December 2016 CROSS AND FLAME

Transcription

1 December 2016 CROSS AND FLAME Fairport United Methodist Church A Reconciling Congregation Our Mission: We are called to bring God s love to all the world, and to nurture God s people in their spiritual journeys. Reflections from Ted & Chris. Advent following the star again the Story never grows old with wonder it is told of shepherds and angels bright ones guided by star light an inn where was no room and then the empty tomb Yes! this is Christ our king and all the world now sings! We are following the star again because we seek God s presence with us! We are following the star again because we need God s presence with us! We are following the star again because prophets, angels, wise ones and shepherds have invited us to come see and experience the amazing moment of Emmanuel God with us birthed in a stable, pitching a tent among us and living as one of us! There is Hope! Love! Joy! and Peace in the world! God is with us! Every Advent and Christmas acknowledges and celebrates this Good News! O come let us adore Emmanuel! We are following the star again and praying that we gather together in Bethlehem (the Bethlehem of our hearts) at the right moment so that Christ will be born in us again. following the star Pastors Schedules for December Ted - Sabbath: Friday & Saturday Chris - Sabbath: Monday & Friday Ted Thomas Merton on the Uninvited Christ and the Meaning of No Room in the Inn.. "Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ comes uninvited. But because he cannot be at home in it, because he is out of place in it, and yet he must be in it, his place is with those others for whom there is no room. His place is with those who do not belong, who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited, who are denied the status of persons, tortured, exterminated. With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in this world. He is mysteriously present in those for whom there seems to be nothing but the world at its worst." Thomas Merton, "The Time of the End Is the Time of No Room" During Advent we are watchful, we are paying attention will we come to know, really know, this uninvited Christ child that is a revolution from outside the pattern? The pattern of the old reality does not invite the Christ, it says there is no room at the inn the keepers of that old reality always resist the one who will bring the new reality they resist him all the way from Christmas till good Friday. Who are these people that resist the Christ child? Well, maybe it is me maybe I say there no room at the inn when I follow the old pattern, when I am the old pattern that worships success, that says injustice is OK, that says exalting self is the way to live. There is a new reality it is right there in the face of the humble one that is told there is no room at the inn. Peace, Chris

2 Fairport United Methodist Church Staff Kathy Harris - Office Administrator Nicole Camilleri - Music Director Kelly Spahr - Youth Ministry Joy Leinenbach - Children s Ministry Lisa Radford - Custodian Chris Jewell - Pastor Ted Anderson - Pastor You can contact staff members through our website at fairportumc.org Office Hours: Monday-9-12noon, Tuesday-Thursday-9-4:00pm, Friday 8-3:00pm 31 West Church Street, Fairport NY Adult small group Greetings, we are investigating the formation of a small group on Thursday evenings at m. Our intention is to have lively conversation and discussion of topics and/or books with an eye on fostering spiritual growth in a safe and respectful environment. We would hope to start this new group in late January or early February. If you believe that you may be interested or have a question, contact Amy or Andy Lotze, or alotze1@gmail.com. A Thank You from Outreach Thank you to everyone that filled a Shoe Box for the Red Bird Mission. We completed 12 boxes with Women's items, 8 for Men, and 14 filled with toys, school supplies, and other important items for Children. A grand total of 34 shoe boxes were sent to Kentucky last week. Thank you so much. THANK YOU to everyone who donated ingredients and their time to the UMW Apple Pie Sale. While 147 apple pies were made, there was a lot of fun and fellowship. Thank you again! Thank you, thank you, thank you! to our volunteer cooks, serving teams at the Francis Ctr. and Sanctuary House, those who ve generously donated food for meals and items for the residents, and those who've prayed for them. We ve had three successful visits already this fall, and the meals, encouragement and prayers we offer are greatly appreciated. In Dec. we traditionally stuff new socks with small items (gum, candy, soap, toothpaste, tooth brushes, tubes of moisturizer, note pads, etc.) for the men, women and children. Some of those stuffers have already been donated, but we could use more. They can be placed in BTW bins under the table in the parlor under the north-facing windows. Birthday & Anniversaries December.. 2 Matthew McGregor 3 Mick George, Michelle Hibbard, Jennifer O'Meara 4 Carol Richardson 5 Paul Fowler 6 Betsy Bluhm, Jennie & Brad Guy's Anniv 7 Meredith Burkhardt, Jim Meyer 8 Kim Schroth, Peter Steltmann 10 Scott Wallace 12 Linda Hendrix, Jen Skotcher, Jill Lewis 13 Matthew Carpenter, Stephen Kurz 14 Thomas Jubert, Jan Taylor 15 Brent Downing, Cindy Stanton 16 Kate Homer 17 James Castner, Barb Grau 19 Holly Hibbard, Jordan Silver 20 Ron Tucker 21 Tom Homer, LeEllen Young 22 Leslie Darga, Laura Nelson, Shelley Tucker 24 Laura Woodruff 25 Kristen Pennell, Lois Spencer 26 Ruth Arbuckle, Patrice Cantwell, Tim Fell 27 Becky Gardner, Becky & Norm Gardner's Anniversary 28 Molly Shanto 30 Jane Ellen Bailey, Dan Rhoads 31 Sandy Castner, Andrew Fell STAFF CHRISTMAS GIFT 2016 December is the time that we traditionally thank our staff for their work during the year. If you wish, you may provide a monetary gift in the form of a check. The box for any donations will be on the table in the narthex. The final date on which to make a contribution will be Sunday, December 22. This is a great opportunity for us to show our appreciation for Kelly, Kathy, Nicole, Joy, Lisa, Chris and Ted. Please make checks payable to Terrie Sleeman or Karl Burkhardt who serve on SPRC. The amount of money collected will be tallied and divided equally among the FUMC staff before Christmas. Thank you for your consideration! Staff Parish Relations Committee

3 2016 End-of-Year Contributions Please be sure to get your final 2016 gifts in by December 29. I will be making the final deposit for the year that afternoon. Thank you! Kathy In order to better protect the privacy of those listed, we do not publish this list on the web edition of the Cross and Flame. It is available in the edition. Deborah Circle - On December 14 we will have lunch at Champps at Eastview Mall at 11:30am. Naomi Circle will have our Christmas Brunch at Priscilla Ferrell s house on December 14 at 9:30am. Ruth Circle - will meet on December 5 at m for a cookie exchange. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UMW Communion Service will be held on Monday, December 19 at m and will be led by Rev. Ann Kemper of Covenant United Methodist Church. All women of all ages and faiths are invited to attend this special evening. Bring a friend! We invite everyone to participate in Covenant's Blessing Box by bringing an item to donate. Suggested items are: non-perishable food items, mittens/hats/scarves, personal care items; any items not able to be purchased with food stamps. Fairport UMC 101 Interested in Fairport UMC? Interested in how the FUMC connects to the world wide Church and to the United Methodist Church and to itself? Interested in looking into the relationship between FUMC and God? How does one become a member of the FUMC family? Chris and Ted will be offering Fairport UMC 101 to seekers, new attenders, long term members of the family and anyone interested, on January 15, 22 and 29. Three Sundays to cover more than 2,000 years of Church and faith. Come see if it can be done! It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you..yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand. -Mother Teresa

4 Music Ministry News Those who sing pray twice. It s time to mark your calendars for the holidays! Our Christmas Cantata, Invitation to a Miracle, will be presented on Saturday, December 10 at 7pm and Sunday, December 11 at 3pm. All are welcome! Childcare will be provided both times. A reception will follow the Sunday afternoon performance. There will be a freewill offering following each presentation, part of which will help support the Music Fund of the Rochester Education Foundation. This fund purchases instruments for inner city school children and classrooms, and provides summer music lessons for students. We hope that many people will join us for this special musical event! Invite a friend or relative to come with you! Invitation to a Miracle is a program of choral, organ, and handbell music for Advent and Christmas. The choral music is written by Joseph Martin. In addition to the choral music and narration, we have also included two handbell pieces in the program. Joseph Martin writes: Through poetic narration, scripture passages and creatively arranged carols, the timeless story of the birth of Christ is presented. Gathered around the wonders that accompanied Jesus birth, this cantata journeys from the miracle of prophecy to the glorious proclamation of this most significant moment. We hope to have the sanctuary filled (twice!) for this special program! Please join us and bring a friend! The Cantata Choir has been rehearsing every week since early October. There are 41 people singing in the Cantata Choir this year! I appreciate their hard work and commitment to this musical endeavor. In addition to the Cantata Choir s diligence, the Bell Choir has worked hard to learn their pieces as well. Thank you to everyone for sharing their talents! If you have any questions about the cantata or any aspect of our music ministry, please contact me at or nicole@fairportumc.org. Nicole Choir Schedules for December December 4 Early Choir (9:00) Chancel (10:30) December 11 Bell Choir (9:00 & 10:30) Chancel (10:30) December 18 Early Choir (9:00) Chancel (10:30) December 24 4pm: Joyful Noise & Heavenly Choir 8pm: Vocal Ensemble 11pm: Bell & Chancel Choir December 25 [no choirs] ADVENT For the 4 Sundays before Christmas; 2 people or a family light the Advent Wreath with a short devotion and prayer at the 9 and 10:30 Services. Also, at the three Christmas Eve Services and the Christmas morning Services. If you would like to participate there will be a sign up sheet in the hallway, or contact Greta Crowell or greta_crowell@yahoo.com. Thank you!

5 Gifts of Love Finance / Stewardship Update As we wind down the year, we are still catching up to our 2016 giving budget and watching the pledges and expenses for 2017 to ensure we will have a balanced budget. We are still behind where we need to be, but we are making progress. December is always the month with the largest amount of Giving with numerous factors that go into this. Many catch up at year end, the special Advent offering and our Christmas Eve and Christmas Sunday Services offerings. The common denominator for all of us is Love. Christmas is when we celebrate the arrival of God s Love in the form of Jesus. We have memories, cherished relationships, and hope. Most of us give and receive gifts that symbolize love. When reading this Stewardship message, let s not think of our gift to the church in dollars and cents, but maybe think in terms of providing funds to the church so we can fulfill our mission of.bringing God s love to all the world Outreach, education for everyone young and old, worship services, music, prayer groups, and a place to be with each other. A place to be with each other..so we can fulfill our mission without our place, we cannot initiate our activities to fulfill our mission. Without a building, without electricity and heat, we cannot have classrooms. Without an elevator, many of our people cannot get to the Sanctuary and other areas. Without our Music Ministry, we have no music with which to celebrate, without someone to plow snow, we have a parking lot buried in snow. And so on and so on. Your gifts of love provide!

6 December 4: 2 nd Sunday in Advent All classes will meet Children s Advent Plans... December 11: 3 rd Sunday in Advent All classes meet December 18: 4 th Sunday in Advent All classes meet December 24: Christmas Eve 4:00 Family Service Children will help bring the Christmas story to life. December 25: Merry Christmas! No Sunday School classes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Children s Ministry Bulletin Board The Children s Ministry Bulletin Board, located across from the church office, is a great place to go to see what is happening in Children s Ministry. There you can find Monthly Calendars with activities, weekly Family Pages with activities which reinforce the weekly Sunday School Lessons. Be sure to pick up a Family Page each week for your family. Christmas Caroling! On Sunday December 18 th, everyone is invited to join in an afternoon of Christmas caroling. We will meet in the Parlor at 2:30. We will definitely being going to Fairport Baptist Home to see the FUMC members who live there. If enough families come to carol, then we will also have a group of carolers go to some homes of FUMC members who are homebound. Everyone will meet back at church for hot chocolate and cookies. A sign-up for this event will be on the Children s Ministry Bulletin Board. Our PreK-5 th Grade students collected $69.38 this October for Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. UNICEF helps to provide vaccinations and clean drinking water to more than half the world s children. THANK YOU for your support!! Children s Ministry Corner A newsletter highlighting the current activities and events for the children of FUMC is coming soon to the INBOX of families with children ages nursery - 5 th grade. If you would like to be added to the list of families who will receive this, please Joy Leinenbach at cmtfumc@frontier.com Stop by our Advent Giving Center to choose some meaningful Christmas Gifts! This year we have 4 different giving opportunities! The Christmas Food Bags: For families who are recipients of Perinton Food Shelf. Each bag has a signup list. Choose which items you would like to provide, sign your name on that line, and return the items by December 11. Each bag also has an envelope for cash donations (to be used for perishable foods). NOTE: Delivery Volunteers needed as well (all deliveries in the Perinton Area). Sign up once on the lists on each food bag if you can help deliver on Saturday December 17th. Alternative Gifts Wreath: Give a gift in honor of someone, or make a family gift to any of the organizations featured on the wreath. Choose an ornament and make your gift directly (information on back of each ornament). Give the ornament as your gift announcement or hang it on your own tree to celebrate your family gift. The Star Tree: Choose a star and purchase a Gift Card to be given to the Pastor's Discretionary Fund. Must be returned by December 11. The Rose Fell Mitten Tree: Donate a new scarf, hat, or a pair of mittens or gloves. Hang them on the tree by December 11. These gifts will be given to the Beyond These Walls Ministries or the students at Learning Links.

7 Youth Ministry has been moving right along as we head toward the busy holiday season! Our Junior High Youth hosted a fantastic Halloween party for FACTS for children with food allergies, and our Senior High Youth spent a youth group creating teal pumpkins for the Teal Pumpkin Project ( Bob and Lisa Silver are heading up this year s REACH Workcamp planning, and have any youth signed up to participate next July. For more information, visit Pastor Chris ran our annual A Day Apart for our 8 th -graders on November 11 th from 10am-3pm here at the church. On November 13 th, our Jr. and Sr. High Youth led both services. Youth served as greeters, ushers, musicians, speakers and more. Three of this year s seniors; Colleen Manske, Aidan Reed, and Olivia Anderson reflected on the Scripture of the day, and we were joined by the Praise Band in our musical offerings. Thank you so much to everyone who helped to make this a faithful and energetic experience for all! By the time you receive this newsletter, we will have participated in the Hanging of the Greens, including a service led by our Jr. High Youth, and our Sr. High Youth will have cut down and donated three Christmas trees to Perinton Pines to brighten up their common areas for the holiday season. All youth will have had an opportunity to participate in volunteering for and donating to Furnished4Life, a city thrift store that helps low-income families to have a Merry Christmas! As we enter the Christmas season, I feel very blessed to be part of this amazing church and to participate in serving our youth ministries. In faith, Rev. Kelly We welcome anyone, young or older who would like to join us. This is a great way to get to know our young adults who someday may be our church leaders! If you are interested in meeting, helping with, or learning more about, the young adults, please contact Mark Renfro at mrenfro53@gmail.com, or come to any of our events/activities. Gatherings - every Monday evening at m in Rm 207 for a time of food, fellowship and engaging discussion. Potluck Dinner - on Sunday, January 8, starting at 5:00p. Curling at the Rochester Curling Club - on Saturday, January 14 at 6p. To sign-up for any of these activities or to get more information about the Young Adults, please join our Facebook page Fairport UMC Young Adults.

8 POINSETTIA ORDERING TIME! This year we will be placing the poinsettias on the Lord s Table on December 18. Please complete this form and mail it to Jane or Terrie as soon as you can. The deadline to receive the forms is Tuesday, December 13. POINSETTIA ORDER FORM The poinsettias that will decorate the sanctuary on Sunday, December 18 can be ordered using this form. Plants are $7.00 each. Send or give your cash or check and your completed form to: Jane Tucker OR Terrie Sleeman 2 Vanderberg Drive 12 Butternut Circle Fairport, NY Fairport, NY Make checks payable to Jane or Terrie. DEADLINE FOR ORDERING IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13 Please do NOT return your order form to the office, as this just delays the process. USE A SEPARATE ORDER FORM FOR EACH plant, and include payment for all plants. Additional forms are on the table in the narthex. PLEASE PRINT Given by: Phone #: In Honor of: In Memory of:

9 SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES - 9:00am & 10:30am Mid Day Prayer at Noon every Friday Spiritual Lunch every Tuesday at 11:45am SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 11:30a Grace Class Bell Choir 2 10:30a Heart Lstng 3 9:00a Quilting 6:00P Candlelight Dinner 4 8:00a Early Choir 9:00a Adult Forum 10:00a 6:00p Jr/Sr High Youth 11 9:00a Adult Forum 12noon Cantata Luncheon 3:00p Cantata 18 Early Choir 8:00a Adult Forum 12:30p Sunday Dinner (R) 5:30P BTW Shelters 6:00p Jr/Sr Youth 25 CHRISTMAS 12:30P Sunday Dinner 5 2:00P Benedictine YAM Ruth Circle UMM Study 12 2:00P Benedictine YAM UMW Mtg UMM Study 19 2:00P Benedictine YAM UMW Communion UMM Study 26 Christmas Holiday office closed 6 4:00p 4 5:30p Ctr Prayer Children s Choir SPRC 13 10:15A Star Group 4:00p 4 5:30p Ctr Prayer 5:45P Youth Council Children s Choir Finance Worship 20 4:00p 4 5:30p Ctr Prayer CMT Children s Choir 27 10:15a Star Grp 4:00P 4 5:30p Ctr Prayer Church Council 7 11:00a Joy Group Cantata Choir 8:45p Chancel Choir 14 Chancel Choir 21 Chancel Choir 8 11:30A Bell Choir 15 Bell Choir 22 Bell Choir 9 10:30a Heart Lstng 16 10:30a Heart Lstng 23 10:30a Heart Lstng :30a Heart Lstng 10 9:00a Cantata Dress Rehearsal 7:00P Cantata CHRIST- MAS EVE SERVICES 4, 8, 11:00P 31

10 Fairport United Methodist Church 31 W. Church Street Fairport, NY (585) Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Fairport, NY Permit No. 57 December 2016 CROSS AND FLAME Christmas Eve services will be held at 4:00, 8:00pm and 11:00pm The 4:00 service is more family oriented and the 8:00 and 11:00pm are more traditional services At 11:00pm we will celebrate COMMUNION