DECEMBER WORSHIP SERVICES & EVENTS

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1 United Methodist Church 1701 S.E. Fifth Avenue Grand Rapids, MN Dated Material Please Deliver Promptly DECEMBER ISSUE Sent with a prayer to: DECEMBER WORSHIP SERVICES & EVENTS December 3rd 9:30 Worship/Communion Isaiah 64:1-9 10:15 Discovery Zone Sunday School 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 4:00 Christmas Pageant Rehearsal Mark 13:24-37 December 10 th 9:30 Christmas Pageant Isaiah 40:1-11 No Discovery Zone Sunday School 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 OUR VISION We are a church for all seasons, honoring Christ and making disciples. OUR MISSION STATEMENT Grow in Love of God and Neighbor Reach new people Heal a Broken World December 17 th 9:30 Worship Isaiah 61:1-4, :15 Discovery Zone Sunday School 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, December 21 st 7:00 Longest Night Service December 24 th 9:30 Worship 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 10:15 Discovery Zone Sunday School Romans 16: :00 Christmas Eve Service Luke 1:26-38 STAFF Pastor Reverend James Crecelius Administrative Assistants Shirley Habeger & Linda Rasmussen Choir Director John Scheuer Accompanists..... Susan Hoolihan & Gretchen Bensen Ready Set Grow Mary Hanson & Shari Tverberg Nursery Julia & Olivia Hanson Custodial Service Justine Williams Office Hours: Monday-Friday (9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.) GROW*REACH*HEAL CONTACT US: For the latest church news, our Thought for the Day, and calendar of events, visit our Website: For Our Prayer Chain: nlotoole@me.com or Like us on Facebook: December 31 st 9:30 Love Feast Ezekiel 34:11-16, Family Potluck Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 SPECIAL EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS Christmas Pageant held Sunday, Dec. 10 th - potluck to follow Longest Night Service will be held Thursday, Dec. 21 st at 7:00 pm Love Feast will be held on Sunday, Dec. 31 st at 9:30 am

2 PASTOR S CORNER I hope each of you have or had (depending when you read this) a good and blessed Thanksgiving. I m very fortunate that Thanksgiving brings a myriad of wonderful memories and feelings. As a child it meant delicious feasts, sometimes playing in the Lake effect snows of northern Ohio, and half a week of no school. In the season of raising a family it was the excitement of our kids looking forward to the great trip to Grandmother s (my parents) house where I and Jodel would reconnect with mom and dad, see and catch up with my siblings and our children could reconnect with their cousins. There would be laughing, lots of conversation, old jokes reshared, in the basement and the pack of cousins creating shows, plays, and productions with parents and grandparents watching and applauding. Even now, in this season of our lives, it continues with our grown children coming Up North to gather together with extended family sharing in laughter, good food, and making memories. I pray each of you were blessed on this day of celebrating blessings. As we give our thanks may we be acutely aware of the opportunities to manifest our thankfulness in lifestyles expressive of sharing and extending blessings to others. There is the old adage that One is blessed to be a Blessing. God s abundance of gift, grace, resource and ability is given for the cause of the Commonwealth of Christ. We are not to hoard our blessings, be miserly of our resources, or stingy in sharing. The title of the holiday bespeaks our response to such blessing and abundance! What if we were to change the title of the holiday from Thanksgiving to Thanksliving? Might that help us understand that it is in the lifestyle of gratitude, gratefulness, and humility that we attend to our neighbor s need as God attends to ours. That we show no, live out appreciation with choices of conservation and control instead of gross consumption, gluttony, and greed. Let our new Thanksliving lifestyles demonstrate our understanding that what we have is through God s good graces and not through our own doing. Yes, work hard in building your family, loving your neighbor, contributing to the betterment of your community, brightening your world. But understand, from your health to your resources, from your time to your creativity all this comes from a loving, abundantly blessing God. At Christmas, we talk of the God of the manger. At Easter, it s the God of the Cross and Empty tomb. How about for Thanksgiving we speak of the God of the towel. Christ, who though Divinity incarnate, though Son of God, still washed the feet of the very disciples who would, even after this act of grace and servanthood, deny and betray him. In Thankfulness to all God s blessing the Lord pours into our lives, may we move from the noun of the holiday to the verb of living out lifestyles of servanthood, humility, and extending blessing. I pray your Thanksgiving Holiday is full of family, friends, laughter, tears of thankfulness and joy, and celebrate God s abundant and continual love. Happy Thanksgiving! Be God s, Pastor Jim *************************************************************************************************** In This Issue A/V Team Getting to Know You New Members Birthdays Gingerbread Tree Open Door Coat Rack Choir Good Samaritans Serving CRU Dinner Christmas Concert Greeters Snow Shoe Saturdays Christmas Potluck Hospitality Team Sunday School Feed My Starving Children Longest Night Service UMW Fellowship Love Feast Ushers Fireside Readers Membership & Evangelism Journal With These Hands Food Shelf Membership Memos Youth Fellowship Notes

3 DECEMBER USHERS FOOD SHELF GOOD SAMARITANS SUNDAY SCHOOL Willie Nuorala, Captain Jim Brown Brenda Brown Duane Heikkinen Peggy Heikkinen If for some reason you cannot make it on a scheduled Sunday, please contact an alternate to replace you. Contact the church office at of the change prior to Thursday the printing of the bulletin). DECEMBER GREETERS December 3 rd December 10 th December 17 th December 24 th 9:30am Dave & Margy Strock Joanne Gould & Sheryl Tverberg Ron & Kay Klingman Dennis & Irene Drieman 4:00pm Stephens & Bea Ovadje December 31 st Kurt & Julie Werner DECEMBER FELLOWSHIP December 3 rd December 10 th December 17 th December 24 th December 31 st Rhoda Flinck & Laura Hauser Education/Family Potluck December Birthdays Share a Plate of Cookies Love Feast/ Family Potluck The Food Shelf items for DECEMBER: HOT CEREAL & BAKING SUPPLIES Thank you to all of you who have faithfully donated to our Food Shelf! There are an unbelievable number of people using the Food Shelf and by donating either food or money you are helping to feed some people unable to buy groceries for their family. Food Shelf Sunday is ALWAYS the 4 th Sunday of each month. Willie Nuorala WEDNESDAY PRAISE Join us each Wednesday at 6:00 for a Simple Supper, followed by our Wednesday Praise Worship at 6:30 p.m. Celebrate Recovery Lesson will begin at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome! CHOIR We rehearse every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join us! Questions, contact John Scheuer at If you need help with a special project at your home, ie: moving an item, fixing a door, window, etc., we have an awesome group of guys willing to help. Please contact Ross Cass at OPEN DOOR COAT RACK This has been a busy season preparing for this year s coat drive. Have been blessed with more volunteers than ever before. Approximately 130 positions were filled. Several worked multiple shifts and it was not just for the coffee breaks with fresh bakery and a lot of laughs, but for the common goal of wanting to be a part of keeping all warm during our cold winter ;months. We served 1, 065 people this year but wish to reflect on a few statistics pertaining to the children. There were requests for 44 coats, 141 snowpants & 243 pair of boots which we could not provide. The cost and financial donations have been down the past 2 years and are searching for some fund raising ideas to help purchase needed items. Will continue to thank God for the privilege to be able to give away coats & snowpants plus cover those bare feet & little fingers. Thank you again for your dedication to this program. Merry Christmas! Lou Becicka & Corinne Youso CHRISTMAS CONCERT The Grand Rapids Area Male Chorus and Friends will present their annual Christmas Concert Sunday, December 10 th at 2:30 pm at St. Andrew s Lutheran Church, Grand Rapids. Joining the chorus for the performance will be the St. Andrew s Bell Choir and the Greenway Raider Singers. The concert will include both sacred and secular songs of the holiday season. Refreshments will be served following the performance. There is no admission charge, but a free-will offering will be taken. Due to the Holidays we will only be meeting twice this month for Sunday School. December 3 - God With Us - Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2: To help kids understand that Jesus birth means God is with us - Teacher: Nancy O Toole December 10 - Christmas Program - No Sunday School December 17 - God s Christmas Promise - Luke 2: To help kids understand that Jesus is the Savior God promised. December 24 - Christmas Eve - No Sunday School December 31 - New Year s Eve - No Sunday School CHRISTMAS POTLUCK Please join us during fellowship on Sunday, December 10, for our a n n u a l C h r i s t m a s Potluck. Bring a dish to share or just come and enjoy a meal with your Church Family to celebrate the birth of Christ. If you are able to help out in the kitchen, setting up, or clean up please contact Sue Kolka ( or sjkolka@gmail.com). WITH THESE HANDS - Knit & Crochet Do you knit or crochet? Would you like to learn? If so, please join us for a weekly group that will make items for others and themselves. Similar to the UMC Quilters Group, With These Hands - Knit & Crochet will meet each week on Thursdays from 10:00-12:00. Bring your own projects to your first meeting. We may work on individual projects or group projects such as: prayer squares & prayer shawls for anyone needing a spirit lift or hats & mittens for our coat rack. Patterns will be available. This will be a fun, social and productive group. It is sponsored by Membership & Evangelism and UMW. Contact Karen Andersen, (218) or andersen.karen@mchsi.com for more information.

4 GETTING TO KNOW YOU Sheryl Tverberg was born in Stromsburg, Nebraska and attended a one-room country school for her elementary years. Sheryl attended junior high and high school in Marshall, Minnesota after her family moved there. She attended Mankato Commercial College after high school graduation. Sheryl s brother, Daryl, played on the 1963 State Championship basketball team. Go Marshall Tigers! Sheryl worked at the National Bank of Commerce in Mankato before moving to Grand Rapids in She worked at the Grand Rapids State Bank prior to working for 32 years in School District 318 as the Principal s Secretary in what was the former Junior High, then the Grand Rapids Middle School and presently the Robert J. Elkington Middle School. Sheryl retired from that job in 2004, but continued to work for the Orion Corporation of Minnesota which she had been doing part time while working at school. She has been an Administrative Assistant there for 27 years, and is hoping to retire in the near future. Sheryl grew up attending the Methodist Church and was active in youth group in southern Minnesota. Sheryl s mother was the church secretary in Marshall at one time. Participation in youth group was instrumental in Sheryl s faith journey. Sheryl was married to her husband, Don, in the old church by Rev. Harris. She served as one of the co-chairs for the UMC Fair Booth for several years with Stephanie Zimmer, Marilyn Hutchins, and Lou Becicka making many memories during that time. Sheryl also served as the Financial Secretary for more than 25 years using carbon paper statements when she first began the job in the old church. She enjoys being involved in the kitchen activities for the bazaar and other events, ushering, helping with the Coat Rack, coordinating the greeter schedule, and serving on the Congregational Trust Fund and Nominating Committees. Sheryl would like to be involved in the choir when time in her schedule permits. She is a member of the Second Wind Harmonica Band and Calling Chair for the North Central Retired Educators Association. Sheryl s youngest daughter, Kim, died in a motor vehicle accident in 1991, and her husband died in Sheryl s oldest daughter, Tammy, is the Chief Psychologist at the Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility in Racine, Wisconsin, and she also has a private practice. Sheryl feels blessed to be a grandma to Andrea and Megan Major and Brody and Calen Hawkinson. On Eagle s Wings and Borning Cry are two of her favorite hymns. The Beatitudes and Isaiah 40:31 are her favorite scriptures. Being a part of our church is a very important part of Sheryl s life. Her faith has sustained her in the difficult times in life, and she feels blessed to be a part of a congregation that truly cares for one another and reaches out to others. NEW MEMBERS On Sunday, November 12, eight people joined our church by new membership or transfer of membership from other churches. We welcome: Barb Brossmer, Jodel Crecelius, JoAnn Gould, Joan Jones, Kathy Mahaffey, Bruce Robinson, Al and Linda Wallace. Please look for articles & photos of these new members in the next newsletter. GINGERBREAD TREE We will once again be a gift collection site for the 2017 Itasca Holiday program. With our help, last year the Itasca Holiday program was able to distribute gifts to over 1,900 children throughout Itasca County and Hill City. Your support and participation in the past has been essential to the success of this annual community project and we look forward to working with you again this year. The Gingerbread Giving tree is up in the narthex. The red and green gingerbread cards representing Itasca County and Hill City children are available for people to pick up, purchase a gift, and return the upwrapped gift to the church. They especially need gifts for older children, ages We will then bring all gifts to Zion Lutheran by December 15 th at 4:00 p.m. Thank you for your generosity. FIRESIDE READERS Fireside Readers Christmas Potluck - Monday, December 5:30 PM - Dorothy Church's home (1608 SE 3rd Ave). The book for discussion will be We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Please bring a dish to share - Christmas-themed if you have one. Let's have a book gift exchange. Bring a Christmas wrapped book - new or old and we ll have Gift Swap like last year. Please call or Dorothy ( ) or (doegirl@mchsi.com) so she has a count for table settings. For January 22nd, we are reading The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. A/V TEAM We are recruiting for the Winter season. Our team includes a snow-bird, Pat Kutzorik, who will be migrating South before long. Here is a chance to learn a new skill and provide a once a month service to your church. It has been suggested that we hire someone but I can t believe that is necessary, please give me a call. Keith Lightfoot ANNIVERSARIES Ross & Margaret Cass December 5 Gus & Darla Kirwin December 17 SERVING CRU DINNER WITH PRAISE SERVICE On December 7th a home cooked meal will be served to Cru students at ICC. Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) is a international organization, a caring community passionate about connecting people to Jesus Christ. (to learn more, please visit their website: The local ICC chapter has about 80 participants. An action team from our church will be preparing and serving the meal which is sponsored by Membership & Evangelism. Pastor Jim & friends will provide the praise service for the students. The approximately ICC students live in student housing and most are not from the Grand Rapids area; in many cases - they are from out of state. They have no local family in the area. Cru meets weekly for Bible study and worship. Faculty advisor Patrick Mathias says "it means a lot to these kids that people and groups from the community would bring them a meal and worship with them."

5 BIRTHDAYS Jane Todd December 2 DECEMBER HOSPITALITY TEAM MEMBERSHIP MEMOS THANK YOU FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN Heather Whiteford December 2 Ginny Ekstrand December 3 Sue Kolka December 7 Keith Lightfoot December 7 June Kent December 11 Patricia Kutzorik December 14 Madison Williams December 17 Katie Spooner-Hansen December 17 Muriel Johnson-Fattic December 20 Bill Hagenbuck December 20 Abigail Zimmer December 21 Robert Mitchell December 21 Nancy O Toole December 22 Joni Namyst December 23 Arnold Hietala December 26 Deb Hagenbuck December 26 Dagny Zimmerli December 29 Megan Ritter December 29 Myrtle Petersen December 31 UMW Carolyn Orlich, Captain Karen Andersen Ross & Margaret Cass Marcia Everingham Dee Warren Dan & Tracy Ritter Candice Kortekaas Keith Lightfoot Bob & Joyce Winston Marva Jean Hutchens THANK YOU for all your help. United Methodist Women is so blessed to have the whole congregation support the Salad Luncheon and Bazaar as it does. From making salads, crafts, bake goods, to donating white elephants and books; our church family once again shows that it supports UMW and its missions. Thank you to the servers, people in the kitchen, in the crafts/baked goods room, the white elephant room, those that put up the signs and took them down, those that helped put things away, and those that came to enjoy the day. We made about $3, for our efforts. This is about half of our annual budget. We will be able to support Open Coat Rack, Grace House, Emma Norton Home, Red Bird Mission, kitchen supplies and more. It takes many hands to do this each year and working together, we become a community centered in Christ here and beyond. Thank you to all of you that generously donated clothing items to Northland Recovery Center! Your generosity is greatly appreciated! Thanks to you, we have already been able to help six clients that have come to us with no clothing or personal items. I know that they were grateful!! Our congregation is an amazing group thank you, again, for giving so selflessly. Bless you! Brenna Holmstrom MEMBERSHIP & EVANGELISM JOURNAL Our committee has had a busy Fall with several projects underway. September and October were the Fall Fellowships which were judged a success with more people attending this year than in past years. Thanks to all hosts who graciously opened their home for fun and fellowship. In November we hosted a welcome dinner for new members on November 5th. This gave them a chance to meet each other as well as meet with Pastor Jim to discuss membership. Care packages for college students were prepared and sent on their way prior to their semester finals in late November. Make a tangible difference in the life of a starving child. Impact the lives of hundreds of kids by volunteering for a two hour packing shift at FMSC Mobile Pack Grand Rapids on December 9 th. You ll hand-pack rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals into bags which are then placed on pallets. Those pallets are then shipped to FMSC s incredible partners working hard to reach the neediest children around the world. Packing Times: Dec. 9 th, 2017: 9:00-11:00, 12:00-2:00, 2:30-4:30 Location: Grand Rapids Assembly of God Volunteer/Donate: Starting on Oct. 29 th you can donate to the cause or volunteer for a shift at At the information booth there is a sign-up sheet if you don t want to sign up online. You will be called if we are unable to book you to volunteer at your desired time. Contact Kay Klingman at SNOWSHOE SATURDAY Like to snowshoe? Never have, but want to try it? M3 Shoe-ers will be hosting Snowshoe Saturday on 4 Saturdays during this winter ( Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar) - weather permitting - on our trails. We ll pick Saturdays when it s not too cold and snow is on the ground to invite you to one of our trails. Between us we have a few extra pairs of snowshoes to loan for those who want to try. Old, young, male, female - open to anyone who would like to enjoy winter! Watch for our first announcement of a Snowshoe Saturday (M3 Shoe-ers = Margy, Martha, & Michele)

6 FINANCE FACTS OCTOBER 2017 MONTHLY SNAP SHOT Income Expenses Net Income OCTOBER 28,376 26,106 2,270 YEAR TO DATE 257, ,454 (16,816) General Fund balance as of Jan. 1, ,523 General Fund balance as of October 31, ,815 Mortgage Balance as of January 1, ,423 Mortgage Balance as of October 31, ,762 Principal Paid - Year to Date 86,661 Interest Paid - Year to date 6,667 Mortgage payoff update: LONGEST NIGHT SERVICE Christmas and the Holiday season surrounding it can be a time of melancholy and struggle for many. Some families and individuals are experiencing the first Christmas since the loss of a loved one and there will be a very poignant and noticeable absence at the table. For others this is the first Christmas since "the divorce" and the complications that come with that. For others, it will be the Christmas after the loos of a job or knowing that their job will soon be terminated and the unaffordability of presence will bring hurt and anger. And for more people than we like to admit, this season is always a time of melancholy and depression, despair and sadness. For this reason, Grand Rapids UMC will be having a "Longest Night Service" on Thursday evening, Dec. 21st at 7:00 pm. This service invites those within the community and congregation who are struggling through this season and come, be reminded of God's compassionate love expressed through the manger story. We will do so in a bit more quiet and subdued manner but it will be a celebration of God's love and the birth of the Christ Child! LOVE FEAST On Sunday, Dec. 31st, our worship will be in the Fellowship Hall as we join in a wonderful Methodist/Wesley Tradition of the Love Feast! this will be a service designed around a meal where will renew our covenant as disciples of Jesus, the Christ. The Love Feast event is known for it's power to strengthen and build a sense of community, reminding us of God's abundance and call to discipleship. It's a wonderful way to recommit ourselves and declare our faith as we move into the new year! As of 10/31/2017, there are approximately 20 payments remaining, with a projected payoff date of July Thank you for your continued support of the day-to-day ministry of the church. We try to be careful stewards of your gifts. In January we were able to apply an additional $21,664 on the Mortgage principal due to a special gift to the church. UMW BAZAAR - WINTER CRAFTS The UMW Salad Luncheon and Bazaar was a great success this year (see related article), but it is not too early to start thinking about next year! Winter is a perfect time to make craft items. We hope to offer even more original craft items this coming year, so please keep the UMW bazaar in mind as you come across fun craft ideas. YOUTH FELLOWSHIP NOTES Our Youth Fellowship group continues to grow in number and faith! There's a lot going on and planned as we finish out 2017 and move into the new year! Before we're done with 2017, we have meetings on the 6th and 13th to get us ready for our sharing the Manger story during worship on Sunday, Dec. 24th during the morning service Through our national offices and those on the Philippines we're connecting with a UMC youth group in Western Africa nd one in Asia! Also, in conversations with the Masque and community Center in Fridley MN., We're making contact with a Muslim youth group in the Middle East! Coming up soon on the new year is a Lock-In open to area UMC in the East end of our district, and a Retreat to Northern Pines Camp outside of Park Rapids, MN. While we're there we'll have a ton of fun and discuss what it means to be a young person of faith in a Post-Christian culture! The youth are looking to plan a six-week Bible Study/Prayer Group meeting at church with a light breakfast. As we look ahead, this Summer we'll be taking the Sr. High youth to South Eastern Utah for a mission work-camp (June 22-30th) and the Jr. High folk will be of on a "Mystery Tour" in early July! Z

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