Novdec09-scumc-educationnewsletter (2)

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION NEWS

UMC OF SWARTZ CREEK

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

What is Advent? Advent consists of the 4 Sundays (including weekdays) leading up to Christmas and is considered the season that marks the beginning of the church (or liturgical) year. Advent means “coming” or “arrival” and is a time of preparation and waiting. Advent leads us to the celebration of the birth of Christ and helps us look forward to the second coming of Christ. Throughout history a traditional Advent prayer has been “Maranatha,” which translates “Come, Lord Jesus.” During Advent we remember the prophets and journey with them as our guides toward our Light and our Life. A traditional ritual during the season is the lighting of the Advent wreath; often the candles symbolize the following themes: hope, peace, joy, and love.

Tired of Commercialized Christmas?... Embrace the Season of Advent! As the world speeds up this time of year with parties and presents and events, we as a church are called to slow down, to wait, to wonder, to reflect upon this great mystery that God comes to live among us as a tiny, vulnerable baby boy. Sometimes the church describes Advent as a season of waiting on tiptoes – it is a time not of frantically running around, but of eagerly awaiting and seeing that which is around us. It is a time of opening our eyes to the sometimes unexpected, surprising, small, and profound ways that God is working among us. On tiptoes, Rachel

Ways to Celebrate Advent ✦ Anticipate Christ’s birth by lighting an Advent wreath each evening or utilizing an Advent calendar each morning. ✦ Create a blessing jar and place it on your kitchen table. Each day during Advent, take time to write down one blessing for which you are thankful. On Christmas day, pour out the blessings and read them aloud together, giving thanks to God. ✦ Choose to decorate your home a bit more simply and spend the extra time you have meditating on the gospel lessons for Advent (Luke 21:25-36, Luke 3:1-6, Luke 3:7-18, Luke 1:39-55). ✦ Commit as much time to scripture reading and prayer as you do shopping for Christmas presents. ✦ Choose a favorite Advent hymn (such as Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus; People Look East; Hail to the Lord’s Anointed; I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light; O Come, O Come Emmanuel). Sing it or reflect upon it daily. ✦ Participate in our annual Heifer International offering which is an organization that seeks to end hunger and care for the earth by providing “appropriate livestock, training and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide.” ✦ Make time to attend the events of the life of our church, such as our Advent Fair on November 29th at 5:30pm to embrace the true meaning of the season.

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIAL EVENTS

Advent Fair - Sunday, November 29, 5:30-7:00pm e meaning

ru over the t Come disc ! of Advent

Activitie s for peo ple of all ages a nd intere sts! Create your own Advent wreath and

Advent calendar!

Learn ab

out Adve

nt hymns and prayers!

Worship the

Lord in s ong and prayer!

ts for Make cards and craf ch and members of our chur community! Make holiday crafts!

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hmen and refres s e m a g y Enjo

Come join us in the Family Life Center as we explore the wonders of Advent through crafts, missions, games, learning stations, and worship. There will be activities for adults, families, children, and youth – invite your friends!

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM - SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 Join us for our annual Christmas program on Sunday, December 20th at 6:00pm. This year our children will be experiencing the awe and wonder of the Christmas story along with the joy of timeless Christmas carols. All persons ages 3 and up are invited to participate in the program. Please sign up at the welcome center or email [email protected] by Wednesday, Dec 2nd if your child would like to participate. Sunday School classes are also invited to create their own presentations for the program. Adult volunteers are needed to help during the practices and the program - please see Rachel.

Practice Schedule

Sat, Dec 5- 10am-1 2pm

Sat, Dec 12- 10am-1 2pm Sat, Dec 19- 10am-1 2pm



* If your child cann ot attend all of the practices, please let Rachel know. * Families are invited to bring 2 dozen cookies on the morning of Sunday, Dec 20th to share as refres hments following the evening program.

ALIVE Update

Sunday School at a Glance Singers with Mr. Moreland and have learned Jesus Loves Me with the chimes! Great job! Our 2nd and 3rd graders are currently learning a few phrases in sign language - next time you see any of them, ask them to teach you!

During November, ALIVE participants are collecting items for Operation Christmas Child, are learning a bit more about the ministry through a Veggie Tales video, and together will pray for and make shoeboxes to be sent to children all over the world. Glory to God for the giving, praying hearts of children!

Our 4th and 5th graders can be heard up and down the halls singing their Books of the Bible song. Wow, they know their stuff! Look to our next newsletter to hear what our confirmation class and youth have been up to! Special thanks to all the veteran and new kitchen crew volunteers - we appreciate you!

Also this month, our Kindergarten and 1st graders are enjoying Disciple

Bible Sunday for 2nd & 3rd Graders November 22 Mark your calendars! In celebration of Bible Sunday on November 22nd, our 2nd graders and new 3rd graders will be receiving bibles. If your name is listed below, please plan to join us for the 8:30 or 11:00 worship service so that you may be presented with a bible. Please contact Rachel if your child’s name is missing from the list or if you will be unable to attend one of the services.

Katarina Cross Brendan Graves Caleb Kawa

Rachel’s R E C O M M E N D E D

Reads

Taylor Kawa Jasmine Moore Gavin Keeler David Waddell Rachel Kraysovic

30 Somethings’

Jerry & Danette Rice, Lounge

Connecting with Others

Lesa McKeon/Ann Brimley, Rm. 205

Essential Christianity

Carolyn Landis, Johnson Center

Fellowship Bible Study

Norma Mueller, Rm. 207 Journey Through the Bible

Dennis Thorpe, Rm.203

Men’s Bible Study

Pete Plum, Rm. 302

Women’s Bible Study



Donna Heddins/Amy Gawthrop, Rm. 206

For Youth: Jr. High Class, Rm. 109 Sr. High Class, Rm. 204 For Children: 2 & 3 Year Olds, Rm. 101 4 & 5 Year Olds, Rm. 104 Kindergarten-1st grade, Rm108 2nd-3rd grade, Rm. 102 4th-5th grade, Rm. 105 Each Sunday from 9:45-10:45am. Come join us!

DEAR A DULT SU NDAY SCHOOL CLASSES , During the

Christmas season, we inviting eac are h Sunday S ch ool class to “adopt-a-fa mily” as a way to pro clothes, to vide ys, or othe r needed ite interested, ms. If please see Rachel for informatio more n and to b e matched family. Let’ w ith a s find ways to be a ble the Christ ss ing to -child in ou r midst this Christmas !

FOR ADULTS:

FOR CHILDREN:

Come,Thou Long Expected Jesus: Advent and Christmas with Charles Wesley by Paul Chilcote is a delightful, poignant devotional that draws inspiration from Charles’ treasury of around 9,000 hymns. Each day’s reading begins with a scripture passage, moves into a Wesley hymn (some well-known, others more obscure!), a brief reflection, and closes with a prayer.

Written by Gwenyth Swain and illustrated by Ronald Himler, I Wonder as I Wander is the story of a young girl and her father (a traveling preacher) in the mountains of North Carolina. A fictional narrative based on an Appalachian folk song by the same name, it draws upon lovely, expressive watercolors to share a message of hope and love.

Heifer Mission Project...Fill the Ark During Advent, we encourage each of you to participate in Heifer International’s FILL THE ARK program, which encourages individuals and families “an opportunity to learn about - and offer a helping hand to families around the world.” Your participation will support Heifer’s effort to end hunger as well as care for the earth by providing “appropriate livestock, training and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide.” Arks will be available on November 29th to all Sunday School classes and giving calendars and prayer slips will also be handed out to all children participants. (Extra arks will also be available at the welcome center.) Take your ark home with you and begin your 4 week journey of giving!

A couple tips: • Make it a habit to give to your ark daily, monetarily and/or through prayer. Take time to pray for the recipients of these gifts and that our hearts might be filled with God’s generosity. • Set a goal for your Sunday School class. • Visit the Heifer table by the welcome center to learn about alternative gift giving and other ways to help! • Bring your filled arks to church on Sunday, December 20th!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER SCHEDULE November 18 – ALIVE, 4:00-6:30pm November 22 – Bible Sunday for 2nd-3rd graders, 8:30/11:00 worship November 25 – No ALIVE this week November 29 – Advent begins!

Heifer’s Fill the Ark program begins



Noisy Offering at 8:30 & 11:00 worship services

Advent Fair, 5:30-7:00pm in the Gym December 2 – ALIVE, 4:00-6:30pm Please sign up to participate in the Christmas Program by this date December 5 – Christmas Program Practice, 10am-12pm in the Sanctuary December 9 – ALIVE, 4:00-6:30pm December 11 - Sunday School Staff Christmas Party, 6:00pm (tentative) December 12 - Christmas Program Practice, 10am-12pm in the Sanctuary December 16 – ALIVE, 4:00-6:30pm

Special Lovefeast Service, 6:30pm December 19 - Christmas Program Practice, 10am-12pm in the Sanctuary December 20 – Please return your Arks for Heifer this Sunday Christmas Program, 6:00pm in the Sanctuary December 23 – No ALIVE this week December 24 – Christmas Eve Services, 6:00pm & 11:00pm in the Sanctuary December 25 – Merry Christmas! December 27 – No Sunday School (enjoy worship and extra time with loved ones!) December 30 – No ALIVE this week

Upcoming Opportunities & Announcements

• An Advent devotional that explores the stories of Simeon & Anna will be available at the welcome center beginning Nov 29. Please pick up your own copy (one per family, please) to take home as our gift to you! • A short-term Disciple Study (8-11 weeks) is beginning in January! Please sign up at the welcome center or see Rachel if interested. For mor e inform ation ab these or out other ed ucationa opportu l nities, c ontact Rachel D . Benton , Ministe r of Disc ipleship church office, 6 35-4555 rbenton @umc-sc .org

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES Sunday School, 9:45-10:45am Sunday Worship, 8:30am in the Sanctuary 11:00am in the Family Life Center Wed Worship, 6:30pm in the Sanctuary Bible Studies: Monday Disciple I, 10am; Disciple II, 6:30pm; Disciple IV, 7pm; Bible Study, 7pm Tuesday – Disciple III, 7pm

UMC OF SWARTZ CREEK 7400 Miller Road Swartz Creek, MI 48473 810-635-4555