COVENANT NEWS - firstchurchwg.orgfirstchurchwg.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/dec17-jan18-final.pdfThe Christmas Fund 9 History: Brides 10 Weddings Holaday Library 10 Pledges Received

COVENANT NEWSThe Newsletter of the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves

Inside this issue:New Members 2

Pastoral Relations 2Committee

December Worship & 3Music Notes

January Worship & 4Music Notes

Holiday Happenings 5

Moderator’s Corner 5

Tracey’s Blessing 6

Youth Update 6

Cliff Aerie & MICA 7

Jazz Noel 7

Habitat for Humanity 8

Gift A Meal App 8

The Christmas Fund 9

History: Brides 10 Weddings

Holaday Library 10

Pledges Received 11

Civil Rights Exhibit 11

Gifts for the Manger 11

Poinsettia Orders 11

December Birthdays 11

January Birthdays 11

MLK Celebration 12

Paris Noir 12

Holiday Schedule 13

December Calendar 14

January Calendar 15

Missing Someone? 16

Meal-a-Month 16

FROM THE PASTORS’ DESKThe “End” Is Near

“The end is near!”

That’s not exactly the sort of comforting word most people would hope to hear from their pastor. But I’m offering it to you, now, because we are at the beginning of Advent, which heralds the end of the old world order and the beginning of Christ’s new creation.

And we’re nearly at the end of our Year of Renewal. Since Martin Luther King Day 2017 we have been engaged in a renewal year, as we have considered our mission and purpose as a congregation especially in light of the matters of race and social justice.

I traveled with my family to Europe and Africa, to explore the bases and causes of American style racism and to offer my family

a fuller appreciation of our mixed roots. Those quests took us to places as varied and distant as France, Norway, Ghana, and Senegal. (We had hoped also to tour Washington, DC, and Memphis, but our share of a Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal grant was pretty thoroughly expended by the time we arrived back in the States.)

I was also interested to know more about the preventions and cures that African Americans have sought about racism. Whether it was finding refuge in Paris or establishing the Pan-African movement that resulted in Africa’s decolonization by Europe, Americans of African descent have had an enormous impact on raising the world’s awareness of the benefits of Black labor and culture, and the need to reform our global economic and social systems.

Here at home, you welcomed Minister Sonya Vann who served as your pastor in my absence. You partook of media offerings and discussions, and participated in some challenging programs designed to help you consider issues of social justice and race from new perspectives. Those who were willing to swim in these spiritual waters found themselves challenged to think in new ways and maybe even to form new opinions. Trusting fresh voices may have been difficult for some, and there may have been others who were simply unready for this sort of renewal. But as a faith community you persevered.

Throughout all of this you and I have prayed and contemplated, and reimagined ourselves as individuals and a community in Christ. What will it mean for us to have done all this?

Our theme for the year has been “Learn. Explore. Partner.” We haven’t accomplished everything we set out to do. We had hoped to develop a partnership with an African American congregation, but we are very early in that effort, and we have only the vaguest idea of what the outcomes of such a partnership should be. Our learning and exploring, however, have borne a lot of fruit and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

On January 14, things will begin winding down, as our official Year of Renewal comes to an end. In morning worship, we’ll transfer the Renewal’s Curriculum Committee to the Christian Education Ministry. That afternoon and evening, we’ll participate in the Community MLK Celebration. And on King Day itself, we’ll offer a special presentation and discussion of a new documentary, Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light, at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium.

The end of the Year of Renewal is near. Long live our new beginning.

Peace

DECEMBER 2017 and

JANUARY 2018EDITION

PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEWEST MEMBERS

Four new members were received into our congregation on Sunday, November 19, during worship. We hope you will seek them out and welcome them.

Loretta May Walker Landis, mother of Dr. Ray Landis, worked for many years as a Sunday School teacher at Zion Mennonite Church in Pennsylvania. Loves gardening, latch hooking, and her kitty. Participates in Willing Workers and FAITH: Continuing the Search. (Sponsor: Dawna Williams)

Charlie & Nannelle Griffith, residents of the Bethesda Orchard Retirement Community in Old Orchard, moved here from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he had been an executive with Provident Mutual Insurance and she had been the secretary at their church. They retired to St. Louis in order to be near their daughter Marie and her family. Marie is the Director of the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University. (Sponsors: K & Paul Wentzien)

Margaret Gustafson found us, last April, when she attended our concert, The Cry of Jeremiah. Margaret has an appreciation for a wide variety of things and likes that our worship services are different every week. She grew up in Webster Groves and has been a part of the Webster Theatre Guild which performed on our stage for many years. Her pastimes include being a docent for the Webster Groves Historical Society and an avid harmonica player. (Sponsor: Jane Porchey)

PASTORAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE ADDS TWO

The Pastoral Relations Committee (PRC) is a forum for discussions about the ministry of our pastor and of our ministry together as a church. Each year, two new members are selected by mutual agreement of the Pastor and Committee, with the approval of the Executive Ministry, to serve a three-year term. In January at their next meeting, the PRC will welcome Sue Stepleton and Tom Waltz into service with them.

Currently serving are Joe Weyhrich, Donna Hull, and Janet Fales. Barney Kitchen, has recently resigned for health reasons; a candidate to complete the year remaining in Barney’s term had not yet accepted the seat at press time. Moderator Linda Kopetti also is part of the Committee, ex officio.

The Committee holds the Pastor accountable for his covenants with God, his family, and this community, with that order of importance. He seeks their support for maintaining his best work but also for performing the balancing act of professional and family life and self care.

The six members of the Pastoral Relations Committee, along with the Moderator and Immediate Past Moderator, meet every two months. Their work is a fascinating project, and sometimes even exciting.

If you have an issue you would like for the Committee to address and have not been able to raise the matter with the Pastor directly, please contact any of the PRC members. Their next meeting is on January 9, 2018.

Page 2 DECEMBER 2017 AND JANUARY 2018

WORSHIP NOTES & MUSIC IN WORSHIP FOR DECEMBER 2017Sunday, December 3, 9:55 am — Blue Christmas: A Service of Healing for the Holidays. Each year on the first Sunday of Advent, we conduct a service that includes anointing and prayers for healing and wholeness. This year with Advent 1 falling on the first Sunday of December, we’ll also be celebrating communion. This Blue Christmas service is designed to ease some of the challenges of the holiday season and to help with recovery, if the challenges have already started for you. Message of the Day: “The Norwegian Moon” (Psalm 80:7)

The Youth Choir will sing Song of Hope, based on an Argentinean folk song accompanied by Erin Prange on flute; The Chancel Choir will sing a hauntingly beautiful anthem: O Come, Redeemer of the Earth, accompanied by cello; Young at Harp (featuring Jane Brader) will provide reflective music during this service of healing.

Sunday, December 10, 9:55 am — Hanging of the Greens. Another annual tradition at First Church is our decoration of the sanctuary for Christmas. Everyone gets to participate as we hear bells and carols again, and add wreaths, candles, a crèche, poinsettias, and the Christmas tree in a festive ritual of music and readings.

Hanging of the Greens worship will feature music by all of our choirs with a guest violinist and cellist. Highlights will include the Young People’s choirs’ presentation of Christmas Canon by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra; the Chancel Choir’s rendition of Light One Candle by Peter, Paul and Mary; the Canterbury Bells ringing of Advent Tidings, an ethereal composition expressing the longing anticipation of Advent.

Sunday, December 17, 9:55 am — Christmas Pageant: “Christmas Around the World.” Our young people bring the news of Jesus’ birth in a musical and narrative presentation in special Message of the Day about the ways in which the Nativity is celebrated in cultures the world over.

This afternoon at 3PM, please plan to attend “Jazz Noel.”

Sunday, December 24, 9:55 am — A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. The church choirs, with soloists and special guests, perform pieces new and old in celebration of the birth of the Messiah, as members of the church read scriptures that foretell and announce the miracle of the Incarnation.

Worship will feature music by the Canterbury Bell Choir, Chancel Choir, soloists and small ensembles, and guest string players.

Sunday, December 24, 4:30 pm — Family Christmas Eve. This brief worship service features many of the readings you’ll have heard in the morning but with a Live Nativity tableau, including our newest addition as the Baby Jesus! “Gifts for the Manger” will be collected during the service – infant and family needs to be presented to local charities, along with cash offerings. Singing of “Silent Night” ends the service, with battery-powered candles for the children to hold. Please note: With Christmas Eve a Sunday, this year, we have elected to forgo our late worship. There will also be no services conducted on Christmas Day.

Sunday, December 31, 9:55 am — Holiday Hymn Sing. The Pastor and the Music Director will be away, but our team of seminarians will lead this very special, all-ages worship service. Get ready for 2018 by centering your spirit musically. If you can attend, this Sunday, please be watching your December 3, 10, and 17 bulletins for a list of hymns from which to choose your favorites. Vote early and often; the most popular selections will be sung as our Message of the Day, this New Year’s Eve morning.

Carol Mallette will fill in at the organ. Epiphany worship will feature music by the Chancel Choir.


Page 3 September 2017 Page 4 DECEMBER 2017 AND JANUARY 2018

WORSHIP NOTES & MUSIC IN WORSHIP FOR JANUARY 2018Sunday, January 7, 9:55 am – Epiphany Celebration. On this day we remember the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem and the revelation of Good News to all the world (Matthew 2:1-12). Message of the Day: Your Light Has Come (Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12). But this is also the ending of our Christmas season, and a brief act of removing the Greens we hung in December will indicate that. After worship, refreshments will include a King Cake, the New Orleans tradition that begins the passage toward Mardi Gras.

Epiphany worship will feature music by the Chancel Choir.

Sunday, January 14, 9:55 am – Martin Luther King, Jr., Weekend. “Lift every voice and sing” of the blessings of liberty for all people. This day’s worship marks the ending of our Year of Renewal and the continuing of a spirit among us of reform and refreshment. Message of the Day: “Calling You On Your Stuff” (1 Samuel 3; John 1:43-51) The evening of January 14, the annual Community March, Dinner, and Program Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. King will take place, with events beginning at 4:30 pm

The Oîkos Ensemble and the Chancel Choir will present music honoring the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Selections will include I Dream a World, a powerful setting of a Langston Hughes poem by Rosephanye Powell; and a jazzy setting of Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho by Nigerian organist/composer, Fela Sowande arranged for organ and the Oîkos Ensemble by Ray Landis. Music will feature the Canterbury Bell Choir.

Sunday, January 21, 9:55 am – Ecumenical Sunday (Week of Prayer for Christian Unity). Much of our ritual will be echoing what churches around the planet will be saying, as we pray for unity of purpose and message. Message of the Day: “Calling You On” (Mark 1:14-20) Music will feature the Canterbury Bell Choir.

Sunday, January 28, 9:55 am – Heritage Sunday. We celebrate our 152nd anniversary, this Sunday, recalling the life and witness of the Rev. Dr. Robert Leslie Parker, Jr., a member of this church who in 1951 became the first African American to be ordained out of a Congregational church in Missouri. Dr. Parker would go on to serve as pastor of churches in Louisiana, Texas, and Maryland, and as the Director of the Baptist Student Union of Lincoln University in Jefferson City. Message of the Day:“Calling You” (Deuteronomy 18:15-20) Heritage Sunday will feature music by the Chancel Choir and guest instrumentalists.

MUSIC NOTES — Upcoming programs in the God Is Still Speaking – Come Listen! artistic series:Sunday, March 11 at 3:00 pm – Soundscapes of Spring, featuring the Sylvan Trio (piano, flute, cello)Sunday, April 29 at 4:00 pm – The Wound in the Water (more info coming soon!)

Our Choirs Always Welcome New Members!Canterbury Bells: Thursdays at 6:15 pm in Sample Chapel – For high school youth and adults

Chancel Choir: Thursdays at 7:30 pm in the Music Room – For high school youth and adults

Unichords: Sundays at 11:15 am in Sample Chapel - For children in 3rd – 5th grades

Youth Choir: Sundays at 11:30 am in the Sanctuary – For youth in 6th – 8th grades

Page 3 September 2017 Page 5 DECEMBER 2017 AND JANUARY 2018

SPECIAL HOLIDAY HAPPENINGSYANKEE SWAP PARTY

Can you believe that 10 days after Thanksgiving the annual Yankee Swap party will kick off the Christmas season? It will be December 3, at 5:00 pm, at the Perrys home, in Glendale. SOOO-hasten and get your

handmade gifts started! This means YOU-whether or not you have ever been to a SAGE event. Please bring: One handmade gift, UNWRAPPED, per person, a main dish, salad or dessert & $5.00 per

person for Webster-Rock Hill Ministries and for expenses We REALLY need you to sign up in the office! Call Garie or Ken at 314-962-0731 with any questions

Hanging Of The Greens Snack PotluckFollowing worship, we will have a “Snack Potluck”. The food items may be savory or sweet. Bring your food treat to share to Memorial Hall already plated and ready to serve before worship. Someone from

Parish Life Ministry will be there to receive the food and arrange it on the table. Then we can all enjoy the worship service and the day’s festivities.

Christmas Cookies!

Ladies and gentlemen, bake your favorite Christmas cookies to share on Sunday, December 17, after worship. Bring your cookies to the church kitchen before worship; Lady Elect Guild and others will plate

them so we can enjoy yummy treats after the service.

Wassail Bowl Reception – Sunday, December 24, 2017 – 11:05 AM – Memorial Hall A time for refreshment after worship. Stay and become better acquainted with us!

MODERATOR’S CORNER DECEMBER 2017 & JANUARY 2018

The Holiday season is upon us. It is a time rich with experiences and memories. We are called during this time to prepare, and to remember God’s gift to us in Jesus. Another of God’s gifts to us is our ability to think, to make choices and memories. We all have those pieces of our lives that were not as we may have wished them to be. This is particularly true during the Holidays. Luckily we have the power to seek new thoughts and new feelings.

At this point in my life many of my Holiday memories are intertwined with First Church. Of course this has much to do with raising my children here. The picture I have shared with you was taken about 30 years ago when the Kopettis were the shepherds on Christmas Eve. There were also the years of angels and trumpets. And, those long Christmas Eves where we needed to attend both services because they were IN both services! Now is my time to make new memories with new perspective.

This year my wish for you is that you choose to make a memory at First Church. From the Thanksgiving Dinner to the Midwinter

Potluck and everything in between, there are so many opportunities to engage in the rich and diverse spirit of the church. Whether as a parent creating family memories or an adult seeking the spirit and richness of Christmas, come join us, be a part of the WONDER.

Linda Kopetti


TRACEY’S BLESSINGS FOR THE SEASON

I thought about calling this article, ACE for it needs to contain Advent, Christmas and Epiphany information. So, come with me on a quick journey through the coming holiday season:

• Please attend the December 17 morning worship as the Children and Youth present, Christmas Around the World.

• Join me at the 4:30 Christmas Eve Service and bring Gifts for the Manger to be shared with Gateway 180.

• Thank you for making 2017 a great year. I look forward to ringing in 2018 with my family and church family. Children may choose to wear PJ’s to the Sunday Service on December 31, a Hymn Sing.

• On January 7, we’ll remember how the Wise Ones arrived on Epiphany. I am making a plea this holiday season for kindness and empathy to be our guiding stars. There is a movie currently in theaters called, The Star, that could help put you in that spirit. Perhaps, as a family you can imagine together what the journey was like for those following the Christmas star. Who would greet you? Would anyone help you? Maybe you can find someone in your own neighborhood that you can help. Think outside the box (as in free hot chocolate!). The message of Christmas is to be the one who shares the good news in all we say and do. Be a star in the world by being kind.

May God guide and bless us all in this Holy Season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tracey

SEASONAL UPDATE FROM OUR YOUTH COORDINATORGreetings church!

As we enter December and prepare to face the New Year it is my pleasure to provide this update on the activities of our young people.

Confirmation classes are now in full swing, and we are enjoying spirited conversations. Parents of youth who are taking Confirmation please note that our class times will be moving from Wednesdays to Tuesdays after Christmas. A calendar for 2018 should be sent out to you in the next few weeks.

In our time together on Sunday mornings we have been watching and discussing an Australian movie, ‘Rabbit Proof Fence.’ This is a powerful movie about race, community, and faith; based on the true experiences of a family of Indigenous Australians.

On December 9th we will be meeting at the church to prepare various lotions and goodies for you to purchase through the remainder of Advent. You have people to buy presents for, and we have a solution to that problem!

The youth will be helping the younger children with the Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 17th.

In 2018 we will be investigating ways to serve the church and the wider community, using our God-given gifts. As always, we are thankful for your love and support as we explore our faith together.

Amy Brooks


CLIFF AERIE AND THE MINISTRY OF IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY AND THE ARTS (MICA)

Dear Friends:

If Advent is upon us, can Christmas be far behind? And that, of course, means it’s time for another Jazz Nativity concert—the seventh annual. So, mark your calendars for Sunday, December 17 at 3:00 pm for Jazz Noel: A Child is Born.

Once again the Oîkos Ensemble will perform featuring singer Kim Fuller with Carolbeth True (piano), Glen Smith (bass), Dave True (drums), Tim Osiek (trumpet) and yours truly on my sax. This year we’ll retell the Christmas story through the creative voices of Logos 4, our First Church Reader’s Ensemble (pastor Dave, Andrea Welnick, Erick Falconer and me). Our guest artist will be our own Phil Shoulberg who will provide a photographic mosaic as part of our jazz meditation—with a

special creative surprise! In addition our choir, supplemented by other choristers from the area will offer a unique choral jazz perspective. Add it all up and I promise another wonder-filled, creative and inspiring gift for this Christmas season.

Thank you for your enthusiastic and supportive applause during worship a couple of weeks ago when Pastor Dave announced my official welcome as the Director of MICA. Your gracious spirit touched me deeply. I am humbled.

I leave you with the words of Henry David Thoureau. “This world is but a canvas to our imagination.” I look forward to creating beautiful canvases together as we explore what it means to truly be God’s imaginative children.

Joyeux Noël, Cliff


HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Meet Lawrence Tate. He is the future owner of the Habitat for Humanity house being built by the St. Louis area United Church of Christ group. He is a single father with a two-year old and has worked for a number of years at the St. Patrick Center. You can learn more about Lawrence here: lawrence success story - YouTube. I met Lawrence at the initial Habitat workday on November 11. We and the rest of the crew laid subfloor and graded dirt around the foundation at the house on 5032 Ulena. Since then the outside walls have been put up and the building is now ready for roof trusses.

First Church is still waiting for confirmation of our official work date. It will be either January 6th, 13th or February 3rd. The building will be under roof by that time. I suspect we’ll be doing inside framing and/or the drywalling. As soon as I get word on our date, I’ll pass it along through the weekly eNews and hang a signup sheet in the office. In addition to our workday, there are opportunities on Wednesdays to work on the house. If you’re interested in these Wednesday workdays, let me know.

Phil Shoulberg

A MOBILE APP FOR SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS EATING

Over 40 million people in the United States are food insecure, meaning they do not know where they will find their next meal. At the same time, millions of photos of food are shared on social media every day. What if a fraction of those photos could actually help feed someone in your community?

GiftAMeal turns those photos into food. Users simply take a photo at a participating restaurant, and GiftAMeal helps provide a meal to someone in need through a local food pantry. Meals are distributed through partner food banks, including Operation Food Search in St. Louis. They pay for the refrigeration, transportation, and labor costs to distribute the food to local food pantries where they are distributed to those in need.

GiftAMeal is an mobile application for both IOS and Android. All you have to do to is go to a GiftAMeal partner restaurant and open the GiftAMeal app. Select the restaurant and take a picture and a meal is provided to someone in need here in St. Louis. If you share your photo on social media, another meal is provided (and yet another if you share on both Instagram and Facebook).

To become a GiftAMeal user, simply download the app and click the Sign Up button on the Welcome Page when you open the app. Then you can invite your friends by text and email, and we’ll fund the distribution of a meal for each friend that joins! For more information, visit them on the web at www.giftameal.com.


The Rev. Louise Marks pastors a United Church of Christ congregation on the eastern seaboard, while her husband Paul is a small businessman, designing and installing water gardens. During Advent 2015, Paul hadn’t been feeling well, but was able to carry on his daily routine. Eventually he consulted his physician, who recommended a catheterization procedure. While Paul was still lying in the exam room, “the doctor pulled me in and said, ‘we have to take him right in to emergency surgery for a quadruple bypass.’ It was quite shocking to be told that my husband would be undergoing emergency surgery for a life-threatening medical condition of which we were unaware!” Thankfully, the surgery was fully successful, and Paul has since recovered and resumed the work he loves with his typical energy and enthusiasm.

But, at the time, explains Louise, “Not only were we unprepared for the diagnosis and surgery, we were unprepared for the financial burden of the medical bills and lost wages.” As a small businessman, Paul had a payroll to meet, but no money was coming in. At the suggestion of a Conference staff person, Louise reached out to the United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance for help. Louise and Paul received an emergency grant, which they used to pay their mortgage, enabling them to “squeak through” until their financial situation improved. “Otherwise, the financial transition into January would have been extremely challenging.”

Louise’s gratitude for her husband’s healing “is all the more strengthened by the support we received through the Christmas Fund. It has blessed us immeasurably, as has the knowledge that we have the support and caring of the wider United Church of Christ. It means more than you can ever know.”

*a pseudonym

In 2016, gifts to the Christmas Fund enabled

• Small pension supplementation for 448 retired clergy and lay employees ($1,507,787)

•Healthbenefitssupplementationfor216 retired clergy and lay employees ($487,338)

• Emergency grants for 50 individuals and families

($90,927)

• Christmas “Thank You” gift checks to 503 retired clergy and lay employees ($233,800)

Advent I — HopeRev. Louise Marks*

Christmas Fund Collection - December 24For 116 years, the Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund has been a tangible expression of God’s love and light in the world. One of the four Special Mission Offerings of the United Church of Christ, the Christmas Fund provides UCC congregations and members an opportunity to reach out in kindheartedness to those who have faithfully shepherded our Church and who now find themselves facing unexpected financial needs. Envelopes for the Christmas Fund Offering will be included in the December 17 and 24 bulletins.


BRIDES – WEDDINGS – FIRST CHURCH... DID YOU KNOW?It was a winter wedding for Erin and Phil Prange, married by Rev. David Denoon on December 14, 2013. The church was decorated for Christmas. Snow fell which made a beautiful backdrop for photos taken in Benton Park. Adding interest to the pictures were the snowboots the wedding party wore and a red-suited Santa who roamed the park and even joined the wedding party for pictures. Their honeymoon was in warm Costa Rica!

Stephan and Nancy Rudolph were married on October 3, 1981. Rev. Paul Davis presided at the ceremony.

Compiled by Kay Roush

HOLADAY LIBRARY ✔ IT OUT

As we end our 2017 Year of Renewal note these new additions to our Library:

In the early 1950s, Pruitt-Igoe, a vast public housing project, arose on 57 acres on the near north side of St. Louis. Barely 20 years after construction, the 33 eleven-story buildings that made up the complex were razed, and the vacant land that was once home to thousands of people was gradually reclaimed by a dense, neglected urban forest. What happened in-between is a story of interweaving and competing accounts, both then and now. Alongside iconic images, other seldom-seen photographs flesh out the history in sometimes surprising ways and, in doing so, preserve some of the stories that are in danger of being permanently erased and lost, just as Pruitt-Igoe was.

African America: Many Rivers to Cross DVD chronicles the full sweep of 500 years of African American history, from the origins of slavery on the African continent and the arrival of the first black conquistador, Juan Garrido, in Florida in 1513, through five centuries of remarkable historic events right up to today. Watch this On Youtube or check out the DVD from our church library.

If you are interested in learning more about social and criminal justice for people of color, check out the new audio books we have added to our Library. These CDs reflect on racial issues. There is no need to read for hours, just listen! They are shelved on the library cart on weekdays in the Library and in Memorial Hall on most Sundays. The titles are: Dear White America; The New Jim Crow; and White Like Me.

December Birthdays Will Be Celebrated On

December 31St

January Birthdays

David Brader 12/10Dennis Barnes 12/11

Marcy Livingston 12/12Earl Rinne 12/12

Daniel Claggett 12/14Jessica Oliphant 12/14Peter Fairbanks 12/16Amanda McCoy 12/16

Bill Welnick 12/19Nicolle Taniuchi 12/21

Janet Fales 12/24Terri Thompson 12/26Nannelle Griffith 12/27Gabriel Mitchell 12/27

Henry Breitenbach 12/28Ali Taniuchi 12/28Dion Landis 12/29

Helen Moody 1/1Michael White-Lenard 1/1

Miles Mazur 1/2Corinne Denoon 1/7

Faye Dyer 1/7Erin Warner Prange 1/8

Roger Barnes 1/11Ken Perry 1/11

Marjorie Courtney 1/12Kin Lavender 1/12Noah Mitchell 1/13Richard Smith 1/14Joyce Berger 1/17Kelly Moore 1/18Joe Logan 1/21Bob Hill 1/26

Fred Kaul 1/26Bob Buerk 1/28

George Conlee 1/28David Von Weise 1/28

PLEDGES FOR 2018 RECEIVED SO FAR

$314,456(If you have not yet made your pledge, please call the church office at 314-962-0475.)


Civil Rights Exhibit At History Museum

The Alliance for Interracial Dignity has extended an invitation to a special viewing of the St. Louis Civil Rights

Exhibit at the History Museum on Tuesday, December 12th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. The museum is providing this opportunity and will be posting discussion questions throughout the exhibit to help us engage in dialogue about what we are experiencing. This event is appropriate for children.

BIRTHDAYS AT FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

“Gifts for the Manger” at Family Christmas Eve

Our annual Family Christmas Eve Service will be celebrated at 4:30 PM, December 24. Led by the young people of the church, the service will include the collection of “Gifts for the Manger” for Gateway 180, a resource for homeless women and children. Please bring your unwrapped gifts for infants and children, and personal items for women.

Poinsettia OrdersDecember 6th is the deadline to get your order forms for Poinsettias turned in. The cost for each is $10.00

If we have missed your birthday, call the office and let us know when it is so we can wish youHappy Birthday next year!


Community Martin Luther King Celebration

Special Presentation and Discussion Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light,

12/3 Worship: Blue Christmas 9:55 AM

12/10 Worship: Hanging of the Greens Service 9:55 AM 12/17 Worship: Christmas Pageant The Sunday School leads worship with their presentation, “Christmas Around the World.” 9:55 AM 12/17 Concert: Jazz Noel – 3:00 PM – Free to all

12/24 Christmas Eve Worship A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols 9:55 AM 12/24 Christmas Eve Family Worship 4:30 PM

12/31 Holiday Hymn Sing 9:55 am

At First Congregational Church

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

DECEMBER 20171 2

8:00 AM Healing Touch – Level 3

3 – Advent / Sacrament of Christ’s Table 8:00 AM Healing Touch – Level 3 9:00 AM Brown Baggers 9:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship 9:55 AM Youth in Worship 10:15 AM Sunday School 11:05 AM Advent Workshop & Fellowship 11:15 AM Christmas Pageant Rehearsal 11:15 AM Difficult Discussions - Sonya Vann 11:30 AM Youth Choir 4:30 PM Witnessing Whiteness

49:00 AM Monday Morning Men 1:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 7:00 PM Boy Scouts

59:30 AM Willing Workers 2:00 PM Communications Team

61:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 6:30 PM Confirmation Class 7:00 PM YOR Steering Committee

710:00 AM FAITH: Continuing the Search 1:30 PM Recorders 6:15 PM Canterbury Bells 7:30 PM Chancel Choir

8 9

10Hanging of the Greens 9:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship 10:15 AM Sunday School 11:05 AM Coffee Fellowship (Snack Potluck) 11:15 AM Christmas Pageant Rehearsal4:30 PM Witnessing Whiteness

119:00 AM Monday Morning Men 1:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 5:00 PM Boy Scouts 7:00 PM Three Ministries

1211:00 AM Mary Martha Guild 11:30 AM Devine Diners 6:30 PM Practicing Our Faith 7:00 PM Lady Elect

131:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 6:30 PM Confirmation Class

148:00 AM Journeymen 10:00 AM FAITH: Continuing the Search1:30 PM Recorders 6:15 PM Canterbury Bells 7:30 PM Chancel Choir

15 169:00 AM Pageant Rehearsal

179:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship (Christmas Pageant) 10:15 AM Sunday School 11:05 AM Coffee Fellowship 3:00 PM Jazz Noel

189:00 AM Monday Morning Men 1:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 7:00 PM Boy Scouts7:00 PM Executive Ministry

199:30 AM Willing Workers 7:00 PM Boy Scout Leaders

201:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 6:30 PM Confirmation Class 7:00 PM Healing Touch Practice

21First Day of Winter10:00 AM FAITH: Continuing the Search1:30 PM Recorders 6:15 PM Canterbury Bells 7:30 PM Chancel Choir

225:00 PM Room at the Inn

23

24 – Christmas Eve9:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship 11:05 AM Wassail Bowl Reception 4:30 PM Christmas Eve Family Worship Service

25 - Christmas DayOFFICE CLOSED

26OFFICE HOURS: 9am - Noon



29 30

31 – Birthday Sunday 9:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship 11:05 AM Coffee Fellowship

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

JANUARY 20181New Year’s DayOFFICE CLOSED

29:30 AM Willing Workers 2:00 PM Communications Team

31:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 7:00 PM YOR Steering Committee

410:00 AM FAITH: Continuing the Search 1:30 PM Recorders 6:15 PM Canterbury Bells 7:30 PM Chancel Choir

5 6Epiphany

7 – Epiphany CelebrationSacrament of Christ’s Table 9:00 AM Brown Baggers 9:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship 9:55 AM Youth in Worship 10:15 AM Sunday School 11:05 AM Coffee Fellowship 11:15 AM Unichords11:30 AM Youth Choir

89:00 AM Monday Morning Men 1:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 7:00 PM Boy Scouts 7:00 PM Three Ministries

99:30 AM Willing Workers 11:00 AM Mary Martha Guild 11:30 AM Devine Diners 6:30 PM Pastoral Relations Committee 6:30 PM Practicing Our Faith

1012:30 PM Oasis 1:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing

118:00 AM Journeymen 10:00 AM FAITH: Continuing the Search 1:30 PM Recorders 6:15 PM Canterbury Bells 7:30 PM Chancel Choir

1211:30 AM Year of Renewal Steering Committee

13

149:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship 10:15 AM Sunday School 11:05 AM Coffee Fellowship 11:15 AM Unichords 11:30 AM Youth Choir

15Martin L. King, Jr. Day9:00 AM Monday Morning Men 1:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 7:00 PM Boy Scouts7:00 PM Paris Noir (Webster U)

169:00 AM Endowment Counselors Meeting 9:30 AM Willing Workers 5:30 PM General Conditioning 7:00 PM Boy Scout Leaders

171:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing 7:00 PM Healing Touch Practice

1810:00 AM FAITH: Continuing the Search 1:30 PM Recorders6:15 PM Canterbury Bells 7:30 PM Chancel Choir

19Deadline for Covenant News Articles

208:00 AM Vision Board Workshop

219:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship 10:15 AM Sunday School 11:05 AM Coffee Fellowship 11:15 AM Unichords 11:30 AM Music Committee 11:30 AM Youth Choir


23 9:30 AM Willing Workers 7:00 PM Lady Elect

241:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing

258:00 AM Journeymen 10:00 AM FAITH: Continuing the Search 1:30 PM Recorder Rehearsal 6:15 PM Canterbury Bells 7:30 PM Chancel Choir

265:00 PM Room at the Inn 6:00 PM Dinner & A Movie

27

28 9:00 AM Nursery Care Available 9:55 AM Worship 10:15 AM Sunday School 11:05 AM Coffee Fellowship 11:15 AM Unichords 11:30 AM Youth Choir


309:30 AM Willing Workers

311:00 PM Center for Counseling and Healing

Seek Christ in each. Serve God in all.

ModeratorLinda [email protected]

PastorRev. David A. [email protected]

Office AdministratorDebbie [email protected]

Director of MusicDr. Raymond [email protected]

Assistant Director of Music for ChildrenTim [email protected]

Director of Christian EducationTracey [email protected]

Coordinator of Youth MinistriesAmy [email protected]

Facilities ManagerChip [email protected]

CustodianDarrell Lakies

Assistant CustodianGus McLeanDirector, Center for Counseling & HealingRev. Linda E. Smith, BCRN, LCSW, HTCP/[email protected]

Director of MICARev. Cliff [email protected]

December Meal-A-Month Canned HamBrown Rice

Instant Mashed Potatoes Canned Green Vegetable

(Low or No Salt) Canned Fruit in Own Juices

Powdered Milk, Shelf Stable Milk, Soy Milk

Baby Fruits, Baby VegetablesBaby Cereal

January Meal-A-Month Boxed Whole Grain PastaCanned Green Vegetable

(Low or No Salt)Canned Fruit in Own Juices

Powdered Milk, Shelf Stable Milk, Soy Milk

Cold Cereal (No Sugar)Plain Oatmeal (No Sugar)

Sugar Free Juices In Plastic Bottles

Missing Someone?Have you been missing someone for a while from worship and other church events? Please, let Pastor Dave Denoon

or Parish Life Chair, Faye Dyer know. Either will be happy to follow up for you.

10 West Lockwood AvenueWebster Groves, MO 63119

Documents

COVENANT NEWS - firstchurchwg.orgfirstchurchwg.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/dec17-jan18-final.pdfThe Christmas Fund 9 History: Brides 10 Weddings Holaday Library 10 Pledges Received