ADVENT & CHRISTMAS BROCHURE Available inside the newsletter, on-line, and in the narthex. The BEACON The Newsletter of Binkley Baptist Church December 2013 SUNDAY SCHEDULE 9:30 am Church School 11 am Worship Binkley Baptist Church 1712 Willow Drive Hill NC 27514 919-942-4964 www.binkleychurch.org Church Staff Peter JB Carman Minister peter@binkleychurch.org Dale Osborne Associate Minister dale@binkleychurch.org Stephanie Ford Minister of Christian Formation stephanie@binkleychurch.org Leandra Merea Strope Minister of Music leandra@binkleychurch.org Music Blog binkleymusic.wordpress.com Bo Lloyd Organist GEL1210@aol.com Duane Gilbert Business Manager business@binkleychurch.org Lucy Kucmierz Office Manager office@binkleychurch.org PUBLICATION DEADLINES Newsletter: The 20th of each month Announcements for Bulletin and Friday Update: Wednesday 12 noon ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS GREETINGS Sisters and brothers in Christ, I pray that you are well and safe as you read this December edition of the Binkley Beacon. Due to the late Thanksgiving holiday this year, you may be reading this while preparing to receive family and friends into your home. If the holiday causes you to travel, I pray that God will prepare a safe journey to and from your destination. You may be reading this on the first Sunday of Advent. December 1 is the Christian Sunday of Hope during Advent. Many in our community, country and world are longing for and clinging to hope this year. I encourage you to say a prayer for the homeless and hungry in Hill, Carrboro, Durham, and Chatham, Orange and Wake Counties you ponder hope. I also encourage you to say a prayer for the homeless and hungry in Illinois and other states affected by severe weather conditions as you ponder hope. Finally, I encourage you to say a prayer for the homeless and hungry in the Philippines as you ponder hope. Hope is a calm and enduring image when life seems overwhelming. I pray that each one of you will find a measure of hope during the first week of Advent. If you have more than you need, please share. The staff has chosen to share hope and resources with our friends in the Philippines as our Christmas gift to each other this year. We know many of you have done the same. We want to also share our hope with you in the congregation as Christmas approaches. We thank you for sharing hope with us time and time again as we minister together in and around Binkley. W. Dale Osborne VISITORS FROM BRAZIL A CROSSROADS EXPERIENCE Members of the Pinheiro Baptist Church in Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil will be visiting Binkley from December 10 to 16. The Pinheiro church is committed to welcoming all people, ministry with the poorest of the poor and reading the bible from a liberation perspective. The group will include Pastor Wellington Santos, who will bring a message on Sunday morning 12/15. There will be many opportunities to host, share faith, exchange ideas and grow in friendship with these kindred spirits from Brazil. Please be sure to set some time aside to be a part of a week together with new friends. For information or to help contact Roal Carlson [roalcarlson@yahoo.com] or Ellen Stutts [ess@rti.org]. Schedule Of Events Tuesday 12/10-7 pm Fireside Chat Wednesday 12/11-5:30 pm Dinner and Caroling $6 adult; $4 children Saturday 12/14-7 pm Evening program Sunday 12/15-11 am Worship
Creation Through Divine Support Leads to Manifold Thanksgivings Creation Season has ended at Binkley and we give thanks to Stewart Bankhead, our Earth Ministry Chair, for keeping God s creative blessings and our responsibilities regarding them at the forefront of our minds. Thanks also to Janet O Neal and the Grounds Committee for all of their deliberate and careful attention to the trees, shrubs and flowers adorning our property. Many others beyond the Grounds Committee have also bent down to caress the gardens and grasses around Binkley in this season. Our gratefulness continues when we think about the incredible art show that beautifully enhanced our building this season. Particular thanks for coordinating the art show to Anne Winfield and Ruth Ann Ross. We can also be grateful for the creative energy of all who gathered for the Cardboard Challenge. You reminded us of new ways to recycle, reuse and create. There are surely a thousand more ways to be thankful for the creative energies and resources that God has bestowed in our community. If our Binkley Prayer Shawl knitters worked for decades on end they could not create a blanket large enough to cover all the opportunities for gratitude we feel during Creation Season and beyond at Binkley. Thankfully, the shawls they do create offer healing, hope and warmth to many who struggle in our church. As part of Creation Season, I asked congregants in worship on November 17 to complete the following sentence: I like to create The responses were heartfelt, varied and wonderful. I want to share some of the responses with you. I like to create a beautiful garden stories peace poetry metalwork sanctuary wonderful food laughter machines harmony joy a crackling fire hope and support hymns letters scrapbooks smiles art of all types art with fabric giggles love music connections new friendships banners for church labyrinths fun warmth quilts a sense of community family traditions memories good will relationships knitted gifts a sense of time order and simplicity solutions new things peace a wildlife haven a welcoming world order from disorder cards essays food to share lighter spirits a safe refuge for birds beauty in my home buildings insight chaos (ha, ha) a safe environment for children love/light/learning programs that solve big problems efforts to protect mother earth love for the elderly support for public education a happy home for pets and family a comfortable home financial resources for people in need change for the benefit of humanity flower arrangements new scientific understanding understanding of the chemistry of life an elegant solution welcome to Binkley church exciting activities in my classroom an atmosphere of hope moments to share beauty fun for my sweet little boys stone masonry meaningful lessons manholes in Minecraft strategies for people with physical disabilities worlds in my mind where I can be free as a wild mustang a feeling of safety for people who are threatened opportunities for friends and strangers to feast and fellowship together I thank God for all good gifts. W. Dale Osborne
Earlier this month, our church welcomed a visitor, Susan Nienaber, from the Alban Institute, an organization that works with church congregations, groups and other teams that seek assistance in ways they can grow from and process community conflict. With the recent decision making process surrounding Ray Speller s request for ordination as well as the church s history, a group of those involved in church leadership thought it would be beneficial to have someone come and provide our congregation and congregational leadership with tools, resources and ideas for how we manage conflict. The visit was also intended to allow for those who were hurt, frustrated, angry, marginalized or felt attacked to share their thoughts with a group of active listeners. On the weekend of November 1-3, Susan Nienaber spent three days with members of our congregation and left us with ideas and resources that will assist us going forward. In her first session on Friday evening, Susan met with a group of 25-30 individuals and gave us an overview of how conflict can grow within a church. In addition those present were given instructions to help prepare them for the Saturday morning session of sharing and listening related to past and recent conflict. Saturday morning was a powerful session during which we shared, actively listened, apologized and reflected together. On Sunday after church, Susan had lunch with the deacons and church council as well as other interested members. In this meeting, Susan again shared the commonness of congregational conflict and worked with the group on thinking about norms and behavioral covenants that influence our decision-making process. She also recommended a book, Congregational Fitness: Healthy Practices for Layfolk, by Denise W. Goodman. Our hope is to have Susan come back to Binkley in the spring to reconnect with our congregation and teach us tools so we can better facilitate future discussions about issues that come up. While she is away, she has charged church leadership with the task of pulling together Behavioral Covenants we can use in future Church-In-Conference sessions as well as other large church sessions. If you have feedback or questions, please feel free to reach out to any of us that helped coordinate Susan s visit. Jordan Hale- jh175@duke.edu Claudia Templeton- claudiatempleton4@gmail.com Peter JB Carman- peter@binkleychurch.org CONFLICT RESOLUTION RECAP SMALL GROUP NEWS SERMON-SHAPING BIBLE STUDY Tuesday 1 pm MORNING PRAYER Wednesday 9-9:45 am PRIMETIMERS Christmas Sing-a-Long and Luncheon ($10) Wednesday, December 18-12:30 pm Carolina Meadows Sign up on Dale Osborne's door. BINKLEY DAYTIME BOOK GROUP Brunch at Weathervane Tuesday, December 10-10:30 am BINKLEY READERS December Christmas Potluck Friday, December 13 6 pm Nancy Joyner s Home RSVP by 12/10 to ncjoyner@aol.com BI-WEEKLY FIRESIDE CHATS Tuesday, 12/3, 12/17-7 - 8:30pm BYOM (Bring Your Own Marshmallows)
SCHROEDER ANNIVERSARY TREE Fred and Sue Schroeder celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in June! To honor them, their children-mary Beth and Fritz - have donated and planted a beautiful tree in the courtyard. Take time to admire the bright red maple in the raised planter on the choir room side of the courtyard. Thank you and congratulations to Fred and Sue. ~The Grounds Committee PEARL SEYMOUR CELEBRATION CONCERT Seymour Center Saturday, January 25 3 pm No Reservations Required Donations Accepted This concert is being sponsored by the Friends of the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center in conjunction with the Orange County Department of Aging. The concert is dedicated to the memory of Pearl Seymour, her love of music, children and the community where she taught music and played the church organ for many years. BINKLEY PRESCHOOL NEWS www.binkleypreschool.org Preschool registration applications for the school year 2014-2015 will be available starting December 1, 2013. Binkley Church Members have enrollment priority until the December 31, 2013 deadline. Applications are available in the church office, by the preschool bulletin board, and online at www.binkleypreschool.org. Questions, please contact Amy Linnane registrar@binkley.org. CHURCH FINANCES GENERAL FUND: October 2013 Actual Budget Difference Previous year $9,767 $8,765 $1,002 Current year $437,462 $473,878 -$36,416 Non-pledged $33,658 $29,167 $4,491 Undesignated $8,148 $7,500 $648 Birthday bank $897 $1,250 -$353 Building Use $30,328 $36,667 -$6,339 Other $4,018 $0 $4,018 Interest on Money Market $310 $0 $310 Totals $524,588 $557,227 -$32,639 PASTOR'S DISCRETIONARY FUND Balance 10/01/2013 Gifts Received** Disbursed Balance 10/31/2013 -$49 $739 $64 $626
PRAYER CONCERNS Bob Phillips Jayne Howard Ann Cockrell Claudia Cannady Dot Simpson Bill Bodkin Martha Henderson Willard Hamrick Jack Waddell Marion Summerville Health Center/Hospital Residents Ann Overton Joan Ewing Marj Boltz Jean Breckenridge Hilda Moffitt Ernie Roberts Laurie Freeman Leo and Rusty Wagoner Billie Cox (UNC) Extended Family JoAnna Anderson (Jody Hite's sister) Tony Baker (brother of Drew Baker) Pauline Binkley Cheek Tal & Beth Black (friends of Marge Miles) Barbara Brown (daughter-in-law of Gladess Crisp) Dot Cansler (former member health center Carol Woods) Kim Carson (friend of Al Wheless) Mona Chahine (cousin of Ralph Nissler) Janet Claire (sister of Barbara Elder) Steve Emrich (friend of Joe and Nan Pardington) Pat Florian (friend of Janet O Neal) James Fulcher, Sr. (father-in-law of Caryl Fulcher) Hawk Hawkins (friend of Jane Maske) Andrew Henley (Carl's son) David Houser (son of Lynn Houser) Carmen Hoyle (mother of Julia Hoyle) Bill & Betty Kraus (uncle & aunt of Karen Long) Jenny Lawrence (cousin of Marge Miles) Dana Maxfield (sister-in-law of Ginny Lansing) Joseph Niedzwiecki & Ann Yang (friends of the Andersen s) Dot Peterson and family (Susan Resnik's aunt) Hartley Plyler (friend of Gloria Lightsey-Lewis) Carolyn Ripley (mother of Carol Ripley-Moffitt) Michael Shoemaker (nephew of Billie Cox) Ruby Switzer (Katherine Walker's grandmother) Boyd Switzer (father of Katherine Walker) Ellen Wean (niece of Lyn Lamont) Donna Whitley (friend of Martha Henderson) Dave & Will Surukawa (bother-in-law & nephew of Larry McManus) Divine Healer, Please give courage and strength to our friends. Help them to be strong and to heal. Help them through these difficult times and provide them with your loving support. Amen. please contact the office to remove names from the above lists* DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS 2 Arlon Kemple; Mary Lou Smith 3 Lynda Jensen 4 Lal Hlu Kunga 5 Lynn Calder; Marty Moore; Sheryl Scrimsher; Bobby Wagoner 6 Sydney Jernigan; Jerry Van Sant; Kimberly Zirkle 7 Laurence Avery Shirley Hamrick; Paul Keller; Emma Stella-Stroop; 8 Tristan Whitaker 10 Paula Butler; H Bop Siu 12 Sui Tha Par; Amy Powell; Ida Powell 13 Mel Andersen; Virginia Lansing; Camellia Lee 14 Biak Ceu 16 Lisa Parks; Pam Swanson-Boyd 17 Don Hamm; Valerie Hudock; Imani Simpson 18 Kathy Keyser; Susan Mackinnon; Susan Read; Lu Stella 19 Lynn Bodden; Roy Brock; Betsy Kreutzberg; Jenny Walters 21 Anna Butler 22 Phyut Siu 23 Joyce Howard; Janet O Neal 27 Tammy Hatch; Bill McNairy; Weldon Thornton 28 Art Sherwood; Norma Willhoit 30 Katherine Graham-Jackson; Jeremiah Mabry DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 4 Bob Phillips & Anne Winfield 18 Lyman & Velma Ferrell 20 Gordon DeFriese & Carol Hogue 21 Ed & Sherri Davis 22 Lisa & Jeff Parks; Bill & Amy Powell 23 Jim & Mary John Dostert 26 Chon Shoaf & Beverly Comfort 30 Natalie Wilde & Kris Hergert NEW MEMBER Please welcome Rhoda Mountfield who joined Binkley on November 10th. Please say hello the next time you see her!
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 ADVENT I 9:30 am Church School 11 am Worship: Stephanie Ford 1:30 pm Chin Worship, 3 pm Christmas Organ Concert 4 pm Worship at Carol Woods, Peter Carman 2 1 pm Advent Silence 17 7 pm Diaconate, 3 7 pm Fireside Chat, 4 9 am Morning Prayer, 10:30 am Advent Reflection Group, 17 6 pm Children s Choir 7:30 pm Chancel Choir 5 2 pm Health Ministry, 5:30 pm Handbells 7 pm Old Time Ensemble 6 Christmas House 17 7 Christmas House 8 ADVENT II Hanging of the Greens 9:30 am Church School 11 am Worship: Music Sunday 1:30 pm Chin Worship, 17 3 pm Christmas Crafts 5 pm Vespers Service 5:15 Chili Potluck 6:15 pm Caroling 9 Poinsettia Orders Due 7 pm Adult Christian Formation Team, 7 pm Board of Outreach, 10 7 pm Brazil Fireside Chat, 11 9 am Morning Prayer, 10:30 am Advent Reflection Group, 5:30 pm Supper & Carol Singing 7:30 pm Chancel Choir 12 5:30 pm Handbells 6:30 pm Advent Silence 13 Poinsettia Set Up 6 pm Binkley Readers 14 11 am Youth lovefeast Rehearsal 1:30 pm Nativity Reenactment Rehearsal 4 pm Sisters Voices Concert, Sanctuary 7 pm Brazil Event, Sanctuary 15 ADVENT III 9:45 am Christmas Breakfast 11 am Worship: Brazil Partnership 1:30 pm Chin Worship, 17 5 pm Youth Choir 7 pm Lovefeast 6 pm Chin Worship, 17 16 1 pm Advent Silence 7 pm Adult Christian Form Mtg, 7 pm Church Council, SR 17 7 pm Fireside Chat, 18 9 am Morning Prayer, 10:30 am Advent Reflection Group, 12:30 pm Primetimers, Carolina Meadows 7:30 pm Chancel Choir 19 9:30 am Grounds Committee, Lib 2 pm Worship at Carolina Meadows 20 Newsletter Deadline 21 22 ADVENT IV 9:30 am Advent Silence 11 am Worship: Peter 1:30 pm Chin Worship, 6 pm Youth Group, Osborne House 23 12 pm Peace & Justice, 24 Office Closed Christmas Eve 4:30 pm 7 pm 11 pm 25 Office Closed Christmas Day 1:30 pm Chin Fellowship, Sanctuary 3 pm Chin Fellowship, K,FH 26 Office Closed 27 28 29 STUDENT SUNDAY 11 am Worship: Dale 1:30 pm Chin Worship, 30 31 Office Closed 1 Office Closed 2 3 4