Vol. XX, No. 12 December 1, 2017

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1 Northminster Presbyterian Church Caring for all with God s love and grace. 315 E. Alvin Drive Salinas CA Christmas Events at Northminster Advent Celebration - Sunday, Dec. 3 10:00 am Worship / 11:00 Potluck, Program Preschool Christmas Program Friday, Dec. 15, 6:00 pm Angel Tree Party Saturday, Dec. 16, 1:30 pm Christmas Family Potluck Sunday, Dec. 17, 11:00 am Christmas Eve Service Sunday, Dec. 24 Traditional: 10:00 am / Candlelight: 6:30 pm Christmas Worship Brunch Sunday, Dec. 31, 10:00 am See complete list inside! Vol. XX, No. 12 December 1, 2017 Merry Christmas, everyone! When I was in college, I was part of a group of young Christians called InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, or IVCF. We would gather regularly for Bible Study and service. O ne of the books we read in my small group was Spiritual Leadership, by J. O swald Sanders. This little book had a big impact on my life as a Christian and in my faith development. (I still have this book one of few left from my college days!) The flyleaf has this quote: The need for talented, vigorous leaders in the church cannot be overemphasized. Such times demand active service of men and women who are guided by and devoted to Jesus Christ. The book emphasized that ALL Christians are called to leadership in the world, spiritual leaders who will guide the church into the future. H e gives examples such as Moses, N ehemiah and Paul. O ne of the things I love about being Presbyterian is our system of church leadership. O h, sure, sometimes it s messy in committees there are sometimes differing views passionately argued! But it s a system that puts the leadership in the hands of the people of the church, the church members. The only real decisions a pastor makes (as prescribed by the Book of Order) are what texts to preach about Sunday mornings. Everything else is in the hands of the Session, the Ruling Elders, nominated from and elected by the congregation. We don t have bishops making decisions for us, or a Pope in Rome (or even Louisville) telling us what to do. Ruling Elders make up the Session, the governing board in the local congregation, and Ruling Elders and Pastors equally make up the Presbytery, the Synod and the General Assembly. (Continued inside)

2 CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS Regular Events (Check the Sunday bulletin for updated info) Sundays 8:45 am Adult Sunday School - Rm 11 10:00 am Traditional Worship - Sanctuary 11:30 am Cribbage Club - Lobby 11:00 am Children s Sunday School - Rm 21 Mondays Senior Singers - Resuming rehearsals in January Tuesdays 9:30 am Women s Bible Study - Rm 11 10:30 am Staff Meeting - Library Wednesdays 12:00 pm Lunch Bunch - Library 3:30 pm F.L.O.C.K./Satellite - Ministry Center 5:30 pm Middle School Youth - Youth Rm 5:45 pm Chancel Bells Rehearsal - Bell Rm 7:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal - Choir Rm No Sunday School Dec. 17, Dec. 24 December Birthdays 5 Donovan Dominguez Gordon Gretz 7 Mary Schellhaas 9 Margaret McKey 11 Jim Strand 15 Joyce Solazzi 16 Janice Souza 18 Don Thomas 19 Dora Dominguez 20 Fay Biddle Lizabeth Sonico 28 Jonnie Barrient (new member) January Early Birds 1 Tom DeLay Chris Vivit 5 Rebekah Loder Thursdays 7:00 am Men s Breakfast Fellowship - Geneva Rm 10:00 am Knitting Club - Library December Other Events December Anniversaries 3 10:00 am Worship - First Sunday of Advent 3 11:00 am Advent Potluck/Program (after worship) 4 6:30 pm Board of Deacons 7 12:00 pm Priscilla Circle Christmas Luncheon Relay for Life Kickoff Holidiay Carnival 10 10:00 am Holy Cow Offering in Worship 10 11:00 am Worship & Arts Committee 11 10:15 am Finance Committee 15 Newsletter Deadline 15 6:00 pm Preschool Christmas Program 16 1:30 pm Angel Tree Party 17 11:00 am Christmas Family Potluck 17 12:00 pm Super Sandwich Outreach (after potluck) 17 3:30 pm Senior Singers Christmas Concert 18 Preschool Christmas Break Begins pm Gift Wrapping Fundraiser, Northridge Mall 21 8:30 am Personnel Committee 24 10:00 am Christmas Eve Traditional Worship 24 6:30 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship 25 Office, Daycare Closed Office Closed :00 pm Deadline for 2017 Annual Report Articles 31 10:00 am After Christmas Worship Brunch 21 Bob & Joyce Solazzi th 26 John & Susan West th 31 Larry & Perla Bernardez th January Early Birds No early birds - see full list next month! * If your name is missing from this list and you would like to add it, please contact the church office.

3 Priscilla Circle s Advent Celebration December 3 Worship - 10:00 am / Advent Potluck - 11:00 am Relay for Life 2018 Holiday Carnival Kickoff December 9, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Gymnasium Preschool Christmas Program December 15, 6:00 pm Gymnasium Angel Tree Party December 16, 1:30 pm Geneva Room Christmas Family Potluck/Super Sandwich Outreach December 17, 11:00 am/12:00 Geneva Room Senior Singers Christmas Concert December 17, 3:30 pm Northminster Sanctuary Relay Gift Wrapping Fundraiser December 20, 7-9 pm Northridge Mall Christmas Eve Worship Services December 24, 10:00 am December 24, 6:30 pm After-Christmas Worship Brunch December 31, 10:00 am Geneva Rm Advent Celebration Sunday, December 3 10:00 am Worship 11:00 am Potluck/Program After worship we will enjoy a special potluck lunch! Following lunch we will craft our own Advent Wreaths, light the first candle, and also make some cute, easy ornaments. We will also have Reverse Advent Boxes to take and fill. For each day in Advent, you are encouraged to put one item in the box (instead of taking something out), including food, toys, toiletries, etc. These will be given to local, needy families for Christmas! We will have some boxes available, or you can supply your own box or basket. Christmas Luncheon Thursday, D ecember 7, 12:00 pm N ancy Forsman s home Ladies of Priscilla Circle, join us for our annual special seasonal lunch, graciously hosted by Nancy Forsman. This will be our December meeting, so join us for a delicious buffet, Bible study, music and wonderful fellowship.

4 Beauty and Remembrance During this Christmas season our sanctuary will be transformed with the beauty of poinsettias as we prepare to worship the Newborn King at our Christmas Eve service! The Worship and Arts Committee invites you to partner with them in providing these quintessential flowers of the season. You can adopt a poinsettia AND honor a loved one by completing an adoption form and attaching a donation of $15 to help cover the cost of the flowers You can place the form and donation in the offering plate or turn them in to church staff. Deadline to turn in is Sunday, December 17 th. Your loved one s name will be part of the Christmas eve service bulletin and the flowers will be yours to take home after the service. Preschool Christmas Program Friday, December 15, 6:00 pm We just can t get enough of Christmas angels, presents and the Christmas story as told by our Preschool and Kinder-Prep kids! If you are feeling a little humbugish this season, be sure to drop on by and delight to the sound of children at Christmastime - one just cannot be a Grinch with this much cuteness!! Christmas is here and there are angels all around! Angel Tree Angels, that is! (A) Home for the Holiday Are you looking for a place to go for Christmas dinner? Are you available to host guests for Christmas dinner? Christmas is known as the season of giving, as loved ones gather and share gifts, followed (or preceded) by the ultimate fellowship as they share a meal. But sometimes circumstances or life situations can prevent folks from visiting or hosting their families. Our (A) Home for the Holiday ministry connects those members of our extended family with each other. If you answered yes to either question, you can sign up in the narthex, or call the church office! Angel Tree, a ministry of Prison Fellowship, works with local churches like Northminster, to reach out to the littlest victims of crime, the children of prisoners. Prisoners enrolled in the Prison Fellowship program are on a path to beginning a new, productive life which, naturally, includes wanting to provide a Christmas gift for their children. You are the hands and feet of Christ when you give a child a Christmas gift on behalf of their incarcerated parent. Simply pick an Angel from the Angel Tree in the narthex, purchase and wrap the gift and return it to the church the week of December 11. On Saturday, December 16, at 1:30 p.m., we will host the children at a special Angel Tree party. At the party they will write letters to their parent(s), hear the real Christmas story, do some crafts, enjoy refreshments and receive their parent(s) gifts from Santa. The event reminds them that they are not forgotten by their parent, and the story of Jesus, the greatest gift of all, often changes their lives forever. Volunteers are needed to help with gift sorting, and to serve as hosts/hostesses at the party. If you can help in this way, please contact the church office.

5 Christmas Family Potluck Sunday, December 17, 11:00 am Bring your family and join your Northminster family as we celebrate Christmas Northminster style! Bring your favorite dish (seasonal favorites welcome!) to this special version of our monthly potluck! Join us in the Ministry Center, which will be adorned with Christmas finery, for a great gathering of delicious food and other activities that will help us celebrate the Reason for the Season - Jesus! After the potluck, we ll make sandwiches for Dorothy s Kitchen, putting real feet on our faith (or at least mayonnaise) during this season of giving!! (See next article.) Look - over Salinas: It s not a bird! It s not a plane! It s our... uper andwich Outreach! The Mission Committee invites you to Be a Super Hero for the Homeless as we make sandwiches for Dorothy s Place, on Sunday, December 17, after our Christmas Family Potluck! This month, we have all the supplies we need, so all you need to do is stay after the potluck and help us assemble (super hero pun intended) sandwiches with which we hope to bless our less fortunate friends! The Senior Singers present A Christmas Concert Sunday, December 17, 3:00 pm Northminster Sanctuary Having enjoyed a wonderful Christmas potluck in the morning, return to Northminster for a special dessert with a delightful Christmas Concert by our favorite community choir of 50+ vintage voices. You ll be inspired by their high energy as they take on seasonal classics of secular and sacred style! The concert is free; donations to help with the group s expenses are always welcome! The group is also taking to the road for their seasonal tour, so if you are in the area, be sure to come out and support your friends! Check out the weekly bulletin calendar for schedule information! Christmas Concerts If you love music, Christmas is a special time, with concerts a- plenty. You can find a concert to fit your schedule and budget on the schedule below, while supporting your Northminster friends who belong to these great community groups. Gloria Monterey Peninsula Voices Saturday, December 9, 7:00 pm Sunday, December 10, 3:00 pm First United Methodist Church, Pacific Grove $25 General; $20 Seniors/Military $5 Discount through Nancy Palmer $15 12 and Under Christmas With The Camerata Singers Friday, December 9, 7:30 pm St. Paul s Episcopal Church, Salinas $20; Students Free Other Dates/Prices at camerata-singers.org Tuba Christmas Sunday, December 10, 1:00 pm Monterey Conference Center, Monterey Free Admission Senior Singers Sunday, December 17, 3:30 pm Northminster Sanctuary Free Admission Our Homebound Friends Dorothy Cavanagh, Doreen Graham - Katherine Ann Binns, Emma Price, Esther Johnson - Brookdale Grace Bryan - Villa Serra

6 Save a Life... With Gift Wrap?! Relay for Life Gift Wrapping Fundraiser December 20, 7-9 pm Northridge Mall Our Relay for Life team will be wrapping gifts for you at the mall, with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society s Relay for Life. Funds raised at the Relay go to cancer research, education and services. So you really can save a life...with gift wrap!!! (After) Christmas Worship Brunch Sunday, December 31 10:00 a.m. You had a blessed Christmas Eve, reflecting on the true meaning of the season. Then on Christmas Day, the locust hoards descended and left you feeling ragged and cynical and fretting about the over-commercialization of this holy time! Don t despair! Our schedule-friendly Worship Brunch will help bring it all back around to the real reason for our joy: a divine baby boy, Christ the Lord! Christmas Ev e Worship Sunday, D ecember 24 Traditional Service, 10:00 a.m. Candlelight Service, 6:30 p.m. Join us Christmas Eve for two wonderful celebrations of the miracle of Christmas. Our 10:00 a.m. morning Traditional Service will be our usual, excellent time of word and song. At 6:30 pm we will gather in soft, glowing candlelight to hear the glorious news: A savior is born, who is Christ, the Lord! Through Scripture and music from our Chancel Choir and Chancel Bells Handbell choir we will celebrate the birth of Jesus the Messiah, Emmanuel! Let the hallelujahs begin!! A Christmas Prayer Dear Lord, in this holy Christmas season may we draw nearer to You. How wise You were to reveal Yourself in the form and presence of a little baby, the Christ child. You demonstrated the power and the depth of Your love for each of us. Thank You for showing that Christmas begins in the heart, and for the love that it teaches. Help us now to keep the light of the Christmas message burning brightly all year through. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. ~Norman Vincent Peale Bring a brunch item, enjoy relaxed but Christ-centered worship around the table and be refreshed to finish the season in fine style! The Gift of Food! Winter is on our doorstep, which means the homeless of our area will be vulnerable to the biting weather it brings. The Salinas Warming Shelter is again serving the needs of the less fortunate and Northminster is an eager partner as we minister to the least of these, my brethren. As of press time, we do not have a designated day of week to serve. So, stay tuned for Sunday announcements and/or s, OR contact the church office to get updates on when we will be providing meals for the inhabitants of the Warming Shelter. If you can t provide a meal item, monetary donations will also be accepted for the purchase of additional food and/or tableware. If you have any questions, see Mission elder Lisa Loder!

7 From the Pastor continued This year, our nominating committee has had a difficult time finding new leaders for our church. Many have said No, or I m not worthy, or I ve already done my time. But we need you! YOU are the spiritual leaders of Northminster Presbyterian Church. The nominating committee has thoughtfully and prayerfully sought new elders for the coming term. So I ask you this: if you have been approached, or are approached by the committee to serve as a Ruling Elder, think about the need we have for spiritual leaders. It s not an overwhelming time commitment, but it is important for our church, our congregation, and our ministry. Last Call for 2016 Giving The End is near...the end of the year, that is!! If you need to catch up on your 2017 pledge, or would like to make a special donation in the tax year 2017, now is the time! Donations will be accepted until December 31 st ; any donations postmarked or submitted after that date will be credited to 2018 giving. We thank God for your faithfulness that has supported Northminster s local and global ministry since 1959!!! See you in church! Andy It s the End of the Year - time to review the year that was with the 2017 Annual Report! Committee chairs, moderators, program coordinators and directors, please submit a short article on your group or activity by 5:00 pm on Friday, December 29 th. We look forward to reading of and celebrating the ministry that occurs through Northminster by the grace of God and the participation of us all, the church! Thank you! Church Staff / Volunteers Pastor Andy Rausch Organist, Choir Accompanist Claire Vincent Director of Music Dana Vivit Daycare.... Laura Hunter-Michels, Michelle Dominguez, Tasha, Stephanie, Susan, Jessica, Jerrianna, Bobbie, Claire Children s Ministry Assistant Amanda Robles Preschool/KinderPrep Laura, Amanda Custodian, Assistant Jesse Perez, Alan Balch, Set Up Techs Tom Folliard, Bob Hynes Groundskeepers.. Tom McKey, Jeff Hoogendyk, John Gutekunst Audio/Visual Tech Tom Folliard Church Secretary Micki Brown

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