December 2005
The Pastor’s Column
By Rodney Newman
Receive the Good News!
This is a season of searching. We wade through an avalanche of sale bills and pray for parking spaces to open for us – all to find the right gift. We watch the mail hoping to hear from friends and relatives from across the miles. We dig through closets and attics looking for that ornament we know we bought and finding decorations we didn’t know we had.
Advent is a time of spiritual exploration as well. Candles flicker in the twilight beckoning us to hope, to reflect on our world, to catch our breath in the rush of activities. Spiritual disciplines of prayer and singing and hearing the words of scripture call us to a deepening of our walk with God.
With so many lists reminding us what we need to do, it’s easy to forget that Advent abounds with opportunities for receiving as well as giving, for being found as well as finding. God comes to us in the stillness of the night, in the majesty of orchestras, and yes, even, in the bustle of holiday traffic. Stay alert! Wait with anticipation! And receive the good news – God is with us!
Christmas Offering
During this season when we celebrate God’s greatest gift to us, we are receiving an offering to help others in need. We encourage you to make a generous donation in support of ministries including Cookson Hills Center, United Methodist missions, Chemical Dependency, Volunteers in Mission, and Criminal Justice and Mercy ministries.
You may mail a check to the church office or drop your gift marked Christmas Offering in the offering plate.
Christmas Cantata
Sunday, December 11
11:00 a.m.
Our Christmas Cantata this year will be Agnus Dei, created by David Hamilton. Those that recall our first Rippeto Christmas Cantata a few years ago will remember the very exciting arrangements, especially the orchestration of this composer. This will be another opportunity for our Chancel Choir and Orchestra to provide a wonderful integrated worship experience as the Cantata contains specific selections for overture, introit, children's choir, a violin solo for our offertory, and three glorious anthems. The melodies come from Michael W. Smith, one of our truly gifted contemporary Christian music composers.
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Communion Services
Friday, December 24
4:00 & 6:30 p.m.
On this holy night, we will hold two services with carols, scripture readings, prayers, and a sermon on the Christmas story. The services also include the building of a live manger scene with the characters entering the sanctuary to anthems from our choir. We will then share the Lord’s Supper and flood the sanctuary with candlelight as we sing Silent Night and Joy to the World. You will want to make this meaningful service a part of your holiday celebration.
One Service at 10:00 a.m.
on Christmas Day & New Years Day
With these holidays falling on Sundays this season, we will combine our two worship services into one service at 10:00 a.m. Come as you are for a time of singing, prayers, scripture lessons, and reflections on the season.
New Members
Jamie Snellings joined the church by baptism and profession of faith on November 6.
Shauna Sanders joined Crown Heights on November 27 by baptism and profession of faith. Shauna is the wife of Crown Heights member, Steven Sanders.
Welcome!
This Month in Worship
We move through the season of Advent with the Epistle lessons serving as our guides. We’ll consider what these early Christian writings teach us about God’s view of time. On Christmas Eve we will hear the story that never grows old, that of the birth of Jesus. This year the calendar allows us to be in church on Christmas Day. You’re welcome to come as you are, bring any houseguests, and join in this time of celebration.
Sermon Titles & Texts
December 4 Taking the Long View
2 Peter 3:8-15
Advent 2
December 11 Attending to Details
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Advent 3
December 18 Before the Shepherds Arrive
Romans 16:1-20
Advent 4
December 24 No Reservations
4:00 & 6:30 p.m.
Luke 2:1-20
Christmas Eve
December 25 A Day for Singing
One Service at 10:00 a.m.
Hebrews 1:1-4
Romans 16:1-20
Music Ministry
by George Massey
Christmas Cantata and Rehearsal
A reminder to the Chancel Choir that our dress rehearsal for the Christmas Cantata is Saturday, December 10, from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (coffee and donuts at 9:30!). I will appreciate your being in your seats prior to 10 a.m. so that we can get started promptly. This will be a shorter rehearsal than in the past. We will need you in your seats on Sunday, December 11, at 10:15 a.m. for our warm-up.
Children's Choir: Parents, just a reminder – we will need the Children's Choir in the Sanctuary, in place to sing, by 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 11.
Youth News
by Mike Slack
Greetings and blessings to all!
We designate this time of the year as a time to give thanks. We remember our loved ones and we count our blessings. This holiday season I’d like for us, those committed to following the way of Jesus, to reflect on an old Hebrew word that helps us act out our faith; it is hesed. There is no one word in English that does it justice; we could think of it to mean “loyalty,” “loving kindness,” or “steadfast love.” It is a type of grace and it is the model of friendship.
This holiday season we would all benefit from reading I Samuel 20 and looking to the hesed friendship modeled by Jonathon and David. Their story is of friendship that goes beyond normal political and social expectations. Each has a turn being in good fortune and while in good fortune each takes the initiative to help the less fortunate. This holiday season remember the less fortunate and be in hesed with those in our surrounding neighborhoods. Grace and Peace!
December Youth Calendar
December 4 Advent Worship Service at Nichols Hills UMC. Meet at Crown Heights at 3:45 and we’ll travel together.
December 11 Our Pastor will join us for our conversation and lesson time.
December 18 Annual Progressive Dinner Christmas Party
December 24 Christmas Eve Services. Some of our youth will be in the manger scene.
December 25 Christmas Day! Worship together at 10:00 a.m. and no youth group that afternoon.
Children’s Ministry
by Jenifer Thompson
Welcome Lindy!
We would like to welcome Lindy Brown as our new Nursery Coordinator. She is very excited about the position and has two boys to add to our Sunday School Classes. Drop by the nursery to introduce yourself and to welcome Lindy to our ministry.
Children’s Sunday School
On December 4 the new Sunday School rotation begins with Christmas Around the World with Matthew 2:11 as our key Bible verse. Stop by and see the wonderful things the children are learning.
Children’s Choir
December 11 – We will be participating in the Cantata during the 11:00 a.m. service.
December 18 – Invite your friends and family for the Children’s Christmas Pageant during the 11:00 a.m. service.
New Event for Christmas Eve!
On December 24 at 3:00 p.m. all children are invited to a Birthday Party for Jesus in the Fellowship Hall.
Bowling over Christmas Break
On December 30 we are planning a Bowling Party at 6:00 p.m. Look for more details.
December Acolyte Schedule
We will have Acolytes at the 11:00 a.m. service during the Advent Season.
Dec 4 Mitchel Williams & Jonathan Higgins
Dec 11 Jordan Rice & Carus Newman
Dec 18 Zach Armstrong & Sam Endicott
Nursery News
There will be no Nursery provided for the Christmas Morning and New Year’s Morning services so our families may worship together.
December Nursery Volunteers
Dec 4 Christy Harris
Dec 11 Janet Kingsolver
Dec 18 Michelle Adkins
Dec 25 No Nursery
Dec 1 No Nursery
Missions
Angel Tree Reminder
Bring your gifts to the church, unwrapped, Sunday, December 4 through 11. The Key Club of Classen School of Advanced Studies will wrap each gift before they are taken to Skyline for the parents to pick up for their families. Cindy Krone is coordinating the Angel Tree mission this year.
Dates to Remember
Mark your calendars with the following dates for the new year:
February 4, 2006 – Saturday Nite Alive dinner for 150 worshipers at Skyline Urban Ministry.
April 22, 2006 – Neighborhood Blitz!! A time to work with other churches and neighbors in our area to spruce up and share with each other. Everyone in the church can be involved in some way.
Can-tastic!
Crown Heights once again contributed a mind-boggling volume of canned foods to Skyline Urban ministries! We raised an unprecedented 2005 cans during our annual October food drive. You contributed to the Missions Team effort to reach out and support those in need. It clearly demonstrates the total Crown Heights congregation’s endeavor in making an unbelievable goal happen. Prayer, enthusiasm, faith, and generous contributions by so many brought our church family together in a loving ministry. I hope you all enjoyed being part of the missions effort. You can see it's quite a fun, fulfilling experience.
Thanks to everyone and the goal next year is 2006 cans in 2006! In Christ, Greg Jorgensen
Pumpkin Patch
The Pumpkin Patch earned $2,228 for the United Methodist Women’s mission areas. Thanks to all who worked so hard unloading, selling, and buying pumpkins! The UMW would not be able to provide financial support to Skyline, Cookson Hills, NSO, New Day Camp, and other deserving missions without your help.
Rio Bravo, Mexico
December 27, 2005-January 1, 2006
25 members of the Crown Heights family will be taking off early Tuesday morning, December 27, to spend a week in mission in Rio Bravo, Mexico. They will be serving and getting to know two families as they work to build 2 casitas which
are 12' x 16' cinder-block homes. They will be taking with them their
Crown Heights spirit and housewarming gifts to give to the home owners
to help in setting up the new homes.
If you are one of those in our church family who can’t go but want to be a part of this church mission, there are several ways you can join in. You can donate to our mission fund which will provide scholarships for some of our missioners, or you can provide housewarming gifts for our two families. Items that are appropriate as house warming gifts are: children's items, books in Spanish, sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, dish cloths, cooking utensils and pans, dishes, drinking
glasses and cups, eating utensils, hygiene items (toothbrushes &
paste, soap, etc), toys, and bicycles. If more gifts are brought than
the 2 families we are working with can use the items will be given to
the local Methodist church for distribution to other families in their
congregation. We can’t take too much.
The other pressing need for this trip is PRAYERS. The missioners need to know that they are in your prayers, now and throughout the trip. The home owners also need our prayers as they prepare to work with us and begin their new lives. As Crown Heights United Methodist Church reaches out to others in our world, we hope to do it as a family working together with God to share our faith and resources in a very special way.