New Covenant Window A Different Kind of Christmas Christmas

New Covenant Window
New Covenant United Methodist Church Newsletter
December 2015
A Different Kind of Christmas
Sometimes Christmas is just overwhelming, it seems,
As we rush around buying up stuff.
We spend without end, and we rack up those bills,
But it feels like it’s never enough.
So this Christmas, let’s all take a different approach:
Let’s try to be more in accord
With God’s Christmas gift, the best one of all –
Our sweet Jesus, our Savior, our Lord.
We’ll be gentle and patient, and loving and kind,
And we’ll keep our priorities straight;
The gifts of the Spirit, the gifts of the heart
Are the ones that we’ll all celebrate.
Christmas Cantata
December 13th 9:00am
Brunch & Fellowship to Follow
Sunday School at 10:00am
Our stress will decrease, and we’ll feel more at peace,
As we decorate, package, and trim;
Our new Christmas will be a pure joy and delight,
As we try to be much more like him.
By Joanna Fuchs
Ladies Luncheon Monday,
Dec 7th 11:30
The Oar House, Rockwall
Meet at the church at 11:10 if you
would like to carpool.
December 2015 Sun. Mon. Tue. 1 6 7 Scrip orders due 9a Pray it Forward 4‐5:30 Cub Scouts COVENANT 6:00‐
7:30P Home School 8:00‐1:00 Yarn Birds 10:00‐
12:00 Ladies Lunch – Oar House 11:30 13 14 Scrip delivery Cantata/Brunch & Fellowship 9:00am 4‐5:30 Cub Scouts COVENANT 6:00 Home School 8:00‐1:00 Yarn Birds 10:00‐
12:00 20 21 9a Pray it Forward Children’s Christmas Cra s 12:00 NO HOME SCHOOL CO‐OP 10‐12 Yarn Birds 8 15 22 Wed. Thu. 2 3 Chorale 6:15 Choir 7:15 COVENANT 9:30
9 10 Chorale 6:15 Choir 7:15 COVENANT 9:30
16 17 Ewing House 4:15 Chorale 6:15 Choir 7:15 Sew Whats 7:00 23 24 Christmas Eve Service 6:00pm 4‐5:30 Cub Scouts 27 28 Aus n Street 4:30am 9a Pray it Forward Home School 8:00‐1:00 Yarn Birds 10:00‐
12:00 29 30 31
NEW YEAR’S DAY
Fri. Sat. 4 5 11 12 18 19 25 26 CHRISTMAS DAY Greetings, Everyone! The Season is
upon us! We have wonderful worship
and fellowship opportunities at New
Covenant UMC this year. We'll begin
on November 29th with our usual
5th Sunday combined service followed
by a fellowship potluck meal of soup
and/or chili. Sunday School is at 9:00
a.m. followed by worship at 10:00
a.m. The worship team has made a few
changes in the way that we will
"appoint" (decorate) the sanctuary/
chancel area. We will ADD something each week to heighten the anticipation of the birth of the Christ
Child. As a result, the tree will be up
on the 29th, but not decorated with
Chrismons or lit. That will occur on
different weeks as we move along.
The combined choirs will grace us with
a beautiful cantata on December 13
during a combined service that begins
at 9:00 a.m. (this is an important
change in our usual schedule!!!). The
cantata will be the Proclamation of
the Word that day. It's titled "Joy! Unspeakable Joy! We have decided to
start worship at 9:00 a.m. to allow more
members of the Chorale, who have
worship at The Waterford each week,
to participate. Our choirs work very
hard to prepare special music for the
church, and we love being able to
accommodate full participation. It will
be followed by a fellowship time with goodies before we go to Sunday School. Last year we decided to offer just
one service on Christmas Eve. The response was very positive! We will have one service on Christmas Eve at 6:00
p.m. It's a night to sing our favorite carols and hear the Christmas Story read from the Gospel of Luke. We will have
our candle lighting service and communion that evening. Bring the family and enjoy the time of worship. We will
observe Holy Communion each Sunday throughout Advent.
Print this schedule and put it on your refrigerator!!! Invite your friends, relatives and neighbors to come and enjoy
the hospitality of Christ during this season and throughout the whole year!
1st Sunday of
Advent:
November 29th
2nd Sunday of
Advent:
December 6th
Worship
5th Sunday
Combined Worship
10:00am
8:30am & 10:45am
Sunday School
9:00am
Sunday School
9:45am Community Meal
Chili/Soup
Pot Luck 3rd Sunday of
Advent:
December 13th
CANTATA
Joy! Unspeakable Joy!
4th Sunday of
Advent:
December 20th
Worship
8:30am & 10:45am
9:00am
Brunch & Fellowship
following service
Sunday School 10:00 Sunday School
9:45am
Reid’s
Reflections
Reid’s
Reflections
Malachi 4:1-3
See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day
that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for
you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping
like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your
feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
I don’t think there is one person who would look forward to hearing these words of scripture
as a great way to get ready for Christmas (unless you are one of those who revere God’s
name!). The prophetic words we will hear in the scriptures of Advent are not meant to comfort
but to challenge. We are reminded of the real meaning of Advent….the anticipation of the coming of Christ.
Advent is every bit as important to the Christian life in preparing for Christmas Day as Lent
is in preparing for Holy Week and Easter. It is a time for us to pay attention to what is happening around us and our own participation in it. It is a time to reflect on justice issues in our society. It is a time to reflect on our own priorities in our lives and how those priorities separate us
from God. We are called to be “alert”…”stay awake”….”stand straight”…”pray for strength.”
That might have a sense of foreboding, but if we are faithful, we can find the words of promise.
When Christ returns, God’s promise will be fulfilled. The event is something to look forward
to.
I say, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” when we hear those prophetic texts. Let’s
make sure we aren’t among the arrogant and all evildoers! It’s time for us to be prepared for the
arrival of Christ, whether as the Holy Child we remember each year or the Merciful Judge we
will all meet.
SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
REID
Christmas Food
Needs:
Whole Chicken
Gravy Mix
Green Peas
Corn
Potatoes
Mixed Fruit
Jello
Cake Mix & Frosting
Cookie Mix
Sugar
Eggs
Christmas Faire Needs:
December 19, 2015
Infant Gifts
New Unwrapped Toys (0-12 years)
New Socks & Underwear for children
Diapers & Wipes
New Unwrapped Gifts for Seniors:
Slippers
Blankets
Gift Cards
Coffee Makers
We have contributed 75 pounds of food
to the Thanksgiving food collection.
Thank you to you all that contributed
coats. I have taken 6 children's coats
and jackets and 8 adults.
Karen Termin
Servant Evangelism in Action
Missions in Motion
Have a purse at home you don't want?
Fill it with snacks, sanitary and hygiene products.
Keep it in your vehicle. Next time you see a
homeless woman, you will be prepared to offer
her something she may need as well as share the
Love of God.
Ewing House ~ AIDS Services Dallas
ASD provides a home and supportive services for homeless men, women and children
living with HIV/AIDS here in North Texas. Children can be kept with their parents with a
home being provided for them all. There are four housing facilities in the North Oak Cliff area of Dallas.
Volunteer agencies, churches and individuals assist ASD by providing “Supper Club”
meals. New Covenant provides dinner on the 3rd Wednesday of every month for the residents at Ewing House. The residents not only enjoy the meals that we provide, but they
enjoy our visitation and sharing a meal with them.
For Christmas NCUMC will be providing gift cards and a gift bag with toiletry items for the
men and women residents at Ewing House. If you would like to contribute an item(s),
please see the list on the Missions bulletin board. A box for collection of the items is in the
entrance to Fellowship Hall.
The gift bags are presented on Christmas Eve morning following the 11:30 A.M brunch.
The brunch served is a very special meal for the residents. Just to make sure we do not
change the menu, we are asked in October if we will be serving their traditional favorites. If
you would like to participate in the meal, please sign up on the Missions bulletin board.
Our church is a blessing to the indigent residents at Christmas and throughout the year
with meals being served by our supper club. If you would like to volunteer to serve a meal,
please call Kathleen Skelton 972-686-0489.
God’s blessings to all.
Kathleen Skelton
Fodey Conteh with his wife Marian (New
Member), Michaelia Michael and her children,
Philip & Karen Kamanda
CALLING ALL
GARDENERS!!
Winter is coming! Be sure to take the necessary precautions to
protect your plants.
Our annual organizational meeting will be Sunday, Jan 24 at
4:00. If you or someone you know is interested in leasing a bed
for 2016, please let me know and invite them to this meeting. I'd
really like to see some plants growing in all the beds this spring.
Debbie Willis
Many nonprofits don't want to face the truth: Donors want to donate to
our organization, but they want to do it online. With the advent of online
giving, we've also seen the proliferation of online donation processes
that are long, arbitrary and filled with hoops for donors to needlessly
jump through. If donors are ready and willing to donate to our cause,
we certainly don’t want to make them wait any longer?
Donating-like shopping and dating-has moved online and is here to
stay. This is backed up by a statistic that shows online giving's rise,
which saw a 14% increase in the donation medium from 2011 to 2012.
Benefits of online giving:

Receive dona ons instantaneously,

Track gi transac ons,

Stores all donor informa on,

Giving donors the op on to create a recurring giving donor profile.
U lize Google Analy cs to gauge our mobile campaign's reach and effec veness.
I have requested an on-line video tutorial which I will load on the
church’s YouTube site once I receive it. Perhaps this will eliminate any
concerns or doubts about on-line giving.
John Barham
Financial Chair
Children’s Ministries
First Youth Game night at Ms. Cindy & Dale’s house was a hit. We had
11 RSVPs & 1 maybe. We invited First Methodist and 3 of their youth
wanted to participate!
We are so blessed and excited to welcome our newest youth Phillip. It
was a pleasure to have him and his mother in Sunday school. Welcome!!
Our children continue to grow and participate in their monthly activities. In December, we will be having a Christmas craft day where the
children will make crafts and gift them to their family for Christmas.
They will also enjoy cookies & milk while they complete all the crafts.
Upcoming events:
December 20: Children’s Christmas craft day and cookies & milk @ Church 12:00-2:30
Have a Blessed day.
Princess Rodriguez
Dian’s Boston
Cream Poke Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
2 small (3.4oz) Instant vanilla pudding
4 cups milk
1 can chocolate frosting
Prepare cake in 13 x 9” pan. Cook and allow to cool to slightly warm.
Use wooden spoon handle to poke holes evenly across cake.
Combine pudding and milk and whisk to blend.
Pour pudding over cake and into holes. Refrigerate cake several hours to
allow pudding to settle and set up.
Open frosting and remove foil seal. Microwave for 15 seconds and stir.
Repeat this until frosting is pourable.
Pour frosting over pudding and spread out to cover completely. Refrigerate for at least several more hours.
This can also be made using Pillsbury sugar free cake mix, sugar free
can icing and sugar free instant pudding mix.
#2
Compliments of Bill Gilbert
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE BOOK OF JAMES?
1. Testing of your __________ produces ______________.
James 1:2
2. Let everyone be quick to ____________, slow to ____________, slow to _____________.
James 1:19
3. Be ______________ of the Word and not merely____________.
James 1: 22
4. You shall ______________ your _______________ as yourself.
James 2: 8
5. ___________ without ___________ is dead.
James 2: 17
6. A person is ____________ by _____________ and not by ___________ alone.
James 2: 24
7. We who ____________ will be _____________ with greater strictness.
James 3: 1
8. God opposes the _____________, but gives grace to the _____________.
James 4: 6
9. _____________ are those who showed ________________.
James 5 :11
10. The ______________of the righteous is powerful and ____________.
James 5: 16
1) FAITH, ENDURANCE 2) LISTEN, SPEAK, ANGER 3) DOERS, HEARERS 4) LOVE, NEIGHBOR 5) FAITH, WORKS 6) JUSTIFIED, WORKS, FAITH
7) TEACHES, JUDGED 8) PROUD, HUMBLE 9) BLESSED, ENDURANCE 10) PRAYERS, EFFECTIVE
The deadline for submissions for the January
Newsletter is Tuesday, December 22nd.
Send emails to [email protected]
or [email protected]
Anyone can submit an article, an announcement, a calendar entry, a comment or suggestion, a notification, a reminder, a note of thanks or appreciation, a favorite poem
or scripture reading, or even a recipe.
No need to wait for a reminder. Feel free to send anytime!
Send to Elesia Atherton at [email protected].