Website: www.adventcitrusheights.org Facebook: adventcitrusheightsca E-mail: [email protected] 5901 San Juan Ave. From Advent Lutheran Church Citrus Heights, CA 95610 Phone: 916 966-7242 Fax: 916 965-2114 NEWSLETTER OF ADVENT LUTHERAN CHURCH December 2016 Sunday Worship 9:30 am Wednesday Night Worship Holden Evening Service In This Issue: Women’s Christmas Tea Page 2-5 Pastor Cindy Beck December 3 Page 6 Council Page 7 New Directory Scandinavian Dinner & Page 8 Children’s Ministry St. Lucia Wednesday, Page 9 Fellowship December 14 Page 10-11 Worship Page 12 Wednesday Night Chorale Sunday, December 18 Page 13-18 Outreach Page 19 Women’s Christmas Tea Children’s Christmas Page 20 Prayers & Thanksgiving Worship Program Page 21 Birthdays & Anniversaries Wednesday, December 21 Page 22 Stewardship of Service Page 23 Calendar Christmas Eve Page 24 Back page 7:00 pm & 11:00 pm Christmas Day 9:30 am Our Mission Statement: "With joy and thanksgiving we commit Advent Lutheran Church January 1 Lessons & Carols to be the Welcome Place, where through God's Grace, we Gather, Forgive, Grow, and Care." Room for people here…. After my Sunday night Improv Jam, a member of the troupe, Rebecca, asked to speak with me. Rebecca does not profess to be a Christian or particularly religious although she does think spirituality is important. She told me that that morning, Sunday, she and a friend were jogging and saw a homeless woman with a 4-year old daughter standing in front of a church with a sign indicating that she needed help. Rebecca and her friend stopped to find out what the woman needed, which was difficult to discern because the woman was from Ukraine and spoke little English. Rebecca noticed the church was busy with people coming in and out and passing them without a glance. Rebecca led the woman into the foyer of the church to warm up, then went up to a woman passing out bulletins and asked her if she could help the woman with the sign. The woman with the bulletins said that she was just a volunteer at the church and was too busy to help. Rebecca told me she was shocked by that response; it was so cold and uncaring. Rebecca persisted in seeking help for this poor woman, approaching several people to see if the church had a means to help the woman or if any of them knew of resources in the community to help. Every person that Rebecca approached indicated that they didn’t know what to do to help and shut her out. Rebecca said she thought Jesus spoke a lot about caring for people and wanted to know if that were true. I said yes, Jesus was passionate about his followers loving other people because they themselves knew love from God. Well, Rebecca asked, if so, how could people in a church, on a Sunday, be so mean and uncaring? My first thought was what Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” We represent Christ in this world and when we hate, reject, ignore, remain silent or other behaviors that cause harm, we are unlike our Christ and, I believe, disgrace the Christian faith. My second was the image of Mary and Joseph seeking a place of refuge in Bethlehem and being turned away by many. Rebecca was truly in despair over this experience. 2 I told her it broke my heart to hear the story and that a congregation would behave in such a way. I wish this were the only time Christians have behaved in ways that were counter than the way Jesus desires us to live. At the same time, I offered that just recently I have seen the complete opposite of behavior in the congregation I am currently serving, Advent Lutheran. Her eyes lit up and she said, Oh, that place we did a show? I said Yes, and a huge smile broke across her face. “I really liked them” she said. “The meal was great, they were so nice and gracious to us and seemed so friendly.” I assured her that the people at Advent were truly nice and took seriously the life that Christ calls people to live. Her smile faded as she went back to her experience that morning. “Rebecca,” I said, “you behaved more like Christ than any of the people in that congregation. You did the first and most important thing that Jesus did – he SAW people; he noticed individuals and saw each one as a human being in need and then he took action. Rebecca, you saw the woman. You could have seen her and kept going. But you SAW her, you saw a human being and you stopped and you took action to assist her. You were Jesus to her at that moment. I am grateful you were there for her and I am glad that you held a mirror up to the people in that church. Who knows what changes your experience might bring to the woman, her child, and that congregation? You did good, Rebecca. You did really good.” I find so many ways that people show up at Advent seeking a place of refuge – and finding that there is room for them here. Thank you for seeing the human beings that enter this space. Thank you for the ways you live out your faith here at Advent and in your lives. Blessings to you and your families this Advent/Christmas season. Pastor Cindy Beck 3 Winter Sanctuary Meal from Sacramento Steps Forward Advent Lutheran Hosting Winter Sanctuary Room for People Here! Sunday, January 15th – Saturday, January 21st. The Church Council has voted to move forward in participating in Citrus Heights’ Winter Sanctuary program. Advent will be hosting the week of January 15th, Sunday through Saturday. Each evening the guests will check in at Messiah Lutheran Church and bussed to Advent Lutheran. We will provide a hot meal, conversation, and hospitality. HART will provide cots and sleeping bags for the guests. After the meal, guests will set up their cots, men on one side of the Friendship Hall, women on the other, separated by the temporary walls. This is a time when guests either play cards, games, watch movies, read, or go to sleep. Lights out, I believe, is 10PM. Responsibilities for Advent are: Preparing hot meal Spending the night Providing a to-go breakfast/coffee If you are interested in helping, you may call the office; sign-up sheets will be available in the Narthex on Sunday mornings. 4 ADVENT Sermon Series: “Do Not Fear” Week 1: Fear of the Future Joseph fears a future married to a young woman who gave birth to an illegitimate child – would they be rejected? Kicked out of their community? Would he be able to keep his vocation? What do we fear ahead of us? Week 2: Fear of Commitment/Obedience Mary finds herself pregnant although she is a virgin. This isn’t anything she agreed to do – she never made the commitment to open herself to the endless shame, derision, and scorn this would bring. Week 3: Fears that Immobilize Us The shepherds are told to go see the baby born in Bethlehem. Staying in the fields is much safer. Week 4: Fears that Take Our Voice Zechariah is told his elderly, barren wife will bear a son to be named “John.” Disbelief silences his voice, keeping him from sharing what is good, not bad, news. Thanksgiving was a success— an estimated 1400 Turkeys and Thanksgiving dinners were given out. YTD (as of Treasurer's Report October 2016 October 31, 2016) Total 2016/2017 Budget $328,807.00 Budget Year to Date (YTD) $110,223.24 Actual Income $27,438.80 $106,310.01 Actual Expenses $27,631.09 $106,400.27 YTD Income less Expenses -$192.29 -$90.26 Benevolence to Date $6,036.84 Ann Chehak 6 NEW DIRECTORY COMING! Gary Slade has once again graciously volunteered to take pictures for our new Directory coming out after the first of the year. If you were not included last time or just want an updated picture, be sure to plan now to be there . Photos will be taken December 11 and 18 Fellowship Hall 9:00 am—9:30 am and 10:45 am—11:30 am Plan now to get your family photo! CHILDREN’S MINISTRY Natalie Jones, Children’s Ministry Director [email protected] ALL CHILDREN AND YOUTH Youth Pageant Wednesday, December 21st During the Wednesday evening service the Youth will perform Christmas themed skits. Dress rehearsal December 17th— be sure to come—help make this another wonderful event for all! REMINDER No Sunday School on December 25 and on Sunday, January 1st. No Wednesday night classes on December 28 and January 4th. See you all for Sunday School starting again on January 8th. 8 STERN-JOHNSON BIKE CLUB NO MEXICAN TRAIN DOMINOES Bike Ride IN DECEMBER December 10 & 24 See you January 21st at Round Table Pizza 9:00 am 9500 Greenback Folsom Join the group at the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot on the corner of with Winnie and Leonard Parish hosting. Sunrise and Gold Country Blvd. Thank You’s: Dear Advent, Thank you to everyone for all their prayers, calls, cards, e-mails and well wishes. I am doing fine; the pacemaker is doing its job. I want everyone to know and thank them for their thoughts and prayers. Terry Heath Dear Friends, Thank you for your gift. We have successfully completed negotiations for a classroom space in Berkeley with remodeling set for completion in March 2017.