UMCE Newsletter. December Services & Scriptures. Special Service Times for Advent and Christmas

Transcription

1 UMCE Newsletter DECEMBER 2011 December Services & Scriptures Special Service Times for Advent and Christmas December 4-2nd Sunday of Advent Holy Communion Rev. Todd Everhart at the pulpit December 11 - The 3rd Sunday of Advent Rev. Todd Everhart at the pulpit December 18 - The 4th Sunday of Advent - Choir Sunday A service of Lessons and Carols ONE SERVICE ONLY AT 9:30 a.m. Rev. Todd Everhart at the pulpit December 25 - Christmas Day ONE SERVICE ONLY AT 9:30 a.m. Rev. Todd Everhart at the pulpit January 1 - New Year s Day ONE SERVICE ONLY AT 9:30 a.m. Rev. Todd Everhart at the pulpit Unless otherwise noted, Sunday services will be held at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Inside this issue: December Services 1 Prayer Concerns 2 A Message from our Pastor 3 Outreach 4-6 Around the Church 7 Adult Education and Small 8 Men s Ski Trip 9 EverKids Schedule Change 9 Youth 10 Financial Updates 11 CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES Saturday, December 24 4:00 p.m. - Children s Pageant 7:00 p.m. - Candlelight Service with Holy Communion 9:00 p.m. - Candlelight Service with Holy Communion Annual All Church Conference December 8 Our annual church conference will be held on Thursday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. All members and friends of the United Methodist Church of Evergreen are encouraged to attend this important event. Our district superintendent, Melanie Rosa, will be presiding. We will be reviewing the past year in the life of UMCE, and voting on our leadership team for next year.

2 PAGE 2 UMCE NEWSLETTER Lay Care Ministries - Please Remember in Prayer Those serving in the military: Matt Thomas serving in the Army (Marlene Waltz son) Brandon Alter - serving in the Air Force, grandson of Lauren & Eileen Alter Ryan Alter - Army in Germany, grandson of Lauren & Eileen Alter Jim Caine - son of Larry and Debby Caine, Airman First Class, U.S. Air Force Kenley K. Brown Jr., a marine serving at Fort Bragg, NC, grandson of Phil Brown. Those with health concerns: Gene Alexander Chris Alm Roger Ambrosier Harris Brown, Phil Brown s brother Bev Bright Roberta Hahn Jan McMichael Ray Pitsker Condolences to: Chris Swan and family on the passing of her mother Alice Lindstrom, on Saturday, November 26, in Florida. Prayer Requests Our Lay Care Ministry committee includes a prayer chain of over twenty people. You December submit prayer requests by: calling JoAnn Dunn at or Ruthanne Huber at , co-chairs of our Lay Care Ministries Committee calling the church office at , or by filling out a prayer request card at worship service. You will find the cards in the red attendance pads. Special Thanks to the Lay Care Team A note of thanks to all those who work with the Lay Care Committee. This team includes people who provide meals, prayers, visits and support to the congregation. For more information, or to volunteer, contact JoAnn Dunn at or Ruthanne Huber at , co-chairs of our Lay Care Ministries Committee.

3 DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 3 A Message from Our Pastor My how time flies! It seems that was just here. We have been talking about stewardship, budgets, leadership, and now Advent comes along to confound us with, What, Christmas is that close? Where have I been? What have I been doing? So, the season of Advent is upon us, the sanctuary is now hung with greens, the candles of the Advent wreath are being lighted each week. Love, hope, joy, and peace. These are the things that matter, not the frenzy, not the commercialism, not the bombardment of advertisements about great gift ideas, or those nifty gift sets in the department stores that mysteriously appear right about now. Advent comes from the Latin adventus which means coming. What we tend to think of is the coming of the Christ child in Bethlehem. We certainly tell the story again and again, but what Advent actually points to is the second coming, when the kingdom of God will be realized once and for all upon the earth. I tend to think of the second coming as being within us rather than the classical rapture theology. The glimpses of the kingdom among us now keep us hopeful, and aware, of the time to come. Our responsibility as Christians is not to be preoccupied with the frenzy of the season, or to lavish gifts upon one another, but to remember the wondrous gift of grace and love that we received in the person of a little babe, two thousand years ago. Our daily lives are full of opportunities to bring a little of the Kingdom of God to those around us now, a kind word, a good deed, a gift or donation to those who are less fortunate economically. This season brings with it a sense that we never have enough time. My prayer for us is, that we not worry about time. That we reflect on the gift that has come once and is coming again, right here, right now. That we focus not on the way society tells us we must celebrate or spend, but that we celebrate the love, hope, joy, and peace the Christ child brings, and that we spend time with one another, instead of our last dime on a last-minute gift. The gift has been given, now let us receive it in our hearts. Peace, Todd

4 DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 4 Salvation Army Bell Ringers It s that time again! The United Methodist Church of Evergreen has the opportunity to ring bells for Salvation Army on Tuesdays and Thursdays from November 29 through December 22. We will be ringing in front of the Evergreen Safeway store. There are two shifts available each day: 3:00-5:00 p.m. and 5:00-7:00 p.m. Ninety percent of the money raised will stay in our community. Rev. Everhart, Lauren Alter and previous pastor Dick Vickery all serve on the board and assist with the good work done by this organization. You can ring alone, with a friend, with a pet, with a group of carolers, in a Santa hat, with a tuba. just be sure to dress warmly and wear a smile. You may sign up in Fellowship Hall or by logging on to sign in with evergreenmethodistchurch@gmail.com (Password: evergreenumc) Echo Outreach Toy Collection This month UMCE is starting our programs to help provide Christmas joy for families struggling just to make daily ends meet. Our first opportunity will be the annual Evergreen Christian Outreach Toy Collection. Please consider adding a toy for donation to your shopping list to help out families receiving support from EChO. A list of gift suggestions from EChO clients and their children may be found on the Mission's bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. A box for collecting new, unwrapped toys in their original packaging will be in Fellowship Hall until Sunday Dec 11th. Thank you for the happiness you bring! Alternative Gift Fair Raises Over $100,000 Many thanks to our UMCE family for baking, shopping and working at the AGF at Evergreen Lutheran Church on November The AGF is sponsored by six Evergreen congregations, including our church. Over 100 charities sold crafts, jewelry, art and other items for early holiday gift shoppers with 100% of the proceeds going to help those charities serve people locally, nationally and internationally. This year, the AGF took in over $107,000, with the bake shop exceeding its $3500 goal and the youth cafe bringing in just over $2,000. A lot of work goes into this annual event and, from those efforts, many people in need will benefit. Thank you so much for your support!!!!

5 PAGE 5 UMCE NEWSLETTER Alternative Christmas Giving Sundays December 4th and 11th For over 20 years the EUMC Missions Committee has presented the congregation with the option of giving gifts to friends and relatives in the form of a donation in their name to various non-profit organizations. This is also an opportunity to do your year end giving to worthy causes. This is an excellent way to do your Christmas shopping for those hard to shop for loved ones while at the same time benefiting a worthwhile cause. A special Christmas card will be given for you to present to the recipient of your gift. In order to facilitate your alternative giving we are providing an order form as a newsletter and bulletin insert for you to make your selection. Please fill this out and give it to a member of the Missions Committee in Fellowship Hall after church services Sunday Dec. 4th or Sunday Dec. 11th. Detailed information about each organization will also be available. If you are unable to attend church on these dates you may turn it in, or mail it, to the church office. Checks should be made out to Evergreen United Methodist Church, with the note Alternative Christmas on the memo line. ORGANIZATIONS SPONSORED THIS YEAR: After the Wave in Thailand; Bethlehem Bible College; Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity; Center for Church and Global AIDS; Denver Urban Ministries; Evergreen Christian Outreach; Heading Home Severe Weather Shelter Fund; Humble Way orphanage in Uganda; Interfaith Hospitality Network; Into Your Hands; Kenya Youth Sponsorships; Mountain Resource Center; and Urban Peaks Youth Shelter. ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS GIVING 2010 GIFT ORDER FORM NAME: TOTAL AMOUNT OF GIFT $ ADDRESS IN HONOR/MEMORY OF Detailed information about each organization is on next page. After the Wave Bethlehem Bible College Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity Center for the Church and Global AIDS Denver Urban Ministries (DenUM) Evergreen Christian Outreach (EChO) Heading Home Severe Weather Shelter Fund Humble Way Orphanage Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) Into Your Hands Kenya Youth Sponsorship Mountain Resource Center Urban Peaks Shelter Use Where Needed Most

6 PAGE 6 UMCE NEWSLETTER Christmas Alternative Giving Organizations Sponsored After the Wave: Through the Bang Sak School in Thailand the After the Wave foundation provides assistance, schooling and scholarships for survivors of the tsunami. Bethlehem Bible College: This interdenominational Christian Bible College, located in Bethlehem, Palestine seeks to train and prepare Christian servant-leaders for the churches and society within an Arab context while also ministering to the local community. Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity: This ecumenical Christian, Evergreen area affiliate of Habitat builds homes with and for local low-income families utilizing volunteer labor and local donation. Center for the Church and Global AIDS: This ecumenical Christian and inter-faith organization founded by Dr. Don Messer works to address the challenges of the global HIV and AIDS pandemic and related health needs in the world. Denver Urban Ministries (DenUm): An organization of the UMC that assists urban Denver citizens in crisis through legal services, job training and assistance, food and clothing banks, and a variety of self-help oriented assistance. Evergreen Christian Outreach: Ecumenical organization that provides support for local Evergreen area families in need, including childcare, transportation, counseling, food and clothing. Heading Home Severe Weather Shelter Fund: When public funding was lost for vouchers to house the homeless in motels during times of severe winter weather, this organization took on this mission, seeking support from area churches and individuals. Humble Way Orphanage: Humble Way program in Uganda strives to meet the needs of orphans affected by poverty, war and AIDS at this orphanage school where Bill Graf spent a month in Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN): Provides emergency shelter, meals and supportive services to families experiencing homelessness in the Greater Denver area through church and volunteer support. Into Your Hands: This Evergreen-based organization works with rural youth in Makondo, Uganda to empower them through education (building schools and assisting with school fees), enterprise development and self-sufficiency programs. Kenya Youth Sponsorship: UMCE member Donna and Heather Mullins have developed this program to fund schooling for Ekwandaian, Kenya children as there is no public schooling there. One child is able to complete a full year of secondary school at a cost of $300, smaller donations can assist in providing for misc. educational expenses and supplies. Mountain Resource Center: Works with Evergreen/ Conifer area families and individuals to meet basic needs and move towards self-sufficiency. Family advocacy, counseling, teen programs, food, shelter, clothing, and crisis intervention. Urban Peaks Youth Shelter: Assists Denver homeless youth through outreach programs offering guidance, training, food and shelter.

7 DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 7 Around the Church... Community Meal The Community Meal for December will be held on Wednesday evening, December 21st from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. All members and friends of the church are invited to attend and bring guests! Donations of food and goods are always appreciated, as are volunteers to serve as cooks, servers, and clean-up crew. Many thanks to those who made the November meal a Success: Nicki Seavey Fred Bloemendaal George & Carol Wood Shawn Janecek Mary Beckman Ben Radecki Jayne Hope Deb & Emily Hayson Penny Page Norve Chew Phil Brown Vickie Borden Linda Castle Jim and Marlene Waltz Mike & Sean Story Michael Eaton Grocery Card Sales Eileen Alter Grocery Card sales have been going great in November. As of November 21, we had sold $6,650. So we are doing well. I would remind everyone that you can use the cards to purchase food, gas, lift tickets, and gift cards to give others during the Christmas season. A person gets the full monetary value of the cards and the church get 5% of the value of the card. This is a way for the members to help the church with funds without any additional costs. Thank you for your support! Charlene Hahn Card Program Chair Sue Marinelli is Featured Artist in December Sue Marinelli, long time church member and community volunteer will share her paintings in the church office during the month of December. Stop by to see her art and celebrate her gifts. Many thanks to Shawn Janecek for sharing her beautiful beaded jewelry in the church office during the month of November. Please sign up in Fellowship Hall to share your needlework, painting, photography, or sketching. UMCE Annual Christmas Dinner For thirty two years, we have celebrated the beginning of the Christmas season with the fellowship of our church family enjoying a special meal served in our beautifully decorated sanctuary. This year s gala, themed The Gift of Christmas, will be held on Saturday evening, December 10. Reservations are required for this event. Questions may be directed to Ruthanne Huber, Christmas Dinner Chair.

8 PAGE 8 UMCE NEWSLETTER Adult Education Women's Bible Study meets Wednesday mornings from 9:30-11:30 in the church library. Bible study will not meet during the month of December. The January study will be based on the book Haiti Challenges & Hopes by Rev. Dr. Jacques E. Pierre. Contact Jeanne Ambrosier for information or to order the book. Evening Bible Study Led by Pastor Everhart - Pastor Todd is leading a Wednesday evening study of the Gospel of Matthew. The class meets weekly on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Meetings will not conflict with choir practice. The Book Discussion Group will meet on Thursday, December 1 at 1:00 p.m. at The Place on Meadow Drive. Nancy Elliott will lead a discussion of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Please join us and call Marion Stauffer for information at Armchair Theology class has moved its start time from 9:00 a.m. Sundays to 9:30 a.m. to be consistent with the current program schedules and allow for first service attendees to join us. Also, we've dropped the current book, "Conversations with Jesus" as inadequate for our purposes. We will be studying "What's the Least I Can Believe and Still be a Christian," by Martin Thielen, an intriguing title, to say the least. From the book description: "Pastor and author Martin Thielen has compiled a list of ten things Christians need to believe--and ten things they don't--to 'qualify' as Christians. This lively and engaging book will be a help to seekers as well as a comfort to believers who may find themselves questioning some of the assumptions they grew up with." The book can be ordered through amazon.com. Small Groups United Methodist Men will meet on December 10 for breakfast at 8 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Marcel Flukiger, the proprietor of Aspen Peak Cellars at Clifton House Inn in Conifer will give a presentation on The Art of Winemaking. Tom Clapp and Marc Abbott will be coordinating the breakfast. All men are invited to attend and to bring a friend for breakfast and the program. All church members are welcome to attend the program session starting at 8:30 a.m. Designing Women meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 9:30 a.m. in Room 10. This group is looking for people who like to sew at home to assist in the prayer and baby baptism quilt ministries They are also looking for people who knit and/or crochet to help with making hats for the service men overseas to wear under their helmets. If you can help, call Charlene Hahn at Women s Bridge Group meets on the 2nd Friday of every month from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. It s a brown bag lunch event with each woman bringing her own sandwich and the hostess providing dessert and drinks. For information, call Jan Brown at Evening Bridge Group meets on the 4th Saturday of each month. Anyone interested in playing should contact Jan McMichael at It s a fun bridge group and any level of play is welcome. Footloose and Fancy Free will be attending the 2:00 p.m. performance of Amahl & the Night Visitors performed by the Evergreen Chorale on Sunday, December 11. Ticket price is $16.00 with a dinner at Betty Lakey s to follow. Cost for dinner will be $9.00. Sign up in fellowship hall or contact Nancy Elliott for more information, (303)

9 PAGE 9 UMCE NEWSLETTER Men s Ski Weekend Returns In Fellowship Hall, there is a sign-up sheet for the Men s Ski Trip to Steamboat. This year the trip will be held Saturday, February 4 th and 5 th. We have four condos reserved at Timber Run for the night of the 3 rd and 4 th. The package costs will be $ per person which includes 2 ski passes, lodging, and the fine breakfast and dinner cuisine provided by chef Kurt Hornbecker. For those that have Steamboat day passes, the cost will be $ instead. All monies are required to be sent to Kurt Hornbecker, Isenberg Ln., Evergreen, CO by December 18 th. If you have questions, please call me Come join us for some fun and fellowship! EverKids Sunday School Schedule Change A change is coming for the EverKids! As you know, our UMC EverKids program currently has two different sessions running on Sunday mornings for our Preschool through Fifth Grade children. Under the current schedule the EverKids have the options to attend the Action Pack during the 9:30 Education Hour and the EverKids Sunday School during the 10:30 service. Beginning in January, the times for the programs will change. The EverKids Sunday School will be offered at 9:30 and the Action Pack will be offered at 10:30. (Please note that this schedule is, of course, subject to any changes in the current worship schedule.) This change allows the EverKids Sunday School program to line up with our current adult education program. It also allows our many EverKids Sunday School teachers the option to attend either the 8:30 or the 10:30 worship service. Children coming to Sunday School starting on January 8 during the 9:30 Education Hour should come directly to their Sunday School classrooms. Since there is no worship service during the 9:30 Education Hour, they will not be dismissed during the Children s Moment for Sunday School. Children can be picked up from their Sunday School classrooms at 10:15. (Please note that children will not be released directly into the 10:30 worship service by their teachers. Parents and guardians need to pick their children up directly from Sunday School.) The Action Pack will begin following the Children s Moment in the 10:30 service. Children wishing to attend Action Pack should come to the 10:30 service with their families and will be dismissed by Pastor Todd after the Children s Moment. It s important to note that this schedule change is effective January 8. Our current schedule will remain in place (with some adjustments for holidays) through January 1. Please contact Sarah Sailor at sarah@evergreenumc.org with any questions.

10 DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 10 December 2011 Youth Group Activities Sunday, December 4 Youth Bible Study 3:00-3:30 p.m. Youth Group 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the church Sunday, December 11 Youth Bible Study 3:00-3:30 p.m. Youth Group 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the church Sunday, December 18 Youth Bible Study 3:00-3:30 p.m. Youth Group 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the church Sunday, December 25 No Youth Group Tonight. Portland Here We Come! As many of you may aware, the UMCE Youth Group is preparing to head for the Pacific Northwest! If the wreath-selling fundraiser didn t tip you off, then the Butter Braid fundraiser probably did. And if you missed both of those, don t worry; there will be several more youth fundraisers in the coming months to catch your attention. While the Summer 2012 UMCE Youth Mission is still about nine months away, preparations for travel are already well underway. And we already owe a large debt of gratitude to you, our ever-faithful, always-supportive congregation! In August 2012 the youth of the church will fly to Portland, Oregon to work with Learning and Serving Together (L.A.S.T.) a community outreach network through the Southern Oregon Conference of the United Methodist Church. The youth have been tasked with raising all of the funds necessary for this trip, and they are working hard to make it a reality. L.A.S.T. is an organization that focuses on teaching young people how to plug into existing charity networks in their community or, if those networks don t exist, how to create them. L.A.S.T. links groups together to put underprivileged groups in a community together with a variety of services: from food banks and soup kitchens, to literacy programs and community closets, to construction and home repair to community gardens. The idea behind last is putting together single organizations so that volunteers are aware of all of the services that are available in their community to those in need. The youth who participate in L.A.S.T. mission get to experience all of these different agencies and the services that they provide and learn how to locate these groups within their own community. Following our mission week, we will go to Rockaway Beach, Oregon for a two day retreat at Camp Magruder a Methodist youth camp to reflect on what we ve learned. Thank you all for your support of the youth missions over the years, and in the years to come!

11 DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 11 A Reminder - The Charitable IRA Rollover Gift This is a reminder that you have only until the end of December to take advantage of the Charitable IRA Rollover. If you are age 70 and ½ or older you are required to take minimum distributions from your IRA. To reduce your taxable income you can direct your required minimum distribution to the United Methodist Church of Evergreen (UMCE). You can donate up to $100,000, and it must come directly from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) by the IRA custodian to the UMCE. This is a completely tax-free transfer. This is an excellent opportunity for you to make a contribution to the church and save the money you would have paid in taxes if you kept the required minimum distribution for yourself. If you have questions about this process, please contact your tax accountant. UMCE Financial Summary Pledge Status Year To Date October 31 Budgeted Pledges $ 178,134 Actual Collections $ 178,430 Surplus/(Deficit) $ 296 Income Statement Summary Total Income $ 247,246 Total Expenses $ 250,212 Surplus/(Deficit) $ (2,966) Checking Account Balance $ 291 Money Market Account Balance $ 47,220 Building Fund (Upon This Rock): Fund Balance $ 88,006 1 Designated Funds Fund Balance $ 36,714 Endowment Fund: RMC Foundation Account (Mkt Value) $ 55,380 Investment allocation: MM 10%, Equity Growth 45%, Fixed Income 45% 1 This account was recently increased by a roof repair insurance check received for $26,466. Checks were issued recently for $6,500 and $48,000 for roof repairs

12 3757 South Ponderosa Drive Evergreen, CO Phone: Fax: W ERE ON T H E WEB! W WW. EVERGREENUMC. ORG The Ministers of this church are its members. Assisting them are Bishop Elaine Stanovsky, District Superintendent Melanie Rosa, Pastor Todd Everhart and the church staff. Deadline for Newsletter Submissions is the 20th of every month. MISSION STATEMENT The United Methodist Church of Evergreen growing a community of faith by serving a world of need and changing lives.