Advent and Christmas Portside

Transcription

1 Port Nelson United Church November 2012 Advent and Christmas Portside Mistletoe Mart 2012 Report INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Michael s Message 2 Small Group Ministry 3 Advent Study 3 Gord s Stuff 4 From Your Library 5 The Caring Connection 6 Adventure Crew 7 From Richard s Desk 7 The Longest Night 8 With a great sigh of relief, the MISTLETOE MART COMMITTEE has wrapped up another successful bazaar. With a warm but cloudy day, we had an excellent number of shoppers this year. There were 53 artisans a record number. The church ladies and men sewed, baked, preserved, knit, made crafts, donated articles to the Silent Auction, the Collectibles table, and to the jewellery/hat/scarf/ purse tables, decorated, moved furniture and tables on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon, supervised parking, ran the stair trac and directed newcomers throughout our huge, confusing building, all with welcoming smiles. Early morning coffee, scones and muffins, and a delicious lunch of chili, soup, rolls, sandwiches and dessert were well received. Brad Smith, our chief security guard, slept at the church Friday night to protect the wonderful artisan and church handicrafts. Would YOU have liked to be in our church by yourself at night? If he did get to sleep, the Brockingtons woke him up by 6:00 a.m. when they came to get the meals in progress. A special thank you to Nancy McKenzie who, with her elfettes made over 200 fruit and meat pies. In order to have a successful event, the committee works for the year. Chairs for 2012 were: ARTISANS MargaretJane Wallace, Karen O Halloran; DINING ROOM Liz & Bill Brockington; SILENT AUCTION Mat Ardron; COLLECTIBLES Marilyn Parsons; BAKING Susan Redgrave; CRAFTS Nancy McKenzie; JEWELLERY, ETC. Laurel Grace; KNITTING Leslie Harrison; SEWING Judy Totten; TREASURER Joan & Jim Thomblinson; PUBLICITY Lisa Gibson & Jean Redgrave. ELAINE S VISION again decorated our church for the CHRISTMAS theme. Rebecca Murphy, our church administrator, and Rick Tucker, our custodian were our go to helpers for our many extra needs. None of this success would have been possible without the many, many workers who helped. The Venturers, Scouts, men and women members worked Thursday night and Saturday afternoon to empty rooms and to restore the church for the Sunday morning service. Members washed dishes, served food, sold sewing, crafts, knitting, baking, supervised the parking, ran the chair lift, answered questions and did whatever was necessary. Unfortunately, more volunteers were needed. There were shortages on the chair lift, dining room, taking cash and parking. The TEENAGERS were wonderful! Many of them did double or even triple shifts to fill in the spots. Please consider giving of your time for To date, $20,000 has been raised with more money to come in and the expenses to be paid. What wonderful help this will be for our church to aid the many needy areas within our Church and Burlington communities! Onward to NOVEMBER 9, 2013! Jocelyn Young, convenor; Jean Redgrave, co-convenor

2 Page 2 Portside Michael s Message Introducing The Port Nelson Youth Award Jay and I felt God s invitation to begin something new something that would celebrate our shared passions and help to grow forward our church s values. The Port Nelson Youth Award began! Saturday, November 3 rd, 2012 will forever be in our hearts and memories. We still talk every day about the joy of our wedding celebration. The most significant part of the day, however, was the overwhelming outpouring of, promise, hope and affirmation that reflected love in all its manifestations; and that overwhelming outpouring was offered by you the over 250 people from the Port Nelson Church family who came to the wedding ceremony to share in the making of a new covenant. It was offered by you the over 200 people who attended the church luncheon on November 4 th. It was offered by you the dozens of people who have sent cards and given meaningful gifts to help us celebrate. It was offered by you the 86 households that have contributed generously to the newly formed Port Nelson Youth Award, giving over $10,000 to help make schools in our community more inclusive. Thanks to your overwhelmingly generous spirits, the birth and the life of the Port Nelson Youth Award will be sustained for many years. Here is the story of that birth and its anticipated life: This past summer, Jay and I were asked what came to be a recurring question: where are you registered? I somehow suspect people were not referring to the registration of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem! After much thought and discussion, we both arrived at the conclusion that, rather than registering at a local store for more stuff, we would rather contribute to the needs and possibilities in our community. We discussed designating a single organization to which people could contribute, but because we are different people with different interests and passions, selecting one proved difficult. We then considered what we share together our faith and how we live it out in and with our church family. As an educator and as the Developer of Youth Ministry here at Port Nelson, Jay has a passion for supporting the contributions of youth in the community. As the Minister of Port Nelson, I have a passion for continuing to live out, support and grow forward our church s mission statement and shared values. Thus, Jay and I felt God s invitation to begin something new something that would celebrate our shared passions and help to grow forward our church s values. The Port Nelson Youth Award began! Here is the description of the award that your Church Council approved in September: The Port Nelson United Church Youth Award was established in September 2012 by the Church Council to recognize and celebrate the leadership of young people in the Burlington community in the area of being inclusive, particularly pertaining to the needs and concerns of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer (GLBTQ) people. A $1,000 award will be given each year to a graduating high school student residing or studying in Burlington who has made a significant contribution to his or her school and/or community in the area of being inclusive. This could mean any number of things. It could mean active involvement in a gay-straight alliance. It could mean organizing events that educate fellow students in various cultures and practices within those cultures. It could mean working to make one s school more accessible for students who may have physical disabilities, and assisting those students with their mobility. There are dozens of possibilities. Each year, a committee consisting of members of our church will review all applications for the Youth Award. The award will be given to the person who has made the most significant and creative contribution. If you know of a graduating high school student in our community, who has a passion for

3 Portside Page 3 inclusion, let them know about the new Port Nelson Youth Award. Brochures and application information will be distributed to all high schools in Burlington in the new year. Recognizing that it is a significant financial award with unique criteria, some schools have already begun to eagerly promote the award. The deadline for applications for the very first offering of the Port Nelson Youth Award is May 1 st, As a church, we look forward to meeting and hearing the story of the inaugural recipient of our Youth Award next year. Even more, we look forward to watching and celebrating how our shared core values are increasingly being lived out in the community and in the world. Thanks be to God! Living out our Values in Small Group Ministry In Small Group Ministry the congregation of Port Nelson can live out our values of growing spiritually, caring, reaching out, and being inclusive. Small Group Ministries are most often created and led by members and adherents but paid staff can also lead them. Two recent examples are Girls with Grandmother Faces led by Laurel Grace and the Sunday morning study sessions prior to worship planned and led by our ministers. A Small Group Ministry can be formed for a variety of purposes. Some examples are to learn a skill like using your e- reader; to share a skill like your ability to plan finances; and to study and discuss a book. Most small groups exist for a limited amount of time but others like Men in Aprons can go on for many years. Anyone can start a Small Group Ministry. The only rule is that the topic/activity of the group fits within the vision, mission and values of PNUC. For example the group must be open to all who share the interest and want to attend. All one has to do is express that interest and encourage others to join. Place a notice on the bulletin board outside the O Brien Room as well as a notice in the calendar. Ask one of the ministers to include your interest in forming a group at announcement time or negotiate to do so yourself. The Spiritual Growth Ministry (SGM) has resources should you require these to start up. For example if you would like to gather a group to learn how to make a household budget but cannot find a resource ask us. We will help you to find such a person. Perhaps you need some materials to get started. e.g. a specific computer program. SGM has some money available for such start-up. Please contact Marilyn Parsons at or parsonsm@mcmaster.ca An Advent Study from a slightly different angle Christmas Shopping? Looking for ideas? Why not give Shop and Support Gift Cards. There are hundreds of stores, restaurants, Cinemas, Gas Coupons and so many more to choose from. You are doing One Stop Shopping and giving a percentage to Port Nelson at the same time. Last day to order for Christmas delivery is December 16 th! Joan Thompson A Different Kind of Christmas: Living and Giving Like Jesus based on the book, Christmas is Not Your Birthday by Mike Slaughter. Beginning on Wed. Nov. 28 th and then the following three Tuesdays (Dec. 4 th, 11 th, & 18 th ), 7-8:30pm. Location: TBD but at Port Nelson! This Advent study encourages us to move our focus away from consumerism and to reclaim the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. The weekly topic titles include: Expect a Miracle, Giving Up on Perfect, Jesus Wish List, and By a Different Road. We will be using a combination of discussion, reading and video watching for each session. A Different Kind of Christmas is a practical and inspiring study for the Advent season. It will empower you to reclaim the broader meaning of Jesus birth and experience a Christmas season with more peace and joy than ever before. It will help you hear the call of God to live generously to fulfill God s mission in the world. Please let Candy Harvey or Pat Gilmore know if you are interested in joining us. candy.harvey@cogeco.ca or pgilmore@united-church.ca

4 Page 4 Portside Isaiah 9:2a, 6a. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;...for a child has been born for us, a son given to us. Gord s Stuff Darkness. Growing darkness. The shortening days become gateways to darkness. As Christmas peeks over the horizon, the sun rises later while setting earlier. When, or if, the sun shines, we greedily drink in the warmth and the light. Yet for so many, that light is too fleeting. For many the seeming forced merriment of the coming holiday season seems hollow. For many, the eager, delighted, wideeyed anticipation of childhood has given way to despair, loneliness and, yes, darkness. For many the season of Christmas brings back vivid memories better left forgotten, the fear that old wounds might open once again. For many the growing darkness is just an outward sign of their inward feelings of separation and of alienation. I have a friend who feels this way every Christmas. For her, Christmas closes in on her and tries to suffocate her with melancholy. It is like a muffling blanket, which insulates her from any connection with happiness, with enthusiasm, with wonder. She no longer feels the touch of God. She feels alone, with no one to hold her, with no one to help her laugh, with no one to lift her spirits. Just last year she sent me an , which spoke of something new. For a change she had decided to go on an Advent retreat to wrestle with her annual feelings of darkness. She was in a group, hiking on a mountainside just above surrounding fields. Unfortunately, a cold, misty fog blanketed the normally breath-taking view from the summit. The trees were long past their prime, except for a few brilliantly green fir trees sprinkled here and there like jade pearls strung on an invisible necklace. Before leaving for their hike, the group leader found a poem for them to ponder as they climbed. It is from Wayne Muller s book Sabbath, and is written by Hafiz: Don t surrender your loneliness So quickly. Let it cut more deep. Let it ferment and season you As few human Or even divine ingredients can. Something missing in my heart tonight Has made my eyes so soft, My voice So tender. My need of God Absolutely Clear. As they returned from the summit, she noticed the fields surrounding the retreat centre. The once tall, green, supple corn stalks had been hacked and broken for the harvest, grey and lifeless, moulding in some places. She looked around again, noticing the trees stripped of their leaves, branches barren and stark. The world was preparing for winter. She was somehow comforted in knowing the ugliness was normal, part of the rhythm of life. Don t rush this, the corn stalks seemed to say. The Hafiz poem seemed so right about needing a time to ferment and to season. She thought of our society in which everything is based on just in time provision, on being able to have things right away, how everything is now, now, now! The headlong rush toward Christmas sweeps the season of Advent into the garbage bin of memory. We don t wait, working toward God s embrace of relationship and of love. We don t pause to ponder the Advent preparation, the Advent anticipation, the Advent active waiting. If we aren t gratified immediately, we feel something is wrong. She remembered the passage from Isaiah 9:2a, 6a. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;...for a child has been born for us, a son given to us. She remembered the light of the star that guided Magi to the Christ child s birthplace. In the blazing light of the daytime sun, such twinkling promise is washed out. Yet in the bleak darkness of the night, the star beckons see pg. 5

5 Portside Page 5 From Your Library The First Christmas What the Gospels really teach about Jesus Birth. by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan These two renowned scholars offer a new look at an old story. Their purpose is two fold: the first is to examine the Christmas story and its meaning in its first century context; the second is to look at it for Christian understanding and commitment today. Both Matthew s and Luke s accounts are examined carefully. Surprisingly, they are quite different. Although the Christmas stories are tidings of comfort and joy, they are also, the authors contend, edgy and challenging. You COULD Live a Long Time Are You READY?...by Lindsay Green Don t let the title scare you. This is an entertaining, wise book full of good advice and it is not all about money! The author asks, Is there something I could be doing now to make it more likely that I live well right to the end? Besides reading widely, she selects and interviews 40 successful seniors between the ages of 75 and 85 years from all walks of life, with varied experiences and education. She looks at such aspects of aging as our emotional circle, our home, our body and our brain as well as finances and legacy. The wisdom of the elders, coupled with the techniques unearthed in my research, provide concrete ways to grapple with what lies ahead, she says. Come in and peruse our excellent collection of Christmas Music and Children s Books!! Northern Lights An Anthology of Contemporary Christian Writing in Canada.. Editors: Byron Rempel-Burkholder and Dora Dueck In the land where we live there are thirty names for snow. So begins the intriguing first piece in this book that its editors call an experiment. What is our spiritual landscape and who are our spiritual writers and leaders? they asked. The result is this collection of works by forty-six Canadian authors and includes poetry, fiction, memoirs and meditations. You could savour one short piece at a time, but having sampled one, I think you will want to read them all. Gord s Stuff cont d. from pg. 4 bleak darkness of the night, the star beckons brightly with wonder-filled light. In her need for God, absolute and clear, she began to truly understand Advent. Advent is not about celebrating the birth of a tiny baby. It is about the promise that the Christmas child has fulfilled and will fulfill. It is about an event which gives us a peek into the future, a time when peace is reality, a time when God reigns in everyone s heart, a time when wounds are healed, a time when loneliness is but a memory, a time when the darkness becomes so laced with God s light that we truly know the Sonrise. Advent is about the promise seen in Jesus, which is now and still yet to come. Advent is about the beginning, something to be realized. Advent is about preparing for the coming of the light. You see, once Christmas arrives, the days lengthen. Imperceptibly at first, with languid lassitude, Christmas heralds the coming of light. So Advent becomes the time in which we let the promise of the Christ child ferment in our souls. Our loneliness and despair become the yeast that bubbles through our darkness, making something new and renewed for the coming of the light. May we all be blessed this Advent by God s promise. May our tears ferment through Jesus touch, becoming new wine. May the joy that comes out of the darkness be yours this Christmas, cutting deeply and well.

6 Page 6 Portside The Caring Connection Some of our Church Family is unable to fully join in our Worship but none the less have deep and important connections to Port Nelson. This Christmas we continue to carry on the long standing Port Nelson tradition of being sure that these special folk know that they are celebrated as family. We will likely do 50 visits, with cookies and poinsettias. Help wanted Bakers, packagers and friendly delivery visitors. Please drop off the Cookies to the upper kitchen on December 12, the Evening of the Women s Coffee and Dessert & Candlelight Communion. 4 Packagers needed for Thursday morning (Dec. 13) in the upper Kitchen - 10 to noon. Signup sheet is on the Bulletin Board. Friendly visitors needed to deliver cookies and Poinsettias - to be available for pick-up in the upper kitchen following the Worship Service on Sunday Dec. 16 th. Please make the visits at your convenience any time before Christmas. Each package will have a name, address and phone number attached so you can call ahead to set a time so that you can have a friendly visit. If not you then who? Share the love and in Tiny Tim s words Bless us everyone! Call Laurel Grace at Come and Go Candlelight Vigil December 6th 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Port Nelson United Church 3132 South Drive (at Rossmore Blvd.) December 6 th is the National Day of Remembrance and Action Violence Against Women. Established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada, this day commemorates the anniversary of the 1989 Montreal Massacre when fourteen young women were tragically killed at Ecole Polytechnique because of their gender. December 6 th represents a time to pause and reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women in our society. It is also a time to have a special thought for all who live daily with the threat of violence or who have died as a result of deliberate acts of gender-based violence. It is a day for communities and individuals to reflect on concrete actions that each of us can take to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women. IN OUR COMMUNITY THIS YEAR 3 INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN MURDERED Port Nelson United Church Annual Meeting and Annual Reports The Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday February 10 th, The Annual Reports will be ready the Sunday prior to that date and will be available to be picked up at the church. Please note: The deadline for submission of all reports will be January 20 th, The 2013 Offering Envelopes will be available to the congregation on the first Sunday of Advent. Please be sure to pick them up in the lower narthex. Thank you Rebecca Murphy

7 Portside Page 7 Postcard from the Adventure Crew After having boarded the SS Stewardship in September we are exploring the many different aspects of Stewardship. We have looked at Stewardship of Money, Talents and Time. In the New Year we are looking forward to learning how to be good Stewards of Ourselves, our Families, our Gifts and the Earth. We also have a fun Treasure Island Adventure to embark on in February watch for details! Well Done Huge congratulations to all our students for working so hard on our Parable of the Talents project. Each child was given a small sum of money and the important job of how to take care of it. As a group we decided to pool our money together to buy supplies so that we could use our talents to make gifts for Mistletoe Mart. With the support of the congregation we were able to increase our money 5 fold and contribute approximately $200! Not only did we raise money but we learned how to use our talents and work together as a team! Great Job everyone! Thank-you to all our volunteer teachers and helpers who share their time and talents with us to make Adventure Crew a fun and caring learning environment. Your time and efforts are very much appreciated Adventure Crew would not be possible without you! Help We need some extra hands on deck! If you feel that you could share your time and talents to teach or help on Sunday mornings please talk to Suzanne suzannesmith@portnelsonunitedchurch.com Also feel free to join us one Sunday morning so you can see what we do and if you would like to join us thank-you! Learning Grants 2012 The Spiritual Growth Ministry has a small amount of money available to fund educational activities which would enhance the attendee s skills within the congregation. An example would be a leadership course at Five Oaks. Grants for tuition, travel and meals up to $500 will be accepted. For more information contact Marilyn Parsons at or parsonsm@mcmaster.ca From the Desk of Richard Hansen The story of the Nativity will be told on Sunday, December 23 rd, 2012, as it has been, for over 50 years. Through the singing of Carols, and with the reading of Scripture, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols will be presented by our very own Chancel Choir at 4:30 pm in the afternoon. Christmas carols, arranged or composed by Carter, Rutter, Darke, Poston, Willcocks, Shaw and Holst will be performed, with the congregation being asked to join with the Choir in such Christmas hymns as, O Come, all ye Faithful, It came upon the Midnight Clear, and Hark the Herald, the Angels Sing, to name a few. Please plan to attend, with the free-will offering going towards the ongoing Music Ministry at Port Nelson United Church. Come, and hear the message of the angels. Richard Hansen

8 Page 8 Portside Port Nelson s 60 th Anniversary Cookbook is here!! To help commemorate this special year a group from Port Nelson collected and edited over 300 recipes submitted by the congregation and friends. And we are now selling this wonderful book. Get your copy of this delicious cookbook before they are all sold. The cost of the book is $12.00 each or $10.00 each if you purchase 3 or more. With Christmas coming soon the book makes a great hostess gift. It also has lots of yummy recipes for you to make for your own Christmas entertaining, so stock up. They are on sale each Sunday before and after church, in the office, or by calling Jocelyn at or to jocelynkish@hotmail.com. A big thank you to the following for all the time put into this 60 th anniversary fundraiser for Port Nelson: Nancy McKenzie, Joyce Irish, Dorothy Willson, Fran Clutton, Linda Barnett, Joan Thompson, Carol Inkster, Diane Handcock, Jocelyn Young WANTED: Teleministry volunteers for two hours on Monday evenings once a month. Training will be provided. For further information please call Sharon Ife at The Longest Night So often we plough through life despite all the losses we experience. Whether it is loss of employment or a broken relationship, the death of someone near and dear to us, or someone lost in the maze of dementia, whatever it may be, it affects us deeply. Through it all the Christmas bells are ringing, the familiar carols are sung, and the overwhelming consumerism of the season leads to feelings of disconnection. Reconnect with the promise of the Christ child. Discover the diamonds in the dark. Join us on Friday, December 21 st at 7:30 in the sanctuary for a worship service, which provides the safe space you need to wrestle with these feelings. Gifts with a Vision The new United Church giving catalogues are now available at the back of the sanctuary. Pick one up and take a look. Perhaps you will be inspired to purchase holiday gifts from this catalogue to give your family and friends whether it is a sibling who is hard to shop for, a friend who has it all, a holiday party gift or a hostess gift during Christmas gatherings. This catalogue will allow you to live the humility of Christmas by changing priorities, by giving of yourself, by bucking the trend of rampant consumerism by living for others in a world of hurt. In the process, you may be changed too.

9 Portside Page 9 Jeans & Jewels Join us for a unique evening combining glamour and your favorite blue jeans. Join us for fun, fellowship, food, fantastic entertainment, line dancing, and prizes. All ages welcome. So mark your calendars for February 2 nd 2013 Watch the bulletin for more information. The Girls With the Grandmother Faces This book has been travelling through the congregation for the past year. It is one woman s wisdom story about finding and redefining meaning in our life journey at whatever age or stage we find ourselves. It is still circulating so you might still be able to read it. It is not a prerequisite for attending our newly emerging group. The women who attended the wisdom circles for book discussion felt they greatly benefited from being together and sharing stories of one another s life journey. A desire was expressed to continue our caring circle as we share and support one another, learning from our collective wisdom. The first meeting of this new small group ministry will be on Thursday afternoons from 1-3 pm starting February 21, Hope to see you there!! Blessings, Laurel Grace Inherit the Mirth, all rights reserved.

10 Page 10 Portside For the Record. In Memoriam John Wilkin Ward We give thanks to God for the gift of baptism for the following: Olivia Kathleen Kettenbach and Vienna May Kettenbach, daughters of Joshua Kettenbach and Stacey Cordner Loughlan Randel, son of Donald and Lindsey Hammond William Santor We celebrate with the following couples that have recently married: Robert Stephen Hudson and Lei Zhang Kevin Paul McGaw and Laura Ann Kettlewell Michael Theodore Brooks and Jay Michael Poitras Andrew Charles Nisbet and Caroline Louise Osadchuk Food Voucher Programme There was no room for them. Mary and Joseph, alone and ignored, were on the margins of society. Yet a place was found, nourishment was provided, and a child was born. Life emerges out of difficult circumstances because people reach out and care. You, too, can reach out to those who are pushed to the margins. Please donate to the Food Voucher Programme and provide $25.00 Food Vouchers to those who come for a friendly face and for lively yet caring conversation every Thursday morning. You can make a difference for so many. New life emerges! A warm welcome is extended to the newest full members of Port Nelson: William Santor, by baptism and profession of faith Sonja Santor, by profession of faith Pat and Susan O Neill, by transfer from Fonthill United Church, Fonthill Jeff and Vicki Vannan, by transfer from Tansley United Church, Burlington

11 Portside Page11 From the Editor.. Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to publishing the Portside? In a church family the size of Port Nelson United there is no end to the list of events that are planned, conducted and attended. There is an abundance of time and energy put forth by the many folks who volunteer their time and energy and many of these same individuals submit articles for publication in this newsletter. The deadline for sending in articles are printed in the church bulletin and noted in the weekly s and then the fun begins! One by one, the articles begin to appear in my mailbox. Now that I m in my second year of the Editor s role, I ve learned that I can usually count on the same individuals to send their material in early (and I can usually guess who will call or me after the deadline to ask, Am I too late? ) Work on the layout of the newsletter begins early in the week prior to the deadline for submitting articles. Working with a computer template, I do all the easy stuff first insert the appropriate seasonal title and date and save the computer document i.e. Advent and Christmas Portside November As the deadline draws nearer, the volume of submissions builds to a bit of a landslide and then stops. It usually takes about a week to pull everything together (longer if my computer misbehaves). I set a date with Rebecca Murphy, our Office Administrator, to get together in the church office and with Rebecca s help we do any last minute fixing of discrepancies that appear when the file is transferred to Rebecca s computer. (Thank you, Rebecca!) The final step is for Rebecca to hit the key to send the document to that magic machine that prints and collates the pages beautifully. All that s left for me to do is fold the small number of copies that are made available at the church. The online file is then sent to the church website for publication. Simple, right?? Although most of the articles come from people who fill key roles in our congregational life Council members and Ministry staff, I know there are many other voices out there in our church family. The Portside is your newsletter and your submissions short articles, travel notes, poetry, stories, or photos. are most welcome. They will be published in future issues subject to space and time limitations. Now it s time to return to a more seasonal note. As we pass through these last days of November and look forward to Advent and Christmas, let s be sure to take time to reflect on our blessings and the magic of the season ahead. Once again my wish for each of you is peace, good health, happiness and the joy of this special season. Don t forget to take time for prayer. Lorraine MacMaster

12 Page 12 Port Nelson United Church 3132 South Drive Burlington, ON L7N 1H7 Phone Upcoming Worship Winter Sunday December 2 First Sunday of Advent - Communion will be shared Meditations on signs from the Iona Community Portside Plan to join us each Sunday at 10.30am: Please consult the Port Nelson website, for the most up-to-date listing Thursday, December 6 from 6.30pm to 8pm Come and Go vigil to observe the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Sunday December 9 Second Sunday of Advent; White Gift Service led by our children & youth Please bring non-perishable canned goods and toys for Wesley Urban Ministries Wednesday, December 12 at 8pm Women s Communion Service, preceded by coffee and dessert at 7pm All women of the church are welcome! Please bring a food item for the food bank portnelsonunitedchurch.com Best Wishes for an Advent and Christmas Season filled with Good and Great Fellowship! From the Staff at Port Nelson. Michael Gord Richard Jay Suzanne Rebecca Theresa Rick Jordan Sunday December 16 Third Sunday of Advent Friday, December 21 at 7.30pm Longest Night Service For those who find the Christmas season difficult Sunday December 23 Fourth Sunday of Advent Sunday December 23, 4.30pm Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols led by the choir Plan to attend this annual favourite, featuring the glorious music of the season Monday December 24, 4pm AND 7pm Christmas Eve Family Services (45 minutes) Two similar services this year, designed for children and families Monday December 24, 11pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service The traditional service featuring choir, soloists, carols, communion and candlelight Sunday December 30 - First Sunday of the Christmas Season Please note there will be NO children s or youth programs on December 30 th Sunday, January 6, The Feast of the Epiphany Celebration of Communion Sunday, January 13 Baptism of Jesus; Stewardship of IDENTITY An opportunity to renew your own baptismal faith will be available Sunday, January 20 Stewardship of IDENTITY Sunday, January 27 Stewardship of IDENTITY