Merry Christmas Happy New Year! Inside this Issue · 2019. 12. 1. · Happy New Year ! German: Fröhliche ... Say it: shwy-you noh-el bone a-nay Spanish: Feliz Navidad... Feliz año

Inside this Issue

New Year Devoted to God

(Pastor Rick) ……….………..3

Winter Sale - Clothes, Books,

Baked Goods! ………........4

Financial News ..……….....5

We Walked 4 Water …......6

The Box (Danny Cooper) …..7

Youth Page ……………....8

OLLI - A Class for YOU? ....9

Men’s Retreat - 1/24-26 ....10

Diversity for Unity: ….11-13

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Christmas around the world

Peace… in the Garden ….14

ASL joins OCC …………..15

2019 in Review ……..16+17

Outreach: …….…...……..19

Dave’s Christmas, 1969 ...20

Spread Good Cheer! …….21

Food, Faith & Family ….…..22

Spaghetti & Blue Grass

Memory Verse ………...16

Merry Christmas... Happy New Year!

German:

Fröhliche Weihnachten... Frohes neues Jahr!

Say it: fro-leek-a vi-nack-tin fro-es noise yar

French:

Joyeux Noël... Bonne année!

Say it: shwy-you noh-el bone a-nay

Spanish:

Feliz Navidad... Feliz año nuevo!

Say it: fey-leez nah-vee-dad fey-leez anyo new-a-vo

Italian:

Buon Natale... Felice anno nuovo!

Say it: bone nah-tall-ay fey-leech-ay anno noh-vo

Korean:

메리 크리스마스... 새해 복 많이 받으세요 !

meli keuliseumaseu... saehae bog manh-i bad-euseyo!

Say it: may-lee ka-lees-e ma-say say-you bag man-e bad-sayoh

Irish:

Nollaig Shona... Athbhliain Shona!

Say it: Noy-ogg show-nah att-bah-lay-in show-nah

ASL:

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 2

S3 - Monitors & Stewards - We Need You!

Yes - YOU are needed… WUMC

Safe Secure Sanctuary (S3) is sched-

uling from January 1to June 30, 2020.

We depend on volunteers to pro-

vide Monitor & Steward, unobtru-

sive, behind-the-scenes coverage of

each of Sunday Morning Service.

Terry Higgins provides very short,

appropriate training to each volun-

teer. You’ll serve ONCE A

MONTH as a Steward or Monitor

(your choice) AT THE SUNDAY

MORNING SERVICE OF - again,

YOUR CHOICE. The 75 minute

Sunday morning time periods of

Monitor & Steward service are

8:15 to 9:30, 9:30 to 10:45, or 10:45

to 12:00 Noon.

See/call/e-mail… contact Terry at

[email protected] or (302)

492-3354 (H) or (302) 363-5823 (C)

to learn about the very simple and

basic duties of the vitally important

role that the Steward & Monitor

volunteers have in the WUMC S3

Program. Thank you in advance for

giving prayerful consideration to this

very important opportunity to par-

ticipate in our beloved Wyoming

Church’s S3 Program!

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 3

the Word, the more at home we’ll find

ourselves in God and His story of

grace and redemption. As you consid-

er your New Year’s resolutions and

commitments, consider making 2020

the year you read through the entire

Bible. 2020 will mark the third year in

a row that I will be doing this through

the Bible app on my phone, and I’m

inviting you to join me. I have found

that reading the Bible consistently eve-

ry day in this fashion has increased my

familiarity with the stories and people,

and I’ve heard God speaking in parts of

the Bible that before I had rarely read.

My personal goal is to read the

Bible straight through each

year for 10 consecutive years,

so I still have a way to go!

Also, if you are one that reads

the Bible a lot, perhaps you

might also consider joining me

in trying a new translation in

2020 for your devotions.

I use the NIV 99% of the time,

so I’ll be trying the New Living

Translation (NLT).

The close of a year and the

dawning of a new one offers us a prime

opportunity to both reminisce and to

look forward to what God has in store

for the year ahead. I was watching a

sermon last week that was given during

a chapel service at my seminary.

The speaker was one of my favorite

professors from my time in Kentucky,

Dr. Lawson Stone. He was preaching

about a host of topics, and among them

he quoted Psalm 77:10-12: “Then I

thought, ‘To this I will appeal: the years

the Most High stretched out his right

hand. I will remember the deeds of

the Lord; yes, I will remember your

miracles of long ago. I will consider

all your works and meditate on your

mighty deeds.” The psalmist, he says,

was in a tough spot, but he found his

remedy by remembering the sacred

story of God, and those memories

catapulted him forth in praise and

adoration and got him back on the

right path with the Lord.

Dr. Stone said that we need to

marinate our souls in the Scriptures in

order to do this. The more we’re in

From the Pastor’s Desk

I’ll have more information on

the Bible in One Year Plan as we near

January. If we aren’t friends on the Bi-

ble app, download it and search for my

name. You can, of course, also do the

plan without using your phone. Let’s

make 2020 a year in which Wyoming

Church is more devoted to God and

His Word than ever before!

"Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His command-ments, as at this day." 1 Kings 8:61

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 4

Oh for that special Christmas gift to your

Church...

The "Wish List" clothes line, located in the

narthex, continues to give opportunities for individuals to

purchase specific items needed by our

church. If any of the teams within the church have a spe-

cific need which they would like to see on the "wish list"

please contact Sharon Duncan (302) 698-1904.

Books, Clothes &

Baked Goodies!

We are collecting used books in good condition and gently

worn clothing. Look for the donation boxes near the stage

in the Family Life Center.

Books, Clothing, Baked Goods… Saturday, January 25

8AM - 1PM

The WUMC FUNdraising Team will be holding their very popular BOOK & CLOTHING SALE

in the Family Life Center. No book over $1.00!! Clothes at absolute bargain prices!!

The annual Holiday Craft Show on the second Saturday in

November raised a total of $4,500.00!!

$2,300 will go towards debt reduction

of the church mortgage, $2,200 to the

Sexton Kitchen Team in support of

various scholarships they sponsor and

other projects of Food, Faith & Family.

The Knitting to Nurture group sold hand-knit items at the Craft Show, contributing $278 to the mortgage reduction!

A big Thank You to Craft Show coordinator Nikole Moore for her tireless efforts with our vendors, to the SKT and

organizers of the Bake Sale, to all helpers behind the scenes involved in the set-up and clean-up, and, last but certainly

not least, to you, all the patrons who came out and enjoyed crafts and food!

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 5

FINANCIAL REPORT for the month ending October 30, 2019

Larry Towle, Finance Team Chair

Update : Stewardship Campaign

The Finance Team would like to

THANK EVERYONE for your

support of Wyoming Church

for 2020. We have received

pledges totaling $464,722. This

represents 69% of our budget for

2020. Last year pledges came to

82% of our $665,000 budget.

Your pledge information is critical

as we put our budget together for

next year. Please pick up a pledge

card at the welcome desk or get it in the office, call Renate at 697-8400

to mail you one if needed. Thank you again for your generous support! Larry Towle, Finance Team Chair

Income/Expense to Date Budget to Date 2019 Budget

Weekly Offerings-Operating 489,826.39 486,208 583,450

Other Offerings 77,350.63 77,375 92,850

Interest Income 2,911.50 2,083 2,500

Total Offerings 570,088.52 565,667 678,800

Finance Team 1,598.27 7,250 8,700

Office 22,820.75 19,633 23,560

Personnel 107,482.56 109,833 131,800

Mortgage Interest 49,656.50 60,833 73,000

Properties & Equipment 89,149.64 94,733 113,679

Total Administrative Council 270,707.72 292,283 356,731

Nursery & Supplies 42 50

Benevolences 49,256.08 53,145 63,774

Education & Youth 5,513.76 6,750 8,100

Music 1,048.14 1,833 2,200

Worship 661.50 208 250

Total Council on Ministries 56,479.48 61,978 65,949

Pastor Parish Relations 104,734.27 117,216 140,659

Mortgage Principal liabilty 97,219.56 91,667 110,000

(Reduces debt to PNC)

Total Expense 529,141.03 563,143 665,719

Net Income (Loss) 40,947.49

Balance of Mortgage 1/1/2019 1,240,614.62

Principal Paid in 2019 187,219.56

Mortgage Balance end of month 1,053,395.06

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 6

Upon their arrival back

at the finish line at

Wyoming UMC,

they received

applause from their

supporters and other walkers along

with refreshments.

The Outreach Team would like

to send a Special thanks to everyone

who made this event happen. We may

have had ‘only’ 40 walkers but we had

many that contributed funds, water,

refreshments and their time. We have

such an awesome congregation and the

Outreach Team appreciates each and

every one of you for supporting our

projects every year.

Each year in Africa, thousands

of people die from drinking contaminat-

ed water from ponds and wells dug by

hand. Woman and children will walk up

to five miles each way, only to bring

home water filled with bacteria that can

kill them. Children will transport water

instead of attending school and food

crops will not thrive due to lack of

irrigation.

Lifetime Wells International

provides clean water as a tool to help

people help themselves and this is why

Wyoming UMC and Whatcoat UMC

Camden joined together to host a 5K

Walk for Water on October 19, 2019

to raise $3,500.00 for a well to be dug

in Africa. Mark Taber from Wells Inter-

national was here to support us and to

answer any questions that anyone had.

At about 9:20 am. Pastor Rick

gave a blessing and then 40 brave souls

ventured out to walk the 5K walk. It

was a brisk morning and our walkers

walked from Wyoming UMC to What-

coat UMC where they could take a

short rest and receive refreshments.

boxes, the myriad Santa’s of all shape and

size, especially the Santa that paints the

same toy over and over again, there is

also our simple, rustic nativity scene.

And while it doesn’t light up or play any

seasonal tunes, it does contain a small

wooden box with a tiny baby laying with-

in. No fanfare surrounds this scene and

none is needed. The gentle picture, so

dear to all believers this time of year,

reminds us once again that our God in-

deed values the little one’s; that the most

important person to ever walk this earth

began as an innocent, vulnerable infant in

a forgotten alcove amongst the hustle and

bustle of a crowded Bethlehem.

This Christmas season, when the gift

giving is complete and there are only

empty boxes remaining under the tree,

may we remember the birthday box that

held the baby Jesus. And while you’re at

it, remember again, maybe for the first

time, that you, too, are a precious,

unique gift from the hand of our Creator.

Actually climbing into an empty box is

certainly not required, but may in fact be

a lot of fun. As always, bow and ribbons

are optional.

Lord God, we thank you, especially this

time of year, as we remember the birth

of your son, the greatest gift we’ll ever

receive in this life. Help us, Lord, as we

celebrate, to remember that we are also

a gift to you, that we are precious in your

sight, and that we are simply on this

earth to be a blessing to others. Help us

to remember our special place in your

heart, for you love us so much… Amen

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 7

Danny Cooper Coordinator/Counselor

@ Daybreak Counseling Services

The Box

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and

wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

Psalm 139: 13-14

Like many parents, I have sweet memories of

Christmas mornings when our children were

in their toddler years. The pictures still make

us laugh… wrapping paper torn and scattered

about, a big brand new toy laying oddly alone

and apart from the festivities, and one of our

two little ones sitting proudly in an empty

box, smiling as broad as can be. The bow and

ribbons in the hair was an optional touch, but

not a guarantee. It’s so cute to watch, the

fascination with the box while forgetting the

toy that called it home. We don’t expect any

less from the youngest among us. They simply

don’t understand the value of the gift, the

thought, care and cost that is involved; the

planning and preparation, and for what…for

the box to steal the show.

Maybe it’s their innocence, the simplicity of

the children, that we, as adults, can so easily

overlook the message at hand. It’s really not

about a physical gift after all. It’s in fact all

about you and me. As God’s children, we are

the gift, a precious and unique gift, to our

heavenly parent above. We always have been,

and always will be; fireworks, fanfare, bright

lights and the like are simply exciting extras,

but not the essential.

I can only speak for myself, but when I take

stock of our family Christmas decorations,

apart from the twinkling lights, the music

WUMC Kids Praise presents:

Children’s Christmas Program

on Sunday, December 22

during the one, combined,

worship service at 9:45 am.

The WUMC Sunday School &

Kids Praise children will be

performing “Angels Say What?!”,

a Christmas musical that tells the

Christmas story from the angels’

perspective. “As all of the angels

gather in Heaven, they discuss all

of the good news that they’ve just

told Mary, Joseph, the shepherds

and wise men. Not only do they

experience sharing the news of

Jesus, but they learn what it

means to truly have a part in the

greatest story ever told!”

To familiarize everyone with per-

forming in the Sanctuary and get

costumes fitted, we invite you to

our Dress Rehearsal on Satur-

day, December 7 from 10:30

AM to 12 Noon. We’ll run the

program a few times and figure

out staging! Parents are welcome

to stay and watch, or drop off

your kids to leave under the care

of the Sunday School staff.

Please let Robyn Lefort know

if you’re unable to attend or

have any questions - call/text

(302)943-4725, email

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The youth ministries of Wyoming Church are open to

all youth in grades 6-12.

Youth Group meets from 6 to 8 PM

on Sundays December 8th…

15th (ugly sweater party)…

January 5th… 19th… 26th

Halloween Party 2019!

Our WUMC Youth have many talents...

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 9

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Delaware is an academic cooperative for adults 50 and over to enjoy classes,

teach, exchange ideas and travel together. Instructors teach subjects they love to students who are there for the love of learning! No

educational prerequisites are needed and there are no grades or exams—just learning for the fun of it.

OLLI membership is open to men and women 50+ and to members’ spouses or partners at any age. Whether your formal education ended

early in life or includes advanced degrees, we welcome you. An interest in learning is all that is required. Partial scholarships are available.

Members volunteer their wealth of talent and experience in planning and implementing high-quality educational experiences to form an

educational cooperative. The members are the instructors and students, and through a committee structure guide the operating policies,

develop curriculum and help with daily operations.

Example of a class from this

past fall semester:

EGG DECORATING–

PYSANKY STYLE

Instructor: Bernie Sarnoski

Course participants will learn

the history and process of

Eastern European pysanky-

style egg decorating. Using

the tools in a decorating kit,

and with instructions on

decorating techniques, each

participant will create one

pysanky egg by the end of

the course.

Wyoming Church - OLLI’s Dover campus! If you fulfill the minimum age requirement of 50 years, there’s a wide palette of the most interesting classes is offered

Mondays through Thursdays right here, at Wyoming Church. Check out the upcoming Spring semester: January 27

through April 6, 2020. Catalog available online December 9. http://www.olli.udel.edu/kent-sussex/catalog/

Instructor Bernie S.

explains the history of

patterns; this particular

one, made up of 40

exquisitely drawn lines,

symbolizes the 40 days

of Lent and the 40 days

Jesus spent in the desert.

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 10

2020 Renew, Recharge, Relax Retreat ---

Still Open To All Men Of the Church!

The Men’s Camp Pecometh Retreat is slated to commence

on Friday afternoon, January the 24th through Sunday

morning, January the 26th of 2020. Following last year’s

Retreat the consensus among the attendees was that the

‘tenor of the times’ relative to the state of our world and

our nation requires a longer opportunity to pray, fellowship,

and discern God’s will for His people, His world and His

Church. At this Retreat we will be joined by the Christian

Brothers from Hockessin U. M. Church with whom we

enjoyed table fellowship, singing and discussions during the

2019 Retreat.

The January Retreat is entitled “DETOUR --- FINDING

PURPOSE WHEN LIFE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE” and uses

as a guide the life of Joseph from the Old Testament.

Please know that if you would like to attend this life-changing

Retreat but you are finding that your personal schedule will

not permit you to attend the full session, arrangements have

been built into the program to accommodate your attend-

ance at whatever portion that would be most suitable for

you. If you feel so led, please

see the Retreat display in the

Narthex at which you will find

information that explains the

various attendance packages

that are available as well as

registration forms for your

consideration.

Should you have any questions

please contact Ken or Frank

who will be pleased to satisfy

your queries. Ken Banaszak (302) 584-1223 email: [email protected] or

Frank Roberts (302) 538-5594 email: [email protected]

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 11

Why do we remember

and celebrate the life of

Martin Luther King, Jr.?

“The time is always right to

do what is right.” -MLK

MLK Day celebrates the life and achieve-

ments of Martin Luther King, Jr., an influ-

ential American civil rights leader. He is

most well-known for his campaigns to

end racial segregation on public transport

and for racial equality in the United

States.

The Rev. Dr. King’s peaceful struggle

against racial discrimination came to

national attention in 1955, when he led

a boycott protesting laws that required

blacks and whites to sit in separate

sections on buses. He was jailed and

physically attacked, and his home was

bombed, but in 1956 the Supreme Court

declared such laws unconstitutional.

In 1963, King delivered his famous “I

Have a Dream” speech before a quarter

million people during the peaceful March

on Washington, D.C. The next year he

became the youngest man, at 35, to

receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He con-

tinued fighting for civil rights and against

poverty until an assassin’s bullet ended

his life on April 4, 1968.

“Darkness cannot drive out

darkness; only light can do

that. Hate cannot drive out

hate; only love can do that.” -

MLK

Coretta Scott King, his widow, founded

the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Center in Atlanta, and in 1969 it began

holding annual celebrations of King’s

birthday (January 15).

On Nov. 3, 1983, President Ronald

Reagan signed a bill marking the third

Monday of every January, as Martin

Luther King, Jr. Day. In January 1986,

the first national Martin Luther King,

Jr., holiday was observed. Martin Luther

King Day is a national holiday that

honors the United States’ most

famous civil-rights activist.

The MLK Day of Service is observed

as a "day on, not a day off." MLK

Day of Service is intended to empower

individuals, strengthen communities,

bridge barriers,

create solutions to

social problems, and

move us closer to

Dr. King's vision of

a "Beloved Commu-

nity." This is the day

to look to your own

communities and see

where there is need,

then do some volun-

teer service to meet

those needs.

“Life's most persistent and

urgent question is, ‘What are

you doing

for others?’” –MLK

Wyoming United

Methodist Church

will recognize and

celebrate the life of

Martin Luther King, Jr.

with music and

a special sermon

at all three services on

Sunday, January 19th.

10 Thought-Provoking Movies to Watch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Molly Pennington, PhD as seen in the Reader’s Digest

Revisit the history of the Civil Rights era and the incredible legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in these inspiring films:

‘Selma’ (2014) ‘Four Little Girls’ (1997) ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’ (2013)

‘The Black Power Mix Tape’ (1967–1975) ‘The Long Walk Home’ (1990) ‘Ghosts of Mississippi’ (1996)

‘Mississippi Burning’ (1988) ‘The Rosa Parks Story’ (2002) ‘The Help’ (2011)

‘Ruby Bridges’ (1998)

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 12

Christmas in America…

and Around the World

Nine-in-ten Americans (90%) — and 95% of Christians — say they celebrate Christmas, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The ways that they celebrate are varied, often depending upon family heritage.

Why do we have

Christmas trees? Romans used fir trees to decorate their temples during Saturnalia, a feast in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture, and the predecessor to Christmas. In northern Europe, people planted cherry or hawthorn plants, or created pyramids of fruit or candles. Evergreen trees were thought to keep away evil spirits and illness, and were put up during the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, to remind them that the spring would return. Another predecessor was the Paradise tree, a fir decorated with apples to represent the Garden of Eden on Adam and Eve’s day, which fell on December 24. It is thought the first person to bring a tree indoors was the German theologian Martin Luther. Walking through a forest, he was so taken by the beauty of stars twinkling through the pines that he took a tree home and at-tached candles to each branch. Germans decorated their trees with edible goods and glass decorations. Tinsel was originally made in Germany from thin strips of silver. Electric lights were first created in 1895 by Ralph Morris, an American telephonist.

The story behind Santa Claus

and Christmas stockings The story of Santa Claus starts with Saint Nicholas, a bishop who lived in Myra, Asia Minor (what is now known as Turkey) in the

fourth century. He had a reputation for giving to the poor and being kind to children. Legend has it that Saint Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney of a poor man who could not afford his daughter’s dowry. The bag fell into a stocking that had been left by the fire to dry. He also dropped a bag of gold for the second daughter. The father tried to find out who this mystery benefactor was, and when he did, Saint Nicholas begged him not to reveal his identity. Word soon got out, and when anyone received a secret gift, it was always thought to be Saint Nicholas. However, in the 16th century, the stories of St. Nicholas grew unpopular in northern Europe and new images of Father Christmas, or Old Man Christmas, circulated instead. An early example of Father Christmas in liter-ature appears in Ben Jonson’s play of 1616, Christmas, His Masque. An old bearded man enters through the chimney, rather than the door, as this was the entrance for Pagan trespassers such as evil spirits. His sons and daughters are named Carol, Misrule, Gambol, Minced-Pie and Baby-Cake. The Victorians rediscovered the stories of Saint Nicholas and used the legend in poetry and prose. In A Visit from St. Nicholas, a po-em written by Clement Moore in 1822, he flew from house to house in a sleigh drawn by eight reindeer, to fill stockings. Thomas Nash drew a series of cartoons of him living at the North Pole, with a workshop for building toys and a large book with the names of naughty and nice children. Some European countries also celebrate Saint Nicholas’ Day on December 6, when they leave out clogs or shoes to be filled with presents and sweets.

Why does Santa wear red?

The legend goes that Santa’s suit is red be-cause of a successful advertising campaign for Coca-Cola that featured Father Christmas wearing red robes with a white trim, the soft drink’s colors. But the red and white actually derive from the colors of Saint Nicholas. Over time, the bishops’ red and white robes were replaced by a fur-trimmed suit. Historians

argue that bishops’ robes appeared in many different colors but the red one came to be linked to Santa Claus during the 19th century. Saint Nicholas was drawn throughout history in various forms: thin, intellectual and even frightening. It was Coca-Cola’s adverts that created the image of the rotund, jolly, white-haired man we’re all familiar with today.

Why do we eat turkey on

Christmas Day? Goose, boar and peacock have all been popu-lar Christmas meats over the centuries, but nowadays, turkey reigns supreme as the tradi-tional Christmas Day meal. However turkey, and stuffing are not the norm for the rest of the world; most countries have different classic Christmas meals. The Swedes often eat pickled herring and meat-balls, in Mexico they eat tamales and in Southern Italy they favor fried eel.

What is Advent and where do

Advent calendars come from? The season of Advent is traditionally celebrat-ed by Christians in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. It begins on the Sunday that falls between November 27 and December 3 each year and symbolizes the "coming" of Christ. The Christian message has since evolved into a modern day tradition, when both children and adults count down the days to December 25 with their own Advent calendars. This festive practice originates from Germany, and dates back to the early 19th Century, when German Protestants marked the days of Advent by burning a candle or drawing on walls with chalk. The first handmade, wooden Advent calendar was created in 1851, and by the early 20th century, the first printed Advent calendars had been created. Gerhard Lang later added small doors to the Advent calendars in the 1920s, while short

Bible verses and traditional pictures were add-ed behind the doors in the 1930s. Advent calendars later disappeared for a short period, due to the rationing of cardboard and a calendar printing ban imposed by the Nazis, but made a return when Richard Sellmar of Stuttgart obtained a permit from the US to begin printing them again. By the late 1950s, Chocolate Advent calendars were popular and nowadays, the cardboard Christmas countdowns contain a variety of treats, including beauty products, children's toys, and even cheese.

Why do we kiss under

mistletoe? Its original usage was far from romantic: the parasitic plant was viewed by ancient cultures as a cure for ailments such as menstrual cramps and spleen disorders. Eating the berries actually causes vomiting and stomach pain because they contain toxic substances. Druids viewed it as a symbol of life as it grew even during the winter. It was consumed to increase fertility and used to decorate houses during winter and summer solstices. In Norse mythology mistletoe has connotations of love and friendship. It is unclear exactly where the link between Christmas and mistletoe arose, however. By the 18th century the practice of hanging mistletoe at Christmas began in Britain. It was bad luck if you refused to kiss someone under the mistletoe.

Why do we send

Christmas cards? In 1843, Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant and educator, and his friend John Callcott Horsley, an artist, Produced the first Christmas card. Horsley's illustration shows three generations of the Cole family raising a toast, and also includes two additional scenes, representing

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 13

the acts of giving. The design was printed on cards, with Cole successfully publishing and selling one thousand copies for a shilling each. The development of printing processes meant Christmas cards grew popular during the Victorian era, with new, distinctive de-signs on sale in stationers and bookshops. In fact, many of the designs that are seen on Christmas cards today, including robins and snow scenes, originate from this period.

Christmas in Germany A big part of the Christmas celebrations in Germany is Advent. Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes. As well as the traditional one made of card that are used in many countries, there are ones made out of a wreath of Fir tree branches with 24 decorated boxes or bags hanging from it. Each box or bag has a little present in it. Another type is called a 'Advent Kranz' and is a ring of fir branches that has four candles on it. This is like the Advent candles that are some-times used in Churches. One candle is lit at the beginning of each week in Advent. Christmas Eve is the main day when Germans exchange presents with their families. Christ-mas Day is called “Erste Feiertag” ('first cele-bration') and the 26th December is known as "Zweite Feiertag” ('second celebration') Germany is well known for its Christmas Markets where all sorts of Christmas foods and decorations are sold. Perhaps the most famous German decorations are glass orna-ments. The glass ornaments were originally hand blown glass and were imported in the USA in 1880s by the Woolworth stores.

Christmas in Mexico In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated from December 12th to January 6th. From December 16th to Christmas Eve, chil-dren often perform the 'Posada' processions or Posadas. Posada is Spanish for Inn or Lodging. There are nine Posadas. These cele-brate the part of the Christmas story where Joseph and Mary looked for somewhere to stay. For the Posadas, the outside of houses are decorated with evergreens, moss and paper lanterns. Nativity scenes, known as the 'nacimiento', are very popular in Mexico. They are often very large, with the figures being life size! Some-times a whole room in a house is used for the nacimiento, although this is less common now. The figures are often made of clay and are traditionally passed down through families. As well as the normal figures of the Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Shepherds and Three Kings, there are often lots of other figures of different

people. The figures can be bought from mar-kets in cities all over Mexico. The baby Jesus is normally added to the scene during the evening of Christmas Eve. The Three Kings are added at Epiphany. In some states in Mexico children expect Santa Claus to come on December 24th. In the south of Mexico children expect presents on January 6th at Epiphany, known as 'el Dia de los Reyes'.

Christmas in Puerto Rico Songs and singing are very popular at Christ-mas time in Puerto Rico. People like to go carol singing, known as Parrandas (also some-times called Asalto or Trulla). Friends gather late in the evening (about 10pm) and visit dif-ferent houses. People are meant to be sur-prised and woken up by the music and singing of the 'parranderos' (those taking part in the 'parranda'), although most people have 'arranged' that they will be visited; because the custom is that when you've been 'woken up' you have to join in the parranda so it grows during the evening as more party goers join in! The fun can last all night, finishing at dawn! Puerto Rican homes are decorated with greenery, often with branches from palm trees as well as Christmas decorations similar to those in the USA like Christmas Trees (normally artificial). Nativity Scenes 'nacimientos'or 'pesebres' are also popular. The figures of the Three Kings are very im-portant. People also like to wear a traditional straw hat called a 'pava' at Christmas celebrations. Epiphany is also a popular celebration in Puerto Rico. Epiphany Eve on the 5th of January is called 'Víspera de Reyes'. Tradition-al Catholics go to church to pray the rosary to honor the Three Wisemen/Kings. Children also hope that they be left gifts by the Wisemen and leave fresh grass in shoeboxes under their beds for the King's camels to eat. Epiphany on the 6th January is called 'Día de Reyes' (Day of the Kings). Children wake up early to check out what the Kings have left them! On the 6th, 7th and 8th people also remember the three Wisemen/Kings: 6th = Gaspar; 7th = Melchor; 8th = Baltazar. Tradi-tionally after Epiphany and starting on the 9th were the Octavas and Octavitas. There are special services honouring Jesus and the Kings/Wisemen. They last eight days each - so another sixteen days of celebrations!

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 14

Our Wyoming Church’s Memorial Garden, located in a quiet, eastern portion

of our Church’s Campus within the rapidly evolving Memorial Grove, is now

becoming affectionally known as simply ‘The Garden’. During the forthcoming

quiet days of Winter you are welcome to take the time to enter the Garden,

take a seat on one of the conveniently placed benches, and reflect on those

who have gone on before. Take some additional minutes to note the beautifully

inscribed bricks and the heartfelt messages that many of the bricks carry.

When your visit is over and you are in the process of leaving, please remember

that you have the ongoing option of purchasing a modestly priced, perpetual

care brick for a loved one that has been called by God or in honor of someone

who continues to play a vital role in your life. Request forms for bricks are to

be found in the Garden Model display next to the Welcome Desk in the Church’s

Narthex. Should you ever have any questions relative to the Garden please do

not hesitate to contact Terry Higgins at 492-3354 or Dave Yencer at 222-2252.

Enjoying The Quiet Winter Solitude Of The Memorial Garden!

“Come to me, all you

who are weary and burdened, and I will give you

rest.”

Matthew 11:28

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 15

ASL Class joins

Operation Christmas

Child for this year’s

final box packing

before shipping!

What can you do with an old shoebox?

Share the warmth and joy of Christmas

with those who might otherwise have

nothing special to celebrate the

holiday.

Operation Christmas Child is a

project of Samaritan's Purse, an inter-

national relief organization. ... Since

1993, Operation Christmas

Child has delivered gift-filled shoe-

boxes to over 168 million children in

more than 100 countries.

The world's largest Christmas

project of its kind, Operation

Christmas Child, uses gift-filled

shoeboxes to demonstrate God's love

in a tangible way to children in need

around the world.

Because of the generosity of donors

across the United States, Operation

Christmas Child, a project of

Samaritan's Purse, collected more than

8.8 million shoeboxes in 2018.

Special thanks to the Valladares family

for their hard work and year-round

dedication to Operation Christmas

Child, and for inviting the ESL class,

earlier in November, and the ASL

class to pack boxes and share in this

ministry.

By the way… ASL American Sign Language is taught at

Wyoming Church every Monday night from 6 to 8 PM.

$2.00 per class,

pay as you attend.

Join us in Room 223

as a beginner or

advanced student

any time!

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 16

At the dawn of the new year we have thankfulness in our hearts for what has already passed and are filled with hope for what is to come!

Thank God for this gift too wonderful

for words! 2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 17

Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, praise his name;

proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Psalm 96: 1-3

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 18

A Warm Wintery Wyoming Welcome! Our Wyoming Church has a well earned reputation of being a welcoming, accepting and friendly congregation of

Christian Brothers and Sisters. The Wyoming welcome begins when folks enter the Church via the North, South

or Narthex doors to gather in the Narthex prior to the Sunday Morning Services. The welcoming continues

with the “Stand And Greet” at the beginning of each of our three services and, in many cases, continues again

in the Narthex after each Service. As we enjoy the forthcoming late Fall and early Winter lets take every

opportunity to meet and greet as many folks as we can --- no matter where we are or who we meet. It is

very helpful, especially for first time visitors and newer members of our congregation, if we could get in the

habit of wearing our name tags. You say you don’t have a name tag! That small item is quickly remedied –

just see the folks at the Welcome Desk that is located in the Narthex and they will prepare one for you!

Thank You!

One of the first set of comments that

the greeters and welcome desk

attendants hear from visitors and those

returning folks that have been absent for

a period of time is how nice the church

campus and the interior of our Wyoming

Church looks. The consistently, profes-

sionally cared for Church grounds and

the well maintained church interior com-

bine to create a most welcome

venue for all who attend. A goodly

portion of the credit for how nice our

Wyoming Church interior looks goes

to our janitorial staff.

In addition to the members of our

janitorial staff you will find that there

are dozens of dedicated volunteers that,

over a period of a year, spend hundreds

of hours on maintaining the grounds of

the church campus as well as our church

interior. One such dedicated group are

the green season mowers. You may

recall Judy Field’s excellent article in

the September Issue of the Wyoming

Messenger in which she detailed the

challenging weather conditions of stress-

ful heat and humidity that these dedicat-

ed volunteers endured during one of the

hottest Summers on record. Year after

year Warren and Judy Field schedule and

coordinate the mowers. In her article

Judy was kind enough to list the names of

this year’s mowers. The writer feels that

now that this year’s green season has

come to a close it is worth while men-

tioning those great volunteers again ---

Scott Bittner, Harry Eastwick, Eddie

Eichholz, Warren Field, Rich Harper,

Ed Krieger, Stan Leczner, Bill McMahan,

Dwight Meyer, Bill Parkhill, Ernie Piazza,

Carl Ravilious, Frank Roberts, Tim

Shepperson and Dave Yencer.

For a number of years our church

campus grounds have hosted a Spring

And Fall ‘Weed And Feed’ Event, in

which we invite our Wyoming brothers

and sisters to join together in weeding,

trimming, edging, shearing, blowing and

mulching the growing number of land-

scaping beds and plantings that are to be

found on the grounds. This Fall’s ‘Weed

And Feed’ was joined by a companion

event, co-chaired by Sharon Duncan and

Renate Purdy, whose objective was to

clean specific areas of the Church interi-

or. Thus on Saturday morning, October

the 26th, a number of folks arrived at our

beloved Wyoming Church with a single

goal in mind, that of making our Wyo-

ming Church look its best both inside

and outside. The ‘Inside Crew’ consisted

of Dot Adams, Betty Brown, Sharon

Duncan, Betsy Freidel, Elizabeth Fox,

Renate Purdy and Alicia Sumpter. The

‘Outside Crew’ included Harry Eastwick,

Eddie Eichholz, Wayne Davis, Bernice

Ericson, Warren Field, Dottie Harper,

Rich Harper, Jim Klecan, Cort Massey,

Bill Parkhill, Barbara Pettyjohn, Frank

Roberts, Tim Shepperson, Dawn Melson-

Williams, Jeff Williams, Nathan Williams,

Dave Yencer and Terry Higgins. And

least but not last Jeff Hastings volun-

teered to help Terry Higgins with several

smaller projects throughout the green

season.

At the conclusion of our ‘Weed And

Feed’ events, Sexton Kitchen Team chef

Shelby Truitt, assisted by chef Tina

Klecan, prepared and served a hearty,

delicious luncheon to all those who so

graciously volunteered their time and

energy. Now that the church grounds

‘have been put to bed’, preliminary

planning has begun for the 2020 Spring

‘Weed And Feed’ --- which will probably

be here quicker than we think!

Should you have any questions relative

to our church grounds please do not

hesitate to see or contact Terry Higgins

at [email protected] or

(302) 363-5823.

...or: Mow, Clean, Weed And Feed!

By Terry Higgins

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 19

Remembering Others at

Christmas….

Our Giving Tree will be up and decorated with

many, many tags for children in need on Sun-

day, December 1st. Won’t you take a minute

and look at the tags and take as many as you

want!! We have lots of families this year so

there is plenty from which to choose!

Tags will be on the tree for two Sundays,

December 1st and December 8th. Gifts must

be returned by Sunday, December 15th!

Please do not wrap your gifts but make

sure they are in a box suitable for

wrapping or in a gift bag.

Please purchase ONLY what is on the

tag. It is tempting to get more

than is on the tag, but remember

there are other siblings in the fami-

ly and we try and keep it equal.

If you choose a “one-child” family, and

would like to purchase all the gifts

for that child, just look for (4) tags

with the same color or pattern.

If you are interested in adopting a

whole family, please let me know

ASAGP.

All are welcome to come to our

wrapping party on Tuesday,

December 17th. We have a

great time and refreshments

will be served!!

The Giving Tree has become a

time-honored Christmas tradition at

WUMC and we all look forward to

making Christmas morning a delight for

those less fortunate!!

Blessings,

Judy Field (302) 284-4059

The Kent Ecumenical Food Bank’s food collection on November 8 and 9 was a huge success! At the Camden Redner’s store,

we collected 25 carts of groceries, many Redner’s receipts (to collect funds for the effort) and some cash for turkeys. We worked with volunteers

from Camden Whatcoat UMC. This entire effort is a wonderful way to work together. Many, many thanks to all who helped! All food goes to local families who need emergency food. At least 4,000 individuals received food in 2019 so far. In the name of Christ, this is a terrific program to help our neighbors!

What is UMCOR?

UMCOR is the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the global humanitarian aid organization of the United Methodist Church.

UMCOR is working in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the United States. Our mission, grounded in the teachings of

Jesus, is to alleviate human suffering - whether caused by war, conflict or natural disaster, with open hearts and minds to all people.

UMCOR responds to natural or civil disasters that are interruptions of such magnitude that they overwhelm a community's ability

to recover on its own. UMCOR works through programs that address hunger, poverty, sustainable agriculture, international and

domestic emergencies, refugee and immigrant concerns, global health issues, and transitional development.

They are currently having a year-end fund drive, “Give LOVE, JOY, HOPE,

PEACE” to solicit contributions. If you are led to contribute, you may go online

to: https://www.umcmission.org/umcor OR contribute through Wyoming

Church, marking UMCOR contribution on your envelope.

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 20

Christmas, 1969

We took to the hills on December 24, 1969 per orders from the 1st Marine Division rear in Da Nang. So, a short respite from the war was in store and we gratefully trekked up Hill 218 in the dreadful Que Son Valley to rest and celebrate. No patrols, LP’s (listening posts), or night ambushes for the thirty eight United States Marines in the 3rd platoon of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment; no, a Christmas cease fire was ordered. The grunts (riflemen) of E 2/7 had been in the bush since early September and, because of the numer-ous encounters and ensuing fire fights with VC guerillas and NVA regulars in that time frame, we all were relieved to take to the high ground for the holiday. As dusk descended, we were situated as our hooches (two man tents) were constructed, fighting holes were prepared, and dinners (well, C-rations actually) were cooked with the plastic ex-plosive C-4 and consumed. Night watch schedules were established where we’d sleep for 2 hours and be on guard for 1 hour. An interrupted four to six hours of sleep (with one eye open and both ears on full alert) was the norm in the bush.

On Christmas morning, we all were in a pretty good mood as a chopper thudded onto our hill top and mail bags were dropped off along with SP’s (cigarettes, candy, etc), ammunition, a Chap-lain and, of all people, a barber. We curiously looked at the barber as if he was a bug or some-thing; no way was he getting to shave our Fu Man-chus or cut into our Mohawks. He stated for the record that every Marine will get their hair cut per CG (commanding general) orders but I gave the guy a lot of credit for correctly interpreting our cold steely glare to mean that hair cutting just wasn’t going to happen. Yeah, we disobeyed orders but what were they going to do, send us to Viet Nam? We made an altar out of cases of C-rats for the Chaplain to conduct his Christmas service. Half of us attended the service while the other half stood guard along the CP (command post) perimeter and then we stood guard so our brothers could attend the second service. Last years Christmas service which I attended was in the warm confines of St. Helena’s Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Now, literally half way around the world in the Land That God Forgot, the Christmas message was again spoken.

Now, despite a cease fire being in place, there was enemy movement in the tree lines and rice paddies below. This activity was carefully watched and the grid coordinate information was passed on to the platoon commander, a young lieutenant, who forwarded that info to FSB (fire support base) Ross and LZ (landing zone) Baldy. The Christmas cease fire actually gave the Viet Cong an opportunity to set booby traps, regroup, and set up future ambush sights as we would eventually have to come back down into the wretched Que Son Valley and resume combat operations. But that would be tomorrow; Christmas would be observed and enjoyed today.

My new family on this Christmas day

consisted of men (average of 19 years old) from the farm lands, mountains, and cities of the U.S., a Sergio Mendez look alike from Puerto Rico, a guy named Ed Q from Guam, and a Cajun named Frenchy from the Louisiana bayous. The only commonality here was that we were United States Marines, a brotherhood forged from the heat and pressure of combat and made only stronger by the sweat and blood we shed. Can’t explain it; just believe it. When we say “Semper Fi”, we mean it. After worship services, we opened our mail and shared cookies, candy canes, and a rum soaked fruit cake. Guys kind of moved away toward their fighting holes to read letters and cards from their mothers, girlfriends, and wives. I had an envelope with thirty little Christmas cards made by Sister Marie Julia’s third grade class at St. Helena’s School where I had attended. Two of those chil-dren lived on my block in Edgemoor Gardens. Thoughts of home, the Christmas ritual of putting up the tree, and last minute shopping now began to surface. And we were still monitoring the enemy movement and activity in the valley below.

Around 1400 I borrowed a transistor radio from PFC Cruz in the second squad for a pack of Pall Malls. Bob Hope and the USO Christ-mas show was being aired on AFVN radio live from one of the bases in country. Connie Stevens, the Gold Diggers from the Dean Martin Show, 1969 Miss World Eve Staier, Neil Armstrong (5 months removed from his historical moon walk), and Les Brown and His Band of Renown highlighted the program. Dancers, singers, and comedians spiced up the show but Bob Hope, golf club in hand, was always the star as he cracked jokes about the military that was specific to the base they were currently on and also happenings in the states. “Here we are in Bien Hoa, that’s Vietnamese for duck!”, or “…the Crickets, the Beatles, at least it answers the question where our new talent is coming from…under the kitchen sink”. And for the anti-war protesters “…and how about the new draft lottery, last week 17 students burned their birth certificates”. Bob quipped “The Marines have a great history…they’ve landed on more beaches than Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello!” And “Everything’s going up back home: prices, gas, and mini-skirts, even some guys are wearing them. Don’t laugh, if you’d thought about it, you wouldn’t be HERE!” During the show, another chopper arrived from 7th Marine Regiment rear with our Christmas dinner and what a banquet it was! Our meals in the bush were always C-rations that had the con-sistency of Alpo and tasted probably not much better. But today, hot turkey, roast beef, real mashed potatoes, all the fixings, pumpkin pies, nuts, hard candy…it was the best meal I had in over four months. On the flyer accompanying the meal was the CG’s Christmas Day

Message that began “Today throughout the world, Christians celebrate the birth of Christ. For all men, regardless of faith, this is a period of peace and good will toward their fellow man”. Because of destructive forces currently in America, I wonder if that statement is permitted today.

No Santa Claus or Snowman sweaters were seen that day, our Christmas attire was flak jacket, helmet, jungle boots, and the same utility shirt and trousers we’d worn since September when we arrived in country. We ate our meal in shifts. Diners chatted among themselves as plastic sporks tore into the government issued feast while the other half of the platoon stood guard and kept a vigilant eye on activity below Hill 218. After the repast, I and others relieved our brothers of guard duty so they too could enjoy Christmas dinner. While sitting on the edge of my fighting hole, a lonely feeling began to permeate as the USO show was winding down. As always, they would sing Silent Night at the conclusion of festivities and that was when emotions just overtook me. With visions of Mary’s and Joseph’s tears of joy dripping on to the tenderly caressed baby Jesus, a tear or two of sadness splashed on the automatic M-16 assault weapon cradled in my arms. The irony was ines-capable.

Shortly thereafter, explosions in the valley below brought me back to reality. Artillery shells were exploding below and puncturing the landscape by tearing trees out of the ground. The relentless deafening barrage was in response to the enemy activity we had relayed to the regimen-tal rear throughout the day. The areas where ene-my movement was spotted were being prepped with howitzer rounds for our descent from Hill 218 on the 26th and, as the bombardment continued, the PRC 25 field radio hissed and crackled the following message: “It is 1800 hours, Christmas is secured”.

From BJ and me, may you have a peaceful and blessed

Christmas Day surrounded by those you love.

Dave Van Kavelaar

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 21

Teaming up to

Cheer up!

For many years, Mrs. Margaret Bryan

would send out handcrafted cards to

individuals in our church family for

Christmas and Easter, as well as

beautiful cards with get-well wishes

and congratulations, wishes of

encouragement and condolences.

‘Old-to-new’ master crafter and card

maker, Mrs. Bernice Ericson would

provide those beautiful greeting

cards on Margaret’s custom request.

While Bernice keeps hand-crafting delight-

ful cards for any occasion - have you

checked out the Christmas collection yet?

Margaret’s eyesight has been sadly deterio-

rating, and so, if with a heavy heart, she’s

looking for someone else to take over this

ministry. Ideally, you would be a member

of the WUMC prayer chain to find out

about the joys and sorrows of our church

family members and then send greetings

accordingly.

Please call Margaret

at (302) 697-6699 or

Renate at the office

at (302) 697-8400 -

we’ll be happy to answer your

questions.

If you’d like to join Bernice in

transforming old greeting cards

into new ones - all on your own

time at home - please give her a

call at (302) 678-0589

The very dedicated folks that volunteer on

Sunday mornings for a few minutes prior

to the Service that they attend play a vitally

important role in the life of our Wyoming

Church. Each of the three Sunday Morning

Services has a person that coordinates

their respective Greeter Schedule ---

Barbara Shepperson for the 8:30 AM,

Gail Vella for the 9:45 AM and

Terry Higgins for 11:00 AM services.

While the Greeter Schedules for each of

the three Sunday Services vary relative as

to when they commence and end (for

example the forthcoming Greeter Schedule

for the 11:00 AM Service runs from

January through June of 2020) the result is

the same ---- the Greeters are usually the

first folks that a first time attendee meets

when they enter our Wyoming Church.

We can not overestimate the importance

of that first contact! In fact, for many first

time attendees, that first contact usually

determines whether or not they feel

comfortable in returning.

So what do I have to do to find out more

about what a Sunday Morning Greeter does? As in all things in life, you will most

likely first pray for God’s discernment and

direction in the matter. Then, If you feel

so led, make it a point to talk to one of

the above named Greeter Coordinators.

Basically a Sunday Morning Greeter extends a warm smile, a sincere welcome

and in most cases a polite handshake to

all whom they encounter.

To that end, Terry Higgins, the Greeter Coordinator for the 11:00 AM Service, is

now preparing the January through June

2020 Greeter Schedule and now invites all

those who are interested in finding out

more about being a Greeter to talk with

him. Being a Greeter is simple, effortless,

gratifying and very important. FOR THE

11:00 AM SERVICE, GREETERS WILL

SERVE A 15 MINUTE AMOUNT OF

TIME PRIOR TO THE SEERVICE

IN THE NARTHEX ONCE A

MONTH FROM JANUARY

THROUGH JUNE. If, after talking with

Terry Higgins you would like to ‘give it a

try’, you will be joining a dedicated,

welcoming and supportive team that

plays a very important role in the life of

our Wyoming Church. As the forth-

coming Greeter Schedule is being con-

structed, YOU WILL HAVE THE

OPPORTUNITIY TO SELECT

THE DAY OF THE MONTH

THAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE

TO SERVE. It would be most helpful

to have all of the new and returning

Greeter requests returned to me by

December the 15th of this year. This

return date would enable me to prepare

and distribute the new January/June

Schedule.

Should you have any questions,

contact can be achieved at

[email protected] or

(302) 492-3354 (Voice Mail) or

(302) 363-5823 (Cell).

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 22

Mark Wednesday, December 4 and Thursday, January 2 on your calendar.

Adult Fellowship has dinner meetings that night beginning at 6 PM. The December dinner

will feature ham, with all of the trimmings. Plan to join us for wonderful food, but more

importantly, the Christin fellowship that is enjoyed by all attending. Bring your friends

and neighbors as you do not have to be a church member to participate.

Information/Questions --- George Pettyjohn 736-1236.

Men, mark your calendar for another ‘not-to-be-missed’ event! On Saturday,

December the 30th, you will have an opportunity to gather in the ‘Backroom’ at Hall’s

Restaurant for the monthly Men’s Prayer Breakfast from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM. Follow-

ing Terry’s ‘Mini Message’ of “Prayers For The New Year” we will order from the menu

to enjoy great cooked-to-order food and even greater table fellowship. If you have

never attended before you will find that you will be warmly welcomed ‘like a long lost

brother’! You will find yourself in the midst of Christian Brothers who collectively

create a relaxed, informal and friendly venue. Please note: NO MEN’S BREAKFAST IN

JANUARY as the date coincides with our MEN’S RETREAT (see Page 10).

Josh Turner (302) 678-9818.

DINNER & A SHOW

February 19 Spaghetti Dinner &

Tucker Brothers Gospel

Blue Grass Band!

Mark your 2020 calendars now

for Wednesday, February

the 19th, 2020 in the Family

Life Center. Doors will

open at 5:30 PM with

dinner at 6:00 PM,

followed by the

Tucker Brothers Band

Concert at 7:00 PM.

Tickets are priced at

$10.00 for adults pre-event

($12.00 at the door); $5.00 for

children ages 4 to 11 pre-event

($6.00 at the door); with children less

than 4 years of age complimentary.

Ticket sales are limited to 200 pre-event,

numbered and name-registered 2-part

tickets, which will be on sale in

the Narthex beginning on

Sunday, January the 5th,

2020. Your ticket

number will make

you eligible for one

of

several

anonymously

donated door

prizes that will

be awarded at the

conclusion of the

concert.

The chefs of the Sexton Kitchen Team

will prepare their excellent signature

Spaghetti meat and meatless sauce,

perfect pasta, fresh garden salad, oven-

warmed breads, beverage and

dessert for your enjoyment.

You and those in your party

will be served at one of

two rapid serving lines

to ensure that your

dinner is presented to

you at the peak of its

perfection.

Please park in the South

Parking Lot. You will

receive a printed program

at the entrance of the Family Life

Center. For any questions, see or call

George Pettyjohn at (302) 222-3008.

All proceeds from all of the SKT events

are donated to various community out-

reach projects including, but not limited

to, Summer Camp Camperships, Vaca-

tion Bible School, College Scholarships,

and Mission activities.

Soup Days : December 11 & January 8 from 11:30AM to

1PM for your choice of Chili, Cream of Potato or Ham & Bean Soup (in December).

A bowl of soup, bread, beverage, and dessert all for $4. Bring a friend or many for a lunch

we are sure you will enjoy. Proceeds from Soup Day go to Outreach programs.

As always, we will have our WUMC Bake Table with sweets for you to purchase

and enjoy. Proceeds from the Bake Table go to our mortgage debt reduction. Anyone

interested in donating homemade baked items may bring them in on Tuesday (soup prep

day) or Wednesday morning before Soup Day Lunch starts.

www.wyomingumc.com THE WYOMING MESSENGER 12/2019 & 1/2020 Page 23

~ Our People ~

~ Birth ~

Ensley Alexis Ann

Briddell was born

to Heather Kelly &

Justin Briddell

on November 3,

2019. Congratulations

also to proud great-

grandmom Peggy

Mosher!

Kenneth H. Yearick,

the father of Lyndon Yearick,

on October 19, 2019.

Don Kirk

on November 19, 2019.

~ Deaths ~

12/27 Brock Nelson, Lily Wagner 12/28 Christopher Jones, Ed Krieger,

Silvana Nasim, Wanda Spiering 12/30 Dave Kleinot, John Aaron Kling,

Jennifer DeVore, Morgan Rigby 12/31 Dawn Miller 1/1 Jan Fasulo, Kim Bryan,

Viviane Salib Gourgy 1/3 Michael DiNuova 1/4 Declan Baylis, Sue Rigby 1/5 Natalia Marlow

1/6 Kelci Pannell, Ernie Piazza

1/7 Chris Cattie, Christine Dean

1/8 Deedee Duncan, Ron McLain 1/9 Emily Schultz 1/10 Dawn Melson-Williams 1/12 Diane Metsch 1/14 R.B. Downing 1/15 Julie Eaby 1/16 Ian Fox, Brayden Whitenight 1/19 Brenda Bittner, Wes Faircloth 1/20 Jamie Ahl Ditty, Jeff Carlin,

Karen deBloois, Zachary Hosmer, Carl Ravilious, Vonnie Williams

1/21 Tina Klecan, Francis Nichols, Greg Williams

1/22 Kirsten Higgins

12/01 Pat Brown, Noelle Robinson, Bill Rhodes, Theresa McGee, Sandy Rhodes

12/02 Joel Brosius 12/03 Betsy Freidel, Kathy Delong, Darlene Seip 12/04 Doug DeGraves, Jack Freidel,

Stephanie Nichols 12/05 Lois Seyler 12/06 Bill McMahan 12/07 Amelia Houtz. Danielle Malone 12/08 Louise Berry, Carole Pearce 12/09 Nancy Rubino, Stan Leczner 12/10 Warren Field, Linda Holderbaum,

Dave Watson, 12/11 Scott Bittner 12/12 Taylor Klecan, Jazmin Tinsley, Brenda Will 12/13 John Stuart, Jennifer Forbes 12/14 Bert Riley, Vera Kundler 12/15 Katlin Cooper, Gary Pippin, Barbara Shaw 12/16 Emily Carlin, Ruth Ann Mitchell, Mia Ritchey 12/17 Lyndsey Collison, Frank Roberts 12/18 Arlene Matulonis, Sue Willson 12/19 Debra Petro 12/21 Marlene Loomis 12/22 Emme Gebhart 12/23 Madelyn Flaherty, Kenny Harris,

Barb Shepperson 12/25 Sue Hajec, Lynn Ditty 12/26 Hannah Nelson

~ December & January Birthdays ~

1/23 Lisa Short 1/24 James Miller, James Schweppe 1/25 Nikole Moore 1/26 Jenn Boyer, Marilyn Massey 1/27 Liam Piazza 1/28 Dotty Baker, Marie Henriques,

Kyle Hodges 1/29 Brad Whitenight, Dawn Cox 1/30 Hugh Shaw 1/31 Colin Ritchey, Becky Minor, Lilian Yates 2/1 Todd Mahrenholz, Rick Sharpe,

Pete Thompson 2/2 Chuck Muldrow

2/3 Doug Ditty, Amy Higgins, Dave Hill, Brett Krout

2/4 Ezra Delgado, Aiden Flaherty 2/6 Judy Field, Aurora Hamblin

2/7 Norma Bennett

~ Baptism ~

Bryn Ailani Bashista was baptized on

November 3, 2019. In the photo:

Bryn with parents Brian & Laura Bashista,

big brother Collin Chesley,

big sisters Madison and Baylee.

Caroline Parker Sunderman

(pictured with big sister Kelsey Orna)

was born to Alison & Jonathan Sunder-

man (of Monrovia, MD) on October 30,

2019. Congratulations also to proud

grand-parents Marilyn & Cort Massey!

216 Wyoming Mill Road, Dover, DE 19904

Phone: 302-697-8400 Fax: 302-697-8470

E-mail: [email protected]

www.WyomingUMC.com

Office Hours:

Monday thru Thursday 9AM to 3PM

To: You!

For many, our CIA group (Couples In

Action) is viewed as a group for

“young people.” We’d like to shed

that association as we strive to make

our group open to any interested

married couple.

When we started this group, our aim

was really to “nurture marriages

through fun and fellowship.” We’ve

built friendships that have seen each other

through many ups and downs, and we’ve en-

couraged each other in our relationships just

by spending time with each other as couples.

What an awesome thing to walk beside each

other and even have couples in many stages of

marriages coming together! SO, please, if you

and your spouse are interested in coming to

any of our events, just come and know you’ll

be welcomed!!

upcoming C.I.A. events:

Sunday, December 15:

10nth Annual Family Caroling -meet at

church at 4 pm (this is for the entire family)

Saturday, January 11 - 5 pm:

Couples Pizza and Game Night…

FLC at our church… we’ll order pizzas and

have some friendly competition!

Friday, February 7 - 6 pm:

Couples Date Night at Vincenzo’s (new location-1035 Forrest Avenue, Dover)

*Childcare is not provided for these events. However, if you need help arranging childcare,

please call Janna at (570) 441-1278 or email

[email protected].

Worship News:

Sunday, December 22 - 9:45 AM combined worship &

Christmas Musical (page 7)

Christmas Eve - December 24

6:30 PM Candlelight Family Worship 8:30 PM Handbell Concert & Prelude 9:00 PM Candlelight Worship

...and after Christmas: Sunday, December 29 - 9:45 combined worship -

no Sunday School