Weekly Newsletter of

CHRIST COVENANT CHURCH Harleysville, PA

December 6,

2015

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY, Week of December 6:

Today: 6:00pm - Soup Supper / 7:00pm – Trim-A-Tree Monday: 7:00pm - Prayer Shawl Ministry Dinner Tuesday: 11:30am – Staff Luncheon Thursday: 6:45pm - Handbells / 8:00pm – Senior Choir 7:00pm - Finance Committee

Next Sunday: Third Sunday of Advent 9:00am - Sunday School / 10:00am - Time of Fellowship 10:30am – Worship / Special Kidz Music 1:30pm - Caroling (meet at church)

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ WORSHIP ATTENDANCE: 11/29/15 – 126

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ►►If you would like to contact Pastors Jim or Cathy during the week, please ◄◄

call the church during office hours. You can also reach them at their home at 215/256-3061. Their e-mail addresses are: cjseinpa@gmail.com or

pastorjim@christ-covenant.org or pastorcathy@christ-covenant.org

************ FOOD COLLECTION (December) – Shepherd’s Shelf. Non-perishable food items, including those especially needed: canned soups, canned fruits/vegetables, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, fruit juice in plastic containers, peanut butter and jelly, tuna, beef stew, spaghetti sauce, chili, pasta, instant potatoes, Minute Rice, Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti-o’s, shampoo, body wash/soap, personal hygiene products, and paper products. Please Note: Dates on food items need to be current.

Our Annual

SOUP SUPPER / TRIM-A-TREE event is TONIGHT. We’ll enjoy a smorgasbord of homemade soups beginning at 6:00pm. Around 7:00 we’ll head over to the sanctuary to decorate the tree, place gifts under the tree for Dock Village, and sing carols. Join us for a wonderful evening of delicious food and warm fellowship!

The 2016 FLOWER and BULLETIN CALENDARS are posted in Fellowship Hall for you to sign up to remember or honor that someone special or date.

CHRIST COVENANT CHURCH 2200 Mainland Road, Harleysville, PA 19438

215/256-8101 Fax: 215/256-1804 Website: www.christ-covenant.org E-mail: ministry@christ-covenant.org

Revs. Catherine & James Stanley-Erickson, Co-Pastors

Our mission is to help all men and women love and serve Jesus Christ through worship, study, training, and hands-on ministry in the community and the world.

OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON 1. Mail Christmas cards to the following members of CCC who would be cheered up by your thoughtfulness. 2. Visit a shut-in. 3. Call someone who has an ill family member or who has recently lost a loved one.

Bill/Joyce Dromsky Mary Kemmerer Joe/Helen Kleiner Gladys Krieble 12 Mainland Road, Box 97 132 Wyndham Woods Way 2625 Line Lexington Road 306 Morwood Road Mainland, PA 19451 Hatfield, PA 19440 Hatfield, PA 19440 Telford, PA 18969 Charles/Bonnie Miller Richard/Joanne Moyer Hilda Nash Madelyn O’Brien 216 Orchard Lane 303 Morris Road 129 Woods Drive 140 Westview Terrace Harleysville, PA 19438 Harleysville, PA 19438 Lansdale PA 19446 800 Maple Avenue Harleysville, PA 19438 Mabel/Pearl Overholtzer Stanley Sine Joe/Joan Wlotko 773 Sumneytown Pk, C-16 409 Jefferson Street 84 Derstine Road, Apt 2320 Lansdale, PA 19446 Lansdale, PA 19446 Hatfield, PA 19440

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Thank you for cards, words of encouragement, flowers, visits, and, most of all, your

prayers. A special thank you to Kathy Bevan and the Meal Ministry cooks who provided

amazing meals that were made with love. It has been overwhelming and humbling to

receive these blessings. Carolyn Stuart

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Sunday, December 6 6:00pm Soup Supper / 7:00pm Trim-A-Tree

Sunday, December 13 1:30pm Caroling

Sunday, December 20 6:00pm *Blue Christmas Celebration with

Christ Lutheran Church (at CLC)

Thursday, December 24 7:00pm Christmas Eve service

Sunday, December 27 10:30am Worship (no Sunday school classes)

*Blue Christmas Celebration, as described by Pastor Guider, Interim Pastor at Christ Lutheran Church:

“a time when we can, with others, acknowledge the ‘blue’ feelings we have at Christmas time. For

many who have lost a loved one, this is a moment of pain. For others it is a lonely time of year. This is

not a joyous season for everyone. In this service we will sing songs appropriate to the season. If you

wish, in the candlelighting portion of the service you may share your story or simply light a candle in

remembrance. We will reflect on our pain through scripture. And finally, at the time of year when the

nights are longest and darkest, we recall that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. The light no

darkness can overcome.”

The POINSETTIA sign-up list is on the table in the outer narthex area for you to sponsor a poinsettia in memory of or in honor of someone special. Cost: $6.25. (You may take your poinsettia home following the Christmas Eve service.)

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Join us next Sunday afternoon, December 13 (meet at the church at 1:30 p.m.) for a much-loved tradition of going CAROLING. You are invited to come along to bring the joy of Christmas music to beloved members of our church family. It is a fun time enjoyed by all…voices of all ages are welcome! See Carla if you have any questions.

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On Sunday, December 13, the adult class will view the film, “Charting Christmas,” a production on discovering the origins of Christmas traditions. This will include the legends and history of St Nicholas and how some legends were influenced by notable historical figures such as St Francis of Assisi and the Coca Cola Corporation. Find out why we celebrate Christmas on December 25, why we celebrate the advent, and who made and why we have the nativity. Find out also why we have the Christmas tree and what it is meant to signify.

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Handicap Parking Spaces – We are pleased to make you aware that there are 3 additional handicap parking spaces now available at the end of the handicap ramp. (Note that there are narrow spaces between the car spaces to aid in getting in and out of your car.) Many, many thanks to the following folks for their time, talents, and expertise in completing these spaces: Rick Schulze, Don Nibbelink, Claude Bevan, Kirk LaTorre, and Dave Landes.

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Video Surveillance We have been made aware of several churches in the area that have been broken into this past year. And coupled with that is the fact that our church is “off the beaten path.” As a result we have installed video surveillance cameras at strategic locations both inside and outside of the buildings. While we surely hope we never have to deal with any sort of crime, the cameras will be a valuable asset in discerning details of the event.