Dickens Village graces our sanctuary for the Advent Season thanks to Rick & Chris Hutchinson.

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1 December 2016 Dickens Village graces our sanctuary for the Advent Season thanks to Rick & Chris Hutchinson. There s so much exci ng music happening here this Advent. The bells will summon us to worship each week with a swelling wave of random ringing, followed by segments of Westminster Chimes in keeping with our Victorian London se ng for the Redemp on of Scrooge. Big Ben chimes every quarter hour, so we will imitate one pattern each week: the quarter hour for week 1; the half-hour for week 2, etc. Bells will also ring for our prayer song, Ring Out, a new piece by Marcia McFee and Chuck Bell. What an exci ng Advent season we are in! By now, you already have heard Eileen Ruby sing The Song of Mary, which I revised from one of my earlier cantatas with added text adapted from the book of Luke. We re grateful to our friend Eileen for sharing her talents with us again! Our musical highlights will be the Christmas cantata on December 18th in worship, and Christmas Eve. This year s cantata is tled Longing, Seeking, Watching, Wai ng: What Shall We Call Him? and is dedicated to my dear old friend Jane Hanson, my sister, teacher, life-saver and friend (a paraphrase from the cantata!). This work is, as most of mine are, both highly personal and (hopefully) quite universal. We open with a segment of Isaiah s predic ons about the Messiah, Every valley shall be li ed up, followed by a plea from deep longing in the darkness, Come, Sweet Savior. The cantata tle is a line taken from this movement and from the last. We share the stories of Mary, Joseph, the innkeepers, the angels, the shepherds, and a lullaby at the crèche, concluding with the other tle segment, What Shall We Call Him? This movement again quotes Isaiah s prophesies, saying, Let s call him Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlas ng Father, Prince of Peace. We joyfully welcome returning guest musicians and new ones, and I am delighted to feature our new sec on leader Mallory Wray as our soprano soloist! Then we come to Christmas Eve. You may remember at our last holiday coffeehouse our headliner was Jus na Golden and friends a duo of them is returning! Jus na on voice and guitar and Pat on flute will be sharing a preservice serenade of English carols both older and newer. This year, for the first me, the bells will be playing on Christmas Eve as well! It s all very exci ng and promises to be a beau ful and upli ing season of music. Whether you love the old carols or the new songs, you will find something musical that touches your heart and soul this Advent so please come, invite friends, and share in the wonder, beauty and joy of the season in music! Peace and blessings, JT

2 2 T M M Special health concerns: Betty E, Vance G, Ken E (Denise s dad), Barbara M s brother-in-law, Jim, improving but still needs prayers, Jeff J & Phyllis R. Edie Buckley - East Village Marilyn Burns - LifeCare, Wilbraham Do e Barnes Birch Manor in Chicopee Dot Buzelle - Redstone Mary Haley The Reserve Joan Kearns Wells Country Village, Vernon CT Paul Willer - Reeds Landing Jesus said to visit the sick, care for the widow, the refugee, the orphan, for by doing so, you do so to him. Make me to visit these people (drop by for no more than 15 minutes). Listen if they need an ear. If they're too red to talk tell them something about what s going on in your life. Thank them for spending me with you & tell them the church con nues to hold them in prayer. Let them get on with their day. Robert Bob Schieding passed peacefully into the nearer presence of our God on October 1st. A funeral service was held at ELUMC on October 6th. It also is with sadness that we bring you the news of the passing of Melissa R.S. (Schmidt) Willard, 51 of Chicopee. Melissa died Friday, October 21, 2016 at her home. Melissa was the daughter of the late Elden S. and Dorothy May (Po er) Schmidt. A memorial service was held on November 19 at ELUMC. We thank John & Carol Dunlop for coordina ng this service for the daughter of former member Do e Schmidt. T S /M T Many thanks to the Sunday School students and teachers for the decorated bags and to everyone who filled the bags and returned them to the church. Because of your generosity a total 500 pounds of food was delivered to the Springfield Open Pantry. E B The boys and I have moved to the next town over, just a few miles from Waterville. It is much smaller, cozier and cheaper; plus we are only a 1/3 mile walk to the beach! New address: Brisa Marina (this is the name of the house, used in place of a house number) Emlaghmore West Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry Ireland v23 tk44 December 18, :00 am L, S, W, W : W S W C H? by JT Cavicchia Bring your friends and family for this exciting Advent musical event! As the office will be closed between Christmas and the New Year, the for the J Methodist Messenger will be Dec. 3 rd If you plan to have an article in that issue, please submit it by the deadline.

3 T M M 3 During Advent, we reflect on how God blesses each and every one of us with the ability to be transformed. Using the Dickens' classic of the redemp on of Scrooge. The cultural context of A Christmas Carol was 1800's England a me of great divide between rich and poor. We shed a light on how the ghosts of our past, present, and yet-to-come inform our living. A C C D 2, 5:30 Disney's A Christmas Carol, rated PG. An animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemp on, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas appari ons. Using 3-D computer animated mo on capture, stars Jim Carrey, Garry Oldman and Collin Firth breath new life into this classic tale. God bless us, everyone. Adult study: The Redemp on of Scrooge a DVDbased study exploring the world of Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the Cratchits, with an eye to Chris an faith. You may know the story, now come experience the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come and reflect on living with and for others in a world blessed by Jesus. Three Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm beginning Dec 8 at the parsonage. Or Sunday mornings Dec. 4, 11,& 18 at 9:00 am in the Parlor Register your interest in the study and preferred mes with Carol in the office. I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. G O Here are a few opportunities for you to show your generosity during this season of giving: T M T Deck the tree with hats & mi ens Fa la la la la. Scarves & socks are also needed items. Dona ons to the mi en tree will be sent to Open Heart Ministries in West Virginia and to the Grey House in Springfield. S E G - T G T You can give a donation to Habitat for Humanity, Open Hearts Ministries in West Virginia or the Open Pantry in Springfield. Simply remove a card from the tree and send a dona on of any amount you wish to ELUMC. Please specify on your check the organiza on you want to receive your donation. C K I Bill Gelinas has asked us to help his military unit as they support an orphanage in the region where he is deployed. Simple toys, no ba eries required electronics, and clothing are needed. No religious imagery is allowed. We are shipping at the end of the year so place your dona ons in the box in the Fellowship Hall by December 25 th.

4 4 T M M C A F The Cra y Apple Fair was held on Saturday, November 12th. The event offered everything from Cindy Arnold s Cashew Nut n Bri le to painted stones and jewelry made from seed pods. The fair was well a ended and everyone had a great me. The Cra y Apple Fair had the best bakers, cooks and youth handling breakfast and lunch. Thanks to Sco Grabowski, Beverly Kalloch, Liz Gelinas, Laura Kinney, Rick Hutchinson, Julie & John Dunlop and to all the volunteers who made this event a great success. Cindy Arnold s Nut n but Bri le display Painted stones and jewelry made from seed pods were only a few of the many offerings available at this year s Cra y Apple Fair. Kelly Greene, Louise House, Pa y Ryan and Bev Kalloch had lots of sweet treat for sale. T P S I B! The sign was donated 20 years ago by the Stanton family in memory of Ben Stanton who was a student at the Montessori School. The Trustees decided to have the original sign restored by Jean Zampiceni, a local cra s person. The family is thrilled that the sign has been restored, instead of a new one purchased. The Stanton family also recently donated $ for a bench and new playground equipment.

5 T M M 5 B N M November 28th was a day of celebra on at ELUMC. Oliver Leavy, son of Tiffany & Brian Leavy, Cur s Minahan, son of Pamela & Michael Minahan and Penny May Res vo, daughter of Danielle Leonard and Vincent Res vo were presented for bap sm and Danielle Leonard and Vincent Res vo joined as new members. Vinny Res vo and Danny Leonard are engaged, living in Springfield with their 2 children Hunter who's 4 and Penny May Marie born in July. Dani works as a server at the West Springfield Chili's and Vinny works for a contractor and does landscaping. You may recognize Danielle because she was raised in this church with the rest of the Kinney clan. And Penny Mae is named a er her great grandmother Penny Kinney who died in New members Danielle Leonard & Vincent Res vo pictured with their son Hunter and newly bap zed Penny May Res vo The Minahans enjoy Dickens village a er Cur s bap sm. Rev. Kelly holds Oliver Leavy while parents Tiffany & Brian Leavy are all smiles on Oliver s special day.

6 6 T M M U M W S R In gra tude and celebra on of the faithful and gi ed service of Denise Evans in the Media Ministry the United Methodist Women bestowed upon her a Special Mission Recogni on Pin and made a dona on in her name to the na onal UMW Congratula ons Denise! As a church, we celebrate the fact that we have paid 100% of our Fund 3 Mission Shares obliga on this year. But we s ll have a balance of $4000 in each of our other two Mission Shares Funds, World Missions and New England Missions. Our church has paid its Mission Shares commitment for the past 5 years by paying 100% of all three funds, and we are very close to doing it again. You can help make this happen: 1. If you have fallen behind in your pledge commitment this year, please try and make it up by year s end. AN UPDATE ON GROWING TODAY FOR TOMORROW (submi ed by Bob & Diane Ferguson) The word that is going around the East Longmeadow community is How nice the church looks with the new siding. We are grateful for all who have contributed to the GROWING TODAY FOR TOMORROW capital fund drive that made this possible. If you recall, the siding was only part of our goal. We have completed not only the siding, but we have a new cross and flame on the face of the church and we have replaced all the windows that needed repair. We have also made our payment of the the (10% of our goal) to support New Hope Regional Ministry. We are now beginning on the next phase of our capital improvement program, which is replacing the doorway at the back of the church to the parking lot and renova on of the lower classrooms. The doorway is planned to be handicapped accessible, which requires some re-grading of the walk area and elimina on of a por on of the curb. The renova on of the class rooms is s ll in the planning stages and a group is working on that project. We are truly grateful for the work the Trustees have done and con nue to do as we Grow Today for Tomorrow. We are indeed blessed with the support of our church members and friends who are contribu ng financially to this major undertaking. hanks be to God If you would like to make a dona on to our Mission Shares balance, please write a check to ELUMC with Mission Shares on the memo line. Thank you, Julie Dunlop Church Treasurer/Outreach Team Member 8

7 T M M 7 M O M George Miller (submi ed by Lois Harris) Rev. George Miller serves as coordinator of international and migrant ministries for the United Methodist Church in Germany. He works out of Frankfort. His outreach work covers asylum seekers, migrants, students, undocumented workers, workers with foreign backgrounds, and military personnel and their families. He began this ministry in 2014, having served two years as a pastor with the German State Protestant Church in the city of Schop eim. Rev. Miller is a na ve of South Carolina, and graduated from Wesley Theological School in Washington, DC with a Master of Divinity degree. Prior to that he earned a Master of Business Administra on degree from Syracuse University in He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in systems from the University of Maryland. Before his ordina on, he worked in peace keeping opera ons, humanitarian response, disaster response, and na onal building including roads, schools and basic infrastructure mostly in Eastern Europe and La n America. George says that he has learned that the call to mission first comes from God, but in conjunc on with a calling from the church. "My first calling into ministry was to help those on the margins... It is in the margins of the world where I find new life constantly in crea on, developing and transforming in new ways and forms. I have found that God is especially found among the disadvantaged and helpless." He describes his work as a transforma ve mission that helps people to provide for their own physical needs while providing assistance in spiritual development. O - - P F I Y P G T B W Y! Whatever headline you choose, traveling with the Bishop as a youth or 20-something can change your life. Just ask Laura Kinney, who traveled to India with Bishop Devahdar and met Mother Teresa. The Taizé community is an ecumenical pilgrimage site that welcomes thousands of young people every year from around the globe. Their simple repeated melodies in a variety of languages paired with silence and handson mission have been a favorite for people. The Bishop has been taking groups overseas for MANY YEARS (see the comment about Laura Kinney above), and is now looking for those interested in his new trip July 21-31, The church will happily help anyone interested in raising the funds necessarily for the trip. You can meet people from around the world, be a part of the larger global community and tap into the spiritual thirst of Gen X. Registra on deadline is Jan. 13, Go to h p:// for more informa on. Let the office know if you're interested. George's wife, Rev. Dr. Heike Miller serves at the United Methodist Church in the Frankfort - Hochst area. They have six children: two small ones: Luke and Thomas, and four young adults: Gus, Will, Sara, and Carrie. Taizé Pilgrimage 2015 Photo courtesy of Rick McKinley

8 East Longmeadow United Methodist Church 215 Somers Road, STE 2 East Longmeadow, MA a reconciling congrega on Address Service Requested SAFE SANCTUARY T. THE SUNDAY EXPERIENCE 8:30 a.m. Bible Study for Jr./Sr. High & Adults 10:00 a.m. Worship & Kid Zone (pre-schoolers through Grade 5) Professional child care is provided for Cribs & Creepers / Toddlers & Twos. 11:15 a.m. Fellowship Time For the on-line church calendar follow this link: The Methodist Messenger is a journal of the ministry of The East Longmeadow United Methodist Church. Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. The deadline for ordering Christmas poinsettias is: Sunday, December 11, 2016 Please make checks payable to: ELUMC and write Christmas Flowers in the memo section. (Payment by check would be appreciated.) You may place your order in the offering plate, leave it in the church office, or mail it to the office prior to the deadline. The cost of each poinsettias is $9.00. I would like to order (number) poinsettia plants for the sanctuary on Christmas Eve. Given by: In honor of: In memory of: PLEASE PICK UP YOUR PLANT(S) AFTER THE CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE.

9 UNITED METHODIST YOUTH UNITED METHODIST YOUTH 2017 SUPER BOWL SUNDAY 2017 SUPER BOWL SUNDAY GRINDER SALE Our FAMOUS 12 Grinder Available in COLD CUT TURKEY HAM & CHEESE VEGGIE Includes chips & a homemade brownie! GRINDER SALE Our FAMOUS 12 Grinder Available in COLD CUT TURKEY HAM & CHEESE VEGGIE Includes chips & a homemade brownie! ONLY $10 ONLY $10 ORDER NOW!! ORDER NOW!! NAME: PHONE: NAME: PHONE Please write how many of each variety you would like to order Please write how many of each variety you would like to order COLD CUT TURKEY HAM & CHEESE VEGGIE COLD CUT TURKEY HAM & CHEESE VEGGIE Grinders may be picked up on Saturday, February 4 th from 11-12pm or on Sunday, February 5th following worship. Grinders may be picked up on Saturday, February 4th from pm or on Sunday, February 5th following worship.