Collingswood Presbyterian Church The Pulse December 2012 Church Office: (856) 854-4523 E-mail: collspres@verizon.net God s word comes to us through 'things as they are': God s messengers, all those angels, appear right at the heart of the everyday. But unless we are listening, Unless we are prepared to drop, for a moment, Our busy work of preparation, celebration, we will never hear the angel s song. J. Barrie Shepherd, Faces at the Manger This season we focus on the Songs of Angels, a popular topic in our society. More people probably believe in angels than the coming of the Lord. It is comforting to believe that our guardian angels protect us, intercede for us or guide us to safety. However, angels in the Bible didn t do such work. Their job was to point to the One who is to come. They sought to get your attention. They wanted to turn our heads to the coming of God- in the most unexpected places. So this season, look for Christ in the quiet of your heart, in our humble homes, homeless shelters, hospitals, nurseries and prisons. This is where Christ comes- to bring good news of great joy. May you listen for the Angels. Go in peace, Pastor Kate Killebrew
The Christmas ant is Coming!!! December 16, 2012 Sun. 12/9 - Rehearsal during Sunday School. Thurs, 12/13 @ 6:00 pm - Dress rehearsal and church decorating. (Parents needed!) Sun. 12/16 - ant Day! Please be here by 10 a.m. so we can get everyone into their costumes. We have already begun practicing the songs for the pageant during Sunday School time. Please try to have your kids here on Sundays so they can be ready for the big day! *************************** The Christmas Luncheon will be after church on 12/16. We need you to bring side dishes, desserts and drinks. Please sign up using the form in the back of the bulletin so we know how many are coming and what you are bringing. 2
Christmas Schedule Sunday, December 23, 10:30 am - Advent Worship Service Monday, December 24, - Christmas Eve Services 5:00 p.m. - Family Service will be a Candlelight service. 7:00 p.m. - Candlelight Service will include communion and choir singing. Don t forget to bring in your angels to display in the back of the sanctuary. ~~~~~~ Sunday, December 30, 10:30 am - Ring & Sing Worship The Reverend Graeme Veitch will be preaching and we will be ringing the bells with Marjorie Miller. Sunday, January 6, 10:30 am - Epiphany Worship Service with communion 3
The Christmas ant is December 16, 2012 We are so excited to present the Sunday School Children and Youth in this year s Christmas ant. Everyone has been practicing for this year s ant. It will be a memorable experience. Thank you to all the parents, and teachers, who have helped to make this year a wonderful year! In January, we will be resuming our regular Sunday School lessons of Bible stories and activities. We will be needing teachers to sign up to help with Sunday school. Please contact the Director of Christian Education, Gretchen Kolecki, to sign up to help. The junior high students along with chaperone s Dennis Kolecki and Buzzy LeCluyse went on a retreat in Johnsonburg, NJ last week. Everyone who attended had a great time. The topic discussed was bullying. The youth thru scripture and small group discussion learned how to handle being bullied and how to help others being bullied. The theme throughout the week end was, no matter what, you are never alone in the situation, God and Jesus are always with you! The Youth Group will be visiting the Living Nativity located at 1520 Hainsport Rd, Mt. Laurel, NJ. All youth and families are invited to attend. Please plan to meet at the church at 5:00 pm on Dec. 16. YOUTH GROUP CALENDAR 12/9 : Youth Group - 6:30-8pm 12/16: The Living Nativity - 5:00-8:00pm 12/23: NO Youth Group 12/30: NO Youth Group. 1/06: Youth Group - 6:30-8pm 1/27: Breakfast Club - during services Youth Advisory Committee meeting - 7:30pm 4
Mitten, Hat and Sock Tree Our congregation will be collecting new hats, scarves, mittens and socks this Christmas to donate to help families in crisis and homeless in our county. Please help us warm as many people as possible by donating to this collection. Our Charlie Brown tree will be placed in the Narthex in a few weeks. Hang your gifts of gloves, hats, scarves and socks from its branches. The tree will stay up until January 2013. If you have gently used or new coats which you would like to donate, you can place them on the pew in the Narthex. Thank you. Lorrie Heuser Blood Drive The Deacons are planning another Blood Drive on January 11, 2013. Watch for announcements. 5
~ OUR CONGREGATION ~ We rejoice at the birth of Liam Berkelbach, son of Susan and Ryan Berkelback and Colton Young, son of Stephanie Young and grandson of Paul and Linda Young. We rejoice at the baptism Kaela Grace MacCoy daughter of Melanie and John MacCoy and great-great-granddaughter of Hazel Stecklair! We celebrate the marriage of Jessica Lowden and Charles Floyd October 27, 2012 in our sanctuary. We welcome new members Melanie and John MacCoy, James Burns, Jay and Louanna Sills, and Mabel Oleksiak (transfer from Trinity Pres. in Cherry Hill). We say goodbye to Justin Bleistien who transferred his memberships to the Lutheran Church in Pennsauken. Justin recently married and he and his wife Minka are now expecting their first child! We rejoice that Myra Ostrander has found a church home and transferred her membership the Metropolitan Community Church in Charleston, SC. John and Shanna Morascini are transferring their membership to First Presbyterian Church in Myrtle Beach, SC. We will miss all of you!!! Mike and Sarah Amato (and baby Brady) will be moving back into the area soon! We mourn with Ostrem and Maldvadkar family upon the death of Bill s father, Ron Ostrem, in Minnesota We keep these folks recently hospitalized in our prayers: TJ Fazzio, June Hart, John Morascini, Ramiro Robles and Arleen Fickentscher Continue to keep our college students in your prayers, especially our new college freshmen class : Steve Wilson, Erin Eife and Angela Woods. Congratulations to Andy Schuehler who signed with Penn State to attend in the fall and continue his swimming career. Keep Kyle Stoy in your prayers as he works in Seoul, South Korea. Kudos to Brett Salmon (Pastor Kate s son) who recently published his research on the formation of stars in galaxies and will be going to Chile for further research in December. 6
Year End Holiday Giving As we celebrate the season of thanksgiving and the birth of the Jesus, we need to acknowledge our blessings. Our church is blessed with a caring community of members that support each other in faith and the bumps we encounter in our everyday lives. Also, as a church body we need your continuing financial support. So as you sift through the year-end pleas from many worthy charities, also keep Collingswood Presbyterian Church in mind. If you have waited till now to reconcile your commitments please consider this a gentle reminder to catch up on your giving to CPC. We still are several thousand dollars short of our budgeted income for 2011. Thank you so much for your commitment to the life and mission of Collingswood Presbyterian Church. Do you pay your bills online? You can add CPC to your bill paying service or your bank and have them send in your pledge - even if you can t make it to church! It s one less thing for you to remember each week (not to mention that it would save you a stamp!) and it would help our finances. Everyone wins! 7
Will Powell, Director of Music Gretchen Kollecki, Director of CE Pastor Kate Killebrew Joan Hafer, Secretary Chris Keeley, Custodian 8