HANGING OF THE GREENS ADVENT CELEBRATION

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1 N E W S L E T T E R December 2010 INSIDE Viewpoint pg. 2 Advent Wreath pg. 4 UMW News pg. 6 UMW News pg. 6 New Members pg. 7 Family Album pg. 10 Asbury United Methodist Church 1533 Springhouse Road Allentown, PA HANGING OF THE GREENS ADVENT CELEBRATION Saturday, Dec. 4 HERE AT Asbury we use the season of Advent to prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord, and traditionally we have set aside the first Saturday in December to decorate our church and begin the four week journey to the manger. This year the event known as Hanging of the Greens will take place on Saturday, Dec. 4. You are invited and encouraged to get involved in this Asbury tradition. Did you know that the first Hanging of the Greens took place in 1976? We had been in what was then our new building for one year and people were anxious to begin new traditions. Our former church building was destroyed in a fire in the fall of We spent three years in a borrowed church building until we could build our new church. We moved in too close to Christmas to start anything new, so it was a year later before Hanging of the Greens began. In the past, the day started early in the morning when some folks met in the Youth Lounge to make the large wreaths that hung on the sanctuary walls. They were made from live greens for many years before they were replaced by the reusable wreaths we use now. Children would report to their Sunday School rooms to decorate with the help of their Sunday School teachers. Adults would volunteer to decorate their own Sunday School rooms or help in the sanctuary or in the hallways. The youth and their parents were busy preparing a spaghetti dinner that they used as a fund-raiser, and a group of young people would gather in Fellowship Hall to play Christmas carols while people dined. Usually the line for dinner went from Fellowship Hall, all the way down the corridor to the outside doors as the volunteers who had decked the halls were joined by others who came to be part of the festivities. After dinner folks would gather in the sanctuary for a program that has varied through the years, but included carols and lessons to begin the Christmas season in the way it is meant to be celebrated. Times change and so has Hanging of the Greens, but the tradition goes on. This year there will be decorating, and spaghetti, and Larry Kelly s band, and a gathering in the sanctuary to end the day. If you have not participated in this event before, please accept this heartfelt invitation to join your church family on this year s journey to the manger. Please watch the church bulletin and the web site for times and activities. one community... encountering Christ... empowered to serve

2 2 Winter DEADLINE Hardcopy: Jan. 2 Jan. 9 by Pastor Mark Vol. 15 No. 9 STAFF Editor DAVID TELLIER UMW News FAYE RENTSCHLER A.I.M. News DICK MCCREIGHT Photography CAROL COLLINS DICK MCCREIGHT Data Entry SUE DYMOND Proofreading THOMAS BRIGGS MICHELLE HEISLER Printing SARA BROWN Mailings ROSALINE MARIN JUDY WHITBY Business Administrator TOM GIBSON Pastors MARK MOORE ERIC YEAKEL The Cross & Flame is published nine times per year by Asbury United Methodist Church. General Information Asbury UMC: Ph Fax info@asburylv.org Advertising Information David Tellier: Ph dtellier@ptd.net Editorial Information David Tellier: Ph dtellier@ptd.net VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT Dear Brothers and Sisters of Asbury, As you read this, it is probably a few days after Thanksgiving. I hope your holiday was filled with joy as you recounted the many ways God has blessed you over the past year. As we are in the season of Thanksgiving, Karen and I would like to take a moment and thank you for the wonderful, warm welcome we have received since our arrival at Asbury. When a pastor is sent to a church, there is always anxiety. Will he fit us? Will he like us? (And the pastor has the same anxieties!) This Thanksgiving, I give thanks for Asbury church for the many men, women and children who call this their church home and work diligently to build the kingdom of God. On a personal note, I would like to list just a few of the blessings we have seen in the recent past. An average of 75 people have been coming to Bible study as we learn from the Book of Revelation the message that John had for the church of the first century and the churches of 21st century. Nine people joined the church just a few weeks ago, committing themselves to Christ and his church here in Allentown. I believe this is God s confirmation that we have a future with hope! This past week saw the largest attendance (616) in many months! (I know there were a few problems with parking, and we are working to correct any deficiencies but in a world where many churches see fewer and fewer people each week in worship, how wonderful to have problems with growth! Open Door continues to grow and be a place where folks who do not feel fed in a more traditional service can worship and develop as disciples of Christ! The UMW Story Book Christmas was unlike anything I have ever seen! So many people devoting so much time, energy and money all to support missions! The staff and lay leadership do an exceptional job of serving the congregation and providing me with invaluable counsel as we discern the vision and direction to which God is calling us. (A special thank you to Pastor Eric who had to pinch hit for me with less than 24 hours notice and truly hit a home run!)

3 Our music ministry with its many participants is the envy of many churches. Thanks for sharing your gifts to inspire us to greater devotion and move us closer to the heart of God. I could go on for many pages, and I would still not have words adequate to express what my heart feels. I will end by simply saying thanks to all who have opened their hearts and homes to us, and saying thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to love and serve the brothers and sisters of Asbury and those in our community we are being called to reach. May each of you know the peace of God that passes all understanding, and find your soul filled with love and joy as we enter into Advent. Thank you for the privilege of being your pastor. In Christ, Mark Asbury s Indoor Golf event will take place Jan. 29. It s the last Saturday of the month. Sign-ups will take place on Sundays starting Jan. 2. To assure getting a good starting time to play golf, sign up early. Kitchen will be open 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. serving lunch. 3 Parish Nurse Health Ministry Alias Faith-based Nursing Ministry by Doris Farrar, RN, BS THE MILLER Blood Bank extends its sincere appreciation to all the donors who walked in for the recent Blood Drive at Asbury in October. The Health Ministry tries to sponsor this every spring and fall so our members and friends can easily share the precious gift to others while in church on Sunday morning. The choice of getting out of the boat and making arrangements to give an hour of your time for this twice a year is the sacrifice many struggle with. There is never enough time to do all the things on one s list. We hope that families and individuals will make efforts to support this endeavor in the spring and fall. The 15 pints of blood donated in October will affect 45 people s lives. It seems like such a simple hour to give. Babysitting is available for those needing assistance with this aspect from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Sunday school areas. Many others would assist if only asked to help out ahead of time. Teens are able to give at age 17. Families could do this together as a cooperative goal of love. If you are unable to give, help us promote others by supporting their needs to enable the gift. It would be such a valuable offering if we could obtain 25 donors for the spring drive. Please mark your calendar for Asbury s Spring Blood Drive. Give as an individual, family or small group project. Take the time to save a life Get Out of The Boat. The Teddy Bear Clinic for pre-school is Dec. 7 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. The senior nursing students of Cedar Crest College will educate the toddlers in fire and stranger safety, hand washing, dental hygiene, etc. Our Health Ministry Meeting (every 3 months) will be Thursday, Dec. 2 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 202. We welcome new members. We may have a speaker to address how to help children to mourn. I recently attended a conference at DeSales that recommends our busy society needs to include children in the funerals and help them cope with loss. Many are protected by being sheltered. This is a disservice to their emotional growth. They need to be a part of the mourning process to prevent later acting out problems and depression. If you re old enough to love, you are old enough to mourn/grieve. It is important to be there for them, love them, comfort them, and answer any concerns ina simple loving way. It is crucial that we all take the journey of pain to reconcile with our losses. It is the way to heal and remain healthy in mind, body and soul. We need ideas for the new year and would love to see new members come join our ministry. If you have a passion for a subject, please help us share it with Asbury members. Bone density screening will be in the early spring. Associate Broker RICHARD L. BLACK, GRI Regency Real Estate 811 N. 19th St. Allentown, PA Bus. (610) Res. (610)

4 4 Add an Advent Wreath to Your Table by Sue Dymond/Prayer ministry ADD AN Advent wreath to your table this month and bring the meaning of the season home. Advent begins Nov. 28 this year, contiuing four weeks until Christmas. It is believed that Martin Luther popularized this custom as a way to teach about Christ s nativity. It became traditional to have an Advent wreath in each home to mark the weeks leading up to Christmas, but using the Advent wreath in churches didn t become popular until the middle of the twentieth century. Maybe it is time to bring the wreath home again, and give it a place of honor. It is not difficult to make your own wreath. First find or make a pine wreath that will sit easily on the table. Then place four candles either on the wreath or inside it. Since Advent is the season of the coming of the King, royal purple candles are generally used, but blue ones are also acceptable. You can have one of the candles rose colored and put a white one in the center as well. Although the meanings of each candle may change from church to church or from culture to culture, they are generally the same and are used to count down the weeks until the birth of our Lord. The first candle, marking the first week in Advent is purple and symbolizes the hope that Christ brings into our lives. The second candle, lit this year on the first Sunday in December, is also purple and stands for the love which the Son of God and Man brings to our lives. The third candle is purple or pink and symbolizes the joy of this season. The fourth candle is purple and stands for peace. The optional white candle in the center is lit on Christmas Day and represents the purity of the Christ child. If you decide to use an Advent wreath in your home this year, don t just use it as a decoration, but use it in conjunction with prayer and worship. On the first Sunday, light the first candle, have your service and then snuff out the candle. On the second Sunday two candles are lit, and so on in the same order until Christmas Day when all of the candles shine. Prayers and scriptures to use with the Advent wreath are as follows (adapted from First Sunday in Advent: Light one purple candle. Read Isaiah 60:2-3 Prayer: Lord God, we light this candle to thank you for your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. We who have sat in darkness have seen a great light, the light of Jesus Christ, our salvation. We give you thanks and praise in Jesus name, because he lives and reigns with you in your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Second Sunday: Light two purple candles. Read Mark 1:4 Prayer: Lord, God, we light this candle to thank you for your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the way. We who like sheep have gone astray have found the way to you through Jesus Christ. We give you thanks and praise in Jesus name, because he lives and reigns with you in your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Third Sunday: Light three purple candles. Read Isaiah 35:10 Prayer: Lord God, we light this candle to thank you for your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who brings us great joy. We who have walked in the shadow of the valley of death have found life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We give you thanks and praise in Jesus name, because he lives and reigns with you in your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Fourth Sunday: Light all the purple candles. Read Isaiah 9:6-7 Prayer: Lord God, we light this candle to thank you for your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace. We who live in discord and strife have found peace in the promise of eternal life, through Jesus Christ. We give you thanks and praise in Jesus name, because he lives and reigns with you in your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen. On Christmas Eve after sundown or on Christmas Day: Light all the purple candles and the central white one. Read Luke 1:68-79 and Luke 2:1-20 Prayer: We praise you, Lord God, because today your Word lives in our Savior Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman, and lived among us as a man. Guide us to be like Christ by manifesting our faith in our conduct as well as in our thoughts and words. We honor you, Lord. We praise and worship you in the name of the One who is born today, the One who lives and reigns with you in your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen. This year why not add some spiritual meat to your Christmas table? Decorate hearts and homes with the beauty of an Advent wreath. May our Lord gift you with the brightest and most joyful Christmas season ever. Amen.

5 Chancel Choir News IT S BEGINNING to look a lot like Christmas! What a wonderful time of year to be a part of Sunday morning worship! The Chancel Choir will be singing at the 11:00 a.m. worship services during Advent on Sunday, Dec. 5 and Sunday, Dec. 12, and at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19. We will also be singing at the candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 11:00 p.m. Our anthems during the Advent season will include Sweet Prospect by John Miller, There Shall a Star by Mendelssohn, and Tell Us, Shepherd Maidens by Mary Caldwell. On Christmas Eve, the women of the Chancel Choir will sing Goodnight, Little Jesus by Robert Page, and the men will join the ladies in Three Noels by Grundman and a selection from John Rutter. The Chancel Choir has been invited to sing at the Summer Harmony Men s Chorus Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec.17 at First Presbyterian Church, Tilghman and Cedar Crest Blvd. Tickets for the concert are available from Chancel Choir member Robin Fitch for $15. What a fun way to usher in the holiday season! We are always happy to welcome new and returning members! Our rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Please check the Asbury website at for detailed information on the Chancel Choir schedule or contact either Ken Schneider at (610) or Robin Fitch at (610) We d love to welcome you to our choral family! 5 Church & Society by Lynn Shelly HAVE YOU ever wondered what the Church and Society Committee does? Here are the reasons I am a member: I believe that as Christians we are called to minister to the needs of others in a troubled world. I also believe that our responsibilities as Christians go beyond that. While charitable works address immediate needs, they don t always get to the root of the problem. Often those needs are the direct result of injustices in our society. In Church and Society we think about ways our everyday decisions might contribute to a better life for all. Currently we are examining the ways our country produces and consumes food. We are looking at the influences that perpetuate unhealthy eating habits and drastically impact Americans health. We are promoting the purchase of local and fair trade products so that small farmers and farm workers are allowed a better life. If any of these ideas sound interesting to you, we invite you to learn more about our committee. For more information, please feel free to contact or me at (610) or committee chair Suzanne Goodell at (610) Children s Ministries by Linda Arleth O COME All Ye Faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels... Jesus is born, Jesus is our Lord, and Jesus is our King! Join our family and celebrate Jesus! There is a full calendar of events for our children in December. We will continue each Wednesday with rehearsals for our 4:00 Christmas Eve service. Also, sign your child up for our new children s ministry Parents Morning Out Kids Klub on Dec. 4 from 9:00 a.m.12:00 noon. Included are a light breakfast, rotational craft/game stations, and the showing of the Veggie Tales Pistachio movie. Sign up by Dec 1. Come back to Asbury at night for our Hanging of the Greens and enjoy a spaghetti dinner and family worship program in the Sanctuary. Sunday Dec. 5 the children will celebrate by decorating their classrooms and partying with some snacks. Sunday Dec. 19 we will celebrate Jesus birthday during the Sunday School hour in Fellowship Hall puppets, crafts and birthday cake will be part of our celebration. Then join us Christmas Eve at one or two of our worship services. Our 4:00 p.m. Family Worship is an awesome celebration of Jesus birth led by some of the children at Asbury. God s Blessings and Christmas joy to your family as you celebrate His love.

6 MISSION MINUTE Our mission minute this month comes from Esther K. Gitobu and Nicholas Gitobu Kithinji, missionaries, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Ms. Gitobu is a regional missionary based in Cambodia. As people of all cultures increasingly engage mission on the world stage, God uses them to redefine the world as we have known it. Each particular case is a small representation of a bigger picture and conversation of an emerging new world. In a rapidly changing world, new ways of relating and influencing demand that Christians take the new opportunities and contextualize the generations common ground in the spirit of Philippians 2:1-11. CIRCLE NEWS Deborah Circle continues the 6 Warren Wiersbe study Be Comforted. Weekly December meetings will be held at the home of Sarah Fullton. The Dorcas/Martha Circle will meet on Thursday, Dec, 9, at 9:15 a.m. in the parlor. Sue Barron will present a reading entitled The Christmas Tree. Karen Kutteroff will lead the devotions. All women are welcome. Please watch the Sunday bulletin for further details. Sarah Circle will meet on Friday, December 10 at 9:30 am at the home of Nancy Dougherty for their annual Christmas Brunch. Bring a dish to share and a wrapped ornament to exchange. Priscilla Circle will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Aldersgate for our Christmas celebration. Pastor Mark Moore will be our speaker. All women are welcome. For more information, contact Brenda Baxter at (610) or Judy Whitby at (610) Please check the bulletin for Hannah and Susanna Circle activities. Only 70 A Taste of Asbury cookbooks left, as of the date of the Bazaar. Look for a future sale date in the bulletin, or books can be purchased in the church office during office hours for just $5.00 For rent 3 Br. 2 b. Lake Front Cottage on Lake Wallenpaupack Contact Alice and Bob Huey

7 7 NEW MEMBERS Bill & Joyce Mehrtens 5665 Merion Lane Macungie, PA (610) NEW MEMBERS NEW MEMBERS David & Lauri Moore Robbie (8, 2nd grade), Maria (3) 7937 Trails End Fogelsville, PA (610) Frank Paretti 113 Brookfield Circle Macungie, PA (610) Ellen Przybylski 1888 S. Delaware St. Allentown, PA (484) Paul & Helen Wingrove 4111 Primrose Dr. Allentown, PA (610) Tim Yeager 2923 West Gordon St. Allentown, PA (610) Front row (L. to R.) - Ellen Przybylski, Joyce Mehrtens, Lauri Moore, Helen Wingrove Back row (L. to R.) - Tim Yeager, Bill Mehrtens, Frank Paretti, David Moore, Paul Wingrove MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. 3 OCEANFRONT CONDOS FOR RENT 50 Beautiful Golf Courses 30 Miles of Glorious Beach Pool by the Sea Call Hueys today! North 18th St. Allentown, PA FAX info@nacciprinting.com The Young People s Philharmonic Of The Lehigh Valley THE YOUNG People s Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley is two orchestras consisting of a string orchestra for children in grades 5 8 and a full Symphony composed of high school aged youth. The YPP was founded in 1976 by Jerry Bidlack, professor emeritus of Lehigh University. The YPP members come from mostly from Lehigh and Northampton Counties with some from Bucks, Berks, Monroe and Western New Jersey. Many of the graduates of this orchestra have gone on to study music professionally. This year their Holiday Concert will be held at Symphony Hall on Sunday Dec. 19 at 4:00 p.m.

8 8 To Asbury UMC, We gratefully acknowledge your gift of $ to the Cookson Hills Center. In Christ, Rev. Meri Whitaker Dear Friends, On behalf of the Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank, we thank you for your recent donation of 20 bags of food. Because of your caring and sharing the hungry people of our community are being fed. For every dollar we receive, we can purchase 6 pounds of food through Second Harvest Food Bank. Again, thank you for your donation. Sincerely, Esther A. Stahl, Corresponding Secretary AAEFB Sunday, Oct. 10 was a beautiful day once again for the Allentown CROP Hunger Walk. We had 33 churches and organizations participating in the walk and collectively we have raised $25,000 thus far. We ve also started to have a yearly collection of food bank items brought to the walk for the Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank and this year we collected 580 lbs. of food! Hope begins with you and so we thank all of you who walked this year and all of our faithful CROP Walk supporters. Please join us again next year Cross & Flame Schedule HARDCOPY EDITORIAL EDITORIAL ISSUE DUE DUE MAIL DATE Winter 1/2 1/9 1/26 Mar 1/30 2/6 2/23 Apr 2/27 3/6 3/23 May 4/3 4/10 4/27 Summer 5/29 6/5 6/22 TOM A. STROHL Licensed Professional Counselor Licensed Psychologist MARRIAGE SPECIALIST Premarital Marriage Problems Affairs Separation Divorce Adjustment Remarriage 5000 Tilghman Street, Ste 147 Phone: Allentown, PA TomStrohl@aol.com Office Hours By Appointment Website: Sept 7/31 8/7 8/24 Oct 9/4 9/11 9/28 Nov 10/2 10/9 10/26 Dec 10/30 11/4 11/22

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10 10 Christmas Season Services Sundays in Advent (Nov. 28 Dec. 19) Services in Sanctuary at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00, Open Door in Wesley Center at 10:45 DEATHS 10/24 Mary Freeman 10/25 Ruth Reed 11/16 Robert Huey BIRTH 8/4 Lily Kay Stewart, daughter of Kristin & Greg Stewart WEDDINGS 11/12 Tammy Woodhull & Ryan Yeakel Friday, Dec.24 Christmas Eve Services 2:00, 4:00 (Family Service), 7:00 (in Wesley Center), 9:00, 11:00 (Communion) Sunday, Dec. 26 Services in Sanctuary at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00, Open Door in Wesley Center at 10:45 Sunday, Jan. 2 One service at 10:00 in Wesley Center (theme "Covenant Renewal"), children's worship in the Sanctuary at the same time