C B. December Our prayer is as we sing of God s presence, we move in God s light. (See page 5 for Advent opportuni es) Worship Design Studio

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1 December 2018 C B The classic hymn, Silent Night, first made its debut on Christmas Eve, 1818 at the St. Nicholas chapel in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. The melody, by composer Franz Gruber is instantly recognizable from the first few notes, and the original text by Joseph Mohr has been translated from the original German into over 140 languages. In 1914, just four years shy of the 100th anniversary of Silent Night, the soldiers figh ng World War I along the Western Front held a ceasefire in some areas out of mutual respect for the holiday. Members from opposing sides exchanged gi s and stories with one another, played games, and sang Christmas carols together including the beloved hymn Silent Night. Today, churches all over the world gather together each year on Christmas Eve to light candles, sing Silent Night, and par cipate in a meless tradi on of inimitable ritual power. At the me when our communi es, our churches, and our world are torn and divided about many issues of cultural conten on, perhaps this Christmas could be a me of ceasefire from our own sources of conflict. Perhaps this year, we will raise our voices in song to celebrate the birth of Christ with spirits of peace and love that transcends all barriers. This does not mean we advocate for the silencing of anyone whose voice needs to be heard especially those on the margins in need of economic, social, and poli cal jus ce. Rather, the silence may help us to listen, hearing those voices more clearly and drawing us to hear Jesus cry in them. Our children s messages will center around our capacity to soothe a crying baby as we claim our agency to be a part of the soothing of humanity and to bring the gi s we have to the manger of Jesus Christ Emmanuel God-with-us, cradle of hope. The Manger Missions will be a visual representa on of our efforts to soothe the region. Just as the people yearned for God s presence in the social and poli cal context into which Jesus was born, we need God s guiding light for our me. The image of the star reveals God s guidance, and it s presence throughout our space will invite us to look for ways to shine this season. For those accustomed to an Advent without Christmas carols, this year s Calm & Bright series may seem irregular as each of the four Sundays in Advent will feature a verse of Silent Night. And there s a song wri en for our series that even our children have learned we ll have a chance to hear our choirs as part of a na onal video singing We Need a Silent Night In Here. Our prayer is as we sing of God s presence, we move in God s light. (See page 5 for Advent opportuni es) Worship Design Studio Pastor Kelly Photo by Fred Gagnon

2 2 T M M Special health concerns: Bev & Hank Kalloch, Little Ford, Ellen Marcil, Jessie Grabowski, Phyllis Rathbun, Richard MacGovern, undergoing cancer treatment. Dot Buzelle - Joan Kearns Redstone Wells Country Village, Vernon CT Bob & Ferguson & Paul Willer - Reeds Landing Open hearts Open mind Open doors P O W F Each of us can help the denomina on find its way into a more inclusive, jus ce-loving way forward. EVERY day for just 3 minutes we're praying for the United Methodist gathering on February 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis, MO. Set a reminder so that every day from 2:23-2:26 we can come together in prayer (wherever you are) for the kind of church we're commi ed to crea ng--one with truly open hearts, open minds and open doors. As the office will be closed between Christmas and the New Year, the for the J Methodist Messenger will be Dec. 10 th. If you plan to have an article in that issue, please submit it by the deadline. S JFON C A C D The Springfield JFON Clinic hosted a Dinner & Silent Auction event on November 10 th at Trinity UMC. Jus ce for Our Neighbors (JFON s) works to provide legal services to immigrants and refugees. ELUMC par cipants at the event included Jim & Lois Harris, Tom & Joan McGowan, John & Julie Dunlop, Carol Derouin and Marcia Rintoul. Marcia wanted to share some of her thoughts on this special event: I just wanted to thank everyone at the East Longmeadow United Methodist Church for invi ng me to be a part of the annual dinner and silent auc on for Jus ce for Our Neighbors. It was truly inspira onal to hear about the work that this group is doing, as well as the lives that are being transformed with their help. In this very difficult poli cal me, it is so important to remember that, All God s people ma er. Marcia Rintoul Tom & Joan McGowan check in at the JFON Dinner Thank you Diane Hemingway and Dorothy Allain for your help in giving the kitchen a thorough cleaning. Thanks also to Sco Grabowski, John Dunlop & John Ketcham for their assistance recently in removing Rev Kelly s old desk and moving a slightly be er desk into her office. N S B Thank you to Jim & Lois Harris who donated a snow blower for the parsonage and to Sco Grabowski and Paul Kinney who bought a used one for the church.

3 T M M 3 G O Here are a few opportunities for you to show your generosity during this season of giving: E Y F W M Please make your generous 2nd-mile gi s NOW so we can support the varied & important ministries of United Methodists around the globe. T M T Deck the tree with hats & mittens. You are invited to donate hats & gloves for the mi en tree (kni ed by your own hand or not). Scarves & socks are also needed items. Dona ons to the mi en tree will be sent to Open Heart Ministries in West Virginia and to the Grey House in Springfield. S E G - T G T You can give a dona on to Global Missions of the United Methodist Church, Open Hearts Ministries in West Virginia or the Open Pantry in Springfield. Simply remove a card from the tree and send a dona on of any amount you wish to ELUMC. Please specify on your check the organization you want to receive your donation, then give the card to someone on your gi list. Interfaith Coffee and Conversa ons Every Tuesday 9:30-10:30 am, un l June 4, 2019 A weekly drop-in gathering at Starbucks in the Longmeadow Shops anchored by Pastor Marisa of First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, UCC and joined each week by different area interfaith clergy. Come by for a private chat, a group ques on, or a connec on with a cup and a faith presence! See you there! SOUP S ON The Mission Shares marketplace will be open in the fellowship hall a er the worship service Sunday, December 9 th. A variety of homemade soups and baked goods will be available for purchase; sales will help support ongoing missions programs and services of the United Methodist Church. 'Hope to see you there. Calling all folks who want to help us create sensory-rich worship in the coming year. There will be a mini-worship planning retreat Saturday, January 26, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm at the Hutchinsons. Let the church office know if you can a end. N D C F A S (or none in particular). A wide range of flavors are available in a variety of sizes including cupcakes. Best of all, sales benefit Mission Shares. Please see Vance Gagnon or gagnonvance@gmail.com for more informa on and to place an order. Thank you. Have you turned in your pledge for 2019? We've received 43 pledges so far with 3 new pledges & many who have pledged to increase their giving, so we re just short of our goal of 52 pledges. Can you be one of those pledges we need to fulfill our goal?

4 4 T M M C A F The Cra y Apple Fair was held on Saturday, November 10 th. The event offered everything from custom jewelry, jams & jellies, cashew bri le, candles, hand cra ed Christmas decora ons and an excellent bake sale. It was a great place to get started with your holiday shopping. The fair was well a ended and everyone had a great me. Thanks to everyone who gave of their me and efforts to help prepare, set-up and work the day of the Cra fair. A special thank you to Sco Grabowski, Bill & Carol Johnston, Liz Gelinas, Kelly Greene, Kevin Greener, Laura Kinney, Paul Kinney, Diane Hemingway, Julie & John Dunlop, Ashlee Deziel, Fred Gagnon, Vance Gagnon, Marj Mollar, Barbara Ollson, KC Leveille, Pam Minihan, Bailey, Ivy & Theo and all the volunteers who made this event a great success. Crafter Jammin Jeff Hendee sent along this note to thank everyone for making the Cra y Apple Fair such a great experience for him. Just a quick note to express my thanks to you and all the volunteers who worked so relessly on behalf of both the vendors and the customers yesterday. I had another successful ou ng and hope others did also. Best wishes to you and yours for a Happy Thanksgiving! Jeff Se ng up for the big annual Cra y Apple event with Cra ymom, Gale Flood custom jewelry, Cra s by Chris, Noly's Crea ons and many more.

5 T M M 5 Calm and Bright This year is the 200th anniversary of the debut of "Silent Night, Holy Night." This beloved hymn sung by candlelight on Christmas Eve speaks beyond it s once-a-year appearance. Something mys cal occurs as we light our candles and sing the hope of "all is calm, all is bright" peace and light for the world. We join with hundreds of other churches to celebrate the carol's message over the en re season of Advent and highlight its call for our lives that can guide us all year long. Manger Missions Instead of a book study this year during the hec c holiday season, we are building blessing baskets to bring bright light into our community. As we make room for baby Jesus in the manger we remember how the adult Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves... so we re collec ng for: Public Servants Firefighters, Police and City Hall Bring in treats (think about the kind that have a shelf life) like kind bars, chips, dried fruit, etc. Our kids have already made the apprecia on notes that go with our offerings. Avoid gi cards because these are frowned on there are ethics rules restric ng gi s of monetary value. Protein for Li le Ones Bring in peanut bu er, canned tuna fish, etc for the Springfield Open Pantry. Warmth for Piggy Wiggies Collec ng warm socks for homeless. Mi en Tree Collec ng hats and mi ens for the children served by Grey House and beyond. Giving Tree You can give a donation to Global Missions of the United Methodist Church, Open Hearts Ministries in West Virginia or the Open Pantry in Springfield. (see page 3). Advent Pauses Drop in office hours with the pastor breathe deeply, write your Christmas Cards, listen to carols, weigh in on the Sunday scriptures (what do you think the spirit is saying to the church this Advent) Wednesdays at 11:00 at Shelburne Falls Coffee December 5, 12, 19 Mondays at 3 in the chapel Dec 3, 10, 17, 24 December 6 Ladies Advent Lunch & Tea RSVP to office to join us for the lovely annual me to catch up and enjoy the season December 10 -Pain ng Night- Starry Nightʺ All are invited to Painting with a Twist in East Longmeadow for this crea ve ou ng. Contact Vera Denyko for more informa on. December 16 Come and join us for Music Sunday on December 16! We will be featuring our Bell Choir, who will perform the Introit and "The Gi of Love." Our Chancel Choir will perform "We Need a Silent Night in Here," and "I Then Shall Live" to the Finlandia tune. The Christmas Eve service will feature a violin player and two guest singers! At-home Advent Crea ng an Advent wreath at home is a simple way to connect what is happening in worship on Sunday with ritual at home. These simple prayers, used in worship, will reinforce the message of calm and bright and encourage holy play. Family Wreath Time Together Please see page 7 for instruc ons. Christmas Eve December 24 Candlelight Family Service at 7:00 With special music and candlelight singing. Children arrive a few minutes early to choose a costume from the manger scene and take part in the norehearsal retelling of the story where we all hear the not so silent night when Christ was born. Whatever mission you re involved in this December don t forget to share your efforts on social media using hashtags #BeALight #BeAStar #ELUMCshines

6 6 T M M W P Denise Evans, Kelly Greene, Chris Hutchinson, Tom McGowan and Rick Marcil exchange ideas at the Worship Planning Retreat held recently at the Bethany House of Prayer in Arlington. Hi everyone, We are very excited about our December Calm and Bright series, based on the 200 th anniversary of Silent Night. We will be focusing on the themes of Peace, Joy, Love, and Hope. In January we will be featuring our Gospel Goes to Broadway series, which we gave a preview for on November 4 with Somewhere from West Side Story. Grace and Peace, Rick L F The Loaves and Fishes team meets diligently At 8:30 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month to prepare a hearty meal in our church kitchen, which is then later served at an area soup kitchen. Volunteers are needed to help with the food prepara on. Also, because so many are in need of this service, the cost of the monthly meal ingredients is approximately $180/mo. This is not a funded item in our church budget but an important mission that we ve supported for many years. If you are able to donate toward the cost of the meal, please write a check to ELUMC with Loaves & Fishes on the memo line. SAVE the DATE W P R October 4-6, 2019 (yes, we're planning that far ahead because the retreat center books up quickly and we need at least 15 who will commit to a ending in order to make the retreat possible). Who should come? ANY and all people interested in planning worship for the coming year and Worship Team members (past, present, future). We need those who are dramatic types, visual types, musical folks, those who can think like our youngest disciples, those who want to connect worship with mission and social jus ce work, introverts, extroverts. We all have different learning styles and ways of being in the world and we like to make sure our sensory-rich worship connects with all the various types (maybe not every Sunday but with regularity we want everyone to connect with the spirit in their preferred mode)... so we like lots of feedback and voices in our planning. In the past, this team has been responsible for crea ng some of the most powerful and crea ve worship series that have drawn in members and visitors alike. They have wri en original dramas, hung drama c overhead art installations, written powerful liturgy, created sand mandalas, designed a labyrinth, discerned the needs of the congregation and ways to address those needs through worship series. They've created a trufalo tree forest, a Dickens Christmas village complete with electric train, and a broken mosaic communion table. They have opened us to new ways of praying, introduced Taize music, exciting communion liturgies, connected us to ancient & tradi onal styles of worship and created space for community witnesses. They have provided frayed knots, beach glass pendants, keys, back scratchers, etc. to help deepen a theological point and remind you of the experience. Guard this weekend jealously. Let the office know if you'd like to a end. God has given each of us A GIFT from His great variety of SPIRITUAL GIFTS Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10

7 T M M 7 F A W T T Each week or each day, whenever your family gets together (maybe at meal me), invite your child to light the candles and talk about that week s focus using one or more of the ques ons/ac vi es below, or come up with your own. Start by telling (or asking) your child which week it is - peace, joy, love, or hope, and let them find that candle. Light the candle(s) for the previous weeks and the current week. Encourage your child to light the candle themselves. As you light the candle, you can say: Peace is born. the following weeks, say Peace is born, Joy is born, and so on, adding the new candle each week. A er the candles are lit, you can say this response together (the same response said in worship): Fill us with your peace and light, make the world so calm and bright. Then ask one of the suggested ques ons below for that week. Let your child answer and give them me to ponder. You can also share your thoughts as well. Depending on your child s age and a en on span (or just depending on the day they ve had) this can be a me of profound conversa on, or it could be a me, well, less than profound. When the la er happens, it is ok - give grace in the moment and don t be discouraged. This ritual is all about mee ng them where they are, and that day they may just not be there. Don t push them to respond to ques ons, but maybe offer a quick thought or example, then go ahead and move to the closing prayer. Come back to it again tomorrow. The repe on and rou ne of this ritual me together will help with their understanding and can open reflec on. When you talk about the ques on who needs peace, joy, love, hope light)? You can invite your child to say with you the prayer we use in worship this season: Wrap them in hour live so ght, Guide them with your holy light. As a close to this me together, invite your child to pray this prayer with you July 19-29,2019 You Are Invited! All youth and young adults between the ages of 16 and 30 are invited to join a life-changing pilgrimage to Taizé, France, a place which is filled with deep Christian spirituality and broad ecumenism. This week-long experience will be led by Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. Discover an inner peace as you meet Jesus through simple living where He is wai ng for you. Prayer, singing, Bible reflec on, and sharing are some of the opportuni es the Taizé experience provides to deepen the rela onship between your faith and all aspects of your life. The pilgrimage will help to fulfill the mission of our Conference and churches to make disciples for Jesus Christ who are commi ed to sharing the gospel, in word and deed, throughout the world. Go to h p:// for more informa on. Applica on deadline is January 15, Let the office know if you're interested

8 East Longmeadow United Methodist Church 215 Somers Road, STE 2 East Longmeadow, MA a reconciling congrega on Address Service Requested SAFE SANCTUARY T. THE SUNDAY EXPERIENCE 8:30 a.m. Bible Study for Jr./Sr. High & Adults 10:00 a.m. Worship & Kid Zone (pre-schoolers through Grade 5) Professional child care is provided for Cribs & Creepers / Toddlers & Twos. 11:15 a.m. Fellowship Time For the on-line church calendar follow this link: The Methodist Messenger is a journal of the ministry of The East Longmeadow United Methodist Church. Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. The deadline for ordering Christmas poinsettias is: Sunday, December 9, 2018 Please make checks payable to: ELUMC and write Christmas Flowers in the memo section. (Payment by check would be appreciated.) You may place your order in the offering plate, leave it in the church office, or mail it to the office prior to the deadline. The cost of each poinsettias is $9.00. I would like to order (number) poinsettia plants for the sanctuary on Christmas Eve. Given by: In honor of: In memory of: PLEASE PICK UP YOUR PLANT(S) AFTER THE CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE.

9 The Open and Affirming Team Invites You to Movie Night on January 4! The ONA Team of First Church UCC in Longmeadow invites everyone to see the movie Normal on Friday, January 4 at 6pm in the Buxton Room. We will have pizza and popcorn, view the movie, and hopefully have a little time for discussion afterwards. An official selection at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, this HBO Films production adapted by Jane Anderson from her acclaimed play Looking for Normal mixes humor, drama, and tenderness in telling the story of a seemingly "normal" Midwestern factory worker who stuns his family and community by revealing that he wants a sex change operation. Roy Applewood (Tom Wilkinson), after fainting on the night of their 25th marriage anniversary, shocks his wife Irma (Jessica Lange) by revealing plans to transition into being out as a woman and change her name to Ruth. While Ruth tries to keep the family together, Irma's initial reaction is to separate from her. Patty Ann (Hayden Panettiere), their daughter, is more accepting, but Wayne (Joseph Sikora), their son, struggles with the transition. He mocks Ruth after receiving an explanation letter. Come join us for an enjoyable and informative evening to start off our new year! Please let the church office ( ) know you are coming so that we may have enough food for all.