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IN THIS NEWSLETTER
John’s Epistle
2016 Offering Envelopes
Upcoming Events
Church Statistics
Dollars and Sense
Council & Committee
Meetings
December Lectionary
Communion Schedules
Haven House Lunch
Ministry
Birthdays/Anniversaries
Worship Assistants
Staff Christmas Gifts
Hospitality INC
OAKS Christmas Party
Cookie Walk
Community Table
Annual Meeting Report
Deadline
Worship Info
2017 Council
Contribution Deadline
Mitten Tree
Thank you
Adopt a Family
Toys for Tots and Teens
O.A.K.S. Who Are We?
Advent Study
Prayer Concerns
December Calendar
Christmas Eve Service
JOHN’S EPISTLE
This Advent season we’ve been invited to join the Four Corners Churches for a
Wednesday evening Advent study. It’s called “The Redemption of Scrooge,” based on
Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” The focus of the study are the three ghosts
who visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve – the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christ-
mas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas-Yet-To-Come.
That really sums up where we’re at in Advent and at Christmas, and indeed how we
live as Christians. Since the first century, as Christians await the advent of the second
coming of Christ with prayer and worship they have uttered the word Maranatha. Mara-
natha is a Greek transliteration from the Aramaic in 1 Corinthians 16:22. In Aramaic,
as in Syriac, maranatha may be two words, with differing translations:
marana tha = an imperative form oriented toward the future, translated as:
“Come, our Lord!”
maran atha = the perfect form expressing a completed event in the past trans-
lated as: “Our Lord has come.”
As Christians we live in the present between maran atha, our prayer for the future com-
ing of the Lord, and marana tha, our belief that our God has come, and keeps coming to
us in Jesus the Lord. In Jesus not only is salvation given to us personally, but in the
Christ God will redeem all creation.
At this time of year we expectantly wait for the One who has already come, who con-
tinually comes to us, and who will come again. We anticipate the promised justice of
God’s new world, yet we praise God who raised the “righteous branch” to rule with
justice and righteousness. We hope for the restoration of the afflicted, the tormented,
and the grieving, yet we delight that healing has come in Christ. We long for the beat-
ing of swords into plowshares, yet we rejoice that the Prince of Peace has appeared. We
yearn for the barren deserts of our inner cities to flourish, yet we laud the desert Rose
that has bloomed. We dream of the land where lions and lambs live in harmony, yet we
acclaim the child born to lead us into the promised land. Christ has come! Christ is ris-
en! Christ will come again! We are living between the first and the second coming of
the Lord. The tension between marana tha and maran atha — placing us between
memory and hope, past and future.
That’s especially appropriate for us as a congregation. We are living in the time be-
tween the end of one pastor’s ministry and the beginning of another’s. We look to the
past four years to see what has been accomplished under one pastor. We look hopefully
to the future for what a new pastor will bring.
Perhaps we need to cling to the ancient cry of Maranatha! and two meanings so we may
freely embrace “the new thing” prophesied by Isaiah (Isa. 43:19) that God is doing
among us right now.
I leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul at the end of his
first letter to the Corinthians: “… Our Lord, come
[maranatha]! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love
be with all of you in Christ Jesus.”
Yours in Christ,
Pastor John
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Date Attendance
Count
General Fund
Collection
November 6 81 $4544.01
November 13 88 $2822.51
November 20 83 $2050.00
November 27 56
November 2016 Church Statistics
INCOME TO DATE $130,642.36
EXPENSES TO DATE ($137,224.24)
BALANCE (6,581.88)
General Fund Balance $9,759.43
COUNCIL & COMMITTEE MEETINGS — DECEMBER 2016
Finance and Personnel Committee Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 6:00 p.m., Room 20a
O.A.K.S. Committee Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 6:30 p.m., Room 10
Worship Committee Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 7:00 p.m., Room 20a
Missions Committee Sunday, December 4, 2016, after worship, Room 20a
Christian Women’s Fellowship Monday, December 5, 2016, 9:00 a.m., Room 11
Christian Education Committee
Membership/Outreach/Evangelism Committee
(M.O.E.)
Communications Committee
Tuesday, December 13, 2016, 6:00 p.m., Room 10
Building Use and Maintenance Committee (B.U.M.) Wednesday, December 14, 2016, 7:00 p.m.
Long Range Planning Committee Wednesday, December 28, 2016, 7:00 p.m., Room 20a
Council of Ministries Wednesday, December 21, 2016, 7:00 p.m., Room 11
Crossroads December 2016
As of: November 2, 2016
Upcoming Events
DECEMBER
OAKS Christmas Luncheon - December 2nd
Community Table - WE SERVE - December 20th
Mitten Tree - 11/27 through 12/9
Toys for Tots and Teens - 11/27 through 12/11
Cookie Walk - December 9th
Hospitality INC. - December 10th
Candlelight Communion Service—Dec. 24
Christmas - Sunday, December 25th
JANUARY
Nursing Home visits - January 1
Removing Decorations - January 8
Hospitality I.N.C. - Jan. 14 (We host)
Annual Committee Reports Due - Jan. 8
OAKS Game Day - Saturday, Jan. 22
Annual Congregational Meeting - Not yet
scheduled
2017 OFFERING ENVELOPES
Offering envelopes for the 2017 calendar year will be
prepared and placed in the fellowship hall of the
church on Friday, December 9th. If you do not
currently use offering envelopes and would like the
convenience of using them, please contact the
church office at 843-9275.
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Crossroads DECEMBER 2016
LECTIONARY READINGS
December, 2016
Sunday, December 4, 2016
2nd Sunday of Advent
Isa. 11:1-10, Ps.72:1-7, 18-19;
Rom. 15:4-13; Matt. 3:1-12
Sunday, December 11, 2016
3rd Sunday of Advent
Isa. 351-10; Ps. 146:5-10 or
Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10;
Matt. 11:2-11
Sunday, December 18, 2016
4th Sunday of Advent
Isa. 7:10-16; Oa. 80:1-7, 17-19;
Rom. 1:1-7; Matt. 1:18-25
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Christmas Eve
Isa. 9:2-7; Ps. 96;
Titus 2:11-14;
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Nativity of Jesus Christ/Christmas Day
Dawn: Isa. 62:6-12; Ps. 97; Titus 3:4-7;
Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20
Day: Isa. 52:7-10;Ps. 98;
Heb. 1:1-4 (5-12);
John 1:1-14
2016 COMMUNION SCHEDULE
December 4 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction
December 24 Christmas Eve Pews
2017 COMMUNION SCHEDULE
January 1 Epiphany Sunday Intinction
February 5 Transfiguration of the Lord Pews
March 1 Ash Wednesday Intinction
March 5 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction
April 2 1st Sunday of the Month
April 13 Maundy Thursday Intinction
April 16 Easter Sunday Pews
April 3 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction
May 7 1st Sunday of the Month Pews
June 4 Pentecost Sunday
Also 1st Sunday of the
Month
Intinction
July 2 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction
August 6 1st Sunday of the Month Pews
September 3 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction
October 1 World Communion Sunday Pews
November 5 All Saint’s Sunday Intinction
November 26 Christ the King Sunday Pews
December 3 1st Sunday of the Month Intinction
December 24 Christmas Eve Pews
Haven House Homeless Lunch Ministry
Grace Episcopal Church is providing a warm environment and hot meal
at lunch each Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm through
April 27, 2017.
We are looking for volunteers to help with this ministry. Participation
can be done as a group or individually in many forms from preparing a
meal; serving a meal; greeting and visiting with homeless guests; or by
donating food or paper products.
If anyone is interested in this ministry, contact Neil [(517) 996-2037] or Carolyn [(517) 802-
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Crossroads DECEMBER 2016
ANNIVERSARIES
John and Val Stapleton 12/06
Kang and Inja Lee 12/07
Harold and Millie Figgins 12/12
Fred and Beverly Fleetwood 12/13
Sid and Barb Sytsma 12/23
Doug and Bev Anderson 12/28
BIRTHDAYS
Bill Wolf 12/03
Russ Miller Jr. 12/04
Frank Petersen 12/06
Tonda Cadey 12/09
James Cross 12/11
Darlene Carpenter 12/11
Bob Sanders 12/12
James Sisko 12/14
Jack Thiel 12/15
Gail Bowden 12/15
Justin Sherman 12/18
Linda Leibole 12/19
Diane Swathwood 12/21
Darlene French 12/21
Lyle Gunderson 12/22
Ric Cooper 12/28
Margaret Hansen 12/30
Cindy Reader 12/31
Crossroad Deadline: December 21, 2016
Crossroad Mailing: December 28, 2016
WORSHIP ASSISTANTS
Sunday, December 4
Lector— Maralyn Gable
Greeters—
Ushers— James Sisko, Gregg Shaw, Tonda Cadey
Sunday, December 11
Lector— Kathy Bromley
Greeters– Donna Collins
Ushers– Dave and Diane Swathwood, Ray and
Joanne Cummins
Sunday, December 18
Lector– Beverly Anderson
Greeters– Les and Marie Mortensen
Ushers– Don and Lorrie McKay, Betty Hodges
Saturday, Christmas Eve, December 24
Lector–
Greeters–
Ushers– Mark Otto
Sunday, Christmas Day, December 25
Lector–
Greeters–
Ushers– Judy Bach, Teri Nedderman
The Personnel Committee is coordinating a “free will” do-
nation for a gift to our staff. The total amount collected will
be equally divided among Pastor John, Charity Johnston
(secretary), Joe Holmes (custodian), and John Clement
(music director). Please give your voluntary contribution to
Donna Hallin, or mail it to her at the church (109 N. Harri-
son St., Ludington). Please make
your checks payable to Commu-
nity Church of Ludington. Do-
nations must be received no
later than December 18, 2016.
Thank you.
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Crossroads DECEMBER 2016
2016 CONTRIBUTION DEADLINE
All contributions to be credited to the 2016
calendar year must be submitted
to the office or be postmarked no later than
December 31, 2016.
2017 COUNCIL
3 Year Term Ending Dec. 31, 2017
Bob Lanterman Steve Iteen
John Stapleton Gregg Shaw
3 Year Term Ending Dec. 31, 2018
Don McKay Tonda Cadey
Ruthann Kyle Janet VanEpps
3 Year Term Ending Dec. 31, 2019
Darlene Carpenter Maralyn Gable
Diane Swathwood Position Open
Moderator
Steve Iteen
Vice-Moderator
Bob Lanterman
Secretary/Clerk
Ruthann Kyle
Treasurer
Donna Hallin
Nominating Committee
Bobbie Maclean
Teri Nedderman
Stephanie Thomsen
Scholarship Committee
Wendy Lanterman
Betty Orton
Jack Thiel
Community Church is sponsoring a Mitten Tree
during this holiday season. Donations of handmade
or store bought hats, mittens, and scarves will be col-
lected from Sunday, November 27th to Friday, Decem-
ber 9th. The mitten tree will be placed in the Fellow-
ship Hall. Donations will be distributed by the Salvation
Army to those in need in our area.
The Christmas Offering this year will
be used to help defray the costs for
providing the Community Meals
hosted by Community Church.
At the Special Congregation held on Sunday, November 20, 2016, the con-gregation of Community Church of Lud-ington voted affirmatively to call Pastor Bret Spalding as its new pastor. Rever-end Spalding will begin his duties on January 1, 2017.
Need something to do this winter on
those cold and snowy days! We need
knitters and crocheters to make prayer
shawls for people who are sick, shut-in, or
in nursing homes. All interested parties
should contact Elsie Schroeder 843-2901
for details.
A great big Thank You to Teri Nedderman
and all who helped “deck the halls.” The
church looks beautiful and ready to welcome
the Christ Child!
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Hospitality INC - The season began October 30 and we have been blessed with the opportunity to
serve this year. We host the second Saturday of each month November thru April.
Hospitality Inc. Dates:
December 10th January 14th
February 11th March 11th
April 8th Questions? Contact Kathy Bromley 843-9395.
Crossroads DECEMBER 2016
Mark your calendars! The O.A.K.S. Christ-
mas Luncheon is scheduled for Friday,
December 2th at 12:00 noon in the
church dining room. We will have a deli-
cious meal, the singing of carols, entertain-
ment by John Marek, and great fellowship.
There will be good food, reminiscing and lots
of fun. Bring a friend! We must have a count
for this event too. Please sign up on the clip-
board in fellowship hall A free-will offering will
be collected to help support the O.A.K.S. min-
istry. Please sign up on the clipboard in the
Narthex or call the church office (843-9275). If
you need a ride please call the church of-
fice early (9—10:30 a.m.) or call Judy
Bach 843-4826.
The Annual Cookie Walk is
scheduled for Friday, December
9th from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
All women of the church are asked
to donate homemade Christmas
cookies. Please bring your cookies
to the Fellowship Hall on Thursday,
December 10th from 9:00 a.m. to
1:00 p.m. or Friday morning by 10:00 a.m. Proceeds from
the Cookie Walk will go to missions supported by Christian
Women’s Fellowship.
The Community Church will host the Community Table ministry on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. We need volunteers to set-up, cook, serve and clean up after the dinner. If you are willing to partici-pate in this event, please contact Ed or Donna Hallin at 757-3360.
Attention all Council and Committee
Chairs, your annual reports for your
committees are due to the church
office no later than Sunday, January
8, 2017. If there are any questions,
please contact the church office.
WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION
Sunday, December 25—a service of Lessons & Carols
Sunday, January 1, 2017—Pastor Brett’s first Sunday
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Crossroads DECEMBER 2016
Christian Women’s Fellowship will be collecting for “TOYS FOR TOTS TO
TEENS” that will be distributed locally by the Salvation Army. A tree will be
placed in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, November 27th through December 14th.
The toys will then be collected and delivered to the Salvation Army for distribution.
Please consider donating a new toy for this worthy cause. For additional
information please contact Elsie Schroeder.
The Noisy Coin Offering took in $232. This money is designated to be used
for the Adopt-a-Family for Christmas. We received an additional $130 on
11/20. 11/27’s collection has not yet been counted. If we raise an additional
$638, a matching donation of $1000 will be given. We need individuals to
sign up to provide items for the food baskets that we are providing to
the families with their gifts. The sign-up sheets are in Fellowship Hall.
Shopping and wrapping is Sat. Dec. 10 starting at 10am.
O.A.K.S.
Who are we? O.A.K.S. stands for Older Adult Karing System. Our main purpose is to visit people
from our church that are in nursing homes or homebound. Having events like luncheons and our
Summer picnic are open to our church members and guests.
How often do we meet? We meet the first Wednesday of most months for a half-hour to discuss
our goals and how we are doing. We a communion service for those people who are not able to
be at our regular communion services. This service is held at 2 pm and we have a short social time
the service. This held in Fellowship Hall.
O.A.K.S. committee: Judy Bach, Dorothy Boon, Sally Burmeister, Ann Brown, Ross Donley, Maralyn Gable, Gene Kyle,
Barb McDonald, Sandy Steckel, Mike Petersen, Diane Swathwood, Marge Gilligan.
Advent Wednesday Study 6:00—8:00 p.m.
November 30, December 7, 14, 21
The members of Community Church and Lakeside Chapel have been invited by the Four Corners Churches (Grace Episcopal,
Emanuel Lutheran, Bethany Lutheran, and Victory-Trinity Lutheran) to join them on Wednesday evenings in Advent for an Ad-
vent study. Each evening we will meet in one of the Four Corners churches and one of the pastors (Rev. Bill Huether, Rev. Mick
Shriver, Rev. John Brown, and Rev. Cindy DeJong) will lead the evening prayer and the study.
The Schedule for Each Evening
6:00 Evening Prayer 6:30 Light supper provided by host church 7:00 Video and study 8:00 Closing prayer
The Theme of the Study
The Redemption of Scrooge
This study is based on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, and will explore the world of Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and Cratchits, with an eye to Christian faith. Along the way we will meet the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come and learn about living with and for others in a world blessed by Jesus. November 30 “Bah! Humbug!” Bethany Lutheran December 7 “The Remembrance of Christmas Past” Grace Episcopal December 14 “The Life of Christmas Present” Victory-Trinity Lutheran December 21 “The Hope of Christmas Future” Emanuel Lutheran
8
Crossroads Prayer Concerns DECEMBER 2016
PRAYER NEEDS OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Gerry Flanery, illness
Gene McClellan, recovering at home
Steven Fenrich, complications from surgery
OUR MISSIONARIES
Daryl and Leshia Beltz
Jim and Yuri Cerminaro
Tony and Connie Johnson
Dean and Debbie Lundberg
MILITARY
Jacob T. Overway – Deployed
Grandson of Ted & Arlene Wierda
ON-GOING
Barbara Peters, multiple sclerosis, Bob and Lynn Olmstead’s Daughter
Terry and Tim Krystiniak, health concerns, encouragement and support
Eric Lund, lost both arms in Afghanistan, friend of Community Church
Chuck Oleniczak, health concerns
Harold Figgins, health concerns
Betty Foorman, health concerns
Daniel Williams, health concerns, Sandi Steckel’s cousin
Sherrie Sanders, health concerns
Fred Compos, Throat Cancer
Judy d’Anton, health issues, Dave Swathwood’s Sister
Myah Taylor, infant, congenital heart defect, daughter of Brooke Ashley
and Cory Taylor, friends of Kim Iteen, at Mott Children’s Hospital
Fred Fleetwood, health concerns
Rainey Lew Evans, newborn, prayers answered, home & gaining strength
Pray for family strength, grandparents Steve & Kim Iteen
John Barber, health concerns
Joe Newton, cancer
Gavin Morgan, Scout from Troop 1190 with cancer
NURSING HOME RESIDENTS
AUTUMN WINDS - Marylyn Brown WILLOWBROOK - Thelma Bowden
OAKVIEW - Gary Miller, Barbara Johnson, Mary Markov
LUDINGTON WOODS - Don Swier
All persons placed on the prayer list will remain there for a period of two weeks. After two
weeks, the name will be dropped from the list unless Janet VanEpps or the office are notified
that the prayer need is on-going. If you have a prayer need that you would like to have the mem-
bers of the prayer chain pray for, please activate the prayer chain by calling Janet VanEpps at
843-3122.
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M ay 2 014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
November 27
1
Cub Scouts 6pm
Bell Choir 6:30pm Chancel Choir 7:30pm
2
Bulletin Folding 10am
OAKS Christmas
Lunch 12-3pm
3
4 Communion-Pews
Missions after worship
5
CWF Mtg. 9am
Cub Scouts 7pm
6 Ladies Bible 9:30am Quilters 10am-6pm
Community Table 4:30pm
WE SERVE
CE/MOE/COM 6pm
Cub Scouts 4-6pm Boy Scouts 7pm
7 Pearl Harbor
Remembrance Day Finance/Personnel 6pm
OAKS 6:30pm
Worship Committee 7pm
8
Garden Club Christmas Luncheon 12-4pm
Cub Scouts 6pm
Bell Choir 6:30pm
Chancel Choir7:30pm
9
Bulletin Folding 10am
COOKIE WALK 11-12:30
Offering Envelopes
Available
10
Adopt-a-Family Shopping/Wrapping
Hospitality INC
11
12
Cub Scouts 7pm
13
Ladies Bible 9:30am
Quilters 10am-6pm
Community Table 4:30pm
Cub Scouts 4-6pm Boy Scouts 7pm
14
B.U.M. Committee 7pm
15
Cub Scouts 6pm
Bell Choir 6:30pm
Chancel Choir 7:30pm
16
Bulletin Folding 10am
17
18
19
Cub Scouts 7 pm
20
Ladies Bible 9:30 am
Quilters 10am-6pm
Community Table 4:30pm
Cub Scouts 4-6pm Boy Scouts 7pm
21
CROSSROADS DEADLINE
Council Meeting 7pm
22
Cub Scouts 6pm
Bell Choir 6:30pm Chancel Choir 7:30pm
23
Bulletin Folding 10 am
24
Christmas Eve Service
Communion-Pews 9pm
Christmas Offering
25
Christmas Carol Sing
26
Office Closed
Cub Scouts 7 pm
27
Ladies Bible 9:30 am
Quilters 10am-6pm
Community Table 4:30pm
Cub Scouts 4-6pm Boy Scouts 7pm
28
CROSSROADS MAILING
29
Cub Scouts 6pm
Bell Choir 6:30pm Chancel Choir 7:30pm
30 Bulletin Folding 10 am
31
DECEMBER 20 1 6
10
Pre-Sorted Standard
Ludington MI
Non-Profit Org.
Permit No. 167
IF YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER AND WISH TO BE REMOVED FROM THE MAILING LIST OR ARE ATTENDING
ANOTHER CHURCH, PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE AT 231-843-9275 SO THAT OUR RECORDS CAN BE
UPDATED. THANK YOU.
CROSSROADS
DECEMBER 2016
Community Church
109 N. Harrison St.
Ludington, MI 49431
Phone: 231-843-9275
communitych@frontier.com
www.commch.com
CONGREGATIONAL /PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH STAFF
Pastor
Rev. John Brown
Music Director
W. John Clement
Membership/Financial Secretary
Custodian
Church Office Hours
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
3 Yr. Term Ending 12/31/2016
Gene Kyle Sandy Steckel Donald McKay
Terri Nedderman
3 Year Term Ending 12/31/17 Bob Lanterman
Steve Iteen John Stapleton Gregg Shaw
3 Year Term Ending 12/31/18
Tonda Cadey John Grech
Ruthann Kyle Janet VanEpps
Moderator Steven Iteen
Vice-Moderator
Gregg Shaw
Treasurer
Donna Hallin
Clerk
Ruthann Kyle
Nominating Committee
Janet Grams Tonda Cadey
Diane Swathwood
Scholarship Committee Jayne Reed
Wendy Lanterman Bobbie Maclean
2016 COUNCIL
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Communion Service
9:00 P.M.
Bell Choir, Community Choir
Nursery Provided
Invite your family and friends to share in the
celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!
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