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December 2017 ~ Volume 30 ~ Issue 6

News of the Congregational Church of Sun City

18401 N. 99th Avenue, Sun City, AZ 85373

Phone: 623-977-4241

Visit us on the Web: www.ccscaz.org

Being Here and Knowing When!

Galatians 4:4 “But when the time had fully come, God sent his

Son, born of a woman.”

On December 3rd, we will have the Desert Brass group play a concert for us in Alexander Hall. As much as I enjoy the music that they play, I must confess I am most fascinated by the man who plays the various percussion instruments, and I watch him all throughout the concert. It reminds me of the story of the parents who took their young son to a concert. The boy was bored, and he only perked up when he watched a man play the cymbals for the various pieces of music. Afterwards, the boy asked the musician, “What do you have to know to play those things?” The musician thought for a moment and replied, “Nothing much...except being here and knowing when!” If you think about it, those two great truths lie at the heart of Christmas: the baby born in Bethlehem, being here - God taking on human flesh and becoming one of us. Knowing when involves the supreme plan and purpose of God for all mankind: God sending his son into the world when there was a common language, Greek; the Roman empire building roads across the world for easier transportation; and, a general dissatisfaction with the pagan gods of the Greeks and Romans. Into the world at just the right time came Jesus, and after his death and resurrection his gospel would spread across the world with the speed of a forest fire. The joy of Christmas is surely that Jesus came; that the baby was born; that God’s promise was true; and from the pivotal event came joy, faith, hope and peace for all who believe in his name. Merry Christmas to you all and to your family and friends, both near and far. Your Pastor and friend, Brian Anderson

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CHURCH STAFF

Senior Minister Dr. Brian Anderson

banderson@ccsc.phxcoxmail.com

Music Director Jane Higgs

ccscchoirdirector@me.com

Organist Christine Kyhn

kchorale@cox.net

Office Manager Terri King

admin@ccscaz.org

Business Manager Sherry Moore

smooreccsc@gmail.com

Senior Custodian Mike Rush

Maintenance Support Glenn Ankrum

To contact our pastor when he is away from the office, call Dr. Anderson’s cell phone:

1-781-534-5701 Sunday Worship Service: 9:30 AM Fellowship time in Alexander Hall is offered immediately after the service ends. Church Office Information Hours: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu - 8:00AM – 1:00PM Phone: 623-977-4241 Fax: 623-977-0008 Email: admin@ccscaz.org Church Website: http://www.ccscaz.org Please visit our website for all the latest information about our church! You can also listen to Pastor Anderson’s sermons, download Sunday bulletins, and current and previous copies of the Roadrunner. Roadrunner Information The Roadrunner is published 9 times a year. Call the church office if you have a question regarding an item printed in the Roadrunner. Copies of the Roadrunner are e-mailed if we have your address, available on the counter in the church narthex, or you may access it on our website.

BOARDS & COMMITTEES

2017 OFFICERS & CHAIRS Church Moderator: Norma Sandvig

Moderator Elect: Bonnie Shetley

Church Council Clerk: Pat Canfield

Council Members at Large: Art Hamilton (1 yr)

Nancy Asendorf (2 yrs)

Jean Brenn (3 yrs)

Board of Trustees Chair (Interim): Carl Wolkenhauer

Treasurer/Finance Chair (Interim): Dick Clauer

Deacons’ Board Chair: Bev Eilken

Membership Board Chair: Chuck Harrison

Missions Board Chair: Gloria Almrud

Women’s Fellowship Chair: Joyce Dudley

Men’s Club Chair: Scotty MacCleary

Flower Committee Chair: Ginger Hamilton

Sweat Shop Sorority Norma Sandvig

From Your Church Office

Pastor Brian Anderson,

Glenn Ankrum, Jane Higgs, Terri King,

Christine Kyhn, Sherry Moore,

& Mike Rush

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“DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO!”

The simplest thing of wearing a name tag is so IMPORTANT and yet many times, I haven’t bothered to put one on. My thanks to the many thoughtful people who always wear one. Your name tag has saved me many embarrassing moments. Let’s all try to wear our name tags every Sunday. If you do not have one, call the church office, 623-977-4241.

In Christian Love, Normal Sandvig Moderator

P.S. The entertainment committee has planned many exciting evenings for us. Please mark your calendar so you don’t miss any event. • Dec. 3rd—7 PM: Desert Brass Band • Jan. 17th—7PM: Arizona Trio & Potluck • Mar. 14th—7PM: Music by Jimmy B. and Potluck • Apr. 25th—7PM: Fiesta Night with Happy

Mariachi Trio

DEACONS’

CORNER

We have so much to be thankful for this beautiful Christmas season—namely that Jesus was born to save us. Let us share with one another the fellowship, music, and the giving of gifts and of ourselves. I am thankful for my faith, family, friends, and my church family. Let us enjoy the season. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bev Eilken Deacons’ chair

SWEAT SHOP SORORITY By the time you read this, all the hustle and bustle of the Arts & Crafts Fair will be over. We celebrate a good job done by all, especially Norma Sandvig and Chris Palmer. Their work doesn’t start at the beginning of November. It’s starts at the end of this year’s fair and continues through until the next Arts & Crafts Fair, as vendors sign up and are assigned tables. We in the Sweat Shop Sorority have to be creative and think about new ideas that will be best sellers for next year as well. So, please come and join us for coffee, bring new ideas, and enjoy the fellowship with all of us at our next meeting! Jean Brenn Sweat Shop Sorority The Sweat Shop Sorority meets the first and third Monday of each month at 8:30 AM in the Choir Room.

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NACCC: Report on MOMC (Missionary Outreach Ministry Council)

Barbara Dabul, Ph.D.

This is a follow-up to the report I placed in the November issue of the Roadrunner. The NACCC’s National Mission Board, MOMC, has five members, residing in Wisconsin, Iowa, Massachusetts, Kansas, and Arizona. We meet monthly via a teleconference, and annually for a budget meeting, and to attend the Annual Meeting of the NACCC.

I did not attend the 2017 annual meeting, held at Piedmont College in Georgia, but I was elected to the Board at that meeting. The 2018 annual meeting will be held in June in San Diego, California.

On November 7-10. 2017, I attended the budget meeting in Fort Myers, Florida. We spent two days hammering out of the budget for 2018-19, which starts on April 1, 2018. MOMC sponsors 25 missions, both national and international. I was asked to focus on five missions, and I selected:

• Association Civil Cristiana Congregational (Argentina)

• Ministerio Vida (Honduras)

• Menaul School (New Mexico)

• Cook Native American Ministries (Arizona)

• Indian Trails (Arizona)

I chose these five missions either because they are in Arizona, or because I thought my fluent knowledge of Spanish would be useful to our contacts with the mission.

MOMC only sponsors Christian organizations, and the leader must be an indigenous person, not a missionary from America or another country. MOMC also maintains a list of recommended missions which we do not finance regularly, mainly because they do not need out money. We held our budget meeting at one of these missions, ECHO.

ECHO stands for Educational Concerns for Haiti, and the mission is 36 years old. It began when the founder visited Haiti and came home with his heart broken. He found that more than half of the world’s 400-million small-scale farms don’t produce enough food to feed the families farming them. He came back to the U.S. determined to do something about world hunger. As of 2017, we have 7.4 billion people on the planet, and a child dies of starvation every 12 seconds.

ECHO is a global experimental farm. Today, it consists of 55 acres, 10 interns who stay for 14 months, over 85 paid staff worldwide, and a network of 11,000 people worldwide. The number of people impacted over the years by ECHO’s resources and training is 5,830,000. Next month, I will describe what we learned on our tour of ECHO. Many thanks to Leon and Doris Loupee, and to Dick Clauer for doing airport duty at abnormal hours and making it possible for me to attend this important meeting.

For more information about the NACCC, visit www.naccc.org.

National Association of Congregational Christian

Churches

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Our annual Christmas Luncheon will be held on Thursday, December 7th. Tickets are on sale until the 3rd of December as we must give our caterer a count on the 4th. There will be a delicious lunch, entertainment and some surprise gifts. Bring a friend or two and come join us for this special occasion!

Thanks to everyone for supporting our bake sale at the Arts and Crafts Fair. Our baked goods were enjoyed by the vendors, the shoppers and our own church family.

Looking ahead to January, we are planning a couple of events. Be sure and put January 11 on your calendar for a Game Day. We will have a brown bag lunch and spend a couple of hours playing cards or other games. Later in the month, we are planning a fieldtrip to the DOVES facility. This is the part of the Area Agency on Aging that has a program and facility to assist abused women over 55 years old. We are planning that trip on Thursday, January 25 and we will be carpooling to the location.

Be sure and pick up a copy of the revised brochure for Women's Fellowship on the information shelf next to the visitors book in the narthex.

Merry Christmas to all!

Joyce Dudley Women’s Fellowship Chair

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ARTS & CRAFTS

THANKS TO

ALL OUR

VOLUNTEERS!

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Sunday, December 10 at 9:30 AM, the CCSC Choir will present “A Celebration of

Carols” by Joseph M. Martin. The cantata is

based on the traditional “Lessons and Carols” service and is filled with beloved carols and original seasonal songs. You will hear the story of Christ’s birth accompanied by beautiful arrangements and meaningful Scriptures. There are also opportunities for congregational singing within the cantata. This would also be another great opportunity to invite your friends and neighbors to our Sunday service.

Mission Board Thanksgiving and

Christmas Offerings 2017

Thank you to all who participated in the 2017

Special Thanksgiving Offering. The funds

collected will be allocated 50/50 to two local

charities: St Mary’s Food Bank provides

emergency food boxes and temporary food

assistance during times of need to the elderly,

children, working families and the homeless.

Alongside Ministries serves the incarcerated

community through holistic, Christ centered

mentoring, housing for mothers and children

and men’s discipleship training.

Please consider a generous gift for the 2017

Special Christmas Offering. The funds

collected will be allocated 50/50 to two local

charities: Mingus Mountain Academy

provides residential treatment for emotionally

and behaviorally at risk teenage girls, and

Eve’s Place supports domestic abuse victims

through individual and group counseling,

transitional housing and assistance with

emergency legal orders.

Mike Rush would like to thank all of

our church family that helped set up,

clean up, and everything in between

for the Arts & Crafts Fair last month.

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The following members and friends of our congregation have passed away

since our last Roadrunner edition:

• Don Sellon - November 16, 2017

God Answers Prayers Please see the large bulletin board outside of Alexander Hall for our current list of church family and friends in need of prayers. The prayer list is updated weekly and posted for all to see—towards the right side of the board between the calendar and flower sign ups. We encourage you to take the “take-home” cards available underneath the posted prayer list sign as well.

To place someone on our prayer chain, please contact our prayer chain coordinator, Bonnie Shetley, 623-972-3574; the church office, 623-977-4241 or talk to Pastor Brian. Those of you who would like to be one of our prayer partners, please call Bonnie. New prayer

partners are always welcome.

A Note from Ingeborg Jones: “THANK YOU!!!! I am truly blessed and profoundly appreciative for all the get-well cards and phone calls received over the past several weeks wishing for my full recovery from my stroke from friends, family and especially members of the Congregational Church family. Your prayers and expressions of concern for my welfare surely was a big factor in my successful progress to improved health. So far no paralysis. Thank GOD. Also, I was sustained by all of the good food provided. Yes, I will forever be indebted and thankful to each and everyone of you. See you in church. GOD bless.” A Note from Marcia Lynk: “Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support during JR’s illness and his death. The Lord was so present, and our family is full of praise and thanks.” A Note from Heather Anderson: “Thank you all so much for your prayers, cards and phone calls during the last number of weeks when I was sick. Your kindness and thoughtfulness really touched my heart.” A Note from Davene Nelson: “Thank you sisters & brothers in Christ for your cards and prayers. They mean so much to me and the family. I had Dick put in a niche at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix. I felt that was the right place.” A Note from Dottie Massey: “Many thanks for all the prayers and cards for me in the passing of my twin sister, Doris. Also, a special thank you to Barbara Dabul who made a side trip to Nevada so I could see Doris one more time.” A Note from Pepper Roady: “A big thanks for all the cards and well wishes sent my way while undergoing shoulder surgery. Your kindness meant everything to me. Knowing what a loving and caring church family I have, made all the difference in my recovery. God Bless you all!” A Note from Kay Shragal: “A big thank you to all who send cards and calls. It brightens my days. This is the most loving church and all your prayers have been blessings. A big thank you for the anonymous gift to the bake sale for the Arts & Crafts Fair. What a wonderful thought and gift! Blessings to all!”

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December 3, 2017: Desert Brass Band 7 PM

December 5, 2017: Men’s Club Breakfast 8:30 AM

December 7, 2017: Women’s Luncheon 11:30 AM

December 10, 2017: Christmas Cantata

December 24, 2017: Christmas Eve Service 6 PM

January 17, 2018: Arizona Trio & Potluck 7 PM

January 30, 2018: Annual Meeting 1 PM

February 22-24, 2018: Annual Rummage Sale

February 25, 2018: Ranchers Choir Visit

March 14, 2018: Music by Jimmy B. & Potluck

April 25, 2018: Fiesta Night Happy Mariachi Trio

12/10: Ralph Canfield 12/14: Rose Craven Joan Hamilton Dottie Massey Jan Orr 12/15: Ron Stanley 12/17: Mary Miller 12/18: Bob Mohr 12/20: Winnie Holick 12/21: Ed Srsen 12/22: Randy Asendorf Jack Tuerk 12/23: Melvin Jenkins 12/25: Mary Wolkenhauer 12/27: Laura List

However many years anyone may live,

LET THEM ENJOY THEM ALL.

ECCLESIASTES 11:8

After Church Sunday Fellowship Baked Goods

Homemade cookies, cakes and breads are always popular at fellowship after our Sunday service. We are looking for bakers to contribute some goodies each week. If you don't bake, buy something in the store bakery and contribute. Just bring them to the kitchen by 9 AM or bring in anytime and put in the freezer marked for fellowship.

12/16: Robert & Helen

Burda

12/20: Gene & Rose Craven

12/30: Frank & Lois Wells

December Anniversaries

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Pilgrim Roadrunner

Volume 30—Issue 6

18401 N. 99th Avenue Sun City, AZ 85373 Phone: 623-977-4241

First

Class

Stamp

Required

Return Service Requested

PD # 95289000

ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR PHOTOS 6-7

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES 11

CHURCH CALENDER 10

CHURCH INFORMATION 2

CHRISTMAS CANTATA 8

DEACONS’ CORNER 3

DESERT BRASS CONCERT 8

IN MEMORY OF 9

MISSIONS BOARD 8

MODERATOR’S MOMENT 3

NACCC—MOMC 4

PASTOR’S MESSAGE 1

PRAYER CHAIN & THANKS 9

SWEAT SHOP SORORITY 3

WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP 5

TICKETS ON SALE SOON!

The Congregational Church of Sun City

invites you to join us this Christmas season

All Are Welcome! Sunday Worship 9:30 AM

Christmas Eve Service 6:00 PM

Join us for special candlelight service at

6 PM on Christmas Eve and enjoy the glow

of luminaries as you enter the sanctuary!