A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ Matthew 1:1

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1 TABERNACLE TIMES D ecemb er 2016 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ Matthew 1:1 When I was growing up, whenever I mentioned a new friend (especially a new girlfriend), my grandparents would always ask the question, Who are her people? In other words, who were her parents and kinfolk? My grandparents believed you could tell a lot about a person because of who they were. It s kind of strange, but when Matthew begins to talk about Jesus, he wants to answer that question too who were Jesus people? While it seems a rather odd way to begin a chapter in the greatest Book ever written, the Savior s genealogy establishes one thing right up front Jesus identifies with people all people. If the gospel is about anything, it s about people their value, their dreams, their sorrows, their significance Not all on the list of Jesus people are superstars or biblical heroes. When God forms His list, He has classifications different from those we typically use. In fact, His list is pretty well all-encompassing. What does this mean to us in the 21 st century? Plenty! When the success we seek doesn t come, or the promotion goes to another, we re still on His list in the same place of honor and value. Circumstances and events don t change our value with Him, even when the hard knocks of life dent our selfimage and send us reeling. The next time you feel left out, let down, drained, discouraged, or depressed (it happens a lot during this holiday), go back and read Matthew 1. Keep expanding the list across the centuries. Bring it up to date and there you are! You re on His list significant, valued, loved, graced by His care, a part of God s family! He never purges that list. You never drop from His love. Treasure the moment and the list. Thanks, Matthew! O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! Merry Christmas to you all! Pastor John And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Fear not. For I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Luke 2:8-14

2 Throughout Advent, we will be focusing our attention on those gifts that make for a great Christmas - giving the gifts of presence, joy, compassion and hope. Our special events will remind us that this Good News is for all people. Join us as we hear about the power of God s love and forgiveness given as a free gift to all by the Christ-child, Jesus. BREAKFAST WITH SANTA December 10 th 9:00am Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane Bring your little ones on December 10 th for Breakfast with Santa! We will have pancakes, crafts and more!! Santa will be joining us during breakfast so get your Christmas lists ready!! LIGHT OF THE WORLD LIVE NATIVITY COMMUNITY-WIDE ADVENT EVENT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 TH 5:00-7:30PM Witness the Christmas story coming to life as we take a walking tour from scene to scene to remember the incredible story of God s salvation through the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. The event is designed for folks of all ages so make a special effort to invite a friend and join us for this special time. Light refreshments will be provided as well as special accommodations for those with limited mobility.. Please contact Kim Cripps if you can help organize this event beforehand or volunteering on December 11th. Many hands are needed! Kim Cripps, or kcripps@tabernacle-umc.org Songs of the Christ Child CHRISTMAS CANTATA Sunday, December 18th, 11:00 a.m. Our adult chancel, children and youth choirs plus guest orchestra invite you to share in the worshipful celebration of the birth of Christ through the music and joy of a celebration of songs and carols. This year s music and celebration of carols will stir your soul to remember Christ s mercy, hope and grace. As you hear the timeless story, may you grasp hope with all your heart and experience the rich abundance of God s presence, which is the true gift of this season! Our Alive service will meet at 9:00 this day.

3 CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT COMMUNION SERVICE Saturday, December 24 th, 11:00 p.m. You are invited to bring your family on Christmas Eve, as we will celebrate the coming of the Christ child with a special candlelight communion service. This service will be a time of prayer, reflection and meditation. Familiar Christmas music and candles will help provide an atmosphere of reverence as we ponder the miracle of this holy night. NOTE: If you would like to come but aren t comfortable driving after dark, please call the church office for assistance. CHILDREN S NATIVITY SERVICE Christmas Eve 5:00pm in the TUMC Chapel All children are welcome to come and help present the Nativity story in this joy-filled service fit for all families. When your children arrive, they will be costumed for the various roles then help lead us through the story of this most wonderful and holy night. TABERNACLE UNITED at CHRISTMAS! One single Christmas worship service on Christmas Day (Sunday Dec. 25 th ) at 10:30am (Combined Adult Sunday School meets in the Chapel at 9:30am) Yes, we will gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day! This unified service (come casual) will be geared to be kidfriendly and promises to be full of joy and celebration. We will worship together as one church family by sharing in a unified church worship service with familiar scriptures and Christmas carols. We ll meet for worship at 10:30 a.m. and enjoy a time of reflecting on God s greatest gift to us, his own Son, Jesus Christ. P.S. Children are welcome to bring their favorite new Christmas gift (non-noise-making please) for this morning.

4 FROM PASTOR JOHN: I wanted to share with you this statement from Pastor Justin. While it doesn t answer all of the questions his leaving raised for some, it does give a little more information and I thought it good to share. As I ve continued to urge and as he asks let s keep praying for Justin & his family as they discern next steps for his future. I am grateful for the many ways Justin modeled his faith, cultivated a greater involvement in missions and outreach, and preached in a way that was engaging and drew us to the scriptures. Most of us had anticipated many more years of ministry together here at TUMC and I am sure I speak for all of us in saying that we will miss him. Tabernacle Church Family, After a lot of prayer and thought, I have taken a family leave from ministry. As you know, this means that my time at Tabernacle has come to an end. I am currently taking time away from ministry in order to do some prayerful discernment about my call. I am taking this time to seek counsel and mentorship from various individuals, as well as time with my family, to seek God s direction for my life as I move forward. After taking some weeks away, I have officially requested to be placed on family leave and will no longer be under appointment or in any position of pastoral ministry at this time. This is a personal issue of family and calling and my leaving did not happen at the prompting of any of you at Tabernacle or Tabernacle s leadership. My family and I want to thank all of you for your kind words and especially your prayers and we would appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers as we move forward. I want to thank you for opening your hearts to my family and me in our time at Tabernacle. We will continue to lift each of you in prayers and hope that you continue to move forward and seek His direction as members of His Church. We will always hold Tabernacle as a special place in our hearts and will still be a part of one body in Christ. Thank you for how you cared for our family and for the many ways in which you made us feel at home. In Christ s Love, Justin Cabe TUMC STAFF NEWS

5 STAFF LOVE OFFERING During the month of December the SPRC will be collecting a love offering for the TUMC staff. In addition to your regular giving, please make your taxdeductible check payable to Tabernacle UMC and write STAFF LOVE OFFERING on the memo line or envelope. Our church staff - Joyce Sosnowski, Antonella Frashëri, Allen Haywood, Richard Dunn, Kimberly Cripps, Carla Ely, and Pastor John - will receive this love offering at the SPRC s Staff Appreciation Christmas Dinner in January. WELCOME NEW OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR: ASHLEY WALTERS We are pleased to welcome our new Office Administrator, Ashley Walters. Ashley has 11 years experience as a church administrative assistant and has a love and passion for church work. Ashley s first day with Tabernacle is December 1. Once she has had a chance to settle in - meet the staff and learn her way around the TUMC office - please take a few minutes to introduce yourself when you call or drop by the church office! MEET OUR NEW OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR: ASHLEY WALTERS Hi! I m Ashley and I am very much looking forward to serving TUMC as the new Office Administrator. This will be my second season of serving in a church office, and I am bringing with me a renewed passion for using my gifts to serve the Lord in this way! I ve been married for 22 years to my best friend Mark, a Spirit-led man who shares my love for learning and teaching others about the Lord. We also have a passion for all things vintage, from the 1920 s-1950 s, including dressing, dancing, driving (we have a 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury, you know, the one with the big fins on the back!) and living, as we call it, a vintage lifestyle. I also am training to be a birth doula, which is immensely rewarding; I stand humbly in awe each time at the miracle God allows me to be a part of! It shall be an honor to serve the Lord at TUMC.

6 Tabernacle U.M.C. Newsletter December 2016 NEWS & NOTES CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS Poinsettias lend such beauty to our sanctuary s Christmas decorations and symbolically remind us of the birth of Christ. This year, our Poinsettias will be on display on Sunday, December 18 (the day of the Cantata). You may place a poinsettia in honor of or in memory of someone. Please place the order form in the collection plate and attach your check or bring by the church office. The cost will be $10.00 each. Make checks payable to Tabernacle UMC marked as Poinsettia All orders are due by noon on Dec 12. Church Clean-Up Day Falling Leaves: It is that time of year again! The TUMC outside fall cleanup and miscellaneous jobs date is Saturday, December 3rd. We will start working at 9:00 AM. Please bring the following tools to work with: weeding tools, leaf blowers and tarps to pick up leaves, trimming equipment for the bushes, and chain saws to cut lower branches off the trees. See you Sat. the 3rd. Remember that according to Internal Revenue policy, any gifts given to TUMC that you wish to be reflected on your 2016 Giving Statement must be received in to the office by December 31st. Just a friendly health reminder. that as we enter into the cold and flu season, please be respectful of those around you during church activities and worship. If you have symptoms of a cold or the flu (fever, sneezing, cough, running nose), avoid some of the friendly contact many of us like to share (like shaking hands, hugs, etc.) until those symptoms have been gone for at least 24 hours. Though we would miss you, it may even be more loving for your own health, and the health of those at church, for you to stay home to rest and recuperate until all clear.

7 & MORE NOTES CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE The angel tree has children on it from our local elementary schools who may not have Christmas gifts except for your help. All gifts need to be wrapped and at the church by December 18th. The tree will be up for the next few Sundays or until all the children are adopted. Thank you for your support and Happy Shopping! LADIES PAINTING DAY How about a fun ladies-only event before all the craziness of Christmas? A time to just fellowship, paint and relax for a little bit? Then this is for you! Join us in the fellowship hall on December 17th at 4pm... No need to bring any supplies, just come ready to make something beautiful! Cost is $30 or $50 (depending on size of painting). Contact Heidi Brown at mikeheidibrown@yahoo.com by Sunday, December 11th if interested. OUR TRUSTEES HAVE BEEN ACTIVE! 2016 has been a busy year for the TUMC Trustees!! Although all actions of the Trustees are too numerous to list, here are some of the larger tasks they have accomplished this year. City Water Hookup After years of work TUMC is now on city water. The days of treating our well water are over! TUMC trustees are grateful to everyone involved in this project. A special thanks to Kevin Cripps, Brad Ehrhardt and Alan Branson, as the completion of this project would not have been possible without their efforts. Rest Room Remodel The men and women's restrooms in the adult education/office wing were completely remodeled. Rooms were repainted and new counters, faucets and newer towel dispensers were installed. New mirrors were installed and lighting was updated. Trustees hopes to get to the remaining restrooms as time and budget allow. Other Projects have included: Our office foyer and Commons Area have been updated, new roofs put on our outlying buildings, storage areas have been restructured and our Outdoor Chapel has been cleaned up. THANKS TO ALL OF OUR TRUSTEES FOR THEIR FAITHFUL SERVICE TO TUMC!!

8 YOUR NEW CHURCH COUNCIL LEADERS FOR 2017 Each year the coordinators for our various work areas begin their work afresh in January. Some persons continue in the same area they worked with the previous year, sometimes they take up another yoke of ministry, and sometimes they even take a break and a new person comes into leadership. Please look at the following list of names. If you are interested in helping them with a part of or all of their ministry, please give them a call and find out what s planned and how you can help. And above all, keep them in your prayers throughout the year that their ministry may be the ministry of God through us! Council Chairperson Council Secretary Lay Leader UMW, President UMM, President Dan Cockman Karen Moore John Bradley Linda Bigham Jay Gordon Administrative Chairpersons Finance Chris Ehrhardt Trustees elected from within Trustees Annual Conference Delegate Linda Bigham Financial Treasurer Heidi Bradley Ministry Team Chairpersons CLC Building Brad Ehrhardt Daycare Board to be elected by DC Board Education TBA Evangelism Steve Swain Missions Laurie Scotton Records & History Betty Marley Staff-Parish Committee Chair Warren Ginn Stewardship Amy Ehrhardt Worship Rhonda & Alan Branson At-Large Council Members Alan Branson, Phyllis Brawley, Kevin Cripps, Richard Dunn, Hank Gill, Harry Griffin, Michelle Griffin, Frank Hairr, Renie Ledwell-Jefferson, Herb Jones, Cheryl Kendrick, Anne Lambert, Alton Overby, June Sofley, Steve Swain, Jean Turner, Freo Webster Church Staff Kim Cripps, Carla Ely, John Woods LET S GIVE AN EXTREMELY GRATEFUL THANKS for our outgoing 2016 chairpersons & leaders! These men and women have given extensively of their time, energy and prayer for our ministries and we are profoundly grateful for their devotion to our church and their Lord. The next time you see one of these people, give them a pat on the back and a heartfelt word of thanks for their service! Wanda Swain Staff-Parish Relations Committee Dan Hobbs Annual Conference Lay Delegate Marshall Pike At-Large Member Teresa Ehrhardt Education Linda Bigham Worship Jared Webster At-Large Member

9 Helping Our Friends at Church Under the Bridge It s going to be getting colder. Let s not forget about our friends Under the Bridge. As you are out shopping consider picking up a few hats and gloves to distribute when Tabernacle provides a meal in late January or February. There will be a collection box in the commons. Thank you. WOW, OUR CHURCH FACILITY IS LOOKING GOOD THESE DAYS! Perhaps you ve noticed the new furniture in the office hallway and in the commons area? Have you noticed the TV monitor in the office hallway and soon to be up and running in the commons area? All of these improvements to our church campus have been graciously donated to us by members of our congregation!! We hope that you will appreciate this generosity as we strive to make our ministry center welcoming and informative to all who worship and visit with us. Pleasant Garden 37th annual Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting Ho Ho Ho! The Town of Pleasant Garden will host its Christmas Parade on Sunday, December 4, 2016 beginning at 3:00 pm. The parade starts at the corner of Pleasant Garden Road and Ryegate Drive and proceeds south on Pleasant Garden Road, ending at Pleasant Garden Elementary School. Leading the parade are this year s Grand Marshals, Liz Crawford and Grant Gilmore of WFMY News 2. Other participants include marching bands, dance teams, floats, Shriners NASCARTS, Scooter Patrol and Oriental Band, antique cars, and of course Santa Claus. Trophies awarded for Best Float, Best Performance and Chairman s Choice. For the grand finale, meet Santa at his Workshop located at the Pleasant Garden Fire Department. Bring the family and join in the Christmas caroling while Santa lights up the Christmas tree. Everyone is welcome! Stay for the food, games, entertainment and free kids bicycle raffles courtesy of the Pleasant Garden Lions Club. Donations of canned foods will once again be accepted in support of the local Pleasant Garden United Methodist Food Pantry. Kick off your holiday season with the Town of Pleasant Garden s 37th annual Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony. We look forward to seeing you there!

10 December 1 December 2 December 3 December 5 December 6 December 8 December 9 December 10 December 11 December 12 December 13 December 14 December 15 December 16 December 17 December 18 David Carter, Christopher Wood Chad Edmondson, Katie Craft Beverly Calhoun, Tom Brawley, Mike Garrett, Kim Worthington, Alex Coble, Calli Medlin Dick Wrenn Jackie Neece Joe Turner Alan Branson, Bill Archer, Cheryl Kendrick, Deborah Holt, Kallee Lambe Gaynell Faulk Tena Jensen, Forrest Brothers, Justin Lambert, Davis Lee Heidi Brown Katie Kendrick Robert Skipper Rebecca Shaffer, Katherine Stephens Tanner Greeson Dale Giddens, Debra Gill Steve Swain, Patricia Helms, Nora Moss, Katie Jo Staley December 19 December 20 December 21 December 22 December 23 December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29 December 30 December 31 Teresa Ehrhardt, Chris Helms, Rusty Vick, III, Kenan Cox, Adam Routh Gail Causey, Chris Stout, Christopher Skerlak Butch Baynes, Jesse Pratt, Cathy Wood, Cathy Webster Marie Byrd, Cindy Johnson Bill Early, Thomas Griffin, Dwayne Schaeffer Mark Wheeler, Carson Lee, Ally Hardie Linda Hoskins, Cameron Scott Rosie Brien, Bob Coyle, Richard Winquist Kent Staley, Savannah Price Nicole Allen, Kirsten Braxton, Greyson Ehrhardt Vicky Wheeler Karen Moore, Nolan Allison, Kaleb Lambe Zach Ely, Nathaniel Ely, Rubianne Ely Take a minute to send a card or simply give a special someone a call. If your birthday is not listed in the appropriate month, it could be that you re a new member and the church office doesn t have this information. Please call and let us know your birthday so you can be added Thanks!

11 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 December 21 December 22 December 23 December 26 December 27 December 28 Karen & Steve Redmon Judy & Wayne Tolle Warren & Paula Ginn, Jane & Tom Rousey Debbie & Paul Holt Howard & Margie Reynolds Harry & Mary Griffin Jennie & Bill Jones Dianne & Ronald Hinson, Lacy & Laura Fogleman Amy & Christopher Ehrhardt, Greg & Susie Robertson Glenn & Jan Hancock ADULT FELLOWSHIP The Adult Fellowship Group will meet on Thursday, January 26 th at noon in the fellowship hall for a covered dish luncheon. We will plan our activities for the 2017 year at this meeting. If you are not currently a part of our group, this meeting would be a great opportunity to join us and help us plan a fun-filled year of fellowship.

12 OUR CHILDREN S MINISTRY IS ACTIVE! Here s a Look Ahead December 4th: 5 pm: Children s Choir 5:30 pm: Dinner 5:50 pm: Children will lead the church in Multi-generational Caroling Event at Clapp s Nursing Home. Children will travel to Clapp s Nursing Home by church van. The whole congregation and adult choir are invited to meet at 5:45 to carpool to Clapp s and join the children as they carol. December 10th: 9 am: Breakfast with Santa December 11th: 5 pm: Light of the World Children s choir members will arrive at 4:15 for a pizza dinner. The children will wrap up our Nativity Event in the final scene through dramatic skit and music. This will share the meaning of Christmas in our modern world for all those who come to enjoy the live nativity walk-through. December 18th: No Children s Choir Helping in Worship December 4 December 11 December 18 December 25 Greeters Fellowship Fellowship[ Fellowship Fellowship Offering Counters CD Delivery Carolyn Hall June Sofley Mary Claiborne Anne Lambert Sound Pete Cox Andy Griffin Brian Williamson Brandon Burke Children s Church Rebecca Stewart Kathy Edmondson Heidi Brown Kelly Dunn No Children s Church No Children s Church Nursery Lynda Gordon Jamie Naylor Paid Workers Heidi Bradley Can you help? Can you help? Can you help? Acolytes Allee Hardee Tanner Greeson Hannah Woods Charlotte Stewart Bailey Dunn Justin Greeson Abbey Stewart Logan Ehrhardt

13 C e M L + a SHOUT-OUT TO BARNEY BARNHARDT for receiving the Chief Justice's Lawyer Assistance Program Award for his efforts to help lawyers who suffer from addiction and mental disorders. Justice Robin Hudson presented the award. Well done, Barney! And well deserved! THANKSGIVING THANKS!...TO CHERYL & ROGER KENDRICK for coordinating our Thanksgiving Meal Event. All-told, we served a full thanksgiving dinner to 56 families with a total of over 350 people. Many people helped make it happen, but Roger & Cheryl and their family are the heart of this event. Give them a warm thanks the next time you see them! To the SOUTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL MEN OF DESTINY CLUB for collecting over 900 canned goods and other food items for our TUMC Food Pantry. These young men have a real passion and vision for helping our community in a tangible way. Aren t you glad they re our neighbors?! To AMY EHRHARDT who took a SECOND MISSION TRIP TO HONDURAS right before Thanksgiving after going with our church team this past July. Her heart for those friends there in Honduras is a blessing to them and us too. Thanks for being the hands and heart of Christ! Speaking of Honduras, kudos to YOU and OUR TUMC MISSIONS COMMITTEE in receiving a letter of thanks from our General Board of Global Ministries for the $650 we sent to support Sandra Raasch, one of our UMC missionaries with who is serving as coordinator of medical and environmental ministries of the Honduras Mission. WORSHIPFUL THANKS TO BETTY HOBBS who each week prepares our sanctuary altar with flowers, or, as she so breathtakingly did for Thanksgiving, holiday arrangements. Thanks Betty for giving us a worship space that is so inspiring! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Please extend a congratulations to Brittany Younts as she graduates from UNC- Charlotte on December 17, 2016 with a B.S. in Nursing! HELP SUPPORT OUR YOUTH! The youth are doing our envelope fundraiser again. In the commons you can find envelopes with dollar amounts written on the front. You re invited to take an envelope with an amount that you can help support us. This fundraiser allows us to do ministry throughout the year but instead we can do other fundraisers towards specific missions. Every envelope and every dollar amount helps to provide ministry to youth in our community. Thank you for your continued support!

14 December 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat PM Scouts 3 Grounds Clean Up (8 am) UMW Christmas Party (6 PM) Youth (5-7 PM) Clapps Nursing (6 PM) Church Council Meeting (7 PM) Scouts (6:30 PM) UMM Meeting/Dinner (6:30 PM) Setup for Breakfast w/ Santa (7:30 PM) Breakfast w/ Santa (9AM) Youth Angel Tree/Progressive Dinner (3 pm) LIGHT OF THE WORLD LIVE NATIVITY (5:00-7:30PM) Fellowship Cir. (10:30 AM) Scouts Leader Training (6:30 pm) Evangelism Meeting (7:00 pm) Bethany Cir.(10 AM) Sears Retiree Lunch (7 AM) Cantata Rehearsal (10 Am) Troop 426 Christmas Party (4PM) Cantata (11 AM) Scouts (6:30 PM) Sunshine Cir (7 PM) Trustees Meeting (7 PM) Church Office closed Children s Christmas Eve (5:00 PM) Candlelight Communion (11 PM) 25 Christmas Joint Sunday School (9:30 am chapel) 26 NO SCOUTS Church Office closed 31 New Years Eve Tabernacle United Worship

15 Tabernacle United Methodist Church 5721 Methodist Road Greensboro, NC umc.org John Woods, Pastor T a b e r n a c l e U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h i s a p l a c e f o r u s t o P r a i s e G o d. G r o w D i s c i p l e s, & S e r v e t h e W o r l d.