The Montgomery Presbyterian Church Newsletter
THE CHIMES
DECEMBER 2017
THE COMING OF GOD
Our God is the One who comes to us
in a burning bush, in an angel’s song, in a newborn child.
Our God is the One who cannot be found locked in the church,
not even in the sanctuary.
Our God will be where God will be
with no constraints, no predictability.
Our God lives where our God lives,
and destruction has no power
and even death cannot stop the living.
Our God will be born where God will be born,
but there is no place to look for the One who comes to us. When God is ready
God will come even to a godforsaken place
like a stable in Bethlehem.
Watch…
for you know not when
God comes. Watch, that you might be found
whenever wherever
God comes.
Ann Weems
Kneeling in Bethlehem, 1980
SUNDAY
SCHEDULE
Adult Christian
Education 8:45 am
Coffee & Fellowship:
10am-10:25am
Worship: 10:30am-11:30 am
Children are dismissed
for Godly Play on the 2nd, 3rd & 4th Sundays
To receive the newsletter via
email, forward your email address to
with the subject line:
“NEWSLETTER”
CALENDAR 2
MPC EVENTS 3-4
MISSION 5
PRESBYTERY 5
PARTNERSHIPS 6
DECEMBER 2017
S u n d a y M o n d a y T u e s d a y W e d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y F r i d a y S a t u r d a y 1 2
9:30-12:30pm Winter
Market
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8:45 Adult CE Ladies Circle, 12pm 9:30-12:30pm Winter Market
10:30 Worship Service w/ 6:30 Hand bells
7:30 Choir
Communion
3pm Jubilant Singers concert
MPC sanctuary
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
8:45 Adult CE Lunch Bunch, noon
10:30a-11:30a: 9:30-12:30pm Winter Market
6:30 Hand bells
Worship Service 7pm Book Club
7pm Wassail Hour 7:30 Choir
(6:30 New Horizons
Orchestra)
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
8:45 Adult CE 9:30-12:30pm Winter Market
10:30a-11:30a: 6:30 Hand bells
Worship Service
7:30 Choir
Christmas Joy Offering
Received 7pm Longest Night service
Session
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
8:45 Adult CE
10:30a-11:30a: CHRISTMAS DAY
Worship Service OFFICE CLOSED
OFFICE CLOSED OFFICE CLOSED OFFICE CLOSED
Christmas Joy Offering OFFICE CLOSED
Received
DEADLINE FOR 2017
GIVING
7pm Christmas Eve service
31
8:45 Adult CE
10:30a-11:30a: Worship
Service
December 2017
MPC EVENTS Page 3
Adult Sunday School The Kemper Parlor 8:45 – 10:00 Sunday mornings
The new Adult CE series, led by Steve Thiel, will run through the 4 weeks of Advent and will study the Confession of ‘67.
Book Club
We will meet Monday, December 11, at 7pm at the home of Beth Doebereiner (8698 Totempole Dr). We will discuss the book Tattoos on the Heart, by Gregory Boyle. If you have any ques-tions or would like to be added to our distribution list, please contact Karen Simpson at [email protected] or 374-1025.
DEADLINE FOR 2017 GIVING IS DECEMBER 24
With the end of the calendar year soon
upon us, for your planning purposes,
please note that the last donation deposit
will be made on Sunday, December 24. If
you are planning to extend your giving or make a desig-
Thanks to all who helped apply mailing labels to the Wassail Invita- nated gift for 2017, it must be received at the church no
tions. Invitations left on the table in the Gathering Room may be later than this date. If you plan to donate stock, please
taken to share with friends, family and neighbors. begin that process in early December. Donations re-
The Deacons will need volunteers to bake cookies for Wassail, and also ceived after the 24th will become offerings to 2018.
Thank you for your continued generosity.
a few helpers to set out luminaries before the program begins.
Weather Reminder
The Ladies Circle will meet Thursday,
In case of cancellations due to inclement weather con- December 7 at noon in the library.
ditions, please check the local ABC and NBC stations
or websites (wcpo.com and wlwt.com) to stay in-
The church office will be closed for
formed. The decision will be made and called into
the holidays Friday, December 22
the stations no later than 9:00am. Be safe and always
through Monday, January 1. We
use your best judgment.
will reopen Tuesday, January 2.
A sign up sheet extending through the end of the year is now available in the Gathering Room.
Page 4
MPC EVENTS
The Chimes
In November the Lunch Bunch enjoyed lunch at Jean-Robert’s The French Crust and a tour of Rookwood Pot-tery. The next Lunch Bunch will be December 13 at noon and will feature a concert in the Sanctuary by Tom Grayler, who was the former organist and choir director at MPC. Lunch will be provided and no one needs to bring anything. Please sign up on the sheet in the Gathering Room so we can get a head count for ordering lunch.
Reformation Sunday included a procession of the tartans, a traditional bagpiper and a
visit from guest preacher and Cincinnati General Presbyter Dr. Rev. Nancy Kahaian.
Report from November 2017 Session Meeting
Session took these actions:
Approved the adoption of a Child Protection Policy. Approved removing from the rolls Jan Boltz, giving thanks for her life and witness.
Pam Hackman met with Melissa Amrein, Director of Skyward Academy. Together they have identified various opportunities for mission with the school.
Upcoming Session meetings: In an effort to accommodate various session members work schedules, Session will meet on the following dates: December 17
th noon, January 22
nd,
7pm, and February 18th
at noon. If you have an item that you wish to add on to the Session meeting agenda, please submit a written communication to the Clerk of Session, Bertie Spicker, at [email protected].
Joey Neuenschwander and his
new bride Julia were married
in November. Look for de-
tails in future announcements
about a reception for them
when they are in Ohio over
the holidays. Their new address is:
740 Villa Ave. Apt. 156
Clovis CA 93612
December 2017
MISSION
Page 5
Angel Tree and Mitten Tree
The Deacons delivered Thanksgiving baskets to 10 local families through Operation Give Back. Thank you to everyone who contributed food, money and time to assemble and deliver baskets.
PRESBYTERY
Please bring joy to a child by choosing an angel from the Angel Tree. (Instruction sheets for the Angel Tree are in the Gathering Room.) After select - ing an angel, please sign your name next to that child on the
sign-up list. Please feel free to substitute or add to the gift suggestions; simply write the change on the Angel. You are not expected to buy everything on the list. The gifts should not be wrapped, but a donation of gift paper/bag would be appreciated. A donation of large shopping bags with handles would also be appreciated. All gifts must be brought to the Gathering Room by the morning of December 10. The gifts will go to the children of Lighthouse Youth Services, One Way Farm, and the Caring Place. Mittens, hats, gloves and scarves will go to Bethany House. For those offering to deliver the gifts, directions will be provided. For questions, please call Sandra Bowen (236-7158) or e-mail at [email protected].
Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we turn
our eyes to Bethlehem and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. By giving to the Christmas Joy
Offering, you honor this gift by providing assistance to current and retired church workers in their time of need and developing our future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools
and colleges. The Christmas
Joy Offering will be received Dec. 17 and Dec. 24.
Left: Pastor Michelle presided at Communion at the November 2017 Presbytery meeting.
Highlights of November 2017 Presbytery Meeting
Approved covenants/contracts for the Reverend Dana Stout, the Reverand Don Smith, and
CRS Barbara Jean Havens Approved the request of the Session of Norwood for the Presbytery to create an
Administrative Commission for the dissolution of the congregation Received a report of full compliance with the Boundaries Training Policy of the Presbytery
Heard that the successful Ruling Elders Preaching Institute may populate the pulpit supply list,
pending the necessary action of COM Approved the Investment Policy for the Presbytery
Received the Financial Review for FY2015 and FY2016 in addition to YTD Financial Report for 2017
Approved the Presbytery Budget for 2018
Page 6 COMMUNITY PARTNERS
The Chimes
Montgomery Farm Market
MPC hosts the Montgomery Farmers Market in Fellow-ship Hall on Saturday mornings from 9:30-12:30 through December 23, with almost a dozen Church vol-unteers helping to make this happen! This is the first year for a Winter Market here, and it is off to a great start with over 250 customers and 20 Vendors. Please drop by and pick out organic produce, artisanal bread, pies and cookies, handicrafts and many more delicious and fun items. They make great holiday gifts! Or just visit, enjoy a free cup of coffee and experience the com-munity of Farmers Market vendors and customers.
Jubilant Singers Winter Concert
Sunday, December 3
3:00pm
MPC Sanctuary
Holiday Lights & Cords Collected for Recycling The City of Montgomery will expand its monthly recycling col-lection through January to include collection of holiday decora-tion lights and extension cords. These items may be dropped off at Public Works (7315 Cornell Rd.) on Dec. 16 or Jan. 20 between 10am-1pm.
Any holiday lights will be accepted. There is no need to remove the bulbs from mini light strings or LED lights, but please re-
move the lights bulbs from older sets with larger bulb (“bubble”) lights. For further information, contact City Hall at 513-891-2424.
MONTGOMERY MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION
THE CHIMES Montgomery Presbyterian
Church Newsletter
Reverend Michelle Bacon, Pastor
Office Hours: 8:30a-4:30p Mon—
Thurs [email protected]
513-891-8670
SUBMISSIONS for THE CHIMES are due by NOON on the 15th day of each month.
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MontgomeryPresbyterianChurch
Looking Ahead...
Upcoming Dates of Note
January
Jan. 2 Office Re-Opens After Break
Jan. 4 Ladies Circle
Jan. 10 Lunch Bunch
Jan. 15 Caregivers Group
Jan. 28 Annual Meeting of Congregation
& Soup Lunch
Montgomery Presbyterian Church
9994 Zig Zag Road—Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED