Two Weeks At Second Presbyterian Church

Sunday	December 18, 2011
9:30 am 9:30 am 10:30 am 11:00 am 11:00 am	Traditional Worship Service Children/Confirmation Class – Opening in Chapel Fellowship – Dining Room Non-Traditional Worship Service Adult Sunday School – Emmaus
Monday	December 19
4:00 – 7:00 pm 6:15 pm 6:30 pm	Community Dinner – all invited Christian Skate Night – Roll-Away LC Special Olympics Practice - Gym
Tuesday	December 20
10:00 am 10 am-12 pm	Staff Meeting – CR1 Choice Food Pantry
Wednesday	December 21
8:00 am 6:00 – 8:30 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm	Men’s Bible Study – Daisys Youth Group – Meet at Mall/Christmas Caroling Chancel Bells – Music Room Chancel Choir – Music Room
Thursday	December 22
10:00 am	SPC Prayer Group – CR1
Friday	December 23
Saturday	December 24
8:00 am 7:30 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm	Men’s Bible Study – Parlor Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Rick Black Organ Recital Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Sunday	December 25
10:00 am 9:30 am 10:30 am 11:00 am	One Worship Service Children/Confirmation Class – Opening in Chapel - CANCELLED Fellowship - NONE Adult Sunday School – Emmaus - CANCELLED
Monday	December 26 ~ Staff Holiday, Office Closed
Tuesday	December 27
10:00 am 10 am-12 pm 12:00 noon	Staff Meeting - CANCELLED Choice Food Pantry SPC Newsletter Article Deadline – CANCELLED
Wednesday	December 28
8:00 am 6:00 – 8:30 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm	Men’s Bible Study – Daiseys Youth Group – Dinner Served CANCELLED Chancel Bells – Music Room CANCELLED Chancel Choir – Music Room CANCELLED
Thursday	December 29
10 am-12 pm 10:00 am	Choice Food Pantry Prayer Group – CR1
Sunday	January 1, 2012 – One service at 10:00 am

A reminder from the Finance Office: IRS Regulations require that all donations for 2011 must be received in 2011 prior to December 31^st or must be postmarked by December 31^st 2011.  We cannot grant exceptions to this IRS requirement.  If you are not certain of exactly how much you have contributed this year, we will be happy to provide a current giving statement.  Please contact Doug Kullman at the church office or by E-mail dkullman@windstream.net and a statement will be mailed to you.  We thank you for your understanding of and cooperation with the Finance Office on this IRS regulation. 

F.Y.I. … per capita for 2012 is $32.88

Staff

Reverend Charlie Smith, Pastor and Head of Staff

Doug Devor, Director of Christian Education

Richard Black, Organist and Music Administrator

Laura Dulle, Director of Choral, Vocal & Handbell Ministries, and Director of Children’s Music Ministries

Jesse Barron, Praise & Worship Music Leader

Betty Gartner, Administrative Assistant

Lew Mounts, Treasurer

Doug Kullman, Financial Secretary

Tom Rhodes, Sexton

George Wentworth, Assistant Sexton

Dawn Ambrus-Cook, Chandler Ford and Ashley Lemons, Child Care Providers

Missionaries

Mike & Nancy Mahon, Peru ~ Mark & Jenny Hare, Haiti ~ Greg & Christine Callison

Listen to our Sunday Worship Service on WCLT-AM, 1430 at 11:15 each Sunday

The Youth Retreat was a total blast. We took 4 adults and 17 youth from our church to Camp Buckeye December 2-4^th. Many of the youth developed closer relationships with each other, their leaders, and God. Thanks to all those who supported the trip, especially Brandie Wentworth, Cindy Hettinger, and Corey Nabors who chaperoned or led small groups! Check out our insert for some pictures.

Today is the last day to buy your Wilson Garden Center gift cards before Christmas! The youth will be selling these cards, as well as a variety of baked goods today at coffee hour. All proceeds go to the Youth Mission Fund.

We will be Christmas Caroling this coming Wednesday. If you would like to join us, we are meeting at the mall at 6:00 (bring $ for dinner) and then we will be headed to Chapel Grove Cottages to carol. Parents may come with us, or may drop off and pick up at the mall. We plan on finishing around 8:30 or 9.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Doug

COMMUNITY DINNER

Monday, December 19^th

4 – 7 pm

Menu: ham, scalloped potatoes, corn casserole,

cole slaw, rolls, sugar free desserts and baked goodies.

DONATIONS APPRECIATED…

baked goodies for desserts, ham, scalloped potatoes, coleslaw/or ingredients, rolls, casseroles … we’d appreciate it. Just contact Cindy Hettinger.

We served 59 people at our Thanksgiving Community Dinner!

Attention new, current & outgoing officers and staff!

The annual AGAPE Luncheon will be Sunday, January 8^th at noon in the dining room.  All new, current & outgoing officers and staff are invited to come to this meal.  Please RSVP to Debbie Kullman at 364-1140 by Tuesday, January 3^rd.  

It’s not too early to begin planning

for an awesome event being held next summer!

The 2012 Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women:

“River of Hope”

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. (Psalm 46: 4-5)

July 18-22, 2012 Orlando, Florida

The Coordinating Team of the Presbyterian Women of Second Presbyterian Church has scholarship money available for women interested in attending the Churchwide Gathering. See Moderator Ruth Cooper or any member of the Coordinating Team if you would like more information. Registration will be opened in January.

COME TO THE STABLE!!

Once again a piece of Palestine has appeared in our church via a Moravian Christmas putz. This lovely method of telling the Christmas story is provided by the Bunning family. The story is told with figurines set in a beautiful mossy landscape. From the words of the prophets to the flight into Egypt, the events which forever changed the world unfold. The story is also told on a scroll which hangs near the putz. Come enjoy a Christmas custom that is hundreds of years old, yet fresh as the plants which give a putz its special character.

For November we served 140 households of which there were

36 Seniors (60+), 229 adults (ages 18-59) and 98 children

for a TOTAL OF 363 PEOPLE SERVED!

Adults meet for Bible study and discussion

Sundays at 11:00 in the Emmaus Room!

Detective Stories from the Bible

When we think of a detective story, we often think of murder mysteries. The Bible contains some detective stories, but they might best be called “life mysteries.” These stories are not all mystery stories in the conventional sense of the word, but they investigate incidents, personalities, and topics that ought to catch everyone’s interest.

You don’t have to commit to every Sunday - each lesson is complete on its own. Come when you can!

December 18 Joseph the Dreamer

NO CLASS … DECEMBER 25 AND JANUARY 1

Need a little something for a unique holiday gift?

Why not give Fair Trade?

For those who love heart-healthy dark chocolate – We have Panama Extra Dark – crafted in Switzerland using the best quality organic cacao (cocoa beans) from small-scale farmer co-ops in Latin America.

For those who love a good crunch – We have organic tamari roasted almonds from California.

For those who love really good coffee – We have mid-roast Breakfast Blend (ground or beans), dark-roast French Roast beans, flavored ground Hazelnut.

Good choices – at a good price – for a good cause!

See the Coffee Coopers between services.

[Note: There will be no coffee sales on Christmas Day.]

KROGER REWARDS PROGRAM

SPC is enrolled in the Kroger Community Rewards Program, but for it to be successful for us, it takes YOU!

TO USE THE KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM…

• Simply register online at krogercommunityrewards.com

• Be sure to have your Kroger Plus card handy and register your card with your organization after you sign up.

• If a member does not have a Kroger Plus card, please get one at any Kroger customer service desk.

• Click on Sign In/Register

• Most participants are new online customers, so you must click on SIGN UP TODAY in the “New Customer?” box

• Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering zip code, clicking on favorite store, entering your email address and creating a password, agreeing to the terms and conditions.

• You will then get a message to check your email in box and click on the link within the body of the email.

• Click on My Account and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step.

• Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number.

• Update or confirm your information

• Enter NPO number or name of organization, select organization from list and click on confirm.

• To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see your organization’s name on the right side of your information page.

• REMEMBER, purchases will not count for your group until after your member(s) register their card(s).

• Do you use your phone number at the register? Call 877-576-7587 to get your Kroger Plus card number.

• Members must swipe their registered Kroger Plus card or use the phone number that is related to their registered Kroger Plus card when shopping for each purchase to count.

We currently only have eight (8) people signed up for this. Please do your part and sign up … TODAY! Thank you!

When my family moved to Oklahoma City in 1968, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that our across-the-street neighbor was the minister who had baptized my oldest sister many years before when my father was in medical residency in Nashville, Tenn. – and that the minister also was the rector of the Episcopal church that we attended in Oklahoma City.

Having a minister across the street, especially one with such a commanding presence that he was known unofficially as “Father God,” presented challenges and adventures for me. That was especially true in high school when I arrived home late on Saturday nights acutely aware that I would face the minister the next morning as I performed acolyte duties. (I pray that our across-the-cul-de-sac neighbors in Heath don’t feel the same way about us!)

At this time of year, my family strictly hewed to the idea that neither the Christmas tree nor any decorations ought to be put up until Christmas week, lest we incur the minister’s wrath and a lecture about the distinction between Advent and the 12 Days of Christmas. Still, I have fond memories of putting up the tree and decorating on Christmas Eve, and my surgeon father maddeningly, slowly and meticulously placing tinsel – one single strand at a time – on the branches. The season also meant the fun of opening a new window each day of an Advent calendar – a tradition my mother still maintains by sending Diana and me a calendar each year.

As times change, of course, so do traditions. These days, Christmas trees seem to go up even before Thanksgiving ends. It seems, too, as if merchants are beginning to clear the Christmas stock off the shelves even before the actual holiday! (One tradition that hasn’t carried over from Oklahoma: The church there performed a cantata on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, relieving the pastor of preaching duties. Thus, today’s sermon will be a new experience for me.)

Some things never change, though: I’ll still be doing my shopping at the last minute. My fond prayer for each of you in this joyous Advent season of waiting and anticipating is the warm comfort of continuing old traditions and beginning new ones. Watch and wait – the Lord, the Son of God, is coming!

The Church office will be closed

Monday, December 26th

and Monday, January 2^nd.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the staff of Second Presbyterian Church … Pastor Charlie, Lew, Doug K, Tom, George, Rick, Laura, Jesse, Doug D, Dawn, Chandler, Ashley, Destiny and Betty.