A Joint Newsletter of St. John s Episcopal Church & Union Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ. December

Transcription

1 A Joint Newsletter of St. John s Episcopal Church & Union Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ December 2017

2 CREATE-A-CHRISTMAS & COLLEGE STUDENT CARE CARDS Create-A-Christmas and College Student Care Packages are a joint UCC and St. John s mission outreach project that we ve been doing for many years. This year we are receiving special offerings through Sunday, December 3rd. Create -A-Christmas donations brighten the holidays for folks in our community by providing gifts and food for individuals and families of lesser means. We receive names from the CDC. Also, if you know a family who could use some help, please talk with Pastor Jenny. Smith s Gift Certificates are provided to each family and our younger members have a fun afternoon shopping for the gifts. College Care Cards donations gift our college students from both congregations during finals week. We send them a Christmas greeting with encouragement for finals exams and papers as well as a $15 Subway gift card, so they can take healthy breaks from their studies. It s a great way to let them know folks from their home church are thinking of them.

3 ST. JOHN S POINSETTIA ORDER FORMS One of the beautiful holiday traditions of Mansface Church is poinsettias in the sanctuary as memorials/honorariums for loved ones. The flowers will decorate the sanctuary during the Advent & Christmas seasons, and on Christmas Eve there will be an insert in the bulletins listing all those remembered in this way. To support this program, please fill out this form (or get one at church) and put it in the Poinsettia envelope on the Secretary s desk or in the offering plate with $15.00 per plant. Orders and checks may also be mailed to: Mansface Church - P.O. Box Green River, WY Make checks out to St. John s Church. ST. JOHN S POINSETTIA ORDER FORM No. of Poinsettias In Memory Of From: In Honor Of From: Amount enclosed: $ Turn in by December 10, 2017 UCC POINSETTIA ORDER FORMS One of the beautiful holiday traditions of Mansface Church is poinsettias in the sanctuary as memorials/honorariums for loved ones. The flowers will decorate the sanctuary during the Advent & Christmas seasons, and on Christmas Eve there will be an insert in the bulletins listing all those remembered in this way. To support this program, please fill out this form (or get one at church) and put it in the Poinsettia envelope attached along with $15.00 per plant and put it in the offering plate on Sunday. Orders and checks may also be mailed to: Mansface Church - P.O. Box Green River, WY Please make checks out to UCC. UCC POINSETTIA ORDER FORM No. of Poinsettias In Memory Of Or From: In Honor Of From: Amount enclosed: $ Turn in by December 10, 2017

4 St John s Episcopal Church 350 Mansface / P.O. Box 400 Green River, WY mansfacechurch@sweetwaterhsa.com St. John s December Worship Schedule December3, First Sunday of Advent 1o:oo Hanging of the Greens -Joint Worship with UCC Service Leader: TBA Reader: TBA December 10, Second Sunday of Advent 11:00 Holy Eucharist Service Leader: Rev. Ruth Lauritzen Reader: Terry Warren December 17, Third Sunday of Advent 11:00 Holy Eucharist Service: Rev. Walt Seeley Reader: Chuck Realing December 24, Fourth Sunday of Advent 6:30 Christmas Eve Worship Service: Rev, Ruth Lauritzen Reader: Angie Bennett December 31, First Sunday after Christmas 10:00 New Years Eve Joint Worship Service Leader: TBA Reader: TBA

5 Please remember these families in your prayers Rev. Dennis Serdald, Cherie and Jack Haire, Eleonore, Jose Alvarez, Margo, Jack, Kyle, Tim, Evie Grace Huebner, Kasyn, the Porter family, Marion, Kenny, Nathan and Briana Wolfe, Joan Palin, Gary Rieben, Kristin Gasaway, Friede Foster, Don Reuss, and Debbie and Kendra. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Kerry Lewis who passed away on November 14 th. Kerry is the daughter of Chuck and Wilma Realing. Thane and Jean Yennie had a very busy October. Their son Jeff married Hailey Hall in Rapid City, South Dakota on October 21. Congratulations to the happy couple. David & Mary Ortega 28 Carly King 3 Marion Deichmuller 18 Rick Wagner 20 Thursday Night Book Study The Thursday evening Bible class is beginning a lectionary-based study of the scripture passages for Sunday. We meet at 6:30 p.m. and are usually home by 8:00 p.m. All are welcome.

6 The next Vestry meeting will be Sunday, December 10 after coffee hour. The Priest s Corner Where has the time gone? We are entering December, the season of Advent. The focus of the entire season is preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. We are much like that ourselves, looking back at the past while looking ahead to the future and wondering what the future holds. We are also counting down the last month I will be here at St. John s. It hardly seems possible, and I will miss being with you all very much, but it s time. Ruth has prepared long and hard and is ready to take over the priest s duties, and it is time for me to step back. When we wonder what the future holds for our church, we often ask questions like: Will we grow? Can we maintain? Will our numbers continue to dwindle? The truth is no one knows. We just need to have faith, do our part of the ministry of St. John s and invite people to come be a part of our worshiping family. Hospitality is very important it s the first and sometimes the last impression a person has of the church. I have to believe that God desires for St. John s to flourish. We just need to discern what this looks like and what we are called to do. One important thing to continue is to gather together to study and pray. Studying God s word in community with other believers is one of the surest ways to hear God s voice. Whether you come together to read scripture and discuss what it is saying to you, or use a prepared Bible study with commentary and questions, read a book together or watch a video, the important thing is that you keep meeting and studying together, talking about God and listening for God s voice. Always look for God, even in the most unexpected places, and in the faces of all you come in contact with. Jesus never showed up where people expected him and he always hung out with the wrong people, the weak, marginalized and gave them hope of the Kingdom of God coming near. Likewise when we minister to those less fortunate at the Thrift Shop or help those in need wherever and whenever we can, we are doing God s work. In the end, all we can do is try to be found ready, doing God s work and listening for God s will. Don t be afraid to set goals and to dream. Noted British novelist, poet and lay theologian once said, You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. Dream together, set goals together, study and pray together, be found doing God s work and you will find God s will. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Numbers 6: Walt

7 PASTORAL PONDERINGS Something Old, Something New It is hard to believe, but in another week, we will be entering a most sacred time in our church year. Sunday, December 3rd, we begin the Advent journey to Bethlehem. This is always one of my favorite times of year in the church. It s a time where traditions of the past merge with the wonder of the present. We sing carols both old and new, cherishing the ones we ve sung since childhood, delighting in the new ones even if we trip over a few notes. We tell the old, old story of God coming into our world as a tiny infant. We hear it in the reading of ancient texts as well as in the telling of new stories that give voice to a bossy cow and other animals gathering around the manger. Every year we gather around Advent wreaths and are filled with hope, peace, joy and love. And perhaps best of all is Christmas Eve. With lights dimmed low, we hear the sacred story once more. We sing our favorite carols. We light individual candles, and as we sing Silent Night and gaze into the flame, we can feel God s embrace. The gift of Jesus is for us, personally and for the world, universally. Our hearts open; the gift is received. Christians have been celebrating Christmas for a long time. Centuries. I m not sure when the Advent Wreath was introduced, sometime in the Middle Ages. It was borrowed and adapted from German and Scandinavian solstice traditions. Then, candles were lit to give hope in the dark winter. Spring would come again. Prayers were lifted up with the flickering candlelight that the earth would turn and that the warmth and light of the days would lengthen. In the church, these traditions were tweaked. Candles were lit in the weeks leading to the Christmas mass, along with prayers and readings that encouraged the hope, peace, love and joy that Christ will bring into a cold and dark world when he comes again. For centuries Christians have gathered in homes and churches during Advent with the wreath being a central symbol of hope and a tool for devotion as hearts are prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This year, we continue the tradition of gathering around the Advent Wreath to inspire hope and guide our devotion. But, this year, we will tweak the liturgy a bit. Instead of lighting a candle each week, we will start with all the Advent candles lit, and each week we will extinguish a candle. This is known as Quieting the Candles. As we quiet the candles each week, we will also quiet our minds and hearts. In moments of silence around the wreath, we will listen for God-with-us. Moments of silence this time of year are precious. Noise, busyness and hurry surround the holidays. It s easy to get exhausted and overwhelmed. The Advent Wreath this year invites us to experience the tradition of hope and devotion in a new light as we listen in the silence. Something old, something new. Christmas blessings, our hearts renew. Praying you have a season full of hope, peace, joy and love. Pastor Jenny Oh my goodness! What a surprise! Thank you for all the cards, gratitude and love you blessed me with on November 19 th to celebrate my 5 th anniversary of being your pastor. I too am so thankful that God brought us together! It is my honor to share life, faith and ministry with you. With much love and thanks, PJenny

8 Sunday, December 3: 10:00 a.m. Hanging of the Greens Worship & Communion 11:00 a.m. Potluck Lunch Final Sunday for donations to Create- A- Christmas, College Gifts Sunday, December 10: 9:00 a.m. Worship, Faith Exploration & Fellowship 10:45 a.m. Create-A-Christmas Shopping Spree Final Sunday for Poinsettia orders Monday, December 11: 9:00 a.m. Create-A-Christmas Wrap Up 6:00/7:00 p.m. Diaconate/Trustees Wednesday, December 13: 6:30-8:30 p.m. National Vigil of Mourning for Victims of Gun Violence Sunday, December 17: 9:00 a.m. Worship & Fellowship 1:00 p.m. Cookie Exchange 2:00 p.m. Winter Solstice Party Wednesday, December 20: 7:00 p.m. Carol First UCC, Rock Springs Sunday, December 24: 9:00 a.m. Fourth Sunday of Advent Worship & Fellowship 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight and Carols Service Monday, December 19: 5:30 p.m. Council Saturday, December 24: 7:00 p.m. Candlelight & Carols Monday, December 25: MERRY CHRISTMAS! Sunday, December 31: 10:00 a.m. New Year s Eve Joint Worship Linda Malone 1 Jessica Strampe 8 Bonnie Cargile 16 Pam Burke 19 Janelle Strampe 21 Mike Smart 21 Norma Jean Paxton 27 Laura Hart 27 David Maxam 27 WEEKLY CHURCH EVENTS: Sundays 9:00 a.m. Worship Mondays 8:45 a.m. Coffee Group Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. Craft Group 6:30 p.m. Quilters Check office calendar for scouts and other regular groups. Bill & Janet Hoyt 18 Bill & Lucille Fleming 21 Mike & Sherry Held 24 Rodger & Jackie Sanchez 30

9 Hanging of the Greens Sunday, December 3, is the first Sunday of Advent. As is our tradition, we will have a joint worship at 10:00 a.m. with St. John s Episcopal. Following our festive worship of decorating our sanctuary and remembering the why of our symbols, we will have a POTLUCK LUNCH. Winter Solstice Party Sunday, December 17, following the Cookie Exchange, come join in some family fun. We ll deliver some cookies and carols to a few members and then have an afternoon of games, laughter, carols and more. Bring games and a snack to share. Beverages will be provided. We ll wrap up at 5:00 p.m. Create-A-Christmas & College Care Card We will be receiving monetary gifts for these two special outreach opportunities through December 3rd. Envelopes for your donations are at the sanctuary door with the weekly bulletins. Fill out the envelope designating amounts and place it in the offering plates during worship. Your generosity brightens lives and encourages spirits. Thank you! If you d like to help make Create A Christmas happen, please contact Pastor Jenny or Judy Graham. We need someone to oversee the shopping spree with our younger members. This involves creating shopping lists and setting a date to shop with our kids. We also need someone to oversee the wrapping and delivering of gifts. Lots of people always help, but we still need a couple of folks to be a star and lead the charge. Are you one of them? Carol Sing at First Congregational Wednesday, December 20 th, First Congregational in Rock Springs is having a fun evening of carol singing and cookie tasting at 7:00 p.m. You re invited.

10 Christmas Poster Contest The local Knights of Columbus are having a poster contest. Children, ages 5-14, are invited to create an 11 x 17 poster around the theme Keep Christ in Christmas. Participation forms and paper will be available in the church office. You can return your poster to the church and Pastor Jenny by December 14th. Oh and there are cash prizes for the winners in each age! Color Me Christmas A Time of Devotion This year, there will again be weekly devotions from LEAD (Living Everyday As Disciples). You can pick them up at Sunday worships. Each week includes prayers, reflections and pictures to color. There will also be a large Advent banner in the fellowship hall to color on during fellowship and whenever you feel so inspired. And kids! Not to be left out. We have a special coloring book just for you from the UCC Pension Boards/Christmas Fund Offering. We ll have those for you on Sunday, December 10th. Advent 4 Worship & Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24th, there will be TWO occasions for worship. During our 9:00 a.m. worship we will celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent, complete with Children s time at the manger (with a dinosaur no less!), carols, sermon and prayers. Then, that evening with stars and maybe even angels lighting up the night sky, we will gather once again for our traditional Christmas Eve Service of Candlelight and Carols at 7:00 p.m. Christmas Fund Offering Shepherding the Light One of the four special Mission Offerings of the United Church of Christ, the Christmas Fund provides UCC congregations and members an opportunity to reach out in kindheartedness to those who have faith-fully shepherded our churches and who now find themselves facing unexpected financial needs. We will receive this special offering on Sunday, December 17th. Pledge Drive The Board of Trustees would like to thank all who made pledges for the upcoming 2018 operating budget on November 12. So far 28 pledges have been received for a total of over $69,600 which is $10,500 more than received on Stewardship Sunday of If you haven t already pledged, there is still time before the end of the year. THANKS! Narcotics Anonymous Mansface Church is home to the local NA chapter. Sunday night meetings are always an open meeting which means if you or a loved one is struggling with a drug addiction, you are welcomed to come. They meet at 8:00 p.m. in the Sunday School rooms.

11 Harvest Dinner Appreciations It is with most grateful hearts, that we express our gratitude for the wonderful success of the Harvest Dinner! It was lovely to have over 60 individuals gathered in celebration and fellowship! As is true of any type of event, this cannot be accomplished without many hands working together for the grace of God. Thanks to the many individuals who gave monetary donations so that all of the proceeds could go to the work of the church. Food purchasing and preparing was provided by the following families: Wiekhorst, Braithwaite, Maddox, Hermansen, Fry, and Curtis. In addition, special thanks to Lois Beard, Lynn Weaver, Pam Kerr, Ray Curtis, Emily and Craig Wolffing for help setting up, serving plates and cleaning up. It was wonderful to see parishioners pitching in, as tables were served and then cleaned up THANKS TO EVERYONE! Special thanks to the younger members of our congregation, for the serving of the dessert and some beverages: Hailey and Jarrett Hartley and Vincent and Alyson Robidoux. We had so much fun, we hope to do it again next year!!! Hope to see you there!!! xoxoxo Vigil of Mourning December 6 17th is National Awareness of Victims of Gun Violence. Nationwide there will be vigils and events to raise awareness, educate and provide time for care and remembrance for victims, survivors and families impacted by gun violence in our country. This includes one-on-one violence, mass shootings and suicide. Wednesday, December 13th, we will open our sanctuary from 6:30 8:30 for quiet prayers and reflection. There will be tea lamps for lighting in memory of lives lost. Thursday evening First UCC and Holy Communion will have similar vigils. Sunday, December 17 1:00 p.m. Our traditional cookie hosts (Lisa & Dave) won t be able to host the Cookie Exchange this year. But fear not, we will have this yummy event in the church fellowship hall. Bring cookies to share as well as an empty cookie container.

12 Support Union Congregational Church every time you shop at Smith s! Signing up is FREE and EASY! 1. Go to SmithsFoodandDrug.com/inspire 2. Sign into your digital account or choose Create an Account and fill in the information. 3. Link your Rewards Card, search Union Congregational Church Green River, WY or use NR617 and choose Save. What purchases qualify? Just about everything you purchase during your regular shopping trips! The only exclusions are alcohol, tobacco, postage stamps, Smith s Gift Cards, reloadable Gift Cards and Debit Cards, lottery and promotional tickets, Western Union, fuel, and sales tax. Remember, there s no cost to participate in this program, and you ll still earn fuel points on eligible purchases every time you shop. ***If you were previously linked you may need to re-link your account due to changes with the Smiths program. If you need help linking RayChelle can help you in the church office*** LIVING COMPASSIONATELY Friday Night, March 16 Sunday, March 18 at the Lakeside Lodge, Pinedale Along with First Congregational, Holy Communion, & Mount of Olives 4-people to a cabin with 2 queen beds $125 $50 Deposit Due by January 21 st, Final payment Deadline February 25th.

13 Union Congregational Church has joined Amazon Smile! For every penny you spend, Amazon donates a percentage back to us. Please help us by linking your amazon account with amazon smile. Just go to the link below and follow the steps. Don t forget to share it with your friends and family. Once you are registered remember to always start your shopping from for your purchases to count! (the best way to remember this is to bookmark it in Moderator s Message December 2017 Welcome to the Advent and Christmas Season! For me this is the beginning of the yearly renewal of my faith! I love Christmas time! I love to hear the story as we know it of Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph as they begin their journeys towards fulfilling God s Promise! I love the weeks of anticipation and preparation of celebrating Christ s Birth. The birth of a baby is a precious gift of hope and love. In my understanding, celebrating the birth of a small baby is a sign of Grace, Hope, Joy, and Love given to us by God. As we follow the journeys of these long ago people we can bring them with us as we move through our own faith journey from precious Hope and Joy to the gifts of Grace and Love. As a child, I could feel the love we have for a small child with a great future whose life would change me. I remember playing with the Nativity which was placed under the Christmas tree. I found those times special without really knowing why. I am so grateful for those times and memories. As a parent, I wanted to bring joy and happiness to my children and I prepared the weeks before Christmas many gifts of love, tangibles, and food to create a time of magical love for my family. I can only imagine the great Love God had for us as he prepared for His Son to begin life in a humble way. What Love! What Joy! What Hope! What Grace! What Gift! As the season moves toward our day of Celebration, my faith life seeks peacefulness, gentleness, loving, and giving in much that I do. However, the frantic pace of our celebration preparations often means that I forget to seek that peacefulness of the season. It is when I look at the Nativity scene in my home that I remember to seek God s gifts for me and all those I love. So I send to you a prayer of Merry Christmas, Light, Grace, Joy, Love, and Hope for a beautiful Season of Faith, Blessings, Judy Graham, Moderator Does someone s drinking bother you? Al-Anon can help. Meetings are held in Green River at 96 N. 1st E St., Green River, Wyoming on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm.