2017 Ted Koozer, one of our Poets Laureate, has a poem, Starlight : Christ Presbyterian Church All night, this soft rain from the distant past. No wonder I sometimes waken as a child. It describes our saturation with memories and stories, some sunk so deep that they nourish, or trouble, us at the root of our being. Is this why our Christmas celebration is most significantly shaped not by Apostle Paul s words about Christ born in the flesh, of a virgin, but Luke s story with angels, shepherds, an ill-timed journey, and a night in a stable? It s the story of Jesus birth that makes Christmas not merely celebration of the past but occasion for awakening to the Christ born in our hearts anew today. The power of stories to shape us now and into the future is why our Fan the Flame season of renewal begins with the Heritage Event (see p. 2). On Sunday, December 10, with a shortened 10:30 am worship service that will lead to time in small groupings, we will tell stories of our experience of Christ Church. By these, we will ask: What is Christ Church s meaning and identity? What values and beliefs are close to the church s heart? These questions are important to the vital future God is giving the church. As we discern how God is leading us to receive God s mission anew, we may know that the new will somehow be true to the church s core story and deep identity of the last 60 years. The Christmas story is deep with God s meaning and identity, God s values and beliefs. God s meaning is in a baby who shows God s power by coming in weakness. God s identity is in a child humbly born in a manger. God s values are in a birth announcement first given to lowly shepherds. God s heart is in a human being who reveals God s desire to be as close to us as our flesh. As The Message version of the Bible puts John 1:14, The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. Which is what the Fan the Flame renewal seeks: a new and deeper kingdom-life for Christ Church, especially in how we join our Lord in what he s doing our neighborhood. I wonder: What stories would our neighborhood tell about Christ Church? I pray, tales soaked by the rain of God s story of Love becoming flesh and living among us, healing, blessing, showing mercy, and inviting people into God s life. In our wakening as God s children we find this story isn t in the distant past. God is telling it today in the Christmas proclamation and in the life of fleshy people called church. A blessed Advent and Christmastide to you all, Longest Night Service Dec 21 @ 7pm Christmas Eve Candlelight @ 5:00pm
As you consider your Christmas Eve offering, please remember that this offering provides most of the Deacons budget for all of 2018. It sustains our yearly mission of providing service for our church and aiding and assisting people in our community in need of love and a helping hand. Thank you for your support of this fund, and please continue to give generously. For someone in crisis, it can make the difference between hope and despair. Thank you in advance for your faithful generosity. Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you. The Board of Deacons Christmas Giving Tree!! Be a blessing to a family that struggles. Take a tag off the tree and bring the wrapped gift listed on the tag back to the church on December 10th. We are supplying gifts to a family the Deacons have been assisting this year. There is a single mother and 5 children from 1 to 17 years of age. THANK YOU!! It s Christmas Cookie Time! Making Christmas cookies is a labor of love, so this Christmas Season please consider sharing that love with your CPC Family at Coffee Hour all of December with some of your favorite Christmas cookies filing the tables. Sign-up is in Fellowship Hall. If you have any questions, please call: Amy Rau @ 216-287-0490. OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD OFF THEY GO! Thank you to all who helped to spread the Good News!! This year, Christ Presbyterian Church lovingly packed 48 boxes to minister to children around the world. If you are tracking your box, we would love to hear where it lands. -The Mission Committee
ADVENT ADULT SUNDAY CLASS 9:30 AM This class will focus on the Daily Advent Devotional readings by Nouwen. Across the Sundays of Advent Chuck Scott, Sam Martillotta, Cory Keller or Pastor Matt will guide the discussion. All are encouraged to come and share their insights and focus their hearts and minds on God s amazing love that sends His Son, Emanuel, to be with us. Meet the Newest Member of Christ Church Emma Haggerty is baptized during the November 26th worship as her family looks on. Longest Night Worship Service Thursday December 21 @ 7pm The Christmas season can be full of light and hope, but not always or for all. For some, for all kinds of reasons, it can be a time of grief and struggle. That s why this is a service of Christmas mourning. Candles and quiet will give space to be broken in the company of other broken people. Songs and prayers and oil for anointing will promise the presence of the Savior, Jesus Christ, in whom God shared our grief bore our infirmities, and promised that there is Light that no darkness can overcome.
Elizabeth Goodin Children's Ministry Director elizabeth@christpcusa.org Look for the Helpers When my kids were little, I regularly tuned in with them to watch Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I loved when Mr. Rogers told them at the end of each episode, There s only one person in the whole world like you that s you, yourself. He knew what kids needed to hear. It seems that his mother also had that gentle wisdom. Mr. Rogers used to tell of the simple way his mother would instill hope and faith in him when he was afraid: When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world. This year has certainly been a time of many disasters, both natural and human-made. But in the midst of the pictures we saw of destruction and violence, we also saw and heard of the helpers. Yes, they will always be there because our world has more light than darkness. In three weeks, we will hold up candles that remind us of that. It s an important message, and in four weeks, the children of Christ Church will lead their church family in a worship service that celebrates this very theme: Look for the Helpers. You did read that right. When you come to church on December 31 st, it will be to take part in a worship service entirely prepared and led by our children, ages Preschool through Grade 5. So much of what happens at Sunday morning worship is in adult language. And though I believe that there is much for children to learn from witnessing and taking part in adult worship, I also believe that if we are to truly embrace an intergenerational culture in our church, then we need to hear God speaking through all voices and all ages. Inspired by Mrs. Rogers and Scripture from 1 John, our children will compose their own words to call you to worship and confession, lead you in prayer and song, and share God s message of hope with you. I have no doubt that God will use them well. Thank you for being a church that provides space in its worship calendar for this testimony and for valuing its children as students, helpers, wise teachers, and leaders. Christmas Blessings,
As you know, I have a deep appreciation for the artwork we find in children s books. With dimension, color, and light, pictures can tell a story all by themselves. The beautiful and captivating pictures in author and illustrator Brian Wildsmith s A Christmas Story, tell two stories simultaneously. Rebecca and her young donkey friend are journeying in search of the donkey s mother, who has left on a very important mission. In their travels, they stop and ask directions from a soldier, some shepherds, and an inn keeper. Directed to follow the light of a star, they reach their destination and are surprised to find a newborn baby! The real Christmas story is unfolded in the background scenes of the pages, lending a sense of time and presence for the reader. If I were sharing this story with little ones, I would point to those pictures and ask, What do you see? What do you think that was like? and Who wrote that story? Intergenerational Advent Project The Jesse Tree All ages are invited to join us during coffee hour to make these Jesse Tree Ornaments: November 26th Creation/The Fall December 17th David/Isaiah December 3rd Abraham/Moses December 24th December 10th JOIN IN THE HERITAGE EVENT Bonus Ornament: The stump of Jesse A Child is Born Also, look for the Jesse Tree Advent Family Devotional
Mark your calendars! What s So Special? Christmas Pageant Children-Led Worship Service Sunday, December 17th - (Preschool - Gr. 12) Sunday, December 31st (Preschool - Gr. 5) Pageant Rehearsal/Service Preparation Schedule: December 3rd 9:30-10:20 a.m. 10:30-11:30 a.m. December 10th 9:30-10:20 a.m. 10:30-11:00 a.m. 11:00-11:45 a.m. December 16th 4:00-5:00 p.m. December 17th 9:30-10:20 a.m. 10:30-11:30 a.m. December 24th 10:30-11:30 a.m. December 31st 10:15 a.m. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Family Friendly Candle Light Service Special for the Children: Sharing Time Pew Craft Joyful Noise rehearsal Children and youth begin in worship, then move to YR for pageant rehearsal following Advent candle lighting. Joyful Noise rehearsal Joyful Noise leads opening processional. Children and youth remain in worship. Pageant/Service Preparations (Youth Room) Pageant dress rehearsal and performance at Abbott s Manor, 34251 Ridge Rd, Willoughby Joyful Noise rehearsal Children and youth in sanctuary for pageant and worship. Children (Preschool - Gr. 5) begin in worship, then move to Youth Room for children-led service preparations following Advent candle lighting. Children (Preschool - Gr. 5) meet in narthex. Children-led worship service
Cory Fetzer Youth Ministry Director cory@christpcusa.org 330-472-6988 (cell) :The Future is Now! Do you remember the movie The Matrix? You haven t seen it?? Ok, I ll wait until you watch it and come back. All finished? Great movie, right? That movie came out in 1999 and still holds up in my book (except for the sequels, you can ignore those). Even theologically there s a lot there to discuss and many books have been written doing just that. But I want to focus on how The Matrix viewed the future. How everyone was wearing leather and sunglasses and there was more folks with dreadlocks than you would usually see, and how it was always dark, gloomy and humans had to live underground in fear of their robot overlords. For those in the Church, our view of the future is brighter and more hopeful hopefully. I ve served in almost a dozen churches in some capacity since I began to follow Jesus and one thing I ve noticed is how church folks like to say that youth are the future of the church. In fact, I ve been told that about myself when I was a high school student. But something never sat quite right when I heard that statement. Although it was endearing and showed that older members cared for the younger ones, it has a subtle, unintended meaning to it: youth are the future of the church, but right now we don t need them. Recently during a discussion one of the students brought up how they re the future of the church and I made sure to correct them to show that they re not the future, they re the now of the church. Here at CPC we have students that serve as worship band members, A/V tech team, liturgists, and Sunday School assistants during worship on Sundays and even more roles in other ministries; it s very clear that the youth are more than the future of our church. Better than any other church I ve been a part of, students are engaged in many of the ministries and serving roles and not just as extra hands, but integral members of a team. We ve shown our students that they re important not in the future, but now. And through this intentional involvement we can invest in a future we won t see. By just saying that youth are the future of the church and not actively involving them in church life now, we re pushing them aside until we as adults are done serving for whatever reason (too old, too tired, sabbaticals, etc). But if we allow youth to participate (like we have been) we can walk alongside them to teach and instruct so when our time is done, youth will have the tools and knowledge how to continue the legacy we ve left for them instead of making it up as they go along. I m lucky to be here at CPC where students and youth are encouraged to serve now, where they can learn about and participate in church life. I think we ll see as we move forward that students will be engaged and stick around after their high school lives and CPC will continue to move into a positive (and not Matrix-y post-apocalyptic dystopian) future. Blessing to You and Yours this Christmas Season,
UPCOMING DECEMBER EVENTS Youth Group December 3 Youth Group December 10 Youth Group Christmas Party December 17 No Youth Group December 24 New Years Eve Eve December 30, 6-10pm No youth group December 31 Join us each Sunday night from 6-7:30 for youth group! We always have room for new and old friends! I m always available to hang out after school or church and grab some food if anyone wants to hang out!!
PAPERLESS OPTION This January, we are once again offering electronic mailing of Year-End Contribution Statements. We are encouraging as many as possible to receive statements electronically, as this will reduce paper usage and cost. If you have not already signed up for an electronic statement, please provide consent by responding "I consent" to the CPC Office. You will then receive your Year-End Statement electronically, rather than by mail, for each year of financial contribution. For those who elect 2017 CONTRIBUTIONS To be included in the 2017 statements of giving, have your contributions completed and turned in to CPC Office by Sunday December 31st. 2018 pledge envelopes will be available Sunday, December 10th. Please do not use them until the New Year. The 2017 contribution statements will be emailed to you or mailed out by USPS in mid January. *See Above Note: The initial offering envelope is used to offset the cost of the pledge envelopes only. Each box of pledge envelopes costs less than $5.00. Per capita is an apportionment by which we share in the structural cost of being part of the Presbytery of the Western Reserve, the Synod of the Covenant, and the larger Presbyterian Church. For 2018 per capita is $30.25 per member. FLORAL ARRANGEMENT If you desire to purchase a special floral arrangement for a Sunday morning worship service, please contact: Shari McCaslin at: 440-646-9812 or email pnsmccaslin@windstream.net COFFEE HOUR If you wish to host a special Sunday morning, Coffee Hour in honor or in celebration of someone, Please Contact: Amy Rau at: 216-287-0490 or email arau@lincolnelectric.com Church office hours: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm Monday - Thursday Contact Information Christ Presbyterian Church 12419 Chillicothe Rd. Chesterland, OH 44026 440-729-1688 Fax: 440-729-3733 Website: www.christpcusa.org Church Office e-mail: office@christpcusa.org Pastor Matt's e-mail: matt@christpcusa.org Contact the church at: 440-729-1688 or office@christpcusa.org for questions or envelope requests.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Office Closed 2 7:00am Christian Meditation 8:00am Men s 3 *Sunday Morning Schedule 6:00pm Youth Group 4 7:00pm Deacons Meeting 7:30pm Men s Discussion Group 5 6:00pm Bootcamp 7:30pm Children s Ministry Meeting 6 6:30am Men s 6:00pm Tiger Scout Den Meeting 7 8 Office Closed 9 7:00am Christian Meditation 10 *Sunday Morning Schedule 11:45 Tell Me a Story Heritage Event 11 7:00pm Youth Ministry Meeting 7:30pm Men s Discussion Group 12 6:00pm Bootcamp 13 6:30am Men s 7:00pm Girl Scouts 14 7:00pm Grateful Praise Rehearsal 15 Office Closed 16 7:00am Christian Meditation 8:00am Men s 11:45 Mission Committee Meeting 3:30pm Grateful Praise Rehearsal 6:00pm Youth Group 17 *Sunday Morning Schedule Christmas Pageant During Worship 6:00pm Youth Group Christmas Party 18 7:00pm Property & Maintenance Meeting 7:30pm Men s Discussion Group 19 6:00pm Bootcamp 7:00pm Session 20 6:30am Men s 21 22 Office Closed 23 7:00am Christian Meditation 24 10:30am Sunday Morning Worship 5:00pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship 25 7:30pm Men s Discussion Group 26 6:00pm Bootcamp 6:30pm New Initiatives Meeting 27 6:30am Men s 28 29 Office Closed 30 7:00am Christian Meditation 8:00am Men s 31 10:30am Sunday Morning Worship *Sunday Morning Schedule 9:15am - Adult Choir Rehearsal 9:30am - Joyful Noise Rehearsal 9:30am SS Youth through Adults 10:30am -Intergenerational Worship 10:45am Children s Sunday School 12:00pm -Women s Prayer Group Nursery Care is available for infants and toddlers
BIRTHDAYS Charlotte Wood 12/02 Lori Zagarskas 12/02 Sue Congdon 12/06 Heidi Minick Starke 12/08 Janet Davis 12/14 Andrew Fondrk 12/14 Creola Lambert 12/14 Maridee Bello 12/18 Eli Milnar 12/19 Karen Arp 12/20 Dave Wunderle 12/20 Chris Keller 12/25 Matt Reeves 12/25 Dushan Bouchek 12/27 Anne McCaslin 12/31 ANNIVERSARIES Jim & Darlene Hart 12/27 Ron & Susy Knight 12/28 Collection For Next Step Home The Mission Committee is leading a collection of paper products for the Next Step Home, which serves young people leaving foster care, all through January. When shopping please consider making a purchase of paper towels, bathroom tissue, Kleenex or copy paper it helps make a difference in someone s life! Please contact Sandy Stumpf with any questions at 440-708-8170. PEANUT BUTTER CEREAL RAMEN NOODLES POTATOES (BOXED) HAMBERGER HELPER TUNA HELPER RICE-A-RONI TOMATOES (CANNED) PAPER PRODUCTS PERSONAL HYGIENE