Celebrate our Savior. The Messenger December It s time to Celebrate Join us for our Annual Christmas Party December 18th after morning worship

Transcription

1 The Messenger December 2016 First Christian Church Disciples of Christ 442 Hummel Ave, Lemoyne, PA Church Office: Hours TBD Pastor D. Marie Tribble is available by phone or at Inside This Issue Pastor s Page 2 Ministry Planning Worship 3 Prayers 5 Birthday/anniversary 5 Outreach 6 Fundraisers 7 Church Business 8 Calendar 9 Senior Pastor: D. Marie Tribble Organist: Mary E. Snyder It s time to Celebrate Join us for our Annual Christmas Party December 18th after morning worship Food will be provided for everyone Santa will even be stopping by for pictures with special treats! Please bring a white elephant gift for the gift exchange. Please bring your favorite Christmas cookies to share! Anticipating Jesus Arrival Christmas Eve Candle Light Service December 24, 6:00 PM Join the FCC Chorus, Pastor D. Marie & special guest Rev. Andrew Tribble as they share the story of Jesus birth from Mary & Joseph s perspectives. Celebrate our Savior Sunday, December 25th at 10:15 AM

2 Pastor s Page Pastor s Page Hope, Peace, Joy & Love Hope, Peace, Joy & Love; these four little words have been repetitively engrained into our hearts and minds as direct associates to the season of Advent. For centuries these four little words have set the tone of many holiday celebrations and worship services organized in anticipation of the birth of baby Jesus Christ. Hope Jesus Christ was the manifestation of Gods hope for the world. Hope for those who found themselves on the margins of society, hope for those whose bodies were afflicted with pain, hope for those who felt uncertain about their futures, hope for those who agonized over the ever growing fears within their world, and hope for everyone willing to turn their hearts toward him. Peace Jesus Christ was the spirit of peace God desired to bring into the hearts of all creation. Peaceful rest from the cruel and chaotic world, peaceful rest from the stress of a rapid changing culture, and peaceful rest from all fear and anxiety pertaining to the future. Joy Jesus Christ was the renewed source of joy from God poured into the hearts of the world. Joyful anticipation for the renewed promises, joyful anticipation of new possibilities and joyful anticipation for the presence of light after a period of darkness. Love Jesus Christ was Gods love for all the world to see and experience. Love engaged with humanity, love cultivated, love invested, love prayed, love admonished, love sacrificed, and love forgave. Hope, Peace, Joy & Love By no means do these four little words encompass all it means to be Jesus Christ. They are however a reminder of a few of the core values wrapped up in the miraculous birth narrative. Each season we are invited to reawaken the Spirit of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love from Jesus Christ that resides within all of our hearts. Each time we rehearse this extraordinary narrative, it is a reminder of an extraordinary God who was willing to go through extraordinary measures to teach creation the true meaning of Hope, Peace, Joy & Love. Advent is the story of divine redirection. As we go through this season we must draw from the example of Jesus Christ and continue to share the message of Hope, Peace, Joy & Love with the world. Jesus invites us in to move beyond words and redirects us to actions. We are to be living examples of Gods Hope, Peace, Joy & Love, during this season and every other day within our Christian journey! The bible says in Isaiah 9:6-7: For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. Pastor D. Marie 2

3 WORSHIP DECEMBER SERVING SCHEDULE December 4, 2016 December 11, 2016 Elder: Diana Onstott Elder: Linda Runkle Diaconate: Kelly Manning, Glenn Haagen, & Ken Onstott Diaconate: J oyce Ar bogast, Lynne Weber, & Lois Haagen Communion: J ane Welsh & J oyce Ar bogast Communion: J ane Welsh & J oyce Ar bogast Greeter: Dottie Michels & Velma Hughes Greeter: Glenn & Lois Haagen December 18, 2016 December 25, 2016 Elder: Rev. Ed Ar bogast Elder: Lois Miller Diaconate: Kelly Manning, Linda Runkle, & Glenn Haagen Diaconate: J oyce Ar bogast, Glenn & Lois Haagen Communion: Diana Onstott & Linda Runkle Communion: Diana Onstott & Linda Runkle Greeter: Harold Tur ner & J oan Kain Greeter: Linda Runkle & Dottie Michels Acolyte: During Advent we will not be lighting 3

4 WORSHIP Advent Devotionals 2016 Are available for no cost to you and your family and friends! This year we are using PRAYERSCAPES for Advent! It s a combined effort by the clergy of the Christian Church in West Virginia and the Christian Church in PA! Our own Pastor D. Marie wrote Dec. 20th devotion! Join with other Disciples in West Virginia and PA as we all study the same devotions this Advent season! Wouldn t it be nice to have fresh flowers each week on the Alter? Did you know you can purchase the flowers in memory or honor of a loved on? Did you know that not only do the Alter flowers brighten up the Church on a Sunday Morning, they also brighten someone s day when they receive them as a gift? The person donating the flowers may choose to bring them home, deliver them to a friend or ask the Church to deliver them to a member who is sick or unable to attend each week. $36.00 is a small amount when you consider all the joy flowers bring. Please contact the Church office to reserve your dates for 2017 today!! Chorus practice for CHRISTMAS!! Every SUNDAY after worship! Please see Mary for more information! EVERYONE IS WELCOME!! 4

5 Dottie Michels, June Davis (Lois H.), Family of Aunt Ingrid Paff (Tom M.), Chris, Uncle Bill, Christine L., Friends and family of Scott Leiser (FCC family), Harold and Joan (FCC family), Jenny, Norie, Rob B., Ben and Michael, Nancy, Van, Lindsey, Dan, Baby Brody, Dee, & Diminick Family (Mary S.), Steve (Linda R.), Nancy, Frank (Joan K.), John (David P.), Betty (Dottie M.), Clyde Smiley (Jean T.), Lois Miller, Arbogast Family (Ed. A.), Family of Grammy Sharon, Ken, Sammy Fisher, Hannah (Diana O.), Patty Rhemms, Mary S., Toni Jones & Family, Rev. Andrew, family of Maggie Means, Jewell Willis and family, Pastor D. Marie, Eric Gibbs, Kenyon Brown, Felicia & Weldon Family (Mary P.), Amanda Niece (Grace Z.), Theresa, My children Valarie, Pete, and Conrad (Christine L.), Family of Grace Zuna (Pastor D.), Ken Weber, (Lynn W.), Family of Dick & Connie Shatzer (Lois M.), Terry, Pat (Pat S.), Jordan (Brenda N.), Scott Boltz (FCC family), Goudy / Frey Family (FCC family). Acolyte Schedule! To sign up to light the Christ Candle please click on the link below. Thank you to the youth who updated the sign in front of the church! If you would like to help us with this, please sign up at: DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Russ Miller - December 9 Anne Christian - December 11 Pastor Delores - December 15 Robert Lambert - December 17 Henry Miller - December 19 Linda Runkle - December 19 Aariona Lee - December 28 Aaron Lee - December 28 Dottie Michels - December 30 DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Ken & Debbie Holler - Dec. 9 5

6 OUTREACH First Christian Church will again participate in the FREE income tax preparation program sponsored by the United Way and the IRS. There are many ways you can help. Feel free to talk to Jane Welsh about volunteering. We will need more tax prepares, greeters, and even child care providers. The Word from the church is to Believe in a Deeper Hope that moves beyond the wrappings of Christmas around us. We proclaim a Hope that brings Good News, Joy and Compassion for all of God s people. Making Mats for the homeless! We have a supply of plarn that is ready to be made into mats. If you would like to pick them up, please contact Barb Plaza at or contact the church office. Cub Scout Pack 442: We loved sharing Thanksgiving with our Charter Organization! It was wonderful! Thank you so much for joining us as we celebrated! We also had a great deal of fun helping the homeless by baking pies with the Girl Scouts! We made 90 pies, and they were all donated to the Bethesda Mission. Our pack meeting for December will be to make Gingerbread Trees. We look forward to enjoying that time. Thank you so much for making it possible for us to learn and explore and become leaders for tomorrow! Girl Scouts were at it again! They made 90 pies with the help of a few Cub Scouts for the Bethesda Mission. The older girls successfully completed their dry run of Nutrition on a Budget, a program they are working with the Department of Welfare and the local FDA on. The program will be advertised and open to families in need of it for March and April! We will need some help with this huge undertaking, so check back after Christmas for ways you can support this great program. The Daisy s and Brownies will be focusing on different parts of the Girl Scout Law this month. The Junior Girl Scouts already earned their Detective Badge and will be working on their Junior Aid and their Journey! We are so glad that you have welcomed us back into the church, and look forward to celebrating Christmas with you on Dec. 18th! 6

7 FUNDRAISERS CHRISTMAS WEEK SUB SALE Subs will be delivered on Tuesday December 20th from 6:30 to 7:30 Orders and money due by December 9th; 7PM WHEN WE SELL ONLY 500 SUBS WE WILL MAKE AN EXTRA 50CENTS PER ITEM. PLEASE SELL TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS! DON T KNOW WHAT TO GET SOMEONE FOR CHRISTMAS! HOW ABOUT A VERY USEABLE GIFT. GIFT CARDS TO GIANT, KARNS OR WEIS! Grocery Store Card fundraiser! Please see Diana or call the church office to order yours today! Remember to order extra for yourself to cover all the Christmas cooking you will be doing! Update from Spaghetti Dinner and Basket Raffle We made over $ on this single event Mark your calendars NOW for next years Basket Raffle and Spaghetti Dinner November 11, 2017!!! 7

8 CHURCH BUSINESS Ministry Planning has 3 areas of Growth for the upcoming year: Developing Youth Ministry: Early Disciples & JR Disciples JR Disciples will be led by Tom Matthews Early Disciples will be led by Aariona Lee Developing a Christian Education Department Sunday School Classes begin Jan 8th! Early Disciples, JR Disciples, and Adult Disciples class at 9:00 AM each Sunday Develop an Evangelism Ministry : There will be a monthly event; look for more details to come. The church signed on as an official sponsor of Face-2-Face Ministries Board Approved the Slate of officers to be voted on by Congregation Board Approved budget to be voted on by Congregation Slate of officers were approved: Board Chair: Diana Onstott Board Secretary: Deb Anderson Financial Secretary: Ginger Matthews Treasurer: Jane Welsh Controller: Glenn Haagen Chair of Trustee: Harold Turner Trustees: Harold Turner, Jane Welsh, Glenn Haagen Elders: Diana Onstott, Dottie Michels, Lois Miller and Linda Runkle Deacons: Glenn Haagen, Lois Haagen, Lynne Weber, Joyce Arbogast, Jane Welsh, Kelly Manning, Ken Onstott, Doria Onstott, Dave Prediger, Deb Anderson Like our page and follow us on Facebook! FCCLemoyne Weekly updates on worship and happenings Income and Expenses Month of October Congregational Offerings Received $ Fundraisers $ Misc $ Reconciliation $74.21 Total $ Bills Received and paid $ Received for Outreach: $

9 December 2016 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 GS Troops and :15 AM: Worship Ministry Planning Meeting after worship Girl Scout Troops Cub Scouts Lions Tigers Bears Wolf and Webelos 6:30 GS Troop Meeting 11 10:15 AM: Worship Finance: 9AM 12 Girl Scout Troop Cub Scouts Lions Tigers Bears Wolf and Webelos 6: GS Troops and :15 AM: Worship Party after Worship 19 Girl Scout Troops Sub Sale Pick up from 6:30 7: GS Troop Meeting Christmas Eve Service 6:00 PM 25 10:15 AM: Christmas Day Worship Cub Scouts Tigers Bears Wolf and Webelos

10 First Christian Church Disciples of Christ 442 Hummel Ave, Lemoyne, PA PH: December