Birthdays Neill McKay - 9th Melissa Bierer - 17th David Dohner - 20th

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1 UCPC Community Care Line We invite all to faith in Jesus Christ and growth in discipleship through Word, Prayer, and Service. December 2017 Special Points of Interest Pastor s Note Birthdays Anniversaries Monthly Calendar Announcements & Events Session Highlights Birthdays Neill McKay - 9th Melissa Bierer - 17th David Dohner - 20th Anniversaries Donna Henry & Curt Wolfer - 15th Darlene & Larry Peterson - 20th Family and Friends, This Advent Season I will be focusing much of my preaching on the real presence of God in our lives; in the Hope, Love, Joy and Peace of Jesus Christ, which just happens to represent the meanings of our four advent candles. In the true presence of God in our lives we should find Hope for a better tomorrow. We should find the unconditional love Christ died and raised to give us. In the true presence of God, we should experience an amazing joy that lifts up our voices in hymns and raise praise in prayer and witness. In the true presence of God in our lives, should find a peace that no one and no thing or life event can diminish inside of us. Each of these things requires faith, and they require us to also be present in the moment to receive from God, all that God is revealing to us. This advent season search out Hope, receive and offer unconditional love, bask in the presence of God and find a Great Joy. And through God's presence in your life, live a life in harmony with the world, with yourself and with those around you that you might know and share the peace that Christ was born into the world to deliver. This is a season to receive gifts and presents, and there can be no greater gift than opening yourself up to the presence of God in your life, the life of our church and the world we live in. Remember and celebrate the meaning of each candle we light, knowing that God loves us, Christ died for us, and the Holy Spirit guides us as we traverse this world. Focus on being present in the Hope, the Love, the Joy and the Peace that was born into the world with the coming of Jesus. That presence is what this season is truly about. Join us each week for worship that we might experience it together, in celebration and joy for all the goodness we know and love. In the Name of Jesus Christ, AMEN. Rev. Neill D. McKay Pastor s Note

2 =[Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Room Abbr. Key : CE= Old Basement FH = Fellowship Hall C = Conference Room OL=Office Lounge M= Music Room N=Narthex S = Sanctuary HS=High School Room L = Lounge 31. New Years Eve :00PM Terry s Presentation (SL) Worship Service(S) 24. Christmas Eve Russian Church( S) 4. 7:30AM Women s Breakfast (Denny s) 5:15PM Sound (S) :30AM Women s Breakfast (Denny s) Finance Meeting (Narthex) 25. Christmas Day 5. Men's Coffee (N) 12. Men's Coffee (N) 7:15PM M & O Mtg (C Room) 19. House Party (All Day) Men's Coffee (N) 26. Men's Coffee (N 12:30PM VOAD (C Room) 6. 1 Bulletin Deadline Tai Chi Classes Girl Scout Troop 75 Choir Rehearsal (M) Bulletin Deadline Tai Chi Classes Girl Scout Troop 75 Choir Rehearsal (M) Bulletin Deadline Tai Chi Classes Girl Scout Troop 75 6:15PM Worship Meeting (C Room) Choir Rehearsal (M) Bulletin Due Girl Scouts Tai Chi Choir Rehearsal (M) :30PM Donna Henry (M) Deacons (C Room) Al Anon (HS) 8. Sweet Adelines CyberLynx 5:15PM Faith Development (C Room) Al Anon (HS Classoom) Sweet Adelines 21. (All Day) Winter Solstice 1 Al Anon (HS Classroom) Sessions (Lounge) Sweet Adelines (FH) Al Anon (HS classroom) Russian Church (Music) Sweet Adelines NA (Lounge)

3 We invite all to faith in Jesus Christ and growth in discipleship through Word, Prayer, and Service. Announcements & Events Elder of the Month for December is Doreen McNeill Join us before Sunday School for breakfast from 9:00-9:30 am Children and Youth Sunday School 9:30 am Preschool meets in the Nursery. K-4th grade meets in the Fellowship Hall Elementary classroom. 5th-8th grade meets in the Fellowship Hall Middle School classroom. Confirmed students through High School meet upstairs in the High School classroom. Sunday Adult Study meets in the Lounge at 9:30 am 9:00am-9:30am Coffee and Fellowship Meets at 6:30 am in the Narthex every Tuesday. Meets every other Monday 7:30 Denny's on Airport Way We will meet December 4th & 18th LOVING FAMILIES ~ our next "host" week is scheduled for January 7-14, We are looking for volunteers to provide a meal, evening volunteers for socializing, volunteers to spend the night with families & volunteers to provide groceries for breakfast & sack lunches. If you can help, please contact Norma Wivoda, or Muffie Durst, Thank you in advance for giving of your time. You can view the Upcoming Sunday Bulletin on our web page each week Click on the link on our home page. It will be available each Friday after 1pm. 3

4 Prayer: Brief Thoughts and Quotes Sometimes we may feel unable to pray or that our words are somehow inadequate. Other times we may wish to use a familiar prayer and repeat it as long as we wish. Whatever the reason many people memorize one or more prayers for such times. Of course we may use the Lord s Prayer on such occasions. Two other popular prayers are shown below. The St Francis prayer, often attributed to Francis, actually was traced to an early 20 th century French source. It was commonly used during the first and second world wars. The Jesus prayer, widely used within the Orthodox Church, is attributed to a Desert father or mother from the early monastics in the Egyptian desert in the 3 rd and 4 th centuries. Its very brevity lends itself particularly to lengthy repetition. St Francis Prayer Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life. Jesus Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner. May God bless and enrich your prayer life. -Larry Johnson 4

5 Adopt-A-Family Once again, we have combined our efforts with Love in the Name of Christ to help a family at Christmas time. These families are found through referrals from schools, neighbors, or someone else who sees the need. Our family has three boys, ages 2, 6, and 7, with a baby on the way. The parents liked to cook and have kitchen related items on their list. There are tags on the Christmas tree in the Narthex if you would like to choose something that is on their wish list, or you may find something appropriate for them that is not on the list. For more expensive items, gently used items are acceptable. Also, if you are buying a toy, consider Enchanted Forest across the street and mention what you are doing, and they will give you a discount. We would like the gifts wrapped if you could, but place the tag you picked or identify what the gift is and for whom. We will deliver these gifts around Dec. 15 or 16, but the mission committee meets Dec. 12 to review what we have and wrap the few gifts that are not wrapped and put tags on. If you are giving towards electric bill or food, please be sure that it is a gift certificate, not cash. Thank you for all you do to help give this family presents at Christmas. Christmas Joy Offering Every year the Sunday before Christmas, we receive the Christmas Joy Offering, sponsored by PCUSA. This offering focuses on two things, Board of Pensions and racialethnic schools in the Presbyterian church. The Board of Pensions helps those who worked in the Presbyterian Church at a time when churches were not required to put money aside for retirement of their pastors, or sometimes unexpected medical expenses that pastors and their families may incur. Racial-ethnic schools offer opportunities for some students who may not otherwise be able to attend school and give them an education that helps not just them, but is often able to encourage others or improve the lives many around them. We will be taking this offering in the morning service on December 24. You may give at any time before than as well, but put Christmas Joy in the memo space. Prayerfully consider your response to this effort. 5

6 UCPC Session News Highlights from Session Meeting of November 9, Finance Treasurer s and Stewardship Report: Account balances on November 8th, 2017: a. Operating Account: $28, b. Designated account: $73, c. Fuel account was $ d. Savings account at Wells Fargo $504. e. Credit card $ outstanding balance. Note balances are automatically zeroed at the end of the month. f. We have paid all bills presented. Our financial situation is satisfactory. g. Income from pledges, loose offerings and rents: i. September $18,800 ii. October $17,443 iii. October $6,391 for the first Sundays 2. Faith Development: Looking at new curriculums for the spring semester. Shelli Swanson is working on a children s program for mid-december. 3. Building Stewards: Busy working on lights throughout the interior and exterior of the building. 4. Fellowship: Planning the thanksgiving dinner. Garage guys are coordinating the community thanksgiving breakfast. 5. Loving families week one seemed to be successful. Planning committee is evaluating things and will be looking toward our next hosting week. 6. Many opportunities for giving coming in November and December, including Operation Christmas Child, Love INC adopt a family, Christmas Joy offering. Session Meeting Schedule: Thursday, December 21, :30pm 6

7 University Community Presbyterian Church 3510 College Road, Fairbanks, AK Phone: Fax: Website: Elders Sarah Lanstra ~ Clerk of Session Lucile Hackett ~ Class of 2017 Paula Long ~ Class of 2017 Brian Dixon ~ Class of 2018 Doreen McNeill ~ Class of 2018 Roger Smith ~ Class of 2018 Melissa Bierer ~ Class of 2019 Jim Durst ~ Class of 2019 Larry Johnson ~ Class of 2019 Deacons Susan Carothers Judy Fowler-Morris Georgianne Frank Lynne Krizek Sue O'Bryan Celia Rohwer Pastor Rev. Neill McKay RevNeill@ucpcfairbanks.org Office: Cell: Choir Director ~ Lucile Hackett Admin Assistant Office: admin@ucpcfairbanks.org Office Hours: Mon Fri : 9AM 1PM Organist ~ Pianist ~ Kathy Dohner Kathy Dohner Sound Manager ~ David Rohwer