Celebrate the Season with St. Andrew By-The-Sea United Methodist Church!

Transcription

1 December 5, 2013 Celebrate the Season with St. Andrew By-The-Sea United Methodist Church! Join us in the retelling of the Christmas story through giving, wonderful music and meaningful messages! December 8 - Teddy Bear Sunday in our sanctuary at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. We will collect teddy bears of all sizes to share with children through our Christmas Grace program and with helping agencies throughout the area for children in need or in crisis. December 15 - Children s Christmas Pageant Candles of Christmas will be presented by our children at 10:30 a.m. in our Celebration Center. Come for coffee and then Christmas will live in your heart through these dear children. (All Sunday School classes will be at the pageant!) December 24 - Four Christmas Eve Candlelight Services: 4:30 p.m. Family Service at 20 Pope Avenue on Hilton Head with ensemble and harp. 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve under the Stars in the center of Buckwalter Place, across from Station 300 in Bluffton. The outdoor family-friendly casual service will be complete with The Christmas Story, carols, messages, plus hot chocolate and snacks before and after the service. 7:00 p.m. Traditional Service including communion and harp at Pope Avenue 9:30 p.m. Traditional Service with Chancel Choir and strings at Pope Avenue December 29 ONE service of Lessons & Carols at 10:00 a.m. Sunday School on vacation. Gift Ideas that Keep on Giving As you are searching for gifts for special people in your life, consider St. Andrew's "Alternative Gift" options. Look for the red brochure in literature racks and a special display on the Admin Building reception desk. The brochure explains special funds that you may donate to that will go to missions, or our Endowment Fund, Scholarship Fund, Haley Borton Fund, or many others to provide help for special needs. They are all truly "Gifts That Won't Break." A lovely gift card for each donation may be filled out in your own handwriting for the recipient or we'll fill it out for you! Thanks for your consideration this Christmas and for any special occasion.

2 Cares & Concerns Sympathy to Dave Witt upon the death of his brother, Lee Harold Witt on November 23 in Swansea, SC. To Charles Hunt upon the death of his wife and our Christian sister Jane Hunt on Nov. 22. To Daniel Griswold upon the death of his 102-year-old great-grandmother Alice Utterback in Marietta, GA on Monday, Dec. 2 Convalescing: Margaret Anderson, Fred Rappaport, Jill Murphy, Bill Ferguson, Joan Buser, Rick Castle, Kay Summers, Mary O Reilly, Harold Risher, Nancy Huntington, Dan Evans, Joanne Katerman, Marge Glass Calling on our Cookie Bakers Last year at our Christmas Eve Under the Stars in Bluffton, we had approximately 350 worship with us. Most of the families were people we did not know, but who wanted an approachable place to worship Christ on Christmas Eve. As a part of our hospitality ministry that night, we served snacks that allowed people to talk and enjoy a sense of community. We need at least 40 dozen cookies this year. If you can bake some, please nadineshhiumc@gmail.com or call the office. They can be made ahead and frozen so we can accept them anytime! December Food Drive During Advent, be in the "Giving Spirit" by bringing canned goods/dry goods to help fill our Deep Well Grocery Cart. The Cart will be located in the administration building and we will be collecting food throughout December. Many families need your help! Fisherman Next Deadline The Deadline for the next Fisherman is Thursday, December 19. Please submit your articles and photos to: standrewbytheseanews@gmail.com. December SUNDAY, December 8 - Advent 2 9:00 Worship 10:00 Coffee and Fellowship 10:00 Women s Ensemble 10:05 Men s Ensemble Rehearsal 10:15 Sunday School 11:15 Worship 6:00 High School Youth MONDAY, December 9 1:30 Worship Committee 4:00 Upward Practices 5:00 HHI Couples Small Group - C111 5:00 Upward Cheering - C106 to 108 6:30 Mason s - Gathering Room 7:00 Men s Basketball TUESDAY, December 10 10:00 Fellowship Friends 4:00 Upward Practices 5:00 Bluffton Youth Group - BMC 6:00 Stephen Ministry Party - Putnam s 7:00 AA -B105 WEDNESDAY, December 11 8:00 Bluffton Men s 12:15 Healing & Wholeness 2:30 Adult Handbells 5:30 Pageant Rehearsal - CC Stage 6:00 Middle School Youth 6:30 SPPRC - C111 THURSDAY, December 12 8:00 Men s Morning Devotional - C111 8:00 Financial Resources Committee 12:00 Lunch with The Dan Zeppelins 1:00 Bridge - C108 1:30 Dementia Caregiver Support Grp 3:15 Tweens Knitting Group - BMC 4:00 Finance - BMC 7:00 Chancel Choir Rehearsal - Music Rm FRIDAY, December 13 12:00 By-The-Sea Soup Kitchen SATURDAY, December 14 Christmas Grace - BMC 9:00 Pageant Rehearsal - Cel. Center SUNDAY, December 15 - Advent 3 9:00 Worship 10:00 Coffee and Fellowship 10:00 Women s Ensemble 10:05 Men s Ensemble Rehearsal 10:30 Christmas Pageant 11:15 Worship 6:00 High School Christmas Party

3 One of the real challenges parents of young children face is teaching the value of waiting for something. This something can be an event like a birthday or a vacation to Mouseland, perhaps. This something might be about gifts, like presents under a tree. Teaching the concept of waiting to our young is made more difficult in a culture that reinforces a You can have it now mind set. Indeed, You deserve it now and You must have it now are the holiday messages that dominate our media. The Advent message of waiting provides a much needed reinforcement for the health of time spent in waiting. I believe delaying gratification can help move attention away from ourselves and undergird a worldview that considers the needs of others as well as a mature understanding of our individual desires. The value of waiting is found in learning to live every moment. It is to understand the gift that is this next breath I draw and that it is precious beyond description. (Here I would reference any person or family that has dealt with deadly disease or tragedy.) The value of waiting is found also in an understanding that the best is held for last. My folks understood this and applied it to Christmas mornings. Each member of the family would open one gift at a time, each of us in turn. We would ooh and ahh and compliment each opened present. But always, at the end, the most amazing gift would be revealed. I believe God has done the same in Christ Jesus. We celebrate the gift of the Christ Child in Bethlehem - the breaking in of God into our world. But we also celebrate the promise of His return and the completion of God s great promises of joy, peace and good will. We call it End Emphasis. May you and your loved ones know especially the love of God in Christ this season ll wait with you. Peace, Neil Thank you! On behalf of all the Members of the Endowment Fund we would like to sincerely thank the couple who made a very generous anonymous contribution of $15,000 to the Endowment Fund. We will make every effort to put the Earning of this gift to good use. Sometimes it is just hard to believe all the wonderful people we have at St. Andrew By-The-Sea United Methodist Church. The Endowment Committee would also request that you consider making your contribution to the Endowment Fund before the end of the year in order for us to continue to financially support worthwhile projects within our Christian community. Thank you for your consideration.

4 NOTES FROM TIM Tim Reynolds, Director of Music With the arrival of the first Sunday of Advent we all look forward to seeing the many symbols and observing the various traditions of our faith and families at the holiday season. In the sanctuary you ll notice the beautiful Chrismon Tree which will remain in place throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons. While many of our holiday traditions are quite old and come from other lands and countries, the Chrismon Tree is a relatively young (and thoroughly American) artistic addition to the seasons of preparation and celebrations. In 1940, Reverend George Pass, an elderly minister who visited her home during the Christmas season, influenced Frances Kipps Spencer. Reverend Pass was from a poor church, and in order to acquire the materials to make decorations, asked Mrs. Spencer for her discarded wrappings. His creations from these meager materials were then shared with his congregation. Reverend Pass' great devotion moved Mrs. Spencer and her husband, Harry, to continue the tradition and make their own ornaments for decoration of their tree. In 1957, Mrs. Spencer volunteered to be in charge of the decorations for her church, The Ascension Lutheran Church of Danville, Va. She decided instead of traditional balls and colored lights, that handmade ornaments would be more appropriate. Mrs. Spencer began to study the monograms of Christ, and after discovering the Latin word chrisma, the name Chrismon was born. Four instructional books were written by Mrs. Spencer with the help of her congregation so that this "ministry" might be shared throughout the United States and the world. Some Chrismon designs are simple copies of symbols of Christianity from its earliest days; others are new explanations of God's constant presence in our ever changing world; and some are combinations of several elements old and new. The symbols used are interdenominational and the heritage of all Christians. "Early Christians used symbols of the early church to transmit the faith and beliefs of the artist/ teacher to the viewer. Thus the inspiration was shared and passed on." - Frances Kipps Spencer Here at St. Andrew By-The-Sea our Chrismon tree is put in place, decorated and maintained by the Altar Guild in conjunction with the Worship Committee and is always a welcome addition to our worship enviromment. One of the many ways we prepare for the arrival of the Christchild. See you Sunday, Tim Interpreting your Recent Giving Statement You should have recently received a giving statement through October 31. Our database system calculated where your contributions stood (ahead, behind or on target) through this date. Those who have a weekly, monthly or quarterly pledge will not see the full amount of your 2013 pledge on the statement just the amount you would have owed by October 31. You will need to consider your full pledge to see how you will finish for Should you have a question about the amount of your 2013 pledge, please contact Nadine Stohr in the church office at Thank you for your patience as we learn how our new system pulls reports. In the meantime, be sure to set up your InFellowship account (which you can access through our website homepage at The on-line statements are terrific!

5 Dinner for Eight 2014 a fellowship ministry to meet new friends and build relationships at St. Andrew Still time to sign-up - deadline: December 15 Details and registration forms online Registration forms also in foyer of sanctuary, Celebration Center and church office Christmas Grace in Action December 13 and 14 Advent is here and with it, our Christmas Grace shop is days away! On Friday, December 13 from 5 p.m. 7 p.m., we will host our honored women and hold an Open House for any interested SABTS members that would like to see in person what we as a congregation have been able to provide to these families this Christmas. Refreshments will be provided and all are welcome to drop in at our Bluffton Ministry Center! On Saturday, December 14, our families will be coming through our store selecting toys, books, and household items. The reception from these families has been overwhelming as they learn about this approach to receiving/selecting toys for Christmas. The store will be set up that Saturday from 10 a.m. noon, and 2 p.m. 5 p.m. For those that can t make it to the event, we ve included a photo with a sampling of items for the children. Also, as promised, here is a story about one of those families being served through Christmas Grace. Many thanks to Deep Well and Bluffton Self-Help for providing these households to us, and many thanks to Pam Denlinger for vetting these recipients and relaying the stories. Check the eblast, too, for another story. The Brown family's trailer was destroyed by a fire in April. Since then, Deborah and her family have been living with relatives while they get the money together to buy another secondhand trailer and move it to their property. This is no easy task and takes more money and requires more permits than just buying the trailer itself. Thinking they would get their new home soon, the family moved into the Suburban Lodge two months ago and may be facing Christmas there, as there is a glitch and the family has not received their occupancy certificate yet. Their family of five includes Deborah and her three children, her mother and an adult brother with Downs Syndrome. Deborah will be coming to the St. Andrew Christmas Grace store on December 14 and feels it is God working in her family's life that connected them to St. Andrew. Here is a sampling of the toys the families will choose from for their children during St. Andrew s Christmas Grace store Saturday, December 14 at the Bluffton Ministry Center. The families will also choose from a selection of small household appliances, items for their pets (if they have them), and diapers if needed, along with a Bible for each family. For more information about Christmas Grace, feel free to contact Deidra Harrell ( or daharrell1@gmail.com) or Pam Denlinger ( or pameladenhhi@gmail.com).

6 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Hilton Head, SC Permit No Pope Avenue Hilton Head Island, SC (843) Fax: (843) Rev. Neil M. Yongue Jr. Rev. Daniel Burbage Rev. Jim Morrison Address Service Requested Teddy Bear Sunday December 8 This special St. Andrew tradition continues at both worship services on the Second Sunday of Advent December 8. Bring a new teddy bear (or two!) with you to worship to bring to the altar during the last hymn. We ll gather all furry creatures and distribute them to caring organizations in our community. Some bears will be given to our Soup Kitchen families and some will also be part of our Christmas Grace ministry. Children s Christmas Pageant We are proud to announce the production of Candles of Christmas, Sunday December 15 th at 10:30 a.m. in the Celebration Center. Grab your coffee and a pastry, then sit down and enjoy the Christmas story as told by our children. They have worked very hard over the past few months and are excited to present this gift to the congregation! Attention Kids! If you are interested in helping bundle Christmas Bags of toys, let s do so together! This is another way in which you can make a difference in your community and have fun with your friends at the same time. We will be gathering at Bluffton Self Help on Tuesday, December 17 th at 4:00 p.m. (after school). Last year this project took us only an hour to complete (we were fast!). Please contact Laurie Jones at or lauriejhhiumc@gmail.com to let us know you will be joining in this service project.