Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - northridgeumc.org

December 7, 2011

Vol. 28, Issue 25

OFFICE: (818) 886-1555 FAX: (818) 886-9105

WWW.NORTHRIDGEUMC.ORG WEEKDAY PRESCHOOL: (818) 886-4949 SUNDAY WORSHIP AT 9:00 & 11:00 AM

BISHOP MARY ANN SWENSON

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT CATHLEEN COOTS

REV. STEVE PETTY

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

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Advent Events at NUMC...

Saturday, December 24

Children’s Christmas Eve Service

A special service for

children and families

5:30 PM

in the Sanctuary

Candlelight with Worship Band

Christmas Eve Service

8 PM in the Sanctuary

Candlelight with Chancel Choir and

Celebration Ringers Christmas Eve Service

11 PM in the Sanctuary

Sunday, December 25

at 10 AM

One Worship Service

“Alleluia is a Sound”

Sunday, December 11

Christmas Concert 4 PM in the Sanctuary

Please join ALL the NUMC musical programs as they present “Angels We Have Heard on High”. The Youth Choir will sing John Rutter’s "Carol of the Children"; the adorable Cherubs will sing “Away in a Manger” and “O Lit-tle Town of Bethlehem”; the Celebration and Jubilee Bell Choirs will joyously ring; the Chancel Choir will present both a cappella and accompanied anthems; and our 11 AM Worship Band will bring its unique sound to round out the program. Jane Blomquist, Gretchen Keeler, Harmony Ji, Denise Woerner and Jason Retana have built a truly inspiring concert. Weaving the concert together will be narrators Marisol Garcia, Gloria Myles and F. William Parker. There will be a freewill offering.

Saturday, December 17, 10 AM to Noon

Children’s Christmas Mart at North Valley Caring Services

Can you provide a gift for a child to give his/her mother and father? Bring donated items and wrap-ping material or gift bags to the church office. We usually have 200 - 300 children participating and

are in great need of donated presents. We need volunteers to help the children pick out presents for their parents and wrap gifts. We will transport gifts and set up at 8 AM. (The event begins at 10 AM.) If you can participate, please let Amybeth Lake or the church office know.

Sunday, December 18, Noon

Caroling to Homebound after Lunch in Fellowship Hall

Join us at noon for lunch in Fellowship Hall, then go caroling to share joy with our homebound.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...

The Preacher’s Part

Page 2

We don’t even listen to the noise anymore; but just

under the din of crowds, mobile phone ring tones, and the

extraneous background of seasonal shopping, the incessant

musical offerings of Christmas seek to etch a small niche in

our consciousness – piped over the hidden speakers in our

various venues of wintery wandering, the music seeps into

the ear canals like smoke wafting under a crack in the door.

We hear it – we might even hum along – but does the

message permeate to the spiritual cortex, or is it just noise?

Some of it is so secular it approaches the sacred by

familiarity. Can anyone besides Bing Crosby sing “White

Christmas”? I’ve heard hundreds of other renditions, but I

cringe at them all; if it’s not der Bingo, I refuse to listen. I

grew up listening to the 78 version on the home Victrola,

and I cling to my deep abiding favoritism.

For Boomers it might be Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and

Lucy” from the original “Charlie Brown Christmas”.

For today’s college kids it might be the great John

Williams theme from Home Alone: “Somewhere in my

Memory”.

For others, Christmas isn’t really here until some “Sugar

Plum Faeries” dance across the Nutcracker stage.

Then there is the semi-sacred, like “Little Drummer

Boy”, rum pum pumming their semi-innocuous strains into

our eardrums.

But often, even in the most crassly commercial corporate

complexes, classical carols might be heard, surprising us as

we hear the most sacred of traditional songs with deeply

religious words, sometimes even in Latin like “Adeste

Fideles”, or German like “Stille Nacht”.

Christmas is trying to sneak back into the seasonal

festivities. We can ignore it, avoiding the noises in the back-

ground. Or we can embrace it, allowing the sacred melodies

to offer a medicine for mending our souls.

I encourage you to go looking and listening for it.

Where do you see and hear God inviting us to the manger

this year?

Will you hang Christmas lights outside this year? Will

you drive around and look at your neighbors’ houses? How

many are seasonal and how many show evidence of

Christmas – mangers, shepherds and wise men, or even just

a star?

Will you join in the church caroling party? People who

are stuck at home, feeling especially lonely at Christmas

time, are truly moved by the church carolers making the

effort to come to them and share Christmas.

Will you make the effort to attend a Christmas Eve

worship event this year? With non-religious relatives

descending on our domiciles, increasing numbers of good

church members decide to avoid church on Christmas Eve.

We don’t want to offend the in-laws, so we become contra-

evangelical.

I find the Advent season to be so busy and crazy that I

have to make a special effort to be available for the spirit to

rest in me. I may just sit in front of the Christmas tree for an

hour sipping hot chocolate and listening to recordings of

music box Christmas Carols. I may lie on the floor and

watch the blinking tree lights through bizarre patterns on the

ceiling. I may stop on the way home some night to look at

the lights across the valley. I may find a dark corner some-

where so I can watch the winter stars rise in a cold sky and

imagine what the wise old astrologers saw that made them

follow a comet into Bethlehem.

I may sit among the wreckage of wrapping after opening

presents and relive the wonder of small children excitedly

opening presents, and drift into previous gifts for yesterday’s

children, or my own childhood.

Not only for myself, but for our family, we made

Christmas season a special time. Linda would place her

hundreds of manger scenes – presents over the years from all

around the world – in nooks and crannies all around the

house. Our Christmas plates came out of storage for

December, happy little Target Trees in a pattern long forgot-

ten and ornaments from forty years of Christmases come out

of ancient boxes once again to grace the newest tree.

When we had children gathered around our Advent

table, we would sing Christmas Carols, a new one every

night in Advent. After a few years we were singing in four-

part harmony from memory. On Advent Sundays we would

light a candle on the Alpine Whirligig and open another of

the Advent shutters – one child per Sunday did the honors

until the baby Jesus was revealed on Christmas Day.

The point is to open our souls to a sense of wonder and

joy. God is moving toward us, coming closer day by day.

Are we getting ready?

So, as you travel through December, wherever you may

be, listen to the sounds of Christmas creeping in. God is

trying – with every nuance of each day – to whisper in your

ear, “I Love You and I am here for you.”

Joyous and Blessed Advent to you this year.

Love,

Sermon Series

December 11: Third Sunday of Advent

“A Dream for My Children” Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11; Luke 1: 26-38

December 18: Fourth Sunday of Advent

“A Promise Kept – A Dream Delivered” Luke 1: 46-55

December 24: Christmas Eve

Family and Children’s Service — 5:30 PM

Candlelight with Worship Band — “Emmanuel”, 8 PM

Candlelight with Chancel Choir and Celebration Ringers — “Emmanuel”, 11 PM

December 25: Christmas

One service at 10 AM —“Alleluia is a Sound”

Prayers of healing for:

Phil Alcorn; Ken Buttrey; Joan Gleerup; Paul

Jacobs; Lourdes Koch; John Landon; Jean

Thompson; Martha Williamson.

Prayers for all those undergoing treatment and those in

pain.

Prayers of safety for all our Service Personnel serving

at home and abroad.

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Join an NUMC Bible Study

Sundays at 8 AM in the Library

NOTE: Group Starts New Book Sunday, New Year’s Day, 2012!

Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part One, by N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. Wright is a prolific author and noted New Testament scholar, named by Christianity Today as one of the top five theologians in the world. His style is easy to read and understand. Romans has been viewed as the book in which Paul spells out the basic doctrines of the faith. We will read about one chapter a week. Books are available at Amazon.com for $10.09 and at bookstores.

Wednesdays at 6:30 AM in the Library

A time to read and reflect together with The Upper Room.

Thursdays at 10 AM in the Library Led by Rev. Petty

Studying the Gospel of Mark — Rev. Petty’s interpretation.

Prayers send powerful messages. We believe that phe-nomenon. On more than one occasion a friend, relative or family member has shared with us that their prayers were answered. Those prayers relate to recovery from a serious injury, a mending of a broken home, a reversal of a difficult financial situation, or a happy resolution to a difficult rela-tionship. Some even respond that a miracle happened through devout prayer. We have even heard people aver they have experienced an out-of-body sensation, or some who have felt they actually passed to the other side beyond life here on earth to an ethereal state, all because of prayer.

We accept on faith that what we are told did take place. If it were not so, why would we continue our daily prayers? Why, indeed, would we willingly participate in our church prayer chain? There are those in our congregation who have felt the blessing of church prayer and have been strength-ened to confront whatever affliction troubles them. There is comfort in knowing that you are not alone, but that there is this church full of good people taking time to call out through prayer to be by your side.

When we find ourselves troubled about issues – no matter what they are – beyond what we feel we can solve alone, how assuring it is to know that our church is there to help. We believe that there is a spiritual component in our life that is sustained through our religious affiliation, and we know that the surest means of achieving that desired goal is by membership in the church. Now, if we can help ourselves in this manner, why should we not extend a helping hand to a neighbor, a stranger, a close friend, or a family member by inviting that person to church? While Sunday morning seems to be the obvious time to bring that person in need to church, let us remember that the church office is open during the week. Someone there can answer your needs. If you believe in prayer, in the solace and comfort afford-ed, how grateful it is to belong to church, and how reward-ing it can be to know that you brought someone to Christ to share in your security and well-being. Prayer is for the ask-ing. Become part of the prayer chain. Amen.

Charles Mortensen, Church Member

A Prayerful Congregation

Though our Super Committee in Congress can’t find a way forward, we have a variety of options available to us in the Church. We have frozen salaries for most staff for several years. We have cut back on non-essentials items, like donut holes. But we cannot balance our budget without an ade-quate income.

In the bulletin and the Methodist you have seen the green and the red inserts with giving options for your end-of-the-year consideration:

“Gift to the World” provides a way to give beyond our local needs to the broader world. We hope you find some special need that stirs your heart.

“Poinsettia Sheet” has three specific needs we have for our own church at Christmas. You may purchase a flower for our Chancel Christmas Tree, and you may

also wish to contribute to help us purchase new com-puters for our offices. Our old microchips are getting tired and grumpy and need replacement. The last item is simply our way of asking you to remember the many ministries supported by our annual budget.

Through the end of November we are very close to making budget, but we will need to double our monthly income in December to balance out prior to the end of the year. If we aren’t balanced by December 31, we will be forced to cut next year’s budget substantially in order to balance in 2012.

We hope that those who are able will do what they can to make it happen. All things are possible with God’s grace. After all, the impossible happened at Christmas long ago. By comparison, this is a lot more doable!

Love you all, Steve Allen, Finance Chair

Finding a Way with Finances

Children, Youth and Young Adult News

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Online Connections

Connecting Point helps youth and

young adults interact online, to explore

their relationships with God and with

others.

For inspirational Bible verses, district events geared to young

adults, and more, check us out on our website:

w w w . s f v c p . w o r d p r e s s . c o m ; F a c e b o o k :

www.facebook.com/sfvcp; Twitter: twitter.com/SFVCP; Email

address: [email protected].

To learn more, contact Allegra Wilson.

See the fun people had at the Advent Craft

and Marionette Show

Texting in church

Do you want have ques-

tions during the 11 AM

worship service?

If you do, text us at (843)

639-5534, and Pastor

Steve will acknowledge at

least one question at the

end of worship.

MIS

SIONS

and

OUTREAC

H

Katherine Stanfill Resigns

The Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) is saddened to announce

that, after three years with our church, Katherine Stanfill has submitted her

resignation. Citing personal reasons for her decision, Katherine completed

her responsibilities at the end of November.

The SPRC has decided to split the responsibilities into several positions

which are listed below.

In the interim, while new staff are selected, Lacey Withers will oversee

the Children’s Ministry, and Rev. Petty will be responsible for Youth

Ministry.

NUMC Job Openings

Director of Children’s Ministries Northridge UMC has a part-time opening (15 hours a week) for a

Director of Children’s Ministries.

Responsibilities are — but not limited to — supervising and

coordinating all aspects of Children’s Ministries, including: Sunday

School, Special Holiday events, Vacation Bible School, and additional

programs in coordination with Family Ministries Team.

Director of Youth Ministries Northridge UMC has a part-time opening (15 hours a week) for a

Director of Youth Ministries.

Responsibilities are — but not limited to — supervising and

coordinating all aspects of Youth Ministries, including: Sunday School,

Weekly Youth Group, Special Holiday Events, assist with Confirma-

tion Class, Summer Ministries and mission trips, and additional Youth

Programs throughout the year in coordination with Family Ministries.

Additional details about these positions are available upon request.

Applications are available for these two positions and resumes may

be submitted in the church office.

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Last year, NUMC started supporting SHARE (Support

for the Handicapped and their Rehabilitation through Education). It is a special educational program for the hearing-impaired at Wesleyan University-Philippines. Pio-neered by Methodist educators, this program offers academic and vocational training to hearing-impaired children from kindergarten to high school. Through our gifts, we have sponsored two deserving scholars for the school year 2011-2012.

Xyran Castillo is 11 years old and is in second grade at SHARE. He has one younger brother, Ryan. His father is the main breadwinner, earning $150 a month as a driver and aug-mented by his mother’s being a part-time street vendor. To survive on this meager income, his family lives with his paternal grandparents. If it were up to his parents, he would not have gone to school at all because of the cost of his education. That is why at 10 years old, he is only in second grade. To go to school at SHARE, he has to commute far by public transportation. On top of being hearing-impaired, he was born with a cleft palate, which was corrected by free surgery provided by a medical mission. Despite these handicaps, he was recommended for scholarship by his teachers because of his love of

learning. His teachers said he always comes to class pre-pared and well-groomed. He has dreams of finishing college in the future.

Ian Donnel Meneses is 11 years old and is in third grade.

His mother is a single parent who left him with his grandmother to work in the big city. Ian and his grandmother are being supported

by his aunt living abroad. The only family living with him is his grandmother, who was

the one who pushed for enrolling him at SHARE. Whatever money they receive from his aunt is spent for their daily subsist-

ence, so Ian was recommended for scholarship to help his grandmother achieve her dream for him. He is a happy and playful boy despite his circumstances. Our grant paid for

only half of his tuition for the whole year because he was an honor student last year and is therefore on half-scholarship from the school. The scholarship money we sent was raised partly from Gift To The World last December, a grant of $300 from Change In The World and from special offerings in March from our Mission-of-the-Month campaign. The donation was not much, but it has impacted the lives of two bright, hearing-impaired boys and their families because it has given them the gift of hope for their future.

2011 CROP HUNGER WALK

Thank you to those in our NUMC family who helped support the successful 2011 CROP Hunger Walk.

And thank you to those who walked (pictured above).

Thank you to Teresa Priem for the picture.

NUMC Church and Society invites the congregation and friends…

to attend the program — "Recycling - What, How and Why" — on Monday, December 12 at 7 PM

in the Kendall Building. Steven Elliott, our resident recycling expert, will be sharing his knowledge

and experiences with us, including the financial opportunities for us individually and as an organization.

Join us in this informative session on our stewardship of God's creation. Mike Easterly

Three Coins in the Fountain Nice song… a delightful movie... the fountain really

exists and people really do throw in coins. The whole

thing is symptomatic of a worldwide problem of huge

magnitude. It has been conservatively esti-

mated that in the United States alone over

$324,000 per year worth of coins is tossed

into various fountains and wishing wells

scattered over the fifty states. What hap-

pens to all this money? A significant frac-

tion is fished out by young children and

spent on cavity-causing candy, thereby

lining the pockets of greedy dentists.

You can help — not by joining the coming protest

demonstration — but by following these three simple

steps: First, recognize that you have been spoofed, but

just a little bit. Second, take home one of those jars in

the Narthex. Third, bring the jar back with your spare

change in it to help

CHANGE THE WORLD.

MIS

SIONS

and

OUTREAC

H

NUMC helps support SHARE

Page 6

RED CROSS/NUMC BLOOD DRIVE

Mark your calendar for our next blood drive, on January 23rd, 2012 in Fellow-

ship Hall from 1 to 7 PM.

There is usually a critical shortage of blood during and right after the holidays, so the need is very great. Your one pint of blood can save up to three lives.

EAT OUT MONDAY

How is God calling you to serve?

Become a Lay Speaker. The Santa Barbara

District is offering three Lay Speaking Classes

— One Basic Class and two Advanced Courses — begin-

ning January 11, 2012, on five Wednesday evenings, from 7

to 9 PM, at Simi Valley UMC. Cost is $25. For more infor-

mation, contact Garth Gilliam, 818-429-8843,

[email protected], or Mele Maka, 805-217-1901,

[email protected].

"Eat Out Monday" on January 9, 2012

at Maria’s Italian Kitchen

9161 Reseda Blvd.,

Northridge

11:30 AM until 9 PM

for dine-in and take-out with 20% of the proceeds being

returned to NUMC Family Ministries Program.

All-Church Hike Saturday, January 7, 2012, at Parker Mesa Overlook for a six-mile hike at Topanga State Park, CA (with benches and stunning views above Pacific Coast Highway). Wide trail with some elevation gain. Carpool meets in the church parking lot at 8:30 AM. Mark your calendar to start your New Year right.

Christmas is a Time for Giving…

Northridge UMC is blessed with a dedicated and loyal staff. We would like to honor the staff with a “Christmas Bonus” to show them we appreciate all their efforts on behalf of the church.

If you would like to be a part of the “Christmas Gift”, please make your check payable to “NUMC Staff Gift” and put it in the Sunday offering plate, mail the check to the church or give to Nancy Easterly, SPRC Chairperson.

For fellowship & fine dining

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 @ 6 PM

In Fellowship Hall Free-will Offering

Great Food, Great Fellowship Please sign up after church

or call the church office @ 818-886-1555.

January 4

Soul Food

Café

New Picture Directories Available Soon

The Communications Team has been updating pictures of NUMC members and putting together a new NUMC Picture Directory. The new directo-ry will be available in January 2012! If your picture (and your family's picture) in the current Directory is outdated and you would like a new picture tak-en, there is one more picture day scheduled on December 11th in Fellowship Hall between the services! The Directories will cost $10 each, and you may begin to place orders starting the first week of January.

Page 7

December Events

December 11… African Team Ministries items available for purchase in Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour

Last day for Angel Tree in Narthex

NUMC Christmas Concert @ 4 PM in the Sanctuary December 12… Eat Out Monday

from 11 AM to 9 PM @ California Pizza Kitchen December 17… NO Saturday Breakfast in December

Children’s Christmas Mart at NVCS @ 10 AM December 18… Caroling to the Homebound

@ Noon after Lunch in Fellowship Hall December 19… Caring Ministries @ 11:30 AM in the Kendall Building December 24… Children’s Christmas Eve Service

@ 5:30 PM in the Sanctuary

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service with Worship Band @ 8 PM in the Sanctuary

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service with Choir and Bells @ 11 PM in the Sanctuary

December 25… One Worship Service @ 10 AM in the Sanctuary

Early January, 2012 Events

January 1… One Worship Service @ 10 AM in the Sanctuary John Wesley Covenant Service

January 3… Ministry Team @ 6 PM in the Library January 4… Soul Food Café @ 6 PM in Fellowship Hall

SPRC @ 7 PM in the Library January 7… All-Church Hike to Parker Mesa Overlook

Carpool meets in the church parking lot at 8:30 AM. January 8… Family Ministries Meeting @ Noon in the Kendall Building

Jazz Vespers @ 6 PM in the Sanctuary January 9… UMW Executive Board @ Noon in the Kendall Building

Eat Out Monday @ Maria’s Italian Kitchen Church and Society Event @ 7 PM in the Kendall Building

January 10… Membership Committee Meeting @ 9 AM in the Kendall Building

January 14… Dessert Bridge @ 6 PM in Fellowship Hall

Regularly Scheduled Meetings

Tuesdays: Cracker Barrel 10:00 AM Library Sr. Exercise Class 10:45 AM Fellowship Hall Worship Band Rehearsal 7:30 PM Sanctuary

Wednesdays: Devotional Group 6:30 AM Library Maintenance Volunteers 8:30 AM Church Office WORMS 9:30 AM Kendall Bldg. Jubilee Bells 4:00 PM Room 5/6 Celebration Ringers 7:00 PM Room 5/6

Thursdays: Rev. Steve’s Bible Study 10:00 AM Library Chancel Choir 7:30 PM Sanctuary Couples Bible Study 2nd & 4th Thursdays from 7 to 10 PM in Room 5/6 Fridays: Cracker Barrel 10:00 AM Library

Sundays: Adult Study 8:00 AM Library Chancel Choir 8:00 AM Sanctuary Sunday School & Nursery 9:00 AM Library Youth Choir 10-11 AM Fireside Room Cherub Choir 10:15 AM Room 5/6

Sunday School & Nursery 11:00 AM Ed. Bldg. Preschool to Kindergarten in Nursery Grades 1 to 5 in Room 5/6 Youth (Grades 6-12) in Room 4

Worship Services @ 9 & 11 AM Childcare available at all services.

\

Sunday, December 25 at 10 AM — “Alleluia is a Sound” One Worship Service

Sunday, January 1 at 10 AM — John Wesley Covenant Service One Worship Service

United Methodist Women

Contact Person

UMW Pat Small Prayer Chain Dorine Collins & Ruth Sanders Hearts & Hands Betty Kinzy

WEEKLY: Mondays at 9 AM Arts & Crafts Phyllis Nelson

MONTHLY:

December 2011 ACTIVITIES 12 Monday at Noon Executive Board Kendall Building

No meeting in December Noon Fellowship

27 Tuesday at 10 AM Bluejays Bridge Pearl Adams

January 2012 ACTIVITIES

3 Tuesday at 10 AM Magpies Bridge Jean Thompson

9 Monday at Noon Executive Board Kendall Building

17 Tuesday at 11:30 AM Noon Fellowship Dorine Collins

24 Tuesday at 10 AM Bluejays Bridge Pearl Adams

Ongoing Community Groups

Sundays: Narcotics Anonymous at 7 PM in Fireside Room Mondays: AA (Women) at 6 PM in Fireside Room Alanon at 8 PM in Room 5/6 Tuesdays: Alanon at 10 AM & AA Book Study at 8 PM in Fireside Rm. Thursdays: AA at 7 PM in Fireside Room Fridays: Alanon at 12:30 PM in Fireside Room Boy Scouts - Troop 911: Tuesdays at 7 PM in Fellowship Hall Call John Orlick at 818-886-6229 Cub Scouts - Call Gary Kuykendall at 818-426-8195 Girl Scouts - Call Tandy Wilson at 818-886-9376

All age levels, various days.

Newsletter Articles Are Due

Articles for the next newsletter, dated December 21, should be submitted before 4 PM, Tuesday, December 13, 2011. Please send pictures, articles and/or information to: [email protected].

FRIENDS OF MUSIC SETS PREMIER SEASON

NUMC is on its way to becoming a recognized

venue for outstanding musical performances. Our

premier season will begin on February 11, 2012

with what is sure to be a truly memorable perfor-

mance by nationally known soprano Carol Vaness.

She will be joined by baritone Christopher Grundy and accom-

panied by Carol Recer, whom we have enjoyed here at NUMC

many times. On March 23, Tim Howard, a highly acclaimed or-

ganist, will offer an outstanding recital featuring a variety of mu-

sical treats. On April 28, Amanda Mc Broom and George Ball,

two well-known and outstanding musical performers, will pro-

vide a show that all will be sure to enjoy. More details and the

beginning of ticket sales will be coming along shortly.