The Magnolian. Magnolia United Church of Christ where spirit and compassion meet. Worship with us in December. From Pastor Joy

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1 The Magnolian Magnolia United Church of Christ where spirit and compassion meet Volume XXXXIII, No. 11 December 2015 Worship with us in December The Theme for Advent this year is Sacred: The Sound of Silence Nov 29 Sacred Time: Psalm 130: 1-6, Romans 13: Dec 6 Sacred People: Luke 1: 26-38; Matthew 1: Dec 13 Sacred Space: Luke 1: Dec 20 Sacred Knowing: Christmas Choir Sunday Dec 24 Christmas Eve Services at 4 and 10 pm: Sacred Being Dec 27 A simple service of singing and reflection with Joy and Jeremy Past Sermons on Line: Joy s sermons can be found on our web site at From Pastor Joy I believe in the power of prayer. I imagine this won t come as a big surprise to most of you in fact you probably think that it is a requirement of a pastor! I believe in the power of prayer as an avenue to deepen our relationship with the Big Love many of us call God that is at the heart of creation. I believe in the power of prayer as a way of participating in that Big Love. Prayer is a discipline that builds our compassion and empathy muscles Prayer is an act of intentionality, of bringing someone (or a situation) into our minds and hearts and offering it up to the greater wisdom and peace of God that is far beyond anything we could ask or imagine. While of course it is perfectly acceptable in prayer to ask for anything ---sometimes it is helpful to leave words behind and simply picture the person or situation surrounded by Light or Peace or something that resembles Courage. The small group that has been meeting for prayer on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 am these past two years has decided it would be meaningful to increase the bounty of prayer at MUCC by creating a Prayer Chain ministry instead. We will still gather with anyone that is interested on the first Wednesday of each month, but otherwise, weekly s will go out to those who sign-up to participate. Pam Wallace has agreed to oversee this new ministry and will coordinate with me in communicating the needed prayers. Those mentioned at Sunday worship will be included and any additional ones that we learn about. If someone wants to be included but wants to remain anonymous, we will be sure to write the request in a way that respects a person s privacy. If you have a prayer request you can me at joy@magnoliaucc.org or Pam at pamjow@gmail.com; call the office at or call or text my cell phone at If you have signed up to participate, we are going to gather after worship on Sunday, December 13 th about 11:30 am to have a brief conversation about the purpose and intent of the prayer chain. If you have not signed up but would like to, please contact Pam or I. Life is short, make haste to be kind, be swift to love --- Joy

2 In Our Prayers While the holiday season is special in many ways, it can also be a time of stress and sadness too. Please remember to be gentle with those you meet, stranger and friend alike, and with yourself as well. The next Prayer Group meeting is Dec 2nd at 9:30 am. A small group gathers with Pastor Joy on the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30 am to lift up prayers for our church community and beyond. Please feel free to notify Joy or the office if you would like something to be included. The Ripple Effect (a spiritual practice) Pick up a stone and hold it in the palm of your hand. Feel its weight. Feel how it has been marked and shaped over time. This stone has been on the planet for millions of years. Drop it into the water and watch the ripples that it makes. The stone s action causes the surface of the water to react. Keep watching until the water is still again. Reflect on the ripples your actions have made in your life and in the lives of others. However small you feel, the ripples of your actions go on and on and make a difference in others lives that you cannot imagine or ever know. Remember someone whose actions made ripples in your life. How did those ripples affect your actions and the ripples you sent out? Offer a prayer of gratitude for someone who has created ripples in your life. ~Go Deep, by Doris e. Kizinna Faith Formation Opportunities at MUCC The Sacred Season of Advent Begins Sunday, November 29 th The Christmas season is a time when the juxtaposition of the sacred and secular feel sometimes blatantly opposed, and sometimes quite blurred. The word sacred points to something dedicated as holy and set apart. This year, we invite you to a spiritual journey of seeing all things pregnant with the possibility of the holy. What could your Advent and Christmas season experience be like if you lived it looking through the kaleidoscope of the sacred? After church on the 29 th of November, you are invited to stay after worship and help decorate the parlor tree or hang lights outside. Weekly Bible Study You are always welcome to join the lively conversation as your schedule allows: Tuesday s at NOON for an hour to be in conversation about the scripture readings that will be used for the Sunday to come. Bring a sack lunch if you wish or just come! No Bible Study on Dec 22 or 29. Upcoming All-Church Lenten Book Study to put on your Christmas Wish List: Grounded: Finding God in the World, A Spiritual Revolution by Diana Butler Bass (If you found Joy s sermon intriguing from the 15 th of November about what our future might look like you will find this book very thoughtful, imaginative, and an avenue to help us re-imagine MUCC. We are hoping to get as many of us to read it as we possibly can!)

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4 The MUCC Giving Tree Treasurers Report 2015 Pledges Our goal this year, as every year, is to finish 2015 in the BLACK. Currently, however, with a few of our expenses up, and our income (which is mainly from pledges) below what we anticipated, that is looking less likely. So please honor our 2015 pledges, and take this as a friendly reminder to get your 2015 pledge in by the end of the calendar year, if you have not yet done so. Together we can do great things, remembering that God s love enlivens us to be a Christ-inspired, joyous community of faith where spirit and compassion meet. Paul Gibbs, Treasurer MUCC Treasurer 2016 Stewardship Campaign Continues Last week, on Stewardship Sunday we dedicated the pledges we received. To date, we have received 42 pledges, totaling $133,922. These include 27 who have increased their pledge from this year, and two that have not pledged before. This is great news. If you have not yet turned in your pledge card, please do so by Sunday, Dec. 6th to save a phone call. You can turn them in to the church office, or put them in the Sunday morning offering. This year we have the opportunity to give to: -Blaine Kids In Care -Compass Senior Housing -Doney Animal Memorial Clinic Choose a tag (or two or more) from the trees, purchase the item, and bringing your gift to church on or before December 15. Thank you for your generosity, Anna, Celeste and Evelyn Alternative Gifts International during Coffee Hour Give the World a Present! Right up until Christmas Eve you can give the world a present through the Alternative Gifts International. Instead of the usual commercial gift, you can give, in honor of your friends, family & the people who perform serves for you, life-giving gifts like trees, medicine, food, farming tools, seeds, livestock, & shelter that empowers people trapped in poverty to help themselves. Come into the office or attend coffee hour after church & receive a catalog of gift choices for the world. Choose from over thirty authentic gifts listed on the form provided. When you purchase a gift, you will receive a beautiful holiday card of your choice with your gift inscribed, ready to give as an alternative gift that not only honors special people in your life but helps needy people who are not on anyone s gift list. Give an alternative gift so that others may thrive. Also available are the Be Present mugs, for $10 each. There are a variety of colors, wrapped and ready to give. Get one (or a few) before they are all gone! See you Sunday! Lucia Schubert Thank you for your generous support!

5 Choir Sunday & Christmas Brunch December 20 th The heart of our worship on December 20 th will be our wonderful MUCC choir, plus visiting musicians and soloists inviting us into the spirit of the season with the St. Nicholas Mass by Franz Joseph Haydn. The Annual Christmas Brunch will follow this special worship service. Tickets on sale Sundays during Coffee Hour, $8 per person. Please invite your family and friends! Blaine Kids in Care Update from Mike Anderson, school counselor Last year, your summer camp funds allowed three students to attend camps who would not have been able to otherwise. One student who, due to his living situation, isn t able spend much time outdoors participated in the Discovery Park Nature Camp. When I asked him about his experience he said, It was awesome! They had fun games that we played and we got to play on the beach and in the woods! The second student was enrolled in a science camp through the Pacific Science Center. He was psyched that he got to play in dirt. I don t know what that means but it sounds like fun. The third student participated in Nature Camp as well and talked about how much he liked the day they went to the pond and loved the final graduation day when they ate pie. Two of the students did partial scholarships, while the third was paid in full. Please feel free to pass this on to the congregation along with our heartfelt thanks. And I can speak on behalf of the families that they are extremely grateful as well. ~Mike Holiday Donations at the Ballard Food Bank With the holidays upon us, the following food items are much appreciated during this season: Turkeys and Hams Instant Mashed Potatoes Stuffing Butter Whipped Cream Canned Pumpkin Pumpkin Pie For a complete list of food, hygiene or Backpack Program items, see our cart by the church office, or contact the Ballard food bank at: Phone: (206) Website: general inquiries to: sabinef@ballardfoodbank.org The Magnolia Quilters The Magnolia Quilters started in 2003 when Paula Whitham met with a couple of her friends at the community center. Now, there are twelve of us who meet every Tuesday at 10 AM upstairs in the church. Over coffee and tea we work on our latest projects and offer group support for problem solving, inspiration and opinions. We plan field trips to quilt shows and shops, annual retreats, and seasonal parties. Once a year our quilts are exhibited in the church Narthex Gallery. This year they are displayed November 23rd through January 10th, and we are already working on next years projects. Newcomers Welcome! Contact Ruth Beckett at: ruthbeckett@me.com

6 Facilities Update Your facilities team is currently beginning the process of organizing tasks and priorities for the coming year. This will undoubtedly include more minor repair work, painting parties and grounds work. We will be soliciting your volunteer efforts in the coming months. We could use another member on the facilities team. If you have any skills in home or landscape repair and maintenance, and have some time and energy to dedicate to keeping our church facility in good condition, we would love to talk to you. We are rather meeting-averse, and schedule only one hour meeting each month to stay coordinated. If you are interested, please speak with any of the members listed below. Some good news! We just turned in a proposed facilities budget for 2016, and it is the lowest budget recommended over the past 5 years, at least. This is the start of what we hope is a trend that can result from the investments that we have made over the past few years. The bulk of our investments in maintenance projects have been intended to have a long term payoff resulting from lower annual energy usage, maintenance and repair costs. We ll keep you updated on how we are doing to maintain our coveted Energy Star rating as the new year progresses. As always, if you see something in the church building or grounds that need attention, please inform the office or one of the facilities members listed below. Facility Questions/Problems/Suggestions? Contact any of the facilities members or drop off a note in the office. Roger Seeman, Sue Olson, Charlie Evans, Bob Flack, Don Fuqua, Chuck Cox, Marilyn Krichko Ex officio members: Joy and Scott The MUCC Staff wish you a joyous season of preparation, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! From Joy, Scott, Sarah, Jeremy, Lisa, Tom and Armando

7 No, No, thank you! I received kind words of thank you at the conclusion of the Inspiring Gifts Festival, but I say, no, no, thank you! Shoppers said thank you for offering them inspiring gifts to purchase. Vendors said thank you for giving them the opportunity to bring gifts that offer a livelihood to artisans and craftspeople. Cooks and servers said thank you for allowing them to share their cooking and caring. Helpers said thank you for giving them a chance to contribute their time to make the Festival happen. In one voice we say thank you for our shared pleasure in having this event that allowed our compassion to flourish and sustain. And thank God for the goodness and joy that flows through and in us! ~Lucia MUCC Church Officers/ Ministry Leaders June 2015 May 2016 Use the card every time you shop and earn up to 4% for MUCC! Coordinating Council: Moderator, Charlie Evans Vice Moderator, Chuck Cox Past Moderator, Tom Ranken Treasurer, Paul Gibbs Clerk, Deb Fulton-Kehoe Members-at-large: Ruth Beckett Cindy Whiston Anna Pedroso Facility Coordinator, Roger Seeman Gifts Steward, George Olson Pastor Congregation Relations Committee: Tom Ranken, Patrick Hennessey, Pam Wallace, Chris Jenkins, Betsy Hubbard, Don Fuqua 2015 Pledges Are you up to date with your pledge? First, thank you to all who are up to date with their 2015 pledges. And if you are not, please take this as a friendly reminder to do what you can to bring it up to date. Your efforts are appreciated. Paul Gibbs, Treasurer

8 Magnolia United Church of Christ 3555 W. McGraw Street Seattle, WA Telephone: (206) Church Office Hours: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Monday-Thursday) Rev. Joy R. Haertig, Pastor, Scott Ward, Dir. of Community Life, Volume XXXXIII, No. 11 The Magnolian December 2015 What s Happening at Magnolia UCC Weekly events: Sundays 9:00 a.m. Choir Sanctuary 10:00 a.m. Worship Sanctuary 6:00 p.m. Chorale Sanctuary Mondays 7:00 p.m. Al-Anon Support Group Upstairs Meeting Room & Yellow Room Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. Magnolia Quilters Upstairs Meeting Room 12 noon Bible Study Parlor 7:00 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 80 Pilgrim Hall Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. Chair Yoga Pilgrim Hall Thursdays 7:15 p.m. Choir Sanctuary Other scheduled events: Nov 29 11:00 a.m Decorate at MUCC after worship Parlor tree and outdoor lights Dec 1 7:00 p.m Circle of Care Parlor Dec 2 9:30 a.m Mid-Week Prayer Parlor Dec 13 7:30 p.m NOCCO chamber music concert Sanctuary Dec 14 10:00 a.m Circle of Stones Parlor 6:30 p.m MUCC Book Club Pilgrim Hall Dec 15 6:00 p.m. Coordinating Council Potluck dinner at Deb Kehoe s Dec 16 1:00 p.m. FASC kitchen crew Upstairs kitchen Dec 20 10:00 a.m Choir Sunday at MUCC Sanctuary 11:30 a.m MUCC Christmas Brunch Pilgrim Hall Dec 21 10:00 a.m Facilities Parlor Dec 24 Dec 25 3:00 p.m Needle Exchange Knitting Group Parlor 4:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Services MERRY CHRISTMAS! Sanctuary Dec 28 10:00 a.m Circle of Stones Parlor *MUCC Office closed 12/24 & 12/31* Our meeting rooms are also regularly used by: The Magnolia Little League Board, Boy Scout Troop 80 Committee, Scout Patrol, Cub Scouts Pack 80, Cub Pack 80 Committee, Magnolia Cooperative Preschool, Friends of Discovery Park and the 36th District Republican Party, Women s Voters League.