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Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church Rochester, New York
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Highlights from the December 2005 edition's:
Christmas Worship Christmas is on a Sunday this year. There will not be a service on Christmas Day. Our Christmas service will be on Saturday, Christmas Eve, at 8pm.
Capital Campaign News There is a chart in the sanctuary showing the progress of the Capital Campaign. It very creatively uses puzzle pieces to represent each $1000. The puzzle pieces will fill the chart as we progress. This coming Sunday, December 11, Sherri will conduct a 20-minute workshop after the morning service on how to solicit donations to the Capital Campaign. Join us for a fun, informative, and inspiring session so that you will be empowered to contact you family, friends, and others!
Stewardship Campaign is underway. Please return your pledge forms if you have not already done so. Blank forms are available at church.
Capital Campaign will have three phases: Internal Campaign: for members and regular attendee's of Open Arms MCC will begin Nov. 21. External Campaign for the wider community will begin Dec. 1 Fundraisers will happen throughout the six months of the Campaign
Deacon's Corner:
Yo God:
Deacon Debbie
Pastor's Reflection:
The theme of Advent is “Prepare the way of the Lord” or “repair the road that leads to God’. We should be familiar with road repair here in the Rochester area! It’s often hard to get where we’re going because of so many obstacles in the path. In our modern world, the road is often rocky or filled with potholes or detours. Our senses are filled with flashing lights and screaming sounds all around us all the time We are bombarded with message of consumerism – all the time, but especially at this time of year. Our children often learn their first songs from commercials on television. It’s a confusing world at best. Spiritually it’s a world filled with fog. People just don’t know where they’re going but they go at a very fast pace anyway.
Advent is the period of four Sundays before Christmas that the church sets aside for reflection on the darkness of the world, the light of Christ, the promises of God. It is a time of reflection that begins with John the Baptizer crying, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!” It is a time for followers of Jesus to recognize their role in preparing that way. It is a challenge to remove ourselves from the insanity of the world, to repair the potholes that prevent people from seeing God. It is an opportunity to refuse to get lost in consumerism, to reach out to those of our community who are lost and wandering and to take their hands to take them with us to the Glory of God.
The light of God that is within us cries out to be released to shine on the darkness of loneliness and despair. The light of God that is within YOU is given to you so that you can light the world around you, so that you can prepare the way of the Lord and take the hands of those wandering in darkness so you can lead them home.
That’s what Advent is. With Love, Rev. Jim WHAT IS A DEACON?
As we’ve talked about deacons in training (DIT’s), it never occurred to me that there are some who don’t know what deacons are. In our denomination, we teach the priesthood of all believers. No role is closed to one who has the ability to fill it. Deacons are people who feel a special call to commitment to ministry and who have the talents and desire to devote extra time and talent and energy to the church. Deacons can serve in different capacities. Liturgical deacons can serve by preaching or teaching or leading worship. Community Care deacons can work in building up the church family by various ministries of welcome or to the sick. Service deacons can work in outreach to the wider community or work with other churches or organizations for social justice. Not everyone has the same gifts and talents and interests. We are preparing these deacon trainees for service. They are part of the enhanced infrastructure that we are developing as we get ready for the growth of the congregation. As we move into a larger facility, we will need many many hands to do the work God sets before us. Not only deacons’ hands, but YOUR hands, too. See our Website: http://www.frontiernet.net/~oamcc for the calendar listings. You can print the calendar if you wish. From the Capital Campaign Coordinating Committee: One of the most effective ways you can be directly involved in the Capital Campaign is through prayer! God demonstrates active involvement in each of our lives through answered prayers, and we are encouraged in the book of Hebrews to, "...approach God with confidence...so that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper.'" (Heb. 4:16, 13:6) As we kick off our campaign to purchase a new building, please consider joining a prayer team that will commit to praying for our campaign efforts every day for six months! Details and sign-up information will be available Sunday! Inviting the greater Rochester community to make a donation to our Capital Campaign is another exciting way to step out on faith and get involved! By inviting people to donate to our cause, we are allowing them to partner with us in extending God's message of hope, healing, and love to the entire community! Very soon, we will be composing a list of people who will receive an invitation to donate to our new building fund. Who do you know that should be included on our list? As you consider the friends, family members, and business associates on your Christmas card list, now is a great time to be thinking about the names of people we should include in our appeal! Donna T. and Sherri M., co-chairs of External Capital Campaign
Upcoming Events:
Deacon training class will be on:
December 13 (Tuesday) January 10 (Tuesday) and 22 (Sunday) Installation: January 29 (Sunday)
The DIT classes are open for anyone to attend. The clothing ministry, coordinated by Deacon Debbie, will began again on Thursday December 8th at 6:30. See Deacon Debbie for details. The Artsy-Fartsy Film Group next outing on December 17, a matinee. We will be seeing a matinee at the Little. To read more about the film, go to www.littletheatre.com and click on the Coming Soon link. We will meet at The Little at ?? All are welcome to attend.
The Christmas
Party is
on December
18th – Save the date
– Ellison Park –
Hazelwood Lodge immediately after service. Action Item's:
No entries this week
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Christmas Worship Christmas is on a Sunday this year.
Our main Christmas service will be on Saturday, Christmas Eve, at 8pm.
There will be a service on Christmas Morning, prepared by the Deacons-in-Training. 11 am on Christmas Morning .
Capital Campaign News There is a chart in the sanctuary showing the progress of the Capital Campaign. It very creatively uses puzzle pieces to represent each $1000. The puzzle pieces will fill the chart as we progress. A word from the Capital Campaign Coordinating Committee
How can you get involved in the Capital Campaign?
1 - Return your pledge form to John White or place it in the offering basket 2 - Return your orange contact sheet to Sherri or Donna 3 - Join the Prayer Committee by signing up in the back of the sanctuary, near the prayer table 4 - Volunteers are needed immediately to hand-address envelopes being mailed to potential donors in the community - to volunteer, please see Sherri or Donna at church or e-mail them at: smteaches@earthlink.net
Remember, YOU are an important piece of the puzzle! "With God, all things are possible!" Matthew 19:26
Stewardship Campaign is underway. Please return your pledge forms if you have not already done so. Blank forms are available at church.
Capital Campaign will have three phases: Internal Campaign: for members and regular attendee's of Open Arms MCC began Nov. 21. External Campaign for the wider community will began Dec. 1 Fundraisers will happen throughout the six months of the Campaign
Deacon's Corner:
Yo God:
Deacon Debbie
Pastor's Reflection:
Ho, ho, ho? Or Bah-humbug! This is a terribly difficult time of year for so many people. Everywhere I turn, I seem to hear people wishing that Christmas was OVER! It doesn’t have to be like that, you know! Like every other day of your life, it will be what you make it to be. Deacon Debbie already reflected on this as she wrote her “Yo, God”. It’s all about having eyes to see and ears to hear. Do you remember Jesus talking about that? We humans have fickle hearts. We are up one minute, down the next. We love someone one minute and are angry enough to throttle him/her the next. We praise God for God’s goodness one minute and are complaining that God is never there when you are really in need. We take this season of the year. We know in our hearts what it’s all about – light into darkness. But in our minds and emotions, we get ourselves all a-twitter because of the insanity that the world thrusts on us. Presents! Would it be easier if we didn’t “have” to give presents at Christmas? Would that remove the stress from us? Not necessarily. We don’t ever HAVE to give presents – no matter what the ads say. We end up giving presents to people we don’t even like because we think it’s expected of us. Who set those expectations? Did you? We run out at the last minute and get presents for people who gave us unexpected presents because, after all, we HAVE to give presents to everyone who gives presents to us. Or do we? Have we forgotten that the ultimate present that we get at Christmas is the light of God? The light of Love? Have we forgotten that the ultimate present we can give is the light of God, the light of Love? Have we forgotten that merchants have re-invented Christmas so that their bottom line will be good and black? Have we forgotten that at any time we can opt out of insanity in whatever form it takes? Have we forgotten what a present is? A present is an outward sign of an inward reality. Or is it? Do all your presents reflect the light and love in your heart? Does your outward approach to this season reflect the inner reality of the meaning of Christmas? Does the light and love of God fill you so that giving presents is a true reflection of what’s going on within you? If not, there’s still time. With Love, Rev. Jim See our Website: http://www.frontiernet.net/~oamcc for the calendar listings. You can print the calendar if you wish.
Upcoming Events:
Deacon training class will be on:
January 10 (Tuesday) and 22 (Sunday) Installation: January 29 (Sunday)
The DIT classes are open for anyone to attend. The clothing ministry, has begun it is coordinated by Deacon Debbie, Thursdays at 6:30. See Deacon Debbie for details. The Artsy-Fartsy Film Group next outing on December 17, a matinee. We will be seeing a matinee of Ushpizin at the Little., an Israeli comedy by and about Ultra-Orthodox Jews. This film is a rare insight into the lives and practices of the Ultra-Orthodox. To read more about the film, go to www.littletheatre.com and click on the Coming Soon link. We will meet at The Little at 1:15 for a 1:40 showing. All are welcome to attend.
The Christmas
Party is
on December
18th – Save the date
– Ellison Park –
Hazelwood Lodge immediately after service. Action Item's:
No entries this week
....
December 21 Christmas Worship Christmas is on a Sunday this year.
Christmas service will be on Saturday, Christmas Eve, at 8pm. This is our main service. John W. and Kerry C. will each sing solos. We will light Steven F.’s grandmother’s menorah to celebrate the first night of Hanukah (one day early). There will be a service on Christmas Morning Service, prepared by the Deacons-in-Training. 11 am on Christmas Morning . This Service will conducted by Deacons-in-Training: Gene, Bonnie, and Terry
Capital Campaign News There is a chart in the sanctuary showing the progress of the Capital Campaign. It very creatively uses puzzle pieces to represent each $1000. The puzzle pieces will fill the chart as we progress. A word from the Capital Campaign Coordinating Committee
How can you get involved in the Capital Campaign?
1 - Return your pledge form to John White or place it in the offering basket 2 - Return your orange contact sheet to Sherri or Donna 3 - Join the Prayer Committee by signing up in the back of the sanctuary, near the prayer table 4 - Volunteers are needed immediately to hand-address envelopes being mailed to potential donors in the community - to volunteer, please see Sherri or Donna at church or e-mail them at: smteaches@earthlink.net
Remember, YOU are an important piece of the puzzle! "With God, all things are possible!" Matthew 19:26
Stewardship Campaign is underway. Please return your pledge forms if you have not already done so. Blank forms are available at church.
Capital Campaign will have three phases: Internal Campaign: for members and regular attendee's of Open Arms MCC began Nov. 21. External Campaign for the wider community began Dec. 1 Fundraisers will happen throughout the six months of the Campaign
Deacon's Corner:
Yo God:
Deacon Debbie
Pastor's Reflection:
The Book of Genesis opens with the words: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” And in the prophecy of Isaiah, we read: “But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country.” In my Sunday sermon, I spoke to you about relationships and offered the opinion that the life and teachings of Jesus point to right relationships: with self, with God, with others. Now, let’s put the two themes together: Jesus is the light in the darkness. God is our guide when we can’t see. Jesus came to spread light into our inner darknesses. Each of us can strive to let the light of God into the areas of darkness that exist in our hearts and minds and souls, into the places inside where we deny God entrance, into the places of discontent and darkness in our relationships that need God to take us by the hand and be our personal guide directing us through unknown country. The traditional way of looking at Jesus is expressed in the words of O Holy Night: “Long lay the world in sin and sorrow pining.” We look back to a time of Eden in which people and creation were all perfect. I suggest that the teachings of some of the progressive theologians might be helpful: people and creation were never perfect. We have been and are an unfinished creation. We are moving forward towards God. Our faults and imperfections and sins are signs of our being unfinished. The light of God that Jesus brings to us is God’s hand taking ours to lead us forward into greater harmony with God and with each other. As always, we get to choose whether we receive the Light, whether we take the hand of God stretched out to us in Jesus. Let this truly be a season of Light. Open all your inner doors and windows and let the Light of God’s Holy Spirit fill you. Then, through you, let all who meet you witness the light shining in you. With Love, Rev. Jim See our Website: http://www.frontiernet.net/~oamcc for the calendar listings. You can print the calendar if you wish.
Upcoming Events:
Deacon training class will be on:
January 10 (Tuesday) and 22 (Sunday) Installation: January 29 (Sunday)
The DIT classes are open for anyone to attend. The clothing ministry, has begun it is coordinated by Deacon Debbie, Thursdays at 6:30. See Deacon Debbie for details. The Artsy-Fartsy Film Group next outing in January, a matinee. To read more about the film's, go to www.littletheatre.com and click on the Coming Soon link. All are welcome to attend.
The Christmas
Party WAS
on December
18th – What an excellent
party!! Great Food, music, "jokes", and FRIENDS. Action Item's:
No entries this week
....
Christmas Worship What a wonderful experience we had on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There were 61 people at the Christmas Eve service and 14 on Christmas morning. One of my co-workers came with her two grown children. Her son is recently out of the military after being wounded in Afghanistan. Another visitor was Linda U’s son, Jay, visiting from Colorado Springs. Jay is what we call an MCC kid, having been baptized at MCC San Diego when he was an infant. Of course, we had the candle-light ceremony after which we sang “Silent Night” with our only light coming from the candles we held. Service was followed by a very impressive array of goodies. Don’t tell anyone but Sharon H. has the ghost of Martha Stewart! Thanks to all who brought treats for fellowship. And thanks to the Deacons-in-Training, Bonnie, Terry, and Gene, who prepared Sunday morning’s service. During the Christmas Eve service, we recognized Anne T and her willing co-elves for the excellent Christmas Party we had on Dec. 18. Anne makes it seem so effortless, but Bess will tell you differently. We also had a brief dedication service. Dr. Beng has asked to formally dedicate himself as a physician to God’s service. With prayer and anointing with oil, we connected Beng’s skills and mind and hands and ears and the rest of him, too, to God, the author of all our talents. Capital Campaign News There is a chart in the sanctuary showing the progress of the Capital Campaign. It very creatively uses puzzle pieces to represent each $1000. The puzzle pieces will fill the chart as we progress. A word from the Capital Campaign Coordinating Committee
How can you get involved in the Capital Campaign?
1 - Return your pledge form to John White or place it in the offering basket 2 - Return your orange contact sheet to Sherri or Donna 3 - Join the Prayer Committee by signing up in the back of the sanctuary, near the prayer table 4 - Volunteers are needed immediately to hand-address envelopes being mailed to potential donors in the community - to volunteer, please see Sherri or Donna at church or e-mail them at: smteaches@earthlink.net
Remember, YOU are an important piece of the puzzle! "With God, all things are possible!" Matthew 19:26
Stewardship Campaign is underway. Please return your pledge forms if you have not already done so. Blank forms are available at church.
Capital Campaign will have three phases: Internal Campaign: for members and regular attendee's of Open Arms MCC began Nov. 21. External Campaign for the wider community began Dec. 1 Fundraisers will happen throughout the six months of the Campaign
Deacon's Corner:
Yo God:
Deacon Debbie
Pastor's Reflection:
Gift. Jesus is Gift. The old bumper sticker says, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Most people may pay lip service to that, but lip service is all it is. Christians are called on to RECEIVE the gift of Jesus instead of trivializing the commemoration by giving and receiving trinkets. Receiving the gift of all Jesus is takes us to places we’d rather not go. It requires of us a degree of selflessness that is uncommon. It calls us to a life of service. It refuses to allow us to see injustice and be silent. It urges us to spread the Good News. No wonder we trivialize the season. It’s a lot easier that way. It requires little of us except several weeks of aggravation while shopping and baking and decorating. And then it’s done and over with. We will hear (and perhaps say) “Thank God the holidays are over.” We can’t do that if we receive the gift that Jesus is. It is a life-long commitment. It requires change and daily work and deepening our spiritual lives. Perhaps this very brief reflection can be in all our minds as we prepare our New Year’s Resolutions. Or, perhaps, we can each re-dedicate ourselves to the service of God and to follow wherever God leads. With Love, Rev. Jim See our Website: http://www.frontiernet.net/~oamcc for the calendar listings. You can print the calendar if you wish.
Upcoming Events: New Year’s Day worship, Sunday, January 1 at 11am
Deacon training class will be on:
January 10 (Tuesday) and 22 (Sunday) Installation: January 29 (Sunday)
The DIT classes are open for anyone to attend. The clothing ministry, has begun it is coordinated by Deacon Debbie, Thursdays at 6:30. See Deacon Debbie for details. The Artsy-Fartsy Film Group next outing on January 21, a matinee. To read more about the film's, go to www.littletheatre.com and click on the Coming Soon link. All are welcome to attend.
The Christmas
Party WAS
on December
18th – What an excellent
party!! Great Food, music, "jokes", and FRIENDS. Action Item's:
No entries this week
....
Until next time, let us pray for one another (oremus pro invicem)
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This page Last updated on: December, 2005 By: Martha K. |
