Merry Christmas from Sulphur Grove to You!

Transcription

1 Page 1 December 2017 Volume 26 Issue 12 Merry Christmas from Sulphur Grove to You! Come join us! CHRISTMAS SERVICES FOR ALL CAMPUSES Sunday, December 17 6:00pm Christmas Concert and Service at Brandt Thursday, December 21 7:00pm - Longest Night Service at Taylorsville Sunday, December 24 9:30am - Service at the Y 10:30am - Combined Service at Taylorsville 10:30am - Service at Brandt 5:30pm - Family Friendly/Children s Service at Taylorsville 7:00pm - Candlelight Service at Taylorsville 7:00pm - Candlelight Service at the Y 8:30pm - Candlelight Service at Taylorsville 8:30pm - Service at Brandt HANDEL S MESSIAH CONCERT Saturday, December 2nd ~ 7pm Sunday, December 3rd ~ 3pm Handel s wonderful oratorio MESSIAH, celebrating Jesus Christ s Nativity, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension will again be performed at Sulphur Grove UMC by a community chorus of singers from the greater Dayton/Springfield area. Come join us for this Christmas tradition that began at SGUMC in Child care will be provided. NEW YEARS EVE SERVICES Sunday, December 31st Service at Taylorsville will be held at 10:30am in combination with Brandt and with the Y. There will be no 8:45am service held that day. The SonLight Published Monthly Sulphur Grove UMC 7505 Taylorsville Road Huber Heights, OH Sulphur Grove United Methodist Church Growing Disciples, Living and Sharing God s love

2 Page 2 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus, The season of Advent is upon us. During Advent we tend to look back and remember the birth of Jesus. Yet Advent, in the Christian Church, encompasses so much more than the birth of Jesus. As you are aware, advent means arrival or appearance of someone, or something. In the church we do celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ in the world because that is a significant event. The arrival of Jesus however, is far more significant than just his birth. The advent of Jesus is significant as The Light of the world has come and shines in the darkness, exposing sin. No more can sin hide in the darkness it has been fully exposed by the arrival of Jesus. Also exposed are the human sinful nature and our need for a Savior as we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The purpose of Jesus arrival, thankfully, was not just to expose sin. Jesus came to do something about our sinful state. Jesus earthly ministry and mission are two-fold: to reveal the Father to the world and to demonstrate God s love, grace, and power through Jesus death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Through his death and resurrection, all who believe and have faith in Jesus are released from the bondage of sin and death. This is arguably the most significant part of Jesus earthly ministry. Yet the advent of Jesus also points to another very significant event. The season of Advent also anticipates the final consummation of God s grand plan of redemption. One great and glorious day, known only to the Father, Jesus will arrive again in what is commonly referred to as the second coming of Jesus. In his second coming, Jesus will forever banish sin, evil, sickness, and death from all creation. The earth and all God s creatures will be restored to the pre-fall, Garden of Eden state that was as God intended at the beginning. No longer will there be predation all animals will live in peace and harmony with each other and humanity. Perhaps best of all, at least for us, is that God will restore the face to face fellowship with humanity. No longer will humanity be separated from God as we will once again walk with God in the Garden. While the complete consummation of God s redemptive plan is a future event, the arrival of Jesus in the world brought the Kingdom of God near. What does this statement mean? Why is it significant? The arrival of Jesus and his death and resurrection, has given believers the power to overcome the world. As Spirit filled disciples of Jesus, we have the power to change the world one life or one event at a time. As I write (11/6), I am still reeling from the church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas where at least 26 people were slain during yesterday s Sunday worship service. Yet the faithful who remain are not cursing God for the carnage. They are holding on to and proclaiming their faith in God. Their faith in the midst of unfathomable tragedy has brought the Kingdom of God near. The evil powers of this world threw everything they have against this group of believers yet their faith in God has not been shaken. How can they remain so steadfast in the face of such loss and grief? It s because of the arrival of Jesus Christ some 2000 years ago, the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and the future promise that they will one day be reunited with their slain family and friends. The Advent season is more than looking back and celebrating Jesus birth. It also about remembering his abiding presence with us now through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and remembering that sin, evil, sickness, and death will one day be vanquished forever. Blessings and Peace in Christ Jesus, LISTEN LIVE! Traveling this winter? Visiting parents, grandparents or grandkids? You can still worship with your friends and neighbors at Sulphur Grove. The Taylorsville campus broadcasts both the 8:45 and 10:30 am worship services live through the internet. Simply click into the Sulphur Grove website ( and click on the Click to Listen button toward the bottom of the screen. You can hear all the music, all the prayers, and even the jokes!

3 Page 3 WHAT S HAPPENING AT BRANDT... YOUTH GROUP Our new youth group has begun. This ministry serves kids that are years old. If you know of any kids that live in the Bethel Township, New Carlisle, and Tipp City areas, please invited them to come and check us out. Youth Group meets every Wednesday at Brandt UMC 6:00pm - 7:30pm with dinner at 6pm. BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Brandt will have our annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 2nd from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. Bring your kids, grandkids, friends kids, and your neighbor's kids! All are welcome to come out, take a picture with Santa, eat breakfast, shop in Santa s secret toy store, and have some fun. CHRISTMAS SERVICE We will have our Christmas worship service on Sunday, December 17th at 6:00pm. This service will be filled with music and fellowship. It will conclude with everyone singing The First Noel followed by candle lighting. Afterward, we will have tea and cookies in our Fellowship Hall for those that would like to stay and chit chat for a little while. CHRISTMAS EVE This year at Brandt we will have two services on Christmas Eve (December 24 th ). The morning service will start at 10:30 a.m. and in the evening service will begin at 8:30 p.m. NEW YEARS EVE SERVICE Our congregation will be joining Taylorville for worship on December 31st at the 10:30 a.m. worship service.

4 Page 4 BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB The next discussion meeting of the Book of the Month Club will be on January 14, 2018, at 6:00pm in room 101 of the Taylorsville campus. The book to be discussed will be Dare to Be Kind: How Extraordinary Compassion Can Transform Our World, by Lizzie Velasquez. It can be purchased at the Taylorsville office for $ Written by a woman with a rare disorder which makes her look unusually thin, it shows how we can learn to accept all parts of ourselves and others, and in doing so create a more compassionate world. All are welcome who are interested in finding answers to the challenges the church faces in the midst of our angry and broken society. Questions? Contact retired pastor Ken Clark at

5 Page 5 MISSIONS AND OUTREACH We are a mission church. We believe in reaching out to those in need locally, nationally and globally. WESLEY CHRISTMAS ADOPT-A-FAMILY We are so blessed to be able to bless others and we are excited for Sulphur Grove to give gifts and food for families at Wesley Center once again. Wesley will provide the names of families who will have a little happier Christmas because of Sulphur Grove s giving spirit. There is a Christmas Ball on a tree in the gathering area for each family member with the age, size, and gift suggestions. Those who wish may take a paper Ball with that information, purchase gifts for the individual, and bring the wrapped and marked gifts back to the church by Sunday, December 17. In order for all family members to receive a comparable gift, it is suggested that the gifts be no more than $50 total for each individual. Hopefully, the children will receive an article of clothing and a toy, wrapped separately. Please have no more than three or four packages per child so that one child doesn t get a lot of presents to open while siblings have only one or two. Mark each package with person s first name and include the Ball so we can easily identify the packages. (Please leave the FROM part of the tag you add blank in case they want to mark it from Santa.) If you wish to donate money to help purchase food and non-grocery items, please put your gift in the offering plate and designate it for Adopt-A-Family. If you would like to donate a ham or turkey, or have other questions, please call or text Becky Walker at If you prefer , rwalker002@woh.rr.com. We also need delivery drivers. Thanks in advance for your generosity. Missions Committee 2017 MCCURDY MINISTRIES MISSION TEAM REPORT New Mexico was a blaze of golden fall color as this year s McCurdy Ministries Mission Team worked to assist the newly renamed McCurdy Ministries Community Center. The team consisted of Jacqueline Bunke, David Farlee, Skip and Jean Mahan, Caroline Pultz, Kathleen Roberts, Marianne Shoemaker, Terry Wilson, Sandy Voight and Carla Oatman. It is an exciting time of change on the McCurdy campus as former school buildings transform for their new purposes as a community center. This year your mission team helped change the former high school building into the new adult education center. Chairs, tables and cribs were assembled; three classrooms were stocked with supplies and computers were updated. A fresh coat of paint was also applied to a large portion of the interior of the building giving it a fresh look for its new beginning. Two team members helped the small office staff while a third worked all week in the preschool. Each team member worked hard all week and was a blessing to the department they assisted. This year we took a full day to explore Museum Hill in Santa Fe which included a variety of museums and a botanical garden. We also enjoyed some shopping, good food and great fellowship. By the end of the trip, we were all tired but happy. We met some new faces, toured the new school and made some new friends. We even learned a new thing or two about each other as we worked together for the glory of God. Thank you all for your support of the McCurdy Ministries Mission Team. We make a strong, positive impact on the Espanola Valley each time we visit. This would not be possible without your prayers, cards and donations. The coming years will see great changes to the McCurdy Ministries Community Center as they grow to meet the needs of the families in the valley. Help keep Sulphur Grove s support of this ministry strong with continued prayer and financial support. You could even join next year s team and see firsthand the changes we help make. If you are interested in joining future teams or have any question, please contact Carla Oatman (coatman@sbcglobal.net). Your 2017 McCurdy Ministries Mission Team

6 Page 6 MISSIONS AND OUTREACH We are a mission church. We believe in reaching out to those in need locally, nationally and globally. GRUB AT THE GROVE FREE COMMUNITY MEAL Tuesday, December 12, 5-6:30 pm Taylorsville Activity Center There is much to do in December to prepare for Christmas. But let s not forget the people that have become our friends, people we care about that need our love and support, and maybe just a hot meal on a cold night in December. In our effort to continue to offer the love and hope of Jesus Christ to all, Grub at the Grove will be serving our next free community dinner on Tuesday, December 12, from 5-6:30 pm in the Taylorsville Activity Center. Our menu includes cheesy ham and potato casserole, steamed broccoli, French bread, and choice of fruit. This warm and satisfying meal will be served along with all of those freshly baked desserts. Top that off with a hot cup of coffee or tea, and you have an extraordinary evening. In addition, Sulphur Grove s very own men s quartet, with Ann on the piano, will be offering some very special music. So, make plans to sit down with your friends and neighbors and enjoy this exceptional time of Christmas melodies and good food. If you would like to help in some way, please contact Carol Tatone at ctatone@woh.rr.com, call , or sign up in the Taylorsville pew pads. Volunteers are always needed will be upon us before too long and we don t want this year to go by without saying THANK YOU to everyone for helping with Grub at the Grove. We will continue to do what we are doing and look forward to another exciting year. MERRY CHRISTMAS! A NOTE OF THANKS & REPORT FROM THE THE HOMEFULL MISSION TEAM For it is said Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. Proverbs 28:27 On Saturday November 4 th, 2017, SGUMC HomeFull Mission Team members prepared and served lunch to 58 women guests and afterwards to 36 family members (mostly children) at the St. Vincent DePaul facility. Before serving lunch to the ladies, we provided the family section manager with two large cases of size 5 diapers, a large case of size 6 diapers and also two large cases of baby wipes. Later in the week, we provided St. Paul s UMC with a case of Ramen, 50 pounds of rice, a case of gallon size Ziploc bags, several large grocery bags of Depends, a bag of plastic grocery bags and a variety of different men s and women s hygiene products as well as several boxes and bags of men s, women s, and children s clothing and men s and woman s shoes. I want to thank the SGUMC congregation for all of the donated items placed in The Samaritan Bin for the homeless and those in need. These are just some of the desired donations: Money for Bus Passes/Tokens (Place your financial gift in the offering clearly marked HomeFull Bus Passes ) Infant/Children clothing, size 5/6 Diapers, Training Pants, Toilet Paper, Cleaning Supplies & Laundry Detergent Men s & Women s Deodorant Feminine Hygiene and Oral Hygiene Products God has so richly blessed each of us in so many ways and wants us to be Good Samaritans. Please consider helping by serving or donating items for the homeless and for those in need. Please continue to keep those who are homeless and in need, especially the children, in your daily thoughts and prayers. For more detailed information regarding donations, please contact Allan Matts at and for more information regarding volunteering to help cooking and serving lunch, please contact Jane Elam at

7 Page 7 UPCOMING EVENTS AND MORE... AT THE MANGER WORLD NATIVITY TRADITIONS November 27, January 5, 2018 Marian Library, 7th floor of Roesch Library The University of Dayton s Marian Library presents a selection of its expansive and unique collection of 3,500 Nativity scenes from more than 100 countries. Join us in celebrating how people around the world ponder and picture the birth of Christ through many different cultural lenses. 8:30am - 4:30pm weekdays November 27, January 5, pm Saturday and Sunday, December 2-3 1:30-4pm Thursday, December 7 1-4pm Saturday and Sunday, December 9-10 (closed December 8, December 25 - January 1) The Marian Library Gallery will feature Nativity sets of the long hidden but rich and colorful artistic tradition of Eastern Europe. The Crèche Museum will hold variations of Nativities from East and West Africa. Reflect on Advent with Mary as you view monotypes of artist Michelle Arnold Paine. HARP HOLIDAY HAPPENING ~~ NEWS FROM UMW ~~ Wednesday, December 6th - Caritas Circle meeting Christmas Party at TJ Chumps. Sunday, December 10th - Bake Sale ~ Taylorsville Gathering Area. Delicious home-made goodies. Sunday, December 10th - Blanket Sunday. Wednesday, December 13th - meeting - Christmas Party at 7pm. New Dimensions Monday, December 18th - UMW Board Meeting - Jacoby Study at 7pm. ~~ YOUTH AND CHILDREN ~~ KIDZONE 2.0 KidZone 2.0 will meet on Sunday, December 3 rd from 6-8 pm in room 305 at Taylorsville. This is a monthly activity time for 3 rd, 4 th, 5 th & 6 th graders to gather for Bible study, games, snacks and other activities. All students in this age group are welcome to attend! During our December meeting we will be making some Christmas goodies. Contact Beth if you have any questions bethw@sulphurgrove.org or The Dayton area Harp Ensemble is celebrating their 37th year anniversary and invites you to a Harp Holiday Happening on Sunday, December 10th at 4:00 p.m. at the Taylorsville Sanctuary. We will have 14 harps of all sizes, along with flute, violin, viola, cello, and percussion to get the holiday season off to a great festive start! Bring your singing voice as we invite you to join us in this Christmas concert, which will make everyone happy no matter what your age is! With the program only an hour long, you can relax and enjoy this beautiful music, and still have time to do more Christmas shopping afterward! RHYTHM RAMBLERS AND FRIENDS CHRISTMAS "Rhythm Ramblers and Friends Christmas" is scheduled for Sunday, December 17 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm in the sanctuary at SGUMC Taylorsville. Please join us for a fun time of holiday music and singing. CONFIRMATION CLASSES BEGINNING SOON! Confirmation classes will be starting soon. Confirmation is for students in 7 th -12 th grade. We are currently looking for students and mentors. If you have a student who would like to participate or you are interested in mentoring a student, please contact Katie or Pastor Barry. We will have an informational meeting, Tuesday, November 28 th from 6-7pm in the youth room. YOUTH GROUP OVERNIGHT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The youth group is planning an overnight for Friday, December 15 th. This overnight cannot happen without enough volunteers. Volunteers can stay all night or can work in shifts to cover the whole event while still allowing for some sleeping! If you are interested in helping out, please contact Katie for more information. The church office will be closed on Monday, December 25th and Tuesday, December 26th. We will re-open on Wednesday, December 27th at 8:30am.

8 Page 8 BRANDT UMC Worship 10:30 am TAYLORSVILLE Worship 8:45 & 10:30 am YMCA Worship 9:30 am December 3 1st Sunday in Advent The Journey to Christmas Hope December 3 1st Sunday in Advent More than Forgiveness (Love) John 8: 1-11 December 3 1st Sunday in Advent More than Forgiveness (Love) John 8: 1-11 December 10 2nd Sunday in Advent The Journey to Christmas Love December 10 2nd Sunday in Advent God is Our Righteousness Romans 4: 1-7 December 10 2nd Sunday in Advent God is Our Righteousness Romans 4: 1-7 December 17 3rd Sunday in Advent The Journey to Christmas Joy Evening Service at 6:00pm December 17 3rd Sunday in Advent God Our Restoration John 21: December 17 3rd Sunday in Advent God Our Restoration John 21: December 24 4th Sunday in Advent The Journey to Christmas Peace (morning) The Birth of Christ (evening) December 24 4th Sunday in Advent Transformed to Intercede Acts 2: 1-4 Acts 5: December 24 4th Sunday in Advent Transformed to Intercede Acts 2: 1-4 Acts 5: Also: Monday, December 11: URS Service at 1:00pm Saturday, December 16: Lane Park Service at 10:30am and Stillwater at 4:00pm Thursday, December 21: Longest Night Service at 7:00pm Taylorsville Sanctuary Thursday, December 28: URS Service at 1:00pm and Stillwater at 6:00pm

9 Page 9 SULPHUR GROVE GIVING OF OUR TITHES & OFFERINGS YEAR TO DATE AS OF OCTOBER 31, 2017 Total General Fund Giving $594, Transfers to Budget $3, Total General Fund Income $598, Total General Fund Expenses $593, Loan Balance $688, Payment to Loan Principal $971, On-line giving available on our website at Monthly detailed finance reports are available through the church office. Please contact Sharon Hill at sharon@sulphurgrove.org or if you would like to receive a report or have questions. JANUARY 2018 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: Friday, December 1, 2017 Please submit articles to Traci at tracis@sulphurgrove.org or drop off at the church office. Lengthy articles may be subject to editing. Questions? Please call the church office at Sulphur Grove United Methodist Church Ministers The People of Sulphur Grove United Methodist Church including: Barry Baughman... Lead Pastor Marty McMichael... Pastor Y Campus Latoya Warren... Pastor Brandt Campus Latoya Warren... Pastor of Congregational Care Zach Holler... Pastor of Community Engagement Katie Greene... Director of Youth Ministries Beth Wenzel... Director of Children s Ministries Ann Snyder... Taylorsville Choir Director Gary Carmack... Brandt Worship Leader Kay Lowery... Church Administrator Sharon Hill... Treasurer Jacque McAdams... Administrative Assistant Traci Schaaf... Administrative Assistant TAYLORSVILLE 7505 Taylorsville Road Huber Heights OH (937) Worship ~ 8:45 & 10:30 am Kiawanda Language Worship 2:30pm-4:30pm in Holden Chapel YMCA 7251 Shull Road Huber Heights OH (937) Worship ~ 9:30 am BRANDT 6805 East US 40 Tipp City, OH (937) Worship ~ 10:30 am Taylorsville Office Hours: Mon: 8:30-2:30 pm Tues-Fri: 8:30-4:00 pm office@sulphurgrove.org Closed: 12:30pm 1:30pm for lunch