THE EPISTLE
Volume 15 Issue 10
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS
MUSICAL
December 5th
Get ready for another wonderful
Christmas musical! “Christmas at
Grandma’s” will be presented by the
children of our church on Sunday, Dec.
5 at 5 p.m. – just before the annual
Advent Dinner. Written and co-
directed by high school students Erin
Hoover, Alex Sherry and Jill Weidman,
this toe-tapping production is sure to
get you in the Christmas spirit! The
show will be performed in the church
sanctuary. Bring a friend!
NOVEMBER 25, 2010
John Buchanan, the pastor of the Fourth
Presbyterian Church in Chicago, ruminating
on Advent reminds us:
“Outside its bright and cheerful, crowds
of shoppers, Silver Bells on city
sidewalks, an American holiday in full
swing. Inside it’s dark at the very darkest
time of year.”
The world is celebrating the “Christmas
season” in the weeks leading up to
December 25, while the Church celebrates
Advent. Outside there is a frantic rushing
toward the holiday, so that when we arrive
we are too tired to truly celebrate. Inside the
church, we patiently wait; seeking not to
rush what we know is coming once again,
but rather savoring the time of preparation
for the coming of the King.
 2 THE EPISTLE
Each Advent Sunday, we light a candle on the
Advent wreath to remind us of the progress of
WORSHIP SCHEDULE
the season. This Advent, we will sing as the
opening hymn each Sunday, “O Come, O
Come Emmanuel”, the preeminent Advent
hymn, which tells us of the fulfillment of
Israel’s hope in the coming Messiah.

“O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom

captive Israel….
O come, thou Dayspring come and cheer
our spirits by thine Advent here…
O come, thou Wisdom from on high and
order all things far and wide…
O come, Desire of nations, bind all people’s
in one heart and mind……”
The Old Testament readings will form the
basis for the sermons for the first three
Sundays of Advent. The fourth Sunday,
December 19, our choir will present Advent
and Christmas music of John Rutter.
The three Advent words are hope, peace and
courage. Isaiah is the prophet of the Old
Testament who speaks to our longings this
year as we prepare to celebrate once more the
birth of the Savior and also look forward to
his final coming. These words have special
meaning, I think, in the times in which we live
in which hope often seems dashed; peace, an
elusive dream and courage in short supply.
The lessons from Isaiah combine crucial
theological ideas and beautiful lyric poetry.
So once more we begin the journey. If you
have been slow to “get back to church” this
fall, overwhelmed by the demands of day to
day living, this is the time to renew your faith
in the quiet of Advent as we celebrate the
most counter cultural of all church seasons.
See you in church,
John
ADVENT WORSHIP
November 28: First Sunday of Advent
“Lighting the Candle of Hope”
The Lord’s Supper
Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Matthew 24:36-44
“Hope”
December 5: Second Sunday of Advent
“Lighting the Candle of Peace”
The Lord’s Supper
Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19;
Matthew 3:1-12
“Peace”
December 12: Third Sunday of Advent
“Lighting the Candle of Joy”
Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:46b-55; Matthew
11:2-11
“Courage”
December 19: Fourth Sunday of Advent
“Lighting the Candle of Love”
Advent and Christmas music of John
Rutter
December 24: Christmas Eve
Lighting the Christ candle
5:00 PM: Candlelight family service
11:00 PM: Candlelight Eucharist with choir
 3 THE EPISTLE
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
POINSETTIAS DONATIONS
There is a sign-up sheet on the moveable bulletin
board in Fellowship Hall for people wishing to
donate money toward the purchase of poinsettias
to be used
to
decorate
the
church
during the
Advent
and
Christmas
seasons. Donations should be in the amount of
$10. Payment for the flowers can be turned in at
the church office or put in the Sunday offering
plate. Please make a notation on your check that
the payment is for “Poinsettias”. The last day to
sign up will be November 28. Questions? See or
call Lynn Charles, 381-4744.
MORNING CIRCLE
Morning Circle will meet on Tuesday,
December 7, at 10 AM in Fellowship Hall. This
meeting will take the place of the November one
that was cancelled. You are asked to call Muriel
Gabbey at 377-9177 and tell her whether you’ll be
attending---this will help with program planning
for that day.
EVENING CIRCLE
Evening Circle will be having their Christmas
meeting at the home of Sandy Good on Monday
evening, December 13th at 7:00 PM.
This year in conjunction with Morning Circle we
will be supporting Safe Journey. We will be
purchasing a mattress to provide a comfortable
place to sleep for someone displaced by domestic
violence. Please bring a donation to help us
support this program and come join us for an
enjoyable evening with friends. Give Norma
Harrington or Carol Moran a call for further
information.
REACH MISSION TRIP UPDATE
The destination and dates have been decided
for the 2011 mission trip! Twenty one
participants will be heading to Cairo, NY
from July 10-16 to volunteer at a Reach
workcamp. They will be doing home repair
projects with Christian kids from all over
the country. This will be the seventh year
that our youth and chaperons have attended
a Reach workcamp.
WHAT IS REACH? Reach is a non-profit
organization offering quality workcamp
experiences. Reach supports Christian
churches and organizations and actively
encourages participants to adopt a lifestyle
of serving those in need. Through reaching
out to others, Reach equips Christians with
the skills and opportunities necessary to
impact their world for Jesus Christ.
The 2010 Advent dinner will be on
December 5th. Sign-up sheets are posted in
Fellowship Hall. The children's musical
will be at 5:00 PM and a pot-luck dinner
will follow at 6:00 PM.
Please bring an entree, a side dish or a
salad and your own table service. Have
your food ready to serve as there will no
room in the church ovens. Drinks and
desserts along with pizza for the children
will be provided. Santa will probably stop
by for a visit with the good little boy and
girls.
 4 THE EPISTLE
MISSIONS CORNER
NEED A
The Board of Missions and Outreach sets STOCKING
financial goals each year to help local, state, STUFFER?
national and international organizations. One little Starting Sunday,
known fact is that the Board of Missions also
December 12th,
supports the Christmas Fund which is dedicated to
supporting retired United Church of Christ
Delta Sonic $5
ministers. The mission of the Christmas Fund is Gift Cards are
to provide assistance dollars in situations of available for
critical need while preserving the dignity of those purchase in
who receive the aid. Specifically, the fund Fellowship Hall. The gift cards can be used
provides for the Supplementation of Small towards the purchase of a car wash, in the
Annuities, Supplementation of Health Premiums Detail Shop and towards oil changes. The
and provides Emergency Grants to active and cards are an incredible buy at 2-$5 gift cards
retired clergy and lay employees. The national for $5.00 and 5-$5 gift cards for $10. For
goal this year is to raise $1,650,000. At our further details, contact Nan or Bernie Notar
Christmas service this year, special envelopes will
at 377-0607. ALL PROCEEDS
be available to allow our congregation to assist in
this cause.
COLLECTED WILL GO TO THE
Every month our Board takes time to focus on CHURCH’S GENERAL BUDGET.
one organization this church supports. This month
we focus on The Goodfellas of Rochester.
Goodfellas is a support group for young teenage
inner city males who are struggling to find
positive alternatives to crime, poverty, and gang
life. The group began this past year as an HILLSIDE SPECIAL SANTAS
outgrowth of their female counterparts, The
Determined Divas. (Please see the article below ‘Tis the
under Volunteer & Community Opportunities Season to
regarding the Divas.) You may recall that Bev Believe by
Jackson from Pathways For Peace visited our following your
church during Lent with some of her Divas. Mike
heart and
Brooks, also from Pathways For Peace, leads
Goodfellas. You may have seen Mike and his becoming a
Goodfellas mentioned this past summer in the Hillside
Democrat and Chronicle commenting on jobs that Special Santa.
Goodfellas was providing for some of its youth. I Beginning
have had the privilege of sitting in on Goodfellas November 21st through December 5th the
sessions and can honestly say that I have never Hillside Christmas Tree will be located in
witnessed such passionate leaders as Mike and Fellowship Hall. Please remember to
Bev who are trying to help Rochester’s youth find take a gift request for a child or family in
a better path. need. Gifts must be returned by Sunday,
Be sure and check our church’s website as we December 12th. Please do not wrap the
add summaries of each of the organizations we
gift, but you may provide wrapping
support. On behalf of the Missions Board, we wish
you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
paper and bow if you wish.
Ted Avgerinos
Chairperson
 5 THE EPISTLE
VOLUNTEER & COMMMUNITY
OPPORTUNITIES
SALEM SOUP KITCHEN
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 30
and December 21 to help prepare a lunch for those
in need. Volunteers will meet in our parking lot at
9:15 AM and carpool to Salem UCC, and
returning mid-afternoon.
Please help us re-stock?
Last February our congregation generously
donated hygiene products to “stock” a hygiene
closet for the Determined Divas. The
Determined Divas is an organized and
chaperoned group of young women in
Rochester, NY who are turning away from a
life of violence and "determined" to make a
better life for themselves by focusing on their
education and improving their surroundings.
The Determined Divas have scheduled
meetings every two weeks and often have
speakers from different organizations that
offer their assistance and guidance. Many of
these young women have very little of their
own and their basic necessities are often
neglected.
This closet provides the young women with
the basic: soaps, hairbrushes, shampoos,
washcloths, body products, etc. And their
supplies are running very low. Please
consider donating items. There will be a
large Christmas paper wrapped box located
in Fellowship Hall (look for The
Determined Divas sign). The items need to
be new and of use by females. Thank you
for your generosity. If you have questions,
contact Nan Notar.
TEACHING ON THE ONENESS
BLESSING OFFERED AT
HENRIETTA UCC
The Oneness Blessing offers a powerful
way to open our hearts and spirits to God’s
healing energy and share it with those for
whom we pray. Father Richard Hunt is a
Jesuit priest and chaplain at RIT, a Reike
master, and a popular speaker and teacher
on applying spirituality to daily life. Father
Hunt will share a teaching on the Oneness
Blessing with guided practice at 7:00 PM
Wednesday, December 1, at Henrietta
United Church of Christ, 1400 Lehigh
Station Rd., Henrietta 14467. Everyone is
invited. A $7.00 donation is suggested.
Father Hunt writes:
Those who receive the Blessing, either one
time or repeatedly over weeks or months,
report that it impacts their lives in many
ways. Most people report a deeper sense of
peace and calm in the midst of external
change, and a sense of happiness that has
no outer cause. People also report health
issues clearing up, greater intimacy and
harmony in relationship, greater creativity
and capacity to make decisions, often
resulting in greater worldly and financial
success and wellbeing. Ultimately
repeatedly receiving the Blessing over a
prolonged period leads to a profound and
direct awakening into oneness with all that
is.
 6 THE EPISTLE
GREETINGS FROM ADVENT
HOUSE

During this Advent Season, we at Advent

House want to express our deepest gratitude
for all that you have done and continue to do
to make our House a Home. Your gifts of self,
time, prayers, love, and finances make this
ministry possible. Your generosity has
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTIES
touched the lives and hearts of many, leaving for JYF and SYF
them with the enduring memory of selfless
giving. We thank you and wish you a very Be sure to attend Sunday school on
blessed holiday season. December 19 to enjoy your annual
Christmas party! Both classes will enjoy
food and music.

Returning college students are encouraged

YOUTH NEWS to attend the senior high gathering.

DECORATE THE TROOP 207 TO SELL

SANCTUARY CHRISTMAS
FOLLOWED BY LUNCH AND WREATHS AND POINSETTIAS
SHOPPING Each year, troop 207, which we have
December 4th sponsored for nearly 75 years, sells wreaths
and
poinsettias
in order to
fund the
work of the
Sign-up on the bulletin board in troop. This
Fellowship Hall for this popular annual year
event. Meet at the church at 10 AM to members of
the troop
help decorate. We will leave for the
will be
mall around noon. There you will have available to
lunch and shop until 4pm then return to take orders
the church. on
November
28 and December 5 in Fellowship Hall. The
orders will be ready the following week. If
you are looking for wreaths or poinsettias
this would be a good opportunity to help
yourself and to help the scouts.
 7 THE EPISTLE

OUR CHURCH FAMILY

Our condolences are extended to Raymond and

Lila Beardsley on the recent death of their
grandson, Christopher Beardsley of New Jersey.

Our Christian
sympathy is
extended to the
Bowman
family on the
death of Joseph
A. Bowman on
November 6,
2010. A
memorial
service was held for him at First Church on
November 9, 2010. Pastor John Cedarleaf
officiated. ADVENT, THEN AND NOW
There will also be a graveside service later this
month in Royersford, PA.
Joe had been a member of our church for 38 The church season of Advent began as a time of
years. repentance for Epiphany, which was the second-
biggest baptism day in the early church. Fasting
was once a part of Advent, as it often still is for
Lent.

Advent comes from the Greek word parousia,

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Which was often used to talk about Jesus’
second coming. So Advent is a season of
Barbara Eaton, Perinton Park Manor
preparation not only for the celebration of Jesus;
earthy birth but for his promised return.
Charlotte Jackson, Fairport Baptist Home
Some Christians celebrate Advent by not putting
Shirley Sumner, Perinton Park Manor
the baby Jesus into their manger scenes until
Christmas morning. This adds to the
Les Warren, Fairport Baptist Home
anticipation that is a special part of the season.