"Through the Study Window"

The Newsletter of Peru Community Church

November 2026

From Our Pastors                                                                             Gratitude, Hope and the Work Ahead

Dear Friends,

November is an interesting month in the life of the church. The leaves are falling. The days are getting shorter. The temperatures remind us that winter is waiting just around the corner. And somehow, before we know it, we will be talking about Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and the end of another year.

November can feel like a month of endings. But we think November also invites us to pay attention to something else: what is still growing.

There is a lot in our world that can make us discouraged. We see division and anger. We see people struggling to make 

ends meet. We see wars that seem to have no easy answers. We see the continuing challenges of racism, climate change, economic inequality, and the erosion of trust in our institutions. And sometimes the temptation is to retreat—to turn inward, protect ourselves, and simply hope things get better.

But that is not the way of Jesus. Jesus continually called people to look beyond themselves. To notice the person who was being overlooked. To feed the hungry. To welcome the stranger. To challenge systems that diminished human beings. To create communities where people who had been pushed to the margins could find a place. That work is still ours.

And we are increasingly convinced that one of the most important things the church can offer in this moment is not certainty. It is community.

A place where we can come together across our differences. A place where we can ask difficult questions without being afraid. A place where faith can evolve rather than remain frozen in the past. A place where we can laugh together, grieve together, worship together, learn together, and remind one another that none of us has to navigate life alone.

That is what we see happening in our congregation.

• We see it when we gather around tables.
• We see it in our ministries of justice and compassion.
• We see it in the people who quietly show up week after week to make worship happen.
• We see it in our children and young people.
• We see it in our conversations about faith, doubt, politics, justice, and what it means to follow Jesus in the twenty-first century.
• And we see it whenever someone walks through our doors who isn't quite sure whether there is still a place for them in the church—and discovers that there is. There is.

November also brings Thanksgiving. Gratitude is more than simply making a list of the things for which we are thankful. Gratitude changes the way we see the world. It reminds us that our lives are connected to countless other people and that much of what sustains us is something we did not create by ourselves. So this November, we invite you to practice gratitude—not as an escape from the difficult realities of our world, but as a way of finding the courage to face them.

• Be grateful for the people who have shaped you.
• Be grateful for the people sitting beside you in worship.
• Be grateful for the people who challenge you to think differently.
• Be grateful for the people who make you laugh.
• Be grateful for those who have loved you when you were difficult to love.
• And perhaps most importantly, be grateful for the opportunity we have to make a difference in the lives of others. Because gratitude is never meant to end with us.

Gratitude becomes generosity. Gratitude becomes compassion. Gratitude becomes justice. Gratitude becomes hope.

As November moves toward Advent, we will once again begin telling the ancient story of light coming into darkness.

We don't think that story is simply about something that happened long ago. It is about what we are called to do right now.

• To be people who bring light.
• To be people who refuse to give up on hope.
• To be people who believe that love is stronger than fear.
• To be people who keep making room for one another.
• And to be a church that doesn't simply talk about the world Jesus dreamed of—but participates in creating it.

So, as the leaves fall and the days grow shorter, we hope you will join us. Come to worship. Come to lunch. Come to a study or a conversation. Come to one of our justice and mission ministries. Come simply to sit with other people for a while. You don't have to have all the answers. Neither do we. But together, we can keep asking the questions, keep learning, keep growing, and keep becoming the kind of community Jesus imagined.

There is still work to do. There is still beauty to notice. There is still love to give. And there is still hope. We are deeply grateful that we get to do this work together.

Happy November. With gratitude,

Phil & Leigh
Pastors

ZOOM Log-In Information for Sunday Morning Worship

Bible Readings for November 2026 - Lectionary Year A

November Worship: A Month of Remembering, Gratitude, and Hope

November invites us to slow down. It is a month filled with memories, gratitude, reflection, and, eventually, the hope of Advent. We invite you to join us for worship throughout this meaningful month as we make our way together toward Christmas.

November 1 — All Saints Sunday👼
We will remember and celebrate the people whose lives have shaped us. We will speak their names, light candles, and give thanks for the love that continues to connect us across generations.

November 8 — Remembering Veterans 🗽
We will honor those who have served our country and reflect together on sacrifice, courage, peace, and our calling to be people who work for a more peaceful world.

November 15 — Faith for the Real World 🌎
What does it mean to follow Jesus in the world we actually live in? We will explore how our faith calls us to live with compassion, courage, justice, and love—not just on Sunday, but every day.

November 22 — Christ the King & Thanksgiving Sunday ♰ 
We will celebrate a different kind of kingdom—one where love, compassion, and service matter more than power. And we will gather with grateful hearts, remembering that gratitude calls us to generosity and care for others.

November 29 — Advent Begins 🎄
Advent is here! We will begin our journey toward Christmas by making room for hope—the kind of hope that shines even when the world feels dark.

Throughout November, we invite you to come as you are. Bring your memories. Bring your questions. Bring your gratitude. Bring your grief. Bring your hope. Come worship with us. Come find community. Come share the journey. There is a place for you here. We look forward to seeing you in worship.

Use the link below to visit the calendar of events and meetings at Peru Community Church

•  Priscilla (Pam) Altizer
•  Deborah Lyn Bell
•  Sandra M. Lashua
•  Barbara Copeland Perry
•  Merritt F. Spear
•  Rev. Dr. Robert E. Svenson

Mountain of Food - Collecting November 1^st - 29^th

Our Mission focus for the month of November 2026 is the Plattsburgh Interfaith Food Shelf (housed in the Plattsburgh UMC).  List of suggested non-perishable foods listed in the graphic below.

The weeks leading up to an election can be filled with noise—campaigns, arguments, anxiety, headlines, and uncertainty. Before we enter the final stretch, we invite you to step away from the noise for a little while. 

Join us for Pre-Midterm Election Vespers, a simple service of prayer, music, reflection, silence, and hope. This will not be a political rally or a partisan gathering. It will be an opportunity to remember that beneath our political differences, we are human beings sharing a community and a common world. 

Together we will pray for our nation, our communities, our neighbors, our leaders, and all those who feel anxious or uncertain about what lies ahead. We will make space for honest reflection, renewed hope, and the courage to live our values with compassion and integrity. 

Sunday, November 1 

🕯️ 4:00 pm Peru Community Church Chapel in the Fellowship Center 

🕯️ 6:00 pm Plattsburgh United Methodist Church Chapel 

Come as you are. Bring your questions, your hopes, your concerns, or simply your need for a quiet hour. 

Before we cast our votes, let us remember who we are—and who we are called to be together. 

All are welcome.

Ruining Lunch - The Social Community

What does it mean to put our faith into action—not just in how we treat one another, but in how we respond to the injustices and challenges facing our community?

Join us for our next Ruining Lunch at Plattsburgh United Methodist Church on Thursday, November 12, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. We’ll share some soup, conversation, and a little good trouble as we explore the United Methodist Social Principles, focusing on The Social Community.

We’ll talk about what our faith has to say about poverty, family, LGBTQ+ inclusion, addiction, racism, gender equality, reproductive justice, and the systems that shape our lives. We’ll also wrestle honestly with the places where the Social Principles challenge us, raise difficult questions, or leave us with more work to do.

And we’ll bring the conversation home to Plattsburgh and the North Country. What might it look like for our congregation to move beyond responding to immediate needs and also work toward a more just and compassionate community?

You don’t need to be a United Methodist—or agree with everything we’ll discuss—to join us. Bring your questions, your experiences, your convictions, and your willingness to listen and learn from one another.

Come for the soup. Stay for the conversation. Leave with something to think about—and maybe a little good trouble to get into!

I hope you’ll join us as we continue exploring what it means to live out a faith rooted in compassion, justice, and the dignity of every person.

📅 Thursday, November 12
🕦 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM
📍 Plattsburgh United Methodist Church

🍲 Soup, beverages, and dessert provided. Bring a sandwich!

⛄Peru Community Church Begins Planning Winter Vacation Bible Camp ⛄

Peru Community Church is beginning plans for a Winter Vacation Bible Camp for children during February school vacation week!

Our first organizational meeting will be held Thursday, November 12, at 6:00 p.m. at Peru Community Church. Anyone interested in helping plan this exciting new ministry is invited to join us.

The camp will offer children an opportunity to spend time together enjoying Bible stories, music, crafts, games, and other fun activities in a welcoming and faith-filled environment. Our hope is to create a memorable experience where children can build friendships, explore their faith, and discover the importance of kindness, compassion, and community.

At our November meeting, we will begin discussing possible themes, dates, activities, volunteer needs, supplies, and ways to invite families from throughout our community to participate.

You do not need to have experience with Vacation Bible Camp to get involved! Whether you enjoy working with children, sharing Bible stories, leading music, preparing crafts, organizing activities, or helping behind the scenes, there is a place for you.

We are excited about the possibility of offering a joyful and meaningful winter vacation experience for children and families in our community.

Come share your ideas and help us get started!

Medicare Open Enrollment at PERU COMMUNITY CHURCH on November 19th   9 am - 3 pm

The Church Office will be closed on Thursday, November 26th and 27th for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Recycle Your Bottles & Cans to Benefit Peru Community Church!

Looking for an easy way to support our church? Bring your redeemable bottles and cans to Morrisonville Redemption to help benefit Peru Community Church! 

Simply go in and tell them you would like your bottle deposit funds to go on the Peru Community Church account. 

It’s a simple way to recycle, give back, and support our church!  Thank you for your generosity!

Morrisonville Redemption is located at 1807 Route 22B, Morrisonville (across from Quabbin Valley Auction)

They are open 9 am to 5 pm - Monday thru Saturday (Closed on Holidays)

Mooers UMC 8 am; Three Steeples UMC 9 am; Peru Community Church 9 am; Plattsburgh UMC 10:15 am; Saranac UMC 11:15 am