December 2019

Dear Friends:

As we continue to prepare for the coming of Christ, I become more and more excited as I hear your stories on how you are preparing differently this year with the Advent Conspiracy! The Reflections Sunday School class shared that they are regifting for their White Elephant gift exchange and collecting canned goods for the Mobile Food Pantry instead of purchasing gifts for one another. Our children are making daily decisions to “be good.” (Remember, like our young Christian did here, to pick up a star to write on it how you are participating in the Advent Conspiracy and hang it on the Advent Conspiracy Tree in the back of the Sanctuary.) One of our congregants brought a friend to worship last Sunday who doesn’t have a church home as part of our Advent Conspiracy Bingo Challenge. Many of you have made special donations to either our Advent Conspiracy offering or one of our other mission projects! (And if you’ve made a donation in someone’s honor and would like a card with information about that project, you can grab a card and an information note at the Advent Conspiracy Table in the back of the Sanctuary!)

This week we continue our Advent Conspiracy Worship series with the challenge to give more! While we were challenged to spend less last week, and giving more seems a little counter to last week’s instructions, the challenge as we seek after the example of Jesus isn’t to give more stuff but to give more of ourselves, to think about what it means for God to come down to earth, giving so much for us, and how we are called to respond. Our scripture lesson is the familiar John 3:16-17 as we consider the greatest gift God has given to us and how we may be called to respond in giving more of ourselves. I hope you’ll join us in worship at 9 or 11 as we continue to conspire together this Advent to prepare for the coming of Christ in a new way!

I also hope you’ll join us Sunday night for Light of the World - our church-wide musical presentation! It will be a glorious celebration as we prepare for the light of the world together! We will be having an offering that night for our Advent Conspiracy, supporting children locally and internationally through our Backpack Ministry which provides meals for 60 children/week during the school year and through our partnership with the Escuela ORM de Educacion Especial (school for children with special needs) in Atitlan, Guatemala.
Let us continue to prepare together!
In Christ,
Pastor Kathleen

COMING EVENTS
December 15 Light of the World Churchwide Musical at 6 pm
December 24 Contemporary Christmas Eve Service at 4 pm; Traditional Christmas Eve Service at 6 pm
December 25 Christmas
December 29 One Service at 10 am (No Sunday School)

ADVENT CONSPIRACY -- Cornerstone UMC will be celebrating Advent Conspiracy during the month of December. The purpose of Advent Conspiracy is two-fold: to make Christmas a meaningful celebration of Christ' birth and to raise money for missions. The committee voted to emphasize two missions during Advent Conspiracy.

The global mission chosen is the mission in Guatemala. A van is badly needed in order for handicapped children to go to school. The backpack ministry was chosen as our local mission of emphasis. You can donate to any mission you choose. 

CHRISTMAS BRUNCH -- Are you looking for a Sunday school class? The Open Door Class would like to invite you to brunch on Sunday, December 15, at 10 a.m. in Education Classroom 224. They are supplying the food, please join them for fellowship! If you have questions, please contact Lesley Bauders.

HELPING NEIGHBORS FOOD PANTRY -- You may contribute food to Helping Neighbors by placing groceries in the cart at the back of the sanctuary.  Holiday Items Requested: Cream of mushroom or chicken soup, stuffing mix, evaporated milk, soup, chili, instant oatmeal

MUSIC MINISTRIES -- Choir Rehearsals are at 6:15 p.m. Wednesdays.  If you are interested in joining the choir, please see Laura [email protected])! This would be a great time to start.

WEATHER -- In case we have inclement weather, always check your e- mail, Facebook, TV, etc. for lists of closings. Pastor Kathleen will make the announcements any time she feels that traveling would be too dangerous for us to attend scheduled events, church services, etc.