The Cornerstone Newsletter of Rolling Hills United Methodist Church

November 29, 2006

Christmas at Rolling Hills Christmas at Rolling Hills Christmas at Rolling Hills Christmas at Rolling Hills United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist Church

December 17 Worship Services 8:30, 10:00 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

Chancel Choir with Brass Ensemble

Christmas Concert at 7:30 p.m. The Great Mass in C Minor by Mozart

Featuring Soprano Deborah Mayhan, Countertenor Kenneth Curnow, Tenor Rick Roudebush, and Bass Cedric Berry

Plus, Born a Savior, Born a King

December 24 Morning Worship - 8:30 and 10:00 a.m.

Chancel Choir, Women of Grace, Bell Choir

Christmas Eve Worship Services 4:00 p.m. Family Service – Carols & Nativity by the children

of the church 8:00 p.m. – A Musical Christmas - 3rd service ensemble,

with special guest, Doug MacLeod, Folk & Blues Guitarist 11:00 p.m. Candlelight Service – Lessons, Carols & Communion

Childcare is available at all services

from the pastor “Christmas caught me by surprise this year, coming as it did on the 25th...” That was the beginning of one friend’s year-end review. And it’s true. Somehow Christmas always seems to catch us by surprise. Why is that? Is it simply a factor of the increasing speed of each year as we live more of them? Does time just keep speeding up and up as we go? Then why is February, the shortest month, so long? And why does it seem even longer in cold, northern states? We live most of our days with a sense of time that the New Testament called “chronos.” Chronos is the kind of time for which we set our alarm clocks to get up in the morning, or remember to pick up the kids, or put dinner in the oven. Chronos is “ordinary” time. But the Bible knows another word for time – “kairos.” If chronos is any old Tuesday morning, kairos is the Tuesday your first child was born. If chronos is 5 o’clock on Friday afternoon, then kairos is the evening sky that went from orange to pink to purple to grey as you looked out over the ocean on the way home that night. Chronos is the time clock you punch at the beginning of your shift. Kairos is the day your boss put you up for a promotion you’d never have dreamed of. If chronos is ordinary time, then kairos is “God’s time.” That’s what gets us, I think. Christmas is something like the collision of the two different kinds of time the world lives by. It’s a celebration of God’s love, and a gathering of the family around a feast of joy and good news. It’s also having to fit so many things in to such a short couple of weeks that we end up wondering what happened when it’s all over. Our hopes get so high because we really do believe in the story at the heart of this season. But the reality is that there are only 24 hours in a day, and it doesn’t help to set ourselves up for disappointment by pretending otherwise. The first Christmas was also a collision between chronos and kairos. Joseph and Mary were on their way to Bethlehem because of taxes and the census. It doesn’t get much more “chronos” than that. But it was also the time when God chose to come closer to us than ever before or since. I’m sure there was too much to do, and too little time to do it. A mad dash. No room in the inn. Everything’s going wrong, and it’s doing it at the same time. We’ve all been there. And then, suddenly, angels. Christmas catches us all by surprise, this year and every year.

Grace and peace,

Children’s Ministries

Attention All Children! Be a part of the

4 p.m. Christmas Eve service

Children ages 3 years old to 8

th grade are invited to participate in the

4 p.m. Christmas Eve service. The children will sing, read Bible

verses, ring bells, light the Advent wreath candles and act out the

roles of the Nativity

This will be a special and meaningful service, but ONE PRACTICE

is required to prepare. The mandatory practice will be on . . .

Saturday, December 23 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. (3 yrs. To 5

th grade)

11:30-12:00 – Junior High Youth only

Snack is included

We also need 10 adult or high school helpers for the rehearsal

If you and/or your child would like to participate, please contact Lisa Lehman or Lisa Williams

at 310.377.6771, or email to lisa@rhumc.org; lawilliams@rhumc.org.

Club Maintenance

A large turnout allowed a number of needed repairs to be completed, including some of the repairs needed to the perimeter fence, repairing tables, cleaning the exterior walls of the Narthex, adding to and leveling of a stepping stone walkway, creating a number of additional heating/cooling vents in the Pre-School, and filling in a low spot in the Pre-School walkway. In addition several minor repairs, preparations for the rainy season and touchup painting were completed. Those participating were Adam Whitman, Ken Ueda, Jim Showalter, Oren Sheldon, Don Pedersen, Gale Moore, Wayne Kalayjian, Ray Harris, Clarence Fung, and Bill

Bails. Many thanks for a very productive day.

Basketball Update

“If all I'm remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I've done a bad job with the rest

of my life.” – Isiah Thomas

Come on out and have some fun playing basketball! We play on Thursday nights or Saturday afternoons in Wesley Hall. Our schedule for December is: Saturday, December 2nd, 2-4 pm Thursday, December 7th, 6-8 pm Saturday, December 9th, 2-4 pm Thursday, December 14th, 6-8 pm Saturday, December 16th, 2-4 pm Thursday, December 21st, 6-8 pm Saturday, December 23rd, 2-4 pm Thursday, December 28th, 6-8 pm Saturday, December 30th, 2-4 pm If you would like to be sent reminders/updates regarding our schedule via email, please forward your email address to John Kwan at john@rhumc.org. The schedule can also be found on the church calendar on our website (www.rhumc.org). We look forward to seeing you there!

Kid Zone Winter Camp Chronicles of Narnia Come find out what’s behind the wardrobe…children will explore the wonders of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe through energetic activities, cooking, science, crafts and much more. This year we are excited to offer a camp just for Middle School– grades 6th – 8th Three separate camps to choose from:

• Preschool ages 3 & 4

• Elementary ages 5 & up

• Middle School grades 6 – 8 – field trip – Ice Chalet Session I – December 18 – 22 – elementary only Session II – Tuesday, January 2 – 5, preschool, elementary & middle school To register contact Lisa Williams - 310-377-7302

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

DON’T MISS THE BAZAAR!

Here’s a wonderful chance to do some Christmas shopping December 3rd at Wesley Hall, between and after services! There will be not only crafts, but homemade baked goods, holiday ornaments, needlework, and many other attractions.

Build Gift Baskets…You bring the basket, and shop for delightful fillers to surprise that special person. Soup mix, home-canned pickles, jellies and jams, and much MUCH more will be there.

$1500 worth of selections ordered from the Greater Gift catalogue will be available for purchase. Catalogues will be available for post-holiday delivery. Unique items from undeveloped countries are marketed without the middle-man and offer a beautiful variety.

The Youth will be on hand, selling fair-traded coffee, tea and cocoa.

UMW Circle members are requested to come in November 27-December 1 from 9-12 a.m. and help set up. Mini-Bazaars will be available on the patio on following Sundays.

Use It or Lose It – Health & Wellness Report Successful aging and physical activity go hand in hand; this was one of the strongest correlations found in the MacArthur Foundation’s Study of Aging in America. The human body is designed for regular and varied exercise. Aerobic exercise improves immune function and cognitive function and has a marked effect on improving our moods. It increases the production of endorphins, the body’s own molecules that behave like opiates, it both treats and prevents depression without the side effects of antidepressant drugs. It is a good idea to do some form of aerobic exercise every day – to do something that gets you into the zone of hard breathing and increased heart rate. It can be done by walking, climbing stairs, doing house or yard work, or any number of ordinary tasks. It’s better if you can sustain moderate aerobic activity for thirty minutes or more, but if you have to get it in bits and pieces throughout the day, that’s okay. Walking is the best overall exercise that can meet the body’s need for regular aerobic activity. It requires no equipment, everyone knows how to do it, and it carries the lowest risk of injury. Using the stairs at every opportunity is a good habit to get into. Walking is a perfect conditioner for joints and can take you to interesting places. Swimming requires using the body in a different way, forces conscious and

efficient breathing and is great for muscles and joints. Swimming or water aerobics is great for older people whose joints are troublesome. The buoyancy of the water decreases pressure on joints that may be painful. Yoga is a popular formal system of stretching. A simple balance exercise is to stand on one foot for one minute. Just place one foot behind the other, resting on the ankle, and time yourself for one minute on each foot. It is more difficult that you might think but can help to protect you from falling.

Cycling can also be a good aerobic exercise that is kind to the joints. If being outside on a moving bike feels threatening to you, try a stationary bicycle in front of the TV (so you don’t get bored not getting anywhere). Exercise machines are also convenient for indoor activity. You can use them at gyms or get one for your home. Make sure you are committed to using it if you get one for your home so that it doesn’t become a clothes rack or dust catcher. Regular aerobic exercise is a requirement for healthy aging. Ideally, you need to get some every day, and it must be varied to maximize benefits and minimize risks. Strength training is the second component of physical activity that the body needs. Its purpose is to build and maintain bone and muscle mass, both of which diminish with age as a result of changes in hormone levels and metabolism. In general, strength training needs to be done two to three times a week, allowing recovery days in between the sessions. Doing it more frequently is counterproductive. Flexibility and balance training is the final component of physical activity for healthy aging. Its purpose is to reduce the kinds of physical discomfort that bother older people as well as to protect you from falls. Many aches and pains common to the aging process may be avoided by regular stretching. Watching your cat or dog stretch can give you an idea of how natural it is to stretch. A goal for exercising, for me, is that it becomes automatic, not a decision to be made every day. I know that when I am moving my body on a regular basis, I feel better, feel stronger, and also sleep better. It is much easier for me to be grateful to God for all the gifts He has blessed us with. Maybe it is a moral obligation for us to optimize these incredible bodies we have been blessed with for this lifetime. (From Andrew Weil’s book “Healthy Aging”, condensed by Nina Bradbury Parish Nurse)

One More Reminder of the Flu Clinic!

When: Thursday, December 7! For whom?: Those 50 years or older, or have chronic illness such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes or kidney disorder. We need 100 people participating in order for the Department of Public Health to conduct the clinic so please let Nina Bradbury, parish nurse, know if you would like to participate in the no-cost flu clinic by calling 377-6771, ext. 116.

Concert Wrap Up – It Was a Winner! The “Baroque, Broadway and Beyond” concert was our best attended event to date! Jan Bunker and Gail Mellert enthusiastically entertained 300 people on Friday, November 3rd. These talented ladies gave a fabulous performance with a variety of music and brought a surprise guest, “Oogie”, otherwise known as Alondras Brown, who plays with Gail Mellert in One World. It was an electrifying and enriching experience for everyone! Thanks to the Concert Committee for their help in insuring the success of the evening: Suellen Fung, Jo Sheldon, Phyllis Sherwood and Pauline White. We appreciate the continued support of Maureen Banasky, Carol Berthelet, and Norma Jenkins. Once again Roger Maddaford did yeoman’s duty in setting up the sound system for our performers. This was a team effort and I am blessed to work with such willing, capable team members. Shirley Farley

YOUTH NEWS FOR DECEMBER LOGOS - Come celebrate the advent season with the over 30 Junior and Senior High youth who enjoy our Logos program each week. Here are the highlights of what to look for in December, Wednesdays 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.: Dec. 6th Advent: Expectations/darkness and light

Dec. 13th: Giving to others: Sharing the love Dec. 20th: Deliver Poinsettias and make your own Pizza

Join us for fellowship, fun, food and friends. For further information call Candace Saxman at 310-548-6508

Equal Exchange Coffee and CHOCOLATE Sale - Sunday December 3rd the youth will join with United Methodist Women during their Christmas Craft Boutique and will be offering a full range of Equal Exchange coffees, teas, hot cocoa mix and delicious chocolate bars to compliment your Christmas gift baskets. Learn more about how your purchases can make a world of difference for farmers and their families as well as supporting our youth and UMCOR. Bring your baskets and fill up on goodies! YOUTH: The funds we raise go toward many of the youth activities. Please volunteer to help by calling Candace at 310-548-6508. HELP!!!

The youth team (Candace and Jennifer) would like to create an email address list to facilitate getting the word out about youth activities. Would you please email your address to: Candace@rhumc.org. If you like to work on projects like this one your help would be greatly appreciated! Send us your schedules. Your youth team would love to come support you during your soccer games, drama and dance performances and all the activities that keep you so busy. Please drop off your schedules or give us a call. We are proud of what you accomplish and would enjoy being part of your cheering squad!

MOVIE DATE All Junior and Senior High Youth Welcome. The Nativity Story, starring Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), billed as “One

Family, One Journey, One Child who would change the world forever” is our December activity. On-line trailers are very moving. Rated PG

When: Sunday, December 10 Time: To be determined – we’ll let you know when you RSVP Cost: $8 per person You MUST reserve a spot by calling Candace at (310-548-6508) no later than Wednesday, December 6th

HEIFER PLUS BRINGS ON THE FUN

AND BRINGS IN THE FUNDS! Heifer Plus was again a fun and successful event, featuring the Mission Committee (and kids) in costume, pinatas, and a wide variety of charitable gifts to buy. In just the first Sunday, monies paid or pledged totalled nearly $30,000! This included over $14,000 for Heifer Project (nearly 3 Arks), over $3,100 for Habitat for Humanity, and nearly $12,700 for the Toberman gym. A final report will come in a later Cornerstone. Thank you, RHUMC family, for your overwhelming generosity, and may God bless you, as you have blessed others, this holiday season! Committee member Jo

Hunt is seen above “pigging out”.

Committee members line up at church to tell us about Habitat for Humanity, Toberman Settlement House and Heifer Project. L-R are: Bowdon Hunt Nancy Rasmussen; Jackie Showalter; staff from Toberman, Kristi Day; Mary Jane Schwebel; Noucha , Aedan & Lance Jasanis; & Jo Hunt

WATER AEROBICS CLASS FRIDAYS 1:00 to 2:30

BEGINNING DECEMBER 1 Carol Pedersen Instructor

Rolling Hills Country Day School

POOL IS HEATED TO 82 – 85 DEGREES

$5 DONATION PER CLASS

CALL 310-377-6771 ext. 116 For more information or to register Sponsored by Health Ministries

Make A Child’s Christmas Special …

Sunday, Dec. 3 “Trek to the Tree” for Toberman House!

Sunday, Dec. 3 begins the RHUMC tradition known as “Trek to the Tree.” You can help bring a smile to the face of some small or teenage child Christmas morning by simply plucking an ornament from the holiday tree in the church narthex. REMEMBER - AFTER YOU TAKE THE ORNAMENT FROM THE TREE … GO DIRECTLY TO THE MISSION’S TABLE ON THE PATIO AND RECORD FOR WHICH CHILD YOU WILL BE PURCHASING A GIFT. THIS IS VERY

IMPORTANT!

We ask that you buy an age appropriate present for children up to 8 years of age. If you pick a child that is 9 years or older, we are asking that you donate $25 toward a Target gift certificate. This ensures that the older children can purchase what they really want for Christmas. All gifts and contributions will benefit children serviced by San Pedro-based Toberman Settlement House outreach. To give you some idea of the types of programs Toberman offers to its surrounding community, the following is just a sample: The Barton Hill Neighborhood Organization has a welfare-to-work project that has placed more than 400 welfare moms and underemployed folks into pre-apprentice and apprentice training programs for the construction trades. The Ray and Diana Martin Learning Center is an after school academic program that develops literacy skills and academic motivation for neighboring school children. Toberman’s case management program develops a life plan and services like parenting classes, chemical recovery, vocational development and family counseling that reduce problems which hinder independence. Finally, the teen delinquency prevention program moves youth past drugs and gangs. If you would like to find out more about supporting Toberman Settlement House, please call the church office or Toberman House direct at (310) 832-1145. Note that Toberman accepts donations of food and clothing on a weekly basis.