Darkness to Light - Isle of Hope United Methodist Church
Transcription
Darkness to Light - Isle of Hope United Methodist Church
NEWSLETTER EVENTS* December 2015 * A complete calendar of all Isle of Hope UMC events can be found online at www.iohumc.com. Traditional Worship 8:45 & 11:15 AM SUNDAY 29 Churchwide Advent Celebration 5 p.m. Non-Traditional Worship 11:15 AM Sunday School 10:00 AM 6 MONDAY TUESDAY 1 30 7 WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 2 FRIDAY SATURDAY 3 4 5 Friends 'n Needles 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 8 9 10 11 12 Adult Ministries Christmas Luncheon Isle of Hope UMC 412 Parkersburg Road Savannah, GA 31406 www.iohumc.com 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Christmas Cantata Christmas Cantata at Savannah Baptist Center Office Hours 27 No Sunday School Combined Service in Sanctuary 10 a.m. 28 29 30 Christmas Eve Services Traditional 3/5/7 p.m. Anchor 5 p.m. 31 Christmas Gt Vol. V • Dec. 2015 1 2 Glad Tidings A M O N T H LY N E W S L E T T E R O F I S L E O F H O P E U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H I s l e o f H o p e United Methodist Church 412 Parkersburg Road, Savannah, GA 31406 Sign-up for our weekly eNewsletters at www.iohumc.com Christmas Nativity Pageant 6 p.m. Glad Tidings (USPS-706-200) Published Monthly By the isle of Hope United methodist church, 412 parkersburg road, savannah, GA 31406. periodical postage paid in savannah, Georgia. postmaster: send change of address to glad tidings, 412 parkersburg road, savannah, GA 31406. Monday-Thursday: 8am-5pm Friday: 8am-3pm tele: 912.355.8527 fax: 912.355.9113 Darkness to Light In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - John 1:4-5 On August 5, 2010 the attention of the world shifted to a small hole in the ground near the city of Copiapo, in the Atacama region of northern Chile. The main ramp leading into the 121 year old San Jose coppergold mine collapsed, leaving 33 men trapped 2,300 feet underground. A 550-foot, 770,000-ton slab of rock blocked the main exit ramp. A movie called The 33 recently came out about the event. At the time of the accident, few believed the miners could survive the ordeal. During the long nightmare, family and friends of the trapped miners gathered for prayer, for encouragement and to share news at a place near the mine called, “Camp Hope.” It took 69 days and $20 million dollars, but the men were finally rescued from their dark entombment. When Victor Seovia emerged from the darkness of the mine, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera greeted him with these words, "Bienvenido a la vida,” meaning "Welcome to life!" Continued on page 2… Celebration of Missions Children's Nativity Discipleship Opportunities P1-2 Congregational Care Home Groups Missions P3-4 Baptisms Music Financial Seminar New Members Hospitality Core Connections P5 P6 connect, equip Darkness to Light Continued from page 1 What an awesome way to greet someone who has made the transition from darkness to light. This Advent/Christmas we are going to be focusing on this very thing- darkness to light. In John’s Gospel we hear the Christmas story told using this kind of language. There are no shepherds, no sheep, no angels over Bethlehem skies, no wisemen, no star. John launches his telling of the coming of Jesus, this way, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - John 1:1-5 The Light shines in the darkness. That may seem simple, but that is how John introduces us to Christmas. Actually, it is really good news, especially for those who feel trapped by circumstances, or stuck in the pit of fear. There’s light for those who feel helpless, overwhelmed, hopeless, suffocating in the dark, when it seems there is no way out, and no way through. The Chilean miners spent 17 days in the darkness with no contact from the outside world. They didn’t know if anyone was searching for them. It was on day 17 that a drill bit pierced the wall where they were huddled together. As Larry Getlin of the New York Post put it, “After 17 days of hell, the men finally had hope.” Christmas is the story of a God who penetrated the darkness of this world, and through the power of sacrificial grace and love, as Colossians 1:13 says, “rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” One of my favorite family Christmas decorations is a manger with figurines 1 that Cindy made when we served our first church in Rocky Ford. Mrs. Francis Williams lived next door to us and she had a pottery workshop and a kiln. She taught Cindy how to make the figures and fire them in the kiln. It was so exciting the first Christmas we put it up. I cut out a cardboard manger, wrapped it in burlap, and rigged up a Christmas light bulb to go on top of the inside of the manger. The first night we had it up, I forgot to unscrew the small bulb. I woke up around three or so in the morning, and as I walked down the hall to get some water from the kitchen, I could tell light was coming from somewhere. I followed the direction of the light and it led me right to the manger. Looking in on the scene, the brightness was focused on Jesus lying in the manger. It was one of those powerful moments when the reality of who God is, and what God has done for us, just overwhelmed me. The faces and circumstances of some in our family, and some in our church family, immediately came to mind. Some had lost their health. Some had lost a loved one. Some were facing surgery and economic hardship. There in the silence of the room, I could feel the darkness rise. Then I remembered a verse of scripture I had read in a devotional. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” I prayed. I thanked God for a hope that overcomes our fears. I cried. I felt his light shine in my heart. I hummed, not too loud because Cindy and the kids were sleeping, O Little Town of Bethlehem. One line came to mean a pray, serve great deal in that moment, and has many times since: Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. May this Christmas, we share the Light of Life with everyone we meet. And as a church, whenever anyone chooses to step out of darkness in to the Light, may we always say, “Welcome to life.” By the way, I went back to bed and left the light on. Merry Christmas, Mike You are Invited! A Celebration of Missions: Honoring Julie Vann Wednesday, January 6th at 6 p.m. On Wednesday, January 6, at 6:00 p.m. during our Wendesday Night Supper, we will have a celebration of missions honoring Julie Vann's leadership and ministry as Director of Missions at Isle of Hope UMC. We will celebrate her work and the profound growth of our missions ministry during her tenure at our church. When the date draws closer, you may RSVP by signing up as you would for a regular Wednesday Night Supper. For now, please mark your calendars. FRIENDS 'N NEEDLES The December meeting will be on Thursday, December 3 from 11 a.m. until about 2 p.m. with our usual lunch in the Seekers Sunday School room at the church. We’ll be reorganizing after the fashion show and organizing for Christmas. This year we have had the blessing of celebrating the sacrament of baptism for 34 beautiful babies and children! What an amazing privilege and an awesome responsibility God has blessed us with. At right are the three most recent baptisms. MUSIC Christmas Lunch and Cantata at Savannah Baptist Center The Chancel Choir is preparing a service of special Christmas music for worship on Sunday, December 13. We will present a cantata by Mary McDonald, Darkness into Light, with a chamber orchestra of strings, winds, and piano. Arts from the Island will sponsor another presentation of the cantata on Monday, December 14, at the Savannah Baptist Center’s annual Christmas lunch for the homeless. I am amazed by the way God speaks through the creative gifts of people. Certain composers attract and hold my attention not because they impress me but because I sense their desire to collaborate with God and let him make the impression. Mary McDonald is one of these composers. The songs in Darkness into Light flow from the CROWN FINANCIAL SEMINAR: Journey to Financial Freedom The road to financial freedom is nearly impossible to navigate without clear goals and a plan for achieving them. The “Journey to Financial Freedom Seminar” provides practical advice to help your finances intersect with God’s plan. Whether your finances are a mess or you already have a handle on your spending, a clear, personalized road map will help you stay on track to achieve your goals. Where: Isle of Hope United Methodist Church When: Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 8:30-4:00 Cost: $50, $10 discount if registered by January 31st To register call 912-355-8527 Child care and lunch provided narrations, drawn directly from scripture. There are traditional carols, new melodies, and a variety of styles. Words always fall short when trying to describe music, but I can say that this work is filled with joy, and I look forward to sharing God’s joy with others! Beyond those who will sing, we need a team to assist in food preparation and service at the Baptist Center. While the Center recruits volunteers to attend the guests’ tables, we will be responsible for providing and serving the food. If you are willing to help, please contact Kevin Vogelsang at 373-3129. PILLOWCASE DRESS UPDATE A huge thank you to Julie for support of our mission project by which hundreds of little girls have received a pretty dress. We need volunteers. Dresses are cut and ready to sew. We will teach you. It's easy and fun, especially on a cold winter day. Call Elinor Coker (354-0236) or Ann Mallory (354-3607). CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT IOHUMC Thursday, December 24th Christmas Eve 3:00 PM • Traditional Service 5:00 PM • Traditional Service 5:00 PM • Anchor Service 7:00 PM • Traditional Service Sunday, December 27th 10:00 AM • Combined Worship No Sunday School 6 connect, equip NEW MEMBERS pray, serve GIVING CHILDREN'S NATIVITY PAGEANT WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! This year we have been blessed with 86 people making the decision to call Isle of Hope UMC their church home! When those who attended our last Core Connection join we will have added 94 wonderful people who have made the decision to join all of us in committing to support our church through their prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. Our newest members are: Share the Vision! Members and friends of Isle of Hope UMC, As we close out this year and move toward the start of 2016, our Church Council will soon be leading us in the approval of our Shared Ministry Vision (our 2016 Ministry/Mission Budget). Thank you for helping us plan and prepare for our work together in the coming year by sending in your Faith Estimate of Giving Card. If you haven’t yet, and would like to share in the vision, there are Faith Estimate of Giving cards available in the narthex of our sanctuary, or you can pick one up at the Connection Point Board in our administrative wing or the Church Office. Together we will see God do great things in 2016. HOSPITALITY CORE CONNECTIONS Another goal of Live the Call was to create a Hospitality Team that would greet our guests (visitors) in our three worship services. Earlier this year a hospitality plan was created, a leadership team was organized and Nancy Fuqua graciously accepted the leadership of the team. In September we trained 31 Hospitality Team members who began greeting the guests God sends to us each week. Each guest receives a welcome bag that includes information about our ministries, and a mug, pen and pad of paper each of which has our church logo on it. If you would like to learn more about this ministry or become a member of the Hospitality Team, please call Bill. 5 Blessings, Mike Children, join us for the Christmas Nativity Pageant December 20th at 6:00PM Sign Up Now To Participate In This Year’s Christmas Nativity Pageant Ages: 4 Years Old (by September 1, 2015) through 5th Grade. All 4 year olds will play the roll of animals. Practice Times: Monday, December 14th from 4:00PM - 6:00PM Saturday, December 19th from 9:00AM - 11:00 Children must sign up by December 9th and be present at both practices! To Sign Up Call Lisa Sharpley 355-8527 Ext. 29 or email [email protected] WINTER AND SPRING DISCIPLESHIP OPPORTUNITIES Monday in the Word led by Pastor Bill This twelve week study of the book of John will include video, discussion and teaching. The study will be on Monday mornings at 10:30 beginning on January 18th. This year 41 people have taken the Core Connections Class with each person making the decision to become a member of our church! Everyone who has attended the class has mentioned that the love and welcoming embrace of our church helped them know that this was the place God was leading them to call their church home. Our last class on November 15th had 8 in attendance: Nick and Ruth Mangee, Isaac and Janessa Terry, Adam and Erin Matthews, and Charlie and Genie Womble. "Christian hospitality refers to the active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ." - Richard Schnase This winter and spring we will be offering the following opportunities for discipleship. In December we will have a brochure available with more details and a registration form. Disciple 2 led by Pastor Mike This excellent study will focus on the Old Testament and will be on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. beginning January 20th. Leadership Essentials for Men led by Tom Whatley This 12 week study will focus on shaping vision, multiplying influence and defining character and will be on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. beginning January 20th. Invitation led by Pastor Bill This ten week Bible study begins with Jesus’ announcement that the Kingdom of God has come and leads us on a journey through Scripture that helps us see that the story of the Bible is our story. The will be on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. beginning January 20th. PLACE led by Bob Akin and Rachel Reed PLACE is a small group experience that supports your personal process of discovery and acknowledging how God uniquely creates us to relationally serve him in our daily lives. Time and place will be announced. Next Steps led by Pastor Bill Join us for a comprehensive study of what it means to be a Christian as we explore the journey God created us for: The Journey of Knowing and Following Jesus Christ. The will be on Sundays during Sunday School beginning January 17th. Crown "Do Well" seminar led by Jan Spence This one day seminar from Crown Ministries teaches how to apply biblical financial principals that draw people closer to Christ and frees them from financial bondage. The seminar will take place on Saturday, February 27th from 8:30-4:00. More information will be available very soon. 2 connect, equip CONFIRMATION Congregational Care at Isle of Hope United Methodist Church GRIEF SHARE: Looking Forward STEPHEN MINSITRY Spring Grief Share Groups Feb. 17 - May 4 Wednesdays - 2 Sessions Available: 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. OR 6:45 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. Both groups will meet in the Cornus Cottage. For more information, contact Meg Procopio at [email protected]. About Grief Share After the funeral, when the cards and flowers have stopped coming, most of the people around you return to their normal lives. But your grief continues and you feel alone. Often, friends and family want to help you, but don't know how. That's the reason for Grief Share. Our group is led by caring people who have experienced grief and have successfully rebuilt their lives. We understand how you feel because we've been in the same place. We will walk with you on the long path through grief toward healing and hope for the future. pray, serve Isle of Hope Methodist’s Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential, one to one, Christian care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. Our next Stephen Ministry Training will begin in February 2016! If you have prayerfully considered training to become a Stephen Minister here at IOH please contact Brooke Chambers. Applications will be made available in the front office beginning December 1. Our 2015-16 Confirmation has 25 students that have been meeting every Sunday as they learn about our faith. Their kick-off was on September 26th with the theme of being Game Changers for Christ. Their annual Tour of Churches was on November 14. It was a beautiful day and included visiting and learning about the history, worship and traditions of : the Catholic faith at the Cathedral of John the Baptist Catholic Church, the Episcopal church at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Orthodox church at St. Paul’s Orthodox Church and the Jewish faith at Mickve Israel Congregation. They also spent some time learning about John Wesley at the John Wesley statue in Reynolds Square and had lunch at Your Pie. THE CHRIST CHILD'S NEST UPDATE DIVORCE CARE: Find help. Discover hope. Experience healing. Most of us agree that going through a divorce is painful and stressfull and sad. In varying degrees it is one of life's worst watershed moments - one that's not typically envisioned or planned for. It can knock the breath out of you. So how does one cope? Isle of Hope UMC is here to help. The church's Divorce Care ministry for seperated or divorced people meets on Sunday evenings beginning January 31 from 6:30 until 8 p.m. There is also a group for children called DC4K (Divorce Care for Kids) offered at the same time for children in 1st through 5th grades. Facilitators Steve & Robin Lewis, Marjo Zelinsky, Jane Tyler, Johanna Parr and Jo Gamble will guide the group members through a process that involves video presentations, small group discussion and prayer. All of our facilitators have personal experience with divorce and its effect on family. This small group is open to the community and is offered in 13 week cycles. Topics include facing anger, depression, survival, kid care, forgiveness and moving on. Anyone is welcome. There is no charge to attend. For more information about Divorce Care or DC4K contact Meg Procopio at [email protected]. HOME GROUPS One of the emphases of our Live the Call vision is to create small groups that meet in homes, with the goal of beginning with three in 2015. Earlier this year we trained three couples to lead our first three Home Groups which began meeting in September. We currently have 31 members in these groups. Our Whitemarsh/Wilmington Island Home Group is led by Brian and Lindsay Conner, our Isle of Hope Home Group is led by Tom and Maliece Whatley, and our Landings Home Group is led by Danny and Carol Falligant. Pictured are some of the members of our Isle of Hope Home Group. MISSIONS: Our Christmas Focus This year you may choose to help others in need in our worldwide community by visiting the Missions table in the church hallway during Advent workshop and on Sundays November 29, December 6, 13, and 20. Here are a few ways that you can help: - Choose a designated ornament from our Christmas tree and “adopt” a child through Wesley Community Centers by making a donation of $25 to Wesley. The money will be used to purchase a gift card for the child’s parent to purchase a gift for the child. Make checks payable to IOHUMC and note “Wesley Christmas.” - Sponsor a child at or make a donation to The Christ Child's Nest in Guatemala. Make checks payable to IOHUMC and note "TCCN." - Make a donation to Heifer International to purchase a gift of livestock in honor or memory of a loved one. Make checks payable to IOHUMC and note “Heifer” - gift cards will be provided. If you have any questions, please call Brad Weller at 355-8527 or by email at [email protected] 3 Earlier this year, the Guatemalan government began enforcing a law that says children can not live in an orphanage for more than 6 months if there are any biological relatives, regardless of the family situation. Because of this law, 20 children living at The Christ Child’s Nest were returned to their birth families. Fortunately, since June, no other children from The Nest have been returned to their families. Sisters Elvisa and Betsabe are hopeful that no more children will be removed. Scott and Julie Vann visited The Nest in October and found the Sisters and remaining 79 children doing well despite their grief over losing their children, brothers and sisters. The local officials continue to bring children who have been abandoned, neglected or abused to the Sisters to be cared for. They welcome each child to The Nest in the name of Jesus. Thank you for your prayers during this very difficult time and your faithful support over the years. We look forward to continuing our support and watching each child grow into the person God has called him/her to be. Please continue to pray for the Sisters and children, as well as the country of Guatemala following the election of a new president. 4