THE PILGRIM VISITOR. Cantata Academy Chorale-4:00 pm. Christmas Pageant during the worship service. Heritage Concert Band of Troy-7:00 pm

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1 1314 Northwood Boulevard, Royal Oak, Michigan Phone: Fax: Web Site: Published Monthly December, 2015-Vol. 40, No. 12 Dec. 6 Dec. 13 Dec. 15 Dec. 16 Dec. 20 Dec. 24 Cantata Academy Chorale-4:00 pm Christmas Pageant during the worship service Women s Fellowship Program- Tea 7:00 pm Heritage Concert Band of Troy-7:00 pm Special Music from the Chancel Choir during the worship service Christmas Eve Candlelight Service-7:00 pm

2 A coating of white. The Candy Band singing Feliz Navidad in the Holiday Magic parade one more time. Salvation Army bell ringers in stores. The Heritage Sunday feast has been cleaned up. Advent is upon us. Christmas is coming. Senior Minister s Minute by John Miller And Emmanuel is here. Not coming, not still scheduled to arrive, not TBA. Here. God with us. The promise fulfilled and kept. We are people of Emmanuel. We don t wait for a far-off or some-day God. God is with us. As we light the Advent wreath and speak of Hope, our hope is in God with us. Our Peace, our best understandings of Love, our deepest experiences of Joy are rooted in the presence and purpose of God in our lives. When the Cantata Academy makes beautiful music on December 6, as our children inspire us in the December 13 pageant, while our crafts dry during the Christmas workshop, singing and eating on December 13, when the Christmas Tea warms and welcomes on December 15, as the Troy Concert Band lifts familiar melodies on December 16 and our Chancel Choir tells the story we love to tell on December 20, we can remember that God is with us. Emmanuel. God with us. Now, and forevermore. This truth stands behind our covenant promises, now shared with our newest members, to walk in all God s ways, the Lord assisting us. No longer God s distant booming voice but a babe in a manger, a child who grew, loved and taught, and promised and delivered the Spirit to guide, unite and inspire. Emmanuel. The name that has no season. In these days of new fears of terror, in this time of a new wave of refugees looking to our shores, in this most recent presidential election cycle, in the throes of buy, buy, buy messages all around us, we know Emmanuel. God is with us as we seek common ground. God is with us as we search for the common good. We are witnesses to this as we proclaim God s presence beyond our own limited vision. We are humble servants as we seek to carry out the all of Christ to feed, heal, serve, welcome and love, extending ourselves beyond our social circles and assumptions. We are living our faith, thankful for all we have, and aware of our abundance to share in faith, freedom and fellowship, and yes, even food. As the annual celebration of Thanksgiving arrives, we remember our Pilgrim roots and give thanks, and we can remind each other of our freedom to do just that each and every day. We are voices for deep gratitude like our Pilgrim forebearers who survived a dreadful Winter. We are voices for profound faith, believing God is with us always. We are voices for powerful freedom, to hear and be heard, to seek and receive deeper and better understandings of next steps rooted in our faith. We are in fellowship with Emmanuel, our greatest gift, to celebrate and to share. Peace be with you.

3 The Privilege of Teaching (Sharon Stanton) It is no small thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us. ~Charles Dickens Of all my experiences at FCC, the one I have been most honored by is teaching in the preschool room. Our preschool (and nursery!) are the first areas of the church where children become connected and start to feel ownership. Those of us who work in those rooms may be among the first adults aside from family to care for these children. It s so special to welcome them in this way, and hopefully make church a happy place they look forward to coming to. In the preschool room we: Learn! Each week our children learn a lesson from the story we read, and they may learn a new project, but they also learn how to make new friends, compromise, and cooperate to take care of the preschool room. Play! Next to snack time, everyone loves playtime best! Each child has a favorite area of the room where they go first, and it s fun to watch their imaginations at work as they rotate through the room, or find a quiet corner to color, read books or do puzzles. Grow! It s so rewarding see a child who has been nervous or unhappy about staying in the preschool room begin to enjoy being there. I love watching personalities emerge and change as children become more comfortable with the space, one another and me. I am also grateful for the adults who help in the preschool. I love talking with them and working together in a unique setting. Reading and your children From the Library Team, here are some tips to remember on reading to your children so they will grow up as readers: Since your children imitate your behavior, let them see you read books. Let them know that reading is a part of life! Let your children feel that reading a book with them is a pleasurable and enjoyable experience, and not a stressful activity that you are forcing them to do. Form a habit of reading to your child at the same time each day, or at least several times a week. Choose a time when you and your child are both relaxed and not rushed. Choose books that your kids will be most interested in, and appropriate for their ages. A young child likes colorful drawings and pictures of people. To help your child understand that letters and words are symbols that are used to communicate, run your finger under the print but don t force your child to follow your finger. Surround your kid with books. Keep books where your kid can easily reach them so he will be able to browse them by himself. Visit your church library frequently. We have books for children of all ages. Have you volunteered in the preschool room yet? Join us! We have a great time. Thank you to Dianne Kruzman for inviting me to share my thoughts in this month s PV.

4 From the Stewardship Committee SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, December 13th The Board of Christian Education invites people of all ages to enjoy this event. From 3-5 pm- Craft items for you to create and take home. From 5-5:45 Join us in the Sanctuary for a jolly Christmas sing-a-long. 5:45 Dinner provided by Lydia Circle As this year s stewardship campaign draws to a close, it is right and proper that we once again extend out profound thanks to the people who really make the stewardship campaign work and that is each and every one of our members and nonmember friends who decide to give generously of their wealth to the church. As clever as our theme may be (hopefully you ll try and enjoy the recipes offered) and as slick as our campaign letters and s may be, at the end of the day it is each person making the conscious decision to give that makes our church function, despite whatever the economic conditions may be. As in previous years we will provide updates throughout the season as to our progress. But regardless of the outcome, please know that your gifts are appreciated and that each of you individually is key to this church s health. Next year will be a new and different stewardship campaign. The committee will have some different members; the theme will be different; letters and pulpit presentations will be different. The one constant year to year though is the generosity of our congregation. Thanks again. The Stewardship Committee The earth is the Lord s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein; Psalms 24:1

5 Women's Fellowship December Program: Women's Fellowship Christmas Tea - December 15, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. (Note time change) Program - Royal Oak High School Cantata Choir. Reservations to church office by Monday, December 14, THE PILGRIM VISITOR Gleaners Thanksgiving Turkeys - Nov. 22 FCC turkey donations reached an all-time high as 64 frozen birds were donated to the Pontiac area Gleaners. Additionally, $15 and 2 bags of Thanksgiving related canned goods were contributed. Gleaners has been feeding hungry people and nourishing our communities for 39 years Board of Christian Outreach (BCO) Monthly Update Communion Offerings Your generous recent communion offerings have allowed FCC to send the following amounts to these missions as designated on our offering envelopes: September Communion - Mission Mazahua - $380 October Communion - Pan American Institute - $310 Beacon of Hope Food Fresh Food Pantry Your contributions of cheese and butter helped serve 118 guests (271 total people) at the November 21st pantry hosted by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. We had 12 FCCers volunteer their efforts that Saturday. The Pantry is sustained through contributions of food, money, and volunteers given by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, First Congregational Church, Royal Oak Missionary Church and Gleaners. Jimmy's Kids We will be collecting unwrapped gifts after Thanksgiving through Sunday December 12th. Our FCC youth are also collecting money this year and will do your shopping if you desire. Again this year is a big emphasis on getting gifts for the older children and teens! As a suggestion, the store Five Below carries $5 basket balls, footballs, soccer balls, nail polish and hats and gloves for the teens. Starr Warming Center Planning has begun for the February 7th to 15th Warming Center at Starr Presbyterian Church. You can donate supplies at go/10c0944aca62fa3fe3-donations2. You can sign up to work at the shelter at go/10c0944aca62fa3fe3-warming1. Our help and prayerful support will be needed! Brief updates: - Spread the Laugh benefit for the Welcome Inn grossed $13, On the Rise Bakery profited $170 from their products we sold on Mission Sunday. - The Sock Basket is out! Donate new socks and underwear this winter to those in need.

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8 .PARISH REGISTER Hearing Assistance Available You may have seen this symbol on a sign in the narthex. It indicates that our church is equipped with a hearing assistance system. Not sure if it could help, or just curious about it? Please ask for a receiver and try it out. You don t have to have a hearing aid to use our hearing assistance system. People attend worship services each week to be inspired. Yet, many churches have acoustical challenges. Whether it is sound bouncing off hard surfaces such as walls, or the distance the sound has to travel from the pulpit, it can be difficult to hear the service properly if you have a hearing loss. Too often, congregants with hearing loss stop attending worship services because they cannot connect to what is important the message. Yes, they may hear a voice, but it is difficult to understand. If you want to hear the spoken word more clearly, all you have to do is ask. We offer assistive listening devices at every church service. Place the ear bud in either ear and turn the power switch on. You should see a red light. If you don t see the red light, select another device. If sound doesn t come into your ear bud, rotate the ear bud plug into the device, which also acts as an antenna. Our listening devices work similarly to a transistor radio. You can turn up the volume to your preferred listening level without bothering anyone around you. Spend your time enjoying the message; don t struggle to understand the words. Members & Friends Who Have Lost Loved Ones Kelly Martin-mother, Jenny Kargula. Patti Martin-sister, Barbie Woytovich ON NOV. 22ND. WE EXTENDED THE RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP to our new members: Fay Brown 2440 Parmenter #111. Royal Oak MI Sponsor: Muriel Newman Grace Cameron 4917 Crooks Rd Apt. L2 Royal Oak MI Sponsor: Virginia Merritt John & Kelley Cusmano 2561 Lanergan Dr. Troy MI Sponsors: Paul & Emma Pirtle Josh & Sarah Hauxhurst 2439 Linwood Royal Oak MI Sponsors: Matt & Colleen Schroeder Carol Ranspach 1663 Riverside Dr. #1 Rochester Hills MI Sponsor: Gail Barnett Stephen & Lori Wilkonski 3802 Woodland Royal Oak MI Sponsors: Jesse & Jessi Beatty

9 The Royal Oak Historical Society presented our church with their 17th annual Spirit of Royal Oak Award at their 76th annual dinner on October 23, FCC Historian Muriel Newman accepted the award on behalf of the church. FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ROYAL OAK 1314 Northwood Boulevard, Royal Oak, Michigan Phone: (248) Fax: (248) Webpage: The Rev. John F. Miller, Senior Minister Melissa Ambrose-Eidson, Minister of Music Dianne Kruzman, Director of Family Ministries Patricia Noll, Administrative Assistant Lori Dixon, Bell Choir Director