DECEMBER Newsletter Signs of Life

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1 DECEMBER Newsletter Signs of Life The Burlington United Methodist Church is an inclusive Christian Community, dedicated to growth in Jesus Christ through worship, teaching and service Burlington United Methodist Church 857 West State Street, Burlington, WI Phone: (262) Fax: (262) org Website: burlingtonumc.org Worship Times Saturday Services 5:00PM Sunday Traditional 8:30 AM Fellowship 9:45 AM Christian Education From 10:00-11:00 AM Church Office Hours Mondays - Thursdays 9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. After Hours: By Appointment Rev. Ebenezer K. Insor, Pastor ebenezer@burlingtonumc.org Phone: (414)

2 Advent All too soon the year has creeped up on us. Thanksgiving came quickly with its anticipation and celebration ushering the festive mood of the last part of the year. We jumped in quickly with shopping for gifts alongside getting ready for Christmas in a month s time. Getting ready involves all kinds of preparations. These preparations can often be overwhelming and let us lose sight of the reason for our readiness. Much as the lights, the carols, the trimming of the tree and other things add to the pomp and pageantry of the celebration, none surpasses the real meaning of the occasion which is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Advent comes from the latin word Adventus which means the coming or visit. It is a month long celebration which leads up to Christmas eve. Scriptures, music and all kinds of religious programs are reminders of the meaning of this great celebration. But it is the season of the advent which leads us into this great celebration. The promise of his coming was made known through the prophets in the ancient times and has been carried through the ages to our time. It was a time of great trouble making people wonder what the future held. Given their circumstances there seemed to be no hope or the possibility of change. In ancient times the Jews longed and looked forward to the coming of the Messiah of a kind who will deliver them from their circumstances of bondage and oppression. It was with such expectation that led them to the desert to hear the news from John the Baptist about preparing the way. In our time we celebrate the fulfillment of the promise in the humble birth of our Lord and Savior, through whom we have been granted mercy and forgiven from our sins with the hope of his Second Coming which we look forward to. Such is the legacy that we have also inherited as reflected in preparations beginning with the Advent season. The thematic messages of hope, joy, love and peace symbolized by the lighting of the candles with the colors are constant reminders of God s faithfulness from ancient times to the present and into the future in fulfillment of his purpose. It for this reason that Christ came as the light that has brought life to all who have believed in him. Like the ancient times where life seemed hopeless at times, we are living through times with more questions than answers given all that we have witnessed in In the midst of such darkness as experienced in the ancient times, may this season of the advent illumine our hearts and inspire us in readiness for the glorious celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pastor Ebenezer May You Have A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

3 Who s in the Pew TONY AND JANE ALLEN: Tony was born December 22, 1956 in Burlington, Iowa to Phil and Mary Allen. He is the third of four children. He grew up in Dallas City, Illinois on the Mississippi River where he learned to fish, hunt, and find geodes. (I had to ask what geodes were). He attended Western Illinois University and received a degree in Education. He taught for 2 years and then he decided to do work as a carpenter. In October of 1984, he received the call to the ministry. He attended the seminary in Denver, Colorado. He served several parishes for 11 years and then returned to teaching until 2016 when he retired. He now substitute teaches and the first Sunday of each month, he serves at Caldwell United Methodist Church. Jane was born August 29, 1955 to Keith and Rosena Hubbard in Carthage, Illinois. She has an older sister. They grew up on a farm. She attended school in the Colusa/Nauvoo, Illinois where she was in 4-H. She attended Northwest Missouri State University, receiving a degree in Elementary/Special Education. She was a vocational/evaluator at the Hancock County Mental Center. The last 15 years she was a substitute teacher and homebound tutor. Tony and Jane met when they were 13 years old, helping at Vacation Bible School. They dated through high school, parted ways, only to remeet at the graduation of his brother and her sister. They were married August 11, 1979 and have 2 sons. They moved to Lyons in Both of them enjoy reading and both are Blackhawk Hockey fans. Tony hopes to get back to doing woodworking and they plan on doing more traveling. Tony and Jane both said they feel blessed to have found the Burlington United Methodist Church. Guess what?? We feel just as blessed having both of you here! WELCOME!

4 Church Ministries Tuesday Mornings: 10:00-11:30 a.m. Discipleship Study: Shaped by Grace, You are God s Masterpiece in the Making LOVE INC. MEAL 5:00 P.M. Dec.13 th Judy Kerkhoff s Girl Scout Troop will be preparing and serving the meal This month. We have a new Coordinator, Lisa Hernandez. Thank you Lisa for taking on this mission. God Bless You! Soul Food Sunday The first Sunday of every month has been designated as Soul Food Sunday. Please bring in a nonperishable food or laundry item to help the need in our community. May this experience feed your soul as well as help our neighbors. Blood Pressure Screening Blood pressure screening will be provided after church service s in the Church Office on the third Sunday of every month. Cook s Night Out Dec. 20 th at 5:30 p.m. Please bring a dish to share and spend some time with members of your Join the Prayer Fellowship on Friday nights from 6:30pm 8:30pm. Dear Lord, We come before you to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We celebrate the miracle of God coming as a baby - coming to live among us, coming to love us, and coming to show us the way to eternal life. During this Christmas season, help us to experience the story of the birth of Christ as though it were the first time we ever heard it. Bring to our thoughts a sense of wonder and awe at what took place two thousand years ago. Allow us to watch, as wise men who daily commanded great respect, humbly traveled to a stable and knelt with gifts in hand before a baby who was Christ the King. Let our imagination hear the rustling animals and see the young couple who lovingly take turns holding our promise in their arms. Help us to remember to live our life proclaiming the loving message of that night in our words and most importantly in our actions. We magnify your holy name this day. Amen

5 Church Ministries The Salt Shaker s This group will meet on Dec. 11 th at The Pine Street Café at 5:30 p.m. They are currently studying 30 Life Principles. They would love to have anyone interested to come join them. So, if you are interested simply show up. Love Inc Meal The Love Inc meal will be served on Thursday, Dec. 13 th at 5:00 p.m. Judy Kerkhoff s Girl Scout Troop will be preparing and serving the meal this month. We have a new coordinator for the Love Inc Meal. Lisa Hernandez has graciously volunteered for this mission. Thank you Lisa and God Bless You!! GriefShare Meeting Meetings are held on Thursday s, at 10:30 a.m. The cost is a one-time fee of $20 for the book. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, we invite you to join us. You do not need to be a member of The Burlington United Methodist Church. We have video, book support and sharing, along with prayer that helps us to know God helps us through our sorrow. Your loss does not need to be recent. We are here for all that grieve no matter how much time has passed since your loss. Please call Pat Hahn at or Pastor Ebenezer for more information at

6 Church Ministries(Continued) Angels Attic We will be open during the Cookie Walk on December 8 th Health and Wellness Committee Our Congregation has members who visit shut-ins, send cards, help with meals and provides transportation. If you or someone you know in the church that needs this kind of help, or if you would like to help in this kind of ministry, please contact Pastor Insor at (414) and let him know. Meeting for December will be on Thursday, Dec. 13 th at 6:00 p.m. Classical Conversation s Children s Christmas Program, Once again, the children will be performing The Three Trees for our congregation on Sunday, Dec. 2 nd. If you have had the opportunity to see these children perform for us previously it has been an absolute joy. They work very hard and it shows in their performances. This is their way of thanking us for providing a place for them to meet. Please don t miss this program! Special Music The choir will be singing at the 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service. We will have a rehearsal at 5:30 on Friday, Dec. 21 st. We hope all of you who have joined us before will come back. Please consider joining us if you have not sung with us before!! The sign-up sheet is in the gathering room. We are hoping to be singing every other month, so watch the bulletin for a sign-up sheet and a date. The more the merrier!! Everyone is welcome to join us, I guarantee you will have a good time and a rewarding experience

7 Church Ministries (Continued) Blood Pressure Screening On Sunday, Dec. 16 th there will be blood pressure screening taking place in the Church Office after our Church Service. Blood Pressure Screening Volunteers at Riverview Manor Riverview Manor contacted our church to see if we had any retired nurses that would be interested in doing a monthly Blood Pressure screening at their facility. If you are interested, please contact Arlene at Fellowship Host Schedule October 7 th Lyann Jung 14 th Kris Wilhelmi & Sue Stardy 21 st Nancy Koceja 28 th Pat Piper November 4 th Pat Piper 11 th Chuck & Sandi Findlay 18 th Judy VandeSande 25 th Donna Reesman & Char Zubrod December 2 nd Janice Greeter 9 th Molly Ellingstad 16 th Janice Piper 23 rd Insor Family

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9 Church Activities Cook s Night Out Will be held on Thursday Dec. 20 th at 5:30p.m. Please bring a dish to a share. Beverages and place settings will be provided. If you have never joined us before, please consider coming as this is always a night of fun and fellowship. Any questions, contact Judy VandeSande at (262) Adult Sunday School This group meets every Sunday after Worship Service in the library. Everyone is welcome to join them. Secret Sister s Throughout the year you can do various acts of kindness for your Secret Sister like: Birthday, Anniversary Cards, little gifts that reflect her hobbies or interests, give a special gift at Christmas or her birthday. These are just a few ideas. Be sure to keep this a Secret. Aging & Disability Resource Center of Racine County A Congregate Dining Site is now open at the Senior Center in Burlington at 587 E. State Street. Lunch will be served Mondays through Fridays at noon. Please call by 9:30 am the previous day to reserve or cancel a reservation. Posting of the menus can be found on the bulletin board in the Gathering Area.

10 Church Prayers and Celebrations Prayers for the following people of our church: Marilou Hensen Karen Jacks Delores Martin Kenny Achuff Gloria Oakwood Kelly Sizer Alex Williams Sally Miller For urgent prayer concerns contact Pastor Insor or Deanna Barels. Hospitalized? Please let Pastor Insor know if you, or someone you know from the congregation is in the hospital and would like a visit from Pastor Insor. Contact Pastor so that he may stop in to visit with you while you are in the hospital. Would you like a home visit? Please contact Pastor Insor to set up a time for a visit. Church: Pastor Insor at Deanna Barels at Please check with Pat Hahn for prison ministries at Letters are so appreciated to those who are not able to enjoy freedom. Special Prayers Needed: *Our shut-ins need your prayers, cards, letters, and visits. The church office has a list of names and addresses. DECEMBER BIRTHDAY S DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 7 Curry Caldwell 1 Ed & Barb Johnson 11 Shirley Kinsey 11 Bill & Ginger Campbell 12 Myrt Lovrine, Eleanor Thill 24 Pastor Ebenezer & Maggie Insor 15 John Molle 29 John & Claire Molle 20 - Lynn Gebel, Banche Molle 30 Eric & Ellen Burling 22 Judy Kerkhoff, Tony Allen 26 Paige Kerkhoff 27 Tom Koss 28 Janice Greeter, Shane Murphy 29 Fritz Barels, Cindy Shanebrook, Pat Piper

11 DECEMBER 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Praise Service 5:00 pm 2 Traditional Service Holy Communion & Children s Program 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am 9:45 am Adult Sunday School 3 Weight Watchers 6:30 pm 4 Weight Watchers 9:30am 5 6 Grief Share 10:30 am Love Inc. Meal 5 pm 7 Prayer Night 6:30-8pm 8 Praise Service 5:00 pm 9 Traditional Service 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am 9:45 am Adult Sunday School 10 Weight Watchers 6:30 pm 11 Weight Watchers 9:30am Bible Study 10am -11:30am Salt Shakers 5:30 pm Grief Share 10:30 am Cook s Night Out 5:30 pm Health & Wellness 6:00 pm 14 Prayer Night 6:30pm-8pm 15 Praise Service 5:00 pm 16 Traditional Service 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am 9:45 am Adult Sunday School Blood Pressure Screening 9:30 a.m. 17 Weight Watchers 6:30 pm Deadline for January Newsletter items. 18 Weight Watchers 9:30am Bible Study 10am -11:30am Finance 6 pm Ad Council 7 pm Grief Share Meeting 10:30 am 21 Prayer Night 6:30pm-8pm 22 Praise Service 5:00 pm 23 Traditional Service 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am 9:45 am Adult Sunday School 24 Christmas Eve Service 5:00 pm ESUMC 50 th Christmas in the Barn 4:00-9:00 pm 25 Christmas Day 10:00 am - Noon Walk-In Communion No Church Service Grief Share 10:30 am 28 Prayer Night 6:30pm-8pm Deadline for January Newsletter items. 29 Praise Service 5:00 pm 30 Traditional Service 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am 9:45 am Adult Sunday School 31 New Year s Eve

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