Portal. Pastor Betsy. Pastor Case MANGER? WHAT S A MANGER? THIS IS THE LAST PORTAL TO COME IN THE MAIL DECEMBER 2018

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1 Portal Rev. Case Van Kempen, Interim Senior Pastor Rev. Betsy Aho, Associate Pastor Rev. Drew Filkins, Associate Pastor DECEMBER 2018 Monthly Newsletter of The Peoples Church, 200 W. Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI l l ThePeoplesChurch.com MANGER? WHAT S A MANGER? Those of us who were born into the church might find it hard to believe that there are people people just like us who really don t know what Christmas is about. They understand the trees, the lights, and the gift-giving, and they probably know that Christmas is the day Jesus was born. But beyond that, they don t know the details, or the meaning, of the story. I saw this firsthand when I was serving a large church south of Grand Rapids. This particular congregation was well-known in its community as a safe place for people who were new to the whole church-going experience; people could come and just be themselves. Several of these newcomers attended the Tuesday morning Bible Study, which I first visited a couple of weeks before Christmas. Pastor Mark, the associate pastor, was teaching Luke 2, and I confess that I didn t expect to learn anything new about the Christmas story, even though Pastor Mark has a Ph.D. in early Christian History and is on a first name basis with Paul L. Maier, one of the world s preeminent scholars on the history of Christmas and Easter. I was right I didn t learn anything new about the events in Bethlehem, but I learned a lot about people whom God is drawing into faith for the first time. We were probably about half an hour into the lesson when Pastor Mark got to verse 7: And she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger He was about to finish the verse when a member of the class sitting to Mark s right said, Pastor, what s a manger? My first thought was that this guy was kidding, and that he was going to make some joke about the cattle or their feeding trough. But turning to look at his face, I could see that he was sincere he had no idea what a manger was. Mark, to his credit, didn t say anything like Seriously? You don t know what a manger is? Instead, he just explained that this was where the hay for the animals was kept. I think he also mentioned that it s from the Latin mandere, which means to chew (hmmm maybe I did learn something about the story). This is why we tell the Christmas story every year. Not only do the faithful need to be reminded about God s greatest gift, there s also the chance that someone will hear it with ears of faith for the first time. It was exciting to witness that, and it made the story seem fresh to my ears, too. Leigh and I wish everyone at The Peoples Church a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! QUICK TAKES: The Senior Pastor Search Committee will soon be reviewing candidate profiles; please keep them in your prayers! The Stewardship Campaign is underway. Please remember the church in your year-end giving and consider an increase in your pledge for We d love to have your commitments back by December 17! Council Leadership: Jodi Cook has agreed to become Council Vice-chair for the remainder of 2018, and Chair in Pray for God s blessings on her leadership. Pastor Case THIS IS THE LAST PORTAL TO COME IN THE MAIL The Portal monthly newsletter is the primary source of relevant and up-to-date information about The Peoples Church! For over a year now, The Portal came each month to the mailbox of members and friends of The Peoples Church, in addition to being available in the weekly Friday e-blast, online at ThePeoplesChurch.com, in the church office and at the Welcome Desk. Mailing a hard copy was a way to get The Portal in as many hands as possible so all could see the valuable information it holds! The Portal is the place to hear from Pastor Case and other staff members, learn about events, discover spiritual growth opportunities, find a community need to be filled, and so much more! By reading The Portal regularly the congregation stays engaged and involved in the life of The Peoples Church and how the campus, community and congregation are impacted by this wonderful church. The hope is that by now you see the value in reading The Portal, and will continue reading it electronically or by picking up a copy. Those who wish to still have The Portal mailed, simply stop by or contact the church office at or office@thepeopleschurch.com. For those who would like to receive the weekly , which always contains the latest Portal, bulletin and other relevant news, go to ThePeoplesChurch.com and scroll to Sign up for Friday s to be added. Pastor Betsy

2 BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS *80 & OVER 12/1 - Gene Cornelius 12/3 - Harold Weaver 12/6 - Virginia Williams 12/11 - William Woolsey 12/12 - Darold McCalla 12/12 - Doris Weil 12/21 - Dr. James Close 12/22 - Audrey Wilson 12/25 - Jean Porter 12/30 - Gary Coopes 12/31 - Dennis Rosenbrook DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 12/19 - Robert & Luella Erbes (64) 12/30 - Roger & Marilyn Grove (65) ENGINEERING IN PRESCHOOL by Dana Johnson, Director, Peoples Church Preschool You may have heard of the acronym STEM used in early childhood. STEM is one of the cornerstones of our curriculum. It stands for - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Early childhood teachers and parents alike have provided engineering opportunities for their children for decades including things like blocks, Legos, blanket forts and sand castles. At Peoples Church Preschool, we take this concept further by instilling in the children that they are engineers because engineers are problem solvers. They learn that there is more than one way to solve a problem and that it is okay to fail and try again. We talk about the engineering process which is to explore, create, and then make improvements. A recent engineering challenge presented to the children in our three-year old class (Preschool 1) was to build a gate that would support mini pumpkins. This experience is a learning extension from the story and song, Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate. For this challenge, the children were provided with a selection of found and reclaimed wooden pieces. The goal was to build the gate and then see if it would support five little pumpkins. In their trial and error, the children learned the meaning of terms such as support, even, balance, slant and sturdy. If we missed you, please accept our apology. Contact the office to make sure we have your correct information on file. ELEVATOR UPDATE The elevator overhaul is well underway and nearing completion. On Sundays all that is visible is the Elevator Out of Service sign. PORTAL DEADLINE: The deadline for submissions to the January 2018 Portal is December 1. Submit content to Rachel Giddings at, rgiddings@ thepeopleschurch.com. The Portal is a monthly newsletter that is mailed each month to optin subscribers and also included in the Friday . The week of December 9 is when our elevator is expected to be up and running in functional order. This project was made to possible by funds from Mary Zehner s bequest. Thank you for everyone s patience while we work to upgrade and improve our elevator.

3 CONNECT GROW SERVE SHARE DONATIONS FOR REFUGEE SERVICES Starting on December 2 and running through Sunday, December 16, the Community Engagement Ministry is collecting feminine hygiene products for Refugee Services. You can drop off your donation at the Northwest entrance. Thank you for your help! WE LOVE OUR HOLIDAY FOOD BASKET DONORS AND DRIVERS! The 150 hungry souls in the greater Lansing area are so grateful to the members of the congregation who donated and delivered beautiful Thanksgiving dinners to their homes on Saturday morning, November 17. You are a blessing! ~ The Holiday Food Basket Committee DEBORAH CIRCLE Deborah Circle will meet Wednesday, December 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Fishbach Library, after the WNL! meal. We will continue our monthly devotional program, but new people are always welcome to join us! Childcare is available during all monthly meetings. Please contact Jess Eysselinck at or jess@eysselinck.com for more information. Meeting Dates for 2019: January 9, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, and June 12. PEOPLES FORUM Join us each Sunday for interesting and informative Voices of the Community at 9:30 a.m. in the Robertson Room. DECEMBER 2 GROWTH OF BANDS David Larzelere, East Lansing High School Band Director DECEMBER 9 JOURNEY Becky Dantonio, Community Supporter DECEMBER 16 HOLIDAY READINGS Esteemed Peoples Church Members DECEMBER 23 & 30 NO FORUM - CHRISTMAS BREAK The time has come for The Peoples Church members to again participate in the Christmas Wish List Project for children residing in the Edgewood Village Community. As in previous years, the wishes of children will be shared so that we can make sure that these needy youngsters have a merry Christmas. A Christmas tree containing Wish List cards is set up in the West entrance of the church. Shoppers can select a card and purchase the desired item. Please limit your expenditure to no more than $ Gifts will need to be returned to the church by Sunday, December 16. We will wrap gifts on Tuesday, December 18 in the Robertson Room at 1:30 p.m. If you are interested in joining this fun, but necessary part of the project, please sign up via the weekly church bulletin. Wrappers are asked to bring their own scissors. FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN PLEDGE FORMS December 17, 2018 is the deadline to return your pledge forms For Such a Time as This stewardship campaign. A letter and pledge forms were mailed out to the congregation; however, if you need a pledge form, they are available at the church office, the welcome desk in the Northeast entrance, or online at ThePeoplesChurch.com. If you have questions about this project, please contact Emily Anderson, project team leader, at or via at anderson291@icloud.com. A modest amount of our budget has also been set aside to purchase small, needed or wished-for items by older residents of the Tower, who live alone in one bedroom apartments and would otherwise have no Merry Christmas.

4 DIRTY FAITH FROM THE LIBRARY COMMITTEE BRINGING THE LOVE OF CHRIST TO THE LEAST OF THESE by David Z. Nowell Do you ever feel like something in your faith is missing, that going to church, studying the Bible, and tithing just aren t enough? There has to be more, right? What would it look like to truly follow Christ and not just believe in him? David Nowell asked the very same questions and was led to minister to the least of these, whom God loves deeply. In Dirty Faith, Nowell shares powerful stories of faith in action, and encourages us to move with him from the sidelines to the front lines, to get our hands dirty helping the hopeless, the disenfranchised and the poor. Loving as God loves is central to the gospel, whether that means taking in foster children, ministering to inmates at the local jail, or something else God has in mind just for you. Let this inspiring book help you find what s been missing in your faith journey. CHILDREN S UPDATE by Julie Bills, Children s Education Director I cannot lie. The Pre-Kindergarten dancing sheep in the upcoming Christmas Pageant steal my heart. They are so excited to be a part of the pageant and it will be an adventure to see if they actually make it down the aisle. These children prove how our faith should be joyful and adventurous. The older kids are working hard on their parts as well and sound lovely. So please save the date of December 16 and join us at 10:30 a.m. worship as well as for our cookie reception following the service in Snider Social Hall. I also want to give a big shout out to Piper Williams. She asked guests to bring items for Haven House for her birthday party. As you can see from the photo below her guests outdid themselves. It was a great idea that is going to benefit others. Thanks Piper! We are so thankful for the amazing work Julie Bills has done as our Children s Education Director. She is leaving at the end of December to pursue other passions, but we re thankful for the time and talent she shared with the children and families of The Peoples Church! TRAVELS WITH CAMERA A new exhibit by photographer and Peoples Church member, Nancy Wilson, is now on display throughout the halls bordering the Sanctuary and in the Thomsen case across from the Library. The exhibit, which includes 28 artistic images from her collection along with assorted prints, captures her travels throughout the U.S. and internationally. An accompanying display of antique cameras, accessories and photographic materials can be seen in the Kiosk adjacent to the Church office. "Travels with Camera" will be on display through January 17, Pick up a catalog for the exhibit in the NW entrance of the church. Select photographs are for sale; contact Nancy at nancyewilson@sbcglobal.net for information and pricing. KEEP YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS SHARP! Organizing our church Spring and Fall yard clean-up has been led since the beginning of time (not actually, but close) by Matt Gosselin. Matt has decided to retire from the yard clean-up Coordinator position. We thank Matt for his years of service helping to keep our church beautiful. We are now looking for volunteer(s) willing to assume the coordinator role. Matt has graciously agreed to serve as coordinator for the 2019 Spring and Fall activities working along side and mentoring our next Coordinator. As is often the case, many hands make for light work, but our Coordinator serves the critical role of scheduling, identifying tasks, and organizing volunteers. If you feel called to serve The Peoples Church through this important ministry, please contact Rob Privette or rmpagain@yahoo.com. You can also contact Matt Gosselin or a member of the Building and Grounds Ministry. This would be an especially good opportunity for a new member interested in meeting people and finding a way to contribute!

5 CONNECT GROW SERVE SHARE JEWELRY SALE DONATIONS The Women of Peoples Church are always collecting donations of jewelry, purses, scarves, puzzles, etc. for their annual jewelry sale in May. If you have any items to donate, please drop off in the church office during normal business hours (9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Mon - Fri). WPC POINSETTIA & WREATH SALE The Women of Peoples Church annual Christmas poinsettia and wreath sale is going on now! Place your orders each Sunday near the Welcome Desk through December 2, Order pick-up is in the gym on Saturday, December 8, 2018 (after the Advent Tea) and on Sunday, December 9, 2018 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. WPC DIRECTORIES The Women of Peoples Church have come out with their new womens circle directories. If you are a part of one of the womens circles, please stop by the church office to pick up a copy (if you haven t done so already). SPREADING THE WEALTH Contributions to The Peoples Church have a reach far beyond the church walls! The Community Engagement Ministry is the mission branch of The Peoples Church. Each year, the women and men of the Community Engagement Ministry, under the guidance of ministry chair and elder Jodi Cook, distribute their budget to a variety of local, national and international organizations. As you consider your pledge for 2019, consider how 2018 pledged gifts made an impact near and far in God s world over the year: Local giving: $8,042 to a variety of local organizations that provide food, shelter and clothing to our most vulnerable neighbors including Lansing Food Bank, Haven House Family Shelter, Advent House, Habitat for Humanity Capital Region and more $4,800 in scholarships to Albion, Alma, Adrian, Kalamazoo and Olivet Colleges, each with a tie to our four founding denominations $2,700 for personal needs and kits for outdoor neighbors $3,500 to support programs at Edgewood Village, our local mission partner $2,000 in scholarships to support denominational camp opportunities $1,300 for pastor fund for emergency walk-in needs National giving: $11,500 in disaster relief in response to Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Florence, Hawaii volcano and recent California wildfires and more $4,000 to the Re-Member organization, our national mission partner on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota International giving: $10,000 distributed to four of our denominational missionaries stationed around the globe $5,000 to the Nayaka AIDS Orphan project, our international mission partner in Uganda $3,500 to support nurse education in Haiti $1,500 in disaster relief following an earthquake in Guatemala $500 to support the work of Heifer International $330 to purchase building materials for a campus ministry project in Villa El Salvador, Peru site of our international mission partner Los Martincitos Special collections during worship help support disaster relief when needed and holiday food baskets, and the congregation participates in several item collections throughout the year as well. The more we collect the more we can share!

6 SPECIAL EVENTS Join us on Sunday, December 9 for our annual Music Sunday celebration! The Sanctuary Choir will sing the Pergolesi Magnificat and works by Dan Forrest with string accompaniment. Join us on Sunday, December 16 for our Childrens Christmas Pageant, "The Inn Crowd," a play that teaches us an important lesson we are all a part of God's Kingdom! Both events will take place during the 10:30 a.m. worship. Advent Season Celebration "epifany Now: Pass Kindness Forward" Saturday, December 8, :00 a.m. Featuring Guest Speaker Bob Hoffman Public Relations Manager, Wharton Center Tickets: $8 each or $40 for a table of eight Purchase a ticket between worship services each Sunday through December 2 or online at ljbarbieri@comcast.net. Christmas cookies and other light refreshments will be on hand. All are welcome! Presented by Women of Peoples Church

7 W N L! Wednesday Night Live! WNL! FALL PROGRAMMING The WNL! community meal takes place in Friendship Hall on the main floor while our elevator is out of service so that everyone can join us. DECEMBER 5, 2018: The Rev. Dr. Kit Carlson, Rector of neighbor church All Saints Episcopal, will ask and help answer, Why Is It So Hard to Talk About Faith? Join us at 6:30 in the Robertson Room! DECEMBER 12, 2018: As a follow-up to Pastor Kit s presentation, participants will get to know each other through guided Q & A which draws out authentic storytelling. WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE! SCHEDULE 5:30 pm - Dinner 6:00 pm - Youth Choir (Youth Den) 6:30 pm - Adult Programming (Robertson Room) Campus Ministry Bible Study (Robertson Room) Middle School Youth Group (Youth Den) Children s Programming (Preschool 2 Room, 2 nd Floor) Yoga (Yellow Room, 3 rd Floor) WNL! will be off on December 19, December 26 and January 2 and will return January 9, 2019! CHRISTMAS POINSETTIA MEMORIAL GIFTS Return form in the Offertory plate on Sunday or to the church office. YES! I would like to make a $20 contribution to the Sanctuary Decorating Fund. Please accept my gift: In Memory of In Celebration of In Honor of To the Glory of God Given by: Please make checks payable to THE PEOPLES CHURCH and indicate Poinsettias in the memo line. Deadline to order is December 17, 2018.

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