Professional Documents
Culture Documents
th e
He r ald
Volume XXXXX1I,
Issue 11
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service
7:30 p.m.
Lants Lines/
Christmas greetings
Christian Educator
Poinsettias/Hymnal 4
news
Project Milk Money 5
Farrington Grove
Chorale
Celebrating Life/5th 6
Sunday Luncheon/
Youth Group
Calendar
Bazaar News
Thank Yous
Church Happenings 10
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t h e He ra l d
Lines from Lant
[T]he voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight. (Mark 1:3b NRSV)
As many of you know, the church year begins with Advent, as we anticipate Jesus first and second comings, moves into the Christmas season, and then, after a period of ordinary time, continues with Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, then Pentecost and more ordinary time until the
church year comes to a close with Christ the King Sunday in late November. The Revised Common Lectionary suggests scripture readings that coordinate with this schedule, cycling through
the same biblical passages every three years. Each year a different synoptic gospel is emphasizedYear A is Matthew, Year B is Mark, and Year C is Luke. John is used in all three years.
We are just now entering Year B, which relies principally on Mark.
This reliance on Mark presents a problem when it comes to the Christmas season. While Matthew and Luke supply scriptural material for Christmas, Marks Gospel omits the infancy of Jesus
entirely, beginning instead with the preaching of John the Baptist, when Jesus already was an adult
and poised to begin his ministry. Indeed, Mark does not even mention Joseph. As a consequence, in Year B we borrow from the other Gospels as we select scripture to coordinate
with Christmas.
Marks absence of Christmas passages, however, should not lead us to devalue his Gospel. Perhaps more than any of the other gospel writers, he emphasizes for us Jesus suffering and death
for our sake, as well as the necessity of self-sacrifice for all who call themselves disciples of Jesus.
One might say that Mark gets straight to the heart of the gospel message.
As a worshipping congregation we will have many opportunities to reflect upon the Christmas
story this year. The Advent devotional resource, which is authored by members of our congregation, already is available for your use, enjoyment, and edification. Hanging of the Greens will
be on December 2. The Choirs Christmas Cantata will be presented on Sunday, December 7,
and the following week the children and youth will offer an original Christmas play written by our
church member, Andrea Paul-Bonham. The official Christmas season (as distinguished from Advent) will begin with our traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight service of Lessons and Carols and
will continue through twelve days including the following two Sundays (when we will continue to
sing Christmas carols!). As we take advantage of all these worship occasions, maybe we can allow Marks emphasis on the saving mission of the adult Jesus to help us interpret the stories
about his birth. Seen in this light, Christmas is saved from sentimentality; and its true joy is revealed.
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Parents Night Out/Youth Movie Night will be December 5. Childcare and supper is held
at the church from 5:30 9:00 pm. Please notify the church office if your child(ren)
will be attending.
Sunday School meets every Sunday at 9:30 am. There are classes for all ages with
child care available from 9:15 to 11:45 am. Infants to 2 year olds Nursery room
101; 3 to 5 year olds Preschool room 108; Kindergarten to 2nd grade Room 202;
3rd thru 5th grades Room 103; Middle School Room 200; High School Room
201 Adults: Coffee and Conversation FH Classroom A; Bible Study FH Classroom
B; Christian Parenting FH Classroom C
The family prayer group meets on Mondays at 11:00 am at the church. Lunch is
served ONLY on the 2nd Monday of each month. Childcare is provided.
Hanging of the Greens will be Tuesday, December 2 from 5:30 7:15 pm. Come
for supper, decorating, and a brief dedication.
The Choirs Christmas Cantata is Sunday, December 7.
Christmas Program - The children and youth will present Everyones Going to Love
It, a program written by Andrea Paul-Bonham, on December 14 during worship.
The Christian Nurture Commission has approved a new family program for
2015. Living In Faith Everyday known as LIFE. This will be a time for families to
affirm the faith formation that happens in their homes. The first session will be at
Hanging of the Greens and the 2015 schedule will be distributed.
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Orders are now being taken for poinsettias to be used in decorating the sanctuary
for the Christmas season. If you would like to order one of these plants, please complete
the form below and place it in the offering plate, leave it at the church office, or mail it to
the church.
Their cost is 7.50 each. Payment for the plants is to be made when the order is placed. Order
deadline is December 7.
The poinsettias may be picked up after the candlelight service on Christmas Eve.
I/WE would like to order ________ poinsettias to be used to decorate the sanctuary this Christmas.
________ Red
________ White
_______ I will pick up my plant after the Christmas Eve service on December 24.
This plant is to be in memory of or in honor of:
_______________________________________________________
Given by: _______________________________________________________
Helping Others at the Holidays - What Your Mission Committee has Planned
Your Mission Committee has organized ways you can help local and/or international,
communities during the holidays. With respect to the local, we are supporting 14th &
Chestnut in two ways, food for their pantry and clothes for older youth. In regard to
food, help us build the tallest Christmas trees possible in Fellowship Hall out of 28oz jars
of peanut butter and 12oz cans of tuna. In regard to clothes, tags will be available on
the actual Christmas tree in Fellowship Hall for the taking with various clothes items desperately needed
for older youth. Check donation tags are also available if you prefer.
With respect to the international, help the HEMEFund project in Afghanistan
through the purchase of a sewing maching ($60). There will be tags for this
purpose also on the tree in Fellowship Hall. Check donations also accepted.
Both will start the evening of Hanging of the Greens on Dec. 2.
THANK YOU ! ! !
Sun was shining inside and out during our Holiday
Bazaar weekend November 7th and 8th. Weeks of planning
and hard work resulted in an enjoyable fundraising event for
and fellowship hall for the Holiday Bazaar on Saturday. John Whalen and his crew of
cooks arrived early and prepared yummy all-you-can eat breakfasts for workers and
early shoppers. Attractive displays of crafts, baked goods, jewelry, gently used household items and books were available for those who came to buy. Susan Bough, Sinwon Racop, and members of the 7th Cents Youth group served tasty lunches, and hungry diners enjoyed conversation and laughter while they ate.
It was very satisfying to see our church community in action. Many people
worked together doing many things and made the 2014 Holiday Bazaar a huge success! Profits made will provide funding for projects identified by the Strategic Planning Committee, and also benefit others that are ongoing.
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Logan Williams
family.
Hannah Rose Grossman, daughter of
Ryan and Tiffany Grossman, born on
October 21, weighing in at 7 lbs. 9 oz.
and is 22 tall. Tiffany is Centrals
Youth Director.
Advent Devotional
written by a member of Central Presbyterian Church. These booklets are available for pick up in the fellowship hall.
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December 2014
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
3 Deacons
4 Womens
Group
11:00
Assembly 1:00
Hanging of the
Greens
5:00
5:30
Sara Stoffers
9:30
11:00
Comm.
10:00
10 Session
Sat
Donna Wilson
Fri
rehearsal 11:00
Chuck Shutt
11
12
Barb Goltry,
Phil Farmer
7:00
13 Childrens
Program Dress
rehearsal 10:00
Worship 10:30
Youth Group 5:00
Alisa Ennis,
Tara Singer
14Sunday
School
Anna Weber
15
16
***
17 Communi- 18
cations
7:00
19
20
26
27
Worship 10:30
Youth Party 5:00
Jim Moles
21Sunday
School
9:30
Ryan
Monica
Grossman
Hawkins
22Family Pray- 23
er Group 11:00
Worship 10:30
Matthew
Ford, Samuel
Ford, Merri
Kelley
28Sunday
Katlyn Powers
29Family Pray- 30
er Group 11:00
cert
7:00
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service
7:30
closed.
David Giltner
31
***
Worship
5:30
9:30
Finance
5:30
Worship 10:30
Mission
6:00
Facilities
6:30
School
Church Happenings
Womens Book Club
Next Herald
Deadline
Dec. 22, 2014