A Message from Pastor Jason:

Transcription

1 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 12 DECEM BER 2016 A Message from Pastor Jason: Dear Friends of the Cabot Church, In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:26-33) When Mary was engaged to Joseph, she experienced a day so extraordinary that it would take her a lifetime to ponder the depths of its meaning. During that day, she was visited by an angel, was told that she would conceive a child even though she was a virgin, and discovered that the child she would carry would be the long-awaited Messiah. Mary didn t need to search a book of baby names to find one she liked. She received the name through the angel that God sent to her. When we give names to our children, we don t always think about the meaning of the name. Many babies today are given names just because they sound different or unusual, not because they have a certain meaning. Yet whenever God names a baby in the Bible, the name always has great significance and meaning. Mary s child would be called Jesus, a name that meant He would be the Savior. The title Savior was one that belonged to God alone. Therefore, Jesus name meant that He was not only man, but that He was God come in the flesh. In many cities across our nation there are churches with a large neon sign at the top of the building. Travelers can see the sign from miles around. The sign reads, Jesus Saves. Sometimes people who have seen this sign shining brightly over the city may ask, Jesus saves from what? The answer is a simple one. Jesus saves from sin. Jesus didn t come to leave us hopelessly bound in our sins. Jesus came to cleanse us from sin, forgive us, and to deliver us from its power in our lives. Jesus truly is a WONDERFUL Savior. God Knew Our Greatest Need! If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior. Have a blessed Christmas, Pastor Jason

2 V O LU ME 2, IS SU E 12 P AGE 2 How to Reach Us Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. M-F Church Phone: Church Fax: Web Site: By Pastor: Rev. Jason McQueen pastor@cabotumc.com Office Manager: Barb Briggs office@cabotumc.com Director of Children s Ministries: Erica Purcell children@cabotumc.com Director of Youth Ministries: Alisha Dovey youth@cabotumc.com Director of Program Ministries: Carrie Rodgers program@cabotumc.com Director of Music Ministries: Jerry Purcell music@cabotumc.com Music Accompanist: Linda McCall lmccall108@gmail.com Food Bank Director: Sue Shaltes foodbank@cabotumc.com Custodian: Janice Bachman December 1, 8, 15 & 22 December 2nd December 7th December 10th December 11th December 12th December 16th December 18th December 21st December 24th December 25th Merry Christmas! Musical Practice Friday Night at the Light Concordia Staff Meetings Chick Flick & Cookie Exchange Bible Bikerz Bible Study Administrative Board Children s Christmas Party Christmas Musical Food Bank/Community Meal Christmas Eve Services at 4:30 & 7:00 p.m. Worship Service at 10:30 a.m. Merry Christmas! The Concordia Bus WILL be picking up residents on Christmas Eve. We will begin at Lund at 6:15 p.m. and then move on to Havens 2 and 3. We hope to see you then! Also, there will be a meeting in early January for all of those who currently drive the bus And for any new person interested. At that Meeting our Concordia Bus Ministry coordinator, Gary Harbison, will explain the ministry and offer training to anyone who may be interested. Thank you!

3 P AGE 3 Chick Flick Movie Night & Christmas Cookie Exchange Saturday, December 10th 7:00 p.m. Let it Snow Join us for this Hallmark Channel movie starring Candace Cameron Bure & Alan Thicke. (You don t need to participate in the cookie exchange to come and enjoy the night.) Cookie Exchange Details: You will need to bake no more than 12 dozen cookies (the final amount will be based on the number of women participating.) All cookies need not be homemade, but they must be made at home (no store bought cookies, please.) Sign up in the Welcome Center by December 4th to participate in the cookie exchange. See Megan Jones for more information or contact her at or mjones@grandbridge.com. Upward basketball and cheerleading will be underway before we know it and there s plenty of opportunities to lend a hand. If you d like to help or have general questions about our Upward Program you can contact Paula Duke,the Upward Coordinator at either pduke@zoominternet.net or If you have questions about Upward Cheerleading, contact Erica Purcell at children@cabotumc.com; Upward Concessions, contact Karen Marlowe at dmarlowe@zoominternet.net; Upward Prayer Warrior, contact Jan Porter a wept14ever@comcast.com; or if you would like to help with halftime devotions, please contact Jeanie Woncheck at jwoncheck@yahoo.com. Thanks for your help and participation Women s Book Club December Selection IN THE DARK STREET SHINETH: A 1941 CHRISTMAS EVE STORY By David McCullough Days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met at the White House. It was Christmas Eve, As war raged throughout the world, the two leaders delivered a powerful message that still resonates today. Bestselling author and historian David McCullough relates a compelling story about the spirit of Christmas and the power of light in difficult, dangerous times. Beautifully designed with historic photographs that transport readers to the early days of World War II, the book includes a DVD of David McCullough s presentation of this story at the Mormon Tabernacle Choir s 2009 Christmas concert which has been featured on PBS. We hope you enjoy this historic, moving story. There will be no formal meeting in December, but watch the announcements for information about a possible casual get together.

4 V O LU ME 2, IS SU E 12 P AGE 4 Thank You Notes... Thank you for the Bible. Leo Nagg To the Leaders of Cabot Methodist Church, I just wanted to thank you for hosting the Buffalo Creek Half Marathon. It was an awesome experience. The blessing at the start was truly inspirational. Please accept this donation for the Food Bank along with my thanks! Sincerely, Jill Young P.S. Please consider hosting us again next year! Dear Church Members, Thank you for your kind and generous gift. Raj & Joe Boehm We would like to thank Pastor Jason for his visits to the hospital to see Doc and also for the prayers and cards from everyone. Thank you! Doc & Betty Sarver Thank you to everyone who supported Thank you to the ROCK Youth and the ROCK Youth Hoagie/Pizza fundraiser! Your support helped offset the cost of the ROCK Fall Retreat. Thank you to Shelly Hack and Beth McQueen for helping to sort the orders. Thank you also to the Election Day helpers and bakers Shelly Hack, Shelbie Moser, Mark Hack, Carrie Rodgers, Erica Purcell and Rhonda Caldwell! Thanks be to God for the blessing of the Cabot UMC Family! their fearless leaders for pulling out all of the Christmas decorations and bringing then upstairs for the Hanging of the Greens. The ROCK Youth attended their Fall Retreat at Camp Allegheny November It was a privilege to spend the weekend seeking after God with the youth and leaders from Cabot and Bakerstown UMC. Thank you to all who help support the ROCK Youth Ministry your prayers, kind words, involvement with our fundraising efforts are all very much appreciated! Thank you to Mark Hack, Corey Purcell and Shelly Hack for your leadership on the retreat and a very special thank you to the parents for entrusting us to the care of your youth for the weekend. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 Thank you to the Prayer Shawl Ministry for the pretty prayer shawl to use as I recover from surgery and treatment. It not only provides warmth, but brings me comfort to know that you all care! Patty McGee Thank you also to all who helped with the Hanging of the Greens! This is a big job and your willingness to see this pro- Ornament/Prayer Tree As we ve done for years we will again have an Ornament/Prayer Tree in the Narthex this year. How it works: You put your name on a new ornament with an address label or marker and place it on the tree for someone else to take In turn, you take someone else s ornament from the tree. Then...throughout this coming year, you keep that person and/or family in your prayers as you do your daily devotions. It s a nice way to remember our fellow church members and friends and to stay connected with one another. Dear Cabot Church, We would like to express our gratitude to everyone and the beautiful children who participated in the planning of Raj s fundraising event. We feel truly blessed for all the unconditional support and generous donations that were raised to help out with Raj s medical bills and other amenities to help make her more comfortable in her journey to fight against ALS. Save the Dates for January... January 1st New Year s Day Worship at 10:30 a.m. January 6th FNL/KNO/ROCK January 8th Bible Bikerz Bible Study January 9th Administrative Board January 18th Food Bank/Community Meal January 20th FNL & KNO January 21st Men of Integrity Thanks again for all the Christian love! Sincerely, January 21st Upward Games Begin Liz Chareun (Raj s niece in CA), Raj & Joe Boehm January 23rd Council on Ministries (COM) January 27th ROCK at Belmont

5 P AGE 5 I hope all of you are keeping warm. Seventy degrees to snow really? Well, some of the women went to Ohio on the 4th and 5th of November to a Beth Moore Women s Seminar. I heard that there were many great ladies there. The 6th of November was All Saints Day. We remembered many of our members and family members who passed away in the last year. It s always a very touching day. That same day the children and Sunday School teachers packed shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. They packed a little over 100 boxes this year to send to children in need. Busy day there was also a new member event that Sunday. On Thursday evenings lately there has been practice for a musical that will be performed during the Sunday Worship Service on December 18th. I hope you all come. I know I like what I m hearing and love Christmas songs. Sunday, November 13th there was a spaghetti dinner after church until 4 p.m. a benefit for one of our beloved members, Raj Boehm. She is struggling with ALS. There were many people here and there were some great baskets to win. I really enjoyed all the crumbs. Upward evaluations have begun and practices begin the week of January 2nd. The weekend of the 18th to 20th, the ROCK Youth went on a retreat with Bakerstown UMC to Camp Allegheny near Somerset, PA. I hope they took their warm clothes. The ROCK Youth had earlier sold pizzas and hoagies to help finance their trip. I was hoping someone would have ordered something for me but no such luck. I heard everything was very tasty. Sunday, the 20th was the Hanging of the Greens. Make sure you look around and see all the trees and wreaths. It sure gets you in the spirit of Christmas and the birth of Christ. Lots of smiling going on the week of Nov. 21st as everyone had their pictures taken for a new Church Photo Directory. They forgot me, but I can t wait to see them all. I hope everyone had a festive and grateful Thanksgiving Day. I love the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pie well everything!! Even this little mouse knows it s not just a day of eating good food; it s a day of giving thanks for all that our Father provides us. Thank you God! Sunday, the 27th there was a movie (The Nativity Story) and potluck dinner. I was there for both. You knew I d be around for the dinner! Take care and remember, I m thankful for each and every one of you! Your Friendly Church Mouse Live Nativity December 3rd & 4th 5:00, 6:00, 7:00 & 8:00 p.m. Zion U.M. Church 438 Bear Creek Rd., Sarver Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Luke 2:14 Friends - In lieu of the Gingerbread House Event this year we are asking folks to visit a shut-in and take a small token of the Christmas Spirit (i.e., small plate of cookies or box of chocolates.) The gingerbread houses are rather expensive and not very user-friendly, so use your imagination and best judgement as to what would be best to take. There is a list in the Welcome Center for you to sign-up for a specific person. Thank you for your care and concern for those who are not able to get out at this time of year!!

6 P AGE 6 December Penny Offering December 17th & 18th The Lighthouse Foundation The Lighthouse Foundation is committed to providing assistance to needy individuals and families, not just during the holidays, but throughout the year. There are more people seeking assistance with food, housing, and emergency financial assistance than ever before, but the resources are limited. And during the holiday season, it becomes even more apparent that the number of people who are feeling the pain of poverty has increased. The Lighthouse Foundation is dependent on the generosity of caring people like you to help them meet the needs of many families in our community. Any donation you make to The Lighthouse Foundation this holiday season will go directly to support needy individuals and families in this local area. No donation is too small! Any amount is greatly appreciated! Thank you for your generosity and support. Your kindness will make a difference in the lives of so many people this holiday season. VOLUME 2, ISSUE 12 As we finish up photo sessions for the directory here are a few things to note: If you did not yet get your photo taken but wish to be in the directory or have any corrections to your contact information, please contact Carrie at program@cabotumc.com by December 8th. If you order any prints of your photos they will be shipped directly to your home. If you have any questions about these, please contact Life Touch directly with the information from your receipt which was provided at your photo session. Please Note Please remember that we will receive only as many directories as those who have had their pictures taken. In other words, there will be no extra directories for sale. This is a rule from LifeTouch, not the church so please be sure to get your photo taken if you want a directory! Directories will be handed out as soon as we receive them. If you would like to help with this task please contact Carrie. Thank you to all who helped with the planning process, execution and greeting! A photo directory is a big job and your help was essential in pulling this off so THANK YOU!!! Disciple Education As I hope you are aware, we have an amazing library and fantastic librarians! If you wish to work on building your faith through a better understanding of Our Lord and what His Word calls us to do and be His Disciples, then a trip to our library would be a great place to start! Not only are there many Christian titles and bibles in our library, but there are video and audio resources as well. If you visit the section under the windows on the right hand side of the room you will find material that has been used in teaching adult electives in the past. There are some wonderful resources in our library and they are there for you to use. Most of this material also includes a DVD or leader guide and participant workbooks to utilize also. If there is a book or workbook missing and you need one ordered, please talk to Kathy Wimer or Carrie Rodgers to get whatever you need. Please remember that these resources are there for you and are free to anyone who wishes to improve their understanding of Our Lord and what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus Christ.

7 P AGE 7 accident Prayers: Raj Boehm continuing fight against ALS George Emerick Jr. recovering from recent Praises: Birthdays & Anniversaries. All our veterans. A great fundraising event for our friend Raj. Nancy Nagle recently moved to Concordia Marlyn Mendicino ongoing testing and health concerns Rich James dealing with a compression fracture in his back Sandy Alt recovering from recent surgery Jordan Laidlaw recovering from a broken neck Angelina Glaser recent hospitalization Wendy Ranking recovering from hip replacement surgery Kaylee Comperatore recovering from a soccer injury Wayne Kelly recovering from surgery Taylor Weils dealing with a couple of health issues Peg Crimbshin recovering from a fall and broken bones Wayne Knox recovering from leg surgery And as always, please keep our Pastor, Church Staff, and every member of our congregation in your prayers In Memory of & Prayers for: The Family of Kemp Gillispie The Family of Ken McGee The Family of Stush Orgal The Family of Ray Grzywinski The Family of Jim Hartman The Simon Family (Passing of Ann s Grandmother) The Duke Family (Passing of Jim s Grandfather) Terri Kiers on the passing of father Butch Daubner & Family on the passing of his brother IS GOD ANTI-GAY? A Biblical Perspective SUNDAY MORNINGS January 9th February 6th 9:00 AM LIBRARY LEADER, Lynn Harbison Adult Elective Classes As we approach December it s time to start to consider new Adult Elective Studies for Sunday mornings, weekdays, and evening classes. If you have a suggestion/request and/or would like to lead a study yourself, please contact Carrie at program@cabotumc.com as soon as possible. Thank you for your consideration. December 7th December 8th December 12th December 15th December 21st December 22nd Birthdays Randy Fertelmes Lynne Bowser Clay Westendorf Paula Scott Clara Harbison Glenn Nagle Wild Game Dinner Speaker Needed... As we look into the new year we are looking forward to our annual Wild Game Dinner, which is typically held in January or February. If you know of any local speakers that might like to share their story with us at the dinner, please contact Carrie at program@cabotumc.com to give her this information.

8 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Cabot United Methodist Church 707 Winfield Rd. Cabot, Pennsylvania DATED MATERIAL Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #2 Cabot, PA REGULAR WORSHIP SCHEDULE Saturday 6:00 p.m. Worship Service Sunday 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Fellowship Time 10:30 a.m. Worship Service Office Hours Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m Christmas Even Worship Services at Cabot United Methodist Church December 4:30 p.m. Family Candlelight Worship Service with the Praise Band 7:00 p.m. Traditional Candlelight Worship Service with the Choir and Bell Choir There will be a CUMC bus pickup at Concordia for the 7:00 p.m. Worship Service on Christmas Eve.