december messenger 2019 - meadowbrook congregational church€¦ · clint straub 24 david fecht 26...

THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT As I write this reflection, plans are beginning for the annual Sunday School Christmas program. This year’s event will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 15. We are using a script that I

wrote many years ago entitled, “Telling the Story.” It is always fun to watch the children and youth

prepare for the program and tell the ancient and wonderful story of Jesus’ birth. It is also interesting

to watch them as they take on the characters of Joseph and Mary, shepherds and angels, wise men

and innkeeper- each one an important part of the birth narrative.

Which part in the pageant is part of your acting resume? When I was growing up in my home church, I was always a wise man. Never a shepherd. Never Joseph. Always a wise man. Which part within the cast is most meaningful for you? Are you an angel with a message? Are you a shepherd

caught up in daily duty? Are you an innkeeper ready to offer kindness to a stranger? Are you Mary willing to allow God to work within your life? Are you Joseph ready to trust in a dream? Are you a magi with the courage to follow a star?

I believe this time of year encourages us to take a part in the pageant, in the birth of Jesus, in the

coming of God in the midst of our own lives. In what kind of hopes and fears and burdens and re-sponsibilities do we find ourselves living? Will we have the eyes and ears and capability to dream where Christ might be born for us? Will we have the faith and courage to trust, to travel to manger,

or to follow a star? How we receive the gift of God’s love at Christmas really depends on how well

we play our part.

In her book Kneeling in Bethlehem, Ann Weems writes the following poem entitled, “To Listen, To

Look. It asks us to make the space in our lives to participate in the Christmas drama.

Is it all sewn up - my life? Is it at this point so predictable,

So orderly, so neat, so arranged, so right, That I don’t have the time or space For listening for the rustle of an angels’ wings

Or running to stables to see a baby? Could this be what he meant when he said Listen, those who have ears to hear…

Look, those who have eyes to see? O God, give me the humbleness of those shepherds

Who saw in the cold December darkness The Coming of Light The Advent of Love!

Merry Christmas!

Art

Meadowbrook

Messenger

DECEMBER 2019 Meadowbrook Congregational Church

The Meadowbrook Messenger is a monthly newsletter of Meadowbrook Congregational Church. The church is located at 21355 Meadow-

brook Road, between Eight and Nine Mile roads in Novi, Michigan. The Senior Minister is Rev. Art Ritter. Sunday Worship Service and Church

School begin at 10 am. Meadowbrook is a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. The church telephone

number is (248) 348-7757 and the mailing address is 21355 Meadowbrook Road, Novi, MI 48375-5245. Web site is www.mbccc.org. Email con-

tact is [email protected]

FLOWERS WERE GIVEN BY. . . . . . Denise and Steve Pearson in celebration of their 34th wedding

anniversary.

. . . David and Jody Scheller in celebration of their 40th wedding anni-

versary.

. . . In celebration of Mary Crockett’s birthday today with love and

admiration from Jeff, Martha, Paul and Amy and all their families.

. . . Tom and Joanne Dewey in memory of Grace Hulbert and Norma

Drag Dewey. CHURCH ATTENDANCE. . . November 3 = 104

November 10 = 105

November 17 = 112

November 24 = 128 IN OUR CIRLE OF LOVE IS . . . . . . Dave Milligan, and family, whose father, Glen Milligan, suffered a

stroke and is in hospital rehab in Florida.

Happy Birthday 1 Noelle Michalski Emma Rogers

5 Sarah Grattan Jim Lyon 8 Jonathan Bayer

Tyler Parks 10 Roberta Collins

12 Gil Dormandy 14 Denise Parr 15 Vito Abrego

Tim Dieffenbaugher Kim Swanson 16 Paul Brown

17 Nicholas Raeon 19 Kelly Dieffenbaugher

Colin Milligan 21 JJ Wright

22 Aurora Schmittou-Hutting

Jonathan Takeshita 23 Steve Broda

Clint Straub 24 David Fecht 26 Marianne Webster

29 Samantha Graham Faith Long

Happy Anniversary 14 David and Christine Spar-

ling 22 Bob and Judy Burger Tom and Joanne Dewey

27 Kristen and Michael Mar-caccio

29 Art and Laura Ritter

God’s Blessings on Your Special Day in December

Deacon on Call Denise Parr

Fellowship Hour

1 Bob and Judy Burger and Jim and

Joyce Paxton 8 Hosts are still needed! 15 Hosts are still needed! 22 Hosts are still needed!

29 Linda and Doug Browne

Greeters 1 Jim and Melissa Lewis with Nan cy Farkas

8 Rich and Betsy Mazurkiewicz with John Webster

15 Jim and Barb Miller with Doreen Lawton 22 Mike and Marilyn Sullivan with

Karren Yurgalite 24 Bonnie Hyde and Peggy Wright

24 Susan and Paul Brown with Denise Pearson 29 Mark Dukes and Carrie Skronek

with Peggy Wright

Liturgists 1 Katie Raeon 8 Jody Scheller

15 Bonnie Hyde 22 Steve Kellar 29 Denise Parr

Tellers and Trustees

1 Jim Miller and Marilyn Worth with Bill Jenkins 8 Steve Kellar and Carrie Skronek

with Paul Brown 15 Don Gaines and Dave Wallen

with Dick Dunwell 22 John Goodpasture and Carol

Riddell with Dave McKillop

24 David Sparling 24 Thelma Kubitskey

29 Denise Parr and Barbara Vanderhoff with Kristin Ulfig

PILGRIM FELLOWSHIP: PF, Meadowbrook’s youth group, is open to all 6th through 12th graders. PF meets

regularly throughout the school year for discussions, service projects, field trips and retreats. Upcoming

meetings:

December 1- Christmas Shopping for our Angel Family. Join us for a quick lunch during Fellowship Hour

and then shopping at Kohls and Target for a local family in need. We should return to the church by

2:00 pm.

December 8 - Connections Dinner - Gail McKillop will share her story with the PFers. We’ll meet from 4:00

until 6:00 pm for dinner and a discussion.

December 22 - Christmas Party from 4:00 until 6:00 pm, Bring a white elephant gift to exchange.

SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: All children and youth are invited to participate in

Telling The Story on Sunday, December 15, at 11:30 am. Everyone is invited to this special per-

formance written by Reverend Ritter. The rehearsal will be on Saturday, December 14, begin-

ning at 1:00 pm.

TREE OF WARMTH: The Tree of Warmth will be ready on December 1 for donations of

warm outerwear. We accept new (or gently used) hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, etc. All

donations will be given to the Clothes Closet at Holy Family Church for distribution to

those in need.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PILGRIM FELLOWSHIP (NAPF) will meet in Portland, Maine in June 2020. All 8th

grade youth through college age adults are invited to attend. Details will follow as they are availa-

ble. Please see Colleen Foster or Sharon Brown if your child is interested in attending.

MICHIGAN PF/HOPE RETREAT: All Middle School through College age students are invited to the Winter

Retreat on January 24-26. Stay tuned for details!

NO CONFIRMATION CLASS NEXT YEAR: Due to the small number of candidates, there will be no confir-

mation class in 2020. The next class will be offered in December of 2020 for 2021.

B3- BEER, BELIEF, AND BANTER: Our next B3 meeting is Sunday, December 1. B3 is for

folks who want to engage in informal conversation about culture and faith while shar-

ing a tasty brew. We meet the first Sunday of each month from 7:00-8:30 pm at the

Rusty Bucket, 18785 Traditions Dr. in Northville, (Haggerty and Seven Mile roads). To

begin, there will be a topic sheet distributed with some statements to “prime the

pump.” We will then share our thoughts, our stories, and our questions with one anoth-

er. You are invited to attend, even if you simply want to listen! Each person is responsi-

ble for their own beverage tab. If you have questions, please contact Art Ritter. We hope to see you

NOMINATION POSITION OPENINGS: The Nominations Ministry Team is looking to fill the

following positions for the term ending in 2022: three at-large Advisory Council mem-

bers, five Deacons, three Trustees, and the Vice Moderator, Treasurer, Secretary, Histori-

an and Parliamentarian. If you are interested in serving in any of these very important

positions, or if you have any questions about what such service might involve, please

see or email Paul Brown ([email protected]), Pat Dunwell

([email protected]), Dave McKillop ([email protected]) or Dave Won-

nacott ([email protected]). Thank you for your consideration.

2020 PLEDGE ENVELOPES New 2020 Pledge Envelopes are now available in Fel-

lowship Hall. Please help yourself.

2020 FLOWER CHART The 2020 Flower Chart is available on the

bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. The flow-

er arrangements are $40 each and two

arrangements are available each Sun-

day. Sign up for your special day. Flower

cards are available in the pews to en-

close with your payment and denote how

you would like your dedication to read in

the bulletin.

DIME WAR Once again we had a very successful Dime War. U of

M won the day with 29,492 points to MSU’s 1,806 points.

The total collected was $363.25 which will go to Ronald

McDonald House in Ann Arbor. Thanks to everyone

who participated! ICE MELT NEEDED We are in need of salt and Ice Melt to

keep the walkways clear of ice this winter.

If you can donate some, please leave it

inside the north doors.

SAVE THE DATE! The Spring Rummage Sale will be April 24 and 25 with

donation of items accepted from April 19-22.

KROGER REBATES This quarter, we received $76.87 in the form of a check

from Kroger. This is free money for the church that

comes from 24 members and friends who have con-

nected their Kroger Plus Card to Meadowbrook

Church. To do this, enroll in the Kroger Community Re-

w a r d s p r o g r a m , t h e n g o o n l i n e a t

www.krogercommunityrewards.com and connect your

enrollment number to Meadowbrook Congregational

Church under the View Your Rewards Details tab.

That’s it! Free money for the church! WOMEN’S FAITH GROUP

The group is reading An Altar in the

World, by Barbara Brown Taylor. Books

can be ordered from Amazon for

about $13. We meet on Thursday

mornings from 10:00 until 11:15 am.

Please join us!

FOOD BANKS We are collecting breakfast cereals for Northville Civic

Concern and the Novi Emergency Food Bank. They

appreciate your generosity!

MAYFLOWER C.A.F.É. The Mayflower C.A.F.E. (Casual Attire,

Faith Explored) is a gathering time for

discussion and learning about our faith.

We meet in Fellowship Hall at 7:00 pm

on Tuesday nights. Coffee and light re-

freshments are served. Please join us!

December 3: How Not To Be a Victim: Novi Police

Department will talk about electronic fraud and

other issues.

December 10: DVD Presentation and Discussion:

Adam Hamilton’s “Faithful: Christmas through the

Eyes of Joseph” Raising a Child Not Your Own and

The Journey to Bethlehem.

FAIR SHARE The NACCC asks that each

member church make an

annual contribution to their

Shared Ministries Fund, di-

rectly supporting their pro-

grams and services for which

we all benefit. Meadow-

brook’s “Fair Share” contribu-

tion is $14 per member which

totals $3,318.00 yearly. This

payment is made from our budget, whether each

member gives or not. Have you given your Fair

Share this year? If not, please make your contribu-

tion soon. You can put a check in the mail or in the

offertory plate at church, marking “Fair Share” in

the memo line. Thank you!

BOOK CLUB Our latest selection is Louise Penny’s nov-

el Still Life. This mystery novel introduces

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, “a

twenty-first-century version of Hercule

Poirot.” Copies of the book are available;

see Colleen Foster for a copy. We will

meet Monday, December 9, at 7:30 -pm

for discussion and treats.

LUNCH BUNCH There will be no Lunch Bunch again until April 2020

when the weather is better.

MEN’S BREAKFAST

The next Men’s Breakfast will be

on Saturday, December 7, at

8:30 am at George’s Senate on

Haggerty, south of Six Mile. If

you would like to attend, please

sign up in Fellowship Hall.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL COLLECTION The special envelope collection for Christmas will be split between Northville Civic Concern and the Novi

Emergency Food Bank.

RED KETTLE BELL RINGING We will be ringing the Salvation Army Bell at the Kroger in downtown Northville on De-

cember 19 and 20. Please sign up in Fellowship Hall

COOKIE WALK We are just two weeks away from the 9th Annual

Cookie Walk and Holiday Boutique on Saturday, December 14. It is not

too late to sign up. We are still looking for cookie bakers as well as

bread, fudge, nut and other holiday treat makers as well as volunteers.

New this year is a holiday boutique featuring holiday-themed gift items,

tableware and more. Donations of items welcome!

We are so grateful to those who already have signed up to bake, make

and donate, as well as volunteer to help with cookie plating and other

tasks on Friday, December 13, and help the day of the cookie walk on

Saturday, December 14. It takes a congregation!

A shout out to all who answered the call for holiday bread pans. Looking at you Pat Dunwell and Diane

Wallen! We still have bread pans available. Check the sign-up table in Fellowship Hall.

Last but not least, a huge thank you to all who participated in the Northville Holiday Lighted Parade on No-

vember 22. The Mayflower float looked fabulous due to the efforts of a great decorating crew. Thanks to Russ

Gasser for steering the ship! We had great participation from members and friends who passed out candy

and nearly 1,000 postcards highlighting our cookie walk and Christmas Eve services. Lee Gross and Dave

McKillop as Meadowbrook’s Gingerbread Men stole the show!

For questions about the cookie walk, please see Lee Gross or Laura Ritter.

CHRISTMAS EVE Worship services on Christmas Eve will again be at

6:00 and 8:00 pm. The early service will continue

to have more of a children and family focus. Both

services will feature candle lighting with the sing-

ing of “Silent Night.” Please invite your family and

friends to join us.

TRIVIA FUND RAISER Thank you to everyone who helped in the planning, set-up, ticket sell-

ing, dinner serving, clean-up, and to all that attended Trivia Night.

The event had over 90 players taking part. After the dinner of lasa-

gna, salad, rolls, and delicious desserts, players settled in for two

games of mind testing Trivia. Following the games, the 50/50 raffle

was held with the winner sharing half of the $596.00 jackpot, which

was promptly donated to Meadowbrook. After all the bills

are paid, Meadowbrook will make approximately $1800.00 for our

general fund. Thank you!

Your Event Ministry Team

STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM UPDATE

Operating pledges received during the Stewardship program in November are up a

bit compared to pledges received last year, which is definitely good news. But our

pledging level still isn’t where it needs to be to adequately fund the Church’s operat-

ing needs in 2020. If you plan to make a pledge for 2020 but still haven’t submitted it

to the Church office, please do so as soon as possible, so your contribution can be

included in this year's budget planning, which is now in progress.

WORKING TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT

The budget deficit experienced by the Church this year is due, in significant part, by increased contract ex-

penses incurred for the retention of custodial, accounting and bookkeeping services previously performed by

friends and members of the Church, affording a substantial cost savings. If anyone is interested handling or

assisting with any of these activity areas in the future, to help reduce the additional expenses incurred thru

outside contracting, please see Steve Pearson, Paul Brown or Dave McKillop, or leave a note with Abbie in

the Church office.

FRUGAL FREDDIE’S FISCAL FREAKONOMICS - PAYING WITH PAYPAL

Frugal Freddie was Fighting through the Famished Flock at the Pilgrim Potluck when he

Found himself Facing Perky Polly. “Hey Pol” he said, while Fishing the last Potato Puff off

the Platter. “Isn’t that your second Piece of Pumpkin Pie?” “Oh Freddie, don’t be a Pin-

head,” Polly Proclaimed. “But I’m Pleased you Passed by. I wanted to Pick your brain

about this new PayPal Phenomenon. I Presume you’re Fairly Familiar with it.” Polly, you

are Positively Prehistoric,” Pronounced Freddie. “PayPal isn’t new, it’s been Functional

Forever. But now Meadowbrook has Planted it Prominently on our webpage. That way,

you can Pay the church using a debit or credit card, which wasn’t Previously Possible.”

“Pray tell,” said Polly, “you mean I can Pay Pledges with a card? What about scrip or-

ders? Special donations for Pilgrim Fellowship activities, the music Program, Flood re-

lief?” “Precisely, Polly! Practically anything that you would have written a check for in the Past” Freddie re-

plied. “Just go to MBCCC.org, choose the ‘Support’ tab at the top right, and you’ll see the gold PayPal

‘Donate’ button just waiting to be Pushed. Enter the amount and click ‘Donate with Debit or Credit Card’,

then Put in your card Particulars. Don’t Forget to click the ‘Write a Note’ Pencil icon and use it to Post the Pur-

pose of your Payment. You do not need to have a PayPal account.” Polly’s response was Positively Passion-

ate. “Perfect! I’ll be able to Pay for that trip to Pago Pago with all the airline miles I Pile up. Or maybe I’ll use

my cash back card. Never hurts to Pinch Pennies where you can! Oh, and Freddie one Piece of advice.”

“Please,” said Freddie, “Promulgate away!” “You should stick with F’s. You Pop your P’s and I Feel I’ve been

Plodding through Puddles!” For information about using PayPal, see Steve Kellar or Colleen Foster.

TIME TO SHOP WITH SCRIP!

Christmas is quickly approaching and the shopping season has begun. Make your gift giving a bit easier by

ordering gift cards from Meadowbrook’s Scrip program. The last order taken with delivery before Christmas

will be Sunday, December 15. Orders are placed on Sunday and the cards are received at the church on

Tuesday. Just fill out the order form in Fellowship Hall or on the Meadowbrook website, write out your check

for the amount owed and give it to Patti Hokett or leave it in the church office. Your purchase will raise be-

tween 2% and 20% for the church operating budget. It is quick and easy to do. You may also pay your Kohl's

charge with Kohls cards.

12/1 Choir Rehearsal, 9:00 am

Worship - First Sunday of Advent - Sermon,

“Unexpected Hour,” Rev. Art Ritter, 10:00 am

Fellowship Hour, 11:00 am

Prayer Chain Ministry, 11:15 am

B3 at Rusty Bucket, 7:00 pm

12/2 Show of Hands Puppets, 6:30 pm

12/3 Faith Discussion at Pomeroy Living,10:30 am

Mayflower C.A.F.E., 7:00 pm

12/4 Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 pm

12/5 Women’s Faith Group, 10:00 am

12/7 Men’s Breakfast, 8:30 am


Worship - Second Sunday in Advent -

Sermon, “Turn Around,” Rev.

Art Ritter, 10:00 am


Property Team, 11:30 am


Book Club, 7:30 pm


Mayflower C.A.F.E., 7:00 pm



12/13 Cookie Walk Set-Up

12/14 Cookie Walk, 9:00 am


Worship - Sacred Dancers - Third Sunday in

Advent- Sermon, “Are You The One?,” Rev.

Art Ritter, 10:00 am


Children’s Christmas Pageant, 11:30 am

Prayer Chain Ministry, 11:15 am


Trustees, 7:00 pm

Messenger Deadline




Red Kettle Bell Ringing at Kroger

Deacons, 7:00 pm

12/20 Red Kettle Bell Ringing at Kroger

12/21 Private Party in Fellowship Hall, 3:00 pm


Worship - Show of Hands Puppets - Fourth

Sunday in Advent - Sermon, “Dilemma to

Decision” Rev. Art Ritter, 10:00 am


12/24 Christmas Eve Service, 6:00 pm

Christmas Eve Service, 8:00 pm

12/25 Merry Christmas!

Office Closed

12/26 Office Closed


Worship - First Sunday in Christmas - Sermon,

“The Dark Side of the Story,” Rev. Art Ritter,

10:00 am



What’s Going On at Meadowbrook

As a Congregational church, Meadowbrook traces its roots to the Pilgrims. Those daring people

believed they should be free to interpret God’s Word for themselves and to do so responsibly.

Like the Mayflower, each Congregational church is its own ship, autonomous and self-governing. We are not bound by any formal statement of faith or creed. We promote study and reflection that strengthen minds and soften hearts. Our sacraments are open to everyone.

Just as the Pilgrims had a compact, our community of faith is brought together by a covenant - a

promise to serve God in Jesus Christ and support one another in our journey of faith. Serving the area since 1982, Meadowbrook invites you to come ashore and experience God’s

love and grace.

Meadowbrook Congregational Church DECEMBER 2019

Great Harvest Bread Company

139 E. Main Street

Northville

Thank you for contributing the communion bread.

The Flower Alley

Winner of

People’s Choice Award

248-305-9190 25914 Novi Road - Novi, MI

Rev. Ritter: [email protected] Colleen Foster: [email protected]

Danny Reeves: [email protected] Abbie Holden: [email protected]

Address Correction Requested

21355 Meadowbrook Road, Novi, Michigan 48375-5245 248 348-7757 www.mbccc.org

The Meadowbrook Messenger

december messenger 2019 - meadowbrook congregational church€¦ · clint straub 24 david fecht 26...

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