Advent Messenger 2014

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ADVENT/CHRISTMAS 2014

MESSENGER BRYN MAWR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

VOLUME 117 | ISSUE 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Glory to God: The New Presbyterian Hymnal (page 2) Youth Ministry Update (page 6) Home for the Holidays (pages 7-8) Celebrating Advent (pages 9-16)

Letter from the Pastor Dear Friends, In my comings and goings through the Ministries Center in recent weeks, I have enjoyed perusing the gratitude wall in the Court. Created by the Stewardship Committee to help us all be mindful of our blessings as we consider our financial commitment to the church, the number of grateful expressions has grown day by day.

What are we grateful for? These are a few of the things you have put down in your own words and up on the wall in gratitude: Love every day, music, the church which nourishes a growing faith, my family, worship that feeds my hungry soul, art shows, unexpected blessings, elephants, that I have enough, life, BMPC staff, my Mommy, faith in God and Jesus Christ… They go on and on... one beautiful expression of thanks after another.

Brother David Steindl-Rast is an Austrian born Benedictine monk who has committed his work to interfaith dialogue, finding the common denominator among religions, all the while claiming his particular devotion to the Christian faith. His work and commitments have led to studies about how gratitude empowers us to live faithfully. He writes, “As I express my gratitude, I become more aware of it. And the greater my awareness, the greater my need to express it. What happens here is a spiraling ascent, a process of growth in ever-expanding circles around a steady center.”

By the time you are reading this Advent and Christmas issue of The Messenger, the stewardship season’s gratitude wall will have come down. Before long, in its place will be a Christmas tree, collections of gifts for those in need, and signs for the Advent Gift Market.

But these are all variations on the same theme, are they not? The greater our awareness of God’s incarnate love for us in Jesus Christ, the ever-expanding need to express it by the way we live the faith.

Stewardship season may be passing into the stages of follow up and reminder calls, but the joy of embracing God’s love for us in Jesus Christ during this treasured cycle of Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas is ever before us, inviting us into a renewed and new spiraling ascent of gratitude.

Grace and Peace,

Agnes W. Norfleet Pastor 1 MESSENGER | Advent/Christmas 2014

A Word from the Rev. Dick Wohlschlaeger:

Interim Associate Pastor for Senior Adults and Pastoral Care Almost exactly a year ago, I retired as Pastor of Swarthmore Presbyterian Church after 20 fulfilling years in ministry there with a warm and supportive congregation. What now calls me out of full retirement is the unexpected but welcomed opportunity to serve you in an interim part-time capacity in ministry with senior adults and in worship leadership on Sunday mornings.

My wife, Kathy, and I have been attending BMPC since retirement and have appreciated the excellent preaching and fine music week after week.

By way of personal introduction, I entered McCormick Theological Seminary (M.Div, 1985) at the age of 41, following a number of years teaching English, including 10 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis (I retired as a Navy Commander in 1987 after 20 years of active and reserve duty). Prior to that, I earned a B.A. in English at Elmhurst College near Chicago and

an M.A. in 18th century British literature at Columbia University. Before being called into ministry, I also served as Management Officer in the Office of the General Counsel of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation in Washington. Following ordination in 1986, I served for eight years as an associate pastor in youth ministry at First United Church of Oak Park, Illinois, from which I was called to Swarthmore in 1993. Pursuing an interest in pastoral counseling while serving the Swarthmore congregation, I earned a certificate in marriage and family therapy from the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia. For the past several years, I have been a therapist at The Middleton Center here at BMPC. Kathy and I are parents of three adult children and are delighted to have five rambunctious grandchildren.

Now we are an even dozen at our Thanksgiving table.

I look forward to engaging in ministry and friendship with you during this interim period.

In Christ, Dick Wohlschlaeger

Glory to God –

The New Presbyterian Hymnal

By Susan Rittenhouse Joseph

Have you heard? BMPC is getting a new hymnal. Presbyterians began this process at the 2004 General Assembly, and the outcome is Glory to God, published in 2013. The new hymnal is the same size and close to the same weight, but has 249 more hymns than our present hymnal. It brings back a number of old favorites left out of the blue book and also includes many new types of hymns, including music from the Taizé and Iona communities, as well as Praise songs.

Our Session has approved purchase, and our Hymnal Task Force is now offering an opportunity to dedicate one or more hymnals. Think of all the people you might want to honor, as well as those whose memory you cherish. We’ll include the names of the honorees as well as the donor’s name on special book plates in the new hymnals.

Stop by our table at the Advent Gift Market, where a few copies will be available for purchase for $20.

After the AGM, a Hymnal Task Force member will be at a table in the Court each Sunday to distribute hymnal offering envelopes, through which dedications may be made. It will take time to get all the books in order with individual plates, but we expect the new hymnal to be in place before Easter.

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From Gratitude to Generosity: Stewardship 2015

By Mark and Susan Dawejko, Stewardship Committee Co-Chairs

On Sunday, October 26, we celebrated the dedication of our annual pledges. During the service, we heard a strong ministry moment by Jean Reynolds, and the week before, a testimony from Jon Liggett. Jean and Jon reminded us how they and their families feel such gratitude for God’s gifts and our loving church community. They told us how they felt compelled to pledge generously during this stewardship season.

The Stewardship Committee is thankful for all of the pledges that have already been made for the 2015 campaign, and would like to encourage those who have not yet pledged to prayerfully consider doing so. A pledge can be made online at the BMPC website

(www.bmpc.org), by returning a pledge card to the church office, or by calling Sarah Miciek, Finance Manager, at 610-525-2821, ext. 8817.

Pledges may be made in a single payment, monthly, weekly or in any way that is comfortable for the donor. All pledges are welcome, and no amount is too small. Please join us in supporting this church that has given so much to all of us. For more information, contact SarahMiciek@bmpc.org, ext. 8817.

Welcome to our Newest Members

Donald Clemens and Erin Remaly Ardmore

Lindsay Needle Bryn Mawr

David Eschelman Janet Ferrell Bryn Mawr Havertown

Andy and Melanie Sagcal Malvern

Chris and Megan Freeman Paoli

Jeff and Alyssa Snow Eagleville

For information about upcoming new member Sundays, contact DonnaBarrickman@bmpc.org, ext. 8809.

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Restoration Work Nears Completion

By Pete DiRocco

Work on our 2014 Capital Campaign improvements is winding down. What have we done? Stone re-pointing on Converse House and Ministries Center buildings, two chimney replacements on the Converse House roof, and a complete roof replacement on the Ministries Center. Also completed was a small roof replacement over the front doors of the Sanctuary and stone surveying around the entire perimeter of the Sanctuary.

Whew! We made it! Thanks to to all the members of the congregation who supported the restoration of this beautiful and historic church.

For more information on the Capital Campaign, visit www.bmpc.org/giving/capital-campaign or contact SarahMiciek@bmpc.org, ext. 8817.

Note of Gratitude Shares the Impact of Saying “Yes”

By Courtenay Willcox

BMPC’s Environmental Justice Committee (EJC) said ‘yes’ to hosting 49 members of Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light as they traversed the country on their way to the People’s Climate March in New York City on September 21. Our BMPC staff said ‘yes’ to hosting the group in the Ministries Center.

Ruth Johnson, our chef extraordinaire, said ‘yes’ to providing three meals for each marcher, and two faithful EJC members said ‘yes’ to spending the night with our new MNIPL friends at the church.

We thought we were extending hospitality, but the result was much, much more, as indicated in one of the notes from a grateful participants, shown to the right.

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Pen Pal Program Connects Urban/Suburban Preschools

By Kim Black

BMPC’s Weekday School Pre-K students are now pen pals with students at Arch Street Preschool in Philadelphia. The project gives each class a fun way to practice their writing skills and learn about their city/ suburban neighbors. To kick off the pen pal project, the Weekday School students wrote a class letter to their counterparts in the city. The students were then paired with pen pals with whom they will exchange art projects and letters throughout the year. Each year the Weekday School students conduct an outreach project at Christmas time, and this year they will take art supplies to the Weekday School “Light the Night” tree lighting event to donate to Arch Street Preschool. For the culmination of the pen pals project, the students from each school will take the train to the playground in Narberth this spring to meet one another.

Associate Pastor Nominating Committee Making Progress

By Eric Swanson, APNC Chair

The Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC) for our Associate Pastor for Adult Education and Mission has been meeting regularly since June, and we have begun to make some progress. First, we want to thank all of you who participated in our recent forums, and/ or submitted written or on-line responses. Your thoughts, hopes and dreams have been and will be very helpful to us as we move forward with our work.

So, where are we in the process? We have prepared a Ministry Information Form (MIF)—the denomination’s requisite job description which defines our congregation’s mission and values, along with our expectations for and requirements of the open position. This MIF has been reviewed and approved by our Session and the Presbytery and has been officially registered on the PC(USA) website.

This means we will now begin to receive “matches” of the many resumes PC(USA) has on file that fit the requirements of our MIF. We also expect to receive Personal Information Forms (PIFs)/resumes from other pastors who will see our MIF online or have heard about our search through other avenues. Meanwhile, we will also be contacting former pastors, colleagues, and other denomination leaders to seek their recommendations.

We of course welcome any suggestions that you might have, and invite you to direct them to any of the APNC members, or to www.bmpc.org/about-us/pastors/associate-pastor-nominating-committee.

Over the next several months, we will begin to winnow this long list of candidates to a smaller group with whom we will conduct phone and in person interviews. We will keep you informed of our progress, and ask for your prayers as we go about this commission. For more information, contact APNC@bmpc.org.

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Sharing Christ’s Love Together on Sunday Mornings

By Kellen Smith

A church member stopped me after worship recently and asked, “What exactly do you do with the youth on Sunday mornings?” This is a great question, especially since most Sundays, the youth are in a different area of the BMPC campus.

Everyone hears about our youth trips, but it made me think that there may be more people who are curious about what the 10:00 a.m. hour on Sundays look like for our middle and high school youth.

If you find yourself in the Ministries Center on a Sunday morning, it may sound like there is a rock concert in the Gym. What you’re really hearing is our Youth Worship Band, who may actually be leading a contemporary version of an old hymn! Just like the Sanctuary Choir, the band members arrive an hour early on Sundays to rehearse the songs we will sing that morning.

The repertoire incudes hymns, camp songs, and contemporary worship songs.

In addition to lively youth-led worship music on Sunday mornings, our Youth Gathering often includes icebreakers such as: “Taylor Swift Lyric or Lamentations?” “Hunger Games or Scripture” and “Shakespeare or King James Bible?” As youth interact with one another through icebreakers, our goal is to create a welcoming, fun, and engaging Sunday morning atmosphere.

Youth also hear a teen-focused sermon. Typically, we create a series based on one of our core values (worship, discipleship, fellowship, service) that will run for a certain number of weeks on a particular topic, such as how to use your faith to deal with stress and why Christian fellowship is important.

At 10:30 a.m., we break out into Grade Groups. Each grade from 6-12 has it’s own group (including 8th grade Confirmation) with a dedicated team of adult leaders. The second half of the morning is spent in conversation and doing activities based on the day’s topic. In these groups, youth are able to build relationships and reflect on how to apply their faith to their everyday lives.

Along with the Youth Ministry Council, I am proud of the Sunday morning Youth Gathering we have developed for our teenagers.

Adolescence is such an important and impressionable time. The baptismal vows we took when each one of our teens was baptized include providing for their Christian nurture. As we fulfill this vow together, we welcome your on-going prayers for our Youth Ministry and ask for your continued support.

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Home for the Holidays

By Donna Barrickman

We welcome you home this Christmas season, whether you’re returning from afar or traveling around the corner. In our worship services and our many Advent programs and fellowship opportunities, we are reminded of the reason for the season: a celebration of God’s gift of love, shown to us in the birth of the Christ child. We invite you to consider the greatest story ever told…in scripture lessons and thoughtful sermons, in education classes for all ages, and even in special events, craft projects and tree trimming. Join us and be awed by the beautiful music of our choirs and the glow of flickering candles in the darkness of our Sanctuary. Come to be warmed by the fellowship of kindred spirits. Be inspired by the opportunities to serve those less fortunate and help others in need. We look forward to welcoming YOU home to BMPC this season as we prepare, together, to receive the blessing of Christmas.

And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

—Luke 2:10-11

Advent Traditions at BMPC You know the holidays are near when our Advent Gift Market opens.

This year, plan to visit Congregational Hall on Sunday, November 23, following 10:00 a.m. worship to learn about this year’s shopping list of worthy projects. Your donations not only make a difference, but can serve as gifts for those on your list (see details on page 10). Another opportunity to share the spirit of Christmas with those in need is by purchasing “Christmas Angel” gifts. Learn how to fulfill the Christmas wish list of a particular child or family on page 11.

Our Annual Thanksgiving Breakfast will be held on Thursday, November 27, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in Congregational Hall. Bring the whole family and join us for “Pancakes for a Purpose.”

Proceeds from the breakfast ($5/ person) support our youth mission projects and trips, and all prep and clean-up is taken care of by Youth Ministry volunteers. So plan to support a good cause and be well fed, then head home to a clean kitchen before preparing your own Thanksgiving meal.

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Other special events just ahead include this year’s Advent Lessons and Carols, on Sunday, December 7, at 4:00 p.m., when more than 120 singers, handbell ringers, and lay readers will participate (see details on page 12). Prior to the concert, from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m., families are invited to a fun, festive Advent Workshop in Congregational Hall. After the concert, those age 50+ are invited to a Prime Time Christmas party at the home of Barbara Hauptfuhrer in Wayne. The cost of $15/person for the party includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages, or you may purchase a combination ticket for $20 and attend both the concert and the Prime Time event. For more information, or to RSVP, contact AmyBauer@bmpc.org, ext. 8821.

Finally, on Christmas Eve, we’ll gather en masse for our worship services at 4:30, 8:30 and 11:00 p.m. Between the two later services, we’ll host a gathering for our youth alums— those who have returned for Christmas on college break or are back after moving away. All young adults are welcome to attend to greet church friends, reminisce, and reconnect…as well as to be welcomed “home.”

The pages to follow contain information about these and other opportunities to help you experience Christmas cheer, share with others, and add meaning and focus to this special time of year. May God’s blessings be with you, and may your faith be enriched by the magic and the message of this Christmas season!

BMPC’s Advent Season 2013 • $22,000 in 2013 Advent Gift Market sales supported our outreach programs • 70 poinsettias in the Sanctuary; 38 wreaths on church doors; 80 small poinsettias delivered to members by our deacons (paid for by “in honor of” donations to the Flower Fund) • 66 adults and 25 children/youth in our choirs and 8 handbell ringers rehearsed for weeks to prepare for our Christmas concert, “The Christ Story.”

• 60 handmade Christmas stockings and Christmas gifts for 90 children and 18 adults delivered to program participants at TheVillage (formerly Presbyterian Children’s Village) • 2,500 candles placed in holders • 2,200 members and guests gathered for Christmas Eve worship • 700 communion cups washed by volunteers after the 8:30 p.m. service • $6,800 from the Christmas Joy offering used to support student scholarships at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges, as well as the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions of the PC(USA)

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Celebrating

By the Rev. Rachel Pedersen

Advent

The build-up began sometime in mid-October. “Christmas is coming!” it whispered from store shelves and cherry red racks of ribbons and smiling reindeer. I always find it a little jarring that after almost two months of preChristmas excitement, the Church’s season of preparation –Advent— begins with a single candle on the advent wreath. As Christians we begin this season in anticipation of what is to come. Every year is a new challenge to balance both looking forward to the celebration of Christ’s birth, but also turning back to the gift given in the life of Jesus Christ.

Sunday mornings will be filled with opportunities to worship and to refocus. Advent can also be experienced throughout the week. Families will receive a special mailing with resources for the season (additional copies will be available in the Ministries Center). Plan to join us after church on Sunday, December 7, for our Advent Workshop, where festivities and craft projects will help you welcome Advent.

Here are some additional practices you can try at home: • Create Time: in a season of schedules, it is important to establish and set apart time each day to reflect on the Christmas story. For some it can be as simple as reading a scripture passage while opening a daily advent calendar. For others, it might be a seasonal bedtime story or a special prayer.

Protecting time each day can be a gift in a season of busyness.

• Create Kingdom: what a wonderful time of year to imagine the world God is creating and to work toward that very kingdom here and now! Build simple acts of service into your weekly work. Bring food for food pantries; sponsor a child through our “Christmas Angels” program; sing carols for the residents of Rosemont Presbyterian Village. Sharing with others in ways such as these provides a glimpse of the kingdom Christ proclaimed.

• Create Gratitude: sometimes placing the nativity scene in the center of the mantle can remind us; other times it’s adding an advent wreath to our kitchen tables. Find an intentional way to remember and to give thanks for Christ this season. One of my favorite practices involves taking slips of paper and writing, each day, one thing you are thankful for or a short prayer of praise to place in or next to the manger of your nativity scene. By Christmas Eve, the manger is filled with praise to welcome the new born king.

Upcoming Events in Children & Family Ministry Advent Workshop: Sunday, December 7, 11:00 a.m., Ministries Center Christmas Caroling: Sunday, December 14, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Rosemont Presbyterian Village The Epiphany Mystery Event: January 5-11. Children and families are invited to help solve an Epiphany Mystery around the church. Clues will be hidden, prizes to be discovered.

Top Secret Information will arrive after the New Year.

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Advent Gift Market: Giving Hope and New Life

By Mary Bassett

Through BMPC’s Advent Gift Market (AGM), you can help people in need and at the same time honor those on your Christmas list. We offer a choice of gifts you may give in the form of donations to support our church’s ongoing relationships with local, national, and global concerns. Our councils and committees chose projects for our AGM shopping list that make a difference.

This list is available in the Ministries Center or may be downloaded from our website. With each donation you make, whether large or small, you receive a card describing the purpose of the project. The card may be inserted in your own greeting card or you may purchase cards produced especially for AGM by the Visual Arts Committee of our Fine Arts Council.

You may purchase your “gifts” at the Market Festival in Congregational Hall on Sunday, November 23,

from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., when sponsoring groups will host display tables and answer questions about their projects. Some groups will also offer tangible gift items for sale, such as Project Homes’ cranberry sauce. New this year is a Sock Toss; if you purchase a pair of warm socks for Broad Street Ministries and hit the target, you’ll win a prize.

Advance orders for AGM gifts may be placed and picked up at the Market Festival or in the Court of the Ministries Center following the 10:00 a.m. service each Sunday through December 21. Order forms may also be mailed to the church office or dropped off during the week at the reception desk in the Ministries Center for pick-up on the following Sunday. For more information, contact Mary Bassett at 610-642-4365 or mcbmtb@aol.com.

Give a gift that can make a difference, such as fruit or nut-bearing trees to be planted in Ghana, personal care items for a child entering foster care, or emergency food for a local family.

Visual Arts at BMPC...During Advent and Beyond

By Jean Wolf and Bonnie Atwood

The Visual Arts Committee of BMPC’s Fine Arts Council is pleased to report that the cards for sale through this year’s Advent Gift Market (AGM) are reproductions of images exhibited at last spring’s “Art Show by Seniors” in our Ministries Center. Please consider purchasing either Jane McCombs’ Utah Winter Scene or Judith Ehrman’s Celtic Cross to share your holiday greetings this year. Additionally, the Visual Arts Committee will present the following exhibits: • Fiber Artists (December 7-January 4): Artists from the Delaware Valley will be featured in a show of colorful fiber art works, including quilts and wearables, that would make delightful holiday gifts. (Reception: Sunday, December 7, following the 4:00 p.m. Advent Lessons and Carols) • Inglis House Residents’ Multi-media Show (January 11-February 22): Inglis House in Fairmount Park offers its residents with disabilities an “Emerging Artists Program” to achieve new goals and live life to the fullest. Guided by a skilled artist-in-residence, residents have become awardwinners both individually and through team efforts. Their talents will be shared in a variety of media.

(Reception: Sunday, January 25, following a 2:00 p.m. piano recital with Laura Ward and Jeffrey Brillhart) Watch for other upcoming exhibits and post-concert receptions to meet our featured artists and musicians. All purchases from the exhibits profit both the Visual Arts budget and the artists. Suggestions for future exhibits are welcome and may be sent to Bonnie Atwood at batwood313@verizon.net.

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Sharing the Season’s Joy with Those in Need

By Betty Wu, Gaby Snyder, and Pam Haynes-Walsh

For years, some of the children and families served by theVillage (formerly Presbyterian Children’s Village) have received a bountiful Christmas due to the generosity of BMPC members.

BMPC’s Presbyterian Women (PW) has long supported theVillage financially as well as through outreach programs and projects. Y-Group (mothers of children newborn to age 18 and other women with children in their care) have shared their Christmas spirit and creativity by making dozens of one-ofa-kind Christmas stockings for children served by theVillage’s programs in Rosemont and West Philadelphia. For some children, Y-Group’s stockings hold the only gifts they will receive for Christmas.

Our “Christmas Angels” program goes a step further by offering the ability to “adopt” a specific family or child for Christmas. In 2013, some of those who had their wish lists fulfilled included : • Martin – an active 2-year-old whose mother was shot while 8 months pregnant with him and who then relocated for their safety.

• Elijah – a boisterous 6-yearold boy who was abused by his father while in his custody and is now being raised by his aunt.

• Tonya – a young widowed mother of three who said, “It means a lot to have people like you who care for families like ours and bring the spirit of the Holidays into our home.”

TheVillage program and its participants are growing!

We invite you to share the spirit of Christmas by purchasing gifts for a designated family or child this year. Names and wish lists are available from Betty Wu (efwu01@gmail.com, 610-449-8059), or you may sign up online via the information in the worship bulletin or at our Angel Trees in the Ministries Center Court and Education Building.

Singing on Christmas Eve

By Carol Boslet

Christmas season in a Christian setting has a special, unique aura that most likely grew out of our childhood exposure to Christmas traditions, music, and the accompanying decorations that appear everywhere. As we approach Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the excitement builds and preparations accelerate... Christmas cookies are baked, candlelights shine in windows, wreaths are hung on doors, and of course, gift making and/or buying in our Advent Gift Market begin. And for BMPC’s Sanctuary Choir and the treasured children’s choirs, REHEARSALS! But what a delight they are. Singing beloved Christmas Carols, learning new ones, reliving the age-old Christmas/Nativity story through the verses of this music, are experiences that every singer cherishes. The children and youth choirs that accompany the children’s pageant service, the carols and anthems that enhance the 8:30 p.m. Communion and Candlelight service, and the traditional 11:00 p.m. Lessons and Carols service that leads us to midnight all create the special warmth and pleasure that derive from choral singing.

For the Sanctuary Choir, Jeffrey Brillhart likes to program one or two new compositions—a challenge for the choir but also an accomplishment as the ensemble presents a “finished product”—along with the favorites that delight and engage the congregation. Christmas for the choir members, and for the congregation too, wouldn’t be Christmas without the joy of telling the Christmas story through song.

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Advent Lessons and Carols

By Jeffrey Brillhart

With the passing of Thanksgiving comes the season of Advent—one of the few seasons of the church year that has yet to be co-opted by the secular world to help drive sales in shopping malls! The word “advent” comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming,” particularly of something having great importance. For Presbyterians, it marks the beginning of the church year. For believers, it is a time to have our calendar dominated not by the swift current of consumerism, but rather, the venerable rhythms of redemption.

To mark this coming of great importance, on Sunday, December 7, at 4:00 p.m., more than 120 singers, handbell ringers, lay readers, and carillonneur Lisa Lonie will bring a century-old tradition of Lessons and Carols into Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a service of Scripture and song that dates to the late 19th century. In this service, we will listen to nine Scripture lessons that recount the Fall from Grace, the promise of a Messiah, the Incarnation, and the Great Commission to preach the Good News. Each lesson is followed by a carol sung by choir or congregation that reflects on the lesson’s message.

Of a previous Festival of Lessons and Carols, one BMPC member wrote that “the Christmas Vespers was one of the best performances I have attended in the 33 years I have been a member at BMPC. As a matter of fact, I was so swept up in the Rutter piece (which I don't recall ever hearing before) that yes, I was the one person who was wildly clapping after it ended.”

I once read that “Advent links our hearts with those of ancient prophets who pined for a long-promised Messiah but who passed away long before his arrival. In the process, Advent reminds us that we too are waiting.” We invite you and your friends to join in this waiting... this coming of great importance. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and children. For more information, contact StephanieSpeakman@bmpc.org, ext. 8836.

Singing in the Snow Last year’s Christmas Concert, “The Christ Story,” was scheduled for Sunday, December 8. Much to our surprise, snow fell fast and furiously that day, and the concert had to be cancelled. This was a first, as far as we know (at least during Jeffrey Brillhart’s 31-year tenure as our Director of Music and Fine Arts).

As Stephanie Speakman, our Fine Arts Manager, frantically tried to reach more than 100 performers—many who lived at a distance—a few choir members drifted in. They have warm memories of a spontaneous outburst of song… a “Non-Concert” that they shared with each other in our Ministries Center Court.

Top: Scene from last year’s dress rehearsal on December 7, 2013.

Bottom: A spontaneous “concert” in the Court on a snowy December 8, 2013.

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Experience the Kingdom on Wednesday Nights The Kingdom of God is a place where everyone is safe, where everyone is fed, and where we are never separated from the presence of God. Are you ready to experience and participate in that kingdom?

Join the Rev. Rachel Pedersen from 6:45-8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays from December 3-17 in Witherspoon Parlor (after our popular Wednesday Night Dinners in Congregational Hall) for a special intergenerational opportunity. Each week, we will study together, pray together and serve together, exploring the kingdom that Jesus came to build and proclaim. All ages are welcome! If the time is too late for you, prayer stations and self-led activities will be available earlier in the afternoon in Witherspoon Parlor. For more information, contact MaryRichards@bmpc.org, ext. 8811.

The Journey to Bethlehem & Into the New Year: Opportunities to Walk the Labyrinth

By Joyce Krajian

The labyrinth is an ancient symbol of wholeness, a metaphor for life’s path, and a tool for transformation. It reintroduces walking meditation back into the Christian tradition and gives us a way to be present to ourselves and God. It heals and consoles, supports and confronts, and helps us remember the ancient path that others have walked before us. You are invited to walk the labyrinth, using its path to seek insights, as you journey through the Thanksgiving season toward Bethlehem and the New Year. The Middleton Center provides an opportunity to walk on the first Tuesday of each month from 11:00 a.m.-7:15 p.m.

Join us for the 3rd Annual Labyrinth Journey to the New Year—a special event for all ages—on Sunday, December 28, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. As we enter the New Year, we will create a peaceful and welcoming space to review and release the old year. With intention, we will explore beginnings and endings and the many turns in between. There will be an opening ritual, a labyrinth walk, and a shared meal.

A labyrinth experience designed for families created through adoption will take place on January 31, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in Congregational Hall. The Middleton Center, in collaboration with The Children’s Hospital CHOP ADOPT International Adoption Program, offers Walking the Path to and into our Family. Children and parents will explore separately, through activities and walks, the respective paths they have taken to meet and journey together. The second hour will bring parents and children together, walking as family and celebrating their respective and common journey. All will join together for a simple meal and celebration.

For more information, contact JoyceKrajian@bmpc.org, 610-525-0766.

Advent Fellowship for All Ages Gathering with others to enjoy the spirit of the season is one of the many blessings of the holidays. We’re offering several “just for fun” opportunities to enjoy each other’s company and good cheer.

• • • • •

A festive party for “Prime Time” adults (singles and couples age 50+) at the home of Barbara Hauptfuhrer in Wayne on December 7 Intergenerational caroling for the residents of Rosemont Presbyterian Village on December 14 A Christmas bowling party for middle and high school students on December 21 A “First Friday” (or Saturday) outing to a play or museum for Singles 50+ in December Young Adults Christmas Party hosted by Kellen and Sarah Smith in December

Watch for details in our worship bulletin and eNews or contact DonnaBarrickman@bmpc.org, ext. 8809.

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Upcoming Opportunities for Adults Bible Basics: Isaiah From his calling before the divine court to his visions of a peaceable kingdom to his hope for a suffering servant messiah, the prophet Isaiah’s poetry continues to stir our spirits. In this three-session class on Sundays, December 7, 14, and 21, at 11:15 a.m., we will read through the book of Isaiah, looking at how this influential and poetic book explains justice, prophecy, and the messiah, and how it continues to influence our understanding of who Jesus is and what he came to do.

For more information, contact CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org, ext. 8819.

The Sandwich Generation Series: How to Manage and Care for Parents, Children and Self So many of us are living in that squeezed-in-the-middle space between generations. We struggle to care for our children and our aging parents, while too often neglecting ourselves.

Join us to learn more about balancing demands and reclaiming ourselves in an upcoming series on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Witherspoon Parlor.

• Dealing with Aging Parents–Wednesday, January 21, led by Michele Marsh and Mike Graziano • Children Leaving Home and Parenting Adult Children–Wednesday, January 28, led by Jeff Beers and Emily Dumas • Jammed in the Middle: Reclaiming Yourself–Wednesday, February 4, led by Leah Brecher-Cohn For more information, contact JoyceKrajian@bmpc.org, 610-525-0766.

“Feed My Sheep”: Mission Partner Conversations in the New Year In the New Year, we look forward to welcoming several of our mission partners near and far who will be speaking to us on issues related to this year’s “Bread” theme. From Broad Street Ministry’s Rooster Company Initiative to Hands Along the Nile’s work with the poor in Egypt, don’t miss these opportunities to learn about how the ministries we support deal with hunger, food insecurity, and nurturing economic independence. For more information, contact CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org, ext. 8819.

Let Us Bake Bread Together: Presbyterian Women Retreat 2015 Nurture yourself, your church women friends, and your faith at this “Faith and Fellowship Slumber Party” on February 20-21! We’ll be mixing, kneading, and enjoying the heavenly smell of bread baking while we ponder the symbolism of bread in the scripture and in our lives. For more information, contact CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org, ext. 8819.

Stay Up-to-Date on Adult Education Opportunities Adult Education will now have its own monthly eNews! Stay current with our many offerings, including weekly Sunday morning classes, once-a-year Theologian-in-Residence, Bible studies, current events classes, and spiritual disciplines. To subscribe, contact CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org, ext. 8819.

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Christmas Joy Offering: Good News of Great Joy What happens to those who have given generously and devoted their lives to the mission of our denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), when they retire or face challenging life circumstances? Both peace of mind and practical assistance may come to these faithful workers through income supplements provided by the Christmas Joy Offering.

In addition, the Christmas Joy offering promotes the educational programs of ethnic schools and colleges with much-needed scholarship assistance and helps with basic operating costs. You may contribute to this Presbyterian tradition through envelopes in the pews during the two weeks before Christmas, and help support these needs. For more information, contact CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org, ext. 8819.

Make a Meal; Make a Difference By the Rev. Dr. Nicole Duran

As we think about this season of giving, keep in mind a new opportunity for service with our now 50-year-old Tutoring Program. The children from William Dick Elementary School have had a busy day when they arrive at our campus for tutoring, and they will not be back home until well after the dinner hour. Responding to a request from the Tutoring Program’s leaders, the Hunger Committee began this fall to coordinate church volunteers who will prepare a meal for one or two nights of the program. This way the children, their teenage tutors, and the program leaders can focus their attention on learning.

The response so far has been great! We’ve had meals from church councils, committees, and boards, and from book groups, individual families and even from ad hoc groups like those who gathered at “Doing Good Together.” Menus have ranged from sandwiches to soft pretzels and cheese sticks, to macaroni and cheese with chicken.

We are careful to serve neither pork (in case of religious objections) nor any kind of nuts (in case of allergies), and to pack as much nutrition as possible into a meal that’s easily served and not too messy. It sounds like a challenge, but it is one that our congregation seems to happily be taking on. The leaders of the tutoring program—especially evening directors Jackie Hennisee and Cackie Rogers and the general director, Marnie Bowen—are very appreciative, and it’s been a great chance for more of our members to get to know this very special program. If you or your church organization is interested in preparing a meal or two, please contact AmyBauer@bmpc.org, ext. 8821.

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Christmas Eve Services Celebrate the joy and hope of Christmas! Join us for worship on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, in the Sanctuary: • 4:30 p.m. Family Service with Nativity Tableau • 8:30 p.m. Candlelight Service with Communion and Meditation led by the Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet • 11:00 p.m. Candlelight Service of Lessons & Carols with Meditation led by the Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet The Annual Youth Alumni Reunion will be held at 9:30 p.m. in Witherspoon Parlor.

Longest Night Service: A Light in the Darkness By the Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet

While many of us bask in the holiday spirit of good cheer, the season of Christmas can be painfully difficult for others. Following a death, for example, some face the holidays with sadness and longing for a lost loved one. Statistics show that a rise in depression is common during the winter, and is particularly prevalent during the holidays. Because we recognize that Christmas can be a season of grief as well as joy for reasons of health, or emotion, or loss, or separation, or simply out of concern for a world in which there is so little peace even as we herald the Prince of Peace, the pastoral staff is offering a special worship service.

Join us on Sunday night, December 21, at 7:00 p.m., for a simple service of Christmas carols, comforting and hopeful scripture readings, a brief meditation, and an extended time of prayer to lift to God our yearnings for healing and wholeness for ourselves and our world. We will listen for the “light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in his wings” and place our concerns in the arms of our compassionate God. Come if you need to. Come if you want to. Come if you are curious. Come lift prayers for one another and for the peace of the world. Come if you simply want more time singing carols in our beautiful Sanctuary. Come if you are traveling for Christmas and would enjoy an evening worship with your church family before you leave town. Come alone, come together, come with friends, family, neighbors for whom this Longest Night Service might be a welcomed worship opportunity of grace and peace.

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Seeds of

By Ruth Brader

Change

Urban Tree Connection (UTC) is a 25-year-old organization that rebuilds low-income urban communities by reclaiming vacant land and turning it into green, productive community space. Fifteen years ago, UTC joined a group of nonprofits in the Haddington section of West Philadelphia (52nd-63rd Streets and Market to Girard) in a major initiative to address the needs of children in one of the region’s most crime-ridden neighborhoods. Over that decade and a half, UTC built 10 gardens and a working farm on more than 2.5 acres of vacant land... engaging neighborhood children in environmental programs, teaching the community how to grow fresh produce and distribute it throughout the neighborhood, and helping conquer issues of food access and the epidemic of diet-related diseases rampant in this largely African-American community.

BMPC has partnered closely with UTC throughout this journey, which has led to the development of a new urban food system that the women of Haddington—who typically are the leaders of the community— call “Neighborhood Foods.”

During the growing season, on the last Thursday of every month, about 15 of these women meet on the farm at 53rd Street and Wyalusing Avenue. The walk down the driveway past the peach trees reveals high

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tunnels, compost bins, a rain-water harvesting system which irrigates the crops, a pavilion washing-station that doubles as a meeting space, and a cinder block refrigerated storage room.

The farm feels like a safe haven, an internal property surrounded by backyards on all four sides, lush with the crop rows of greens ready for harvest. The women, who have become leaders of the Neighborhood Foods system, discuss how to increase sales at their community farmers’ market, plan for the fall harvest festival, and talk about the impending purchase of an empty house to serve as a community center where food access and healthy cooking lessons will help to end the cycle of diabetes and other diet-related illnesses.

Thanks to the support of BMPC, entirely new program models have entered the conversation.

At Ward AME Church (43rd and Aspen) and the First African Presbyterian Church (42nd and Girard), UTC has begun to pilot “church health ministries” that include building farms adjacent to the churches, high tunnels in their parking lots, farmers markets following worship services, and after-school farm apprenticeship programs.

Most exciting is a new collaboration between the United Community Clinic, a long-standing health clinic for the uninsured, coordinated

by UPenn students from the schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Social Policy & Practice.

Located at First African Presbyterian Church, doctors are now considering writing “Rx” prescriptions for vegetables and fruit and training health coaches to work with their hypertension patients to access the food at our adjacent farm. These are the wonderful seeds of change that BMPC has helped grow.

For more information on UTC or other outreach opportunities, contact CarolSchmidt@bmpc. org, ext. 8819.

BMPC Grant Supports Children in Philadelphia For a decade, BMPC’s Eugene C. Bay Fund has provided grants in two-year cycles honoring the urban mission legacy of BMPC Pastor Emeritus, the Rev. Dr. Eugene C. Bay. This fund provides seed capital for innovative projects that enhance the lives of children in Philadelphia. It recently awarded its fourth cycle of grants to four local projects: •

The Center For Returning Citizens, to provide after-school tutoring and support to children of incarcerated parents in north Philadelphia (www.tcrcphilly.org)

•

Artwell’s Eco-Arts program located in the Boys & Girls Club in Chester, to engage the children of Chester in arts that connect them to the natural environment (www.theartwell.org)

•

Beacon’s Mission Lab, a joint venture of the Presbytery of Philadelphia and the Synod of the Trinity, to research and teach innovative community development to other church leaders using their location in Kensington (www.thewordatbeacon.org)

•

The Common Place, a partnership of Wayne Presbyterian Church, New Spirit Presbyterian Church and Cornerstone Academy, to provide a variety of services to children in southwest Philadelphia. (www. waynepres.org/thecommonplace)

“These projects introduce children to art, provide educational support, and offer new opportunities they might otherwise not encounter,” said Committee Chair Scott Jenkins. “Besides supporting the childrens’ physical and emotional well being, these programs are an important source of spiritual support.”

Past projects have included Arch Street Preschool, Broad Street Ministry’s Youth Initiative, and Peace in the Streets. For more information, contact CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org, ext. 8819.

Thinking Ahead to January

By Carol Schmidt

Service Day 2015

DATE: Saturday, Janu ary 24 TIME: 8:30 a.m. to no on PLACE: BMPC and ou r community

Mark your calendar now for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 24. Our Saturday Service Days are opportunities to roll up your sleeves for a few hours and make a difference on behalf of others. All ages are welcome, so plan to enjoy intergenerational fellowship, make a new acquaintance, and discover the satisfaction that comes from doing hands-on work to address a need. In January, we plan to make casseroles to feed the hungry at BMPC and work at Commonplace, the innovative worshipping community and afterschool program in southwest Philadelphia that recently received a grant from our Eugene C. Bay Fund for Urban Ministry. Additional activities will be announced; watch for details.

In the meantime, we’re looking for a new T-shirt design for 2015 Service Days. The shirts will be silk screened at West Kensington Ministry, which empowers members of their community and helps local youth learn a trade. Keep them in mind if you need T-shirts or promotional pieces (www.wkmsilkscreens.com) and send design ideas to CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org, ext. 8819.

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The Messenger Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church 625 Montgomery Avenue Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 610-525-2821 The Messenger (USPS #341840) Volume #117, Issue #1 is published quarterly by the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church.

Periodical postage paid at Southeastern, Pennsylvania and additional offices.

Postmaster: Send Address Changes To The Messenger Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church 625 Montgomery Avenue Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

Blessings to you and yours in the upcoming holiday season as we give thanks and rejoice in the birth of the Christ Child.

Inclement Weather Policy Please note that if the church closes due to inclement weather and unsafe travel conditions, notice will be provided on our website, www.bmpc.org, and with a recorded message at the main church phone number, 610-525-2821.

Decisions to cancel scheduled BMPC programs will be made by the person in charge of the ministry area. These decisions are distinct from decisions to close the BMPC offices. For information, contact the respective person in charge.