2016 Through Centenary Windows: November/December

Through Centenary

WINDOWS 3 Lessons & Carols 4 Senior Minister: Advent Conspiracy 6 Harvest Gifts 7 Celebration of the Saints 8 Youth Spotlight: Growing Young 9 Longest Night Worship Service 10 All Saints Vespers 11 Glad Tidings 12 Jeremy Pegram: A Great Place to Start 13 Poinsettias for Advent 14 Advent Conspiracy Sermon Series 15 Advent at Centenary 16 Celebrating New Members

17 Impromptu Christmas Pageant 18 UMW December Meeting 19 Angel Tree 20 The Asumani Family 22 What Christmas Is Really All About 23 Creation Care 24 Memorials & Honoraria 25 Stock Delivery/Women’s Retreat 26 Children’s Ministry 28 Christmas Books for Kids 30 Shining Light on Mental Health 32 The Haven 34 Youth Ministry: Conspire to Change

From the Editor As I am writing this, we are literally only ten weeks until Christmas day. Now, as I give you a moment to take a deep breath, let me share something funny with you. As the staff at Centenary will tell you, on the twenty-fifth day of each month during the year, I send out an email to everyone with the countdown to Christmas. I am a Christmas-lover. For me, it’s really not about the gifts (although I enjoy them), it’s really about the hope and dreams that the birth of the baby Jesus brings to us each year. We are given hope again. We are given unconditional love again. We are given a chance at peace, once again. Of course, the music of the season is always near and dear to my heart and as I travel to and from the Centenary campus, I enjoy thirty minutes of worship. I hope your season will be merry and bright.

On another note, you have been hearing much about the work of the Vision team and have participated in the vetting process during the month of September. All of this important work On the Cover will be unveiled in our January/February issue in Our cover image 2017. You will also see a refreshed magazine with comes from the new features as well as ways you can talk to us.

Lessons and Carols We love hearing from you and hope you will worship service from enjoy a new approach and design.

2015. This advent I’ll see you at Centenary.

Warmest wishes, Doug Peninger Director of Communications

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celebration ushers in the season as we hear from the Centenary choirs, sharing the message of Christ’s birth. Be sure to see the ad on the next page and mark your calendar. I’ll see you there!

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lhuffman@centenary-ws. org 336-397-1362

Senior Minister

By Rev. Lory Beth Huffman

Some of you may already be done with your Christmas shopping. After all, November 1 means it’s only 55 days until Christmas! 55 days for you to get all of your Christmas decorations unpacked and displayed.

55 days to make all of your lists to do and complete. 55 days to figure out what to give everyone, shop, purchase, wrap said gifts and get under the tree or in the mail. 55 days to master the new Christmas dish, grocery shop, cook and display the magnificent feast. 55 days to get your Christmas cards purchased, written and in the mail. 55 days to find ways to cram some worship in the midst of all of the parties, and family visits, Christmas vacations and of course the annual watching of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! 55 days.

I’m exhausted just thinking about this.

And really, have I exaggerated much of anything? Does this resonate in your life?

“We worship less. We spend more. We give less. We struggle more. Less, more. More, less.

Time and nerves stretch thin, and we reduce family and friends to a card or a present that costs the “right” amount to prove our level of love. Our quest to celebrate the mystery

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exhausts us. Another Christmas passes by like a blizzard, and we are left to shovel though the trash of our failure. Missing the prophetic mystery of Jesus’ birth means missing God-with-us, God beside us – God becoming one of us. Missing out on Jesus changes everything.”

satisfaction we so long for but seems missing. Especially by about 3:00 on Christmas Day. Instead of experiencing that feeling of “there has to be more to life and more to Christmas” we are going to help you discover the inner joy called contentment.

We are going to conspire together to do four things this Advent. We are going to conspire to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.

– excerpted from The Advent Conspiracy

Many of us feel like we “miss” Christmas in the midst of our Holiday chaos. It’s supposed to be the best time of the year but our good cheer just gets exhausted.

Scrooge starts feeling more and more familiar to us.

And yet, in the midst of this cultural Christmas we fight to honor that baby in the manger. We think it is significant both in our lives and in our world. But why it is a little fuzzy to us? If only we could focus in on that baby like adjusting the lens of a pair of binoculars.

We could see that the baby can change everything for us.

This Advent we are going to join the Advent Conspiracy. This year we are going to conspire together to grab hold of God’s intended meaning for Christmas so that our lives and the lives of our family can experience the

Join us as we explore the Advent Conspiracy. Read the book. Talk about it with your friends and family. Let’s do Christmas a little differently this year. And in the process, let’s discover the mystery of that baby born in that manger. Let’s do it in a way so that by 3:00 on Christmas Day, we can’t stop smiling at the contentment within that is inspired by our Advent Conspiracythe true meaning of Christmas.

Grace and Peace, Lory Beth

Worship Fully – with our whole heart and not just

Spend Less – Instead of worshiping the God of

Give More – wait – how can we spend less AND give more? There is something joyous in giving gifts after all. But what if our giving this year was more about relational giving? What if our giving this year was more about thoughtfulness and time spent with each other than finding that perfect gift conveys a reciprocal value rather than thoughtfulness?

Love All – Christ came because God loved all of us so much and was hurting to see sin overcome our lives. Christ especially loved the poor. His heart broke for those who were suffering. And still does. What if this Advent we demonstrated that we love all? We are going to help you love your neighbor this Advent by supporting our community ministries that are making a difference in the lives of the poor here in Winston Salem. We are going to help those who have no home, those who have no healthcare, those who do not feel like anyone loves them.

with our lips the God who did the most amazing thing – entered our world to come and hang with us. Oh and to save us as well.

consumerism that our culture tempts us with on a daily basis, what if we committed as a family to be intentional and meaningful with our gift giving this year. What if we gave the gift of reduced stress by spending less on our cultural Christmas?

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We remember...

On Sunday, November 6, Centenary will celebrate All Saints Sunday when we will remember the Saints who have gone before us. May the fire of their devotion light our way. * Carolyn Milsted Bell Samuel (Sam) Shepard Brake Herman Wideman Bryson William Medearis (Buck) Caudill Butler Jr. Reverend C. Jack Caudill David Robert Crawford Augustus Horace Deudney Aleta Griffin Ellison Richard Earl Faw Anna Bland Faison Fisher Phyllis Kimble Frye Albert Sidney Gaskins Doris Cockerham Gehring Donald C. Golding Todd Hatcher Greenwood Lester Peter Halverson Margaret Van Hoy Hill Ronald Eugene (Roy) Hoy Madolin Antoinette Hudson Dr. Christine A. Johnson Judy Lynn Morris Jones Jennie Brookshire Knott Rachel King Lawrence Nancy Hopkins Long Betty Weatherman March Alice Mitchell Marshall Kimberlee Lambe Masich

*This list is as of October 14, 2016

Grover Cleveland McNair William Fletcher Womble, Sr. Thomas Arthur Miskimen Hubert C. (Woody) Woodall, Jr. Nicholas Worth Mitchell, Jr. James Alexander Yates, III Bob L. Myers Marion B. (Zolly) Zollicoffer Betsy Transou Nading George Clyde Newman Anne Finlator Rutledge Minnie Louise Smith Robert (Bob) Eugene Smith Harry Courtland Snavely Ernestine Sneeden Ann (Annie) Shippey Lewallen King Spencer Jane Singletary Sugg Leslie Robinson Warhover Paul Richard (Dick) Webster Edwin J. (Bud) Werner Dr. George P. (Jack) Williams Jr. Jean B. Williams

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kmay@centenary-ws. org 336-397-1331

Special

A Spotlight on Centenary’s Youth Ministry Program

By Julie Drinkard

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here are many factors that go into making a church successful in its mission to bring those in its community to Christ.

In fact, each church will undoubtedly have different markers of success depending on their location, the pastors who lead, and the volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time.

have done well in engaging the youth into church life. This book is their way of disseminating the information to other churches and youth ministries, not because these six strategies are necessarily a magic recipe, but because a little inspiration can

But if I were to ask you to name the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about what Centenary should prioritize for its success, what would you say?

To highlight some of the fast facts about Centenary’s Youth Ministry program, Tammy Pollock and Tyler MacDonald, Centenary’s Youth Resident, connect with 263 youth through their mailing list and are actively engaging 140 of them in the life of the church in a variety of ways, building a unique relationship with each of them.

The youth program also boasts 18 parents/adults on the youth leadership team who assist in the efforts. This is an integral part of a community of folks who fiercely fight for the program’s mission: to love youth on behalf of Jesus in hopes of loving them to Jesus.

Growing Young was released on September 20th and I encourage you to head to your local bookstore and pick up a copy to learn more about not only your own church, but all of the ways in which other communities are loving their youth just as well as we are.

Tammy Pollock, Director of Youth Ministries, would shout from the rooftops “the youth!” And for 25 years she has done just that: prioritized young people in the churches she served. Today, we celebrate not only 25 years of Tammy’s devotion to leading youth of all ages to Jesus, we celebrate the positive effect she has had in particular over the past ten years on Centenary’s youth ministry program.

The Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), a program of Fuller Theological Seminary that transforms research into resources that elevate leaders, kids, and families, has recognized Centenary as one of the top 40 youth ministry programs. Not just in Winston-Salem, not just in North Carolina, but a top 40 program in the entire country.

In a book titled Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church, FYI takes its research and narrows down the six ways in which all 40 of the highlighted youth ministries

understand how and why exemplary churches are involving and retaining young people, as well as helping them to develop a vibrant faith in Jesus Christ. With the help of our Youth Leadership Team, several of our youth and young adults (ranging in ages from 15-29 who were/are involved in our youth ministry), staff and lay leaders, Fuller was able to glean tremendous insight into our Youth Ministry and Youth Ministry in general.

go a long way. We are so proud to say that Centenary is one of their inspirations.

The project, titled Churches Engaging Young People (CEYP), sought to

To learn more about Centenary’s Youth Ministry program, or to find out ways in which you or a young person you know can become involved, please contact Tammy Pollock at tpollock@ centenary-ws.org or (336) 397-1337. •

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The warmth and joy of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season is on display in Glad Tidings. Located on the second floor just a few feet from the Sanctuary, Glad Tidings provides customers an opportunity to find the perfect gift or card for someone special, but also gives them an opportunity to impact Centenary Ministries. Once we pay our bills, all profits go to Centenary’s Missions and Outreach Ministries. But, our ministry is really so much more than that. Our volunteers are here to help you choose that special card or gift as well as warm and friendly conversation and fellowship. We offer a place where people can gather, have a cup of coffee and share laughter and friendship with each other. So, the next time you need a card or gift, come to Glad Tidings where your dollars go a little bit further. Our ministry would not be possible without you. Volunteers look forward to visiting and sharing all our beautiful holiday selections with you.

So, remember Glad Tidings the next time you need that special something for someone special. You not only make their day brighter, you help support the ministries and missions of Centenary United Methodist Church.

Evangelism and Engagement

jpegram@centenary-ws. org 336-397-1361

A Great Place to Start...

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By Rev. Jeremy Pegram

on the floor of the chancel that had been transformed to resemble the hillside in Bethlehem, the pastor’s wife of the Holiness church, whose name I can’t remember, stood and sang in an angelic tone the song O Holy Night. I had never heard the

fields where the angels appeared on that holy night so long ago. The song was a gift unrivaled by any object that could be purchased with cash or credit.

was a child of divorced parents, which meant that my weekends were split between by mom’s house and my dad’s Friends, I share this story because often in house. On the weekends our attempts to enrich my brother and I spent the lives of others, we at our mother’s, we strike out to find a gift attended her church that will bring the illusion and on the weekends of love and joy. Maybe spent with my dad we a new trinket, or the boarded a church van to latest electronic device, attend a small Holiness or a sweater in this year’s church in a rural part of style and color. Sadly, the county. This small trinkets fade and crack, Holiness church played a electronic devices soon vital role in my spiritual become obsolete, and growth and development that sweater – well, it for several years during shrinks in the wash (at my youth. One of my least that’s what I say favorite activities to rather than own up to my participate in was the eating habits around the annual Christmas play that holidays). Perhaps the this tiny congregation of gifts we offer to others 25 worshippers would might just be the very produce each year. We gifts God has given us. began our rehearsals in Perhaps what God has early October, which given us, like the gift of meant I spent two the voice bestowed upon months rehearsing and the Holiness pastor’s wife, memorizing lines before This painting, depicting the angel’s appearance to the shepherds, is in the Chapel is the gift we share with of the Angel’s at Shepherd’s Field in Bethlehem. The photo was taken by Rev. our opening night. On others. Instead of giving Jeremy Pegram during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2011. the night of the play the something that comes community would fill the with a receipt this year, sanctuary of the little brick veneer church to song before, but I instantly fell in love with consider giving something that has come over capacity, and they would watch as the the words. I was struck by the line “long from God –give of yourself! I imagine the cast portrayed the night of the nativity with lay the world in sin and error pinning”. divinely purposed gift that is in you will song and drama.

Pinning? That word was not part of my awaken the soul that is pinning for a Savior! nomenclature. I’ve come to understand • One year, I played the part of Benoni, a that to pine means to yearn deeply for young shepherd boy, who slept in the something. There in my shepherd’s fields with his older brother while tending costume and with my shepherd’s hook the family’s flock of sheep. There was nearby, my soul was pinning for a redeeming dialogue shared between these characters encounter with Jesus Christ. As the singer just before they nodded off to sleep. While raised the rafters with her perfect pitch, my counterpart and I pretended to sleep my soul was being transported to the same

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Celebrations

Welcome

New Members

Nick & Cassie Beno

Reid & Natalie Gilliam Meg

Sue Joyce

Rob & Betsy Harris Liza, Tripp and Charlie

Dwayne Miller

Chuck & Dee Tabb

Allison Pegram Elliott and Luke Pictured with Reverend Jeremy Pegram

Mary Ann Wexler

Not pictured: David & Kathy Stith

We give thanks for all that God has already given you and we welcome you in Christian love.

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Give More..

Be an Angel T

his year as we seek to give more during Christmas our Centenary family will again be supporting several organizations through our Angel Tree.

Each of these angels are engaged with a beautiful ministry who strives to help them have a little more joy at Christmas!

As you prepare to choose and shop for your angel I would love to share with you a little more of the other side of this ministry.

Once all of the gifts are returned a team of volunteers works to organize the gifts making sure that gifts for each angel have been returned and are well labeled.

We then work with each organization to determine a pick up date so that they can get the gifts for their children.

The two churches we work with, Marvin United Methodist Church and El Aposento Alto, who are both Hispanic congregations, each have a time of worship and celebration when all of the

children are invited and receive their gifts together. Our staff have been invited to, and have attended, these joyful parties and it is an amazing thing to behold.

The joy and gratitude that overflow from these children and their families is palpable.

The other organizations we work with distribute their gifts differently. The Winston Salem Street School has a day when they send the gifts home with their students who are the parents of these sweet angels. We will also again this year put apples on our Angel Trees. The apples are items or financial gifts that will support the work done on behalf of the angels at the schools with whom we partner for the Backpack Program.

The trees will be up in The Hub beginning Sunday, November 6. We encourage you to choose an angel soon as our generous congregation members adopt them quickly! We ask that all gifts be returned

by Sunday, December 4. As you are shopping a few things to remember:

• Many of these children receive their gifts at the same time. This is one of the reasons we put a suggested spending limit of $100/angel. • The information on the angels come from the families and children themselves. We hope they will help guide your shopping experience. • Many of our angels have siblings on the tree. If you would like to adopt a whole family of angels they will be noted and one of our volunteers or staff can help you.

If you would like to participate but are not able to go shopping be in touch with Ashley Maner (336-397-1332/amaner@ centenary-ws.org) about ways you can support the Angel Tree. Also be in touch with Ashley if you would like to help with the organizing, sorting, and/or delivering of gifts!

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showell@centenary-ws. org 336-397-1348

The Asumani Family

Welcoming the Stranger: Making Friends with Refugees

By Rev. Sarah Howell

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n August of this year, a team from Centenary embarked on a journey.

It did not require passports or international flights, but in a way it has transported them and our church to Africa.

This stationary travel has come in

the form of a new relationship we are building with the Asumani family, our Congolese partners through World Relief. Before coming to America, the Asumanis lived in a refugee camp in Tanzania. Ramadhani, the father, had been there for 18 years; he and Mmocha, the mother, met there and had all 5 of their children—Donald (1), Char-

lote (8), Modest (6), Akiba (4), and Shipola (6 months)—in the camp.

Our group is called a Good Neighbor Team, and our job is to do just that—be good neighbors!

Their early days in this country have been a whirlwind. They are living in a rented house in the Boston-Thurmond neighborhood, where the 3

oldest children attend Cook Elementary School. Ramadhani has been taking English as a Second Language classes and participating in job training through World Relief as he seeks employment; Mmocha hopes also to take ESL and to work eventually. The whole family is friendly and loving, even when communication is difficult—they speak little to no English; the whole family speaks Swahili; Ramadhani is fluent in French (the Congo was once a French colony, so it’s a common language there), and Donald speaks a little as well.

members Martha Ann McDonald (whose French fluency has been a huge help) and Greta Gray sat down with them in September to ask a few questions.

Mmocha is interested in volunteer work where she can be helpful.

Q: How long did it take you to get to Winston-Salem from Tanzania?

A: Peanut butter and fried chicken!

A: We left Tanzania on August 10, and arrived in New York on August 11. Due to bad weather, we were in New York for three days in a hotel.

We arrived in Winston Salem on August 14.

Q: What are your favorite American foods?

Q: How do the children like their new home?

A: They like it very much, especially having a TV. When in the refugee camp, we lived in a tent. So far the children are enjoying learning—they can count to five!

Q: What are you most happy about?

Through this partnership, we have learned much about what it means to welcome the stranger as we are called to do in Matthew 25. Turns out, it’s both extremely difficult and incredibly fulfilling! This is what kingdom work is like: hard, but worth it.

We’ve also learned that the stranger may look different than we expected. We have heard much on the news about Syrian refugees, and there are many of those in this area (some of whom we met and danced with at a World Relief picnic), but the country where the most refugees are coming from right now is the Congo. World Relief has been a great partner. They have a history in this community—their High Point office opened in the mid-1980s (the organization itself had already been around for decades), and they recently opened an office in downtown Winston-Salem. World Relief works with the federal government to resettle refugees who have been through an extensive screening process before coming to America.

As a team, we wanted to introduce you to the Asumani family, whom you might have seen in 11:00 worship on Sunday mornings. Team

A: We are happy to be here. Everyone we know in Africa dreams of coming to America. We love our team of supporters from your church, and we are very happy to live right beside the elementary school, where three of our children go to school. That makes life easy for Mmocha who takes them to school and walks to pick them up at 3:15 p.m. We are happy that we can attend church here, too. We like going to your church, and church is an important part of our life.

Q: What are your favorite activities here in Winston-Salem?

Q: What have been your biggest challenges?

A: Where we lived before, there were many children for the kids to play with. Here, the kids only see kids at school, the picnics, or at church.

There are not kids who come to our house—yet.

We encourage you all to be in prayer for the Asumanis and our Good Neighbor Team as we continue to walk together. To learn more, contact Rev. Sarah Howell (336-3971348 )/ showell@centenary-ws. org. •

A: We like going to church, and especially enjoy the music. The [World Relief] picnics we have attended were fun, and we have enjoyed meeting other Congolese families in town.

Q: What skills and talents did you [Ramadhani and Mmocha] use in Africa?

A: I [Ramadhani] was an elementary school teacher. I taught children ages 6-12 life skills, which include how to live in society and be good citizens.

I worked in this job Monday through Saturday. We are very interested in learning English and getting work.

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jbrake@centenary-ws. org 336-397-1334

Adult Education

Rediscovering What Christmas Is Really About

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ike many American families with young children, we had let Christmas get away from us – at least on the commercial side of it. When the kids were little, it was so much fun to see them dig into their presents, wrapping paper flying this way and that, expectant little eyes lighting up with shrieks of joy at what was revealed.

We play a little game at our house on Christmas morning, taking turns opening one present at a time starting with the youngest and going to the oldest so that everyone gets to enjoy all the presents being unwrapped – and a little bit of delayed-gratification is a good thing in an instant-gratification world. It may take a little longer to go around and around the room, but it’s a family tradition that we have come to love.

One year, on Christmas Eve as Alisa and I were getting the last few things wrapped and double checking all of our gift-stash locations to make sure we didn’t miss anything, we strategically placed all the packages under the tree and stood back to take in the whole sight. “I guess we kind of overdid things this year, huh?” That’s when we vowed to go against the conventional norm, to join the Advent Conspiracy, knowing that it would save us money that we really didn’t have for spending anyway, and would help our children to appreciate a few carefully selected gifts instead of being overwhelmed by so much excess – in a way that had the lasting effect of an emotional sugar-crash.

We made a shift to three gifts for each child that were age appropriate and didn’t have to be “cost-balanced” since electronics are much more expensive than a Hot Wheels set. Why three? Because Jesus received three (gold, frankincense, and myrrh). I know some families who give 1) something you want, 2) something you need, and 3) something you wear.

My grandparents used to own an egg farm in eastern North Carolina where my grandmother decorated her house with chickens and eggs. One year when we were trying to decide what to give someone in her 80s who already had everything she could want or need, we chose to buy her “a flock of chickens” that would be given to a family in a subsistence economy. We paid online and printed out a beautiful personalized card. I can still remember when she opened it, read the card, and looked a little confused. I explained that we wanted to get her something with meaning, so because of the joy she had received all these years from her feathered friends, we bought a flock in her honor that would give income and joy to a family in South America or Asia. For years she commented that it was one of the best Christmas gifts she had ever “received”!

When I entered into ministry, I learned that there was no way I could “repay” all the gifts that church members gave us this time of year. And I also discovered how many meaningless trinkets are given in an effort to say “I appreciate you and wanted to show it somehow during Christmas” when they had no idea what kind of gift would be meaningful. So, I began publishing in church newsletter articles some possible ways to give “meaningful gifts” to my family and to Jesus (after all, it’s the birthday boy who should get the presents, right?). If Jesus said that what we do for the least of these, we have done for him, then perhaps that’s where we should direct our gifts. In memory of my grandmother, I now appreciate most those gifts I receive which benefit the least in our world. “A donation was made in your honor” is still one of my favorite gifts to unwrap – and no matter how many I receive, I never come down from that emotional high! So, if you’re wondering what to give your pastor (or anyone else on your gift list this year), consider these:

• Centenary’s Christmas Offering • Angel Tree • Scholarship Fund, etc.

• Animal Donation (donate.worldvision.org/ways-to-give/ animals OR www.heifer.org/gift-catalog/ animals-nutrition/index.html) • Missions of The United Methodist Church (www.umcmission.org/appeals/christmas) • United Methodist Creation Care (www.umccreationcare.org/give) • Adopt a Wild Animal (vault.sierraclub.org/ways-to-give) • Habitat for Humanity (www.habitatforsyth.org/ways-to-donate) •The Children’s Home (www.tchome.org/support-us) • The Humane Society (www.forsythhumane.org/donationoptions) • Hospice (hospicecarecenter.org/audience/donors) Any organization of which you know the recipient would appreciate your support Christmas Blessings from the Brake Family, Rev. Jonathan Brake, Associate Minister for Adult Formation

We don’t always think about it, but all the festivities and extra activities around the holidays can be quite costly for God’s gift of natural resources. Here are some ideas from our friends at Blessed Earth, Dr. Matthew and Nancy Sleeth. Perhaps this year, your family could change 2 or 3 items from your usual activities in order to honor God’s creation. Notice that these ideas go well with our Advent Conspiracy focus this season. Here are some ideas to get you started: • Spend less. It takes an average of six months for a credit card user to pay off holiday debt.

• Skip paper Christmas cards. If everyone sent just one less card per year, we could save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.

• Reduce the trimmings. If every family reused just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.

• Wrap in reusable material, such as cloth bags or reusable gift bags. If every household in America wrapped just 3 presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

• Celebrate close to home. If each family in America consumed one less gallon of gasoline this holiday season (cutting out about 20 miles of travel), we’d reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons.

• Consider purchasing a live tree from a local nursery and replanting it after the holiday. Or purchase an artificial tree and save gas on annual trips to a tree farm; also artificial trees do not require pesticides.

• Instead of adding new ornaments this year, opt for edible or compostable items like stringed popcorn or cranberries for garland. Making Christmas decorations can also be a fun family activity.

• Switch to LED holiday lights. They cost just a little more per strand than standard lights, but use up to 100 times less energy and will last about ten years or one hundred thousand hours when used indoors.

• Give purposeful gifts this Christmas. Everyone appreciates homemade, personalized gifts more than store bought options. Another idea is to give an “environmental starter kit” filled with items such as high efficiency lightbulbs, a battery recharger, refillable bottles, canvas shopping bags, etc.

• Combine shopping trips to use less gas. And remember to bring your reusable shopping bags. © BLESSED EARTH, 2009. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION. www.blessedearth.org Learn more about the Centenary Creation Care Ministry at www.centenary-ws.org/?p=2110

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Honoraria

Memorials Centenary Fund In memory of Kimberlee Lambe Masich by Kathryn Snavely, Brant Snavely lll, Peggy & John Taylor, David & Sonya Long, Mr. & Mrs. Charles G. Duckett, Lucy & Steve Mullen, Kate & Tim Cooper, Timothy & Kimberly Jackson, Ralph & Gayle Atkinson, Martha & Dennis McNames, Brenda & Jerry Gordon, Dewey & Betty Ann Chapple, Mr. & Mrs. James W. Douglas. In memory of George Clyce Newman by Andrew & Anne Copenhaver, G. Alexander & Lysbeth Mavrogordato, Mary & Hayden Kepley, Mr. & Mrs. Cliff Perry, Jr., Jay & Becky Robinson, Mac & Mary Ellen Smyth, Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. Crowder, Jr., Dr. & Mrs. George Plonk, Jr., Paul & Kimberly Tortolani Family, Louise & Jim Kelly, Kathryn & Bobby Edwards, Harold & Sandra Gobble, Suzanne W. Hanes, Betsy & Bob Whaling, Mr. & Mrs. James W. Douglas, John & Jean Hackenburg, Wilba Brady, Ellen & David Gildea, Missy Butler, Tom & Nancy Cannon. In memory of Nicholas Worth Mitchell, Jr. by Mary & Hayden Kepley. In memory of William M. “Buck” Butler, Jr. by Mary & Hayden Kepley, Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Crowder, Jr., Kathryn & Bobby Edwards, Missy Butler, Mr. & Mrs. H. Norton Willis. In memory of James Alexander Yates, lll by Mary & Hayden Kepley. In memory of Ann Shippey Lewallen King “Annie” Spencer by William & Nanelle Pulliam, Mary & Hayden Kepley, Kathryn & Bobby Edwards, Judy Halverson, Mr. & Mrs. H. Norton Willis. In memory of Rachel King Lawrence by Margaret Holcomb, Jean & Bob Deaton, Joan & Ray Byrd, Jean G. Beam, Iva Nell Dorse & Ginger R. Yokley, Ann & Harry Lancaster. In memory of James Albert Harrill by Sallie Millis Pryor. In memory of Anne Finlator Rutledge by Ray Blevins & daughters, The Chapel Class. In memory of Donald C. Golding by Frank & Sara Rayburn.

In memory of William Fletcher Womble, Sr. by Ray Blevins, Missy Butler, Suzan Elster, Ken & Doris Goodson, Elizabeth & Jim Holmes, Mr. & Mrs. W. D. Stedman, Betty & Jim Brewer, Camille Smith, Mr. & Mrs. William Hathcock, Royce Hough, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Vaughn, Jr., Ken & Susan Sommerkamp, Dalton Ruffin, The Daniel Professional Group, Inc., Leslie Browder, Phyllis Cowell, Long Hope, Inc., Robin Stinson, Gordon & Sallie Grubb, Ryan’s Restaurant, LLC, Janie & Jarman Jenkins, S. Craig & Heather K. Mallard, Lisa Armstrong, Mr. & Mrs. Sam C. Ogburn, Sr., Mr. & Mrs. Ben S. Willis Jr., Norma Turnham, Grace & John McKinnon, Dr. & Mrs. Wilson Russell, Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Vaughn, Betty Ann & Dewey Chapple, F. Scott & Elaine Bauer, Kay Snavely, Mr. & Mrs. John C. Whitaker,

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Eleanor Vance, Tom & Nancy Cannon, Cindy & Ian Calvert, The Cox Family, Ian & Diane Millar, Bob & Sally Cone, Gretchen, Clay & Cody Clifton, Lolla Page, Grover & Jane McNair, Donald A. Donadio, Ann King Windham, Mr. & Mrs. F. Borden Hanes, Anne Carr. In memory of Alan John Southard by Mandy & Fred London. In memory of Anna Bland Faison Fisher by Judy Halverson. In memory of Charles L. Crockett, lll by Ann King Windham. In memory of Chalmers Brown Wilson by Ann King Windham.

Glad Tidings Windows Fund In memory of Judy Lynn Morris Jones by Circle 5, Judy Halverson.

Sacred Music In memory of Sara Fountain Lore by Betty Anne Lore. In memory of Bob L. Myers by Steven & Cathy Kirby. In memory of Richard Faw by Mr. & Mrs. Frank Craven, Barbara Byrd.

Senior Adult Ministry In memory of Donald C. Golding by Emily Williamson, Susan Gurney & Deborah Warshawsky, Barry & Peggy Raby, Chris & Pam Cash, Paul & Susan Armstrong.

Shining Light on Mental Health In memory of Charles L. Crockett, lll by Allan & Bill Womble, Debbie Wolfe Shea, Jean Fugate, Kim & Dorothy Westmoreland, Ken & Vicki Davis, Jr., Bob & Marilyn Beach, Harrison & Cackie Wilson.

Centenary Fund In honor of Rev. Lory Beth Huffman by Shippey McDowell. In honor of Rev. Craig Ford by Shippey McDowell. In honor of Dr. Rob Frazier by Shippey McDowell. In honor of The Chancel Choir by Shippey McDowell.

In honor of Thad Lewallen by Shippey McDowell. In honor of Dr. George Robinson

by Ray Blevins.

Music and the Arts In honor of Craig & Janet Ford by Phyllis H. Dunning.

Senior Adult Ministry In honor of Ray & Carolyn Branton by Andrew M. Halverson.

Births We celebrate the baptisms of...

Kathryn Emory Terry Peirce Grey King Kelly King Mary Blythe Maner George Troendly Petree Scott Pollard Johnson Nolan Patrick Donley Kamryn Vaughn Stith Charles Thompson Harris Meg Gilliam Elizabeth Scott Welch

Stock Delivery Instructions Making a gift of securities to Centenary United Methodist Church is another way to contribute to the church. Such a gift offers tax savings to most donors. Electronic transfer is the most common method of delivering a gift of securities to Centenary. To deliver your gift of securities electronically, please follow these simple instructions.

(1) Instruct your broker that your DTC-eligible securities are to be transferred electronically to: Centenary United Methodist Church Federal Tax ID # 56-0552783 (2) Provide Centenary or instruct your broker to provide Centenary with:

1. a description (name of stock) and the amount of your securities to be transferred 2. the name of brokerage firm 3. the name of the fund to be credited or the purpose of the gift

(3) Provide your broker with the list of brokerage firms listed below that Centenary has accounts with: Charles Schwab Account # 2184 0742 DTC # 0164 Phone #: 1-800-435-4000 Commission: Less than $10 per transaction

Scottrade Account # 20746083 DTC # 0705 Phone #: (336) 794-0044 Commission: Less than $10 per transaction

Stephens, Inc. Account # 160980382 DTC # 0419 Phone # (336) 251-0423 Commission: $50 per transaction

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kristy Eaton (336-397-1341)/keaton@centenary-ws.org.Always be sure to notify Centenary when you authorize an electronic transfer of securities.

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kmay@centenary-ws. org 336-397-1331

Children’s Ministry

Christmas came early in

Children’s Ministry

By Rev. Kate May

O

ver the last several months Children’s ministry has had our season of preparation that has felt a bit like Advent. As we learned the time-line for the Foundations Daycare Center to move to their new location on Poplar Street, we have been busy making plans to live into an additional floor and a half of the 1960s building.

Then much like that final rush the week before Christmas we worked furiously from September 6, the day Foundations Early Learning Center opened in their new location until Wednesday, September 14 when we began children’s music ministry rehearsals. Furniture was moved, floors were cleaned, even a wall was knocked down so that we could take full advantage of the ministry space now available to us.

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If you come over to the 1960s building now, the changes that you will notice begin on the first floor. Nurseries for infants through pre-K age children have moved from the second floor to the first floor. This makes dropping off our tiniest church family members easier on everyone. Having this whole floor has also allowed us to create an adult hang-out space, a nursing mother’s room, a conference room and an indoor p l ay ro o m .

This indoor playroom is the home to a brand new ministry which had its first gathering in October.

We are beginning a monthly opportunity to parents to come a l o n g with their children two years

and younger to enjoy a time of play and fellowship. This new opportunity will help us to engage families with young children on a regular basis in a way we have been unable to do up until now.

The second floor now comes alive every Wednesday night as we fill it with Children’s Music Ministry. We have moved all of our rehearsals and even our family dinner to the second floor of the 1960s building.

It has created wonderful energy and has made it even more easy for families with children to engage in children’s music ministry. We look forward to sharing with you in worship all of the great things that are happening on Wednesday nights!

The third floor has remained our space for elementary Sunday School classes, but even this hallway got some love this fall as, with the help of Wynn Robinson, we were able to create a beautiful piece of artwork on promotion Sunday when we thought about the tree in the story of Zacchaeus to discover ways that we can get closer to Jesus.

So what is going on with Foundations?

They are enjoying their new facility on

Poplar Street and Centenary remains in conversation with their management about how we can maintain a relationship with the staff, families, and children who will no longer be enjoying space on our campus.

So Christmas has already begun to come for us first on September 11 when we opened the nurseries on the first floor

and then on September 14 when we welcomed Children’s Music Ministry to the second floor. Now we have the afterglow of present opening when you start putting everything together that didn’t already come assembled. Our assembly comes in the form of painting hallways and requesting new or gently used children’s toys, books, and puzzles for our nursery rooms.

Come visit us sometime, we’d love to show you around our new space! •

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Spend Less... Give More... Read a Book!!!

By Rev. Kate May As your family considers how to celebrate Advent and Christmas this year we hope you’ll stop by Glad Tidings and pick up one or more of these great titles. Each one is great for read-a-loud time with your family. Add to your Christmas library and spend some great time together as a family.

Star Bright: A Christmas Story

By Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds Ever wondered what to get someone for Christmas? In this fun adventure one of the angels is racking her brain trying to figure out what to give the special new baby who had just been born. As she thinks of many things she discovers there are others who are bringing gifts and are lost! She then discovers the perfect gift!

Goodnight, Manger

by Laura Sassi Mary and Joseph are trying to get the Baby Jesus to sleep, but it is not a very silent night as everyone celebrates. In this lyrical story you will discover the noise of celebration that night that ends in a beautiful lullaby. A perfect story for putting little ones to bed on Christmas Eve!

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A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree

By Colleen Monroe We all wonder what it is that we are created to be. And sometimes in our wishing to be something, we miss out on what we already are.

That is the story of this great tree who wishes to be a Christmas Tree, but is passed over year after year. Then he is reminded by his woodland friends that he is already so much more to each of them. A beautiful story of the value of friendship!

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas

By Natasha Wing Has your Christmas ever not gone quite according to your plan? Then you will find a friend in this fun book modeled on the classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Follow a young girl whose Christmas plans are not panning out as she hoped. In the end she learns that what matters most about Christmas is love. A great reminder for each of us as we prepare for Christmas.

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Congregational Care

Sharing Our Stories; Voices of Hope

L

ast fall, a group of interested Centenary members began conversations about mental health, faith and ways to offer education, comfort, and spiritual support not only to church members but also to our community at large. Thus, a new ministry under the Congregational Care Committee was started: Shining Light on Mental Health.

The ministry received enthusiastic turnout at the educational programs we offered beginning in 2015, and we’ve been pleased to include those who have a variety of experiences with mental health challenges.

We welcome people who are facing or have faced mental health challenges, their families, friends, healthcare providers and anyone who is interested in knowing more about how we can equip our faith community with tools to address mental health issues. We plan to continue our educational focus with a series of programs to address issues of interest to the community. For 2016-2017, the theme for Shining Light is Sharing Our Stories; Voices of Hope. Please join us for the following: November 1, Reframing “Healthy” Eating: The Wisdom of Intuitive/Mindful Eating, Debra Benfield, Mind in Body Nutrition, will explore the empowering shift of

waking up to the wisdom of the body and aligning with true appetite. We will discuss developing practices that are accessible in daily life to support best health through mindful eating practices and joyful movement. 6:00 p.m. in Centenary’s Dining Room.

December 18, The Longest Night Service, is a worship opportunity for everyone, but especially those who have experienced loss, trauma, or any other life-altering event. The name comes from the winter solstice, December 21st, the longest night

of the year. When we are in the throes of despair it may seem that darkness goes on indefinitely. The hope of Stephen Ministry is that those who are struggling will find peace, solace, and optimism at this service. All are welcome. The service will be led by a Centenary Minister, including opportunities to speak with a minister confidentially, as well as to light votive candles in honor or memory of loved ones.

Participants may stay in the chapel for prayer and meditation as long as they wish.

7:00 p.m. in Centenary’s Chapel.

A Youth Mental Health First Aid course will begin at Centenary on January 18, 2017.

The four-week course is co-sponsored with Centenary’s Children and Youth ministries and is an opportunity for anyone who has regular contact with adolescents to learn practical approaches to respond to mental health challenges. (Please see more information on the inside back cover.)

We look forward to having you join us as we continue our conversations about mental health! •

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showell@centenary-ws. org 336-397-1334

The Haven

Introducing...The Haven

By Rev. Sarah Howell

W

hen you come in the 4 ½ Street entrance, do you ever notice the little white building behind you? Or if you visit our neighbors at Foothills Brewery, have you ever wondered what the curiously shaped building across the street might be?

enhance and expand ministry. We decided that instead of office space, we could have a missional outpost.

The first ministry to move in full-time was Loaves & Fishes. Having been housed at our 5th Street Annex for years, they were ready to move out of a cramped, outdated space and have loved

That, my friends, is 633 W. 4th Street, a property owned by our church.

For years, it’s been leased out to various businesses, its daily operations overseen by a property management service.

But over the course of this year, the use of that building has been shifting. We’ve returned control of the building to the church, and we’re letting go of those business leases. Tenants are gradually moving out, and the last ones will be gone by early 2017.

Why, you ask?

Because we decided that rather than be in the landlord business, we ought to consider how to use that property to

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being in their new location. Our Backpack Ministry has taken up residence there as well, and some of the English as a Second Language classes that we have hosted for Forsyth Tech have moved there, too.

You may remember that last year, 633 W. 4th Street served as the check-in space for the overflow homeless shelter.

It was an experiment in radical hospitality that many of you helped make

possible. We learned a lot last year and are looking forward to offering improved accommodations and hospitality to our neighbors in need of shelter in the winter months of 2016-17.

But winter isn’t the only time that the homeless and marginally housed need help. City with Dwellings, the grassroots organization of churches in our community dedicated to ending homelessness, is not only the group that runs the overflow shelter—it is a ministry looking to combat homelessness yearround.

The men and women we saw from December 2016 to March 2017 did not disappear when April 1 came—and folks from City with Dwellings have continued to work with and walk alongside many of our overflow guests. For several months now, we have been able to provide office space for case workers to make their efforts at getting people into secure, sustainable housing easier.

Meanwhile, another, more longtime Winston-Salem ministry has also been

growing into the space at 633 W. 4th St. The Shalom Project, the 501(c)3 that grew out of Green Street United Methodist Church over a decade ago, held its medical clinic and food pantry in our building for a month while the church underwent asbestos abatement. When that renovation was over, however, they didn’t want to leave! So, although the food pantry did shift back to Green Street, the medical clinic has continued to operate in our space. The clinic happens every other Wednesday, and they are hoping to move to weekly

operations (with the help of volunteer medical professionals—let us know if you can help!).

imagination, as seeds for greater outreach and service are planted in downtown Winston-Salem.

As we move closer to the overflow season, we are in conversation with City with Dwellings and The Shalom Project about how they might coordinate their operations over the winter—and perhaps how they might collaborate to do some work that neither group could do on their own. A little bit on purpose and a little bit on accident, 633 W. 4th Street is becoming an incubator for missional

We are excited to see how this space evolves in the years to come, but for now, know and celebrate that it is being used for great kingdom work; pray for the ministries running in and growing out of that building; and ask how you can be involved in Centenary’s expanding engagement with our community through service and mission. •

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tpollock@centenary-ws. org 336-397-1337

Youth Ministry

Conspire to Change

By Tammy Pollock

A

dvent is the time in the life of the church that we observe as a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. The word itself means “coming” or “arrival”.

It is the four Sundays prior to Christmas Eve where we mark the passing days with the lighting of the candles on the Advent wreath, each symbolizing for us an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and the final candle to be lit on Christmas Eve, the Christ candle.

Whereas the traditional color for Advent is purple… purple was the most costly dye in Ancient times, taken from the sea urchin, and therefore used only for kings. However, in more recent times we use the color blue… blue for the dark blue color of the sky just before the dawn. Blue is used to inspire in us hope of faith and to encourage us to keep watch for the promised light of Christ to break over the horizon, changing night into day, darkness into light, filling our lives and our world with a holy and righteous splendor.

The first Sunday in Advent, we light the candle of hope. We have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises He has made to all of us. The promise of the child Jesus is the fulfillment of something God has been about for many generations… for thousands of years. Our hope comes from God. Just as Mary received a word of hope for her future and the future of all her people, we receive the same word of hope today.

Our waiting becomes hope-filled waiting.

Just as a mother waits for her child to be born with hope and expectation, we too

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wait for the gift that God gives us in his redeeming love and grace. …Which seems odd and completely juxtaposed to the way the world seems to celebrate the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s the time in the year that every retailer counts on to ensure the success of their business at the end of the year.

The estimated spending for Black Friday, which marks the start of the official holiday shopping season, last year alone, was $13 billion. All of which seems curious to me when we are spending such incredible amounts of money to celebrate the birth of our homeless Son of God, born in a barn, no room for him in the inn.

In 2006, five pastors came together and imagined a better Christmas practice for their communities. Today, the Advent Conspiracy is a global movement of people and churches resisting the cultural Christmas narrative of consumption by choosing a revolutionary Christmas through four radical approaches to Advent: • Worshipping Fully – It all starts with Jesus and it ends with Jesus. It is the season to sing a song of glory to God, just as Mary did. It is the season where love wins, peace reigns, and the king is celebrated with each breath. Entering the story of advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus in the fullest, after all, the shepherds and animals gathered around him and the wise men sought him, all to worship him first.

• Spending Less – What was the one gift you remember from last year? What about the fourth? Truth is many of us don’t know because it wasn’t something we necessarily wanted or needed. Americans spend

$600 billion during the Christmas season, and much of that is joyless and goes right on the credit card. Astounding, isn’t it? By spending less and more wisely on gifts we free ourselves from the anxiety associated with debt so we can take in the season with a full heart. In the famous words of the Grinch himself, “It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!” Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store!

Maybe Christmas, perhaps…means a little bit more.”

• Giving More – Wait, didn’t we just say spend less and yet Give More? By being present to those who are in need, giving yourself… your time, your talents, your gifts, your service, and your witness, give more of that, you are giving what Jesus gave.

• Loving All - The greatest commandment that we are given is to “love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself”.

It’s that simple. Loving someone is offering them hope. All people, no matter who they are or where they come from, we are all God’s children. He loves us and we are called to do the same for one another.

The “conspiracy” three churches began a few years ago, and has since grown to an international movement where thousands of churches have partnered with them and raised millions of dollars to love others in life changing ways. The challenge to us all is to conspire to change the way we celebrate Advent and Christmas too. How will you change the way you live into Advent this year? •

Youth Mental Health First Aid Course at Centenary Youth Mental Health First Aid USA is an 8 hour public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Mental Health First Aid uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect young people to professional, peer, social, and self-help care.

WHAT WILL PARTICIPANTS LEARN? The course teaches participants the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents, including anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, AD/HD, disruptive behavior disorders, and substance use disorder. Participants do not learn to diagnose, nor how to provide any therapy or counseling – rather, participants learn to support a youth developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in an emotional crisis by applying a core five-step action plan:     

Assess for risk of suicide or harm Listen nonjudgmentally Give reassurance and information Encourage appropriate professional help Encourage self-help and other support strategies

The Youth Mental Health First Aid USA curriculum is primarily focused on information participants can use to help adolescents and transition-age youth, ages 12-18.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THE COURSE? The course is designed for adults who regularly interact with adolescents (teachers, school staff, coaches, youth group leaders, parents, etc.), but is being tested for appropriateness within older adolescent groups (16 and older) so as to encourage youth peer to peer interaction. In January 2013, President Obama recommended training for teachers in Mental Health First Aid. Since 2008, the core Mental Health First Aid course has been successfully offered to hundreds of thousands of people across the USA, including hospital staff, employers and business leaders, faith communities, law enforcement, and the general public.

WHO CREATED THE COURSE? Mental Health First Aid USA is coordinated by the National Council for Behavioral Health, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Mental Health First Aid USA worked with experts at the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health at the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development to develop the youth program.

The four-week certification course will be offered at Centenary on Wednesdays beginning January 18, 2017 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Dinner and childcare will both be available. For more specifics and to register, look under the "Engage" menu on Centenary's website and choose "Sign Up." Attendance at all four weeks is required. Facilitated by Meredith Poe Martin and sponsored by Centenary's Shining Light on Mental Health Committee and Children's and Youth Ministries.

Web: www.MentalHealthFirstAid.org

Email: info@mentalhealthfirstaid.org

Phone: 202.684.7457

(USPS 628-480)

Periodicals Postage Paid at Winston-Salem, N. C.

Published By: Centenary United Methodist Church PO Box 658 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-0658 Church Office: (336) 724-6311 Fax: (336) 723-5840 Website: www.centenaryonline.com Postmaster Send Address Changes to: Centenary United Methodist Church PO Box 658 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-0658 A Stephen Ministry Congregation Printed on recycled paper

Stephen Ministry

What does the Bible say about lay care-giving ministry?

When Jesus calls us to be his disciples, he also makes us members of his Body, the church. As arms and hands of God, we are called to do the work of God in the world (I Corinthians 12). Through the Holy Spirit, God gives each of us special gifts to be used in the work of loving service (I Peter 4:10). Peter emphasized the “priesthood of all believers” (I Peter 2:9-10) and the vital role of each Christian in proclaiming the gracious deeds of God in Christ. God’s call to church leaders is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-12) and to activate the discipleship of God’s people. Among many works of Christian service, our Lord has placed high priority on tangible deeds of love to those in need (Matthew 25:19-20). Jesus impressed a new com­mandment upon his disciples to “love one another even as I have loved you” John 13:34). St. Paul urges Christians to fulfill this law by “bearing one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). Caring ministry helps those in need and is a witness to the world that we are disciples of Jesus John 13:35). A vital way that congregations fulfill our Lord’s Great Commission “to make disciples of all nations” is to give and receive loving care (Matthew 28:19-20). Do you feel a calling to assume the responsibility of effectively caring for others who are hurting? Are you willing to expand your spiritual gifts? Do you desire the personal joy that comes from sharing Christ’s love with people? Contact Deena Morgan (336-692-2314), Larry Oates (336-8166135), or Rev. Craig Ford (336-397- 1353) for more information