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THE GOOD NEWS

December 2014

Christ

United Methodist Church

JOIN US AS WE WORSHIP OUR LORD!

Pastor Sandy Kraft

Office: 717/532-6850

Email:

skraft@susumc.org

Church : 717/532-6850

Office hours:

Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

E-mail: Christumcshipp@comcast.net

Facebook: Christ United Methodist,

Shippensburg

Web -www.christumcshipp.org

Christ United Methodist Church is committed to

the safety and well-being of our children and

vulnerable adults by

participating in Safe Sanctuaries.

Vision: To be inspired by God’s love to serve everyone.

Mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ

for the transformation of the world.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE The deadline for the January 2015 “Good

News” newsletter is Sunday, December

14. Please submit your articles to the

office by this date. The email address is

christumcshipp@comcast.net.

TRANSPORTATION TROUBLES? If you know of anyone in need of transporta-

tion to or from Worship service please con-

tact Steve VanDixon – 830-9510 or Bill Mor-

gan – 532-7519. We will make every attempt

to see this is not an obstacle for anyone wish-

ing to worship!

HERSHEY PARK FUND RAISING A fun way to support Christ UMC is by volun-

teering at Hershey Park. Each worker makes

$5.85 per hour, receives a ticket to the park-

valid for one year, and eats a meal. All the

money made is sent to the church to be used

by the church as specified by the individual

working. It is an easy and fun way to raise

money. Please for more specifics speak with

Annette (532-4545).

We at Christ UMC greatly appreciate the

generosity of M & T Bank and Orrstown Bank

for allowing us the use of their parking lots

during our Sunday morning worship services.

HELP OUT AT THE COMMUNITY MEALS

We are looking for volunteers to lead devo-

tions during the Community Meals on Saturday

mornings and Thursday evenings. If you feel

called to share a brief devotional or an inspir-

ing message of how Jesus Christ is working in

your life please see Steve VanDixon.

Each Sunday - 8:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Worship, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School

Church office hours - Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. As of November 26, 2014

Please contact Committee Chair before attending any meetings for actual date.

December 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 7p Worship Committee

2 6:30p Finance Committee

3 6p Handbell Rehearsal

4 5 Church office closed 7p Movie Night— “The Nativity Story”

6 9-11a Clothing Bank with Breakfast

7 2nd Sunday of Advent

8 4p Ministry & Nurture Committee 6:30 Outreach Committee

9 10 6p Handbell Rehearsal

11 5:30p Community Meal

12 Church office closed

13 9-11a Clothing Bank with Breakfast

14 3rd Sunday of Advent Newsletter Items Due

15 16 17 6p Handbell Rehearsal

18

19 Church office closed

20 9-11a Clothing Bank with Breakfast 7p Christmas Cello Concert

21 8:30 Service in lower-level social hall 4th Sunday of Advent

22 6:30p Administra-tive Council

23 24 7:30p Christmas Eve Service

25 12 noon Meal at St Andrews Episcopal Church

26 Church office closed

27 9-11a Clothing Bank with Breakfast

28 29 30 31 Church office closed

Anniversaries!

December

15 - Frank & Rene Menton

31 - Mark & Beth Minnich

If your birth date and/or anniversary date do

not appear in the newsletter and you would like

it published, please contact the church office.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL Due to the possibility of inclement weather if there is an early school dismissal or

closing, the church will be closed and all activities for that evening are cancelled. If

there is inclement weather on a Sunday morning you may call the church and receive a

cancellation message, if there is one, from the answering machine or check the scroll-

ing cancellations on WNEP.

THE LIGHT HAS COME Scripture: Matthew 4:14-16

Star light, star bright,

Heavenly star this holy night.

Prophet’s word again is heard;

In The Light, my heart is stirred.

Dawn is nigh, cattle sigh;

We await the baby’s cry.

World believes; heart receives;

Hope is born this Christmas Eve.

Darkness, sadness, sin, and badness—

All are gone! We walk in gladness!

Jesus, shine, Light Divine!

Enter this poor life of mine.

Star light, star bright,

Guide us to our Lord this night.

Prayer:

Lord, on this holiest of nights,

open our eyes that

we may see the great light

of salvation.

Bring us out of the

shadow of our sin

and into the light of

rebirth. Guide us to

the manger where,

walking in The Light,

we may truly love

and be loved every day.

AMEN Dorina Saul 12/24/09

CHRISTMAS DAY MEAL St. Andrews Episcopal Church will

provided an afternoon meal on Decem-

ber 25, Christmas Day. The doors will

open at 11 a.m. and seating will begin at 11:45

a.m. The meal will be served from noon to 2 p.m.

All guest are asked to enter the front church

doors. Handicap guests may enter at the clois-

ter door. Seating is limited,

if needed there will be two

settings. One at noon, one at

1 p.m. Please call 532-8089 to

make your reservations.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE? Christ Church is seeking a dependable part-

time Director of Children’s Ministry to work

with elementary children, plan and organize

activities, ten hours/week. The church look

forward to increasing enrollment in youth and

children’s activities to bring them close to God.

Applicants must be at least 23 yrs. old, have

computer ability and experience working with

youth. Police clearances required. Send applica-

tion to Staff/Pastor/Parish Relations Commit-

tee (SPPRC) at 47 E. King St. Shbg. PA 17257

ADENT Each Sunday morning of Advent the lighting of the Advent Candle will take place.

The Christmas Eve Service

“A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.” This is the form our Christmas Eve worship will take this year

and is based on the service found on pages 284-288 in The United Methodist Book of Worship and used

with permission. The order of service was first composed in 1880 by E.W. Benson, then Anglican Bishop

of Truro, England and is based on ancient sources and intended to be used on Christmas Eve. Other addi-

tions to the service were added in 1918 and 1930. For many years

now on Christmas Day, WITF has broadcast the service from the

chapel at King’s College, Cambridge University. The form we will use

has been adapted for United Methodist congregations and will include solos and

our Handbell Choir.

If you haven’t attended this type of service before, it consists of nine scrip-

tural readings for the Christmas season alternating with nine Christmas hymns

or selected verses from those hymns. This should be a beautiful Christmas Eve

service, and we encourage you to invite friends and neighbors to attend.

November 30

First Sunday of Advent “Hope” - It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salva-tion of the Lord. -Lamentations 3:26

December 7

Second Sunday of Advent

“Peace” -Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. -Luke 2:14

December 14

Third Sunday of Advent

“Joy” -When they saw the star, the re-joiced with exceeding great joy.

–Matthew 2:10

December 20

7:00 p.m.—Christmas Cello

Concert -Rob Rohr

December 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent

“Love” - As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. -John 15:9

The 10:30 a.m. Worship Service will focus on a

"Love" theme this Advent morning. More than

two dozen musicians, singers and narrators will

share a message that adds a spiritual exclama-

tion point to the season. You will hear your fa-

vorite familiar carols and scriptures wrapped

in original narration and music arrangements.

We welcome all to share in this celebration of

Christ’s birth.

December 24

The Christmas Eve Service “A Festival of Lessons and Car-

ols.” A candlelight service of wor-

ship and celebration will include

solos and the Handbell Choir, held

at 7:30 p.m.

Advent/Christmas Schedule

UPCOMING EVENTS, ACTIVITIES & MINISTRIES AVAILABLE AT CHRIST UMC

Happy Birthday!

December 4 - Brandon Shuman

5 – Diane Willis

9 - Stacy Lynch

22– Tom Lynch

26 - Annette Shuman

28 - Janice Hockersmith

30 - Steve VanDixon

A TIME FOR GIVING A Christmas Giving Tree is located at the

back of the sanctuary There are paper orna-

ments with gift ideas (small & large) hanging

on the tree for, you, our congregation to con-

sider purchasing while out shopping with your

family and friends. These gifts will benefit

the United Method-

ist Home for Chil-

dren. Please do not

wrap the gifts.

There is a box lo-

cated in Hollar Hall

to place your dona-

tions in . Please con-

sider this worthy

cause to make the

holidays brighter

for the many less

fortunate children

living there.

2015 ALTAR FLOWERS If you would like to dedicate flowers for the

coming 2015 year please sign up on the flower

chart--on the bulletin board outside of Hollar

Hall. Dedications can celebrate a birthday,

anniversary, or other special day. They can

also be in memory of someone or "to the glory

of God." Please consider doing this!

GET THERE!! Come one, come all! To an exciting event

happening every Sunday at 9:30 am!

Sunday School!!! We would love

to see more friends.

GIVING

The 2015 Offering enve-

lopes will be available on

Sunday, December 28.

CHRISTMAS CELLO CONCERT -Rob Rohr

An exciting concert is coming your way on December 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church.

Take a break from the hustle-bustle on this evening and be inspired by Rob Rohr, a cello major. This is

Rob’s second Christmas concert that also features an ensemble including cello, violin, soloists, and two

amazing pianists. The music created by these young musicians will carry you away. Rob began cello lessons

with Beth Dickinson when he was in fourth grade. He continues his music studies at Shenandoah College

and plans on playing with a professional orchestra upon graduation. The concert is free and open to the

public.

BEAUTIFY THE SANCTUARY FOR CHRISTMAS This year you will have

the opportunity to pur-

chase a poinsettia for in

honor or memory of a

loved one. There are two

options of color, a red or

white poinsettia. Cost is $7.00 for

each. Please call the church office, 532-

6850, if interested in ordering a poinsettia

ORDERING DEADLINE: December 7, 2014

From the Pastors’ Desk

There is a beautiful story of Jesus’ birth out – “The Nativity Story”. It’s been out for

several years now and I’ll admit that when I first heard about it I was not impressed. I

thought this was just another film turning a sacred religious story into something cheap

and sensational. But of course you can’t miss seeing the reviews, and something in them

caught my attention. The writer states that the film did an excellent job of portraying

what Mary would have gone through as a young girl in that culture who was unwed and ex-

pecting a child.

Something about that statement caused me to pause. I realized I had never really given

Mary’s difficulties a second thought. So wrapped up in the story itself, and knowing the

conclusion, I tended to gloss over the difficult parts. It was like the Christmas season

itself had become – all glitter and no actual content. Indeed, it was true that the birth

involved human suffering and great personal sacrifice.

Sometimes in our faith journey we forget that this isn’t all glitter - going to church, giv-

ing gifts to the needy, putting up a nativity scene at our home. Our faith involves real

sacrifice. It involves moving out of our comfort zone and standing up for what we believe.

That can mean being candid and telling our story if someone in the work place asks us. It

can mean being considered odd and losing a social group at school. It can mean inviting

neighbors you don’t know to church and being rejected. Whatever the case, at some point

our faith is going to call for sacrifice.

This year let’s use Mary as our example. Let’s think about the sacrifice she made in the

relationship with the man she loved, in the relationship with her family and her village.

Let’s vow to be as willing as Mary to stand up for our faith, no matter where that takes

us!

The Nativity Story – Friday night, December

5th at 7:00 pm, we will be showing “The Nativity

Story – The Journey of a Lifetime, a Story for

All Time” at the church. This is a movie for all

ages so bring your whole family and start the

season with a beautiful re-telling of the Christ-

mas story.

Pastor Sandy