The Visitor - December 2009 - Church of the Master United Methodist

December 2009
Volume 123 Issue 12
THE VISITOR
C H U R C H
A d v e n t
SPECIAL
POINTS
OF
INTEREST
•
December 5,
Christmas
Caroling
•
December 13,
Advent Program
and Dinner
•
December 20,
Traveler’s
Christmas Eve
•
December 24,
Family and
Traditional
Christmas Eve
O F
T H E
a n d C h r i s t m a s
S c h e d u l e
Advent Decorations
Instead of decorating for Christmas at the
beginning of Advent this year, we will
spend this time in Preparation with a
Jesse Tree in the Sanctuary. The Jesse
Tree represents Jesus’ family tree. Its
name is taken from Isaiah 11:1, in which
Jesus is referred to as a shoot coming up
from the stump of Jesse, the father of
David. Ornaments on the tree tell of
events leading to Jesus’ birth and his ancestors. (information taken from http://
www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/
Christianity/2000/12/The-JesseTree.aspx) Our traditional Christmas
decorations will be put up prior to December 20 and will remain up until Epiphany.
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Telecare Ministry
2
Family Ministry
3
Poinsettia Orders
5
You Are Invited
7
Youth News
8
Mission Opportunities
9
Dr. Todd D. Anderson,
Anderson
Pastor
Michele Beach,
Administrative Secretary
882-2153
chmaster.org
M A S T E R
Advent Program and Dinner will be held
on Sunday, December 13, at 4:00 p.m.
This annual program of musical celebration will include skits and music from children, youth, the chancel choir, and other
special music groups as well as congregational singing. This will be followed by a
special meal in the Fellowship Hall to be
enjoyed by all. Put this event on your calendar today.
NEW THIS YEAR! Traveler’s Christmas Eve
will be held on Sunday, December 20, at
7:00 p.m. On December 20, 2009 we will
host a Christmas Eve Service for our
members and friends who will be traveling
on Christmas Eve December 24. The service will include all the trimmings with luminaries, carols, and special music, a
short sermon and the candle light singing
of Silent Night. If your travels take you out
of town we hope you might consider joining us for this special Christmas Eve Ser-
E v e
vice in your church and your community. If you have friends that are traveling as well, bring them along. There will
be refreshments provided by the church
staff after worship and you know what
that means –Christmas Cookies!!!
Christmas Eve Family Service will be
held on Thursday, December 24, at
5:00 p.m. This family-friendly service
includes music from the children’s
choirs, angels, and glow-sticks for all.
Come and enjoy this celebration of our
Savior’s birth. Refreshments will follow
the service to give everyone energy for
the night ahead.
Christmas Eve Traditional Service will be
held on Thursday, December 24, at
7:30 p.m.
p.m This elegant service includes
special music from the Chancel Choir
and the lighting of candles. Come and
enjoy this beautiful service celebrating
Jesus’ birth. Refreshments and a time
of fellowship will follow the service.
P a g e
2
T h e
T e l e c a r e
M i n i s t r y
a t
C h u r c h
o f
t h e
V i s i t o r
M a s t e r
The TeleCare Ministry exists to share love and encouragement with our church family through individual
one-on-one phone calls. The TeleCare Ministry consists of trained individuals who have a passion for this
ministry and who love to "smile and dial." The TeleCare Ministry ministers to the church family through
this avenue nearly every month. The next call date is scheduled for December 3, 2009.
The goal of the TeleCare Ministry is to share love & encouragement by...
·
Listening to you… as you share concerns, praises, and opportunities.
·
Referring needs to the pastor or other ministry groups that can be of assistance.
Directing individuals to particular ministries, upcoming events and ministry opportunities that
are available at Church of the Master.
·
Spreading love throughout the church by giving family encouragement, promoting unity and
encouraging fellowship.
·
Since the inception of TeleCare in the Fall, Pastor Todd has followed up on more than 35 pastoral care
issues. Many have asked specifically for prayer either through the Church Prayer Chain, or with Pastor
Todd personally. Familes in the congregation have been contacted by TeleCare Ministers either by phone
or by mail in September and October. TeleCare is ably chaired by Shirley Baker and supported by Susan
Huffman, Michele Beach and Pastor Todd.
C h u r c h
O f f i c e
a n d
B u i l d i n g
♦
Normal church office and building hours are
9:00 a.m.—2:30 p.m. Monday—Friday, and
Sunday mornings for services.
♦
Closed—November 26—27 for Thanksgiving
♦
Closed—December 25, 28 for Christmas
♦
Closed—January 1 for New Year’s Day
♦
The office and building will be open for limited
hours during the week between Christmas
and New Year’s. Please call ahead if you
need in the office or building during that
week. We will be resuming normal business
hours of 9 a.m.—2:30 p.m. Monday—Friday on
January 4. We wish everyone a great Christmas Season.
H o l i d a y
H o u r s
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T h e
F a m i l y
a n d
C h i l d r e n ’ s
M&M’s:
M&M’s
Music and the Master has a busy month! Here are
some special dates to note on your calendar:
• December 13 Junior choir joins Chancel
Choir for 11:00 a.m. anthem. Please have
children meet in sanctuary at 10:15 a.m..
• December 13 Advent Program (Cherub Puppet play, Junior & Cherub Choir sings) Choirs
meet at 3:15 p.m. and program begins
at 4:00 p.m. Dinner for all in the Fellowship
Hall follows the program.
• December 20 Cherub Choir will meet at
10:40 a.m. in Room 18 to practice.
• Family Friendly Christmas Eve Service
December 24: Junior, Cherub and Chime
Choirs meet at 4:15 p.m. Jr. and Cherubs
meet in Rooms 17 and 18 to get into costumes and practice. Chime Choir meet in
Chapel. Family Service begins at 5:00
p.m. Baby-sitting will be available in the
nursery.
• We will not meet for M&Ms on December 24
or December 31 and will resume on January
7.
Inclement weather policy: If Westerville City School
District cancels school on a Thursday then we will
not have M&M that evening.
U2 and Parent’s Night Out (as well as the Youth)
will combine on Saturday December 5 for an evening
of caroling, merrymaking and of course pizza! To
allow parents extra time for shopping (without kids!)
during this busy month, we are extending the time of
Parent’s Night Out by an hour. We will meet at the
church at 4:30 p.m. and provide care until 9:30
p.m. We will have several Christmas projects to work
on, then have dinner, and then travel to Friendship
Village to carol. If you just want to carol, we will
leave the church at 6:15 p.m. and return by 8:15
p.m. As always, it is $15/family with plenty of adult
M i n i s t r y
V i s i t o r
N e w s
and teen supervision. Please let Jenny Freshly know if
you are planning to attend by December 3 so that we
can have adequate food, supervision, and transportation. Thanks!
Master Class
This month the elementary children will look at the birth
of Christ through the eyes of Isaiah in their workshops.
The Seekers Sunday School Class will lead workshops
that will help the children explore the many names of
Jesus, become familiar with the prophet Isaiah and introduce them to the birth story in Matthew. On December
20 and 27 all children will be combined for games and a
movie about the birth of Christ.
A New Face!
I would like to welcome Erica Francis who joins us in the
nursery for the early service and the Sunday School
hour. She is a junior at Otterbein and plans on being a
counselor for children who are experiencing serious illness when she graduates. She lives on campus but her
home is Grove City, Ohio. She is active in Otterbein
Christian Fellowship and has already become a
favorite of the kids at Parent’s Night Out! Welcome, Erica!
Created by God
For it was you who formed my inward parts: you knit me
together in my mother’s womb. I praise you for I am
wonderfully made! Psalm 139:13. Created by God is a
formative experience for 5th and 6th graders, which introduces basic concepts of human sexuality in a Christian
context. The class begins Friday evening, January 29
and ends at 2:00p.m. on Saturday, January 30. The parents and children meet together for the opening and
closing session. It is a collaborative event between several United Methodist churches in the Northern Columbus area. I and 2 other adults from our church will be
present throughout the weekend. The class is lead by
Bob Meyers, the Children’s and Youth pastor of a UM
Church in Chagrin Falls. Last year we had 3 of our
Church of the Master kids attend and I know the Powells
or the Beaches would be happy to talk with you about
their children’s experience last year. The registration
deadline is January 17. Details to follow in separate
mailing to 5th and 6th graders. If you have any questions,
please give me a call. Thanks!
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T h e
A
L e t t e r
F r o m
T h e
V i s i t o r
D i s t r i c t
What a blessing it is to be part of a church which publically proclaims that harm to our neighbors outweighs any
promise of money and jobs from a predatory enterprise. United Methodists across Ohio did amazing work and ministry to keep casinos out of our state. We did this in the midst of economic uncertainty which made predatory casinos more appealing. Our witness was not always easy or popular. But the church did not bend to fear and greed. It
is with sincere gratitude that we offer our thanks to you.
Issue 3 did not win because we were ineffective. Penn National and Dan Gilbert spent over $35 million dollars developing deceptive ads to exploit the collective fear about the current economic crisis. Sadly, it was successful and
we must now live with the presence of predatory casinos in our midst. We know they will indeed harm our
neighbors and communities. It is this truth that has kept us vigilant in our public witness opposing predatory casino
gambling. We have been successful in stopping the introduction of casinos for 19 years. This means a whole generation of children born in 1990 and after, have been growing up in households safe from the ravages of gambling
addiction that casinos would have brought to Ohio. This is a lasting victory for each of these families. The sadness
comes in knowing the next generation of children is now at risk from all the negative social forces that casinos and
pathological gambling produce.
It is time for us and our congregations to commit to doing all the good we can in all the ways we can. We can learn
how to be in ministry with addicts and their families. Addiction brings increased domestic violence and child neglect. We can learn how to reach out to and be in ministry with those who have been abused. Because suicide attempts will increase, we must know what prevention services exist in our community. We must also learn how to
minister in the midst of suicide. As addicts and their family members lose hope, the church needs to be present
offering pathways to healing and restoration. Now is the time for us to prepare so that we can be ready to serve our
neighbors. We must also be ready to act again if we are faced with further attempts to expand predatory gambling
in our state.
Even in defeat, our efforts were not in vain. Our witness spoke of the deep and abiding love God has for all people.
We put into practice our faith which calls us to do no harm. That witness can never be nullified even with the passage of Issue 3. In the face of greed and fear, we were courageous enough to proclaim the centrality of love and
care of others. People heard that message. God continues to call us to deepen our faith, be present where brokenness seeks to crush life and raise our prophetic voice to do no harm. The church cannot be defeated when we remember the call of Jesus to bind the wounds of others and stand up against unjust practices which seek to harm
others. We will continue in our ministry and witness because that’s what God calls us to do. Together, we will make
a difference in the lives of others and transform our world to be more like the Kingdom of God.
In gratitude,
Bishop Bruce Ough
Bishop John Hopkins
Rev. John Edgar
Rev. Paul White
Rev. Dee Stickley‐Miner
Ms. Belinda Wing
Mr. Tom Smith
Mr. George Howard
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T h e
2 0 0 9
P o i n s e t t i a
O r d e r
V i s i t o r
F o r m
POINSETTIAS add to the beauty of the celebration of our Lord's birth. You
can honor or memorialize someone by purchasing one or more of these
beautiful 6 1/2" Red Christmas Plants for $7.00 each. Complete this order
form and place it and a check in the offering plate or drop it off in the
church office anytime by Monday, November 30. The poinsettias will adorn
our sanctuary from December 20 to January 3.
During the week of December 6-13, we will be organizing visitation with
our home bound church members. Pick up the names and directions after
church services on November 22, 29 and December 6 or during the week
at the church office. Poinsettias and cards will be available after worship
services on December 6 and throughout the week from the church office
during regular building hours. If you need to pick them up after the office
is closed, please call ahead and make arrangements with the office staff.
Let's remember all of our church family during the holidays. The gift of our
time is the most precious gift of all.
In Honor of:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
In Memory of:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
# of Poinsettias ______ Total $ ____________ Cash ______ Check _____
Please designate mine for visitation ___________
I'd like to participate with the visitation ___________
My Name:__________________________ Phone: ___________________
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T h e
T h e
F a i t h W e S i n g H y m n a l s a v a i l a b l e
d e d i c a t e t o l o v e d o n e s
V i s i t o r
t o
The Worship Task Force has announced a project to enhance worship with the purchase of The Faith We Sing.
The Faith We Sing is a supplement to the 1989 United
Methodist Hymnal. Like many recent hymnal supplements, the 284 songs included in the collection explore
new hymnic territory: recently written hymn texts, praise
& worship, non-western musics, gender neutral texts,
etc. In addition, there are new texts to old familiar tunes
that we all love.
As a member of the congregation we are inviting you to
purchase The Faith We Sing as a Christmas present in
memory or honor of someone you love. The cost is $13
and a bookplate will be placed inside the front cover.
Please use the attached form, accompanied by your check made out to Church of the
Master.
Bookplate Order Form
Number of Copies ____ * $13 = Total Due ____________________
In Memory
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
In Honor
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Donor
Name___________________________________________________
Phone Number_________________________________
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T h e
V i s i t o r
Yo u A r e I n v i t e d
New Member Class:
Class “An Introduction to Church of the Master” will meet at the parsonage, 90 West College Avenue from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday December 6. The class will cover church history, current ministries,
and will conclude with a lovely dinner in your honor in the Church Fellowship Hall. If you, or someone you know,
are thinking about church membership, contact the church office at 882-2153 by November 30 to RSVP. Childcare is available but needs to be reserved. Questions??? Please contact Pastor Todd at the (church office)
882.2153 or at (home) 392.1236. Pastor Todd can also be reached at [email protected] .
Cookie Walk: Calling All Bakers -The annual United Methodist Women's Cookie Walk is approaching!! If you love
to bake - we are looking for cookie donations (fudge, candy, and other baked goods accepted as well). The sign
up sheets for bakers are found in the Gathering Space. Please note: if you make cutout cookies to be iced (due
on Thursday, December 10th), be aware that delicate wings, antlers, and legs easily break off. Santa's trees,
snowmen, etc. can be easily handled without breakage. Thanks to all of our dedicated bakers and please remember to sign up for what you plan to bring.
Thursday, December 10 - Sign up to Decorate Cookie Cutouts anytime from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Friday December 11 - Sign up to help with the Cookie Walk Set Up anytime from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 12 - Volunteer to help with the Cookie Walk Event anytime from 8:30 a.m. - 11:00
a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The price of cookies will be $6.50 per pound. Tell your friends & family!!
STAFF VACANCY Visitation Pastor:
Pastor Our church is now seeking individuals interested in the continuation of the
visitation ministry to our congregation. This is a part time position that will require a lot of flexibility. Previous
ministry and counseling experience is ideal. Please send resumes via email or mail to the attention of Staff Parish Relations at the church office. Email address is: [email protected]
OASIS:
OASIS Saturday, December 12- Columbus Zoo Lights -All Adults “20-something through 40ish” Bring your
family and friends and join us as we head to see the Columbus Zoo all lit up for the holidays. We will meet at the
church at 4:00 p.m. and head over to the zoo. Cost for the zoo is $12 for adults and $7 for ages 2-9, under 2 is
free. Let Bev know by December 9 if you are planning to join us.
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T h e
Y o u t h
Youth Bible Study: Revelation
6:306:30-7:00 p.m.
We will meet on December 10, and 17. Note: we
will not meet on the December 3 as previously
noted.
Christmas Caroling
5:30 p.m.
On Saturday, December 5, we will be joining the
younger kids and heading out to do some Christmas caroling to area nursing homes. We will return for pizza afterwards. Please wear festive
clothing. Sign up by November 29 if you plan on
participating!
V i s i t o r
N e w s . . .
Teen Night at the Westerville Community Center
6:006:00-9:00 p.m.
On Friday, December 18, we will go together to the
Westerville Community Center for Teen night. There
will be music, dancing, swimming, food, drinks, and
entertainment. Drop-off and Pick Up will be at the
Community Center. Sign up by December 17 so we
know to expect you!
Note:
Note So that families can enjoy their holidays with
each other there will be no youth events from December 20 to January 2.
Youth Prep for Advent Program
4:004:00- 6:00 p.m.
On Sunday, December 6, we will be practicing for
the Advent Program on December 13. Look for
information in the youth mailer about this opportunity!
All Church Advent Program & Dinner
4:00--6:00 p.m.
4:00
On Sunday, December 13, bring your families and
join us for the Annual Advent Program and Dinner.
The program will include musical groups from the
church.
A
M i g h t y
When Charles Wesley wrote “Hark the Herald Angels
Sing” in 1739, he had the angels proclaim: “Glory to
the newborn King; peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
And what did Wesley think should be the consequences of that message?
“Joyful, all ye nations, rise.” The Prince of Peace had
come.
“Light and life to all he brings.”
“Born that we no more may die; born to raise us from
the earth, born to give us second birth. Hark! The her-
M e s s a g e
ald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King!”
When Wesley wrote that hymn, England was going
through a desperate, hopeless time. Unemployment,
poverty, illness, alcoholism and crime were widespread. Wesley and his brother, John, believed the answer for their nation was Christ’s life-changing message. Changed lives would bring a changed nation.
Wesley’s Christmas song rang true: “Light and life to
all he brings.” Some historians have written that England didn’t have a revolution (as did France) mainly
because of the message the Wesleys preached and
sang.
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T h e
V i s i t o r
Mission Opportunities
♦
WARM Needs for December are coffee, tea, hot chocolate, tuna helper, crackers, spaghettios, laundry detergent and deodorant. Other items and paper grocery bags are always welcome.
♦
NNEMAP Food Pantry: Due to the high volume of clients, there is need right now for sugar, flour and hand
soap. Also needed are canned tuna, macaroni-and-cheese and pudding and jello mixes. For the homeless,
all with pull-tabs: Vienna sausage, Spam, sardines, tuna and small containers of jello and fruit. The pantry
is facing a $12,000 year-end deficit in spite of many cost-containment measures. Please consider a monetary donation this holiday season to help offset this shortfall. A check to Church of the Master should be
marked NNEMAP on the memo line. Also, if you have extra colorful 2010 wall calendars, please save them
for NNEMAP! Thanks for your sustained support for 40 years!
♦
$1,350.73…..This
is the amount needed in order to reach our goal of raising $6,000.00 this year toward
$1,350.73
building a girls’ dormitory at the Women’s Leadership and Training Center in Monrovia, Liberia. Donations
in any amount are needed and welcomed. We would love to reach this goal by January 1. Can you help?
♦
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN BAKE?
BAKE Global Missions will be holding a cake auction on Valentines day 2010
(yes, it falls on a Sunday) and we need bakers willing to amaze us with their culinary skills and/or creativity.
Perhaps Gary Tirey bakes tuba-shaped cakes, Elsie MacKenzie shapes her famous macaroni and cheese
into tiered loaves, or Mark Dilley has a recipe for a wetland-themed Mississippi mud cake? Who knows
what hidden skills are out there? Please call ahead to Martha Jagucki (898-7571 or [email protected])
or Judy Christian (882-5283 or [email protected]) to enter a cake in the auction. Proceeds will
be used to help build a dormitory for the Women’s Training Center in Liberia.
♦
COLLECT LABELS AND BOXTOPS:
BOXTOPS The UMW mission to help McCurdy School in New Mexico is to save UPC
codes from Campbells (and many other brands with Labels for Education) and also Boxtops for Education
on General Mills products. There is a basket by the Sanctuary level kitchenette with a paper listing all acceptable products. These items will be mailed monthly to McCurdy.
S o u t h
A f r i c a n
S o u p
K i t c h e n s
Sad news has just come to us from South Africa: Brian Mullin, the accountant who volunteered his financial
expertise for the five soup kitchens, died unexpectedly on November 5, just hours after acknowledging by email their receipt of our most recent wire transfer. We had just sent $2400 in time for planning and purchasing for their traditional Holiday Food Parcels for families. Brian had written "...we thank you all most sincerely. We will send you some new pictures after the [holiday] food parcel [distribution] party." For several
years all the pictures we have had at our disposal to tell the soup kitchen story were taken for us by
Brian. While his passing leaves a void for the moment in soup kitchen operations, the climate of awareness
in the community among those who might help is reassuring. We are prayerfully trusting that someone will
step forward as Church of the Master sends sincere condolences to Jane Mullin. Your important support of
the soup kitchens remains amazing, and on behalf of South African children, we thank you.
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♦
Dear Church of the Master: The delicious dinner that you
brought to me last Sunday was a nice surprise and I want
to thank you for remembering me. Sincerely, Edwina Ely
♦
I would like to send a note of thanks to “my church family” for all the cards, transportation, food and prayers during the past few months. Thanks to Pastor Todd for his
visits and prayers. It is a wonderful feeling to know you
have so much support when it is needed. Kay Thompson
♦
Thanks to all who contributed coats to the New Life Coat
Extravaganza. There were 647 coats collected from all
sources. Over 407 coats were given away to 243
neighbors at New Life.
T h e
V i s i t o r
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Darlene Dunham
Rex Ogle
Kay Thompson
Virginia Rodgers
Sharon Sink
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Jodiebeth Bloedel
Luke Hassenpflug
Jake Sampson
Sharon Sink
Sylvia Vance
♦
Virgil Archer and family upon the death of
his wife, Pearl Archer, on October 25
♦ Judy Tardell and family upon the death of
her mother, Edna Louise Tardell, on November 4
♦ Mary Christian Rogers and family upon
the death of her mother, Betty Christian,
on November 5.
A
W h a t i s t h e
A d m i n i s t r a t i v e C o u n c i l ?
•
•
•
•
Responsible for making final decisions based on recommendations from other church committees
Meets quarterly on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00
p.m.
All committee chairs and ministry heads are members of
this group and required to attend
Quarterly reports are provided to the administrative
council secretary of activities and future plans of each
committee
P e e k a t C h u r c h
C o n f e r e n c e o n
N o v e m b e r 1 6
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C H U R C H
O F
T H E
M A S T E R
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S c h e d u l e
Date
Special Events
Sermon
Scripture
December 6, 2009
2nd Sunday of Advent
Communion
“Behold the Messenger of the
Lord”
Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79 (UMH 208)
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6
December 13, 2009
3rd Sunday of Advent
Exultation Handbells Play
“Rejoice, O Daughter of Zion”
Zepheniah 3:14-20
Isaiah 12:2-6 (UMH 847)
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18
December 20, 2009
4th Sunday of Advent
“He Shall Feed His Flock”
Micah 5:2-5a
Luke 1:47-55 (UMH 199)
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45
December 20, 2009
7:00 p.m.
December 24, 2009
5:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Traveler’s Christmas Eve
Service
Christmas Eve Services
“For Unto Us a Child is Born’
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96 (UMH 815)
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
“He Was Found Teaching in the
Temple”
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Psalm 148 (UMH 861)
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
December 27, 2009