2011 - pocono lake united methodist church messenger december 2011.pdf · family members,...
TRANSCRIPT
The Messenger December - 2011 I joined my clergy colleagues Stan Menkin (Mt. Pocono UMC) and Joe Healey
(Blakeslee UMC) for a lunch meeting recently with two Methodist pastors from
Russia. This event was arranged to explore how our churches in the Poconos
could support the Russian Church Initiative, an on-going program that has given
missional support to the church in Russia.
What a blessing we received. I was close to tears as Valeri Patkevitch gave his testimony of his
conversion to Christianity as well as an account of the hardships which he faces in doing
ministry. Yet in the midst of the mostly sombre story he told of his joy in witnessing to his
father, a man with deep loyalties to communism, and of his absolute delight in leading his father
to encounter with Jesus Christ and to officiate at his father's baptism.
The Methodist church in Russia is struggling and needs the help of the worldwide Methodist
communion. We, the clergy of five churches here in the Poconos, are to meet early in January to
decide on some way in which we can give some support to our brothers and sisters in Russia.
Please look out for further information and plan to support this effort as best as you can.
On a more personal note, having listened to Valeri's story, I came away from our lunch meeting
with a few thoughts and reminders. For starters, it made me think that I, and you, have much to
be thankful for. While others have little or nothing, we often take God's blessings with little
thanks. We have so much to be thankful for!
Then I thought of how Valeri seemed so serene as he described the daily challenges of doing
ministry in Russia - uncertainty of salary support and pension benefits, political scrutiny, etc.
The logical question is: How does he survive in such an environment? The only answer that
explains how struggling, persecuted Christians all over the world venture forward in the face of
adversity, is best expressed by the Apostle Paul:
You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered
by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows
what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown
down, but we haven't been broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us - trial and torture,
mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us - he lives!
(2 Corinthians 4:7-8 - The Message)
The above, especially the last eleven words, is a reminder that we are on call 24/7 as Christ's
witnesses. What we say and do in the sanctuary on Sundays, matter. But what we say, and think,
and do between Sundays at the supermarket, or bank, or club meeting, or in interactions with
family members, neighbors, and strangers ... is so, so, crucial. Think about it!
We are half-way through the Advent season. I pray you have been taking time to reflect on the
Advent sermon series: God Comes to Us. But let us also find time to reach out to the lonely and
the unloved; the least and the lowest among us. Make sure also to invite a friend or family
member to worship during Advent and to our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
Finally, Claudia and Sheriece join me in sending you and yours our love and best wishes for
Christmas. This is what we ask for ourselves and for you:
O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel. Pastor John.
Share Your Good News & Special Thanks
Children’s Bell Choir
Greetings Ringers! After our glorious Thanksgiving Bell Choir performance (!), special thank you’s to each and all and especially to Mrs. Bisbing- who directed us so perfectly! Do go out to our church website to check out the performance! We will begin to practice this Sunday after church from 11:15 – 11:30 for our Advent Bell Choir offering “Go Tell It On the Mountain”. Please join us, and bring friends. We have another box of bells to play that haven’t even been opened yet! We are considering the following two dates for our Bell Choir Advent performance and need to know your availability and/or preference:
- Sunday, December 18 during worship - Saturday, December 24 during Christmas Eve
evening worship Please let us know your performance date preference. Thanks again for your support of this important part of our PLUMC ministry of music. Holiday Blessings, Michelle, Judie, and Barbara
Nancy and Anthony DeSantis sold home-made meatball
hoagies at the church after service on a Sunday. Between
the pasta dinner and the sale of the meatball hoagies we
have $362.00 in the hospitality fund towards future
events. Thanks to all who helped to make this possible!
November’s Community
Kids’ Club and was a
movie and popcorn. We
watched “The Wizard of
Ha’s” Vegi-Tales!
( It was about the prodigal son)
A festival of Nine Lessons & Carols
Saturday, December 10th, at 7:00 pm First Presbyterian Church
579 Main Street, Stroudsburg, PA
Presented by the church choir and accompanied by Hill to Hill Brass and Michael Capone, Organist under the direction of Patricia thor Straten Mohr.
A free-will offering will be taken to benefit Monroe County Habitat for Humanity
UMC Choirs Sing Advent Joy
The combined Blakeslee and Pocono Lake choirs will be performing at our church on Sunday afternoon, December 11th at 4:00 p.m. The choir will present the "Tapestry of Light" chorale. Julie Kerrick Geiser, will be directing the choir. Please invite your friends and neighbors to this Advent treat. Admission is free.
Pocono Lake United
Methodist Church invites you to our
Breakfast with Santa
DATE: December 17 VENUE:
Pocono Lake UMC Church
TIME: 9:00 to 11:30 AM
Children and Young Adults are
invited to Breakfast with Santa, Saturday,
December17th. Pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs,
orange juice, tea and coffee (for the parents) will be
served. Digital pictures of Santa and each child will be
taken free of charge and will be sent to your email
address. Santa will have a gift for your child/children
and there will be a short program of Christmas caroling
after breakfast. Parents are invited to stay with the
children for breakfast and enjoy the Christmas carols.
Please respond to the office 570-646-2650 if
your child/children and adults are coming to
this event.
We will be Christmas Caroling on Sunday
evening, December 18th, at 5:15 pm. Every one
is welcome! Come dressed for the weather.
Meet at the church to carpool.
Coat Donations!
“People blessing people” continues in love at
PLUMC! A coat drive of several weeks showed it’s
“fruit of plenty” of 305 coats on November 15th
.
Thanks to a generous outpouring of caring, two
hundred families were touched following the
distribution of the food pantry at Christ the King
Family Center. Remaining coats were donated to
helping the homeless, people released from prison,
and womens’s resources. Many thanks to
participationg churches: Faith Lutheran, Blakeslee
United Methodist, Pocono Lake Wesleyon Methodist,
Salem United Church of Christ, and St. Maximilian
Kolbe. A heartfelt hug of thanks to Pastor John,
Bruce Yerk, Brian, Nancy, Margie, Kay, Amy, Flora,
Cyndee, and all others involved. Polly Yerk and
Mary Blay will be soliciting your help next year.
Polly Yerk & Mary Blay
Special Thanks to our Sponsors
for the Advent Concert
James A. Rinehimer D.D.S. 570-646-6878
Century 21 Select Group 570-646-7584
Pocono Patriots pocono-patriots.com
The Village Squire Restaurant 570-646-3446
Camelback skicamelback.com
Chat n Chew Café 570-646-6632
Pocono Body Wellness Studio 570-643-5308
C. Elaine Smith, PhD (c) 570-839-3097 Ext 209
Phillips Electric 570-643-8840
Yachts for Charter 570-646-3206
Jimmy’s Auto Service 570-646-2583
Lisa Cremia (Lifetouch & Jump Roping)570-581-8164
Don & Joanne Pitzer
Ted Spiryda & Chung Whang
The Singing Boys of Pennsylvania
& The Keystone Girls Choir
Pocono Lake United Methodist Church hosted the Singing Boys of Pennsylvania in an Advent Concert at the church on Sunday, December 4, at 4:00 pm. The highlight of the concert was the presentation of Benjamin Britten’s, A Ceremony of Carols. Written during his month-long voyage across the Atlantic Sea during the second World War, this work by Britten is second only to Handel’s Messiah among the most frequently performed classical choral works. Other works featured in the concert were Carols of Many Lands, arranged by Kalman Halasz for the Texas Boys Choir in 1962, a medley of selections from Rogers and Hammerstein’s ‘The Sound of Music’ and a medley of English Christmas Carols, arranged by Arthur Harris.
PLUMW Helps Church Women United
On December 3rd members of our PLUMW unit
(Flora Tallman, Polly Yerk and Holly Wilgus) went
to a Church Women United luncheon at Mt
Pocono UMC. We were asked to make cloth bags
and fill them with items for a man or a woman.
These bags will be Christmas presents for local
nursing homes. Our unit and church members
made 12 bags for this mission. Thank you to
Barbara Seeman who made most of the bags we
filled.
Janine’s Quilting Circle
Quilters will not be meeting during December
but will start again in January.
Thank you to everyone who has given time to
this mission this past year. We have made about
14 quilts to be given to babies and children in
need.
6 Quilts donated to Angel’s Closet
Shirley Fratta
If you have a Sunday that you would like
to sponsor flowers in honor or memory
of a loved one, please sign up on the
flower chart, place your check for
$30.00 in the collection plate and you
may take your flowers home with you
after the 11 o’clock service.
The PLUMC Knitters
The UMW circles continue to do amazing work, the
Prayer Shawl Knitting Circle and Janine’s Quilting
Circle. Recently, the Knitting Circle has adopted a local
Nursing Home to bring their beautiful prayer shawls to.
Both the recipients of the prayer shawls and the
members in the circle feel blessed and rewarded.
Check the bulletin or call the church office 570-646-
2650 to find out where the next meeting is.
Visitations: Please remember to call the church office
when a friend or family member goes into the hospital.
We have no other way to find out who needs a visit.
You may leave a message at any time of the day or
night. For emergencies, you may call the pastor directly.
Would you like to
volunteer to
handle coffee
hour on Sunday’s
after service, or
volunteer to be
greeters, ushers,
scripture readers
or Lay
Liturgists? The
chart is on the
door to the parlor, if you would like to sign your name as
a volunteer. (Thank You to all our volunteers - from
Elaine at the office)
PRAYER REQUESTS 12/11/11
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6 For their SAFETY ….
Armed forces personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan
Gavin … (John & Claudia’s son) in military training at Fort Benning, Ga.
Rob Veale … (Jim & Kelly’s son) commencing Navy training at Navy Recruit Training Center (Great Lakes)
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good
courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the
LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
(Joshua 1:9)
For PEACE & ASSURANCE OF GOD’S LOVE …
Leslie & Pete Roman (friends of Mary Blay) lost their home in a fire
Reverend Tom Fries (brother is in hospice care in Florida)
Katie Tollinger “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” ( Isaiah
26:3)
For COMMUNITY, NATIONAL & GLOBAL
CONCERNS…
the will and wisdom to address our economic
situation
people living in poverty
“All nations whom thou hast made shall come and
worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy
name.” (Psalm 86:9)
For their HEALING & STRENGTH…
Mildred Booth (Elaine’s sister-in-law)
Marilyn Velzy
Ethelda Burton (Fonda Meekins’ mother) diagnosed with cancer
Laurie Evans (friend of Bob & Ruth Ginn) just completed chemotherapy
Herb Schaefer
Mollie Williams (friends of George & Kathy Bishop) suffered a stroke
Bill Butler
Ella Jean Cline
Jeff Ralston (Flora Tallman’s nephew) recovering from lung surgery
Kyra Kinsey (foot ailment)
Gloria Denton
Samantha Bellino (John & Ann Karlberg’s grand-daughter) – seizures
Dan Hill (Susan Hill’s brother-in-law)
Verna Garwood
Carl Hughes
Kaki Wilcox (Joyce Mullin’s relative)
Ted Suttmeier (Friend of George & Kathy Bishop)
Joyce Mullin
John Carson
Meridith Ashton (Friend of Susan Hill)
Jackie Decker
Muriel Corrado
“The Lord sustains them on their
sickbed and restores them from their
bed of illness.” (Psalm 41:3) For COMFORT IN THEIR BEREAVEMENT…
Lucy Bogaski and family, Lou Fratta and family, Emily
Daly and family, Margaret Clark and family, Robin
Miller and family, the Carson and Hamill families, the
Wilson family, and the Marvin family.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not
as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart
be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
If you have progress updates or additions to the prayer
request, please send them to the church office and to
Gina Jones at [email protected]. Requests for prayer
shawls should be made to the church office Monday to
Friday between
9:00 am and 1:00 pm.
Reminder....................
Don't forget to save your Weis register tapes for a
donation voucher from Weis Markets Inc.
We are collecting canceled stamps for the benefit of The
Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia. Thank you for your
donation of stamps for this mission. You may place your
canceled stamps in the same drawer as the Weiss register
tapes.
Also, save your tabs from soda and can goods, Campbell
soup labels and educational coupons found on some
cereal boxes. Please place your items in the labeled
drawers in the foyer so that we can continue to submit
them from the church.
Please continue each week to bring your food items to
the church for the Top of the Mountain Ecumenical
Food Pantry.
Currently working on the house at:
10 Spruce Street, Mount Pocono
Get Plugged In
Details for all events posted on
www.mchfh.volunteerhub.com
The December Issue of NEWSpirit
is now available online http://www.epaumc.org/sites/default/files/PDF/news/
NEWSpirit/2011/NS2011-December.pdf?
Previous issues of NEWSpirit are also
availableonline:
http://www.epaumc.org/news/newspirit
December
Birthdays
Sue Jackson 2 Carolyn Trumbower 4 Robert Booterbaugh 9 Polly Yerk 10 Marilyn Velzey 16 Jennifer Tolley 19 Danielle Long Knight 21 Sarah Henry 23 Walter Long 26 Mary Hamill 28
December
Anniversaries
Jim & Beth Booterbaugh 14 Bruce & Polly Yerk 19
Dates to Remember
December
5- UMW Meeting 7:00 pm
6 - Trustee Meeting 7:00 pm
7- Bible Study 7:00 pm
13 - Finance Committee 7:00 pm
14- Bible Study 7:00 pm
17- Breakfast with Santa 9 to 11:30 am
21- Bible Study 7:00 pm
24 – Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
28 - Bible Study 7:00 pm
31 - Men's Breakfast at Moyers Country Kitchen
Christmas
Messages
Hello my dear friends in Christ at PLUMC!
I am sending you my wishes for a Merry Christmas and
a healthy and joyous New Year for 2012. My children,
Briana and Harrison, and I sadly need to say goodbye.
However, because we needed to sell our house in Locust
Lake Village, sadly we will no longer be spending
summers in the Poconos. We all have many wonderful
memories of your beautiful church family. We’ll never
forget you all.
God Bless,
Tracy Laderer and Children
Hello Friends,
Merry Christmas from the
office of Pocono Lake
United Methodist Church. I
want to express my thank
you to all the Church Family
and Pastor Smith for your
kindness during this past year. I had
the experience of breaking bones for the first time in my
life this year. Many people from the church offered me
help with rides and food and Pastor Smith did most of
my office work for the whole month of January last year.
Chung Whang made me the most beautiful prayer shawl.
Gloria Denton has taken on the project of folding the
bulletins in the office for me. Sheriece helped me open
mail, and waited on me quite a few weekends this winter
while I was unable to get my socks on by myself! It is so
nice to be a part of something that actually does make a
change in the world. I hope to be able to continue to help
to promote the missions of PLUMC in the next year.
I hope to see you all on Christmas Eve for the
Candlelight Service.
Merry Christmas,
Love, Elaine Jumper
Pocono Lake United Methodist Church
Sunday Services
JOIN US AT 10:00AM
FOR WORSHIP SERVICE
Come worship with us!
Church Email: [email protected]
Phone: (570)646-2650
Fax: (570)646-2650
Address:
1180 Route 940
HC 87 Box 4C
Pocono Lake, Pa. 18347-0200
Resident Bishop, EPC: Bishop Peggy Johnson District Superintendent: Rev. Bronwyn Yocum Pastor: Rev. Dr. John G. Smith Administrative Assistant: Elaine Jumper Organist: Geraldine Patire