†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††

THE GOOD NEWS

December 2013

Christ

United Methodist Church

JOIN US AS WE WORSHIP OUR LORD!

Pastor Sandy Kraft

Home: 717/477-0774

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 2014 “Good

News” newsletter is Sunday, December

15. Please submit your articles to the of-

fice by this date. The email address is

christumcshipp@comcast.net.

THANK YOU!

Thanks to those who have responded to the

"Thank Offering Letter". We are still con-

siderably below our projected income

budget. You can still continue to make con-

tributions to the "Thank Offering" until

the end of the year. Please mark your con-

tribution as Thank Offering to help keep

track of this special offering. Thanks, Fi-

nance Committee

Our church greatly appreciates the gener-

osity of M & T Bank and Orrstown Bank for

allowing us the use of their parking lots

during our worship services. There will be

four designated parking spots in the M&T

parking lot on Sunday mornings; two are for

handicap parking and two for visitor park-

ing. Overflow parking is available in the

Orrstown Bank parking lot. We also greatly

appreciate those that are allowing the Sen-

iors Center to have parking in their lots:

Carl Bert Associates, Prince Street United

Brethren, Messiah United Methodist

Dear Christian Friends, Thank you for your

gift of support of the mission and ministry

of Neighborhood Center of the UMC.

Thanks to your faithful support we con-

tinue to serve the children, teens, young

mothers and elders of the Harrisburg com-

munity. The continuation of the Center’s

work depends on the generosity of

churches like you. Thank you for your sup-

port. Sincerely, Vivian M. Thompson, Execu-

tive Dir. of Neighborhood Center of the

UMC

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 27, 2013

December 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 1st Sunday of Advent

2 1p Book Dis-cussion Group 6:30p Educa-tion Commit-tee 7p Worship Committee

3 6p SPPRC 6:30p Finance Committee 7p Trustee Committee

4 6p Handbell Choir Rehearsal

5 7p Advent Bible Study

6 7 9-11a Clothing Bank with Breakfast

8 2nd Sunday of Advent

9 6p Hospitality Committee 6:30p Out-reach Commit-tee

10 6p United Methodist Women Christmas Dinner

11 6p Handbell Choir Rehearsal

12 5:30p Free Dinner 7p Advent Bible Study

13 14 9-11a Clothing Bank with Breakfast

15 3rd Sunday of Advent Newsletter Items Due

16 17 7-9p Civil War Roundtable

18 10a Yarnspinners 6p Handbell Choir Rehearsal

19 7p Advent Bible Study

20 21 9-11a Clothing Bank with Breakfast 7p Rob Rohr Concert

22 4th Sunday of Advent 10:00 a Worship –musical celebration

23

24 7:30p Christmas Eve Service

25 Office Closed

26 5:30p Free Dinner

27 28 9-11a Clothing Bank with Breakfast

29 30 31 New Year’s Eve

GREETERS For the 10:30 a.m. Worship

Service are as follows:

Dec 1 Mandy Gehres

and Carla Lynch

Dec 8 JoAnn VanDixon

and Georgia Connelly

Dec 15 Beth Minnich

and Barb Hershey

Dec 22 Becky Gehres

and Marlene Hess

Needed are greeters for Dec. 21, Rob Rohr Concert

and Christmas Eve. Please call 532-8539 if you are

available any of these times. Thanks.

TRANSPORTATION TROUBLES? If you know of anyone in need of transportation

to or from Worship service please contact Steve

VanDixon – 830-9510 or Bill Morgan – 532-7519.

We will make every attempt to see that this is

not an obstacle for anyone wishing to worship!

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.

BEAUTIFY THE SANCTUARY

If you would like to dedicate flow-

ers for the coming 2014 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!

Our meeting will be on December 2 with lunch

at 12:30 and the book discussion at 1:00.

Please contact Marlene Hess at 532-8374 or

madahess@comcast.net) if you are interested

in joining our book club, and she will give you

the information about where meetings are

each month. The list of books are as follows:

Dec. - The Light Between Oceans by M. L.

Stedman

Jan. - The Language of Flowers by Vanessa

Diffenbaugh

Feb. - After the Rain by

Karen White

March - The Memory of Love by Linda Olsson

Apr. - Those We Love Most by Lee Woodruff

DATE BOOK January is right around the corner. If you do

not have your datebook yet The Education Com-

mittee is selling some for $2.00. If you already

have one for yourself they are a prefect gift

idea for siblings, coworkers, grandparents, or

parents. They are located in Hollar Hall on one

of the tables on the stage.

There is many different

styles to choose from and

they are all religious based.

So come check them out!

"Christmas reminds us that generosity brings joy to others - and ourselves - The joy of brightening other lives, bearing others' burdens, easing others' loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas." W.C.Jones

Advent/Christmas Schedule

December 1

First Sunday of Advent Theme: The Redemption is drawing near

Each Sunday morning of Advent the lighting

of the Advent Candle will take place.

December 5

Advent Bible Study—”The Journey”

December 8

Second Sunday of Advent,

Theme: I am sending my messenger to

Prepare the way before me

December 12

Advent Bible Study—”The Journey”

December 15

Third Sunday of Advent

Theme: The Lord is Near

December 19

Advent Bible Study— ”The Journey”

December 21

Rob Rohr Concert,

7:00 p.m.

December 22 Fourth Sunday of Advent Our 10:00 a.m. Worship Service will be an ex-

citing musical celebration as we anticipate the

birth of Christ. "PEACE" is the theme for the

service, and will be shared with us by various

vocal, handbell, and instrumental offerings. Be

there... and bring friends!

December 24

The Christmas Eve Service

“A Festival of Lessons and

Carols.” A candlelight ser-

vice of worship and celebra-

tion will include solos and

the Handbell Choir, held at 7:30 p.m.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

ROB ROHR CONCERT

An exciting concert is coming your way on December 21 at 7:00 p.m., and you need not go any far-

ther than our own Christ United Methodist Church. Robert Rohr, cellist, will perform a selection of

Christmas songs, including his own Christmas medley. He will be joined by Shea Lynch, vocalist, and

Dorina Saul, pianist, for the closing number. Robert has been working very diligently to prepare for

this evening for over a month, and he will be refining and practicing from now

until December 21. 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 open to

anyone wishing to listen to Rob’s music.

Happy Birthday!

December

4 - Brandon Shuman

5 – Diane Willis

9 – Stacy Lynch

22 – Thomas Lynch III

26 - Annette Shuman

28 - Janice Hockersmith

30 - Steve VanDixon

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.

UPCOMING EVENTS, ACTIVITIES & MINISTRIES AVAILABLE AT CHRIST UMC

YARN SPINNERS Will meet on the

Wednesday ,

December 18 at

10:00 am in the

church library. Any-

one who knits or crochets is

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN The United Methodist Women are

having a Christmas Dinner for the

women of the church on December

10 at 6:00 p.m. Hostesses will be

Sue Dehoff and Margie Jacobs

at9603 Possum

Hollow Rd of Shippensburg.

Provided are the meat and

beverages. Bring a covered-

dish to share. Remember all

women are invited. RSVP to

Margie at 530-9346.

JESUS BELOVED SON The Advent devotional,

Jesus Beloved Son, By

Henri J. M. Nouwen are

available in the church

sanctuary. In this devo-

tional, a modern master

of devotional writing,

Henri Nouwen takes us

on a deeply sensitive Ad-

vent journey as we pre-

pare in joyful

anticipation for the com-

ing of the Christ Child. As only Nouwen can ex-

press them, these timeless insights tap into our

deepest spiritual longings. This booklet is a

must for all those wishing for a closer relation-

ship with Jesus.

UMCOR SUPPORT

On Friday, November 8 Typhoo n Haiyan crashed

into the Philippines. The storm is blamed for

nearly 3700 deaths, and that number is only ex-

pected to rise, with hundreds of thousands of

people are displace and in dire need of relief.

One week after the storm struck, survivors are

hungry and thirsty. They have no place to call

home. And most of all, medical supplies and equip-

ment are urgently needed. You can make a gift in

support of the victims through UMCOR. Please

indicate in the memo of your check (IDRA) In-

ternational Disaster Response Advance 982450.

And place into your check into your offering en-

velope and then into the offering plate.

From the Pastors’ Desk

There is a beautiful story of Jesus’ birth out – “The Nativ-

ity Story”. It’s been out for several years now and I’ll ad-

mit that when I first heard about it I was not impressed.

I thought this was just another film turning a sacred reli-

gious 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 expecting a child.

Something about that statement caused me to pause. I realized that 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 sea-

son 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!

Pastor Sandy