Advent/Christmas Schedule

November 29 - First Sunday of Advent - Hope We begin our Advent journey together, lighting the first

candle, and preparing our hearts and lives to receive God’s

incarnate love anew!

December 6 - Second Sunday of Advent: Love We will light the second candle of Advent and celebrate the

Sacrament of Communion. The children will continue their

practice for the Christmas Program.

December 13 - Third Sunday of Advent: Joy As we head into the shortest days of the year, awaiting God’s Light, we will share in

another service of Healing and Wholeness.

December 20 - Fourth Sunday of Advent: Peace The Children will present their annual Christmas program. The congregation will also have a role to play in this year’s pageant!

December 24 - Christmas Eve (5 p.m.): The Christ Candle We will gather for our annual Christmas Eve Communion and Candlelight service

at 5 p.m.

December 27 - First Sunday Join us for a Sunday of Christmas carols and fellowship!

Upcoming Events

Saturday, Nov. 28 –

Starting at 9 AM, come

trim the church for

Advent/Christmas!

Sunday, Dec. 6 –

Sunday School meets.

Congregational Meeting

with election of officers

Sunday, Dec. 13 –

Youth Group

Sunday, Dec. 20 –

Children’s Christmas

Program during worship

Thursday, Dec. 24 5

PM Christmas Eve

Candlelight Service

Sunday, Dec. 27 –

Hymn Sing

December 2015

Vol XXXIII No. 12

Pastor’s Page 2

Committee News 3

Deacons & Session 4

Announcements 5

Volunteers 6

Calendar 7

Miscellaneous 8

Youth Group – Pac-Man and Pizza!

On Sunday, December 13 we will travel to Rossi’s Pizza in Monona for some

pizza and some awesome vintage arcade games! We will leave the church around

12:30 and return by 3pm. Youth will need money for pizza ($5) and quarters for the

arcade games.

In a recent homily deliver during the Vatican’s “Hanging of the Greens” festivities, Pope Francis

said: “Christmas is approaching: there will be lights, parties, Christmas trees and nativity scenes …

it’s all a charade. The world continues to go to war. The world has not chosen a peaceful

path...There are wars today everywhere, and hate...We should ask for the grace to weep for this

world, which does not recognize the path to peace. To weep for those who live for war and have

the cynicism to deny it...God weeps, Jesus weeps...What shall remain? Ruins, thousands of children

without education, so many innocent victims, and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers.

Jesus once said: ‘You cannot serve two masters, either God or riches...The men who work war,

who make war, are cursed—they are criminals.”

These are pretty pointed words worth sharing. Every Christmas season (and for me the Christmas

season begins with Advent not pre-Halloween as it does for many business and retail stores), we

hear reports on the “War on Christmas”. This year the first controversy arose when Starbucks

released their holiday cup, which was a simple, holiday red color. Some “Christian” preachers and

groups accused Starbucks of being anti-Christmas. At the same time, terrorists attacks were

occurring in Paris, bombs exploded in Beirut and again in Baghdad, not to mention the daily killings

in our own country. While stores seek to attract throngs of Christmas shoppers in hopes of

making it a financially successful year, streams of refuges were fleeing their homes due to the

violence and death all around them. While some are making room in their homes for all the

Christmas gifts purchased, some are finding others making no room for them in their countries.

Pope Francis said “Christmas is approaching: there will be lights, parties, Christmas trees and

nativity scenes … it’s all a charade.” Perhaps, it is all a “charade”? In Luke’s Gospel, we hear about

a Middle Eastern family, who leave their home, and find no room for them in their time of need.

Matthew’s story (Chapter 1-2), we find this same refugee couple, taking their baby, and fleeing the

threat of violence and death, crossing a border into another country, seeking safe shelter. In

Churches across our country, we will tell this story, celebrate it, act it out, and sing about it. Yet,

when it comes to enacting the meaning of this story in our lives and world, we still seem to miss

the point, turning away refugees, who like Mary and Joseph and the Christ Child, only seek safe

shelter and find no room for them. Is Christmas a charade? What do you think? How do we live

into this story as a people of faith? What if it was our family fleeing for our lives, seeking safe

sanctuary in another community, another land among strangers? Would we find room in the inn

or would we be denied a place to stay until the wars ended? As we trim our trees, bake cookies,

prepare for parities, and tell the story in worship, may we give pause and reflect on Christmas

true meaning in our lives and world.

Pastor Scott

Pastor’s Page

2

2016 Pledges

As we have heard from Mark Touhey, there are some realities and dreams to be taken into

consideration as you prayerfully consider your 2016 pledge. Pledge cards can be found in the

pews. A letter will also be sent to the members and friends of OCPC in the coming weeks lifting

up the ministry, mission and 2016 budget, along with a pledge card. Pledge cards can be returned

via the offering or by mailing them to the office or dropping it off at the church.

Mission News

By Cheryl Stitz, Moderator

Pres House

On November 1, a group from OCPC

attended the Pres House worship service

and served the fellowship meal. There

were about 70 people who attended the

service. Those attending the service from

OCPC were Randy Johnson, Renee

Roland-Johnson, Melanie Rumpf, Judy

Schroeder, Angela Stitz, Mike and Cheryl

Stitz, Mark Touhey, and Pastor Scott

Marrese-Wheeler.

A special thank you to the following

people who provided food for the

fellowship meal: Cheryl Bettenhausen,

Ann Febock, Randy Johnson, Kay Lund,

Pastor Scott Marrese-Wheeler, Judy

Pearson, Renee Roland-Johnson, Melanie

Rumpf, Judy Schroeder, Jenine Spack,

Cheryl and Mike Stitz, and Mark Touhey.

Share in the Joy of a Promise

During Advent we remember God's

promise to us. We gather together and

wait in hope for the coming of the

promised Emmanuel, God with us. And

God, who has promised, is faithful (Heb.

10:23), so on Christmas Day we celebrate

that the promise is kept in the birth of

Jesus Christ! The Presbyterian Church

(U.S.A.) provides the opportunity for

congregations to join this celebration of

God's faithfulness by supporting those in

need of help and hope.

Thanks to your gifts, the Christmas Joy

Offering is able to provide financial

assistance to individuals and families that

have dedicated their lives to the church

and also support racial ethnic education

and leadership development for students

attending Presbyterian-related schools

and colleges.

The promise made is one of hope in

situations where hope can be hard to find.

When we give, we declare that our hope

is well founded, because it is God who

has promised, and God who is faithful.

Floor Cleaning Project By Cathy Thiltgen

How many of us wash our hands repeatedly every day? How many of

us clean our homes regularly? If you answered yes to one of these

questions, you are someone who cares about cleanliness – and your health.

When people sit in the pews on Sunday mornings, do they think

about their health? When parents take their children to the nursery

where they may crawl directly on the carpet, do they think about

their little ones’ health? Please consider what Sam Hughes from

Bluegreen Carpet Cleaning said: “Carpet traps pollutants from the air

in the carpet and having the carpets professionally cleaned will help keep the air clean and prolong the life of the carpet.”

Sam, president and owner, met with me on Nov. 3 at the church.

We looked at many rooms together and discussed the different types

of flooring, the age, the condition, and the possibilities. The Building

and Grounds Committee met with me on Nov. 8. I gave them

Bluegreen’s recommendations as well as the itemized pricing for the

cleaning. Later I developed a plan for acquiring the money for this

large project which I offered to lead. I gave that to them, too.

Session discussed this topic on Nov. 10 and agreed that a fundraiser could take place and I could go forward with it.

You are now invited to participate in this project and it will be fun

and exciting! You will be getting more information in December,

January and in February and will learn about all the benefits of having

this important job done. One of the benefits is that OCPC will

receive a 15% clergy discount for carpet cleaning. Also, we will

receive a 10% discount for the cleaning of the basement kitchen and

dining room floor if we have that stripped and protected at the same time.

The rooms/areas that we hope to have cleaned in February by Bluegreen are the following:

First Floor: sanctuary, offices, rug at rear entrance, stairs to

basement

Lower level: hallway, nursery, children’s library, Sunday School rooms, kitchen and dining room

The church pew cushions are planning to be cleaned in February,

too. Hot water extraction will be used for the cleaning. With this

and Scotch Gard for the upholstery, each of the twenty-seven

pews will cost $10.79 for the “Best Protection”. At this time, I

am asking each person reading this article to prayerfully consider

“buying a pew” which means, obviously, you will be paying for the cost to have “a pew” cleaned.

Donations of any size will be appreciated now and in the next three

months. Please contact me with your monetary contributions and

any questions you may have. Join the fun and excitement! Start now with “Buy a Pew”.

THE SESSION:

Class of 2015

Jerry Thiltgen

Building and Grounds

Finance-Stewardship

Mark Touhey

Building and Grounds

Finance-Stewardship

Personnel

Class of 2016:

Cheryl Bettenhausen

Fellowship

Mission

Judy Pearson

Clerk of Session

Memorial Hostess

Worship/Theology

Class of 2017:

Debra Cade

Communications

Personnel

Charleen Janus

Fellowship

Nominating

Dick Trailer

Building and Grounds

Finance-Stewardship

Personnel

Treasurer: Dick Trailer

BOARD OF DEACONS:

Class of 2015

Randy Johnson

Moderator

Judy Schroeder

Rose Ann West

Secretary

Class of 2016:

Al Bettenhausen

Building and Grounds

Worship/Theology

Linda Porter

Class of 2017:

Trent Bettenhausen

Nancy Kristiansen

Nominating

Pastor / Moderator of Session:

Rev. Scott Marrese-Wheeler

(608) 417-0231 Cell

Pastor@OCPChurch.com

DEACONS CORNER By Deacon Rose Ann West, Secretary

Another year has passed and we would like to

again thank all of you who donated and

volunteered to support our work for the year.

With your help we were able to raise enough

funds to send $100 to the Cambridge Food Pantry

and $500 to Heifer Fund International. We

decided to purchase a water buffalo, a sheep, a pig,

and a share of a goat for those in need. We look

forward to another year serving as your deacons.

We wish you and your families a blessed Christmas and a wonderful 2016!

SESSION NOTES By Elder Judy Pearson, Clerk of Session

The stated Session meeting was held on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 and was

opened by Pastor Scott with a scripture reading from Mark 12:41-44. Discussion

was held on generosity. “Who was the most generous person you know, how did

they demonstrate it, and how did their generosity influence your life?”

Thank you note was read from Pres House for the wonderful meal on

November 1. Thank you to Cheryl and Mike Stitz for organizing this project.

Baptism of Deacon Wurtz will be on Sunday, November22, 2015

Session and Deacons will hold their annual joint gathering on Sunday,

December 13, 2015 following the morning church service.

No Ecumenical or OCPC Thanksgiving service will be held this month.

Cathy Thiltgen researched and will chair a fund raiser for “Cleaning of the

church floors and pews.” We are dealing with the company, Bluegreen.

Note that the parking lot apron cement is in the progress of repair. Thank

You to the Buildings/Grounds Committee.

We will pledge $500 to JKP for 2016 Shared Mission Support.

Personnel and Nomination Committees to meet this month.

Reviewed the visiting pastors to serve in absence of Pastor Scott for

November29 and December 27, 2015 and January 3, 2016.

December 27 will be our Annual Hymn Sing service. Communion will be

moved from January 3 to January 10, 2016.

Session voted to invest Memorial funds, instead of gaining almost no interest

in a bank account. Finance Committee also reported that the Gillingham

fund has met its mark, and we will now see regular money coming into the

General fund.

Next meetings of the Session will be on Sundays following church for the

winter month of Dec., Jan. and Feb. Next meeting is December 13 2015.

Budget Update:

Year-to date Income: $63,573 (Includes $6,000 transferred from

Year-to-date Spending: $65,199 Clyde Heberlein Memorial)

Double the Impact of

Your Support for CART

The Cambridge Area Resource Team

(CART) is a qualified non-profit

organization that assists eligible

families in our community with

various needs such as transportation

to medical appointments, searches

for housing options, outreach to

other social agencies, job searches,

emergency financial assistance, and

much more.

Your support demonstrates that you

believe in our mission, and CART

would like to share this important

opportunity to double the impact of

your support during this holiday

season.

Two generous donors have come

forth and have offered CART a grant

that will match every financial gift

between now and December 31st

with a two-for-one offer up to a total

of $15,000.

That means that for every dollar donated it will be matched by the

grant with a two dollar donation. So,

a gift of $10 is matched with a $20

grant contribution for a total impact

of $30. Or a larger gift of $100 ends

up having a total impact of $300.

By making a donation today, through

CART, you can double the impact on

helping to make a difference in the

lives of those in need in our

community. As always, all assistance

big and small is greatly appreciated.

Donations can be mailed to the

CART office located at 223 Jefferson

Street, Suite 1, Cambridge, WI

53523 and any questions may be

directed to cartforhelp@gmail.com.

Ken Bilstad

Mary Hartwig

Mary Trailer

Stacey Brandenburg (friend of OCPC & Julie Floyd Anderson)

Griffin Clark (grandson of Bill & Patty Strohbusch)

Nancy & Lori Davis (relatives of Kay Lund)

Don Dieter (Marilyn Schuster’s brother-in-law)

Marjorie Erickson (friend of Kay Lund)

Jane Feggestad

Judy Hottman (friend of Judy Pearson)

Egil Kristiansen (Jan Kristiansen’s brother in Oslo, Norway)

Charlene “Charlie” Porter

Kodi Porter (son of Jeremy & Abby Porter)

Vicki Redford and her son, Ryan

Scott Simon (Carol Simon’s son)

Our children and unchurched children and families, our military around

the world, our enemies, our church leaders, families and individuals

experiencing financial, job-hunting, health, or relationship problems.

Families who are grieving the loss of loved ones.

If you would like to be added to our weekly prayer list, please leave

word in the church office or contact the pastor. Permission to be

included in this publicly posted list has been obtained from those listed

or their families.

A Note from

Worship and Theology…

Again we ask for you to sign up to be a Service

Assistant for a Sunday. Otherwise, we will be

assigning you, so check the list to make sure

when your name is included.

* Kay Lund; Christmas Eve Dec. 24 – Judy Pearson, Al Bettenhausen DEC 6

* Ann Febock JAN 10

Kari & Trent Bettenhausen Family NOV 29

Lori Peterson & Bruce Erickson

DEC 6

Mark Olson; Al Bettenhausen DEC 13

Cheryl & Al Bettenhausen DEC 20

Judy Pearson & Emily Kilian DEC 24

Kay & Stan Lund Jan 3 Mark Olson; Al Bettenhausen DEC 27

Trevor Leto Advent Candles: Kari & Trent Bettenhausen Family

NOV 29

Charleen Janus Advent Candles: Phil Yeadon & Rose Ann West

DEC 6

Joe Leto Advent Candles: Melanie Rumpf & Emily Hanson

DEC 13

Sun. School Children Advent Candles: Randy Johnson & CE

DEC 20

Mare Stewart Advent Candles: Leto Family

DEC 24

Judy Pearson Jan 3 Julie Anderson

DEC 27

Deacons NOV 29

Deacons DEC 6

Deacons

DEC 13

Deacons DEC 20

Deacons DEC 27

Sylvia & Larry Jensen NOV 29

Jodi Kelter; Wendy & Peter Stark DEC 13

Julie Anderson; Marilyn Schuster DEC 6

CE Christmas Program – Birthday Party for Jesus – Worship/Theology Committee

DEC 20

Cathy & Jerry Thiltgen DEC 27

Kari & Trent Bettenhausen; Sue & Derek Bettenhausen JAN 3

Dec 1-15: OPEN; Dec 16-31: OPEN; Jan 1-15: OPEN (Dec-Cathy T—Bathrooms)

DEC/JAN

If you are unable to serve Communion, as Usher/Greeter, or Lector, please try to find someone to

substitute for you. Or, contact Al Bettenhausen (608) 322-2932 or Judy Pearson (608) 764-8159.

JAN 10 Kelly Homann; Nancy Bowe

DATE BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARIES DATE BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARIES Dec 3 Richard Trailer Dec 21 Stan Lund

Dec 5 Jan Kristiansen Dec 28 Phillip Yeadon Dale & Ann Febock

Dec 6 Kari Bettenhausen Dec 29 Larry Jensen

Dec 9 Cheryl Bettenhausen Dec 30 Larry Janus

Dec 13 Trevor Leto Dec 30 Rose Ann West

Dec 19 Mike Stitz

4

8:30 AM OA

3

7:30 PM AA

5

11

8:30 AM OA

12

2

6

Sunday School

Congregational

Meeting–Election

of officers

7

8:30 AM OA

8

9

10

7:30 PM AA

13 9 AM Choir

Library Day

11 AM Joint

Session/Deacons

12:30 PM Youth

Group

14

8:30 AM OA

15 16

17

7:30 PM AA

18

8:30 AM OA

19

20

Children’s

Christmas

Program

21

8:30 AM OA

Newsletter

articles due

22

23

24

5 PM Christmas

Eve Service with

Communion

7:30 PM AA

25

8:30 AM OA

Merry Christmas!

26

27

Hymn Sing with

worship

No Sunday

School

28

8:30 AM OA

29

30

1

31

7:30 PM AA

Sunday Schedule Worship Service 10:00

Communion first Sunday of each

month Sunday School 10:00 from September

through May

Abbreviation Key

AA: Alcoholics Anonymous

CCA: Cambridge Clergy Assoc.

CC: Communications Committee

CE: Christian Education

FC: Fellowship Committee

GN: Good News

MG: Membership & Growth

OA: Overeaters Anonymous

SG: Support Group

WT: Worship & Theology

YG: Youth Group

December 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Advent Preparation

On Saturday, November 28th starting at 9

a.m., the Fellowship Committee and

Deacons will be trimming the church for

Advent and Christmas. All are welcome.

Many hands make light work!

Do you have a few extra minutes before

Christmas? If everyone could come on over with

their favorite dust cloth and spend just an extra

hour, we could also give the church a good

cleaning for the holidays! Any help is

appreciated!

THANK YOU!

Kudos To: Thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to the potluck meal after the worship service at

Pres House on November 1. See the list of names in the Mission article on page 3. Special thanks to

Cheryl & Mike Stitz for organizing everything.

Mark Touhey, Jerry Thiltgen and the Building & Grounds Committee for getting the concrete poured

for the parking lot entrance ‘before the snow flew!’

Randy Johnson and Cathy Thiltgen for cleaning at the church.

Everyone who contributed to the CE bake sale on November 22. Yummy!

The Worship/Theology Committee for lining up a source of poinsettias for us to order, and everyone

who ordered flowers for the beauty of our church. (You may still bring a plant of your own choice.

Let Ruth know if you wish to do so in memory or honor of a loved one.)

CHURCH SCHEDULE

WORSHIP SERVICE & CHURCH SCHOOL: 10:00 a.m. Sunday

COMMUNION: First Sunday of each month

FELLOWSHIP & REFRESHMENTS: Following worship service

each week.

VIDEO OF WORSHIP: Cable Channel 98 or 987

Sun 5:30 PM; M-T 8 AM & Noon

(Link to video also available on our website or Facebook page)

OFFICE HOURS

PASTORAL OFFICE HOURS: Generally 9:00 - 12:00 Tue

BUSINESS OFFICE HOURS: 8:00 - 12:00 Mon – Thu

TELEPHONE/FAX: 608-423-3001

EMAIL: Office@OCPChurch.com or

Pastor@OCPChurch.com

WEB: www.OCPChurch.com

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Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church