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Community Congregational Church

December 2015 Newsletter

Hope, Peace, Joy, Love

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"FEAR NOT!" Most every week I talk to someone who is

afraid or anxious (which is generalized fear).

Maybe you fear what people think of you,

not having enough money, public speaking,

flying, being far from home, spiders, failure,

rejection, losing a loved one, disease, pain,

or even death. I don't know a single person who does not

long for more of God’s peace in the midst of

the stresses and resultant fear in our lives!

How Many “Fear Nots” are There in the

Bible?

Many claim via Facebook that there are 365

“Fear nots” in the Bible, one “Fear not” for

every day of the year — actually, there is

not a version of the Bible that 365 times

says, quote unquote, ”Fear not.” For

instance, the King James Version says

“Fear not” or “Be not afraid” 103 times, but

not 365 times. However, I submit there are

MORE than 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible!

“Fear” is spoken of over 500 times in the

KJV. Expanding the search to look at verses

encouraging us not to worry or not to be

anxious would add many, many more “Fear

not” Scriptures. This is why I say that there

are more than 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible.

The Psalmist often leads us in “Fear not”

prayers. The Psalms are the Bible’s great

instruction book, meant to train us to

respond to all life situations and difficulties

through prayer and trust in the Lord.

One example is Psalm 56. David has been

seized by the Philistines and he starts to

become afraid, but instead he sets his

vision on the Lord in his midst. He praises

God and his word to him: “Fear not!” He

puts his trust in the Lord…

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In

God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I

will not be afraid. What can mortal man do

to me? (Psalm 56:3-4, repeated in similar

words in verses 10-11.)

Which leads me to ask ... What are YOU

afraid of? What fear is trying to take a hold

of you right now? What threat or trouble are

you facing?

Pray with David, “When I am afraid of

_________, I will trust in you, O Lord.”

And if you’re not afraid right now, pray it

anyway! A time of strength is the best time

to pray because then you can “watch and

pray” with Jesus, preparing your heart now

to take refuge in the Lord when temptation

comes in to your life.

You ponder that.

Pastor Wayne

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Normally in this report I list church revenues and expenses. I also include cash account balances. I am not going to do that this month. Rex Sims

asked that I clarify my comments at the October Church Forum regarding the church building. My comments concerned the increasing costs of the maintenance and repairs of the building, along with the annual cost of the mortgage and running the church. These costs in 2015 will probably exceed the amount of tithes and offerings received. Lastly, everything written here are my thoughts and not those of others, especially church leadership. We do not have to sell our building at this moment in time. However, we cannot continue to spend 100% or more of our tithes and offerings on the building. We need to start the discussion that the building is a problem. We need to be honest with each other and admit that our church is failing. A church that spends all of its tithes and offerings given by its members on a building fails to be a church. We are not being good stewards with these gifts. Heather Simco forwarded to the Council an article by Thom Rainer called, “Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 11 Things I Learned”. Thom Rainer is President of Lifeway Christian Resources. He is an author, church consultant, and was the Founding Dean of The Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. Let me list the 11 items in describing what happened the ten years leading up to the church in the article closing.

1. The Church refused to look like the community. 2. The Church had no community-focused ministries. 3. Members became more focused on the past. 4. The percentage of the budget for members’ needs kept rising. 5. There were no evangelistic emphases. 6. The members had more and more arguments about what they wanted. 7. Pastoral tenure grew shorter and shorter. 8. Church rarely prayed together. 9. Church had no clarity as to why it existed. 10. Members idolized another era. 11. The facilities continued to deteriorate.

How many of the items listed could describe our church? All of them? Jesus in the Great Commission tells us to go and make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are to teach them to obey all the commands he has given us. Jesus does not say anything about a building being the key to fulfilling the Great Commission. Justin Hanneken a few weeks ago in a sermon told us that what is in our hearts is what is important to God not the venue. How many Pastors have to leave? How many more arguments do we have to have among our membership? How much more of our gifts and resources do we have to spend on the building instead of Ministries or Missions? Community is in our name. Selling the building gives us the flexibility and resources to reach the unchurched in our community and to fulfill the Great Commission.

Treasurer’s Report

Doug Deavers

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REASON for the SEASON Religious leaders share meaning behind popular

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” song

Where’d those other 11 days go? For most

people who celebrate Christmas, it’s the most

wonderful time of the year, right? But when exactly

does that time as a spiritual season begin, especially the 12 days of the ever popular and winsome song?

On the first day of Christmas, after “my true love

came to me,” it seems that the other 11 days have

been stolen by the Grinch and many people are

content to forget all about those three French hens, eight milking maidens and that partridge in a pear

tree.

Father Allison, of St. Mary’s Episcopal

Church in Bonita Springs, believes the melodious

Christmas carol was not written for the church; he

believes that is simply a myth. Father Ruggiero, San Marco Catholic Church

and other spiritual leaders, believes that, in some

sense, society at large has lost its value of lingering.

He believes that the true spirit of Christmas may be

lost and adds that he encourages people of whatever faith and spiritual traditions to keep Christmas

“alive” for the days following Dec. 25 through Jan. 6,

which is the eve of epiphany.

In the Hispanic Catholic culture, Jan. 6 is

widely celebrated as the Day of the Three Kings, or

just the Day of the Kings. Gift-giving is often reserved for this day instead of Christmas Day or

Christmas Eve.

Sister Christa Cuningham, director of Adult

Faith Formation at St. William Catholic Church in

Naples, gets a chuckle out of the song and she honors the true meaning of the 12 days.

“From 1538 until 1829, Roman Catholics in

England were not permitted to practice their faith

openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as

a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two

levels of meaning: the surface meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the

carol has a code word for a religious reality which

the children could remember.”

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

DECODED (Provided by Sister Cunningham)

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of

creation.

Seven swans a swimming represented the

sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit (prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership and

mercy.)

The eight maids a-milking were the eight

beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy

Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.)

The 10 lords a-leaping were the 10

Commandments.

The 11 pipers piping stood for the 11 faithful

disciples. The 12 drummers drumming symbolized the 12

points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

O Lord, You have indeed filled our hearts

with the sounds of music! You have blessed us with

favorite hymns and Christmas Carols that fill our spirits with the grace of Your gospel. You have

calmed our souls with gentle melodies.

I thank You for all these gifts of music and

the variety of ways music is expressed around the

world. I know that one day, Lord, we will all gather around Your throne and sing to our hearts delight in

praise to You. Until that day, give us reasons to sing

and opportunities to rejoice in all that we have

because of Your kindness. Bless those we love today

and let their hearts sing with joy for all You’ve done

in their lives. You are an awesome God! Amen. Music is the perfect way to express our love and devotion to God. It is one of the most magnificent

and delightful presents God has given us. Martin Luther

‘Your Stephen Ministers and Stephen Leaders

wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New

Year’

CHRIST CARING FOR PEOPLE THROUGH PEOPLE

Confidential Contact with a Stephen Leader – StephenMinistry@cccnaples.org

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12/03 Mary Cowling 10/20 Justin Barger

12/08 Don Orend 12/22 Betty Verwey

12/09 Alleane Shivel 12/25 Jane Swineford

12/12 Sandy Kunkle 12/27 Kathleen Wilson

12/16 William Warner 12/28 Waneta Lynch

12/17 Shelley Kienzle 12/29 Georgianna Smith

12/17 Carolyn Sharkey 12/29 Justin Hanneken

12/19 Bob Signet 12/30 Vivian Hart

12/20 Carol Badgley 12/30 Ruth Jones

Congregational Care

We are in the midst of collecting for baskets for the homebound and those over 90. We will be delivering these baskets the week of December 13.

We are collecting appropriate items for the baskets. Some suggestions are tissues, notecards, stamps, candy, hygiene items, simple puzzle books and anything else you can

think of. Monetary gifts are always welcome. Please mark for congregational care and place in the offering plate or take to the office.

There will be a table set up in the north entrance to place the items. We will be collecting on Nov. 22, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6. We will need help packing on Sat. Dec 12. After church on

Dec. 13 we will need people to deliver the baskets. Thank you so much for your help!

Happy

Birthday

December!

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Every Tuesday at 1:00 p.m., The Multi-Purpose

Room, our new location becomes a “factory.” Gifted

volunteers meet and turn skeins of yarn into beautiful shawls. These shawls are not only

beautiful, they are Prayer Shawls. The instructions require that the rows be in sets of three, praising Father, Son and Holy Spirit; a single

row follows and another set of three is repeated, until the desired style is completed. Besides shawls we have blankets for laps, red/white/blue for Service members, and swaddles for newborns. These hand-crafted items bring the comfort and warmth of God’s

unfailing love to those in need. Needs come to our attention in many ways: Telephone calls to the office, the Caring Ministry, word of mouth. We celebrate the joyous occasions

of new life dedicated to Christ and marital commitments. Requests are personal and not limited to those stated.

We are self-supporting and blessed to have dedicated ladies who give their time and talent. If you might be interested in learning to knit or crochet, stop by any Tuesday. If you want to see the rewards of this ministry, take a look at the many cards on the cork

board: That’s the best part! Yours in Christ,

Lucille Lambruschi (239) 649-7884

Prayer Shawl

Ministry

HOLIDAY DINNER & RAFFLE

December 16, 2015 This will be a “bridge” event to the outside community as well as a Church fundraiser! An “up-

scale” dinner affair with music, raffle and fun! Consider “purchasing a table” (seating for 6) @ $60 and invite your neighbors!

Raffle tickets can be purchased at the door for $1 each and placed specifically for the item desired. We plan to set up for 150 people. Help us reach our goal!!!

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Endowment Committee

Remember your lost loved ones and special friends by honoring them

and leaving a lasting legacy & memorial in their name with the church benevolent fund.

Moneys left with the benevolent fund are preserved – the principal is never spent, and the interest, dividends, and earnings generated from your gift - using conservative investments - are used to glorify God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. The earnings from

your gift will support our church missions, special programs, and to benefit the community around us.

All of our riches & assets come from God. Let us give back a fraction of what we

have received from Him in response to His grace in our lives and in our church.

Take some time to look over the Memorial Book displayed at the south end of the

Connection Center. There you will find the names of people from the church who have left

memorials to the benevolent fund, as a lasting tribute to honor their loved ones, special friends, and to glorify God.

Memorials can be given in cash, stocks, mutual funds, bonds, insurance policies,

annuities, or other tangible assets. These gifts may also be made through living trusts,

charitable gift annuities, or bequeathed in your will and estate planning documents. Gifts are made out to the Endowment Fund of Community Congregational Church.

Contact the church office if you have any questions on how to participate in the

benevolent fund. You may also contact an Endowment Fund Board member who will help

you and answer your questions. These members are Agi Boudewijn, Keith Moored, Warren Peterson, Richard Powers, and Bill Whitney.

God bless!

To one the master gave five talents.... and he gained five more. The master replied, Well-done, good and faithful servant! Come in and share your master's happiness!

Matthew 25:14

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Being Committed

God asks us to give our all and be committed when serving Him. We need to remember that commitment is not just a word, it is also action. Don't be an Andrea and just say you are committed. Show your commitment through your actions and not just your words.

DRAMA MINISTRY

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The story behind "Silent Night"

Why was "Silent Night" written?

Josef Mohr, author / Franz Gruber, composer

"And there were shepherds living out in the

fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at

night" -- Luke 2:8

The reason "Silent Night" was created: How the world's most famous Christmas carol came to be

written and set to music.

While we were serving as missionaries in Europe we visited a small little church in Austria. That church was the birthplace of "Silent Night." Here's the story how this most famous of Christmas carols came to be written: In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23

they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg where they were to re-enact the story of Christ's birth in

the small Church of St. Nicholas.

Unfortunately, the St. Nicholas' church organ wasn't working and would not be repaired before Christmas. (Note: some versions of the story point to mice as the problem; others say rust was the culprit) Because the

church organ was out of commission, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home. That

Christmas presentation of the events in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke put assistant pastor Josef

Mohr in a meditative mood. Instead of walking straight to his house that night, Mohr took a longer way

home. The longer path took him up over a hill overlooking the village.

From that hilltop, Mohr looked down on the peaceful snow-covered village. Reveling in majestic silence of the

wintry night, Mohr gazed down at the glowing Christmas-card like scene. His thoughts about the Christmas

play he had just seen made him remember a poem he had written a couple of years before. That poem was

about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside.

Mohr decided those words might make a good carol for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas Eve service. The one problem was that he didn't have any music to which that poem could be

sung. So, the next day Mohr went to see the church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber. Gruber only had a few

hours to come up with a melody which could be sung with a guitar. However, by that evening, Gruber had

managed to compose a musical setting for the poem. It no longer mattered to Mohr and Gruber that their

church organ was inoperable. They now had a Christmas carol that could be sung without that organ. On Christmas Eve, the little Oberndorf congregation heard Gruber and Mohr sing their new composition to the

accompaniment of Gruber's guitar.

Weeks later, well-known organ builder Karl Mauracher arrived in Oberndorf to fix the organ in St. Nicholas

church. When Mauracher finished, he stepped back to let Gruber test the instrument. When Gruber sat

down, his fingers began playing the simple melody he had written for Mohr's Christmas poem. Deeply

impressed, Mauracher took copies of the music and words of "Silent Night" back to his own Alpine village, Kapfing. There, two well-known families of singers — the Rainers and the Strassers heard it.

Captivated by "Silent Night," both groups put the new song into their Christmas season repertoire.

“Silent Night”

Silent night! holy night! All is calm, all is bright,

'Round yon virgin mother and Child!

Holy Infant, so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

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The Strasser sisters spread the carol across northern Europe. In 1834, they performed "Silent Night" for

King Frederick William IV of Prussia, and he then ordered his cathedral choir to sing it every Christmas eve. Twenty years after "Silent Night" was written, the Rainers brought the song to the United States, singing it

(in German) at the Alexander Hamilton Monument located outside New York City's Trinity Church.

In 1863, nearly fifty years after being first sung in German, "Silent Night" was translated into English (by

either Jane Campbell or John Young). Eight years later, that English version made its way into print in Charles Hutchins' Sunday School Hymnal. Today the words of "Silent Night" are sung in more than 300

different languages around the world.

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Sunday Worship Services & Children’s Church

Traditional: 9:30 a.m.

C3 Modern Worship: 11:00 a.m. Fellowship & refreshments between

services

Community Congregational Church’s

SEMI-RETIRED

TREASURES

10481 Southland Drive

Bonita Springs, FL 34135

239-495-3377 Any Good Household Items

Donations are Tax Deductible Pick up available at no charge Community Congregational Church

15300 North Tamiami Trail (US 41) Naples, FL 34110

Wayne Neller, Interim Lead Pastor Justin Hanneken, Interim Associate Pastor

Dr. Charles M. Lewis, Pastor Emeritus Church Office: 239-597-1000

Semi-Retired Treasures Thrift Store: 239-495-3377 Newsletter: slkunkle@centurylink.net; eileeni1025@centurylink.net

Website: http://C3Naples.org

“IN GOD WE TRUST”