Sunday

Schedule Worship 9:30 AM

Sanctuary

Fellowship Time following Worship

Social Hall

Church School and Adult Forum

11:00 AM Upstairs/Chapel

Rev. Elliott’s Email:

revscottelliott@mvucc.org

Church Office Manager’s

Email: secretary@mvucc.org

Church Phone: 740-393-1736

We are an Open and Affirming Congregation

Parish Visitor December 2016

Volume XLIX, Issue 4 We’re on the Web at:

mvucc.org

Christmas Host A fun nativity story

carols, candle–lighting & joy

Christmas Eve– 7PM 1st Congregational Church

200 N. Main St. Mount Vernon, OH 43019

Poinsettia Order

Deadline

December 5th

(see page 3)

Caroling Party December 18

3:30 pm

(see page 3)

Help Children in Need With the

Interchurch Tree of Sharing!

Bring in gifts or money on

December 4th and 11th. The

Deadline to bring in gifts and

monetary donations is

December 11th. Distribution

day is December 15th (See bulletin for more details)

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Christmas Poinsettias The December 5th deadline is fast approaching to

order poinsettias for Christmas Sunday and Christmas

Eve services. We will be ordering them from the same

greenhouse as last year (Richardson’s of Loudonville).

If you remember, they were beautiful plants. They will

be in 6 ½” pots with 5-7 blooms each. You have a

choice of red or white (or some of each) to order in

honor, or in memory, of loved ones. Order forms will

be available Sunday or from the church office. There

is also an order form attached to the newsletter. The

cost is $8.00 per plant, same as last year. Last year we

ordered 81 plants! Wow!! Let’s do the same (or more)

this year!! To meet the greenhouse deadline, your or-

der and payment must be placed by December

5th.

Help Children in Need

Interchurch Tree of Sharing Our church has participated faithfully in our com-munity’s annual program that helps children of need receive toys and clothes at Christmastime. Please consider donating gifts or money to help our church in this year’s mission effort. The display on the bulletin board in the social hall contains gift tags for children and their needs and wishes for clothing and toys. If you take a card, please sign your name on the duplicate card and place it in the holder beside the display. If you do not wish to shop for a child but would like to give a monetary donation that will be used to buy blankets and grocery gift cards for the families, please put your donation in the offering plate or church office and mark it for Tree of Sharing. Gifts may be brought to church and put under the tree in the sanctuary on December 4th and 11th. December 11th is the deadline to bring in gifts and donations. The distribution day is December 15th. Thank you. – Charlotte Watson, Coordinator

Food For The Hungry It is time once again for the Food For The

Hungry campaign. The live broad-

cast/collection day is December 10, 9 - 4. As

you know, Food For The Hungry supports

the pantries and Financial Aid programs at

both Interchurch and Salvation Army. I am

looking for volunteers to staff collection

points thru out the day. Please let me know if

you are available for any part of the day and,

feel free to share this with family, friends and

co-workers.

-Thanks! Joy/Executive Director ISS (740)

397-4825 x103

Caroling to Shut-ins On December 18th at 3:30 pm we will have our annual

caroling party. Everyone is invited to meet at the church.

We will then split up into small groups and travel to the

homes of our homebound church friends. Following the

caroling, we will meet back at the church for pizza.

Please sign-up on the bulletin board in the social hall to

let us know that you are planning to attend. – Charlotte

Watson, Coordinator

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FROM THE PASTOR ….

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The Season of Advent is upon us! It heralds the approach of Christmas and is a sure sign that more Love is in the air. Advent is how the Church calendar begins, with the promise of the hope and joy that Love is about to arrive to bring “peace on earth good will to all.” Jesus’ arrival on Christmas Day is that promise come true. Christians believe that through Christ every person and every nation–ALL THE WORLD– is of-fered a new Way to peace. It’s a personal peace for sure, but it is also a world peace; that it’s a Way of being for us as a person, people and peoples. After all “peace on earth good will to all” cannot come about without nations, as well as individuals and churches acting toward it. Christmas is a hope-and Gospel-for all the world. That is why Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 (31-46) that nations will be judged by how they tend to Christ in those among us who are oppressed, and marginalized (represented in the poor, sick, stranger and imprisoned). And Advent– the whole Holiday Season– is upbeat and full of more Love because we are doing just that; we are spreading Love around just as God would have us do all year ‘round. Peace on earth is not just a theological matter, it is a political matter as well, so it should be no sur-prise that the Nativity stories in Luke and Matthew have political origins. They tell of giv-ing Caesar’s divine titles to Jesus. They tell of giving the story of Caesar’s virgin conception by a deity to Jesus,. They told of contrasting God’s way of peace through love and freedom, to Caesar’s Way of “pax” (peace) through violence and oppression. The Nativity stories show God as loving every one, as opposed to the Roman gods loving only a few. This year most of us are exhausted by the political season that just ended. We are exhausted in good part because both sides peppered that awful season with Caesar’s way of verbal violence and threats of oppression. The Advent Season and Christmas season stand in stark contrast to that Rome-like a way of behaving. Advent and Christmas are about love and peace. And they are no less political today than they were at the start, but (again) they offer another sort of politics-the type most of us hope for. That is they offer Jesus Way of being that promises the hope and joy of Love about to arrive to bring “peace on earth good will to all.” Jesus’ arrival on Christmas Day is that promise come true. May we all soak in the Advent Seasons’ Sonshine and bring as much of that Love as we can to bear on the new year. Merry Christmas to each of you from Nancy and Me! You brother in Christ,

Rev. Scott Elliott

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COMING UP …..

Adult Forum Submitted by Kris Sullivan

for the Adult Forum Committee The Adult Forum welcomes members, visi-tors and friends every Sunday at 11 in the Chapel. Plan to participate this month in the Adult The Adult Forum welcomes John Chidester to help us to understand better the roots of the Old Testa-ment. If you have heard theological talk of Q, or a mysterious source attributed to Josephus, or if you wondered how the Hammurabi Code entered the picture--is is an opportunity to sort it out. John Chidester is one of our most learned members and will be helpful if you thought the Old Testament was a bewildering mix of books, stories, and peo-ple. This discussion begins Dec. 6 and continues on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. No forum is planned on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

Men’s Breakfast Monday, December 5th, 7:00am, at R&M Southside Diner on Newark Road. All invited.

Free Yoga Classes 10:00 am, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Chapel. All welcome. - Janine Kiracofe

FREE Chi Gong Classes each Saturday in the Social Hall at 10:00 am. All invited.—Steve Hatfield

New Member Class Sign up on the bulletin board in the Social Hall to learn about our church and church membership. When we have four or more people signed up we will hold a class.

The Church Library

Bev Hamilton, Coordinator

Magazines, newsletters, CD's & DVD's are located on the library desk & shelves. Consumer Reports - 12/2016 Consumer Reports On Health - 12/2016 Tufts Univ. Health & Nutrition Letter - 12/2016 U. of CA. Berkley Wellness Letter - 12/2016 (Juvenile Fiction) Carlson, D. - Attack of the Turtle DuPrau, J. - City of Ember Hunt, L. - Fish in a Tree McBrier, P. - Once There Was and Was Not Morpurgo, M. - War Horse Ryan P. - Echo (Easy Fiction) Bar-el, D. - Not Your Typical Dragon Bright, R. - The Lion Inside Matheson, C. - Tap the Magic Tree Matheson, C. - Touch the Brightest Star

Please Consider A Donation Our Pastor’s Discretionary Fund is in

need of additional donations. All through

the year we help many people in need

through our general donations to the Pas-

tor’s Discretionary Fund. During the Holi-

days, this fund is particularly useful and in

need of replenishment. The first Sunday’s

loose plate donations go toward this fund

but donations can be made anytime. Please

note on your check or giving envelope that

you would like your gift given to go into

this fund. Thank You.

-Rev. Scott Elliott

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Stewardship

What does it mean to us?

The Stewardship Board would like to thank all of our loyal members for returning their pledge cards in early. For those of you who are still thinking about submitting your pledge

card, I hope to answer your questions in a helpful way.

Frequently Asked Questions?

What is pledging? Each of us has the opportunity again this fall to renew our commitment to one another and the mission of First Congregational United Church of Christ by making a financial commitment – a pledge, which is “a solemn promise.”

Why are annual pledges important? Annual pledges support what we do

at First Congregational United Church of Christ and beyond our doors. Our yearly budget is driven by the generosity of our annual pledges. Each and every pledge makes a difference and works toward the building of our faith community. Knowing what funding to expect, we can plan for the costs of our ministries for the coming year.

How does annual pledging fit in the ministry of financial stewardship? Annual pledges are just one part of the practice of generosity and stew-ardship that undergirds our individual and corporate spiritual life. An annu-

al pledge supports the ministries and mission of First Congregational United Church of Christ. Planned giving is a gift or series of gifts that can help secure the church’s ministries beyond our individual lifetimes. Special gifts fund additional parish priorities such as building renovation, program, and endowment support.

(continued on following page)

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How much should I give with an annual pledge? Christian stewardship is grounded in the understanding that our standard of giving should reflect our standard of living. Each of us is called to consider making a pledge that is both responsible and significant based on his or her financial situation.

Do I have to pay at the time that I make my pledge? Returning your pledge card is a promise to pay. You make your pledge and then fulfill your pledge in as many payments as you wish throughout the year. Pledges are to be ful-filled on a calendar year basis that is, beginning January 1 through Decem-ber 31 of each year.

Submitted by: Carol Garner, Board Member, Stewardship

MISSION AND SERVICE BOARD

Here are some facts and information about how this Board chooses to spend its budget for 2016. Automatically, $14,000 from our budget of $16,500 goes annually to Central Southeast Ohio Asso-ciation for its expenditures. Semi-annually $1500 is received from the Helen Cooke Fund, a be-quest left by a member of the church who taught in Lebanon most of her career. This year a be-quest to the church from another estate was shared with the Board. These monies above and be-yond our stated budget enable our reaching out for a variety of projects. Locally, we have pledged for this year, $100 monthly to Christian Star Academy, Hope Now and Interchurch Social Services. The Meharry College Alumni Association received $500 for student scholarships. As needed, money is donated to Hot Meals, Equal Exchange Coffee Fund, for the coffee used at church and as well for the purchase of tea, candy and coffee that is sold to individu-als. Community gardens benefit from our gifts. In October we directed $750 for Syrian Refugee Relief and $1000 to Helping Haitians in Need, the effort by Ohioans Mary Ellen and Paul Huber to support a Haitian pastor in his local ministry through his church and school, with the building of a cistern that serves the needs of over 1500 people. Conscientious about wisely using our funds by year's end, we will disburse gifts at our November meeting responding to causes as we hear of needs. If you have question or suggestions, please talk to any Board member: Tom Dole, Sandy Reppart, Ron Meharry, Erin Salva, Steve Hatfield, Elinor Dunnewold. Written by Elinor Dunnewold

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The environment we usually observe here is the material environment, the physical place we live and hope to continue living in. Hence our effort to live clean, green, and without footprints. If we leave no footprints, are we real? Can we define ourselves without our bodies, hands and feet and heads? Sages have told us that our legacies are rarely lasting, if they are physical, but only if our very selves have been woven with the selves of others. Our favorite sage, Jesus, tells us that if we look to heavenly rewards, they will not rust or rot. I recently discovered at a thrift store a book which I intend to read cover to cover, The Sacred Paths: Understanding the Religions of the World, 2nd Edition, by Theodore M. Ludwig of Val-paraiso University. My thoughts went to Chile, but Valparaiso U is in northwest Indiana, U.S.A. Mr. Ludwig has written a textbook including the essential premises of the religious families of the world, including the art of each family and discussions of how religion shapes daily life. It in-cludes many more illustrations than most college textbooks, and links to news and documentary programming from ABC News sources. For each religious family, Mr. Ludwig writes of the sacred story and the historical context. Chris-tians are not the only ones who seek to live in this (material) world while praying about the next. We seek guidance from our trained ministers, from our scriptures, from the leaders we admire, from our fellow (and sister) pilgrims. American Christians also borrow from other traditions. It would seem that when we persevere, we do reach new kinds of understanding, grace, and humility. We are more and more able to see the difference between the blessed or heavenly life and the earthly life, which also has blessings but of a different kind. When I finish reading this book, I will return it to a thrift store or to the bookstore operated by the Friends of the Public Library. I should give them more books, to free my material life from way too much dusting. Would my spirit float high and light and green? Not yet, I guess. But my footprint will be lighter.

Material Environments Kris Sullivan

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The Parish Visitor

December 2016

First Congregational UCC

200 N Main Street, Mt Vernon, OH 43050-2410

Phone: 740-393-1736;

Fax: 740-393-1157

Pastor: Rev. Scott Elliott

Email: revscottelliott@mvucc.org

Office Manager: Heather Stewart

Email: secretary@mvucc.org

Custodian: Scott Mickley

Music Director: Laura Ackert

Pianist: Mary Cochran

Nursery Care: Caroline Burley

Nursery Care: Camille Pipino

First Congregational

United Church of Christ

200 North Main Street

Mount Vernon, OH 43050-2410

Invite Family and

Friends ...

Welcome Every

Visitor...

Churches grow in number because those who attend in-

vite people they know and those in attendance make

every visitor feel welcome. First Congregational is a

wonderful, dynamic, love-centered church with a wide

embrace of welcome for all! Please bring your friends

and make sure to greet those you do not know.

Share the Love!

December

2016