CHURCH CHAT It is the mission and purpose of Somers Community United Church of Christ to study and seek the will of God and to transform our understanding into action. December 2017 Somers Community UCC 9918-12th Street PO Box 183 Kenosha, WI 53171 ~~~ Ph: 262-859-2540 Email: somersucc@gmail.com Visit us on the web at: somerschurch.org And on Facebook ~~ Pastor Kathleen Gloff Ph: 920-418-4088 Administrative Associate Barbara Sherman Moderator Dennis Curnes ~~ Church Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9:00pm - 3:00 pm Do you ever have that feeling that there is so much to do and so little time in which to do it? Isn't that a silly question to ask here in the space between Thanksgiving and Christmas? As I sit here at my desk writing this page to you...it happens to be my birthday. It was several years ago that I learned of at least one famous person who has the same birth date as I do. That person is former Vice President Joseph Biden. He too was born on November 20th (only a few years before I was :) Whatever your political leanings happen to be, I believe that there is room to honor people of dedicated service from all walks of life...whether their ideas are similar or contradictory to ours. I started to admire Joseph Biden when I served as a board member for the Domestic Violence Center in the Appleton Area about a decade ago. It was there that I learned that Joe Biden was the major legislative voice behind VAWA--which is short for the Violence Against Women Act. In 1990, then Senator Biden stood before his colleagues and started a conversation with the premise that "Violence against women is unacceptable." In spite of indifference and ignorance, the VAWA is still alive and well in 2017; it is still a part of our national conversation when it comes to topics such as National Gun Violence (much of which has been perpetrated by men with Domestic Violence Assaults on their criminal records) and the all too current topic of sexual harassment and abuse. But that is not the only reason that I started to admire Joseph Biden...he has also been responsible for launching the Beau Biden Cancer Moon Shot since the death of his son Beau, raising millions of dollars in targeting specific data base synchronization and research; he seeks to honor the legacy of service that exists in his family. So as I sit here before my computer and think about the year to come, and think about working to get the unsheltered homeless sheltered here in Kenosha, and think about the Diaper Ministry here, and try and connect all of the dots into the big picture...i share with you my favorite quote about "the stuff we have to do" from Joseph Biden. I have heard him say in an interview that these are words that his own father used to say to him as a child and as a young adult: "A lucky person gets up in the morning, puts both feet on the floor, knows what they're about to do, and thinks it still matters."
Birthdays 3 Phyllis Borger 6 Paige Christensen 15 Joseph Minors 17 Evan Duncan 20 Kylene Henthorn 22 David Sielaff 22 Troy Guinn 23 Jonathan Guinn Jr 25 Joseph Rossi 26 Jillian Grulich Anniversaries 1 Randall & Mary Rossi December 3 Communion December 10 Coffee Hour Scripture Readings Isaiah 64: 1-9 Psalms 80: 1-7, 17-19 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9 Mark 13: 24-37 Isaiah 40: 1-11 Psalms 85: 1-2, 8-13 2 Peter 3: 8-15a Mark 1: 1-8 December 17 Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11 Psalm 126 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24 John 1: 6-8, 19-28 December 24 2 Samuel 7: 1-11, 16 Psalms 89: 1-4, 19-26 Romans 16: 25-27 Luke 1: 26-38 December 31 Shalom Center Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Psalm 148 Galatians 4: 4-7 Luke 2: 22-40 December 3 Sunday Volunteers Ushers Liturgist Altar Flowers Maureen Schauer; Char Laba; Jane Fahey Martha Swartz; Karen McKenzie December 10 Richard and Patricia Swartz; Jane Fahey; Karen McKenzie December 17 Joyce and Kent Duesing; Martha Swartz; Karen McKenzie Marianne Hinder Shirley & Ralph Mandernack December 24 Bonnie and Dennis Curnes; Martha Swartz; Karen McKenzie Poinsettias December 31 Barbara Flocker; Richard Glasenapp; Karen McKenzie Poinsettias PLEASE NOTE Due to our bank (Chase Bank), the church is required to have all checks made out as: Somers United Church of Christ 2
During the month of December we will be collecting for our annual mitten drive. Please bring in for donation: mittens, gloves, hats, earmuffs, and scarves to place on the tree in the back of the sanctuary of our church between Thanksgiving and Christmas. These will be donated to Women and Children's Horizons and the Shalom Center They will be greatly appreciated by hands of all sizes during our coldest months of the year. Reminder if you would like your 2017 financial contributions to counted this year, please have them to the church by Thursday, December 27th. Since the 31st falls on a Sunday this year and our books close on that day. Any questions, contact Deanne Mayes 262-412-8628. Sunday, December 24th Service Lessons & Carols 7:00 pm Christmas Eve Service Choir Cantata communion, & candlelight The Men s Breakfast group is meeting for their monthly gathering on Saturday, December 9th, at 8:30 am, they will gather at the Phoenix Restaurant, 12440 75th St, Kenosha located west of I94 on the north side of Hwy 50 at the West Frontage Road intersection. 2017 Annual Reports Annual Reports due to Church Office by Sunday, December 31st There are five Sundays in the month of December, which means we are up to serve the evening meal Sunday, December 31st. We need volunteers to make the soup ahead of time, to make sandwiches at the Center and serve the meal. If you have never participated in this mission opportunity, why not give it a try? Talk to someone who has and find out what s involved. Those who have served find it a meaningful experience. As always, there is a sign up sheet in the narthex. 3
Here is a list of our homebound members/ friends, if you would like to remember them with a card this holiday season: Marge Aderman Villa at Lincoln Park 1700 C.A. Becker Dr # 27 Racine WI 53406 Floyd Holloway Fairhaven 435 W Starin Rd Whitewater WI 53190 Joan Marti Oak Hill Terrace 1805 Kensington Dr # 240 Waukesha WI 53188 Betty Sesser Kenosha Senior Living 3109 30th Ave Kenosha WI 53140 Vivian Weber Library Terrace Assisted Living 7905 36th Ave #18 Kenosha WI 53142 Mary Ellen Werner St Catherine s Commons 3524 7th Ave #416 Kenosha WI 53140 Marjorie Wolf Kenosha Senior Living 3109 30th Ave Kenosha WI 53140 In the midst of the holiday season we remember those members or friends who have died this past year and we hold their families in our prayers: Calvin Gardinier, Dawn Johnson, Billy Esposito, Myrtle Johnson, and John Marti. To these families and others who have lost loved ones, we pray for comfort and peace. Be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24 A POEM FROM OUR RESIDENT POET... (Karen McKenzie) We love our citizens, no matter their ages or wages. We love our farmers... With their veggies, they're real charmers! We love our red-blooded people. We love our churches, even if they don't have a steeple. We love our libraries, museums, parks, beaches, and those great teachers. Plus a special "Amen" to all church preachers. We love "The Arts" and all who do their parts. We love our Senior and Junior Centers, rummage, garage, bake, craft and store sales. We even love the Salvation Army with their little red pails. We love our hospitals, doctors, nurses & caregivers. We want them to help keep us as "live-ers". When it rains, we love our "free car washes," Even though, we may have to wear our galoshes! We love "Kenosha Kings" and all school teams-- And especially Jelly Belly Beans. Today, write down the many things you're thankful for and say: "God Bless America, today and every day!" We love our veterans, flag, and our freedom. we rise up for the Star-Spangled Banner in a respectful manner. Love and a 10 Count Hug and Kisses Salute, XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO XO A Kenosha City and County Citizen 4
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS COOKIE SALE B & B (Breakfast & Books) will begin their 14th year on January 27th at 9:00 am in the Memorial Lounge. We will be discussing the book A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrick Blackman. The hosts will be Joyce Duesing and Bonnie Curnes. Susan Goldsmith will lead the discussion. New persons are welcome to join us. Any questions contact Bonnie Curnes at 262-654-1612. When you shop this holiday season, don t forget your church. Here are at least two ways your church can benefit from your holiday giving: If you use Amazon: + Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. + AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. + Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com Login to Amazon with the following link: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/37-14566047 Put this link into your bookmarks for all your Amazon ordering. The login will list Somers Community Church as your charity. Buy Scrip: +The church has a variety of scrip available for different vendors. Check with Dennis Curnes to see which stores are available. They may be stores on your list! You can also purchase them as gift cards to tuck in someone s stocking! Thank you to all who have sold cookies and to those who will be baking in the days ahead. Some important dates and times: Friday, December 8th, drop off cookies from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Cookies may also be dropped off at church beginning at 8:00 am on Saturday, December 9th. Saturday, December 9th, we will be packing cookies from 9:00 am until done. Even if you only have an hour or two to help package, please consider helping many hands make light work. Sunday, December 10th, pick up your orders from 11:15 am to 1:00 pm. Any questions, please contact Char Laba at 262-658-3804. Thank you in advance for everyone s support of this project!! On December 24th, we will be contributing to The Christmas Fund. The Christmas Fund is for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund which provides direct financial assistance to retired and active United Church of Christ authorized ministers and lay employees and their surviving spouses, including pension and health premium supplementation, emergency assistance, and Christmas thank-you checks. A ministry of the Pension Boards, the offering is received annually on the Sunday before Christmas. 5
Somers Community United Church of Christ Council Meeting November 9, 2017 Present: Kent Duesing Joyce Duesing Barbara Sherman Kent Mayes Char Laba Deanna Mayes Pastor Kathy Gloff Bonnie Curnes Dennis Curnes The meeting was opened by Dennis Curnes, Moderator, at 10:00 AM. Pastor Kathy offered a prayer. The October 12 th minutes were approved as printed. Dennis presented the treasurer s report. Three bills from October will be paid in November. Committees: Pilgrim Heritage Fund: Kent D. reported that a $500.00 request for C.U.S.H. was granted. A meeting will take place on Sunday, Dec. 17 th after the morning worship. Property: Kent M. noted that a new smoke detector was installed in the kitchen. The hole created by a friendly woodpecker near the office was closed so no more damage could occur. The doors in the day care area are not compliant for wheelchair use. An estimate for one door is about $3,000.00. These doors were installed in 1974 and no longer lock securely. Diaper Ministry and Food Banks: Bonnie announced that she applied for another grant from St. Matthews Episcopal Church. Several individual donations of food and checks have been received. Currently, there are now 97 children from 68 families receiving diapers and food. Spiritual Life: 1. Char reported that cookies have been ordered through the newspaper notice and the website information. Pre-orders can be turned in until November 26 th. On Saturday, December 9 th, the cookies will be packaged. The sale will be Sunday, December 10 th. 2. We will honor our members of 25 years or more on November 19 th with a coffee hour to follow the service. Administrative Associate: Barb inquired about the schedule for the Christmas Eve day since it is on Sunday. After discussion, it was determined that the regular Sunday morning service will take place at 10:15 AM. The Christmas Eve service will be at 7:00 PM. Communion will be celebrated at that time. Pastor: Pastor Kathy will begin her advent communions with the shut-ins soon. The Somers Foundation will supply funds for Christmas gifts. Old Business: Annual reports from all committees are due by December 27 th. Also, if you wish to pay your regular offering or yearend gifts so they can be deductible for 2017, these are also due December 27 th. The computer shuts down the process for the year and the financial secretary needs to make the deposits by December 29 th. The next council meeting will be Thursday, December 14th, at 10:00 AM. The meeting was adjourned at 10:55AM, followed by the Lord s Prayer. Joyce Duesing, Clerk of Council 6
The food pantry is always in need of food (see list below). Again I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people in our Somers United Church of Christ for their faithful dedication in bringing in food on a regular basis. We are one of the many churches in the area who are trying to help those in need in this struggling economy. If you do not want to shop or cannot shop make a check payable to Somers United Church of Christ and mark it Food Pantry and I will do the shopping for you. Remember you can turn in your receipts of your purchases and get credit for your donations on your statements. FOOD ITEMS (**food items we use the most) Pancake Mix** Syrup** Tuna Fish Kid s Cereal** Paper Towels** Toilet Paper** Canned Chicken breast Jelly / Jams Chef Boyardee (15 ounce cans)** Egg Noodles Small juice boxes** Jiffy Mix Peanut Butter Rice /Pasta Sides Jell-O Snack Pudding Cups** Hot Chocolate** Ramen Noodles Jell-O** Pop Tarts** Canned Vegetables Soup We always use small hygiene containers like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and mouth rinse. It is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU. Bonnie Curnes, Project Manager Diaper Ministry / Food Pantry Peaches, Pears, Fruit Cocktail, Applesauce (not lite) P.S. Thank you to everyone who donated food or money at our Food Drive on November 19th, it was greatly appreciated. It may not be long before we re glued to the radio or the TV, obsessively checking our phones and our weather apps to see how many inches are predicted to come our way. So if the weather does get bad and it is dangerous to travel, there s a possibility church may be cancelled. You can find cancellation information on Channels 4,6 and 12. Information will also be posted on our Facebook page. 7
December Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Service Team #1 1 2 Co-chairs: Char Laba & Jennifer Swartz 3 Communion 4 5 6 7 8 9 1:00 pm Resources 2:00 pm Diaper Ministry 10:30 am Kenosha Senior Care 3:00 pm 6:30 pm Cookie Drop-off 8:30 am Men s Breakfast at Phoenix 9:00 am Cookie Packing 10 Coffee Hour 11 12 13 14 15 16 11:15 am 1:00 pm Cookie Pickup 2:00 pm Diaper Ministry 12:00 pm (noon) Pastor s Community of Practice 10:00 am Council 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 11:15 am Planned Giving 2:00 pm Diaper Ministry 10:30 am Kenosha Senior Care 24 The Christmas Fund 7:00 pm Christmas Eve 25 Merry Christmas! 26 2:00 pm Diaper Ministry 27 28 29 30 31 Shalom Center