4320 BRUCE ROAD CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA

A CAMPUS OF NEW CREATION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

The Aldersgate Gateway December 2013

www.ncum.org

Aldersgate Campus (757) 484-8217 Grace Harbor Campus (757) 686-1888

Aldersgate KinderPrep: 673-4602 Website: ncum.org

E-mail: aldersgate@ncum.org

Va. Conference Bishop............................ Young Jin Cho District Superintendent ............................ Brad Phillips Aldersgate Campus Pastors ................. David Drinkard Stephanie Kimec Grace Harbor Campus Pastor ........... Stephanie Kimec Lay Leaders .............. Rosemary Dorow, Dave LeGrand Church Council Chairperson .................... Bob Spencer Director of Youth ........................................ Bill Canady Assistant Director of Youth .................... Andrea Cipcic Assistant Director of Youth .................. Mark Anderson KinderPrep Director ....................................... Carla Bell Finance Director ......................................... Leslie Piper Nursery Director ................................... Debbie Canady Music Director ..................................... Morris Gardner Organist ................................................ Nancy Gardner Worship Leader .......................................... Mary Davis Handbell Choir Director .......................... Sue Davidson Children’s Choir Director ........................... Kim Barbish Secretary .......................................... Debbie Armistead Missionary ........................... Luz Pereira Garcia - Brazil Missionary ........................ Lisa Nichols - Rocky Mt. Va. Ministers ............................................... Every Member

Advent and Christmas Sermon Series God’s Gift of Love

Dec. 1 Mystery and Anticipation Isaiah 2:1-5 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44

Dec. 8 Preparing Our Hearts Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12

Dec. 15 Finding God in the Ordinary Isaiah 35:1-10 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11

Dec. 22 Listening to the Dream Isaiah 7:10-16 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25

Christmas Eve

Dec. 24 Love Is Born Isaiah 9:2-7 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-20

January 2014

Putting God First in Living and Serving

Do you have information that needs to be announced in the January/February issue

of this publication?

Submit articles by December 15, 2013 to aldersgate@ncum.org

with MONTHLY GATEWAY as the subject.

The Aldersgate Gateway

Please contribute food items to help with Christmas meals and throughout the coldest months of the year.

The dinner will be lasagna with a salad and garlic bread in the Fellowship Hall. Please bring a dessert to share. Bring your family and friends to this on-going tradition. Bring enough greenery to share with others. Materials for the wreath (candles, tin, foam holder) will be supplied by the church. After all wreaths are finished we will have an Advent Wreath candle light-ing ceremony.

Join us in the Fellowship Hall at 9:45 a.m. as we celebrate Jesus’ Birthday by having cake, arts and crafts, and hear the story of Jesus’ birth. We will also sing some favorite Christmas Carols. Don’t miss the fun. Happy Birth-day, Jesus!!!!

Join us for one or all of our Christmas Eve services on the evening of Dec. 24. The 5 o’clock service is a special celebration of Children and Christ’s birth. Children are included as participants in this heart-warming service. The 7:30 and 11:00 services both feature candle-lighting as each service ends. Each features Christmas Carols and the 11:00 is a service of Lessons and Carols.

Aldersgate United Methodist Church Standing on Firm Foundations

† Biblical Preaching † Wesleyan Theology † UM Social Principles † Traditional Values

Rada Knife Sales The Ambassadors Class will be taking orders for

Rada Cutlery each Sunday through December 8th. Look for their display

table in the hallway behind the Commons Sundays from 9:15 - 9:45 and

from 10:30 - 11:00. These high-quality, inexpensive knives make great

Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers. Choose a single knife or order a set

of knives. A limited inventory of popular knives are available for immediate purchase or you can place

an order for pickup in 2 weeks. Remember that all proceeds go to fund missions.

Invite a friend to worship with you.

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Aldersgate’s Next Blood Drive

Saturday, December 14th 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Note: Date changed from Dec. 7 to Dec. 14

Aldersgate Campus of New Creation

UMC

Come Give the Gift of Life!

Making appointments helps improve donor flow!

Three easy ways to make an appointment: • Log onto web www.redcrossblood.org and key in zip code 23321 • E-mail Jim Stricker at Stricker321@aol.com • Call Jim at Stricker at 441-6717

Did You Know? The American Red Cross Mid-Atlantic Region has a goal to collect more than 600 units every day to meet the needs of patients in our area!

We invite First Time Donors and Regular Donors to join us .

Give the Gift of Life, Give Blood

Gifts in Memory of…

In Memory of Norma Mullins’ niece Mr. & Mrs. Robert Steorts

In Memory of Frieda Styron’s sister Mary Sue Floyd Kimberly Dills The Joy Class

In Memory of Karen Stricker’s mother Buck & Betty Tysor

Our Love and Sympathy are extended to... Susan Evans on the death of her mother, Donna Black on the death of her father, Freida Styron on the death of her sister, the family of Mabel Smith.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

is Young Adult’s Sunday at Aldersgate

Young Adults will lead our morning services

8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday Morning Prayer at Aldersgate

7-7:30 — Private Prayer in the Chapel

7:30-8 — Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall

8-8:30 — Community Prayer in the Chapel

Child care

provided;

refreshments

served

BLOOD - SAVE A LIFE - GIVE BLOOD - SAVE A LIFE - GIVE

Gifts in Honor of… In Honor of Miss Charlie Heard Kimberly Dills In Honor of Karen Stricker’s birthday Kimberly Dills In Honor of Bob Cofield The Golden Rule Class In Honor of John & Tunkie Stone’s 45th wedding anniversary Kimberly Dills In Honor of Sam Atkinson Paula King In Honor of Donna Nimey Tom Johnson

The Cradle Cross on the altar is in honor of the birth of Asher Michael Cipcic, son of Andrea and Joe Cipcic, and grandson of Donna and Steve Fitschen.

Be a hero!

Dear Aldersgate, Thank you all so much for the cards, calls, visits, and gifts

you showered upon us while Bob was in the hospital in Septem- ber and I was in the hospital in October. We are both recovering at home

now and doing well. Thanks so much for your prayers on our behalf and the love you have shown us as a church family.

Bob & Lora Spencer

Dave LeGrand and Pastor Gary Alvis thank the generous congregation of New Creation Church for their support of the recent mission to Haiti. It was a very successful trip that pro-vided medical care, vacation Bible school, and church construction in a particularly impover-ished remote village on La Gonave Island. Dave and Gary will have a slide presentation to show in the new year. Dave LeGrand and Gary Alvis

I feel so blessed and thankful to work with such dedicated and caring Christians on the Edu-cation Committee and through Rotation Sunday School. Thank you to all of you for all that you do. I hope you enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with people you love. Blessings, Karen Stricker

Christmas Poinsettias for the Altar These beautiful, traditional Christmas flowers are being sold by our Youth for $10 each -- on sale this Sunday -- December 20. Make checks payable to Aldersgate and write “poinsettia” on the memo line. Cash payments may be made in the office.

Adult Ministry Resources An extensive library has been formed of Bible Studies and resources suitable for women’s studies and adult studies. Visit the Aldersgate website at ncum.org and choose

Education & Fellowship> bible studies & libraries to find links to the recently updated catalogs of what is available.

Adult Class

Resources

Adult Bible Study in the New Horizons Sunday School Class: The Bible in One Year Our class will be reading the entire Bible next year. We will do this by daily readings that take about fifteen minutes or less, and when we get together on Sunday we'll discuss the readings for the past week. In Sunday School we'll only have time for a limited discussion, but by year's end we will all be able to say that we have read the Bible cover to cover in one year - together. If you haven't yet made it through all of Scripture, you may want to join us. All are welcome! "For the word of God is living and powerful, ..." Hebrews 4:12. We meet every Sunday morning from 0945-1045 in room 13, at the end of the Fellowship Hall.

Holy Land Classic 2014 Spend 10 Breathtaking Days of Biblical Understanding with Pastor David, Linda, and Stephanie Drinkard in the Holy Land, March 11 - 20, 2014. Pick up your informational brochure outside Pastor Dave’s office. Register before Nov. 26 to secure your place and published cost.

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On the Horizon . . .

Mystery of the Christmas Star and Holiday Lights Starting at the Abbitt Planetarium at the Virginia Living Museum, having a dinner out at Cheddar’s in Newport News, and then a drive through Newport

News Park’s Celebration in Lights. Cost is $20 for museum ad-mission plus bring money for dinner. Thursday, December 19th. Turn in the museum fee by Sunday, December 8 to ensure definite reservations for our party. Leave the church side parking lot at 1:15 p.m.

January 9, 2014! Come to a movie and enjoy refreshments as you watch. Bring with you items to be donated to Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless to decorate a “warm tree” -- gloves, scarves, socks, hats, etc. are good! We start at 1:00 p.m. SKY Board Members: Dea Atkinson, Tracy Grandon, Sandy Stapleton, Gail Thomas, Buck & Betty Tysor, Tommy and Rita Vaughan.

Sign up for SKY activities and events at the SKY table in the commons. When making payments for events, please use our system of placing your payment in a SKY envelope, found on the SKY table.

Have you lost a loved one? Are you feeling alone, angry, sad, or lost? You do not have to go through this experience alone. We understand how deeply grief and loss hurts individuals and families, and we want you to know about our Grief Share Group. Each meeting begins with a video concerning grief recovery topics. Participants talk about the con-tent of the video and how it can help them deal with their loss and grief. This is a faith based

group that meets at our own Aldersgate campus weekly. We will begin this session starting December 10th, at 7:00 p.m. Please feel free to call Mimi McCoy at 483-1179 or the church office at 484-8217 if you have questions or would like to join us.

We look forward to joining you on your grief journey. With group support and God’s word guid-ing us, we know this can be a positive, helpful, and rewarding experience.

Aldersgate Stewardship 2013 Total Giving Jan. — Oct.

Gen. Fund Budget $ 592,082 Gen. Fund Income $ 492,547 Gen. Fund Expenses $ 484,587 Income / (Deficit) $ (2,040) Checking Balance $ 6,389

Building Fund Income $ 157,479 Building Fund Expenses $ 166,494 Building Fund Balance $ 15,135

UMCOR is There The island nation of the Philippines was slammed November 8 by what has been called the worst storm ever. Following that, tornadoes ripped through the mid-west of the United States leaving destruction in their paths. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is already working on relief for these disasters by the support of the people who are The United Methodist Church, reaching out with prayers, physical assistance, and dollar bills. You can help by going to http://www.umcor.org -- you will see a pic-ture with the title “TYPHOON HAIYAN EMERGENCY Donate Now.” Clicking on that picture help you donate to UMCOR without further directing your gift (UMCOR will use it as need dictates), or Philippine relief. If you prefer you can donate over the phone by calling 1-800-554-8583. You can mail checks (payable to UMCOR) to P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY, 10087. You can also use offering envelopes to designate funds for UMCOR and put them in the offering plate at any United Methodist Church. If you wish, you may note “Philippines” or “Mid-west USA” on the memo line. UMCOR is a registered 501(c) (3) charity. All gifts are tax deductible. And remember -- 100% of every gift given to UMCOR is used as the giver designates!

Youth 2014 Calendar Sales The calendars have arrived and are available for sale at $7 for a wall calendar and $5 for a pocket calendar. This annual sale is a fund raiser, the proceeds of which are

used for the Youth Service Fund and the District Retreat. The Youth Service Fund is a mission fund administered by the Virginia Conference Council of Youth Ministries and supports projects which ben-efit youth.

Homeless Shelter January 19-25, 2014 Contact Perry Williamson for your class and individuals to sponsor meals and/or be over-night chaperones for each of the seven nights when Al-dersgate partners with Monu-mental United Methodist Church to host our homeless neighbors during the coldest time of the year. Approximately 85 guests will like-ly arrive each night. Hours for sheltering are from 8:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. Contact Perry at wmsonpk@verizon.net or by telephone at 483-0688 to volunteer. Thanks for prayerfully considering this wonderful mission opportunity.

End of the Year Giving The end of the financial year is a special time for our church; the conclusion of every financial year allows us the blessing and honor to look back on the numerous ways that God has taken our tithes and offerings and used them for His glory and pur-pose. We would like to take a moment to let you know how much we appreciate your prayers and contributions to this church. The last few weeks of the year are pivotal in reach-ing our financial and ministry goals for the year. We want to be able to meet our commitment to the United Methodist Conference and District, as well as our general operational needs here at Aldersgate. Please review your giving for 2013.

If you are behind on your financial commitment for the year, please try to catch-up prior to the end of the year.

Special Year-End-Gifts to the General Fund are especially needed this year.

Please note the list of Thanksgiving and Christ-mas Offering Opportunities.

Gifts of stocks and securities are welcome. For assistance please contact: Finance Director, Leslie Piper Financial Secretary, Debbie Armistead Because of your generous contributions we

have been able to support ministries within the church and throughout the world. Thank you for your love for Christ and the ministry of His Church. In Christ’s service, Finance Committee

Meets 3rd Tuesday of each month all year!

Aldersgate campus Room 16 7:00 — 8:30 p.m.

If you have questions about this ministry, call the church office: 484-8217.

Ministering for over ten years!

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Support Haiti Mission Trip

The June 2014 mission team to North-west Haiti Christian Mission is selling Val-ue Checks as a fundraiser. Each $12 book-let contains over $800 in coupon savings with such merchants as Spaghetti Ed-die’s, Plaza Tolteca, The Jewish Mother, Tropical Smoothie, and the Riverfront and Sleepy Hole golf courses. Please contact Dave LeGrand 686-8330 if you would like one, or visit the table set up in the Bruce Rd. side hallway Sunday mornings.

Another opportunity is a Pancake Break-fast at Captain D’s for $5 on December 7th, with donations from that event going to support the Haiti ‘14 trip.

Chancel Choir Notes

A new cantata will be presented Dec. 15 at the 11 a.m. worship service by the Chancel Choir and will include the Children's Choir. It is a Festival of Carols by Mark Hayes titled "What Sweeter Music."

We will also participate with the Hearts of Praise Singers and other members of our music department in the Community

Christmas Program the evening of Dec. 15.

The Dana Tyson and the Susannah Wesley Circles of the United Methodist Women and the United Methodist Men are strong mission-centered groups within Aldersgate United Methodist Church. Contact the church office at 484-8217 for information on meeting dates and times. You are invited to join these ministries at any time.

Crafty Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. -- 4:00 p.m. in the Joy Classroom, Dec. 4, 11, and

18; and Jan. 8, 15, 22, and 29. All Day Crafting Play Days in the New Horizons/Fellowship Hall, will be held Saturdays, November 23 and January 11, 9 a.m. -- 10 p.m. Please bring canned goods for the food pantry! For info, call Pattie Cartwright, 673-8508 or see their Facebook page “Aldersgate Crafters.”

Children’s Christmas Tree Aldersgate will have a children’s Christmas tree this year in the Commons area off the Peppercorn entrance. All children are invited to make an ornament to decorate the tree. Please bring your contribution on December 8th; ribbon with which to hang the ornaments will be provided. The children’s Christmas tree will remain on display until Epiphany.

Looking for a way to serve your church family that’s easy to do and doesn’t require hours away from home? This job is for you! We are seeking a person able to compile the news and publish it in the form of the Weekly Gateway (the yellow tri-fold that comes with your weekly bulletin), the weekly e-mailed Gateway you receive electronically, and the bi-monthly Gate-way (this publication).

If interested, call the church office at 484-8217 so we can talk with you about starting a new adventure!

The Sounds of Christmas Please join us for our Christmas Community Celebration on Sunday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Bruce Road, (484-8217) in the Western Branch area of Chesapeake, this year’s celebration, titled The Sounds of Christmas, will be hosted by Master of Ceremonies, Terry Rivenbark. Scriptures will be read by Sam Atkinson, and the storyteller will be Kathy Williams. This ecumenical ser-vice will be held inside the sanctuary.

Performances by the following: The Aldersgate Chancel Choir, Hearts of Praise, The Western Branch Chamber Singers, The Aldersgate Praise Team, The Grace Harbor Praise Team, The Patchwork Gospel Band, The Nan Tucker Ringers, The Adersgate Children, The Youth from Aldersgate and Grace Harbor, Nick Nespoli, George Stone, Kim Barbish, Dea Atkinson, Sue Davidson, Mary Davis, Brad Garrett, Katie West, Ed Glover, Nancy and Morris Gardner, Katelyn McCreight, Michael Strickland and Sheryl Williams.

Visit the Live Nativity, enjoy the Grand Illumination by Miars Farm, and join us for an evening of fun and nostalgia. There will

be a Reception following the service.

Everyone is also encouraged to bring a donation of canned food for our local food pantries.

Sponsored by the Haiti 2014 Team

Saturday, Dec. 14 5-9 p.m.

by donation

All proceeds will be used to help with the Haiti Mission