Wesleyan

270 Gifford Street • Falmouth, MA 02540 • (508) 548-3050

The Official “Welcoming Congregation”

open hearts open minds open doors

THE

John Wesley United Methodist Church 2014

www.jwumcfalmouth.org

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

“I am bringing you good

news of great joy for

all the people.”Luke 2:10

Have you noticed that some of our Christian language has become lost to the language of

the culture. For instance, we “redeem” our cans and bottles, rather than our souls. “Grace” is a girl’s name, rather than God’s free gift of love and mer-cy. “Providence” is the name of a city, rather than God’s faithful care and guidance. “Madonna” is a rock star, rather than the mother of Christ. “Je-sus Christ” is a name used in vain, rather than revered as the name of our Lord and Savior. And, our “Holy Day” of Christmas has been contracted to a “holiday.” That’s why it’s so important that as we enter into the Holy Days of Advent, we need to remember this is a time set aside to worship, and to antici-pate the coming of God into the world, and to reflect on what this means for us. Yet so often, we put too much into the “Holy Days” with shopping, en-tertaining, cooking, wrapping and more, and as a result, we may instead

find them to be “hollow days.” Days that are filled, and yet are without sub-stance, and void of any real meaning. And so I encourage all of us to make time to pause and remember why we celebrate Christmas.

Let me share with you a story about a woman who was Christmas shop-ping. After hours of looking at row after row of toys, gadgets, clothes, elec-tronics and more, trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on her list, and worrying if she’ll have the money to pay for it, she finally finished and headed for the elevator. She was feel-ing what many of us feel during this

season – pressure to go to every party and every open house, making sure the Christmas cards are sent, with-out leaving anyone out, decorating the house, baking, wrapping the presents and more. All these thoughts were spinning in her mind when the eleva-tor doors opened, and there was al-ready a crowd squeezed together. She pushed her way in, dragging her bags with her. When the doors closed, she sighed heavily and stated out loud to no one in particular, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.” After the initial murmurs of assent and laugh-ter, a calm voice from the back of the elevator responded, “Don’t worry, we already crucified him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator, it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

This Advent season, let us remem-ber the real meaning of Christmas. Je-sus Christ, God coming to us in flesh and blood in order to show us how to live, save us from our sins, and offer us eternal salvation. This is indeed “Good news of great joy for all the peo-ple!”

Good News Of Great Joy

P astor Rebecca

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ADvenT HAS ALreADY BeGun!

We a re prac t ic i ng for our Christmas eve Celebration, “Sunday School Kids Twelve

Days Of Christmas.” We are collect-ing for Heifer International to raise money for trees. These trees can pro-vide warmth, fruit and nuts which

will lead to money for homes or edu-cation for a child.

Please see our table in the Fellow-ship Hall during the coffee hour to donate. We will continue to collect for Heifer International throughout Ad-vent.

Practice for our Christmas eve Cel-ebration will be held on 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 during Sunday School and Wow Times.

Our Dress rehearsalIs Saturday, 12/20 @ 10 am.We hope you will join us!

The Christmas eve Family Service is @ 5:00 with a Birthday Celebration for Jesus held in the Fellowship Hall immediately following.

Cake and JuiceWill be servedPlease join us as we celebrate the

birth of Jesus!On the last Sunday in December,

12/28, there will be no Sunday School or Wow.

We will resume Sunday School on 1/4/2015!

PastorRev. Rebecca Mincieli

DIrector of chrIstIan eDucatIon

Debra Cormier

Youth DirectorJeremy Tagliaferre

choIr & MusIc DIrectorJohn Yankee

KeyboarDIstDr. Robert Wyatt

church secretaryEva Peterson

eDItorsEd & Mary Jane Dyer

Index. . .Ushers ................................... 3Youth News .......................... 4Missions Memos .................. 4What Counts ........................ 5Dinner Dance ....................... 6John Wesley Christmas Card ................ 8Fair News ............................. 9Kids Page ............................ 10

January 24th – Mother/Daughter/Granddaughter Spiritual retreat! 10am – 2pm at John Wesley. Prayer,

singing, yoga, knitting, and tea par-ty complete with finger sandwiches. More information to come, but mark your calendar and invite your friends!

Save the Date

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MerrY CHrISTMAS TO ALL OF YOu AnD A verY HAPPY neW YeAr! Please continue to wear your name tags. Let Marilyn know (508-564-5283) if you cannot make any of these scheduled Sundays.

December 20147th Mel Trott , Beverly & roger Arbo & Brian Linton14th Sharon Mulcahy, Louise Bailey, Karyn Briggs & Dick Sherman 21th Ken Whitcomb, Linda Duane, Pearl & Karl Jurentkuff 24th Christmas Eve 5:00 Service: Members of the Youth Group 7:00 Service Mel Trott, Jim Grosslein, Jeff & Marion Warburton 9:00 Service russell Brown28th Al Croft, Karen Dean, Jim Grosslein & Lorraine Hunt

January 20154th Mel Trott , Beverly & roger Arbo & Brian Linton11th Sharon Mulcahy, Louise Bailey, Marilyn Mugno & Dick Sherman 18th Ken Whitcomb, Linda Duane, Pearl & Karl Jurentkuff 25th Al Croft, Karen Dean, Jim Grosslein & Lorraine Hunt

February 20151st Mel Trott , Beverly & roger Arbo & Brian Linton8th Sharon Mulcahy, Louise Bailey, Marilyn Mugno & Dick Sherman 15th Ken Whitcomb, Linda Duane, Pearl & Karl Jurentkuff 22th Al Croft, Karen Dean, Jim Grosslein & Lorraine Hunt

December 2014December 7, 2014

2nd Sunday of Adventreadings: Isaiah 40:1-11, Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8

Liturgist: Ken Pealaltar Guild: Pat Dinsmore and Betty Smith

Greeter: Louise Clarke and Donna Matesushers: Mel Trott, Brian Linton, Beverly & roger Arbo

December 14, 20143rd Sunday of Advent

readings: Isaiah 61:1-4. 8-11, Psalm 126, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, John 1:6-8, 19-28

Liturgist: Amy Clatanoff Brownaltar Guild: Sharon Mulcahy

Greeters: Pearl and Karl Jurentkuffushers: Sharon Mulcahy, Louise Bailey, Karyn Briggs and Dick Sherman

December 21, 20144th Sunday of Advent

readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Luke 1:47-55, romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38Liturgist: Dick MacKenzie

Altar Guild: Linda Duane and Patsie TsaridesGreeters: Pat and Bob Dinsmore

ushers: Ken Whitcomb, Linda Duane, Pearl & Karl Jurentkuff

Wednesday, December 24, 2014Christmas Eve

readings: Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20Liturgist: 5pm – (to be announced)

7pm – Henry Brown 9pm – Betty Smith

ushers: 5pm – Members of Youth Group 7pm –Mel Trott, Jim Grosslein, Jeff & Marion Warburton 9pm – russell Brown

December 28, 2014 – 1st Sunday after Christmas Day

readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Psalm 148, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:22-40Liturgist: Karen Camp

altar Guild: Linda Duane and Karyn BriggsGreeters: Dick MacKenzie and Donna Mates

ushers: Al Croft, Karen Dean, Jim Grosslein & Lorraine Hunt

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What Will We Give This Christmas?

What gifts will we give this Christmas?Everyone has so much stuff.Why don’t we give to charity.

We already have enough.

So many people are starving,Sick, without medical care.If we just make a donation,

Then they will have less despair.

We have so much more than we need,Enamored with everything.

To spend all that money and time,Does that truly pleasure bring?

So, let’s pray to God for what’s best

For when it is time to give,By helping those needy peopleMake better their lives to live.

Joy Stosz – November 5, 2014

Inspired by Dick MacKenzie’s sermon on November 5, 2014

MissionsCommittee

Whatever YOu do to the least of these, you do unto Me!

Merry Christmas, JWuMC!A big thank you to the volunteers and

those who shopped at the AGT, Alternate Gift Market!

The “Food on the Fourth” food drive is going well at JWuMC. We THAnK YOu for all of your donations! We deliv-ered 4 shopping carts of 37 bags bulg-ing with donations to the Falmouth Ser-vice Center! They were overwhelmed and thrilled!

Can you consider making a Christ-mas donation to the Cape Cod Shelter for Women? Anything you can donate would be greatly appreciated!

At our november meeting we dis-cussed the organizations to which we will be donating funds, like the pastor’s discretionary fund, upper Cape Chap-laincy, Women’s Shelter, Cape Cod Habi-tat for Humanity, Hospice, and more! We can help these organizations due to your continual support. THAnKS! MiSSionS: Helping

Assisting others responding to others’ needs Vast effect expression of our love for Christ Trusting in the Lordeveryone is welcome to attend our

meetings! Bring some ideas or sugges-tions! We open with a devotion and prayer and close in prayer. We discuss requests for funds, fund-raising events, finances, ideas, and much more! Join us on the last Monday of the month @ 7 in the Lyman Lounge. For more informa-tion contact Donna Fish, chair, or other members of the committee: Cherylann randall, nancy Leger, Jan Brooks, Doris Bousquet, Bud Tracy, Louise Bailey, De-maris Kooker, George McFarland, Louise Socarides, Donna Mates, Judi Hildreth, Karen Camp, Karyn Briggs, Linda Duane, Betty Bailey, and Suzanne Charltas.

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Saturday, December 13 at 4 & 7:30 PM; Sunday, December 14 at 3PM First Congregational Church, Falmouth

Our much anticipated holiday concert celebrates music written entirely by American composers and arrangers including works by William Billings, Ran-dell Thompson, and Charles Ives’s whose “Christmas Carol” will be sung by the Falmouth Chamber Chorale. A highlight will be the world premiere of a commissioned work “Songs in the Air” by John Yankee, Artistic director of the Falmouth Chorale . The Cape Cod Children’s Chorus will be featured. Stephanie Weaver and string players from the New England Conservatory will accompany the performances. SELLS OUT FAST Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students. Buy online at www.falmouthchorale.org or from any chorale member. Tickets at the door are $25. For more information call 774.392.2383.

A Christmas Homecoming

Mark your calendars now - the next Old Time Gospel night is Friday, January 30th at

7:30pm!

As John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, he baptized people and urged them to turn

their lives around and live for God. As powerful as this ritual was, John was clear that Jesus’ baptism would be more so: “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8, nIv).

The story is told of a gruff old man who’d resisted baptism all his life. Finally, he told his pastor he was

ready to be baptized, according to the church’s custom, that Christmas. After breaking the ice off the surface of the local pond, the minister plunged the man, face first, into the frigid water three times “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

As the man emerged the th ird time, he exclaimed, “Thank God that’s over!”

“Oh, no,” replied the pastor. “Bap-tism is just the beginning.”

Just The Beginning

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Christmas PoinsettiasWe are now accepting donations for Christmas Poinsettias for the altar at John Wesley Church. The cost is $8.00 each. If you care to contribute to the memory of or honor someone dear, please fill out the form below and give it along with your cash or check to the church office or to any member of the Altar Guild. The deadline is Sunday December 14th.unless indicated otherwise, the plants will be delivered to shut-ins during Christ-mas week. If you wish to pick up your plant, please make a note in the form below.Thank you for helping to make a beautiful Altar on Christmas Sunday. Your names and those to be me-morialized or honored will be listed in the bulletin on December 21nd.(Checks should be made out to John Wesley Altar Guild.

CHrISTMAS POInSeTTIAS — 2014

Your name _________________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Person(s) to be memorialized: _________________________________________________________________________

or honored __________________________________________________________________________________________

Will you pick up the plant yourself? q Yes q no

invite your friends and family to our Christmas eve services. At 5:00, there will be a family ser-

vice, where our Sunday School chil-dren will be participating, and we will have a Birthday celebration for Jesus after the service. At 7:00, we will wor-ship in the sanctuary with special mu-sic, scripture, song and candlelight. At 9:00 we will worship in the cha-pel with an intimate service also with special music, scripture, song and can-dlelight.

Christmas Eve Services

The 2015 Flower Chart is up, so you can sign up to have flowers on the altar to honor or memo-

rialize a loved one or friend. The cost is $40. Please make the check pay-able to John Wesley united Method-ist Church, and put “flowers” in the memo line. The Chart is located on the Altar Guild door right outside the sanctuary. If you have any questions, please contact Pat Dinsmore at 508-540-2183.

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