The Pacesetter. December 2010 Pace Presbyterian Church 4587 Woodbine Road Pace, FL Special Dates and Events

Transcription

1 The Pacesetter December 2010 Pace Presbyterian Church 4587 Woodbine Road Pace, FL Special Dates and Events Second Sunday of Advent, December 5, 2010 Third Sunday of Advent, December 12, 2010 Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 19, 2010 First day of winter, December 21, 2010 Christmas Eve, December 24, 2010 Christmas Day, December 25, 2010 New Year s Eve/Watch Night, December 31, 2010 What s Inside? From the Pastor s Desk Christ Monogram Milk & Cookies The Best Gift Christian Symbols The 12 Days of Christmas Santa By Canoe What is Stewardship? Talent Time Treasure What should you give? Turn in your pledges!! Meet Ms Tonja New floor Police Visit Sing, Shout, Praise the Lord Art Work and Decoration Volunteers Wanted! Thank You! Calendar Financial Report Anniversaries & Birthdays

2 From the Pastor s Desk I am looking forward meeting and getting to know each one of you... Sunday the 28th of November the church begins a new liturgical year with the first Sunday of Advent. The word advent is derived from a Latin word (adventus) meaning coming or arrival. I must admit this season is a double advent for me. I have looked forward with anticipation and joy for the first Sunday of Advent when I actively join in the life of this church. I am looking forward meeting and getting to know each one of you. Please bear with me as names come slow for me. Let us join together in this season of anticipation as we look at new mission programs and ways to be more community visible. But as it is Christ Monogram During Advent, many c h u r c h e s d i s p l a y C h r i s t m a s trees decorated with C h r i s t i a n with any new arrival lets take it slow but with our vision always looking forward. Let us remember in this season of advent what we are waiting for. It is the arrival of Emmanuel (God with us). Its to wonderful to rush, so please join me as we anxiously await this arrival and ponder what the angel told the shepherds in Luke, for see, I am bring you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah the Lord. May this new born child be the Lord of our lives this day and forever. Grace and Peace be with you this advent season, Blessings, Larry symbols called chrismons. The name comes from the Latin phrase Christi Monogramma, which means monogram of Christ. Most Chrismons are made of wood or Styrofoam, and they can be handmade or purchased at Christian supply stores. 2

3 Milk and cookies at the Inn??? A 7-year-old boy was chosen to be the innkeeper in the Christmas program. When Joseph and Mary approached him, looking for shelter in Bethlehem, he simply had to say there was no room. The kindhearted boy tried to take the sting out of the situation, however. I don t have room for you in the hotel, he said. But I d love to have you come in for milk and cookies. The Best Gift A king sat on his throne on Christmas Day as many of his subjects presented him with gifts: jewels, gold, artwork, handmade treasures and food galore. One man stayed back until everyone had given their gifts. Eventually, the king asked if the man had a gift he wished to give. The man said he had only one thing to present. He had nothing of material or financial value, just a friendly heart that was free of malice and full of best wishes for the ruler. The king told the man he d brought him the best gift of all: friendship and goodwill. How can you present those to someone this season? He had nothing of material or financial value, just a friendly heart Christian Symbols.. The Candle The candle symbolizes Jesus being the light of the world (John 8:12), as well as his call for Christians to be lights (Matthew 5:14). Candles play a prominent role in the Christmas season. Each candle on an Advent wreath has a special meaning. Many churches have a candlelight w o r s h i p s e r v i c e o n Christmas Eve, often at midnight. 3

4 The 12 Days, A Song with a Message! The 12 Days of Christmas was written to help young believers learn about their faith. According to modern folklore, the song The 12 Days of Christmas was written to help young believers learn about their faith. Although no evidence proves that claim, some say the popular carol contains these codes: The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ. Two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love. The four calling birds are the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The five golden rings are the Law: the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying represent the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming represent the gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership and mercy. The eight maids a-milking are Jesus eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing are the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The 10 lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments. The 12 drummers drumming symbolize the 12 statements of belief in the Apostles' Creed. The 11 pipers piping stand for the 11 faithful disciples. 4

5 You re Invited!! Help Welcome Santa Claus as he arrives by canoe!! The Pace Presbyterian, New Beginnings Preschool, Milton First Presbyterian, and Navarre Church Families are invited to come and be part of the warmth and fellowship of the Christmas spirit Present among us when Santa arrives by canoe on Sunday, December 19th on Magnolia Basin at the home of Walt and Mary Reese, 7772 Lakeside Dr, Milton (See map below or just GPS us!!). 6:30 PM Plan to arrive to enjoy hot, mulled cider outside by an open fire near the shoreline while awaiting Santa s Arrival (wear warm and toasty clothes) 7:00 PM Santa s expected arrival time! Please bring a recipe of your favorite Holiday Cookies (or goodies ) to share when we move inside for Santa s departure. Please join in singing a joyful noise as we gather around the piano for singing of Christmas Carols! Directions to the Reese Home 1. Drive EAST on Highway 90 through Milton. 2. Cross Blackwater River and 2nd bridge. 3. Just past Addies Restaurant, turn LEFT on to Johnson Road. 4. Look at your ODOMETER drive 1.1 miles 5. Turn LEFT on St. James (at the end of the chain link fence) 6. Drive about 100 yards to dead end. 7. Turn RIGHT on Lakeside Drive, continue to opposite end of Magnolia Basin. 8. Bear LEFT at Y in road, and our home is the 5th house on the LEFT ( with a brick mailbox) 9. If all else fails just call us

6 What is Stewardship? Follow Me, Jesus simply but powerfully commanded of the Apostles and they did (Mt 4:19). That call is made to us as well on this day and in this time. How do we follow Jesus? We try to live our lives as he did the example of the perfect steward. Stewardship is discipleship. It is the care and use of all that we have been given by God and is often explained in terms of talent, time and treasure. Why? Because communication requires that a message is sent and received and explaining stewardship in simple terms is more effective. Here is a way to look at these aspects of stewardship. Talent We are all blessed with so many talents and yet we may not know they exist. Talents are found in your personality, your interests and in your skills. Those who love interacting with people, love to talk and love to be with groups have incredible talents to assist with evangelization. Those who are skilled in trades or have professional abilities are gifted with talents that can support not only a church, but also charitable works throughout the community. Your skills and knowledge can be put to curing many ills in our society. Your use of talent for the work of God is one of the most personally fulfilling opportunities of your lifetime. Payment in a smile, in relief of suffering or in lending a hand to someone in desperate need is greater than any material payment you will ever receive. Time The gift of time is just that a gift. None of us know exactly how much time we have been granted on this earth. In the time that we have, we are asked to use that time effectively by continuing the mission of Jesus Christ throughout our days. Our participation at Church and in ministries prepares a roadmap for ourselves and those with whom we have influence on how to lead a Christ- centered life. Treasure Treasure is a gift and also a burden. We become consumed with material goods. Yet, life can be lived very simply if we choose. It is not wrong to enjoy many of the amazing luxuries life has to offer. However, justice requires us to consider the needs of others as we enjoy the gifts we have been given. To 6

7 some, food and housing has become a luxury they are unable to obtain. Our use of treasure to support the charitable works of the church helps to bring justice and equity to the world. Charity is not a tax. It should be given freely because we understand and believe in the end result of our giving of financial support to any ministry. Treasure is measured not only in what we give to the church but also in what we provide to other charitable efforts in our community. The biblical tithe or 10% for God s work includes all of your charitable giving. In light of this, many people are very generous and should feel good about what they do. What should you give? There is no one answer, but we should all give according to what we have been given. Rather than gifts of equal size, gifts should be based on equal sacrifice. For example, those who earn minimum wage will find it difficult to provide even basic living needs for themselves and for their family. This financial responsibility is a priority but it may still be possible to be a good steward in terms of time and talent. For many others, it is very possible to make a financial gift. A gift that is truly a sacrifice is a gift out of our need, not just our excess. Only you and God know what is fair but one way to know when you are making the right gift is when you stop making excuses for its size and stop trying to rationalize why it is enough. Stewardship is the act of organizing your life so that God can spend you. LYNN A. MILLER, AUTHOR Turn In Your Pledges!! As elder over the Stewardship, please make an effort to turn in your pledge forms by the end of November. Thank You. Dan Hathaway 7

8 New Beginnings Preschool s Meet Our New Teacher!! Welcome to Miss Tanja, our new 4 year old teacher! Ms. Tanja will be taking over the class previously taught by Ms. Patty. Ms. Patty will remain at the preschool as an aid/ substitute teacher but will have more time to devote to her family. Ms Tanja Have you seen the floor? Special thanks to one of our Preschool parents, Jonathan Niksarian, who installed a new laminate floor in Ms. Lanie s room! Be sure to stop Police visit the Preschool!! Our students enjoyed a visit from Deputy Thompkins of the Santa Rosa Sheriff s Department one day at school. They learned about by and see what a big difference it makes! stranger danger and calling 911 in case of an emergency. They also were able to sit in his cruiser and we got some great pictures for their scrapbooks! Sing, Shout, Praise the Lord! Preschool Sunday was held on November 14 th. The students worked hard and were excited to be able to share their songs with the church membership! We hope you enjoyed it also. If you missed it keep an eye out in the bulletin for their next performance date. 8

9 Artwork and Decoration! We hope you ve taken some time to walk through our halls and enjoy the hard work our students have put into their artwork! Make sure you look again soon as we ll be decorating for Christmas right after we come back from Thanksgiving Break! Volunteers Wanted! Turkeys in disguise! Do you have spare time on your hands and a desire to volunteer at the Preschool? If so, we can always use an extra set of hands around. Do you love to read? Our students love to be read to! Do you craft? Have an idea of an art project for our students? Please feel free to share! There are many opportunities available! Please talk to Ms. Debbie if you re interested! Do you love to read? Our students love to be read too! Frolicking Frogs Thank You! Thank you to our church family and friends for taking the time to support the children and families in our Preschool! Please continue to pray that our stu- dents and staff will remain healthy throughout the year and that God will continue to bless our enrollment and fundraisers! 9

10 December 2010 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Red = Church Activities Blue = Preschool Activities Green= Special Dates & Information Black= Other Activities held at the church 1 7:00 PM Preschool board meeting 2 7:30 PM AA 4:00 PM Chuck E Cheese Night 3 6:30 PM Ladies Olive Garden 4 5 9:30 AM SS 10:30 AM Worship 12:30 PM Youth 6 7:00 PM Grounds & Cong. Care Meeting 8:00 PM AA 7 7:30 PM Scouts 8 9 7:30 PM AA :30 AM SS 10:30 AM Worship 5:00 PM The Jones 6:30 PM 13 10:00 AM Morning Glories 7:00 PM Finance 8:00 PM AA 14 7:30 PM Scouts 15 7:00 PM Ladies Bunco 16 7:30 PM AA 17 Winter Break begins Early release TBA Youth Special Friday Night Event 18 The Gifts Skit Preschool Christmas Program 19 9:30 AM SS 20 8:00 PM AA 21 7:30 PM :30 PM AA 24 Christmas Eve 25 Christmas Day 10:30 AM Scouts Worship Winter Break ***** Winter Break ***** Winter Break ***** Winter Break ***** Winter Break ***** Winter Break 26 9:30 AM SS 10:30 AM Worship 27 8:00 PM AA 28 7:30 PM Scouts :30 PM AA 31 New Year s Eve Winter Break ***** Winter Break ***** Winter Break ***** Winter Break ***** Winter Break ***** Winter Break 10

11 FINANCIAL REPORT The church income/expenses as of October 31 st, 2010 were: OPERATIONS BUILDING INCOME $48,049 $23,442 EXPENSES $49,335 $29,087 NET $(1,286) $(5,645) PACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Commissioned Lay Pastor - Larry Plank Home Phone: Cell Phone: butterflyncoyote@earthlink.net SESSION MEMBERS Class of 2010 Paula Chetwynde - Wally Peterson Class of 2011 Bob Malcomson Class of 2012 Dan Hathaway - Travis Whiting - John Walker NEW BEGINNINGS PRESCHOOL Director: Debbie Quinn nbpreschool@bellsouth.net Church Secretary Diane Waters Clerk of Session: Ed Austin Treasurer: Jon Walker Organist: Peter France December Birthdays 5th Alan Hummel & Phyllis Gipson 19th Marline Austin 23rd Travis Whiting 24th Ted Mackiewicz 25th Jesus 27th Callie Lirette 29th Bob Vannerson 31st Sammy Thomas December Anniversaries 3rd Travis & Patty Whiting 11

12 Sunday School 9:30 A.M. Worship Service 10:30 A.M Woodbine Road Pace, Fl We are located just north of Highway 90 on Woodbine Road in Pace, Florida. pacepres@bellsouth.net Website: