BREAKFAST WITH SANTA – DECEMBER 2 Breakfast with Santa will be held in Chatham UMC’s Wesley Fellowship Hall and the Commons on December 2. We will be serving breakfast at 9:00am, followed by some awesome crafts, story time, and of course …… a visit with a special guest from the North Pole! Everyone is invited, so spread the word and bring a friend (or two)!

CHOIR CANTATA – DECEMBER 3 This Year’s cantata, “Tapestry of Light,” tells the Christmas story using familiar carols and folk songs primarily from the British Isles. The Sanctuary Choir will be joined by Heavenly Harmony, as well as soloists and narration by Jim Sichlau. Handbells will end the service with “English Christmas.” Don’t miss this wonderful Christmas tradition on December 3rd at both the 8:15 and 10:45 services.

Chatham UMC Children and Youth Present How Great Our Joy — Skits and Songs About Christmas

Please join us on Sunday, December 10, at both services as our Chatham UMC Christmas Production Company tries something new this year. Our children and youth will be singing a variety of Christmas songs and performing a series of short skits with parts that fit all ages.

No Room at the Inn by Richard Ruddle is set in , Judea in the present time. Caesar Augustus has decreed that everyone should return to the town of their birth to be counted and taxed. The overworked manager and employees of the overcrowded Bethlehem Inn and Spa are trying hard to cope with the rush of people, and the opportunity to celebrate the birth of slips away.

Dr. Seuss meets the in How Christmas Changed the Grouch by Tanis Harms. Teens at a mid-week youth church group are decorating a small, sad . The teens know they are supposed to treat everyone respectfully, especially around Christmas. However, Greg, a grouchy teenager, professes dislike for Christmas. Watch him change his mind as his classmates remind him of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

The Real Story by Faith Scott takes place in a living room where a Mom is nursing a sprained ankle. The room has some decorations piled in the corner, an undecorated tree, a wreath, and a bare table in the middle of the room. The children retell the Christmas story using a beloved, old , proving they know the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas is a wonderful and mysterious time of year. But it’s easy to let the wonder and mystery slip away when we get too busy or grouchy or sick. Our children and youth know the Real Story. It is Our Great Joy to share Christmas with you.

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December at a Glance & Christmas at Chatham (all events at the church, except for 12/20 Holly Brook service)

Saturday, Dec. 2 Breakfast with Santa! (9:00am-noon): Breakfast, crafts, story time, and a visit from “You-Know-Who!”

Sunday, Dec. 3 Choirs Cantata (8:15 and 10:45am): “Tapestry of Light”

Sunday, Dec. 10 Kids’ Musical Performance (8:15 and 10:45am): “How Great Our Joy!”

Sunday, Dec. 17 “Nothing Will Be Impossible with God!” (8:15 and 10:45am)

Wednesday, Dec. 20 “” service at the Villas of Holly Brook (6:30pm) – starting with caroling in the hallway at 6:00

Sunday, Dec. 24 CHRISTMAS EVE – all services include Holy Communion • 9:30am – Combined Christmas Celebration Service (No Sunday School) • 4:00pm – “” Service – especially for those who struggle with grief or loss during the holidays • 11:00pm – Traditional Candlelight Christmas Eve

Sunday, Dec. 31 – NEW YEAR’S EVE • 9:30am – Combined New Year’s Celebration Service (No Sunday School) • 11:00pm – Watchnight Service to welcome the New Year

If you’d like more information about any of these services, talk to Pastor Sara ([email protected]). If you are willing to help with hospitality, scripture readings, Communion, etc., please contact the church office ([email protected]).

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Christmas Eve – Christ the Lord is Born!

Christmas is a most special time in the 4:00pm – Blue Christmas lives of Christian believers. Everyone This service is especially designed for loves to find their way to the manger those who struggle during the holiday to greet the newborn King! season with grief, guilt, depression or other forms of the “blues.” We’ll get This year, Christmas Eve falls on a to the manger together, but we’ll Sunday. We will offer three unique travel gently, acknowledging the worship experiences to fit the needs, mixed feelings and obstacles that schedules, and preferences of our sometimes stand between us and the congregation and community. All glad tidings of great joy. A star-tree three services will include Holy ritual will help us name our struggles, Communion. and soft music will ease our pain. If you know somebody who could use a 9:30am – Combined morning little spiritual TLC this season, invite worship them to come with you. Our praise band will lead us in joyful, traditional Christmas carols, as we 11:00pm – Traditional Candlelight hear again the precious story from the Christmas Eve gospel of Luke, chapter 2. Our Just the way you remember it. Choir, , “A manger? Really, a handbells, carols and candles, and of manger?!” will focus on the course, the singing of “Silent Night” improbable joy and miracle of as the clock is chiming Christmas Christ’s birth. All ages are welcome morning! The message comes from to join in the celebration! Matthew 1:18-25 – “Conceived by the Holy Spirit.”

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YOUTH MISSION TRIP All youth grades 6-12 2018 gather weekly on Wed- The youth will be nesday evening at 6:15pm returning to Mountain for an hour for a light T.O.P. again and are meal, fellowship, and excited to have new faces devotions. YOUTH DISCIPLE join along with those who Our Senior High students enjoy this annual trip. We will gather as normal (grades 9-12) meet for an Contact Michael to get the th on Dec 6 for a discussion additional hour on latest information and/or of the Advent Season and Wednesday once our sign up for this rewarding the true meaning of Junior High students are time in the Cumberland th Christmas. On Dec 13 , dismissed. Beginning at Mountains of Tennessee. we will have our Youth 7:30, these students spend Christmas party beginning an hour in deeper study We hope everyone is at 6:00pm; we will have using the Disciple enjoying our Frozen Meal snacks, some games, a FastTrack curriculum. This Pack fundraisers. The next contest (think Ugly group of students will fundraiser will be in late Sweater / optional), and spend 12 weeks delving January so go ahead and enjoy a White Christmas into the Old Testament finish up the meals from gift exchange ($5.00 limit / followed by 12 weeks the last fundraiser! wrapped / no gift cards). studying the New This will be our last Testament. It is never too CHILDREN IN meeting of 2017 as many late to join this group, so if WORSHIP students will have finals at you are in Senior High Our Nursery is located at school the following week School and are interested the top of the stairs in the and then be celebrating the in learning more about the Education Wing (Room holidays with family in , please come join us U103) for children up various locations. or contact Michael through Pre-K. For older Ferguson. kids, we have Children's Nursery will be bulletins available just open for 9:30am SUNDAY SCHOOL inside the entrance to the The Christmas story will Worship Center with Christmas Eve be featured on Dec. 3, 10 activities that go along

Service! and 17. There will be NO with today's Sunday Sunday School on Dec School lesson! 24th or 31st.

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Mission Opportunities

Two mission opportunities highlight the month of December. The Family Circle Sunday School Class has placed a Christmas Hat and Mitten Tree in the Commons where hats, mittens, and scarves UMW/Ruth Circle will gather for may be hung for the fellowship, food, and fun at the home of children in the Ball- Chatham School District Carolyn Fleming (728 Evergreen, and for the children who Chatham) on Wednesday, December 20, attend the Asbury UMC beginning at 6:30 p.m. Please bring a Children's Supper Hour in dish to share and a ‘White Elephant’ Springfield. exchange gift. We always have a lot of fun, so please consider joining us as we We will also be collecting Throw Blankets celebrate the year we have shared. and Afghans for our seniors in the Chatham and Springfield area to be distributed through Home Instead, a home health care Birthday/Anniversary Lunch service located in Springfield. We will also be providing blankets for our own Chatham Come out and join us for our monthly UMC shut-ins or any other needs that they Birthday & Anniversary Lunch on Thursday, might have. December 21, at 11:30am. All are welcome, even if you don’t have a birthday or anniver- Please contact Kristie Zimmermann sary in December, but those who do will be ([email protected]) or Joyce our special guests. Metz ([email protected]) for more information. We appreciate all you do for our mission programs! Stewardship Report Total given for budget year-to-date: Endowment Committee $364,214.74 The Endowment Committee thanks you for Total given for the Annuity Fund year-to-date: participating in the following events: $675.49 • The “Enough” financial fitness series REACH Building Fund: in October. Plans are in the works for $773,464 a follow-up program next year on how our members can support CUMC through their generosity.

• “Fill the Can” on November 19, which resulted in $364.07!

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REACH UPDATE

In March of 2015 many in our congregation began a journey at Chatham UMC called REACH, a remodeling and renovation project to make our church more welcoming and accessible and allow us to reach people throughout our community.

We are grateful to about 120 contributors, the Aspen advisory team, our church staff, many volunteers, and construction workers. The renovation touched almost every corner of the church including the wonderful, spacious commons where people gather before and after worship with friends, family, and newcomers.

So far generous donors, almost entirely from our church, have given about $772,700 to REACH. Back in May 2017, we took advantage of the lowest interest rates available to us and took out two loans of $275,000 each to finish paying off the construction costs of the remodeling. Currently we owe about $194,500 on the three-year balloon loan and about $269,000 on the five-year balloon loan.

Pay Down The Debt If you pledged to REACH, please complete your pledge by the end of March 2018 or sooner. You may receive a larger tax refund in 2018 by donating to REACH. The church will save thousands of dollars in interest and free up money for the budget (all loan interest is paid from the budget) for use in new missions, ministries, and other church matters if these loans are paid off more quickly.

Please prayerfully give to REACH so we can close this capital campaign. If you have never given to REACH, there is no time like the present to begin. If each person who pledged to REACH completes their original pledge by March 2018 and if all who have given to REACH continue to give regularly, we can pay off both loans before 2020. No contribution is too small (or too large). Thank you for your generosity, and thank you for your prayers.

CHRISTMAS CARE LIST There are some in our Chatham UMC family who are not always physically able to worship with us. We’d like to let them know we are thinking of them during this season. You’re welcome to bring in cards or other goodies to a container located at the entrance to Wesley Hall. Our care list includes Virginia Barnes, Marjorie Brown, Wes & Pauline Drew, Vera Edwards, Dorothy Handy, Ann Knight, Jim & Marilyn Logan, Beulah Mattson, Mary Jane Thomson, Jane Thornton, Bob Wise, and Ron & Bev Workman.

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To…The family of Ted & Patty Merano on the passing of her sister, Tracy. The family of Marilyn Enteman on the passing of her sister, Amanda. The family of Joe & Dianne Maddox on the passing of his father, James. The family of Michele DeLong on the passing of her aunt, Jean Seitz. The family of Jim Neuman. The family of Mike and Jaime Goin on the passing of his grandmother.

Thanks to those servants who helped out with this year’s Thanksgiving Meal! We served 227 meals, 55 of whom were guests from the Ball Chatham Food Pantry. There were just over 100 of you who helped set up Wesley Hall, prepared food and drinks, served food, hosted tables, managed drinks and desserts, cleaned up, greeted, accepted tickets, washed dishes, took out trash, cleaned up and baked desserts! After all expenses are paid, we should be able to donate about $1,000 to the Food Pantry; so they can purchase perishable items for families in our community who are struggling. The amount donated is estimated since we are still receiving donations.

Food that was left has been frozen for Missy Whitley to use in preparing food for Kumler Neighborhood Ministries. Your generosity will cover the meal for an additional 75-100 people who attend this monthly meal sponsored by Chatham UMC.

Special thanks are extended to Sadie Jones and team who prepared turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, rolls, and cranberry relish; Judy Blahofski and team, who made seven pans of (for the 17th year in a row!); and Jeanette Hampson and Kate Vertrees who were our Certified Food Managers. Everyone’s diligence and hard work paid off when the health inspector came to assess how we were doing. Because we scored so well on the Food Service Inspection Report, we are considered a Gold Star establishment!! I owe a special debt of gratitude to those who stayed until the last minute making sure everything was cleaned and stored. Thank you to ALL of our “Matthew 25” volunteers – you were absolutely amazing. YOU made this year’s dinner a success! There was one lady, who is a Ball Chatham Food Pantry client, who stated, “I look forward to this each year. The food is delicious and you are all so nice.” Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ as you served others.

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MEET THE STAFF

In the last two months, we learned a bit about Nathan Knappenburger and Carol Frost. In the hot seat this month is Cheryl Vertrees, who recently celebrated her one-year anniversary working at the church.

5 questions with Office Manager Cheryl Vertrees…

Where were you born and raised? Tell me something interesting about the area… I am a farm kid from Pike County, Illinois, about 1-1/2 hours west of here! The western edge of Pike County is the Mississippi River; just across the state line is Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain’s hometown. My dad was a farmer and my mother was a teacher. Our farm was diversified: we had cattle and raised corn, beans, wheat, and hay. There was always plenty to do, but we worked together and a strong work ethic was just a way of life. Church and general service to others were important factors in our lives.

What is the most satisfying part of your job at Chatham UMC? I would have to say it is being in a position to serve others. I learned the joy of serving at an early age, and it was always the best part of more than 25 years that I worked in higher education. As a super- visor, I found it very rewarding to make the workplace appealing for my staff and instill in them a desire to do their best for all stakeholders that we served. And advising students on how to reach their goals and then celebrating with them at graduation was just the best!

What is at the top of your list of places you want to visit? I do like to travel! Over the years, I’ve enjoyed visiting Civil War sites and I like history in general. From my mom being a teacher and my experiences in education, I like for trips to include an educational com- ponent. You might visit museums one day and go whitewater rafting the next. Recently, my lifelong best friend and I took 10 days to visit Colorado. It is beautiful country, but the best part was spending time with college friends, first in the Denver/Boulder area and then in Colorado Springs. We already have plans for trips for the next few years!

Football season is under way…..your favorite football teams? I am not a rabid fan, but I do like whomever is playing in the Super Bowl because it’s a good excuse for a party! LOL. And my son played football in high school, so I’ll give a shout out to the Glenwood Titans!

If you are out for dinner, what type of food are you eating? I don’t care about what type of food as long as I am dining in good company. It’s particularly enter- taining to dine out with my kids. My son (currently pursuing a masters degree in dietetics at Western Kentucky University) is always offering advice: broiled is a better choice than fried; even if iceberg is tasty, go with darker greens for nutrients. My daughter (in her last year of Lincoln Land’s culinary program) looks at other factors: is the food presented well; are there multiple textures; is the food adequately seasoned. 

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DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

3 Christopher Jones Walsh Stapleton 5 Monica Merano 6 Jerry Scranton 7 Andrew Law 8 Adam Holm 9 Eldon Broster 10 Phil Fahs 11 Brody Green 12 Ryan Green 13 David Ahrens Kourtney Zimmermann 14 Virginia Barnes Sharon Bostic Dawn Peck DECEMBER Jeremy Peck 15 Nick Stabler ANNIVERSARIES 17 Adam Anderson 18 Jeanette Hampson Jan Miller 1 Randy & Kay Austiff 19 Dorothy Fahs 20 Shauna Braner 4 Ric & Barb Koertge 21 Barb Hunt Rita Walker 22 Adam Schnell 4 Barb & Hal Workman 23 Carol Jones Cindi O’Connor 8 Yvonne & Bob Cox Sheri Voiles 24 Aimee Green 25 Dena Sale 10 Ron & Dorothy Fahs Tom Sweatman 27 Gary Ahrens 15 Susan & Tony Kieffer Olivia Stabler 28 Cole Meseke Adam Newhall 30 Jerry & Lois Les Pauly Scranton Bailey Zumer 29 CeCe Parker 31 Jaxon Ferguson Joyce Metz

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