JOHN’S EPISTLE IN THIS NEWSLETTERcommch.com › files › December 2016 Crossroads.pdf · 2017-04-30 · 2 Date Attendance Count General Fund Collection November 6 81 $4544.01 November

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IN THIS NEWSLETTER

John’s Epistle

2016 Offering Envelopes

Upcoming Events

Church Statistics

Dollars and Sense

Council & Committee

Meetings

December Lectionary

Communion Schedules

Haven House Lunch

Ministry

Birthdays/Anniversaries

Worship Assistants

Staff Christmas Gifts

Hospitality INC

OAKS Christmas Party

Cookie Walk

Community Table

Annual Meeting Report

Deadline

Worship Info

2017 Council

Contribution Deadline

Mitten Tree

Thank you

Adopt a Family

Toys for Tots and Teens

O.A.K.S. Who Are We?

Advent Study

Prayer Concerns

December Calendar

Christmas Eve Service

JOHN’S EPISTLE

This Advent season we’ve been invited to join the Four Corners Churches for a

Wednesday evening Advent study. It’s called “The Redemption of Scrooge,” based on

Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” The focus of the study are the three ghosts

who visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve – the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christ-

mas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas-Yet-To-Come.

That really sums up where we’re at in Advent and at Christmas, and indeed how we

live as Christians. Since the first century, as Christians await the advent of the second

coming of Christ with prayer and worship they have uttered the word Maranatha. Mara-

natha is a Greek transliteration from the Aramaic in 1 Corinthians 16:22. In Aramaic,

as in Syriac, maranatha may be two words, with differing translations:

marana tha = an imperative form oriented toward the future, translated as:

“Come, our Lord!”

maran atha = the perfect form expressing a completed event in the past trans-

lated as: “Our Lord has come.”

As Christians we live in the present between maran atha, our prayer for the future com-

ing of the Lord, and marana tha, our belief that our God has come, and keeps coming to

us in Jesus the Lord. In Jesus not only is salvation given to us personally, but in the

Christ God will redeem all creation.

At this time of year we expectantly wait for the One who has already come, who con-

tinually comes to us, and who will come again. We anticipate the promised justice of

God’s new world, yet we praise God who raised the “righteous branch” to rule with

justice and righteousness. We hope for the restoration of the afflicted, the tormented,

and the grieving, yet we delight that healing has come in Christ. We long for the beat-

ing of swords into plowshares, yet we rejoice that the Prince of Peace has appeared. We

yearn for the barren deserts of our inner cities to flourish, yet we laud the desert Rose

that has bloomed. We dream of the land where lions and lambs live in harmony, yet we

acclaim the child born to lead us into the promised land. Christ has come! Christ is ris-

en! Christ will come again! We are living between the first and the second coming of

the Lord. The tension between marana tha and maran atha — placing us between

memory and hope, past and future.

That’s especially appropriate for us as a congregation. We are living in the time be-

tween the end of one pastor’s ministry and the beginning of another’s. We look to the

past four years to see what has been accomplished under one pastor. We look hopefully

to the future for what a new pastor will bring.

Perhaps we need to cling to the ancient cry of Maranatha! and two meanings so we may

freely embrace “the new thing” prophesied by Isaiah (Isa. 43:19) that God is doing

among us right now.

I leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul at the end of his

first letter to the Corinthians: “… Our Lord, come

[maranatha]! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love

be with all of you in Christ Jesus.”

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John

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Date Attendance

Count

General Fund

Collection

November 6 81 $4544.01

November 13 88 $2822.51

November 20 83 $2050.00

November 27 56

November 2016 Church Statistics

INCOME TO DATE $130,642.36

EXPENSES TO DATE ($137,224.24)

BALANCE (6,581.88)

General Fund Balance $9,759.43

COUNCIL & COMMITTEE MEETINGS — DECEMBER 2016

Finance and Personnel Committee Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 6:00 p.m., Room 20a

O.A.K.S. Committee Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 6:30 p.m., Room 10

Worship Committee Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 7:00 p.m., Room 20a

Missions Committee Sunday, December 4, 2016, after worship, Room 20a

Christian Women’s Fellowship Monday, December 5, 2016, 9:00 a.m., Room 11

Christian Education Committee

Membership/Outreach/Evangelism Committee

(M.O.E.)

Communications Committee

Tuesday, December 13, 2016, 6:00 p.m., Room 10

Building Use and Maintenance Committee (B.U.M.) Wednesday, December 14, 2016, 7:00 p.m.

Long Range Planning Committee Wednesday, December 28, 2016, 7:00 p.m., Room 20a

Council of Ministries Wednesday, December 21, 2016, 7:00 p.m., Room 11

Crossroads December 2016

As of: November 2, 2016

Upcoming Events

DECEMBER

OAKS Christmas Luncheon - December 2nd

Community Table - WE SERVE - December 20th

Mitten Tree - 11/27 through 12/9

Toys for Tots and Teens - 11/27 through 12/11

Cookie Walk - December 9th

Hospitality INC. - December 10th

Candlelight Communion Service—Dec. 24

Christmas - Sunday, December 25th

JANUARY

Nursing Home visits - January 1

Removing Decorations - January 8

Hospitality I.N.C. - Jan. 14 (We host)

Annual Committee Reports Due - Jan. 8

OAKS Game Day - Saturday, Jan. 22

Annual Congregational Meeting - Not yet

scheduled

2017 OFFERING ENVELOPES

Offering envelopes for the 2017 calendar year will be

prepared and placed in the fellowship hall of the

church on Friday, December 9th. If you do not

currently use offering envelopes and would like the

convenience of using them, please contact the

church office at 843-9275.

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Crossroads DECEMBER 2016

LECTIONARY READINGS

December, 2016

Sunday, December 4, 2016

2nd Sunday of Advent

Isa. 11:1-10, Ps.72:1-7, 18-19;

Rom. 15:4-13; Matt. 3:1-12


3rd Sunday of Advent

Isa. 351-10; Ps. 146:5-10 or

Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10;

Matt. 11:2-11


4th Sunday of Advent

Isa. 7:10-16; Oa. 80:1-7, 17-19;

Rom. 1:1-7; Matt. 1:18-25

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Christmas Eve

Isa. 9:2-7; Ps. 96;

Titus 2:11-14;

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)


Nativity of Jesus Christ/Christmas Day

Dawn: Isa. 62:6-12; Ps. 97; Titus 3:4-7;

Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

Day: Isa. 52:7-10;Ps. 98;

Heb. 1:1-4 (5-12);

John 1:1-14

2016 COMMUNION SCHEDULE

December 4 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction

December 24 Christmas Eve Pews

2017 COMMUNION SCHEDULE

January 1 Epiphany Sunday Intinction

February 5 Transfiguration of the Lord Pews

March 1 Ash Wednesday Intinction

March 5 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction

April 2 1st Sunday of the Month

April 13 Maundy Thursday Intinction

April 16 Easter Sunday Pews

April 3 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction

May 7 1st Sunday of the Month Pews

June 4 Pentecost Sunday

Also 1st Sunday of the

Month

Intinction

July 2 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction

August 6 1st Sunday of the Month Pews

September 3 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction

October 1 World Communion Sunday Pews

November 5 All Saint’s Sunday Intinction

November 26 Christ the King Sunday Pews

December 3 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction

December 24 Christmas Eve Pews

Haven House Homeless Lunch Ministry

Grace Episcopal Church is providing a warm environment and hot meal

at lunch each Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm through

April 27, 2017.

We are looking for volunteers to help with this ministry. Participation

can be done as a group or individually in many forms from preparing a

meal; serving a meal; greeting and visiting with homeless guests; or by

donating food or paper products.

If anyone is interested in this ministry, contact Neil [(517) 996-2037] or Carolyn [(517) 802-

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ANNIVERSARIES

John and Val Stapleton 12/06

Kang and Inja Lee 12/07

Harold and Millie Figgins 12/12

Fred and Beverly Fleetwood 12/13

Sid and Barb Sytsma 12/23

Doug and Bev Anderson 12/28

BIRTHDAYS

Bill Wolf 12/03

Russ Miller Jr. 12/04

Frank Petersen 12/06

Tonda Cadey 12/09

James Cross 12/11

Darlene Carpenter 12/11

Bob Sanders 12/12

James Sisko 12/14

Jack Thiel 12/15

Gail Bowden 12/15

Justin Sherman 12/18

Linda Leibole 12/19

Diane Swathwood 12/21

Darlene French 12/21

Lyle Gunderson 12/22

Ric Cooper 12/28

Margaret Hansen 12/30

Cindy Reader 12/31

Crossroad Deadline: December 21, 2016

Crossroad Mailing: December 28, 2016

WORSHIP ASSISTANTS

Sunday, December 4

Lector— Maralyn Gable

Greeters—

Ushers— James Sisko, Gregg Shaw, Tonda Cadey

Sunday, December 11

Lector— Kathy Bromley

Greeters– Donna Collins

Ushers– Dave and Diane Swathwood, Ray and

Joanne Cummins

Sunday, December 18

Lector– Beverly Anderson

Greeters– Les and Marie Mortensen

Ushers– Don and Lorrie McKay, Betty Hodges

Saturday, Christmas Eve, December 24

Lector–

Greeters–

Ushers– Mark Otto

Sunday, Christmas Day, December 25

Lector–

Greeters–

Ushers– Judy Bach, Teri Nedderman

The Personnel Committee is coordinating a “free will” do-

nation for a gift to our staff. The total amount collected will

be equally divided among Pastor John, Charity Johnston

(secretary), Joe Holmes (custodian), and John Clement

(music director). Please give your voluntary contribution to

Donna Hallin, or mail it to her at the church (109 N. Harri-

son St., Ludington). Please make

your checks payable to Commu-

nity Church of Ludington. Do-

nations must be received no

later than December 18, 2016.

Thank you.

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2016 CONTRIBUTION DEADLINE

All contributions to be credited to the 2016

calendar year must be submitted

to the office or be postmarked no later than

December 31, 2016.

2017 COUNCIL

3 Year Term Ending Dec. 31, 2017

Bob Lanterman Steve Iteen

John Stapleton Gregg Shaw


Don McKay Tonda Cadey

Ruthann Kyle Janet VanEpps


Darlene Carpenter Maralyn Gable

Diane Swathwood Position Open

Moderator

Steve Iteen

Vice-Moderator

Bob Lanterman

Secretary/Clerk

Ruthann Kyle

Treasurer

Donna Hallin

Nominating Committee

Bobbie Maclean

Teri Nedderman

Stephanie Thomsen

Scholarship Committee

Wendy Lanterman

Betty Orton

Jack Thiel

Community Church is sponsoring a Mitten Tree

during this holiday season. Donations of handmade

or store bought hats, mittens, and scarves will be col-

lected from Sunday, November 27th to Friday, Decem-

ber 9th. The mitten tree will be placed in the Fellow-

ship Hall. Donations will be distributed by the Salvation

Army to those in need in our area.

The Christmas Offering this year will

be used to help defray the costs for

providing the Community Meals

hosted by Community Church.

At the Special Congregation held on Sunday, November 20, 2016, the con-gregation of Community Church of Lud-ington voted affirmatively to call Pastor Bret Spalding as its new pastor. Rever-end Spalding will begin his duties on January 1, 2017.

Need something to do this winter on

those cold and snowy days! We need

knitters and crocheters to make prayer

shawls for people who are sick, shut-in, or

in nursing homes. All interested parties

should contact Elsie Schroeder 843-2901

for details.

A great big Thank You to Teri Nedderman

and all who helped “deck the halls.” The

church looks beautiful and ready to welcome

the Christ Child!

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Hospitality INC - The season began October 30 and we have been blessed with the opportunity to

serve this year. We host the second Saturday of each month November thru April.

Hospitality Inc. Dates:

December 10th January 14th

February 11th March 11th

April 8th Questions? Contact Kathy Bromley 843-9395.


Mark your calendars! The O.A.K.S. Christ-

mas Luncheon is scheduled for Friday,

December 2th at 12:00 noon in the

church dining room. We will have a deli-

cious meal, the singing of carols, entertain-

ment by John Marek, and great fellowship.

There will be good food, reminiscing and lots

of fun. Bring a friend! We must have a count

for this event too. Please sign up on the clip-

board in fellowship hall A free-will offering will

be collected to help support the O.A.K.S. min-

istry. Please sign up on the clipboard in the

Narthex or call the church office (843-9275). If

you need a ride please call the church of-

fice early (9—10:30 a.m.) or call Judy

Bach 843-4826.

The Annual Cookie Walk is

scheduled for Friday, December

9th from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

All women of the church are asked

to donate homemade Christmas

cookies. Please bring your cookies

to the Fellowship Hall on Thursday,

December 10th from 9:00 a.m. to

1:00 p.m. or Friday morning by 10:00 a.m. Proceeds from

the Cookie Walk will go to missions supported by Christian

Women’s Fellowship.

The Community Church will host the Community Table ministry on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. We need volunteers to set-up, cook, serve and clean up after the dinner. If you are willing to partici-pate in this event, please contact Ed or Donna Hallin at 757-3360.

Attention all Council and Committee

Chairs, your annual reports for your

committees are due to the church

office no later than Sunday, January

8, 2017. If there are any questions,

please contact the church office.

WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION

Sunday, December 25—a service of Lessons & Carols

Sunday, January 1, 2017—Pastor Brett’s first Sunday

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Christian Women’s Fellowship will be collecting for “TOYS FOR TOTS TO

TEENS” that will be distributed locally by the Salvation Army. A tree will be

placed in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, November 27th through December 14th.

The toys will then be collected and delivered to the Salvation Army for distribution.

Please consider donating a new toy for this worthy cause. For additional

information please contact Elsie Schroeder.

The Noisy Coin Offering took in $232. This money is designated to be used

for the Adopt-a-Family for Christmas. We received an additional $130 on

11/20. 11/27’s collection has not yet been counted. If we raise an additional

$638, a matching donation of $1000 will be given. We need individuals to

sign up to provide items for the food baskets that we are providing to

the families with their gifts. The sign-up sheets are in Fellowship Hall.

Shopping and wrapping is Sat. Dec. 10 starting at 10am.

O.A.K.S.

Who are we? O.A.K.S. stands for Older Adult Karing System. Our main purpose is to visit people

from our church that are in nursing homes or homebound. Having events like luncheons and our

Summer picnic are open to our church members and guests.

How often do we meet? We meet the first Wednesday of most months for a half-hour to discuss

our goals and how we are doing. We a communion service for those people who are not able to

be at our regular communion services. This service is held at 2 pm and we have a short social time

the service. This held in Fellowship Hall.

O.A.K.S. committee: Judy Bach, Dorothy Boon, Sally Burmeister, Ann Brown, Ross Donley, Maralyn Gable, Gene Kyle,

Barb McDonald, Sandy Steckel, Mike Petersen, Diane Swathwood, Marge Gilligan.

Advent Wednesday Study 6:00—8:00 p.m.

November 30, December 7, 14, 21

The members of Community Church and Lakeside Chapel have been invited by the Four Corners Churches (Grace Episcopal,

Emanuel Lutheran, Bethany Lutheran, and Victory-Trinity Lutheran) to join them on Wednesday evenings in Advent for an Ad-

vent study. Each evening we will meet in one of the Four Corners churches and one of the pastors (Rev. Bill Huether, Rev. Mick

Shriver, Rev. John Brown, and Rev. Cindy DeJong) will lead the evening prayer and the study.

The Schedule for Each Evening

6:00 Evening Prayer 6:30 Light supper provided by host church 7:00 Video and study 8:00 Closing prayer

The Theme of the Study

The Redemption of Scrooge

This study is based on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, and will explore the world of Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and Cratchits, with an eye to Christian faith. Along the way we will meet the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come and learn about living with and for others in a world blessed by Jesus. November 30 “Bah! Humbug!” Bethany Lutheran December 7 “The Remembrance of Christmas Past” Grace Episcopal December 14 “The Life of Christmas Present” Victory-Trinity Lutheran December 21 “The Hope of Christmas Future” Emanuel Lutheran

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Crossroads Prayer Concerns DECEMBER 2016

PRAYER NEEDS OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Gerry Flanery, illness

Gene McClellan, recovering at home

Steven Fenrich, complications from surgery

OUR MISSIONARIES

Daryl and Leshia Beltz

Jim and Yuri Cerminaro

Tony and Connie Johnson

Dean and Debbie Lundberg

MILITARY

Jacob T. Overway – Deployed

Grandson of Ted & Arlene Wierda

ON-GOING

Barbara Peters, multiple sclerosis, Bob and Lynn Olmstead’s Daughter

Terry and Tim Krystiniak, health concerns, encouragement and support

Eric Lund, lost both arms in Afghanistan, friend of Community Church

Chuck Oleniczak, health concerns

Harold Figgins, health concerns

Betty Foorman, health concerns

Daniel Williams, health concerns, Sandi Steckel’s cousin

Sherrie Sanders, health concerns

Fred Compos, Throat Cancer

Judy d’Anton, health issues, Dave Swathwood’s Sister

Myah Taylor, infant, congenital heart defect, daughter of Brooke Ashley

and Cory Taylor, friends of Kim Iteen, at Mott Children’s Hospital

Fred Fleetwood, health concerns

Rainey Lew Evans, newborn, prayers answered, home & gaining strength

Pray for family strength, grandparents Steve & Kim Iteen

John Barber, health concerns

Joe Newton, cancer

Gavin Morgan, Scout from Troop 1190 with cancer

NURSING HOME RESIDENTS

AUTUMN WINDS - Marylyn Brown WILLOWBROOK - Thelma Bowden

OAKVIEW - Gary Miller, Barbara Johnson, Mary Markov

LUDINGTON WOODS - Don Swier

All persons placed on the prayer list will remain there for a period of two weeks. After two

weeks, the name will be dropped from the list unless Janet VanEpps or the office are notified

that the prayer need is on-going. If you have a prayer need that you would like to have the mem-

bers of the prayer chain pray for, please activate the prayer chain by calling Janet VanEpps at

843-3122.

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M ay 2 014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

November 27

1

Cub Scouts 6pm

Bell Choir 6:30pm Chancel Choir 7:30pm

2

Bulletin Folding 10am

OAKS Christmas

Lunch 12-3pm

3

4 Communion-Pews

Missions after worship

5

CWF Mtg. 9am

Cub Scouts 7pm

6 Ladies Bible 9:30am Quilters 10am-6pm

Community Table 4:30pm

WE SERVE

CE/MOE/COM 6pm

Cub Scouts 4-6pm Boy Scouts 7pm

7 Pearl Harbor

Remembrance Day Finance/Personnel 6pm

OAKS 6:30pm

Worship Committee 7pm

8

Garden Club Christmas Luncheon 12-4pm

Cub Scouts 6pm

Bell Choir 6:30pm

Chancel Choir7:30pm

9


COOKIE WALK 11-12:30

Offering Envelopes

Available

10

Adopt-a-Family Shopping/Wrapping

Hospitality INC

11

12

Cub Scouts 7pm

13

Ladies Bible 9:30am

Quilters 10am-6pm



14

B.U.M. Committee 7pm

15

Cub Scouts 6pm

Bell Choir 6:30pm

Chancel Choir 7:30pm

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17

18

19

Cub Scouts 7 pm

20

Ladies Bible 9:30 am

Quilters 10am-6pm



21

CROSSROADS DEADLINE

Council Meeting 7pm

22

Cub Scouts 6pm


23

Bulletin Folding 10 am

24

Christmas Eve Service

Communion-Pews 9pm

Christmas Offering

25

Christmas Carol Sing

26

Office Closed

Cub Scouts 7 pm

27

Ladies Bible 9:30 am

Quilters 10am-6pm



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CROSSROADS MAILING

29

Cub Scouts 6pm


30 Bulletin Folding 10 am

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DECEMBER 20 1 6

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Pre-Sorted Standard

Ludington MI

Non-Profit Org.

Permit No. 167

IF YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER AND WISH TO BE REMOVED FROM THE MAILING LIST OR ARE ATTENDING

ANOTHER CHURCH, PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE AT 231-843-9275 SO THAT OUR RECORDS CAN BE

UPDATED. THANK YOU.

CROSSROADS

DECEMBER 2016

Community Church

109 N. Harrison St.

Ludington, MI 49431

Phone: 231-843-9275

[email protected]

www.commch.com

CONGREGATIONAL /PRESBYTERIAN

CHURCH STAFF

Pastor

Rev. John Brown

Music Director

W. John Clement

Membership/Financial Secretary

Custodian

Church Office Hours

Monday through Friday

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

3 Yr. Term Ending 12/31/2016

Gene Kyle Sandy Steckel Donald McKay

Terri Nedderman

3 Year Term Ending 12/31/17 Bob Lanterman

Steve Iteen John Stapleton Gregg Shaw

3 Year Term Ending 12/31/18

Tonda Cadey John Grech

Ruthann Kyle Janet VanEpps

Moderator Steven Iteen

Vice-Moderator

Gregg Shaw

Treasurer

Donna Hallin

Clerk

Ruthann Kyle

Nominating Committee

Janet Grams Tonda Cadey

Diane Swathwood

Scholarship Committee Jayne Reed

Wendy Lanterman Bobbie Maclean

2016 COUNCIL

Christmas Eve

Candlelight Communion Service

9:00 P.M.

Bell Choir, Community Choir

Nursery Provided

Invite your family and friends to share in the

celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Documents

JOHN’S EPISTLE IN THIS NEWSLETTERcommch.com › files › December 2016 Crossroads.pdf · 2017-04-30 · 2 Date Attendance Count General Fund Collection November 6 81 $4544.01 November