Dec2016 by Chamberlayne Heights United Methodist Church

Chamberlayne Heights United Methodist Church 6100 Chamberlayne Road Richmond, VA 23227

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December 2016

Vol. 16, No. 12 December 2016

This Issue

Our Vision Statement: ALIVE IN CHRIST: Growing in the Word, Living the Word, Sharing the Word

IN MINISTRY Rev. Linda Ray, Pastor

P: (540)207-1787

E: lindaray@vaumc.org

Janet Holmes, Oﬃce Administrator

P: (804) 266-3551

E: office@chamberlayneheightsumc.org

Allison Stowers, Director Music Ministries P: (804) 266-3551

E: choir@chamberlayneheightsumc.org

P: (804) 266-3551

E: joyringers@chamberlayneheightsumc.org

Patricia Dombroski, Treasurer

P: (804) 266-3551

E: treasurer@chamberlayneheightsumc.org

Oﬃce Hours

M,T,W,TH 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

6100 Chamberlayne Rd. / Richmond, VA 23227 P: (804) 266-3551 E: office@chamberlayneheightsumc.org W: www.chamberlayneheightsumc.org F: www.facebook.com/chumc51 If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to our monthly newsle6er e-mail and/or mail, please contact the church oﬃce

From the Pastor p.1 Birthdays Anniversaries p.2 Senior Connec%on p.3 Outreach/Mission p.4 Appor%onment Corner Bishop’s Chat & Chew p.5 Family Night Dinner Financial Report Cantata Garden Pavers p.6 Mark Your Calendar Something from the Nurture Team Do You Need a Ride? p.7 Calendar p.8

THE CIRCUIT RIDER FROM THE PASTOR Dear Friends at Chamberlayne Heights: As you read this, the church is decorated, Advent packets distributed, and a purple candle has been lit during morning worship. The season of Advent has begun before the month of December. And these things have all occurred in our church. In the world, the “Christmas Rush” began around Halloween and reports con%nue to surface as to how many persons have already ﬁnished their holiday shopping. And yet, I am encouraging you to not have everything done before December 1st and to be willing to invest %me in the necessary prepara%ons of Advent so that the Christmas season may be a special blessing to you and your family. One of the symbols of Advent and of our faith in general is that of light. Jews and Chris%ans alike have been called the “Children of the Light.” Jesus used the term during the last week of his life. He had experienced the anoin%ng in Bethany, and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He was reﬂec%ng on it when Philip and Andrew brought a group of Greek notables to meet him. Jesus said to them all, “The light is with you a li1le longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overcome you... While you have the light believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” John takes the symbol of light right back to the beginning of the story. When it came %me for him to write it all down, he saw the opening chapter of Jesus’ life bathed in light. The Psalmist remarks, “My soul longs for thee more than they that watch for the morning.” Here are the deepest yearnings, dawn yearnings, Advent yearnings, in the watch that ends the night. A new day is dawning. Walk in the light of God’s hope. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of (con%nued on next page)

December 2016

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES

(From the Pastor continued)

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Death, I shall fear no evil.” We are called to bring God’s light to the world. As we look toward the light of the Bethlehem stable, may we pray that God will come like the morning, sca1ering our darkness and doubt. May we have the hope and assurance that belongs to this season.

7 8 11 11 17 18 19 20 20 26 28

Jean Turner Rebecca Dunn Jonathan Ray Donna McGuinn Martha Williams Rekni Dorothy Bullock Rebecca Long Lucas Ecker Madeline Brissette Barker Keir Burton Mary Frances McGuinn

Together in service, Pastor Linda

DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 19 19 22 30

Phin & Helen Wood Ken & Myrtle Ruth Stockman Bill & Sharon Kelly Jim & Harriet Howell

Prayer Ministry Family Nelma Short Carolyn & Emmett Spurlock Dorothy Grainger Louise King Imogene & Quincy Watson Betty Peters Clyde Bellamy Judy Simmons Rose Marie Harris Connie Via Keir Burton Sheri Richardson Phyllis Robertson Friends Franklin Wade Barbara Wynn Jimmy Morgan Emily Cook

Jan Anderson Dawn & Tim Hawkins John Pratt Carol Compton Ron Kieselhorst John & Joan Porter Haley Owen Cooper Hall John Walsh Michael Peters Rev. Rita Callis Bay Billups Karen Lett Harris Dustin Minnick Roger Sweeny Rose LaVoie Skeet West Jack & Gayle Stewart Jacqueline Warren Annie Harper

Richard Simons Loretta Goldenberg Archie Thompson III

7:00 pm Dovetail Group Private Event

4:45 pm That Dance Thing

4 8:45 am Worship 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship 12:00 p.m. UMW Luncheon Mee%ng

5 6 9:30 am Outreach 7:00 pm SPRC Team Deliver Boxes to Chamberlayne E.S. 10:00 am ODDA 11:30 am Nurture Team Mtg-Pasta House 6:00 pm Handbell Class 7:00 pm Joy Ringers

7 8 6:00 pm Family Night Dinner 7:30 pm Cantata Prac%ce 8:15 pm Glory Singers

11 UMFS Sunday 8:45 am Worship 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship 12:30 pm SPRC 4:15 pm Bishop’s Chat & ChewWoodlake UMC Supper/Mee%ng

12 13 6:00 pm Handbell Class 12:00 pm Senior 7:00 pm Joy Ringers Luncheon 4:00 pm Delta Kappa Gamma

14 7:00 pm Cantata Prac%ce 7:45 pm Glory Singers

16 6:30 pm RARC

17 9:00 am Cantata Dress Rehearsal

18 8:00 am Men’s Breakfast 8:45 am Worship 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am CantataJoy Ringers

24 Christmas Eve

25 Merry Christmas

3:00 pm Christmas Day Service

5:00 pm Christmas Eve Service

27 9:00 am Senior Breakfast 9:30 am LAMB’S Basket

31 New Year’s Eve

Military Personnel Kevin Morgan Thomas Muniz Emmett Spurlock III Chris Davis Missions Nancy Robinson, Missionary Advocate Malawi: Rebecca Long

News around the church FAMILY NIGHT DINNER

SENIOR CONNECTION

Financial Report for the Period 1/1/2016 to 10/31/2016 General Fund

Just a reminder to mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 7th, at 6:00 p.m. for the Family Night Dinner. Our program for December will be a Christmas program performed by PolyCel%c. They play a variety of genres in Cel%c style. This group is a favorite of many of you. Michelle Ma1s plays ﬂutes and penny whistle, Chris Lucas guitar, and Tom Abernathy hammered dulcimer and guitar. Please plan to join us and invite friends and family members to get the holiday season oﬀ to a great start. Our menu will be baked zi%, meat and vegetarian choices, salad, garlic bread, and homemade desserts. All of this for just $8.00!

October 2016 Total Cash Receipts and Transfers

The Seniors will meet Tuesday, December 13 at noon. We will NOT have a covered dish lunch! Our friend and "chef" A. B. Jones will prepare and provide a delicious lunch for us to enjoy! Come enjoy our Christmas meal, program by Fred & Julie James and Christmas spirit! YTD 2016

Fred and Julie James $8,888

$167,746

Total Cash Disbursements

22,866

188,941

Net Gain (Loss)

($13,978)

($21,195)

December 18th at 11:00 a.m. “Come Let Us Worship the King!” Invite your friends, your family, your neighbors and co-workers! On Sunday, December 18th at the 11:00 a.m. service, we will once again present our annual music celebra%on with our Christmas Cantata and music by our Hand Bell choir!

Fred and Julie James are an acous%c gospel duo who have been married for over 20 years and have enjoyed playing music together for 10 years. Fred plays lead guitar and sings background vocals, and Julie sings lead vocals, plays the harmonica, rhythm guitar and ukulele. Fred and Julie are Louisiana na%ves who perform tradi%onal hymns with their own arrangements, as well as original music. They connect well with their audiences by weaving narra%ves into their musical sets and thoroughly enjoy interac%ng with individuals before and aLer shows. Julie and Fred have made Richmond, VA their home since 2001. The couple has two children, Ian (13) and Phoebe (6), who are also part of the family band. They are all ac%ve members of Richmond’s First Bap%st Church. Fred and Julie and have enjoyed singing for God’s glory in the church choir for over 10 years. They are also ac%ve in the children’s ministry with the church. In addi%on, they perform children’s music and story-telling in libraries and recrea%onal venues, and also play gospel sets in many Re%rement Communi%es throughout the metro-Richmond area. Fred works for Henrico County, VA and Julie teaches Music to Preschool children.

Our Glory Singers, Joy Ringers, and musical guests have been rehearsing for months to present our Christmas Cantata “Come Let Us Worship the King!” to everyone at our 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday, December 18th, and no one will want to miss this incredible experience! The story of Jesus’ birth will be celebrated through our voices and hand bell ministry! Mark your calendar and invite your friends! Don’t miss this special celebra%on!!!

www.fredandjuliejames.com 804 937-1382

Garden Pavers The Memorial Garden at Chamberlayne Heights United Methodist Church established in memory of Ruth Armour by her family. Here’s an opportunity for you to purchase a brick paver(s) in memory of a loved one. The brick paver will be inscribed with the name and date of someone you would like to remember. The cost of the pavers: 2 lines with 12 Characters per line (counting spaces) 3 lines with 12 Characters per line (counting spaces)

$125.00 $135.00

Order forms are available in the narthex or from the church office. Also, contact the church office, Joyce Paschall or Phin Wood with your questions or for additional information. Plans are being made now to lay new brick pavers with inscription. This is a special way to remember those we love and those who have loved CHUMC during their lifetime.

ApporBonment Corner

OUTREACH/MISSIONS – 2016 answering needs of the community seeking ways to make a diﬀerence celebra%ng the generous support of our church family

THANK YOU for answering the call to adopt food boxes for those less fortunate in our community! A total of 24 filled boxes is an%cipated for distribu%on the second week in December. A Christmas gree%ng card will accompany each box we deliver. NEWS FROM MALAWI: Rebecca Long’s effort to assist with the renova%on of an exis%ng building into a dormitory for girls who a1end her school are wrapping up. Our Outreach/Mission budget will allow us to make a significant contribu%on toward the purchase of beds and bedding for the facility. We are pleased to be able to support Becca, Peace Corps worker from our own church family. STOP HUNGER NOW! Stay tuned for an opportunity to participate in a meal packaging event early in the New Year. A plan is being formulated to sponsor this event on a Saturday (TBA) some %me in late February or early March. Neighboring church families will go together in this effort as we set financial goals for the event.

We focus this month on Africa University. Begun in 1194, it is the General Conference-approved degreegran%ng ins%tu%on of higher educa%on supported by The United Methodist Church on the con%nent of Africa. Africa University is located in Mutare, Zimbabwe. The university is organized into seven colleges of study: theology, educa%on, agriculture and natural resources, management and administra%on, humani%es and social sciences, health sciences and the Ins%tute of Peace, Leadership, and Governance. The university serves students from 27 African na%ons and from other countries as well. It serves as a vehicle for change providing quality educa%on within the Pan-African context. One of the primary goals for the students is to be leaders and change agents in their communi%es, their countries and their con%nent. Chamberlayne Heights’ share for Africa University is $111.

Bishops’ Chat and Chew In September, the Virginia Conference welcomed the Reverend Sharma Lewis as bishop. One of the things that Bishop Lewis would like to do is to get to know the Virginia Conference be1er—-their hopes, dreams, and challenges. To this end, she is scheduling “Chat and Chew” events in each district. The Richmond District event is scheduled for Sunday, December 11 at Woodlake United Methodist Church.

The schedule is as follows: Mee%ng with clergy: 2:00-4:00 P.M. Table Fellowship—clergy and laity: 4:30-6:00 P.M. Mee%ng with Laity: 6:15-8:15 P.M.

I am looking for several faithful leaders from Chamberlayne Heights to be a part of this event. If you are able to a1end, please let me know by December 4.

SEEING 20/20: Keep a look-out for reading glasses and sunglasses for residents of Hai% as you shop. Our collec%on will run through June so a team from Richmond can take them along on a July mission trip.

Please Mark Your Calendars For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: December 24—5:00 p.m. Candlelight and Communion Service December 25—3:00 p.m. Service of Lessons and Carols (This service will be in place of morning services on Christmas Day.) This year we have the unique opportunity to celebrate Christ’s birth with a service of worship on Christmas Day. I pray that as you are planning your family gatherings you will have these services as a central part of your celebra%ons and take advantage of the opportunity to invite your friends and neighbors to a1end church with you. We will resume our regular worship schedule on Sunday, January 1, 2017 (Yes, New Year’s Day is on Sunday as well.) Look forward to seeing you and your family members in church this holiday season.

Something New From The Nurture Team As many of you know, a meaningful ministry at CHUMC is hos%ng a recep%on following funeral services held at our church. The Nurture Team designed and presented revised guidelines for these recep%ons to the November Church Council mee%ng. A primary change is that rather than having one recep%on host, the team is asking for persons to adopt a month/ months to be the recep%on coordinator. There are detailed guidelines/checklists available and being the coordinator does not mean that all the work falls to you; the coordinator makes sure that details are secure and that the recep%on bases are covered. Please consider this ministry opportunity which will begin in January, 2017. You can sponsor a month or months on your own or team up with someone else. For more informa%on or to volunteer, please contact the church oﬃce, Carolyn Pendleton, Ellen Garre1 or Pastor Linda.

Do you need a ride? Can you provide a ride? These are ques%ons the Nurture Team are asking of you. Individual volunteers, coordinated by Art Long, will be scheduled to provide rides to medical appointments, grocery stores, job sites, church events, etc., as requested by church members. If you are in need of transporta%on, please contact Art Long (746-9296 or 370-7175). If you are willing to oﬀer a ride, please let Art Long know of your interest and availability. If you are already providing transporta%on for someone, please let Art know so that his list is complete.