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33424 Oakland Ave.
Farmington, MI 48335 (248)474-6880
www.salemucc.us, email: [email protected]
The Rev. Deborah Schueneman, Pastor
December 2013
We clergy have a reputation for being deeply serious, but I can assure you, that’s not
true! While I was serving at Bethlehem UCC, several of us clergy who served churches in the
Ann Arbor area would get together at Christmas time. Usually a day or two before our big
Christmas Eve services—say, December 23—we’d meet for lunch at our favorite Mexican bis-
tro downtown, order tons of food and a pitcher of margaritas, and talk and laugh and stuff our-
selves silly. After lunch we’d lift our bloated selves out of the restaurant, and stroll around
downtown Ann Arbor, eventually stopping at another bistro for dessert and coffee. By this
time, we had pretty much wasted the whole afternoon, and we’d head back to our church of-
fices just long enough to pick up our coats and briefcases and head back to our homes.
Now Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for us clergy. You may well ask
whether we really ought to have wasted a whole afternoon like that, so close to Christmas Eve.
We all had Christmas Eve services the next day, and in some of our churches, more than one.
This doesn’t even include all the usual Christmas busy bustle that we clergy, just like everyone
else, have at home. But we looked at it this way: by December 23, if it ain’t done already, it
ain’t gonna get done. This was very freeing. We’d put in a lot of hard work at church to get
things ready for Christmas Eve, and now it was time to rejoice in what we had done, let go of
what wasn’t going to happen this year, and just enjoy.
Christmas is probably one of the busiest times of your year, too. There’s the shopping,
the wrapping, the decorating, the cooking, the entertaining. A fair amount of this you may en-
joy as part of this festive season. All of these preparations require a significant amount of en-
ergy and effort. At a certain point in mid-December, most of us begin to feel frazzled, ex-
hausted. So to cope with this season, you may want to try what my minister pals did—pick a
date when you decide your work will be done and the fun begins. And when that day comes,
put up your feet, fix a mug of cocoa, and relax and enjoy. Or get together with pals for fun and
conversation and a plate of nachos!
The season of the Christ Child comes completely independently of our preparations; he
was born to humble, unpretentious parents to bring us joy and salvation, not fatigue. So pre-
pare for Christmas as you will, but remember that at a certain point, if it ain’t done already, it
ain’t gonna get done. After all, Christ managed to be born without our efforts at tinsel and
wrapping paper. And after all, when it comes to Christmas, Christ got done for us anything
that really needs doing. So put down your labors, and celebrate with the angels and shepherds.
Christ the Savior is born—hoist your glass, and enjoy!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Debbie
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2014
Offering Envelopes Are Now Available
Please pick up your
envelope boxes after worship in Fellowship Hall. If you would like
to have them
mailed to your home, please call the church
office at (248)
474-6880
December Greeters December 1st, Cora D& Clara S
December 8th, John & Bonnie W December 15th, Earl & Sharon N December 22nd, Gary & Nancy R
December 24th, Molly, Katie & Laura T December 29th,
The Women’s Fellowship
Christmas Luncheon
Tuesday, December 10th at 12:00 noon
More details will be announced during
worship service
Women’s Fellowship Toy Collection
The Women’s Fellowship will be collecting toys for the Farmington Area Goodfellows and Trinity St. Mark’s
this Christmas. There will be a box in Fel-lowship Hall to collect the toys and books. Please bring toys to the church by Decem-ber 8th and help make Christmas a little brighter for our Farmington Area children.
Women’s Fellowship 2013
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The Storm Watch
“The Lord displays His power in
the whirlwind and the storm” (NRSV Nahum 1:3)
We would like to thank the congregation so much for providing food for the college kids! The boxes were packed FULL. And thanks to Mrs. N who always volunteers to lead the project, we really appreciate it! December 8th- We will be selling CINNAMON ROLLS after church. Proceeds will go toward our mission trip in June. Youth should be to church by 8:30am to help make the goodies. December 8th - 12:45pm - Load up toys for Trinity St. Marks in vehicles 1:00pm - Head down to Trinity St. Marks to drop off toys 2:00pm - Ice skate at Campus Martius with Birmingham Youth Group
(bring $10 for admission and skates) December 14th- We will be joining the Mission committee in helping bring the toys down to Trinity ST. Marks. The time of this event is to be determined so please watch your emails for details. 2014 UP COMING EVENTS: Bowling Taco Dinner/Auction 30 Hour Famine Lazer Tag And much more…
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7 Sally D 8 Frank L Mary Jo S 9 Jeff S Cam M Caleb P 10 Margie D 14 Randy R 15 Larry H 17 David H 18 Cindy B 20 Chip B 23 Rue M 24 Tom G 25 Lara K 29 Margaret K
Hiking Club Update
Just a reminder, the Salem Hiking Club will meet on Saturday, De-cember 14th in the Salem parking lot at 9:30am. We will than car-pool to our destination. This hike is for hikers and walkers of all abilities, ages, and endurance levels. Come join us for the morning! If you wish, bring a sack lunch or snack to be enjoyed after our hik-ing excursion.
Please contact Hiker Steve with any questions.
December Sunday School Teachers
Dec. 1st, Jim C Dec. 8th, Jim C
Dec. 15th, Jim C & Kim J Dec. 22nd,
Dec. 29th, No Class _______________________________________
Happy Anniversary!
18 Jim & Harriet P 59 yrs 21 Jeff & Kim J 16 yrs 23 Bert & Christine K 55 yrs 30 Bob & Alice B 46 yrs
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General Fund Update
Year-to-date receipts through October $138,189 Year-to-date expenses through October 149,344
Dear Salem family,
Tom and I would like to thank everyone for their cards, flowers, thoughts and
prayers during my illness. I am getting stronger each day, so please keep the
prayers coming! Salem truly has shown how much they care.
May God Bless and Thanks again,
Tom and Nan S
The women will meet on Tuesday December 10th, at Noon for our Holiday Lunch. When will then car pool to the restaurant. All women are wel-come! The location will be announced during services.
The Saturday women's mission group will not meet this month. We urge eve-ryone to join the choir and congregation in caroling to the shut ins.
Please have toys in by December 8th. Let’s put smiles on those children's faces!
(If we receive 200 or more toys, Nan S will wear the hat of Jeff S choice while caroling!)
We at both women's groups hope you all have a blessed Christmas Season!
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Micro Lending Update
To date, there are 15 members of the Salem Micro Lending Team. 155 loans, totaling $3,925 have been made. The Peace with Justice Committee has lent $2,075 through 83 of these loans in 32 countries. As these loans are repaid the money will be rein-vested in other loans. If you would like to join the Salem Lending Team please contact a member of the Peace with Justice Committee or go to http://www.kiva.org/team/salem_united_church_of_christ.
“I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Matthew 25: 35-36
Peace With Justice Offering January 19, 2014
Please consider a gift to the Peace With Justice Offering taken at Salem on Janu-ary 19th. Proceeds from the offering support the Peace with Justice Commit-tee’s activities at Salem. In 2013 the offering supported the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit, Bread for the World, micro lending through Kiva.org, the Farmington area Crop Walk and Michigan Interfaith Power and Light. Won’t you please help us again to support these and other worthwhile causes in 2014? Thank you.
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Come join us for some fun, fellowship & food as we carol to our Salem Shut-ins
No prior singing experience required! Saturday, December 21st at 1:00p.m.
(Meet in Fellowship Hall at 12:45pm to organize car pools)
We will carol for approximately 3 hours and then return to the Bradley’s home for dinner.
Ham will be provided with the rest of the meal being potluck. Please help share the warmth and love of the Christmas
season. This event is always a special and memorable experience.
If you are planning to attend please fill in the bottom of this form and return it to the office so that we may have a head count. You may place the tear-off in the offering plate or the box outside the office. You can also leave a message at (248) 474-6880 or e-mail at [email protected]
—-———————————tear-off ——————————
FAMILY NAME__________________________________
# OF PEOPLE ATTENDING _______________________ FOOD ITEM YOU WILL BRING ____________________
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Veterans of the Cross December 15, 2013
HOW THE FUNDS ARE USED The generous gifts of UCC congregations and individuals to the Christmas Fund enabled the Pension Boards’ Ministerial Assistance program to provide some form of assistance to impact the lives of approximately 900 persons during the past year. • CHRISTMAS THANK YOU CHECKS given to 500 retired UCC clergy/lay church em-ployees. This special gift at Christmas time reminds these Veterans of the Cross that they have not been forgotten and that the Church is grateful for their service. Gifts totaled $200,000 in 2012. • MONTHLY PENSION SUPPLEMENTATION for 395 lower-income retired UCC clergy/lay employees. Our retired clergy/lay employees relied on this income sup-plementation for basic needs such as food, utilities, living and/or medical ex-penses. Since needs exceed the amount received through the Christmas Fund Of-fering, assistance was also supported by Our Church’s Wider Mission and legacy gifts to Ministerial Assistance. The amount of pension supplementation totaled $1,344,635 in 2012.
QUARTERLY HEALTH PREMIUM SUPPLEMENTATION for 228 lower-income re-tired UCC clergy/lay employees. These funds subsidized premiums for the UCC Medicare Supplement Health Plan with Rx so that individuals could afford and receive quality health care. Assistance totaled $554,208 in 2012. EMERGENCY GRANTS for 45 active or retired UCC clergy/lay employees.
Sometimes those who serve the Church need our help, and emergency funds are available to assist in covering costs that arise unexpectedly – for example, large
medical expenses, or home damage resulting from natural disasters. Emergency assistance totaled $82,718 in 2012.
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2014 FOLLOWING WORSHIP IN FELLOWSHIP HALL
The congregation will be voting on 4 new board members:
Charles Bridges, David Hensel, Pam Schwalm & Amy Rhode for 3 year terms.
2 new Endowment Committee members: Rick Neumann & Cathy Baldwin for 3 year terms.
2 Delegates to the Detroit Metropolitan Association: Jim & Linda Coran
2 Delegates to the Michigan Conference: Bob & Alice Bailey
NOTE TO ALL COMMITTEES
Please turn in your Committee Annual Reports to the office no later than January 10,2014.
email: [email protected] Thank you!!!!
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DON’T LET IT BE A “BLUE CHRISTMAS”
for some great kids this year
Please consider contributing to the “TOyS fOR TRINITy ST. MARkS”
**Please have Items to church by SUNDAY, December 8th Children range from 2 yrs – 14 yrS
Please NO Toy WEAPONS
Battery Operated Toys Stuffed Animals
Some Suggestions are: Art & craft Toys
Cars, Trucks, blocks Dolls, books, puzzles
BOARD GAMES
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The Fellowship and Recreation Committee invites you to join us for a Christmas Concert at the Redford Theatre (Lasher and Grand River) on Saturday, December 14th at 8:00pm. The program features the Casali Holiday Dancers and Dave Calendine on the original pipe organ. Santa Claus will also be there for picture opportunities. Tickets are $5.00 and may be purchased from Dorothy Stoutjesdyk anytime. We will car pool from Salem at 7:00pm and announce a pre-concert dinner opportunity at a local restaurant later. Hope you can join us for a magical musical evening.
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