Laurel Gazette · 2017-12-01 · Laurel Gazette December 2017 SAINT TO SAINT… In worship on Sunday, December 3, Peter and Linda Coulson will light the first of five candles in the

Laurel Gazette

December 2017

SAINT TO SAINT…

In worship on Sunday, December 3, Peter and Linda Coulson will light the first of five candles in the Advent wreath. On each successive Sunday and then on Christmas Eve, another

candle will be lit signifying the coming of Christ’s light into the world. The ritual of the lighting of the Advent candles is slow and deliberate.

Much like the lighting of the Advent candles, Advent comes as a time to slow things down, a deliberate speed bump, if you will, on the road to Christmas. For four weeks before Christmas, Advent invites us to pause and to reflect… upon the God who promised and gave us a Savior and upon the Savior who has promised to return. In the Scripture lessons of Advent, we hear again the voices of ancient prophets, of John the Baptist who came to “prepare the way,” and of Mary, Jesus’ mother as she utters words of both wonder and praise.

Christmas is neither an end nor a beginning but rather a momentous event in the continuing saga of God’s loving and grace-filled relationship with humanity. The Christ Child came not on divine impulse but “in the fullness of [God’s] time.” Advent helps us perhaps to better appreciate this important truth.

So, amid the hurly-burly of colored lights, tinsel, TV specials and Santa’s holding court at the local mall, I encourage you to take some time out and celebrate both Christmas and Advent and reflect again on the “reason for the season.” Laurel Church is hosting a number of special activities (described elsewhere in the newsletter) to help us do just that and I hope you and your family will join in.

May you and yours again experience the wonder of Emmanuel: God-With-Us this Advent/Christmas season!

Together with you in ministry,

Pastor Mark Join the Laurel family on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 5:00 pm for a traditional celebration of the birth of the Christ Child! We’ll sing the glorious carols, participate in the Lord’s Supper and recall the eternal mystery of God becoming a human being.

The worship service will “kid friendly” with an opportunity for children of all ages to enter into the drama. We will conclude with the lighting of candles and singing a medley of carols. As always, this is special opportunity to invite friends and family to join you in worship!

LAUREL CHURCH CALENDAR

Saturday, December 2 7:30 am Men’s Breakfast (IHOP) 9:00 am Church Decorating Party Sunday, December 3 8:45 am Adult Study 10:00 am Worship – Communion 11:10 am Session Teams Meet Thursday, December 7 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Saturday, December 9 9:00 am Yard Clean-up (away) Sunday, December 10 8:45 am Adult Study 10:00 am Worship 11:10 am Session Meets 3:00 pm Christmas Play & Reception Monday, December 11 11:00 am Elsie Bradshaw Circle Study & Luncheon 6:00 pm Coal Pit Education Center Dinner Wednesday, December 13 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Sunday, December 17 8:45 am Adult Study 10:00 am Worship – Christmas Cantata & Lingering 11:10 am Session Teams Meet Wednesday December 20 No choir rehearsal Sunday, December 24 8:45 am Adult Study 10:00 am Worship – Communion 5:00 pm Candlelight Communion Worship Wednesday December 27 No choir rehearsal (rehearsals will resume on January 3, 2018 @ 7:00pm) Sunday, December 31 8:45 am Adult Study 10:00 am Worship

*Choir meets each Wednesday evening at 7:00pm *LAMB’s Basket 1st Monday and 4th Tuesday of each month **Faith Revival Church will meet each Sunday 6:00 pm. Tuesdays, 7:30 pm, Fridays 7:30 pm, Saturdays 7:30pm ***Toastmasters meet the 1st, 3rd and 5th Mondays of each month 6-8:30 pm

Join Laurel men on Saturday, December 2 at 7:30 am at the IHOP on Broad for some good food and

fellowship. Stay afterward, and help decorate for Christmas at the church. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ COME HELP US DECORATE! – DECEMBER 2

Help us decorate Laurel for the holidays on Saturday, December 2 at 9:00 am. We need wreath raisers and tree assemblers and crèche creators and light stringers… and you get the idea! It’s always a fun time of fellowship!

POINSETTIAS FOR CHRISTMAS!

We invite you to purchase one or more poinsettias to decorate our Sanctuary at

Christmas to either remember or honor loved ones. The lovely red-flowered plants are only $11 each and you may dedicate them “In honor or…” or “In loving memory of…” You can do this by completing the coupon in the bulletin and placing it in the offering plate or by sending or calling in a request to the church office, 804-672-6810. The plants will be placed in the sanctuary on December 17 and may be taken home after worship on Christmas Eve. We will take orders up to Sunday, December 10.

Each Sunday of this Advent season has a special emphasis, helping us to recall the awe and mystery of

God becoming a human being… SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3 – On this first Sunday of Advent, a Laurel family will light the first candle of on our Advent wreath recalling that Jesus came as light of the world. The theme of the service will be “Prophecy,” as Pastor Mark considers some of the Old Testament prophecies that signaled to God’s people something new was in store for them. We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper and receive the Good Samaritan Offering.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 – “Second Sunday” – On the second Sunday of the month, all in worship have an opportunity to share their thoughts about the Scripture and its meaning for today. The focus will be on “Preparation” as we consider John the Baptist as a divine “advance man” for Jesus. Look for the special sheet with the Scripture and questions to consider.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 – On this Sunday before Christmas day, our choir will present its annual Christmas-themed cantata, this year, On This Shining Night. A special lingering will follow. We will also receive the annual Christmas Joy Offering. A great opportunity to bring friends and family!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 10:00 am – “We bring good news!” the angels sang. “To you is born a savior” who will usher in “peace to all people.” The Holy Spirit now moves beyond prophecy and preparation to “Proclamation!” A new age is dawning! In his message, Pastor Mark will consider the continuing reverberations of this wonderful news. We’ll sing some of our favorite Christmas carols and also receive the 5-Cents-a-Meal Offering.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 5:00 pm – Beginning at 5:00 pm. our Christmas Eve worship will include the familiar carols, seasonal choir anthems, celebrating Holy Communion, the lighting of candles and a special time that Pastor Mark will lead just for kids! There will be no child care for this service, but the whole family is invited to attend this hour-long service designed with kids in mind.

The Shepherd on Call for the month of December is Mary Scearce. She may be reached at 672-7514.

SANCTUARY FLOWERS FOR DECEMBER

December 3- Laurel Roeder - In memory of Howard Lawrence, Sr. and in honor of Mary Lawrence.

December 10 - Flash Bowlin - In memory of his Father, Woodrow Bowlin.

December 17-Pete & Barbara Rose -To the Glory of God and in honor of our son, Chris, on his birthday.

December 24 – Poinsettias

December 31-Poinsettias

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

New Contact Information for Wayne and

Marcia Deisher

7280 Ellingham Court Glen Allen, VA. 23059

New phone is 804-719-9462

New email:

Wayne [email protected] Marcy [email protected]

Happy Birthday to the following members and friends of Laurel!

Rob McBane (1) Jan Sprowl (2) Ann Whitby (5)

Jackie Cooper (7) Mark Sprowl (9)

Kathy Boyce (10) David Cooper (16)

Michael Whitby (17) Michelle McBane (20)

Judy Smith (21) Claudia Hicks (22) Sarah Arthur (24)

Howard Lawrence (30) J. David Clatterbuck (31)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"On This Shining Night"

Make certain not to miss church on December 17 as the choir will be presenting their Christmas Cantata, "On This Shining Night" during Worship. The hauntingly beautiful introductory section of this Christmas cantata by Lee Dengler and Susan Naus Dengler leads into the glorious majesty of "O Holy Night," and sets the scene as the shining night when Jesus - the Light of the World - was born. The work is woven with newly-composed music and familiar carols. This creative cantata, which includes energetic and upbeat songs as well as reflective and reverent pieces, promises to be a profound addition to your Advent and Christmas observances. Please invite your family and friends to share in this very meaningful musical service.

J. David Clatterbuck, Laurel Music Director

YARD WORKERS NEEDED! We’ve been asked once again to do leaf pick-up at the home of

the Laurel woman who’s dealing with cancer. She was so appreciative of our efforts last year, and we’re happy to help out once again.

The clean up will take place, weather permitting, on Saturday, December 9 at 9:00 am. We will meet at the house. The address will be available at the church and will be posted on Facebook. Please bring a rake and, if you’d like, a leaf pan, blower or any garden implement that you like to use.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

…FOR COAL PIT KIDS AND FAMILIES!

As part of our New Beginnings outreach in the neighborhood during the last couple years, we’ve supported the children and staff of the Coal Pit

Learning Center with donations of food, books and cash and with some of us reading stories to the children.

This Christmas season we’re inviting the Coal Pit children and their families to Laurel for a Christmas Dinner… a la Italiano! We’ll be serving some hearty spaghetti with salad and rolls and dessert and offer a small gift for all who come. In addition, we’ll sing some Christmas carols. We believe these families will appreciate a chance not to worry about dinner for one night as we serve up some Christian hospitality at Laurel.

We are in need to some folks to help prepare the simple meal (largely reheating), set the tables, serve the families, and clean up afterward. We would also like folks to prepare some desserts. The dinner will be held on Monday, December 11 at 6:00 pm. We would like table preparers to come by 5:00 pm and cooks somewhat earlier. There will be a signup list at the church, and we hope a number of you will join us in sharing this Christmas blessing.

Each year in December the Presbyterian Church invites gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering which

supports both the special needs of retired pastors and other church workers and also of racial-ethnic children and youth. Both of these groups can experience the fragility of life from time to time, and the Christmas Joy offering seeks to increase both stability and opportuities for growth and development. We will take this offering in

worship on Sunday, December 17

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Friends, It’s been just a little over a year that I’ve been formally installed as your pastor and

Jan and I think it’s high time that you drop over for some Christmas cheer (the non-alcoholic variety). We’re hosting an Open House at our home, 9170 Ivy Springs Place, Mechanicsville, 23116, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm on Sunday, December 17. You needn’t bring anything besides a smile and a “Ho! Ho! Ho!” If you like to sing carols, we’ll be singing some around 4:00 pm. Hope you can join us! - Mark and Jan Sprowl +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD UPDATE- Twenty-nine boxes were packed and delivered to the drop off site on Sat. Nov. 18th. The boxes will be distributed to boys and girls throughout the world. THANK YOU to everyone that donated and participated in making this mission a success. Membership Care and Mission Team

WE WELCOME… Denis

(just one “n”) Ramdas, who was received as our newest member in worship on Sunday, November 19. Denis is recently retired after a career in medical imaging. In his meeting with the Session, he cited the inspirational impact of our choir as one of

his big reasons for joining Laurel. Make sure to greet him and get to know him in the coming weeks! His contact information is as follows: 11133 Mill Place Court, Glen Allen, 23060, 804-756-1391, [email protected].

WE GAVE THANKS

The Thanksgiving supper was held November 15 and about 31 people attended. The sliced turkey and gravy were from Glen Allen Supermarket. We had a wide choice of salads, vegetables, potatoes and desserts. Mark baked a pumpkin pie which was delicious. We sang a hymn of Thanksgiving and took a fun test on Thanksgiving trivia. The first Thanksgiving was held at Berkley Plantation in 1620 on Route 5. Most history books say the first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 at Plymouth Colony. A fun time was had by all! Margaret Fitch

New additions to the list are in bold type

Let us keep the following people in our prayers,

sharing in both their joys and needs: Our First Responders – Police, Fire, Rescue

Our Military Personnel Corinne Augustine – mother of Carol Short

Lorraine Binford Flash Bowlin

Don and Bonnie Clatterbuck The Chamberlayne Family

Vickie Chaplin Jean Cole

Wayne Deisher Randy Duff – brother of Lorraine Duff

Susan Dyson The Hayes Family

Jimmy Hicks The Keller family The Kinch Family

Sherri Kolb, daughter of Vickie Chaplin Ann Leveridge Buddy Mallory

Eddie Ann Mathewson Ann McDermott

The Mertens Family Shirley Milliken

Trudy Moolenaar Richard Rader, nephew of Bonnie Poff

Cathy Roeder Nana Sarfo-Kantanka

John Schutrumpf Tripp Shepherd

Jackie and Jan Stevens Dan and Andrea Stone

Billie Summers Prayers for Ruling Elders

Prayers for friends and families Prayers for the Middle East countries

Prayers for the homeless Prayers for Laurel’s mission Prayers for New Beginnings

If you know of someone in need of prayer or are in

need of prayer, please call Flash Bowlin at 672-6009

Don’t forget our church member in the military, Jake Anderson. Warm wishes from home at Christmas are sure to be appreciated. His address is:

SPC John Anderson 504th Military Intelligence Brigade 91220 Headquarters Ave. Ft Hood, TX 76544

MEMBER CARE AND MISSION REPORT NOVEMBER 12, 2017

We discussed member concerns and had prayer The Thanksgiving sign -up sheet is up. Everyone should bring a dish and sign in how many people are attending. The Glen Allen Market will fix the turkey and gravy. The church will provide rolls, stuffing, cranberry sauce and drinks. We will have a singalong with Mark after dinner. The Harvest Festival was well organized. Nana did a great job! Next year we may want to schedule it earlier in October and do more advertising. We have one family for Thanksgiving/Christmas from Virginia Randolph and we are in the process of getting a family from Coal Pit. The Christmas Child boxes were sent off last Sunday. This is the last day for the coat drive sponsored by the Women’s Circle. Margaret will deliver the coats after calling Virginia Randolph. Margaret Fitch

FALL FESTIVAL 2017 Laurel once again hosted our Fall Festival on Saturday, October 28, inviting our neighbors to games, good food, shopping with local vendors, music and fellowship. Dozens from our

congregation set up and took down tables, staffed booths, sold and created baked goods, grilled hot dogs, led children in games and face painting and generally set the scene to welcome one and all. Representatives of the police and fire departments were also on hand with their departmental vehicles. The weather cooperated wonderfully, but we didn’t have as many participants as we’d hoped, we believe, largely due to several other Fall-Halloween activities going on in Henrico. Many thanks to all who helped and especially to Nana Sarfo-Kantanka and the members of the Member Care and Mission Team who took over leadership this year.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On Sunday, November 19, we dedicated in worship the pledges of financial support for Laurel’s ministry in 2018 that we had received at that time. If you haven’t gotten around to making your pledge, there is still time.

You may use the pledge card you may have received in the mail or ones that are available in the sanctuary narthex. Just put the card in the envelope provided and send it to the office or place it in the marked box in the narthex or in the offering plate during worship. The Session will meet on the second Sunday in December to formally consider the budget for the coming year, and it will be very helpful for our leaders to have in hand all the estimates of giving from our members and friends.

“HYMN SING” ENDS ON A HIGH NOTE!

Music Director David Clatterbuck and our Laurel Choir led us in a marvelous hour of hymns and anthems on the afternoon of Sunday, November 5. Our time together alternated between the choir singing favorite new and old songs and David providing sprightly accompaniment for many of the most beloved hymns in the Glory to God hymnal. One person called it a “juke box of hymnody!” After the music, all gathered for a delicious reception in the Fellowship Hall. To paraphrase the old hymn, “God Be with Us Till We Sing Again!”

THANKS TO OUR MOWERS!

Each year a group of folks donates hours of their time mowing the grass and trimming around the church starting in late spring and continuing into the

fall. They make us “look good” for the thousands of cars that regularly pass us on Staples Mill Road. Our deep appreciation goes out to Bob Anderson, Tod Balsbaugh, Peter Coulson, Wayne Deisher, Rob & Michelle McBane, Clint & Glenda Miller and Mark Sprowl. If you helped out, and we left off your name, please let us know.

December 2017

Task/

Responsibility 12-3-17 12-10-17 12-17-17 12-24-17

12-24-17

12-31-17

Communion

Service Morning

Service

Christmas Eve

Candlelight

Communion

5pm

Usher Captain

Bob Anderson

Michael

Henderson

Ann Whitby Steve Scearce Rob McBane

Carolyn

Stinger

Usher Team

Carolyn

Stinger

Gladys

Chamberlayne

Michael

Whitby

Mary Scearce

Michelle

McBane

Becky Zolnai

Usher Team LaVerne Miller Ginger Lanier Linda Coulson

Michelle

McBane

LaVerne Miller

Usher Team

Lorraine Duff Becky Zolnai Peter Coulson Rob McBane

Lorraine Duff

Sound System

Rudy van’t

Riet

Rob McBane

Bob Anderson

Rudy van’t

Riet

Steve Scearce

Rudy van’t

Riet

Projectionist Jacob Scearce Rudy van’t Riet Karen Johnson Jacob Scearce Jacob Scearce

Karen Johnson

Lay Reader

Michael

Henderson Cheryl Dorman Gladys Bowles Carol Short Jan Humphreys

Duane Berger

Nursery

Michelle

McBane Kathy Horigan

Michelle

McBane Kathy Horigan

Michelle

McBane

Children’s

Church

Margaret Fitch

Michelle

McBane Mary Scearce

Gladys

Chamberlayne

Margaret Fitch

Communion

Prep

Gladys

Chamberlayne

Michael

Henderson

Communion

Captain Steve Scearce

Michael

Henderson

Communion

Server

Mary Scearce Jan Humphreys

Communion

Server

Karen Johnson Glenda Miller

Communion

Server

Carl Carpenter

Rudy van’t

Riet

If unable to serve your commitment, please contact another to serve in your place and contact the Pastor with the updated information. !!!Thank you for volunteering!!!

DEADLINE FOR GAZETTE – 19th OF EACH MONTH

Consider going paperless and receiving the Gazette via email. Just send me a message at the below

address and I will take care of the rest. Gazette email: [email protected]

Laurel Presbyterian Church 9675 Staples Mill Road Glen Allen, VA 23060