November 2026 TCC Newsletter

<sub>There’s something that happens every November that has always been a bit uncomfortable for me, and it’s not having family over for Thanksgiving. November is the month of our annual meeting, when the congregation votes on the budget and officers for the next year–and that means we have to talk about membership.

Talking about membership has felt awkward for me because I feel like I have to apologize for it. Membership is not a popular idea anymore. Some people feel uneasy about committing to membership; others feel like membership excludes people. I totally understand these feelings, and yet I’ve always felt that there was something important about membership. Turns out, according to Charles Vogl’s The Art of Community, I was onto something.

The first of Vogl’s seven “principles of community” is the Boundary Principle. Healthy communities, Vogl says, have a clear boundary that marks who is “in” from who is not. That sounds like exclusion to us–why would a boundary be important? Vogl gives several reasons:</sub>

1. _{Boundaries help to define the character of your community. A community with no boundaries has no way to ensure that its members share the same values. Having boundaries around membership helps us to communicate and preserve our identity as a congregation.}
   
2. _{Boundaries help people feel comfortable and safe. I see this all the time: when new people come to our church and begin to understand our values as a church, they become confident, even excited. They know what we stand for, and they know they can trust us to uphold those values.}
   
3. _{Boundaries help guests to feel comfortable exploring our congregation. If there are no boundaries, then guests don’t know how far they can go before they’ve “committed themselves” to the congregation.}
   

<sub>So how do we maintain boundaries without becoming exclusionary? The key is in how we treat people outside the boundaries of membership. The most common feedback I get from visitors is about how welcoming our congregation is. We don’t think that church membership makes you a better person, and we don’t check for membership cards at the door. Membership is not a badge, it’s a commitment to support the character and values of the congregation. As long as that character includes being enthusiastically welcoming, we will continue to be a strong family committed to loving our neighbors. And that’s what I love about Turner Christian Church.

Happy Thanksgiving!</sub>

<sub>I just want to take a moment to tell you how much your letters, stickers, and little gifts through our mailbox mean to us!

Every single time that little red flag is up, our students come running in, squealing, “THE FLAG IS UP! THE FLAG IS UP!” It is such a delight, and I wish you all could experience it!

They pour over the notes, ask us to read them again and again, and love seeing them displayed on our bulletin board. The mail has become a daily conversation among our students. They talk about who sent what, share the details, and regularly remind each other of the names of Miss Teri’s pigs: Pete and Repete. (And if you think a little giggle follows every single time they say those names, you would be absolutely right!)

These little moments may seem simple, but they have become something really special in our classroom. Your notes give the children a tangible connection to the people, places, and experiences we talk about together. They make learning feel personal, and they bring so much joy to our days.

So, from all of us to all of you, THANK YOU! Thank you for taking the time to engage with us in this way. It means more than we can tell you!

And if you missed it in our August newsletter, we have a white mailbox at the end of the hallway that we would absolutely love to receive mail in throughout the year. Notes, pictures, stickers, little updates, or anything you'd like to share are always welcome.

We promise that little red flag will never go unnoticed!</sub>

_{We had SEVEN baptisms on October 11th! Congratulations to Scott and Rachel Barham, Anita Geiling, Brennan and Evelynn Kline, Eve Walborn, and Remi Martin. Additionally, Cassie Kline placed her membership with TCC. Praise God!}

_{Seniors, this month we will be having a pizza and game day!
Bring your favorite games to share and enjoy pizza and social time. Please register so we have a count for the pizza.
Hope to see you there!}

_{On November 22nd at 9:00 am, we will be holding a Congregational Brunch. At the brunch we will report on 2026 and present the budget and officers for 2027. Members will then vote on the budget and officers. Please plan to attend so you can be informed before you vote.}

<sup>The Country Mouse Holiday Market offers a wide variety of handcrafted gifts, edibles, art, jewelry, woodcrafts, collectables and so much more! Come peruse over 90 booths in two historic buildings: the Tabernacle built in 1891 and Pioneer Hall build in 1886.

The atmosphere is worth coming for! Local food trucks and other eating options are available onsite. Bring your friends and make a day of it! If you have any questions about the event or are interested in being a vendor please email info@nwchristiannetwork.com</sup>

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