If you’d like to donate any non-perishable items, they can be dropped off Monday – Thursday between 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.

Sunday is World Communion Sunday. We will celebrate at both services.  Sunday is also the Hoss’s fundraiser to support The ROCK and BEN Blessed. Please make sure to pick up a flyer to support these non-profits.

Save the date! The 3 Heath Brothers will be here to have a concert on October 22 at 6:30 pm. Free! A love-offering will be taken. Check them out on YouTube by clicking here!

Thanks to those folks who helped load and unload clothes for the Hope Chest last evening! Help will now be needed to sort and prepare the clothes for appointments. Please let us know if you’d like to help out.

Beginning today, in-office hours will extend for the fall and winter to 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Monday – Thursday. (Reminder, these are not Pastor Brian’s hours) We are available by email until 4:00 pm Monday -Friday. The office is closed most bank holidays and usually if the AASD is closed.

Our Food Pantry is held the last Friday each month for any Blair County residents in need. If you’d like to donate any non-perishable items, please do so during office hours or on Sundays. Donations can be placed on the stage in the social hall.  For September, it will be open on Friday the 29

The ROCK is back in full swing for the 2023 – 2024 session! Kids ages 4 through 12^th grade are welcome each Wednesday (when there is school) from 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm. Ashley can always use more volunteers. Please reach out to her for more information ashleymiller1228@gmail.com.

Save the Date Sunday, November 19 we will have a 10:00 am combined service, a luncheon, our church-wide meeting and then decorate for Advent. All are encouraged to attend and stay for lunch and the meeting!

We hope you can join us Sunday as we continue the series “Wisdom for the Ages” with this week’s message: Big Picture Proverbs 22:1-6.

Join us for Sunday School for ages 4 – Adults from 9:30 am – 10:30 am, our nursery is staffed for the 10:45 service. The nursery is for kids 3 and under. We also have Jr. Church for kids age 4 to 5^th grade available at 10:45

Youth Group for students in 6^th – 12^th grade Sunday evenings from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Contact Nic or Ashley Harclerode or Pastor Brian with any questions.

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 16 is our monthly free luncheon, all are welcome!

Sunday, September 17 is the Hope Chest fall clothing pick up at the Jaffa at 5:00 pm. Please contact Pastor Brian with any questions. 

The ROCK kicked off this past week with 42 kids! That’s one of the biggest first nights ever! Thank you to our volunteers and to our ROCK leader, Ashley, for growing this program so much over the last few years. If you want to help out with this Wednesday eveningprogram, reach out directly to Ashley at ashleymiller1228@gmail.com

Save the Date! Sunday, October 1 there will be a Hoss’s fundraiser for The ROCK and BEN Blessed (Altoona Hoss’s only). If you dine at Hoss’s this day, they will donate 20% of your total bill back to these programs. You must bring the printed fundraiser email for your meal to count. Copies are available in the sanctuary. 

Beginning Monday, September 18, church office hours will be Monday through Thursday 8:00 am – 2:00 pm (any changes will be announced ahead of time). Emails will be checked until 4:00 pm Mon-Fri and Jill will be here Sundays (usually for both services) if there’s anything you need that can’t be taken care of during office hours

This Wednesday kicks off the 2023-24 ROCK year! Any kids aged 4 through 12^th grade are welcome to come out every Wednesday (when there is school) from 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm for a home-cooked meal, games, lessons, gym time, crafts and more! The ROCK does require the student have attended school the day of the program, as well as kids who are not feeling well, running a fever, etc. to please stay home that evening as to not spread germs. Please contact Ashley for more information ashleymiller1228@gmail.com.

The Youth Group is in full swing! They are meeting on Sunday evenings from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm here at the church (unless otherwise announced). They have a bunch of fun activities coming up! All youth in grades 6-12 are welcome. You are welcome to bring a friend or two to join as well! If you have any questions, reach out to Nic or Ashley Harclerode or Pastor Brian.

This Saturday is our monthly Soup & Sandwich Luncheon.  This meal is served from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm and is free for all. 

Sunday will be our fall/winter Hope Chest clothing pick up. Folks will be meeting at 5:00 pm at the Jaffa to pick up the donation to transport it back here to the church. Contact Pastor Brian for more information.