Here we are again! Yes, we are here in that precious time of the year. It’s the time of Advent and Christmas! On November 27th we start the season of Advent that goes through December 24th with Christmas Eve. Then, Sunday, December 25, is Christmas Day! I said this is a precious time, because it goes from the expectation of Advent to the fulfillment of Christmas with the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the World! The season of Advent marks the beginning of a new church year in which we reflect anew on the meaning of the incarnation, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus for us. The word ADVENT is Latin for “a coming or arrival”. God came to earthly life and lived among us. It's something to celebrate and rejoice, because, just by being in it, God gave the supreme blessing to the created world! I believe that the best gift of Christmas was given to Humanity by the decision of God to come and dwell among humans and his creation through Jesus Christ. The gospel of John gives testimony of this by saying:

“And the World became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 It would be so easy to arrive at Christmas Day having shopped, partied, eaten, stressed about the perfect gifts, stressed about having enough money to buy the perfect gifts, and yet to have completely missed the hope that awaits us throughout the season of Advent. During the Christmas season, just look at the news stories about shoppers lined up in the early morning hours and fighting one another to get inside the door. Almost every year someone is assaulted while arguing over the year’s “hottest” Christmas gift. It seems like we just don’t have it in us to wait or to patiently take in the wonder of the season. But at the very core of Advent is a patient expectation that God is about to do something. Every inch towards Christmas morning is filled with anticipation that God is going to burst onto the scene in a big way. God is coming to our world to save us, to know us, and to love us. This is the truth we’ve been anxiously awaiting. Sure, you may still procrastinate, waiting until the day before to complete all of your Christmas preparations. But I want to challenge you this year to savor the anticipation of Advent. Let your heart be ready for what God is bringing to the world. Prepare room in your heart for the baby Jesus. As we enter into this season of Advent and celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ, I invite you to join me in the Advent Study, “Down to Earth,” every Tuesday at Noon (Soup lunch) or 6:30 pm. (Soup supper.) I invite you, also, to join us on Christmas Eve at 7:30 pm in our beautiful sanctuary, which will be filled with poinsettias and candlelight, for our annual Christmas Eve Service with Holy Communion. Blessed Advent & Merry Christmas! FELIZ NAVIDAD! Your servant in Christ, Pastor Jorge

The Salem Tidings, December 2016

The monthly newsletter of Salem United Methodist Church 541 Hwy. 59, Waukesha, WI 53186

Email: office@SalemOnTheHill.org Phone: 262-547-5231 Web: www.SalemOnTheHill.org

Advent Study 2016 Down to Earth:

The Hopes and Fears of all the Years Are Met in Thee Tonight

Tuesdays at Noon (Soup lunch) Tuesdays at 6:30 pm (Soup supper)

Nov.29, Dec. 6, 13, and 20

More than 2,000 years ago a baby was born in a backwater village of the Roman Empire - and the world was changed forever! In this 4-week Advent study, using the new book by Mike Slaughter (Down to Earth), we will explore the extraordinary story of how the Son of God chose to become a lowly human - and challenged us to respond with down-to-earth love, humility, lifestyle, and obedience.

If you have not signed up, but still want to participate, please let Pastor Jorge know!

Sunday, December 4th at 9:00 AM Come and find out what “the real meaning of Christmas" is all about as told to us by our Salem Church School children! Please plan on joining the cast members after the service in the Narthex where the Nurture Team will be providing refreshments.

Saturday, December 3, 10:00 am - Noon

Our Nurture and Evangelism teams are happy to bring back this event in honor and memory of its past director, Sandy Tonz, who beautifully organized this special event to the delight of many children and adults. Please join us for a pancake breakfast, including music, story time, a craft, and of course a visit and photo with Santa! Donation is $6.00 per person, and it is free for children under 2 years old. This event is open to anyone, so invite a neighbor or friend! Please reserve seats no later than Saturday, Nov. 26 by signing up on the display in the narthex.

Everyone is invited to the Annual Christmas Party

at Salem!

December 4th 4:00-6:00 pm

Come one, come all! Bring your family and friends! Hosted by our Salem UMW, we’ll enjoy delightful

music by the Civic Broadway Singers who will sing for us the

songs of Christmas.

Come and enjoy food, Fellowship, and fun!

Salem’s Giving Tree

Salem is adopting three families in need from the Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County. This organization has been serving children of Waukesha County since 1949. Many in Waukesha are desperately struggling due to unexpected job loss, death of a wage earner, divorce or abandonment, illness, disability, or other crisis. The “Giving Tree” will be going up in November, and we are counting on Salem’s generous support to assist these three families in need during this Christmas season. We are grateful of the past outpouring from Salem. Please consider taking an ornament off the tree again this year and help bring the joy of Christmas to a needy family in Waukesha.

Interfaith Holiday Giving

This is Interfaith Senior Programs’ 12th year of hosting the Holiday Giving Program. This program provides a self-sufficiency care package to up to 500 low-income seniors and adults with disabilities living in Waukesha County. To receive a package, recipients must be referred through an agency (such as Interfaith, the ADRC or Waukesha Food Pantry), be low-income and have little to no family support in town. For many of the recipients, this is the only present they will receive this holiday season. Care packages include gift cards to the grocery store and pharmacy, postage stamps, gripper socks, personal care items, and handmade gifts like ornaments and door hangers. Salem’s Outreach Ministry team will be collecting gift

cards and postage stamps for this program during November. Watch for more information coming soon!

KWIK TRIP PROFIT! SHOUT IT OUT!!!!

To date, Salem has profited over $1,000.00! Thanks to everyone who has participated in our program! You will have an opportunity to order Kwik Trip cards in time for Christmas giving (or your own use!), so stock up! Look for the poster in the narthex. When you order, you will need to pay in advance. See Kim Newton for details.

From Our

Church Treasurer

Our church Operating Income for October is $17,440.00 (five Sundays of giving). Our Operating Expenses for October equal $18,431.00. We are still positive for the year to date. Apportionments are paid through October. A large insurance premium is due this month. Remember, though you may miss a week, our bills never do! Time to get up to date with your giving. Put the church on your Christmas list! Did you Know?

Bob Cooley audits the church finances every year –THANKS, BOB!

Our proposed 2017 budget is $226,013.00 ($18,834.00 per month). This is 6.8% less than our 2016 budget.

Our total Apportionments will increase by $2,304.00 in 2017.

Our Finance committee includes: Chairperson, Gary Wollenzien, John Klopp, Marlys Tesch, Bill Pardoe, Kim Newton, Brian Fischer, Harriet Young, Harriet Marks, Kermit Bohning, and Pastor Jorge SAVE ON TAXES: You can give stock directly to the church, avoid any taxes on the gains, and still use the total value as a deduction. If you take a required distribution from a taxable account such as an IRA or 401k, you can make a direct contribution to the church, avoid any taxes; and still use it as a deduction! - Kermit Bohning

Endowment Funds Available

Every year our endowment fund pays out earnings which are to be used for ministry-related activities and expenses. If you or your committee have an activity, event,

cause, or expense that you think would be a candidate for these funds, present that request to the endowment committee. Gary Wollenzien is the chairperson.

Thank You! On November 4th, we were invited to help Pastor Jorge and Rosy celebrate their birthdays with an El Salvadorian dinner at Salem. The food was prepared and served by the Mayorga family. Pastor Jorge and Rosy entertained us with guitars and singing, and we were able to raise $776.95 for Pastor Jorge’s mission trip to Bolivia in February. What a fun night! Thank you for your support as a congregation, and special thanks to Pastor Jorge, Rosy, and their family for the delicious meal and entertainment!

Food Pantry Sunday is December 11th

Donating to the Food Pantry’s is a wonderful way to “give back” to the community. Please consider providing ongoing monthly support by: 1) Place your monetary donation in an envelope, label it “Food Pantry” and drop it in the collection plate. It will be sent to the Pantry and will allow them to purchase items like milk and eggs. 2) Bring in non-perishable food items or personal care products (shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, etc.). Both of these options will help keep the Pantry’s shelves full.

Pray for the Churches in our District

We have been asked to pray for specific churches and clergy at a given time throughout the year. Here are the following churches on the prayer list for December 2016:

Dec. 5 – 11: Siloam UMC in Palmyra, Pastor Duane Goetsch, 17 members. Dec. 12 – 18: South Milwaukee UMC, Pastor Harsha Kotian, 198 members. Dec. 19 – 25: Spring Prairie UMC in Elkhorn, Pastor Joseph Reynders, 20 members. Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: Sussex UMC, Pastor James Altman, 152 members.

Winter Sunday Morning Bible Study: "Creation: A Divine Cycle"

Begins Sunday, December 4, at 10:10 am

The apostle Paul used the phrase, “the fullness of time” to convey his understanding of salvation. This phrase is also applicable to all the ways in which our ever-faithful God works in nature, throughout history, and in our lives today. God acts in the fullness of time, and when the time is right.

Join Pastor Jorge for this Bible-based and Christ-focused series that is an approved resource by the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. Grab a cup of coffee, some refreshments, and meet us in the Adult Classroom.

Saturday, December 24 7:30 pm Traditional Candlelight Service

at Salem UMC with Holy Communion

December Birthdays

4 Sue Guenther 5 Samari Monterrey 6 Jacques Crusan 9 Mario Monterrey 10 Harriet Young 10 Lydia Kelley 11 Bonnie Stuempfig 13 Jeff Jinkins 15 Jessica Tomasczak 16 Marie Broege 16 Liz Scrima 20 John Huebner 22 Sheryl Crusan 24 Ed Padgett 25 Abby Mitchell 27 Jenny Tonz 28 Gary Rongstad 29 Julie Mitchell 31 Betty Henderson

December 4 Haggai 1:15b – 2:9 Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Luke 20:27-38 December 11 Isaiah 65:17-25 Isaiah 12 or Psalm 118 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19 December 18 Jeremiah 23:1-6 Luke 1:68-79 Colossians 1:11-20 Luke 23:33-43 December 25 Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalm 122 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44

Serving Salem in December

Sunday, December 4 Greeters: Paul & Bonnie Wojcik Acolyte: Sydney Hernandez PowerPoint: Worship Leader: Bonnie Stuempfig Liturgist: Bonnie Stuempfig Children’s Time: Kim Newton Flowers: Ralph & Sue Yont Refreshments: Nurture Ministry Team Sunday, December 11 Greeters: Brian & Debbie Campbell Acolyte: Cole Cochran PowerPoint: Worship Leader: Kermit Bohning Liturgist: Carol Becher Children’s Time: Maggie Bringa Flowers: Pastor Rosy Mayorga Refreshments: Paul & Carol Becher Sunday, December 18 Greeters: Ralph & Sue Yont Acolyte: Chase Hernandez PowerPoint: Worship Leader: Kim Newton Liturgist: Peggy Barnes Children’s Time: Bill Pardoe Flowers: Poinsettias Refreshments: Bob & Michelle Lacock Sunday, December 25 Greeters: Bill & Harriet Young Acolyte: Aaron Buxengard PowerPoint: Worship Leader: Marlys Tesch Liturgist: Marlys Tesch Children’s Time: Pastor Jorge Flowers: Poinsettias Refreshments:

Help the wise men find the star to find Jesus!