December Advent is a season of waiting and looking forward with hope and expectation.

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1 Rev. Mike Hafele Pastor Cheryl Kaye Interim Music Director Heather Landers Office Manager Chuck Torgler Custodian Cecilla Quest Nursery Jeff Janowich Audio Doug Kasimier Treasurer 3400 N. Atlantic Ave. Cocoa Beach, FL Find Us on Facebook! RiversidePres.org December 2016 Advent is a season of waiting and looking forward with hope and expectation. Children are eagerly counting down the days until Christmas morning. Families are busily making plans to gather together to celebrate. Our own Riverside family waiting on the arrival of our new pastor, Mike Hafele, his wife Claudia, and children Nikolas and Carina. Pastor Mike s first Sunday in the pulpit will be December 18. In the church we look back upon Christ s first coming in a manger in Bethlehem; but we also anticipate Christ s coming again when he will return for his people. The Advent hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel captures the true sentiment of the season: O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

2 FROM THE OFFICE I want to say a special thank you to everyone that helped me in the office this month and to those that have been patient with delays during this time of transition. OFFICE HOURS Monday through Thursday 9 AM to 2 PM NEEDED ITEMS Thank you to Jack Geiger for donating an adding machine to the office (as well as a Christmas Tree). S I get a lot of s in a day and they are most welcome. If sending a request for a newletter or bulletin inclusion it would help me a great deal if the NEWSLETTER or BULLETIN would be put in the subject line along with a brief title. This will help me give these s priority. NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS I want to try to get the newsletter out several days before the new month begins so people have plenty of time to plan their month. Deadline for January 2017 is December 19. Please ensure all newsletter submissions are spell checked and edited to how you would want them to appear. BULLETIN Bulletins are finalized Wednesdays around 1 PM. If you have anything that must be included, it should be submitted to the office no later than 10 AM on Wednesday, but preferably Tuesday. December Worship Calendar 12/11 9 Worship w/ the Band 10 Sunday School 11 Worship w/ Choir 12/18 9 Worship w/ the Band 10 Sunday School 11 Worship w/ Choir 12/24 CHRISTMAS EVE 7PM Candlelight Service 12/25 CHRISTMAS DAY 10 Combined Service 1/1 10 Combined Communion Service 12/2: William Bond, Chris Herrnkind 12/6: David Bartine, Dale Tumelson 12/8: Judy McCrery, Cathy Pfeiffer 12/10: Chris Hardcastle, Joyce Ringerwole 12/21: Barbara Porterfield 12/17: Bob Yost December Birthdays 12/19: Daniel Coon 12/21: Shelli Buckley, Barbara Grewe 12/24: Tom Dathe 12/26: Ron Seeger 12/27: Rich Bernard 12/29: Becca Bower 12/30: George English

3 The King s Birthday A Children s Musical with Audience Participation Come join in the fun and celebrate the season. On Sunday, December 18th at 3:30 PM our church will host a Christmas play performed by children of our church and community. The audience will participate by singing along to some of our favorite carols. If your child/children would like a part in the play, or you know of someone who would, please contact the church office or send an to camp@riversidepres.org. A hot dog dinner in Fellowship Hall will follow the performance. Please mark your calendars and support our children by coming to the play. There will be a sign up sheet for the dinner at the box office in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, December 4th and 11th. See you at the play! Friday, December 9 5:30-8:30 PM - Fellowship Hall For Children K-5 Evening will include pizza, crafts, games and a G-rated movie. Space is limited for this FREE event. For Reservations Call or RiversidePres@cfl.rr.com You will be asked to fill out a permission form before leaving the Fellowship Hall the night of the event TE! O N E TAK I.R.P. B nce e r e f n Co y r a u Febr Chili Cook-Off THANK YOU! Fellowship would like to THANK all who participated with the 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off. Thanks to all who shared their chili with us: Dick Gerhardt, Carolyn Hattaway, Joe Fanning, Mary Mullin, Cody Neiman, Lee White, Judy George, Paula Yost, Judy Bartine, Carl Plaugher, Joe Marshall, Cathy Seeger, Tammy Ivan, Dan Coon, Barbara Sprunger and Laura Ginn. Congratulations to the winner, Mary Mullin!! Also a big thank you to all who helped setup, serve and clean-up for the event, and Linda Autry for preparing the Hot Cider drink.

4 Dr. Vernon Boushell Concert Series Snow Bird Concert January 8, :30 PM & 7:00 PM Big Band Greatest Hits Swingtime Band Valentine Concert February 12, :30 PM & 7:00 PM The Ditchfield Family Singers Oratorio Concert RIVERSIDE MUSIC Please consider being part of our music at Riverside during this coming Christmas time. If you have ever sung in a choir, played a band or orchestra instrument, or rung a handbell -- your service would add to the joy of our celebration. Perhaps as you re sitting in the congregation you hear an enthusiastic voice singing praises, or as you welcome a visitor to Riverside and sense their interest in music, won t you invite them to share their gift? Contact Cheryl Kaye (989) with inquiries. March 12, :30 PM Riverside Chamber Orchestra & Riverside Chorale Beth Green, Choir Director Richard Sabino, Director Holy Week Concert April 9, :30 PM Riverside Chamber Orchestra & Soloists Patriotic Concert June 25, :30 PM Space Coast Symphony Winds and Choir Aaron Collins, Director ANGEL TREE Please participate in the Angel Tree for Cape View Elementary School. The tree will be in Fellowship Hall and have paper pictures of sneakers, backpacks, and light weight jackets/sweatshirts hanging on it. Each item will be designated for a boy or girl and the shoes and clothing will have a size on it. Please select a paper item from the tree, purchase that item, and bring it back (unwrapped) to Fellowship Hall by December 18th. Thank you for participating in our continuing partnership with the children of Cape View.

5 December News from Riverside Presbyterian Women The Riverside Presbyterian Women invite all ladies to join in the Deborah Circle, the Hannah Ruth Circle or the Rebekah Circle. The Deborah Circle and Women s Bible study meet on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM. Hannah Ruth Circle meets the third Tuesday of the month at 1 PM and R e be k ah C ir cl e me e ts the thir d T hur sd ay of the month at 9:30 AM. All circles meet in our Knox Parlor. The Presbyterian Women s Bible study is entitled Who is Jesus? What a difference a Lens Makes. All circles will not meet in December but will resume in January. All women are invited. Come and join in the fellowship and discussions. PATH, Presbyterian Answer to Hunger, gives Presbyterian Women the opportunity to give 2 cents a meal each month to help feed the starving people of the world where the need is greatest. One focus is on Madagascar, a country with much to gain from PC(USA) s critical global initiatives. Working with FJKM, the Church of Jesus Christ of Madagascar, this mission outreach will be directed to growing fruits and vegetables and fruit trees from grafted plants, improving health issues and education for the children, and strengthening the critical fight against human trafficking. All ladies of Riverside please save the date of Saturday, December 3rd at 2:00 PM to join in our annual Christmas Tea in Fellowship Hall. Let s all come and enjoy this festive time of the year with each other. A musical performance under the direction of Cheryl Kaye will be enjoyed. Dates to Remember: December 2nd, Friday Christmas Tea Set Up 1:00 PM Fellowship Hall December 3rd, Saturday - Christmas Tea 2 PM Fellowship Hall January Deborah, Hannah Ruth, and Rebekah Circles Bible Study Gail Marshall, Publicity Riverside Sunday School in Indonesia Did you know that Riverside Presbyterian has a Sunday School in Indonesia, the world s largest Muslim nation? We do this through Motorcycle Sunday School Mission, an affiliate organization of Teen Missions. This is a tough area to get the Gospel out, but we have a part in it because we sponsor a Sunday school on the island of Borneo near the Malaysian border. They need our prayers. Following is the latest Riverside Sunday School update: There are many celebrations happening in the area and because of this a lot of the children are not coming to Sunday School because they have been spending this time with their families. We are not losing hope though. We are thankful for the children that have been showing up because we know that God can work through any situation. We are hoping that parents will get involved in their children s lives and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. Please pray for this to happen.

6 December in the Kid s Corner One Room School House The Children s Church classes from the 9 AM worship service and the One Room School House classes have been relocated to the Pfeiffer Room adjacent to Fellowship Hall. The children will have their own room in which to study, do crafts, and display their artwork. Miss Vicki and Miss Gail happily welcome all students, new and old. In December the One Room School House will continue in our study of Grace & Gratitude in the book of Isaiah where the children will recognize and work for God s peaceable kingdom in the world. In Matthew through Joseph s dream the focus will be to claim the promise of God s loving presence in Jesus. Luke takes us to thecelebration of the Christmas story with joy and gratitude. Also in Luke the children will look to honor and celebrate wise elders who teach us the way of Jesus as we share the story of Simeon and Anna rejoicing with the infant Jesus. --- Merry Christmas to All!!! Adult Bible Study at Riverside Sunday Morning (Between Worship Services 10:10-10:45 a.m.) Kerygma Discovering the Bible, A New Generation - Knox Hall (Galilee) Led by Penny Bernard. Thoughtful Christian Café - Fellowship Hall. Led by George Spaeth. Tuning into God s Message - Knox Parlor. Led by Jak Burton. Weekly Mon. 1:00 p.m.: Gospel of Mark, The Jesus We re Aching For - Knox Parlor. Led by Sherrell Fischer. Wed. 7:30 a.m.: Men s Bible Study - Knox Parlor. Led by Joe Marshall. Wed. 7:00 p.m.: Women s Bible Study - Knox Parlor. Group discussion. Monthly Presbyterian Women s Bible Study: Who is Jesus? What a Difference a Lens Makes - Knox Parlor Hannah Ruth Circle - 3rd 1:00 p.m. Deborah Circle - 3rd 7:00 p.m. Rebekah Circle - 3rd 9:30 a.m.

7 FAMILY PROMISE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS Christmas finds some of us searching for a meaningful way to truly help those less fortunate; families who have bottomed out by loosing both jobs and housing. There may be many individual reasons for a family s homelessness, but the root cause is the lack of affordable housing. Do you know Family Promise is the only nonprofit program providing Brevard families shelter, meals and comprehensive support through a network of twenty Brevard churches headed by their Rockledge Resource Center? The saddest statistic of all one out of every four homeless people is a child. Our Brevard school system accounts for nearly 2000 school age, homeless kids. It s the perfect time to consider giving your time to Family Promise. Our church and affiliates have been a part of this important Brevard ministry since its inception, assisting 69 families, 234 people (including 130children). Their prayers didn t go unanswered. The majority have found stable housing within 36 days of entering the Family Promise program. Riverside helped them over this 36-day bridge. The week of December 25 we will assist more families. COMMIT TO ONCE A YEAR TO HELP - Riverside and its affiliates need more volunteers to continue changing lives. Four times a year, for one week at a time, this ministry hosts up to four families, providing them with a warm dinner and safe place to sleep. Your great gift of time - time to listen, time to show love, time to be a concerned friend- involves one evening (3-4 hours) or overnight (sleeping in your own private room and bed) to afford these families and you fantastic rewards. It may mean stepping outside your comfort zone, but it s truly not a hardship. Your life will be enriched in ways you cannot imagine. And, if you try it once, you ll want to do it more often. During Christmas week pop in to get a feel for this endeavor. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Riverside Presbyterian Church is partnering with Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard. Monthly support group meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. in Knox Parlor. This month s group meeting has been canceled, but will resume on January 10. GRG of Brevard provides resources, legal help, counseling and agency support to grandparents who are the primary caregivers/guardians of their grandchildren. Over the past two decades, GRG of Brevard has provided services for over 1900 families. Currently, there are over 8,500 children living in relative care families in Brevard County. GRG of Brevard provides cost-free, community-based programs and services that include: Weekly therapeutic support groups; Crisis counseling for relative caregivers; Workshops and educational programs; Advocacy on behalf of caregiver families; Community outreach and education; Recreational activities and respite; Emergency resource referrals for food, clothing, and infant supplies. Many of your neighbors or friends may be in need this support and will be well served by this new Cocoa Beach group. For more information call the church office at Please keep the families, children and organization in your prayers.

8 Summary of Session Actions: Stated Meeting, November 15, 2016 *Approved the minutes of the Congregational meeting on November 13 at which Rev. Mike Hafele was elected Riverside s next installed pastor. Terms of call were also approved by the congregation. *Received the report of the PNC regarding transitional matters including the new pastor s first day in the pulpit on Dec. 18; and approved inviting the congregation to assist with moving expenses. *Received the monthly report of the Treasurer and correspondence from the Interim Pastor regarding expiration of her contract. *Approved the pastor job description previously proposed by Personnel for inclusion in the Operations Manual along with procedures regarding usher/greeters, preparation and service of communion, closing instructions, and forms used by the Personnel Commission. *Received an update from Stewardship & Finance on Stewardship 2017 and approved the recommendation to end the campaign on Nov. 30. *Approved the recommendations of the Personnel Commission regarding annual reviews and raises; and authorizing an additional two hours/per week for the office manager position. *Approved OMEC s recommendation to disburse funds from the Special Endowment in the amount of $2,800 to Teen Missions and $1,000 to the motorcycle ministry in Indonesia. *Approved Property s report on the completion of roof repairs and the installation of AC unit in Pfeiffer Room at substantial savings and approved sending letters of gratitude to Karl Janstik and Kabron respectively. Also approved the recommendation to install a new light pole and fixtures in the west parking lot for $ *Approved Ambassador s recommendation to purchased graphic design software and make hardware upgrades as necessary to implement. *Received reports from Deacons, Education, Worship, Care & Support, Adult Ministries and Fellowship regarding on-going activities. *Elders Mark Gordon and Dave Bartine were elected commissioners to the winter Presbytery meeting at Good Shepherd, Melbourne, on Dec. 6. *Approved the request of the Space Coast Symphony to rent the sanctuary for a weeknight chamber series January-April with details to be determined. *Noted with sadness the passing of Linda Goodman and Greta Jones and approved their removal from the membership list along with eleven other members by request or inactivity due to relocation. *New member Tim Bright was received by certificate of transfer on Nov. 13. For unto us a child is born,...his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor The Mighty God The Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace!

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