the colonnade - cokesbury united methodist...

Cokesbury United Methodist Church November 2007 14806 Blackburn Road, Woodbridge, VA Volume 46, No. 11

The Colonnade

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

By Bunny Mahar How important is a shoe box? It is very important when it is filled with toys and hygiene articles for children who are suffering in war-torn and devastated parts of the world. We hope that you have picked up a gift-wrapped shoe box to share in our Operation Christmas Child. This shoe box may be the only Christmas gift and introduction to Jesus Christ that these children will have. Each box contains a brochure that will explain what you may put in the box or what you may not. It also contains a label, indicating the sex and age of the child that the box is intended for. Along with that, the box contains an envelope to cover cost of shipping to send the box to the child who is waiting for it. But don’t let that deter you. If you are unable to include the postage for the gift, please fill your box and return it anyway. Deadline for the filled shoe boxes is November 13. If you have any questions, please call Bunny Mahar at 703-494-1821 or at the church office, 703-494-5400. _____________________________________________________________________

Worship Services 8:30 AM & 11:00 AM

Nursery available both services The 11am worship service features a children’s worship for 4-9 year olds. On months with 5 Sundays, Service begins at 10 AM on the 5th Sunday

Sunday School 9:45 AM (For children, youth, and adults)

Cokesbury UMC Web Site: http://www.CokesburyUMC.us

Hanging of the Greens By Cheryl Petitt

Our traditional Hanging of the Greens will take place on Saturday, December 1st beginning at 9:00 a.m. Come out and help with the decorating of the Church for the Advent Season. Volunteers are needed to hang wreaths, garland and set up Christmas Trees. If you would like to help, see the sign-up sheet located in the Narthex. A free lunch will be provided in the Fellowship Hall for the volunteers.

http://www.cokesburyumc.us/

Loving others… as Christ first loved us!

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Pastor’s Report to the Charge Conference

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:2-11

Just as the Apostle Paul claims in his letter to the church in Philippi, I, too, thank God for you. The love that you have shown to me as we have shared in God’s grace through the many ministries at Cokesbury has been a true blessing.

For 2007 we set a goal to nurture people in their faith through offering Bible studies and other seasonal studies and set a quantitative goal of 75 adult, youth and children participating in Christian education. Our performance toward that goal was extraordinary. In the past year, 61 adults and 40 children and youth participated in one or more of the Christian educational opportunities offered to them by Cokesbury.

I hope and pray that those who have participated in the courses have been challenged to deepen their faith and to grow spiritually by developing critical thinking techniques for going deeper into the meaning of the biblical message and applying it in their own lives. In helping them to do this, I believe that Cokesbury is setting an incredibly strong foundation for us, individually and as a congregation, to think theologically. And, this scriptural perspective for understanding who God is, who we are, and how we are to be in relationship with God will have a profound impact on all our ministries at Cokesbury.

As the Apostle Paul infers this Christ centered love will grow and overflow in our lives in such a way that we will become more knowledgeable and gain insight into what is best. We need this God given wisdom to guide us in our decision making. Undoubtedly, we will face challenges in the year ahead. But, I am confident that we have the church leaders and the dedicated membership necessary to meet those challenges with grace and godly vision. Last year, we wisely formed an Evangelism Commission to lead our efforts in proclaiming the gospel message to those who are unchurched, and to draw more people into the Cokesbury experience so that they may be nurtured in the faith and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. In that year, we have become more aware of the opportunities we have to draw more people into our congregation, and the things that we need to do to be more welcoming. We have high expectations for next year, may God guide us in their completion.

In God’s grace, Russ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for the beautiful quilt that I received on Sunday, October 28th. I truly feel that God has blessed me in being able to serve with you in ministry at Cokesbury United Methodist Church. It has been a wonderful four years, and I have loved every day. May we all continue to be blessed by this wonderful church family.


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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

12 Ethel and Donald Lescure 16 Sarah and Charles Burke 17 Elizabeth and Michael Obeng 25 Emily and David Ruebsamen 30 Dorothy and Herbert Cooper 1 William Clark

2 Robert Piepenbrink 3 Kenneth Kerton Dorotha DeWitt 4 Jeremy Jewell Thomas Taylor 6 Joe Burnette Mark Salyers, Jr. Sean Rodriguez 7 Alec Finney Justin Cotter Jeremy Urban Vicky Lutman 8 Michael Obeng 10 Mary Crist 11 Judie Cator Shelby Crawford Puanani Aquino 12 Bill Goodman Lauren Deyerle 13 Brian Nelson 14 Joseph Greene Doug Sapp 15 Bobby Kinson 16 Danielle Haggart 17 John Schiele Ted Kelley, Jr. 18 Winifred Jones 19 Don Dorton 20 Kelsey Powell 21 Paula Simensen

Copyright 1999 from Christianity Today, Inc. Used with permission

Annual Christmas Cookie Sale Saturday December 8, 2007

By Cheryl Petitt Start digging out your favorite recipes! The Family Care Committee and the Worship Committee will be having their Annual Christmas Cookie Sale on Saturday December 8, 2007 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. You can support this fundraiser by baking your favorite cookies and donating two dozen or more to be sold at the Cookie Sale. If you would like to donate cookies, please let a Family Care Committee or the Worship Committee member know.


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The Colonnade Staff Editors: Linda Ennis and John Derickson

Church Mailbox #3

Send Articles to: [email protected]

Send Complaints to: [email protected]

Church email: [email protected]

Calendar: Bunny Mahar

Postal Coordinator: Melissa Clark

Church Office: 703-494-5400

Articles for The Colonnade are due by the

15th of each month for the next month’s edition.

Money Matters By Don Dorton, Finance Committee

The table below shows Cokesbury’s financial picture as of September 30, 2007. 2007 Funded Annual Budget = $210,400

Month-to-Date Year-to-Date Income Year-to-Date Expenses

Month

Required to meet the

Budget

Budgeted Income

Received

Required to meet the Budget

Budgeted Income

Received

Percentage of the Budget

Funded

Budgeted Expenses

Income to

Expenses January $16,185 $12,593 $16,185 $12,593 77.8% $12,512 100.6%

February $16,185 $12,670 $32,370 $25,263 94.1% $30,462 82.9% March $16,185 $17,078 $48,555 $42,341 88.9% $43,181 98.1% April $20,230 $22,421 $68,785 $64,762 94.2% $58,130 111.4% May $16,185 $15,897 $84,970 $78,529 92.4% $85,730 91.6% June $16,185 $15,782 $101,155 $94,311 93.2% $109,830 85.9% July $20,230 $20,759 $121,385 $115,106 94.8% $121,521 94.7%

August $16,185 $15,873 $137,570 $130,979 95.2% $140,090 93.5% September $20,230 $19,424 $157,800 $150,403 95.3% $160,524 93.6%

October $16,185 $173,985 November $16,185 $190,170 December $20,230 $210,400

** As of September 30 we have paid back $22,216 toward our $28,638 debt, leaving a balance of $6,422. $643 was received in September **

• Month to Date: Required to meet the Budget – Amount the church needs to meet its projected funding. These figures are based on the projected monthly revenues based on offering history and projected fundraisers.

• Month to Date: Budgeted Income Received - Amount the church has received toward the budget for the month indicated. • Year to Date: Required to meet the Budget - Cumulative budget needs to date. • Year to Date: Budgeted Income Received – Cumulative amount the church has received toward the budget. • Year to Date: Percentage of the Budget Funded - Comparison of budgeted offerings received vs budget needs. • Year to Date: Budgeted Expenses - Year-to-Date amount the church has spent against the budget. ‘N/A’ indicates that

expenditures have not been updated since the last end-of-month period. • Year to Date: Budgeted Income vs Budgeted Expenses – Percent of income received to expenses received.

_______________________________________________

Annual Family Care Committee Fall Craft Show

By Cheryl Petitt

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Saturday November 10, 2007

Get a jump on your holiday shopping and browse the wide variety of crafts and gift items. We will also have breakfast, lunch and bake sale items available for sale. Please note this date on your calendars and bring your friends and family.

mailto:[email protected]


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This survey was distributed on Sunday October 7, 2007 at the 8:30 and 11:00 am worship services.

United Methodist Women Survey: Q. Is There Interest in a Daytime UMW Circle? A. Yes. Response has been very positive. There will be a Daytime circle. This circle would meet in addition to the evening circle. The daytime circle will allow more women an opportunity to participate in the UMW purpose, To Know God and To Serve God through mission giving. If you did not receive this handout and are interested in being a part of the daytime circle or would like to visit the circle or a UMW meeting please complete the survey and return it or Box 24 upstairs. If you have any questions please call Mary Wright (703)730-0448. 1. Would you participate in a UMW daytime circle? Yes___ No___ (Day and time to be decided later) 2. Will you support the UMW daytime circle with your financial pledges and giving? Yes___ No___ 3. Are you willing to participate in the required programs? Yes___ No___ a. Candle Burning b. Prayer and Self-Denial c. World Thank Offering d. Pledge Service 4. Check the name you most prefer for the circle. Esther___ Ruth___ Deborah___ Please note that with exception of the four programs mentioned in #3 the daytime circle can be as creative as they wish. There will be quarterly meetings that encompass both the evening and daytime units. Your participation at these quarterly meetings would be appreciated. Completing these programs, among other activities, help make Cokesbury UMW a Six Star and Gold Star Unit.


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Mission/Outreach Commission

2007 Highlights Mission Fundraising Ash Wednesday Pancake Dinner - As part of the Ash Wednesday Service, we provided a pre-service pancake dinner, provided resources on the UM Global Aids Fund and raised $101.50 for the UM Global Aids Fund.

Community Outreach February, April, June, August, October and December we provided a meal at “The Lord’s Table” a local ministry hosted by St. Paul UMC in Woodbridge to feed the homeless and low income residents of Prince William County.

The Mission/Outreach Commission working with the Family Care Committee also encouraged and organized members of the congregation to provide support for a family struggling with elder care. Together we provided food items, elder care and a listening ear.

Missionary Support

February, April, July, October and December we sent cards to the Missionaries of the Virginia Conference. The congregation signs cards which are then mailed to the missionaries as a reminder that we are praying for the missionaries and their ministries.

We also held a Mission Worship Service where the Mission Commission planned and lead the worship service on July 29, 2007. The congregation selected bookmarks which had a missionaries name and mission information printed on it as a reminder to pray for a specific missionary throughout the year. During the July 29th worship service, the congregation made a covenant to pray for the missionaries of the Virginia Conference throughout the year and to support their mission work.

Mission Trip August 19 through August 25, nine (9) members of Cokesbury Mission Team went to Red Bird Work Camp. While at Red Bird, we removed a sign from the Beverly Campus; installed a storm

door and painted exterior doors at the Queens dale Campus; painted and cleaned a house for a pastor and his/her family; and finished building a handicap ramp for Ms. Marie. We had so much fun and felt that we were able to make a difference in the lives of the people of Red Bird that we are eagerly planning next year’s trip to Red Bird.

Potluck & Praise Join in the joy of singing praise songs and sharing a meal and fellowship with your church family. Music is provided by our own “Sound Bites” musical group, headed by Joe Be Miller. Mark your calendar for November 10 at 6:00 p.m. Bring a dish to share and join in the fun.

Cokesbury will sponsor a Red Cross Blood Drive from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., here at the church on November 20th. St. Paul UMC will be coordinating this drive with us. For more information, or to make an appointment, please call Doug Phelps at 703-494-3429.

Coats for the Homeless Please bring your gently used coats to the church for delivery to ACTS. The coats will be given to those in need and who are unable to purchase coats for the cold weather. All coats are welcome, for children and all adult sizes.


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IS IT SOUP YET? By Bunny Mahar It soon will be. The Helping Hands semi-annual Soup & Salad Luncheon is coming up. There will be a huge selection of soups including clam chowder, vegetable beef, cabbage, French onion, chicken noodle, chili, bean soup, split pea soup, and a new one – peanut soup. All these soups are homemade and served along with oyster crackers, salad, dessert, and beverages. The price of this delectable repast is only $4.00. So set your calendar and your watches so you won’t miss it at 12:15 on Sunday, November 4th. There will be soups to satisfy every appetite. Don’t miss it!

Thanksgiving Celebration By John Jewell On Sunday, November 18th, the United Methodist Men are hosting a Thanksgiving meal. The men will provide everything for the meal, all you have to do is come and enjoy the meal after the 11 AM service. We look forward to seeing you and celebrating Thanksgiving together as a church family. We all have something to be thankful for – our Christian faith.

Virginia Annual Conference Attendees Congratulations are in order for the members of Cokesbury UMC who have been selected by the Alexandria District to attend the Virginia Annual Conference on behalf of the district in June of 2008. Robin BeMiller, Linda Ennis, and Gayle Urban have been elected as delegates. Mary Jane Fizer, Emmett Wright, and Mary Wright have been elected as alternate delegates and have a high probability of attending the conference. For a church of our size, it is very rewarding to see so many of our members recognized at the district level for being active in Christian ministry and having the qualities that make for a good church leader. Congratulations to each one. This is one more example of the good reputation that Cokesbury has gained in the Alexandria District and throughout the Conference. And that is something that each one of us affects as we all strive to be faithful disciples of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

God Bless, Pastor Russ

_______________________________________

New Address for a

Beloved Brother and Sister

The new address for Norma and Joe Burnette is as follows:

30 Dabney Ct Fredericksburg, VA 22405

And their phone number is:

540-371-5569


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By Gayle Urban, Secretary UMW/703-494-2963

A huge THANK YOU to all of the Cokesbury congregation, from UMW, for your support in donating to our recent projects. The postage stamps and the supplies for the Native American Health Clinic are much appreciated. It is all a part of the mission outreach of United Methodist Women. Mary Wright and Olga Fraser attended the District Spiritual Life Event, and reported that it was a wonderful blessing. Speaker was Cynthia Abrams, of the New York Seneca tribe, from General Board of Church and Society, and the theme was “Native American Spirituality.” UMW District Day was at Buckhall UMC in October, and our unit was among those

in the district who received the 6-Star certificate; this represents the focus on goals and activities of UMW throughout the year. Mary Wright is now on the Nominating Committee of Alexandria District UMW; Gayle Urban is the Woodbridge Sub-District Coordinator of UMW.

God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!

We are happy to have good response on the suggestion of having a Daytime UMW Circle, and Mary Wright is coordinating this. A planning meeting will be held in November. Call Mary (703-730-0448) if you need information or have ideas for that. Having a daytime circle will give an option for those who prefer that time rather than the evening time. The evening circle will continue. There will be quarterly meetings of both circles during the year. UMW is open to all women, of all ages and there are many ways to support and participate.

Upcoming Events:• October 27-28: Conference UMW meeting at Blackstone, VA. • November 12: Monthly meeting, with Pledge service; led by Peggy Dorton. Also installation

of officers. (Nominating committee: Gayle, Anita, Val). • November 17: Officer training for district units; at Asbury UMC; begins at 9:30 with

fellowship, until about noon. • December 1: UMW Advent Breakfast, of Woodbridge Sub-District, hosted by Dumfries

UMW. Theme: “The Gift of Christmas”, with each unit providing part of the program. This is from 9 a.m.-11:15; no cost; all women are welcome.

• December 10: Annual Cokesbury UMW/UMM Christmas Party, in the Cokesbury fellowship hall. Meal will be from Carrabba’s Italian restaurant.

May you count many blessings of God’s faithfulness and love this season!

Thanksgiving Observance

Count your blessings instead of your crosses; Count your gains instead of your losses;

Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead of your foes; Count your smiles instead of your tears;

Count your courage instead of your fears; Count your full years instead of your lean;

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean; Count your health instead of your wealth;

Count on God instead of yourself.


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Youth Corner

By Linda Ennis

I want to thank those who signed up to provide meals for the youth on their program nights. It was hard to believe how busy we are, but when I put the schedule for meals together for October through December, we only had six slots to fill. In December, I will create another schedule for the beginning of the New Year. Those who have volunteered are:

o October 21 – Paula Simensen and Gayle Urban o November 4 – Mary Jane Fizer o November 18 – Bob Mahar o December 2 – Bob Kucharuk o December 16 – Bunny and Glen Wyrick

The meals will be feeding 10 to 12 youth and around 6 adults. It is wonderful that the

entire church congregation is getting involved in helping our youth feel connected to adults they don’t see on a regular basis.

Be looking for the Pray Cards for the youth this month. These cards will be pictures of the youth with some information about them on the back. When provided, we’ll ask you to take one home, put it on the refrigerator or bulletin board, or any place where you can see it every day and pray for your youth(s). If you see them at church, you can let them know you have their prayer card and are praying for them.

On November 9 – 11, the middle high youth will be going on the Virginia Conference Fall Youth Retreat at Eagle Eyrie in Lynchburg, Va. They will be challenged to grow as Disciples of Christ through worship, bible study, and small groups while building new friendships with youth from all over Virginia. The speaker will be Lanecia Rouse, Youth Minister of Belmont UMC in Nashville and a frequent speaker at Lake Junaluska. This month, we will continue with the theme “Judge Knot” and will center around “Judgment Day,” Judging Right From Wrong,” and “Discovering God’s Will.” Coming Events in December:

o Senior High Virginia Conference Fall Youth Retreat. o Christmas Party, celebrating and learning about Christmas from different

cultures.


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Cokesbury United Methodist Men 31st Annual Fruit Sales

Fruit Availability Cost per Box Cost per Half Box

Pink Grapefruit Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb $23.00 $12.00 Tangerines Nov, Dec, Feb $20.00 Not Available Oranges

Navels Nov and Dec $25.00 $13.00 Tangelos Jan $33.00 $17.00 Temples Feb $25.00 $13.00

ORDER BY PICK UP Nov 7, 2007 Nov 19, 20 Dec 5, 2007 Dec 17, 18 Jan 9, 2008 Jan 21, 22 Feb 6, 2008 Feb 18, 19

To Order: Call 703-347-3524 by 6 p.m. on or before the “Order By” date. Pick up times are on Monday and Tuesday between 6-8 p.m.

Extra fruit will be available for sale on Wednesdays between 6-8 p.m.

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