The December Visitor 2015

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1 Inside the DecemberVisitor Page 1 Transition Team Update Page 2 Tree of Hope Church Workday Goodtimers Page 3 CWF News Poinsettias Children s Nativity Page 4 Cantata Decorate a Table Eve Blessings from your Church Staff Rev. Dr. Ken Massey, Interim Pastor Rev. Lori Carter, Interim Pastor, Congregational Care Rev. Tim Shoaf, Minister of Music & Programs Jane K. Hoover, Office Administrator Page 5 Secret Place Devotions Chrismon Tree Page 6 Thanks December Servers Prayer List SPage 7 The Advent Wreath New Addresses Insert: December Calendar Financial Report The December Visitor 2015 Pfafftown Christian Church 3323 Transou Road Pfafftown, NC Bible Verse for December For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. An Update From Your Transition Team We had great participation in our first congregational event in October. Thanks again to all those who made this a positive kickoff to our transition process. Many of you shared similar experiences and feelings and it is encouraging that we have such a rich heritage on which to build for the future. On December 6th, you are invited and encouraged to be part of our second event, which will be held immediately after worship in the upstairs Fellowship Hall. This will be another Lunch and Share gathering and we hope you ll make it a priority. Lunch is provided and we won t keep you past 1:30. The focus of this event is our church s mission. Churches that are thriving today have some common characteristics. One commonality is that they know who they are and who they aren t. They know their core values and their ministries are consistent with these values. They don t try to do everything, but are very strategic in their efforts, choosing to invest themselves in ministries that bear fruit consistent with their core mission. In the coming year, our Pastor Search Committee will be looking over resumes and engaging different pastoral candidates in discussion. They will be trying their best, under the guidance of the Spirit, to match church and minister. They will be looking for a complimentary chemistry between congregation and pastor. We all know how important this process is for our church. If the committee is going to do this well, they will have to be clear about two things: the identity and core values of the church and the same for the candidate. Sometimes opposites attract, but we don t want church and minister to live on different planets or have competing visions of the church. We want basic compatibility when it comes to conviction about the purpose and priorities of the church and the pastor. The Transition Team needs your input on the 6th to articulate our church s mission and core values, which will be included in our congregational profile and report. Before we can be strategic in choosing a pastor or setting a course for the future, we must find common ground about our shared vision for PCC. That vision will become clearer for us as we pray and share under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. God planted this church in Pfafftown for a reason. God has blessed us with people and resources for a divine purpose. We are stewards of what we have, not what we don t have. Let s articulate and celebrate our unique mission in this world as we prepare for the countdown to a new pastor and a new destiny under God. Your Transition Team: Tony Bryant, Rev. Dr. Ken Massey, Evelyn Nifong, Ruth Saalweachter, Jackie Romanello, Dinah Myers, Ann Fletcher, Paul Shropshire, Jill Robertson

2 Tree of Hope The Tree of Hope will be in the Narthex beginning the second Sunday in Advent, December 6th. We are sponsoring a local family recommended by the Salvation Army. Here s how it works: Please take a tag from the tree. Buy and wrap your gifts, and attach the name tag to the gift, leaving them under the tree. An alternative to buying and wrapping gifts is to purchase gift cards. These are used to fill requests for groceries, gas and medications. You can turn in these gift cards or gifts of money to Jane or Tim in the church office, or give them to Jackie Romanello. Please remember: All gifts need to be placed under the tree no later than Sunday, December 20th so they can be distributed in time for. Save the Date! Church Workday Saturday morning, December 5th 8:00 am - Noon EVERYONE, please join us for our Church Workday on Saturday, December 5th at 8:00 a.m. Please bring your yard tools as we rake leaves and beautify our church grounds. There will be a few inside tasks as well, so bring any tools or cleaning supplies you might need. We look forward to seeing you Saturday morning, December 5, as we prepare for the winter season and our events and festivities. THE ADVENT WREATH The Advent wreath is one of the most recognized symbols of the Advent Season. The circle of the wreath which has no beginning and no end reminds Christians of God; God s eternity and endless mercy and love. The evergreen of the wreath speaks of the hope Christians have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, and eternal life. Advent leads us through a journey that finds its fulfillment on Day. The purple candles represent this period of waiting as a candle is lit each Sunday during Advent to help us focus on this special journey. The white candle, the Christ candle, is lit on Eve to signify the birth of Jesus our Savior the true light of the world. Be with us each Sunday during Advent as various persons and families in our church light the Advent candles in worship. Erika Fletcher Stephen & Roxana Futlon 531 Culpepper Ct. Winston-Salem, NC Hope & Sam Poster 1375 MLCook Lane Granite Falls, NC Eric Smith Goodtimers! It s that Most Wonderful Time of the Year The Goodtimers will enjoy a Lunch on Monday, December 14, at 11:30 am at Town and Country Restaurant in King. Please come prepared to share a special memory/story with the group if you would like. We will also have a few cards for you to sign and be sent to our homebound members and friends, wishing them all the joys of the season. (Lunch will be Dutch treat) If you need a ride, please call Tim or the church office. Invite a friend to join you! 3844 Hartford St. Winston-Salem, NC Cook Place Dr., Apt. 102 Clemmons, NC Page 7 Page 2

3 November 23, 2015 Thanks for all of the prayers, calls, cards, notes and support of the Personnel Committee during my illness. I am much better, but still healing. A special thanks to Tim, Lori and the volunteers for keeping the office on track. I missed you all while I was home, you are my church family and I am blessed and grateful for your support and compassion. May God continue to bless you all, Jane Serving Schedule, December, 2015 (If you are enable to serve, please contact someone to switch with or call Gerald or Ann Fletcher. If you cannot reach them, call Lynda Bryant or Jo Stanley.) Elders: Ken Davis, Steve Clodfelter Deacons: Alan Fletcher, Jill Robertson Gene Saalweachter, Susan Smith Communion: Gene & Ruth Saalweachter CWF News The CWF Party will be on Tuesday, December 8th at 6:00 pm in the Downstairs Fellowship Hall. Bring a covered dish item to share. We ll eat, then have a brief business meeting. We will round out the evening and make our celebration complete with a gift exchange. Please Note: The absolute, positive limit for gifts is $15. Join us for the fellowship, food, fun and bring a friend. Poinsettias The Committee will be ordering poinsettias for the season. If you would like to place a poinsettia in the sanctuary in honor or in memory of a loved one, please fill out an order form located on the table in the Narthex, or call the church office by Wednesday, December 9th. The poinsettias will cost $13.00 each. They will be delivered to the church on December 11th. You may pick up your poinsettia after the Candlelight Service on Eve. Make checks out to Pfafftown Christian Church with the memo Poinsettia. Building Open/Close: Tim Shoaf Remember In Prayer Church Family Pat & Frank Barber, Owen Clodfelter and his parents, Craig Bracken, Ruth Myers, Bud Barker, Doris Spaugh Others Charles Kolstad (son-in-law of Evelyn Nifong), Dwayne Sloan, Darlene Stewart, (sister of Ann Fletcher) Cathy Bryant, Laura Bass, (friend of Ken & Vicki Davis), Bobby Johnson (son of Helen Johnson), Lacy Mabe (uncle of Scott, Jill and Emma Robertson, Bob Chadbourne (Jill Robertson s cousin), Wade Tuttle (Jill Robertson s uncle); Sue Miles (friend of Jo Stanley); Joy Beck (Jo Stanley s mother). Loved Ones in the Military PRAN Joshua Hughes, Norfolk, VA; Sgt. Samantha Goliat, OH, 1st LT John G. Van Hoy, IV, WA; Chase Lee, Guam, USS Key West; Captain Hope Poster, Commanding Officer, Winston-Salem, NC Children s Nativity, December 13, 2015 At the conclusion of the 11:00 a.m. worship service on Sunday morning, December 13th, the children of our church will present the Nativity. The children will be dressed in costumes portraying Mary and Joseph; the shepherds, angels, the Magi, and the animals - those present at the manger on that holy night in Bethlehem; as they witnessed the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. As the Luke 2 gospel story is read and a carol is sung, the children will process to their places before the Christ Child. What a meaningful way for us to experience the true meaning of as our children help us to recall the scene at the manger. Please make plans to join us and invite a friend to join you in worship on December 13th! Page 6 Page 3

4 Page 4 An Evening of Music Sunday, December 20th 5:00 p.m. presented by The and Handbell accompanied by strings, harp, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, timpani, bells, percussion, and organ. Following the program, there will be a reception in the Upstairs Fellowship Hall, complete with a visit from Santa! Assorted hot hors d oeuvres will be served. Evelyn Nifong will be our food coordinator. If you would be willing to bring something, please call her at Please call the church office if you need a ride. A nursery will be provided. Please note... the cantata will begin at 5:00 p.m! Decorate a Table for the Cantata Reception Evelyn Nifong is asking for volunteers to sponsor a table and be responsible for the center-piece decoration on that 8 foot table. Your decoration can be formal or informal. (No place settings will be required; just the center pieces). Your table should be completed by Saturday evening, Dec. 19 th. If you wish to use fresh flowers they can be added on Sunday afternoon. To sponsor a table, please contact Evelyn at or use the sign-up form in the Narthex. We want to involve as many people in this event as possible and it will be exciting to see your beautiful and creative ideas! If you can donate food and/or money for the expenses, please call Evelyn. (Also, there is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex for those who can help serve and help clean-up after the reception). We will be preparing for an expected 200 guests. It takes the hospitality and gifts of our entire church family to present this gift to our community. Thanks in advance, for giving of your time and creativity! Eve As you plan your activities and traditions, nothing could be more fitting than to be in worship with your congregation as we celebrate God s gift of the Christ. At five o clock on Eve, we will gather in the sanctuary to sing carols of praise and thanksgiving as we welcome our Lord into our lives once more. We will light candles and rejoice that the gift of love truly comes into our world and our lives as we open our hearts to God s loving grace. Whatever you plan this, don t miss this very special time of joy! The Secret Place: Devotions for Daily (The Secret Place is published by Judson Press. Copies are available in the Narthex) The following devotional is from the December, January, February Edition, pg. 24) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 NEW YEAR S EVE Revelation 21:5a A New Start And the one who was seated on the throne said, See, I am making all things new I love watching the sun come up in the east. It seems to shout, Hey Gary, you get another chance in life. Enjoy this day. I also like the start of a new year. I started last year in Kentucky. At mid-year I moved back to my retirement home in Indiana. Then I ended the year and began a new one with my son and his family in Texas. I had the best year getting to know our amazing God in a deeper and more moving way. As I think about the new year I am reminded that the month of January is named for the Roman god Janus. Janus had two faces: one to look backward and one to look forward. On the eve of a new year, we look back over the year that has passed. I, for one, Have decided not to spend much time with the heartaches but, instead to focus on them any blessings I enjoyed during this past year. I wonder what the new year will bring? I like to begin each year by writing out some goals. Goals give us direction. While they should be attainable, they should also stretch us. A simple goal to get out of bed in the morning is attainable, but a goal to get out of bed with a positive attitude may be a stretch. At the end of one year and the start of another, renew your commitment to let God continue making all things new in you life. PRAYER: God of the ages, thank you for the blessings of the year that has passed Guide me through the year to come. Amen Gerald Robert, Franklin, Indiana Chrismon Tree Since 1984 our Sanctuary has been blessed with one of the most beautiful Chrismon trees in the area. The Chrismons were beautifully constructed by very dedicated and talented individuals in our church. Our first Chrismon Tree lighting was held on Sunday, December 2, The name Chrismon is a combination of the words Christ and monogram, symbols that represent the life and ministry of Jesus. The very first Chrismon was the Chi Rho the first two Greek letter of the Christos or Christ. The Chrismon Tree is decorated with other better known Chrismons like crosses, stars, angels, doves, fish (icthus) and triangles representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Chrismons are white and gold...white to represent Jesus purity, gold to represent his power and majesty. The Chrismon tree has since been adopted by other Christian denominations around the world. Take time this season to take a closer look at and experience its beautiful and artistic telling of the message. A Chrismon Brochure will be available on the Narthex table to help guide you and explain the symbolism of the various Chrismons. The Committee Page 5

5 December 2015 Scripture Verse for December For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. HAPPY BIRTHDAY 1 Mary Kathryn Faircloth 2 Anne Bryant 4 Randal Blankenship Betty Clodfelter Ruby Terry 8 Martha Williamson 10 Natalie Mansson 12 Ryan Cline 16 Bill Simpson 20 Hannah Middleton 27 Dawn Pfaff 29 Terrence Davis SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 6 Advent 2 9:30 am 11:00 am Noon: Luncheon 7 & 1 Daisy & Brownie 8 CWF Party 6:30 pm Covered Dish 2 7:15 pm Newborns in Need Board 7 pm :00 am Church Workday Anniversaries 13 Advent 3 9:30 am 11:00 AM Children s Nativity 14 11:30 am Goodtimers 15 Daisy & Brownie 16 < w/ Orchestra 17 - SANCTUARY UFH 18 RESERVED RESERVED 19 -> 9:15-11;30 am w/orchestra December 1 Mark & Lorrie Bennett 20 Advent 4 9:30 AM 5:00 pm Cantata 21 No < - Merry Church 5:00 pm Eve Service 25 > Office Closed 26 December 21 Tom & Mary Timmons December 22 Jack & Mary Groff Sunday 11:00 am New Year s Eve CRISIS CONTROL FOOD OF THE MONTH CANOLA OIL (24 ounces)