A Newsletter of the First Reformed Church, Schenectady, New York December, Advent and Christmas Celebrations

Transcription

1 First Things A Newsletter of the First Reformed Church, Schenectady, New York December, 2015 Advent and Christmas Celebrations Sunday, November 29 5 PM... Advent Festival The First Sunday of Advent! Come for dinner and craft activities including making advent wreaths. Sunday, December 6 8:45 AM... Saint Nicholas Breakfast Join us for a Dutch breakfast followed by a visit from the generous and just Sinterklaas, telling stories and giving gifts. 3 PM... Community Carol Sing Carol singing, bell ringing, holiday antlers, blinking noses, plus a special guest. Joyful voices encouraged. Friday, December 11 7 PM... An Advent Word Hear stories of faith and anticipation from Joe Doolittle, Paige Convis and others. Sunday, December 13 2 PM... Advent Lessons & Carols The choirs of St. George s Episcopal and FRC will come together for a traditional service of Advent Lessons and Carols at St. George s in the Stockade. Sunday, December 20 6 PM... Unrehearsed Christmas Pageant Join us for this fun, all-ages event, followed by donuts and hot cocoa in Friendship Hall. Thursday, December 24 CHRISTMAS EVE 5 PM... Family Service See the story of Jesus birth livedout by children and youth. To include joyful music and personal testaments from high school students. 8:30 PM... Music of the Season The Chancel Choir will present Christmas music accompanied by flute, oboe, cello, and violin, and our organist will offer selections for this extended Prelude to our 9pm service. 9 PM... Carols and Candles Service Our traditional Christmas celebration will include the warm hope of tiny candles and familiar songs. Plan on staying and chatting with friends at the good cheer to follow. 11 PM... Christmas Jazz Vespers This year our late service will feature quiet jazz renditions of classic carols. Azzaam Hameed and Pete Toigo will be playing. We will still have Silent Night, Candles, and a communion opportunity. Sunday, December AM... Morning Worship Join our regular celebration with extra carols and Christmas joy. Advent Festival Nov 29 On the evening of the first Sunday of Advent, all ages gather in Friendship Hall for a covered dish dinner and crafts. For dinner at 5pm, bring food to share (seasonal suggestion: anything that begins with the letter A, for Advent, or food that is purple or blue, Advent colors.) After our meal, we will make unique Advent wreaths from natural materials and hand-dipped candles! We'll conclude at 7pm with a brief liturgy around our candlelit wreaths. Breakfast with Saint Nicholas No matter your age or faith tradition, join us Sunday, December 6 from 8:45-9:45am for a complimentary Dutch breakfast of chocolate sprinkle sandwiches, strong coffee, oatmeal, and speculaas cookies, followed by a visit from the just and generous Sinterklaas, telling stories and giving gifts!

2 The Chrismon Tree Chrismons are a type of Christmas tree decoration used in many churches and often in the homes of Christians. They were first made by Frances Kipps Spencer at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia in Chrismons are white with gold decorations of beads and ribbon. Chrismon is a word comprised of Christ and monogram. The symbols represent a variety of Biblical concepts that are well known to most believers. Mrs. Harrison Todd made the first Chrismon tree for a tree decoration festival at the Schenectady Museum. After the festival, she donated the ornaments to the First Reformed Church, where they have decorated the Chrismon tree in the Dirck Romeyn room. Since the early 1990 s the tree has been donated and delivered by the Welch family. Prior to that, trees were given by the Schweizer family. Recently, Carolyn Jones-Assini has also participated in donating the tree. Decorating has been done by Carolyn Jones-Assini and Carol Welch with help from other church members. Several years ago, Mary Carlson refurbished the Chrismons to extend their life. Anyone wishing to help decorate the Chrismon Tree please contact Carol Welch, The tree will be decorated Friday Dec 18. We encourage everyone to stop in the Dirck Romeyn room to admire the tree between Sunday, December 20 and Sunday, January 3. 91st Annual Carol Sing The Thursday Belles invite you to join the festive 91 st Annual Carol Sing on Sunday, December 6 at 3pm in the church sanctuary. This family event is a lovely way to start your holiday season with Handbells and Carols galore. It is a fun event to which the entire community is invited. Blinking noses, jingle bells, and holiday voices are encouraged too! There will also be a special guest! The Thursday Belles may be the longest consecutivelyringing community handbell choir in the nation! Come and hear why they continue to be strong and bring joy to so many! -Judy Moore, Director Thursday Musical Club Christmas Concert Join the Thursday Musical Club all women s chorus directed by Julie Panke and accompanied by Elinore Farnum, for a Christmas concert on Saturday, December 5 at 2:30pm in the church sanctuary. The Thursday Belles, directed by Judy Moore, will be guest artists. Music of Mendelssohn, Handel, and Michael Haydn will be included in the program. Complimentary tickets are available for all church members from Julie or the church office. Choirs Combine for Advent Lessons and Carols The choirs of St. George s Episcopal and First Reformed, Schenectady, will come together on Sunday, December 13 at 2pm for a traditional service of Advent Lessons and Carols at St. George s in the Stockade. Music of Brahms, Poston, Sumsion, and Gardner will be included. Andrew Krystopolski will be the organist and Julie Panke will direct the choirs. The Klokken Tower Ringers will assist. Music of the Season 8:30pm Christmas Eve Beginning at 8:30 pm, prior to Christmas Eve service at 9pm, the Chancel Choir, will present a variety of Christmas anthems. They will be accompanied by: Avery Tunningley, organist; Olivia Cox, cellist; Abby Norton Levering, violinist; Amy Selkirk, oboist; and Sarah Horaczek, flautist. How to Give Memorial Flowers for Christmas As we prepare for the Holiday season, remember or celebrate a loved one by participating in the Christmas Memorial Flowers. Each year the church is decorated with plants and greens during the holiday season. Your loved ones will be remembered in the bulletin on December 24. The donation is $20. Even if you have donated in previous years, you must place a new order for Christmas Please call the church office no later than Thursday, December 18, to make arrangements. Send payment to Chancel Guild, c/o Marlene Risseeuw, 2140 Niskayuna Drive,

3 Midweek Feast: good food for body, mind, & soul most Wednesdays in Advent! Unrehearsed Christmas Pageant Dec 20 December 4 at 7pm I will be showing the 1987 movie Babette's Feast. This is a heartwarming story of two sisters who take in a cook, Babette, as a refugee from war torn France. When Babette decides to host a French dinner for the members of the town, people find unity with each other through her act of generosity. A message from the movie might "never underestimate the power of a really great meal!" This is a foreign movie with subtitles. Although it has a soundtrack I will be playing it "as" a silent movie, with live accompaniment. It is in color and is beautiful in appearance and content. I hope you will join me for another night out at the movies! Faith Bookshop Some new reasons for church goers of all ages to browse the Bookshop: You will find very reasonably-priced Christmas ornaments and jewelry donated by church members (keep them coming; proceeds benefit a local worthy cause,) CDs of church music provided by Bill Levering, books at discounted prices, prayer cubes, stocking-stuffers and more. Poinsettia Flower Delivery Volunteers are needed on Sunday, December 13 to deliver poinsettia plants to homebound church members. The plants, along with addressed cards for each recipient, will be available after the service. This is a meaningful opportunity to extend our care and support to church members not able to join us for worship. Dinner at 6--bring edibles you like and wish to contribute to the table set in Assembly Hall where food and friendly conversation are shared. Study at 7--delve into discussions led by Stacey Midge on significant subjects in church and culture (see article below for further details.) Worship at 8--end your evening with a brief, reflective service of song, scripture, silence, communion, and spoken prayers for those in need. Study at Midweek Feast For this Advent season, while we prepare to celebrate the incarnation of God, we will be discussing issues of the physical body and Christian spirituality. Dec. 2 - Body and Soul - Christianity has tended to separate physical and spiritual matters but centers around the opposite: God becoming human, spirit merging with body. Learn about strands of Christian faith that embrace an integrated view of the whole self, and spiritual practices that celebrate our physicality. Dec. 9 - Broken Mirror - Our culture communicates many messages about what our bodies should look like and how they should behave, but the expectations of advertisements and media are often not the reality. Address the body shame and work toward a more hopeful vision of the human body - even your own! Dec Other People's Bodies - Warped ideas about bodies sometimes lead to practices that exploit the bodies of others. Tonight we'll talk about human trafficking, prostitution, pornography, and other ways people objectify and use each other, and how we can uphold the image of God present in each person. This year instead of the Living Nativity, we invite you to participate in an All Church Unrehearsed Christmas Pageant. All are invited to come at 4:30pm to run through the program with the performance at 6pm. Come and be in it, or come and watch! It will be a fun night of story and song! First Forum after Worship After worship most Sundays at 11:15am in Poling Chapel, suggestions for programs are welcome from any committee or member; simply contact Amy Brule , Peggy King , or Joe Doolittle December 6: Christmas Offering Mission & Benevolence Committee December 13: City Mission Mike Saccocio December 20: LGBT General Synod Rev. Stacey Midge December 27: Coffee & Conversation Christmas Displays by Front Church Entrance "And a little child shall lead them" Take a moment to view this Advent season s Narthex displays. See the beautifully hand carved ARI Kuolt wooden figures of the David Coons Van Voast Memorial Crèche and other special Christmas items. Narthex Display Cases

4 Groups Horizons Bible Study During Advent, we ll do a three-week Upper Room Advent devotional study called "Light of Lights." We will meet on December 1, 8, and 15 at 10am in Poling Conference room. Study guides are $8, available from Peg Miller. All are welcome. The Women s Group Women's group get-together (formerly Group V) will be December 7 at 11am for Christmas stories in the Dirck Romeyn room. Bring a sandwich for your lunch and we will have Christmas cookies, coffee, & tea. We encourage the women of the church to come to our small group. Daily Devotional Books Group V has their Devotional books available again this year. These make great holiday gifts, hostess gifts, and just thoughtful gifts for friends and family. There are copies available in the book shop. These books can be used over, year after year. The quotes come from religious and non-religious sources. If you have any questions, contact Maria G. Todd, , who will also have books. The cost is $7 each or 3 for $20. The Short-Short Writing Group A writing critique group meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month in the Walton Conference room at 7pm. Short-Shorts are stories, essays, memoirs, or other non-fiction works told in 1,000 words or less. For more info, contact James Gonda at jgonda12309@gmail.com. Men s Breakfast The Men's Breakfast group will meet on Saturday, December 12 at 8am in Assembly Hall. Our speaker will be The Rev. Victoria Brooks. Viki is the Protestant Minister at Union College, and she will talk about the trends in the spiritual lives of Union College students. Breakfast will be served at 8am, and the program will follow soon after. There will be a signup sheet in Assembly Hall. For further information, contact Gene Rowland at or erowland@nycap.rr.com. Stitch Group Our church stitch group meets every Thursday at 10am, except Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, in Poling Conf. room. Work on whatever project you have. All are welcome! For more info, contact Joan Lindsay, Tuesday Ladies Meetings are every third Tuesday of the month in the home of Connie Young. We will be meeting again Tuesday, December 15. Hope to see you then. Please call Connie at if you have any questions or for more information. Group VII Group VII will have our Christmas Luncheon on Friday, December 18 at 11:30am in Assembly Hall. Hostesses are Marilyn Leach, Amy Brule, and Mary Jewett. Any questions, contact Ronnie Bartholic at Evening Circle Evening Circle will not meet again in Our next meeting will be on January 20. Please mark your calendars and join us!! We will be discussing the book A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman. It's an easy read. Fellowship Luncheon Our next meeting will be January 29. Our hosts will be Ellie & Gene Rowland and Sally & Bob Clark. Jenna Riley from Mabee Farm will be our speaker. The topic is Secrets of Mabee House! Watch for more information in the January First Things. Please join us, bring a dish to share, and enjoy the fellowship, good food, and an interesting program. All are welcome! Call for Submissions The Beverwyck Anthology is now accepting submissions for its March 2016 issue. Fiction, nonfiction, essays, memoirs, and travel pieces not exceeding one thousand words are acceptable. Poetry of less than 100 lines is also acceptable. Submissions should be appropriate for a church publication. Please submissions to Rudy and Kathy Petersen, Editorsin-Chief, at thebeverwyck@gmail.com. New Book Club - The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness The Justice Action Council and the Adult Education and Nurture Committee are forming a book club to discuss and examine this poignant work by Michelle Alexander. Newsweek comments, "Alexander is absolutely right to fight for what she describes as a 'much needed conversation' about the wide-ranging social costs and divisive racial impact of our criminal justice politics." Our first meeting is Sunday November 29 at noon on the Mezzanine. We will schedule future meeting dates at that time and will publish in the bulletin. The book is available now at a discounted rate in the church book store (more can be ordered if needed). Contact either Mary Alice Jewett or Jeanne Shoulder with any questions.

5 Youth Advent & Christmas Church School November 29: Grades K 5 regular church school; important Ringer/Singer rehearsal 11:15 noon December 6: Grades K 5 regular church school; important Ringer/Singer rehearsal 11:15 noon December 13: Grades K 5 regular church school; important Ringer/Singer rehearsal 11:15 noon December 20: Grades K 5 regular church school; MANDATORY REHEARSAL for all participants in the Christmas Eve service 11:15 noon. This includes actors, speakers, musicians, and parents please! December 24: Christmas Eve; every participant in the early service must be in the sanctuary at 4pm sharp for instructions. Please do not be late! December 27 Grades K 8 regular church school. Kirk Ringers & Singers Regular rehearsals for Kirk Ringers/Singers at 11:15 - noon each Sunday are VERY important as we will be covering all the Christmas Eve Service music. Please make every effort to attend each week!! Parents' Nights Out Finding it hard to shop for presents or attend those holiday parties this year? Our youth will babysit your children and give you an evening free for errands or frivolity! Proceeds will benefit the Youth Group Mission Trip to Sicily. Youth Schedule The youth group is open to all students in grades 6-12, including friends who do not normally attend FRC. It meets every Sunday night from 5-7pm unless other indicated, for discussion, food, learning, fellowship, games, and service. Upcoming Schedule: Nov Attend the Advent Festival Dec. 6 Regular Mtg/Advent Activity Dec. 13 Regular Mtg/Advent activity Dec. 20 Unrehearsed Christmas Pageant 6pm; arrive at church at 4:30pm for costuming and final runthrough. Dec Christmas Eve Family Service at 5pm; youth may perform and serve as readers, liturgists, and ushers. Dec No meetings. Merry Christmastide! The youth will also be doing some fundraising during December for their annual mission trip. This year's trip is to Palermo, Italy, where they will be serving the immigrant and refugee population with our mission partners, JJ and Tim TenClay, and the Waldensian Church Diaconal Center. What to Do With Those Bottles and Cans Turn in your redeemable recyclables at Creating Change Redemption Center at 309 Saratoga Rd. in Glenville, and tell them to donate the deposit to the First Reformed Church of Schenectady Youth Mission Trip. The youth group has an account there and will collect donations until the mission trip in February. The Youth Group is heading to Palermo, Italy to do mission work with refugees. Congregational Meeting Endorses Building Project in Principle The congregation met after worship on November 22 and heard the action from the consistory and a description of the project from the architect and the committee. After more than an hour of discussion, the congregation voted 70 to 27 to move ahead with the action of the consistory in principle. There are still many decisions to be made, but the scope and general direction of the project was set. Many people had interesting ideas and perspectives after the meeting that will be valuable to explore. If you have an idea you think will help in the implementation, please put it in the form of a short paragraph and it to blevering@gmail.com and we will have them collected for everyone to look at. For instance, someone suggested we could have much more flexibility in the Christian Education rooms if we designed in some movable walls instead of fixed walls. Senior Moments -Dr. Bill Levering On behalf of the staff and consistory, I would like to wish the congregation a peaceful and holy Advent and Christmas. In the midst of fear, we are called to be a community of hope. May each of the touchstones of your preparations for Christmas bring a sense of peace that helps with the pressures of your life. This is a special year for Abby and I as we look forward to a new child in the clan. We want to thank all of those well wishers in our venture and look forward to a new chapter of God s grace. May your joy deepen and God s peace spread.

6 Mission Christmas Offering Soap & Toilet Paper Ministry The Mission and Benevolence committee of FRC has selected the following ministry to receive the funds collected in our Christmas offering. The First United Methodist Church (FUMC) Soap & Toilet Paper Ministry provides a vital service to many in our community through the distribution of toilet paper, soap, diapers, feminine hygiene, and adult incontinence products, and when available, other personal care items. Most public assistance funds (i.e.: SNAP, WIC, etc) cannot be used for the purchase of these items so the need is great and growing. This year, we have seen an increase from approximately 350 people served per month to approximately 600 people a month. Supplies for this ministry are purchased at low cost from the Northeast Regional Food Bank. Distributions are run by a team of volunteers and are held from 1-2pm at FUMC on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. For more information or to volunteer, please contact the FUMC office at or Beth Long-Velasquez at BLongVelasquez@nycap.rr.com. Home Furnishings Program Your giving helps us give basic household items to individuals and families in need. As one of our clients put it, "Thank you! Every little bit counts. (HFP) definitely provides a good start for families that can't afford it, or got robbed, moved from another state, or are just starting over..." Lunn Resource Center Lynne Gilgore, Director A joyous Advent and Merry Christmas from the Lunn Resource Center! Twelve months ago, I came to my position at Lunn with high hopes and anticipation of helping the Lunn Center become the go-to place for non-profits to find training, office help, and support from others who share similar goals and challenges. Many hours were spent contacting leaders of local nonprofits to get the Lunn message out to the community. I listened to their stories, learned about their challenges, and made note of their successes and skills. As the months progressed, it has been exciting to see agencies working together, sharing their news, finding collegiality. Best of all, I hear from new people every week who have heard about the work we do and want to participate. More than 35 non-profits are participating in Lunn events, with more being added all the time. If you have thoughts, questions or suggestions, my office is located in the State Street Presbyterian Church, 5 Catherine Street. I m there Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 am noon, and other times by appointment , or lunncenter@gmail.com. Christmas Eve Refreshments We need volunteers to bring finger food, and helpers for set-up and cleanup for shared fellowship after the 9pm service on December 24. If you are interested in volunteering, contact the Taart Baas, Karen Gonda, at , karengonda6@gmail.com. Support Entered into Eternal Rest Dolph Ebeling 11/16/15 John Jack Fitts 11/16/15 Earl Wainwright 11/19/15 Service 11/28 at 10am Mary Jane Fleming 11/21/15 Service 11/24 at 2pm United Prayer Ministry Prayers for Healing: Father of Carol Troost Father of Christina Walthers Prayers of Joy: Birth of Giada Bailey-Yavonditte, granddaughter of Marey and Joseph Bailey Prayers of Comfort: The Ebeling, Fitts, and Fleming Families Nancy Wainwright and Family Stephen Ministry This can be a busy time of year for many of us. Perhaps you find yourself anxious and not really looking forward to the holidays. You may say to yourself, I miss him/her so much; it just won t be the same. Or you may be going through declining health which keeps you from doing what you like. Perhaps broken relationships or other difficulties have entered your life. You do not need to suffer alone. Jesus promised, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28). A Stephen Minister is equipped and ready to provide comfort and encouragement. Perhaps you could give yourself, or someone you know going through a difficult time, the gift of a Stephen Minister. You or your referral will be blessed by compassionate Christian caregiving. Contact Stephen Ministry leaders: Daniel Carlson, ; Maria G. Todd, ; or Vernetta Thuener, ; for assistance.

7 Sister Cities: Nijkerk, the Netherlands and Schenectady, USA The Schenectady/Nijkerk Council invites all interested in the Sister Cities exchange program to this year s Holiday Potluck Supper at 6pm, Tuesday, Dec. 15 in Assembly Hall. Please bring a casserole, salad, or dessert to share. Participants of our thirty-two years of student and adult exchanges will share experiences and favorite memories. Next year Nijkerk adults will visit Schenectady. In 2017, Schenectady youth go to Nijkerk. Nijkerk youth come here in 2018 and Nijkerk will welcome Schenectady adults in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, is the birthplace of Schenectady's founder, Arendt van Curler. The church office will be closed Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27, and also closed on Friday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Dec 28. We will re-open on Tuesday, December 29. Capital Community Voices Presents Heaven and Nature Sing Capital Community Voices, directed by Julie Panke, will present a program of classical and popular holiday songs on Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 pm at Genet Elementary School, Route 4, East Greenbush, NY. The chorus will be accompanied by Joanna Towse and John Norton, piano, Tony Riccobono, bass, and James Iacketta, percussion. Ticket prices for the concert are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors and students. A reception will follow the performance. Senior Pastor s Open House January 2, 2016, 4 9pm 923 Northumberland Drive Creation Corner We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it. -- Governor Jay Inslee Notes and News Pledge Update Our pledge response has been good so far. Have you made your pledge for 2016? The easiest way to do it is to go online at 1stReformed.com and you will see a link on the left. It takes less than 30 seconds. Offering Envelopes 2016 Offering Envelopes will be available after December 27. Membership Check In In the next month, we will be sending notes to folks who may wish to move to the inactive membership list. Since our classis assessment is so high, we try to keep our active membership list accurate. December Preacher Reader 10 am Music Forum Vespers at 5pm 6 Bill Ellie Helderberg Christmas Offering Levering Rowland Madrigal Singers Soap & Toilet Paper Ministry Nat Phipps Trio 13 Bill Jim Route Fifty 5 City Mission Levering Miller Brass Quintet Mike Saccocio Azzaam Hameed, piano 20 Bill Barbara LGBT Update Organ Levering Walton Rev. Stacey Midge Peg Delaney Trio 27 Bill George Musicians of Levering Trimarco Ma alwyck Coffee and Conversation Dave Gleason, piano

8 First Reformed Church 8 North Church Street Schenectady, NY (518) stReformed@gmail.com Address Service Requested Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Albany, NY Permit No. 736 December Birthdays December Betty Bumgarner Elizabeth Gallagher Liesl Tobin Johnny Willis 2 Christine Boger- Walthers 3 Sarah McCullough Charles Tobin 4 Richard Bennett 5 Meghan Collins 6 Claudette Martin Courtney VanNorden 7 Arthur Hudak 8 Lorraine Cox Robert Dickson Rachel Hewitt Elizabeth Taft 10 Connor McDermott Sophia Swain 11 Daniel Bailey- Yavonditte Duane Ball Sean Collins Hudson Walthers 12 Elena Gieseler Laura Lee Jason Rickard 13 Dan Ipsen 14 Daniel Carlson Walter Clark Aurora Phillips Arthur Shultes William VanAlstyne Carol Welch 15 Hans Erickson 16 Catherine desalle Carol Troost 17 Kenneth Rimany 18 Jerry Griggs Kayla Herrington Natalie Pizzolo 20 Linda Witkowski 21 Beverly Ebeling 22 Raymond Beland Pat Countermine Brenda Langdon 23 Leah Fernandes Cathleen Wisniewski 26 Richard Gardner 27 Karen Dickson 28 Maxwell McKenna 31 Holly Davison Scott Ebeling Margaret Norton Walter Yang Every Sunday Early Bird Study, 8:30am Choir Rehearsal, 9am Orff, 9am Kinderwyk, 9:45am Worship, 10am Church School, 10:15am Refreshments, 11am Kirk Ringers & Singers, 11:15am Forum, 11:15am Vespers, 5pm Youth Group, 5pm Weekly Monday: Men s News Group, 9am Klokken Tower Ringers, 7pm Tuesday: Morning Prayer, 10am Horizons Bible Study, 10am Wednesday: Kerygma, 9:30am Thursday Belles, 1pm Midweek Meal, 6pm Midweek Class, 7pm Midweek Worship, 8pm Thursday: Bible Bunch, 7:30am Stitch Group, 10am Chancel Choir, 7:30pm Monthly Meetings Women s Group, 1 st Mon., 11am Creation Care, 4 th Mon., 7pm Support & Care, 1 st Tues., 11:30am Archives, 2 nd Tues., 6pm Tues. Ladies, 3 rd Tue., 7pm Consistory, 2 nd Tues., 7:30pm Archives, 2 nd Wed., 1pm Writers Group, 2 nd & 4 th Wed., 7pm Stephen Ministry, 3 rd Thurs., 7pm Group VII, 3 rd Fri., 10am First Friday Performance, 1 st Fri., 7pm New Word Service, 2 nd Fri., 7pm New Member Class, 1 st Sun., 3pm Upcoming Events 1: Support & Care 5: Christmas Concert 6: Breakfast w/saint Nicholaas Carol Sing 7: Women s Group 8: Consistory 12: Men s Breakfast 13: Poinsettia Flower Delivery 17: Stephen Ministry 18: Group VII Luncheon 20: Unrehearsed Christmas Pageant 24: Christmas Eve Services