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Christmas Gifts Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church Volume 9 Number 10 December 2009/January 2010 NEW Making Disciples of Jesus Christ Christmas Gifts What is your Christmas gift to Christ? How will you choose to share your life? Sharing bread For life instead Choosing to live as Jesus said? What is your gift for Mary’s babe To celebrate the love God gave? Forgiving grace, Mercy’s embrace, Sharing peace with the human race? What will be your holy present For the God who now is present? Obedience, Your repentance, Your prayers as fragrant frankincense? The gift that I bring at Christmas Will cost me more as time will pass. Down on my knees God only sees Giving Christ whatever He needs. (Words: Michael C. Johnson 2009; Meter: 88.44.8) ichael and I hope that this How much joy will you see on Christ’s Is scholarship aid for a seminarian desires for our world. What is your gift Christmas will be a sacred time face when he opens that gift on Christ- on Christ’s Christmas list this year? for Christ? What is your gift for Mary’s Mfor you and your family. A time mas morning? How many babies will Christ is worried about the financial babe? What will be your present? May of spiritual renewal as you celebrate the you save from death so they might burden carried by those answering the Jesus just love the birthday gifts YOU gift that God has given you in his son grow up strong to serve the Lord? call to pastoral ministry. I remember give him this year. Jesus Christ. Nothing is more impor- Do you see missionary support on how blessed I was, when a saint of God, May God bless you and your families tant than God’s Christmas gift to you. the Lord’s list for Christmas? For only sent money my way to help me with my with grace and peace during this holy The second most important part of $500 dollars you could be in covenant education. Who are you going to help season. Christmas is deciding the gift you are relationship with a United Methodist for Jesus, so that scriptural holiness going to bestow upon Christ. Take time Missionary not only helping to bring will continue to be preached through- Merry Christmas! to think about your gift. What do you the good news of the Gospel into the out the land? believe that Christ has on his Christ- world, but also giving Christ a commit- Christmas is not a season to cel- mas list? What do you believe Jesus ment to be in prayer with one who is on ebrate greed. Christmas is not a time Bishop Peggy A. Johnson wants for his birthday? the front lines sacrificing their all for to satisfy our desires. Christmas is and Rev. Michael C. Johnson Do you see malaria nets on his list? God. to celebrate Christ and to satisfy his Southwest District rethinks “open” for Advent BY ANDREA BROWN cakes atop a hill in Manheim at Ruhl’s Church on Saturday morning, and s the denomination rethinks swing down to the southern end of church and encourages us to use the county for a carol sing in Pleasant Aopen as a verb, the churches of Grove’s 1887 building Saturday after- the Southwest District teamed up to noon. Then, Sunday afternoon, adults offer Lancaster and Lebanon Coun- could wrap presents while watching ties an interactive experience of what football at Lampeter Church’s modern United Methodists do. facility. The district’s Spirit Network Team Movies, ornament making, cookie encouraged all district churches to sampling, historic tours, mission proj- plan special open house events during ects—even car detailing—were all part Spiritthe first weekend in December. of what someone could experience as In all, 34 churches out of 80 district churches swung wide their doors. churches participated, offering curi- Some events coincided with commu- ous neighbors a chance to sample the nity events—a tree lighting in Bain- wide variety of flavors represented by bridge, the annual Winterfest in Mount various congregations throughout the Joy, the First Friday art gallery open- area. ings in downtown Lancaster. A tour-goer could feast! on a hot Would someone interested in art A young visitor enjoys children’s activities turkey dinner in neo-Gothic Otterbein also find it appealing to check out at Hope United Methodist Church’s Advent Church in Lancaster city Friday eve- First Church’s architecture? Would Open House on December 5 in Ephrata, PA. ning, then go for chocolate chip pan- Continued on page 6 2 December 2009/January 2010 caLENdaR of EVENts www.epaumc.org NEW until 4:00 pm. The guest keynote speaker for December this afternoon will be Bishop Felton Edwin May. Other participants include Rev. Yvette Davis and In Memoriam SundaY, DecembeR 20 Rev. Irving Cotto of the conference staff and Advent Festival Celebration “Welcome Em- the extended cabinet. All pastors serving in Spirit manuel Rejoice” (A Vespers Concertante): the urban ministries of EPA have been invited ! 7:00 p.m., free and open to all. The program to this mandatory event however all clergy are Rev. Thomas˜˜˜ E. Sligh features the (adult) Tabernacle Choir, Youth welcome to attend this time of worship and Choir, Carillon Ringers, Festival Orchestra and holy conferencing. Word has been received of the death of the Rev. Thomas E. Sligh, elder the Christy Memorial Organ. The “Nativity in full connection, who passed away on the evening of Wednesday, No- Suites” by Benjamin Harlan is a featured work. SundaY, JanuaRY 10 vember 25, 2009. Grove United Methodist Church, 490 W. Boot Deadline to apply for Human Relations Rev. Sligh served three Philadelphia churches: Camphor Memorial, Mt. Road, West Chester, PA. For more information Day grant: Support ministries that respond Airy, and Devereux Memorial. visit www.grovechurch.org or call Craig Rider, to non-violent young offenders through A memorial service was held on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at De- Director of Music, at (610) 692-6124. education, advocacy or leadership training vereux Memorial UMC, Philadelphia. and development. Grant applications are He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; his son, Thomas Sligh, Jr.; his SundaY, DecembeR 20 available at http://www.umc-gbcs.org/atf/cf/ daughter, Mrs. Kabrene Pittman; and his mother, who resides in South “What Can I Do - Sharing the Story”: A Christ- {689fea4c-8849-4c05-a89e-c9bc7ffff64c}/ Carolina. mas Cantata written by Mary Smith. December PEACE%20WITH%20JUSTICE%20GRANT%20 Expressions of sympathy may be sent to Mrs. Kathleen M. Sligh, 2435 W. 20, 2009 @ 7:00; Tabor UMC, 2209 Hendricks APPLICATION%202010.DOC, or by contacting Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132. <> In lieu of sending flowers, Station Road, Woxall, Pennsylvania 18979; Marvlyn Scott, in the office of Education and a monetary donation may be made to Devereux UMC Oil Fund, 2527 W Phone: (215)234-4852; www.tabor-umc.org Leadership Formation, (202) 488-5643. Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132, or flowers may be sent for the memorial service in South Carolina to FB Pratt & Sons Funeral Home, 601 TuesdaY-THURsdaY, DecembeR 29-31 SundaY, JanuaRY 10 South Street, Newberry, SC 29108; 803-276-1206. Jr./Sr. High Retreat at Pocono Plateau Camp Deadline to apply for Ethnic Local Church & Retreat Center: Grades 7-12; Cost is $95/ grant: The grants program is to strengthen person. Pocono Plateau Camp & Retreat Center, ethnic minority local churches through Mrs. Reta Barto Pocono Plateau Road, Cresco, PA 18326; 570- education, advocacy or leadership training and 676-3665; http://www.poconoplateau.org development as they engage in social justice. Mrs. Reta Barto died at the age of 93 on Saturday, October 31, 2009. Applications may be downloaded from http:// She is believed to have been the first woman ever to have been elected a TuesdaY, DecembeR 29 www.umc-gbcs.org/atf/cf/%7b689fea4c-8849- Conference Lay Leader in the United Methodist Church, serving in that 4c05-a89e-c9bc7ffff64c%7d/2009-2012ELC. capacity in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, 1978-86. She organized DOC or may be obtained from Marvlyn Scott, the first “School of Religion” for theological training of laity in coopera- (202) 488-5643. tion with Albright College in Reading, PA, which is now as the Academy for Laity. Her service included the following: elected lay member to the TuesdaY-THURsdaY, JanuaRY 12-14 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference for 31 consecutive years; twenty-eight 2010 Midwinter Retreat for Clergy and Spous- years as a General and Jurisdictional Conference delegate; president of es: “Lord have mercy! Loving our enemies and the Philadelphia Conference Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS), practicing forgiveness, even in church.”; Clarion 1964-1968; president of WSCS-Wesleyan Service Guild in the Northeastern Fontainebleau Hotel, 10100 Coastal Highway, Jurisdiction, 1969-72; member of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Ocean City, MD 21842. www.epaumc.org Division, 1973-79. She taught at the UMW School of Christian Missions and provided dynamic leadership for her local unit of UMW at Holy Cross UMC. She served on the board of Cornwall Manor for nine years, 1979-84, Benefit Coffee House: Grove United Methodist February and 1991-97. As a member of the General Conference Central Conference Church, 490 W. Boot Road, West Chester. The Committee, 1984-88, Mrs. Barto travelled to Zimbabwe to tour land in event begins at 6:30. Sandwiches, snacks and FRIdaY, FebRuaRY 12 Mutare, and at General Conference in 1988 voted for the establishment of soft beverages will be available for purchase— Deadline to Apply for Peace With Justice Africa University on the site.
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