I think we should not forget the ultimate re-gifting of the season. All of our actions, hopes, words, prayers, thoughts, and gifts should be grounded in and reflect the love of God given in the presence of a mere babe. Tiny, vulnerable, needy, crying (yes, I think Jesus cried despite what the carol “Away in a Manger” says), and dependent upon human love this child will grow up to embody the greatest Love we can ever share on this earth.
Praise God! Alleluia!
‘Tis the season to re-gift! The busiest time of the Year is upon us! Winter has settled in for its duration, and our daylight hours are shortened until the solstice. So many tasks lie before us prior to the New Year: decorating home and hearth and shopping, baking delicious treats, shopping and wrapping, shoveling and shopping, college bowl games and shopping, travelling and shopping, feasting and shopping, new granddaugh-ter’s first Christmas and shopping. Oh, and did I say, shopping. And re-gifting! We respond to the Greatest Gift of God by re-gifting. From a small babe, whose birth we celebrate this month, we re-gift the love of God in many ways. Frosted cook-ies that light the faces of children (of all ages); gifts carefully selected and wrapped, gifts made by our own hands and given in love; colors and lights adorning homes and trees to sparkle in our eyes and minds; familiar carols and songs bathe our ears, minds and souls; greetings spoken from deep within – Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Feliz Navidad; the whole world seems to resound with the re-gifting of the Christ Child. The Advent Season is the season to prepare for that gift and our re-gifting. Sometimes Advent can seem schizophrenic: a season with a split personality. In Italy for a thousand years it was celebrated as a two-to-four week season of joyous preparation for the feast of the Nativity. In Germany and France it was a forty-day season for fasting, doing penance and confessing one’s sins, an attitude greatly influenced by the massive fear of the End of the Word at the time of the first millennium. The dour-minded German and French approach seems to have won out. While the idea of preparation for the celebration of the birth of our Savior should be foremost in our minds,
Dec. 2015 United Presbyterian Congregational Church
214 Vaughn Avenue, Ashland WI 54806 (715) 682-3093
Bill
Peace,
CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SCHEDULE:
Christmas Eve Worship Service – December 24th at 8:30 pm
(With Communion) Office CLOSED: December 25th
10:30 am worship on Sunday, December 27th
NO Sunday School on December 27th or January 3rd
No Confirmation Classes: Dec. 20th and 27th No Adult Bible Study on
December 27th or January 3rd
Page 2 Good News! DECEMBER NEWS
Come and Participate in our Advent/Christmas Events
OFFICE EMAIL CONTACT Information…..
During the summer months both Pastor Bill’s email and Office Administrator Kate Bernardo’s email addresses CHANGED. Please use the following contacts.
REV. WILLIAM HANDY: [email protected] KATE BERNARDO: [email protected]
PRAYER CHAIN If you have a health
concern, or wish to place someone on the prayer chain
please call Julie Radke at 715-373-0265 or you can
email her at [email protected]. You can also leave
information with the church office and they will make
sure Julie gets the information. Thank you!
Thanks to everyone who supported the Presbyterian Women's Thank Offering during the month of November. Your support helpedto provide education, shelter, and health ministry world-wide.
Our big fund raiser, the annual Holiday Bazaar, is coming up on Saturday, December 5. We have tried to contact all women of the church about this. There will be crafts, baked goods, Granny's Attic, candy, and something new this year, cookies by the pound. You can pick out the ones you want, and have a nice variety for your holiday entertaining. Items can be brought in on Friday, Dec. 4. We invite everyone to come on Saturday and enjoy the shopping and also fellowship and refreshments in the Tea Room. Baskets and More: As the Bazaar draws closer, it is time to get those basket projects wrapped up. Baskets to fill are available in the Craft Room downstairs; help yourself. Cellophane, wrapping service, and drop off times will be made available Sunday, Nov. 29 through Friday, Dec. 4. Please call Bea Hayen (765-4856) or RoAnn Ledin (292-3893) to make arrangements. Cookies, cookies, cookies! No, Cookie Monster isn’t
coming, but new at the Bazaar this year will be “cookies
by the pound”. We have invited the ladies of the church
to donate their favorite Christmas cookies, and you know
what good bakers they are. You will be able to select
from the resulting delectable collection of sweets and take
them home in a beautiful red box. Be sure to stop by Sat-
urday, Dec. 5, between 9:30am and 1pm.
Becca Nelson sang while her daughter Samantha performed a liturgical dance during a church service in November.
Holiday Bazaar and Tea Room Saturday, Dec. 5th—9:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
Page 3 Good News! DECEMBER NEWS
FILL THE BOX! The large wicker box in the Narthex of the church is empty! Let’s fill it! On the second Sunday of each month this month it is December 13th! Please bring your non-perishable
food items to worship. The children will help collect the items during the Children’s Chat and bring the items to the front of the sanctuary to help fill the box. The items will be taken to The Brick for the food pantry.
CABLE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH is hosting the 2nd Chapter Christmas
Sale to support our The Brick (ministries), and especially our satellite, the Cable Area Food Shelf. This event will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2015, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at their facility on County Road M in Cable. Faith In Action would like to thank the youth and youth leaders of the congregation for raking a BIG yard for a senior. Faith In Action appreciates the youth group doing valuable community service to support seniors in living independently. Thanks!-Megan Perrine, FIA Program Coordinator
THANK YOU….. Thank you to ….Kim Bro for his extensive work and prepa-ration to help the Pony Express Stewardship Drive achieve good results this year! Thank you to…. Trail Bosses of the Pony Express steward-ship drive. Thank you…… Jocelyn Lang-holz and Chuck Whiting for their commitment to our Con-firmation youth this year. Thank you…. to everyone who helped make our Thanksgiving meal on November 8th so deli-cious and successful!
The 96th Annual Community Christmas Concert will be held on Sun-
day, Dec. 6th at 4 p.m. at the Presbyterian/Congregational Church. Musicians from area churches, community choirs and schools celebrate through music the advent season. This concert is free and open to the public.
Chequamegon Choir’s 43rd
Annual Christmas Concert “The Questions of Christmas” will be held on two dates: Friday December 11th at 7:30 pm at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Ashland and Sunday December 13th at 4:00 pm at St. Louis Catholic Church in Washburn Tickets are $7.00 (Students & Seniors @ $5.00 and Chil-dren 10 and under FREE)
20 Minutes of Gregorian Chant will heard in our sanctuary on Sunday, December 13th. The acapella Gregorian Chant Choir is offering a 20 mi-nute meditation (Compline) in our sanctuary. Sung in Latin and in English, Gregorian Chant is some of the oldest music we have on record, and represents one of the longest continuous liturgical traditions in the world. For more information or if you think you might want to join the choir, please call John Manno at 715-209-0080. ========================================
Matt Cogger featured speaker... Matthew Cogger will be speaking at the Washburn Li-brary on December 2nd at 7:00 pm after returning from his trip to Kyrgzstan for the USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development). Refreshments provided.
Thank you…. to members of the PNC committee for the
time and commitment being put in to find our permanent
pastor.
Thank you….. to Bill Handy for being our Interim
pastor this year, keeping us centered, and gathered, and
working toward the future together.
Standing meetings for out of facility groups: 1) Wednesdays Noon: AA group meets in lounge / 2) Wednesdays in Dining room from Noon to 2 pm: Ceramics Class for disabled adults /3) Sundays at 7:00 pm – NA group meets in lounge 12/1 9 am - Staff Meeting 10:30 am – District Cable Clergy Mtg here 12/2 1 pm – Women’s Canasta in Dining Room 5-6:30 pm – Middle Schoolers meet 7:00 pm – Choir 12/3 7 am – Men’s Bible Study 10-Noon – Mom’s Playgroup meet in Educational Wing play room Northland College Concert rehearsal 12/5 9:30 to 1 pm – Women’s Association Christmas Bazaar & Tea Room 12/6 9:15 Sunday School / 9:15 Adult Bible Study 10:30 Worship with Communion – 2nd Sunday in Advent 4 pm – Community Christmas Concert here 7 pm – SNL 7:30 pm – Gregorian Chant in Sanctuary 12/7 9:30 am – TEAM Meeting 7:00 pm – Northland College Rehearsal in Sanctuary 12/8 4 pm – Northland College Rehearsal in Sanctuary 7 pm – Chamber Music Society Meeting in Youth Room 12/9 7 am – Northland College Rehearsal in Sanctuary 5-6:30 pm – Middle Schoolers Meet 7:00 pm – Choir 12/10 1:30 pm – Game Day at Court Manor 6 pm – Northland College Christmas Concert in Sanctuary 12/11 Sunday School Set up for Christmas Pageant 12/12 Sunday School children rehearsal for Christmas Pageant 12/13 9:15 Sunday School / 9:15 Adult Bible Study 10:30 am – Children’s Christmas Pageant – 3rd Sunday in Advent 7:00 pm – SNL 7:30 pm – Gregorian Chant in Sanctuary 12/14 12:00 pm – Mary Martha Circle meet in Dining Room 6:00 pm – AFS Group Meet in Youth Room 7:00 pm – Deborah Circle Meet at Marian Penn’s 12/15 No Activities Scheduled 12/16 1 pm – Women’s Canasta in Dining Room 5:00 pm – Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30 pm – Session Meeting 5-6:30 pm – Middle Schoolers Meet 7:00 pm – Choir 12/17 7:00 am – Men’s Bible Study in Lower Lounge 10-noon – Mom’s Playgroup in Educational wing playroom 12/18 Noon to 4 pm: New Horizon’s Christmas Luncheon in Dining Room 4:30 pm – Set up at St. Andrews to serve Community Dinner 12/20 9:15 am Sunday School / 9:15 Adult Bible Study 10:30 am – Worship – 4th Sunday of Advent 7 pm – SNL 7:30 pm – Gregorian Chant in Sanctuary 12/22 Newsletter Deadline 12/21 9 am -8 pm – Bell Ringing for Salvation Army at Wal-Mart 12/24 8:30 pm – Christmas Eve worship service with Communion 12/25 CHRISTMAS DAY – Office Closed 12/27 No Sunday School / No Adult Bible Study 10:30 am – Worship
Member Profile: Paul VanPernis I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but at a very young age we moved to Rockford, Illinois, where I grew up. I have four brothers and three sisters; I’m the third oldest in the family. My father was a pathologist in Rockford, and later
in his life he worked for the Joint Commission on Accredita-tion of Hospitals. My mother was a stay-at-home mom until my youngest brother was in school, and then she went back to work as a librarian, which is what she trained for in college. Both of my parents were in high school and college during the Depression. We all learned the value of hard work and that we should always try to do our best at whatever we are doing. My paternal grandfather was a Dutch Reformed Church minister, so regular church attendance has always been part of my life. My mother was a very loving and kind person. I attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where I ma-jored in biology. Upon graduation from college, I went to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis for two years in a graduate program in Human Physiology. From there I went to medical school at Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois. I finished medical school in three years and then did a three-year family practice residency in Saginaw, Michigan. When we finished residency, Eileen and I moved to Ashland where we opened our medical practice and we’ve been here ever since. Eileen and I have been married for 44 years and have three children. Andrew, our oldest, and his wife Heidi live near Los Angeles, California. Heidi does tutoring work and Andrew is a lead software engineer at Dream Works Movie Studio. Anna is our middle child, and she and her husband Rob and our 4 ½ year old granddaughter Cora live in Longmont, Colorado. Anna is a full-time mom, but she teaches Sunday school and works in the Stephen Ministry program at her church. She has a master’s degree in history, and her husband Rob is one of the principals in a computer software company. Jacob is our youngest, and he is a Presbyterian minister at the First Presby-terian Church of Howard Lake, Minnesota. He attended Princeton Theological seminary and was the Youth Pastor here at our church before he went to the seminary. He’s married to Kate, who was also the youth pastor here at our church. I have great admiration for my siblings and all of my children, including their spouses. I’ve always had great admiration for my parents and grandparents. But I’d have to say that my wife Eileen is the person I most admire. She is the kindest, most loving person I’ve ever met. She has always encouraged and supported me and she makes me a better person. I always tell people that marrying here was the smartest thing I’ve ever done. Religion has always been a central part of my life. I continue to try to understand my faith and how it relates not only to my day to day life, but how it relates to all of mankind. I see my faith as a long search to understand my relationship with God and God’s relationship with all of the rest of the world. The main lessons I’ve learned in live are: work hard, be kind to others, be generous, always keep learning, enjoy life and the world around you, go outside, continually give thanks, keep praying, remember the only thing that really matters in life is the relationships that you have with the people you love, have faith, have fun, and learn to forgive. In my spare time, I enjoy woodworking, downhill skiing, gar-
dening, and collecting antique woodworking planes. I also
enjoy spending time at our cabin and being with my children
and granddaughter.
2 Linda Fischer
3 Gerard Randall, Taylor Sullivan
6 Janice Tomlinson Erickson, Barry Jacobs
7 Todd Erickson, Alice Friesen
8 Cheryl Drevlow, Emily Hagstrom
12 Dylan Zifko
13 Nancy Hudack, Amanda Krueger
15 Cassidy Perry
16 Haille Stuart, Latricia Dugger
17 Garth Robertson, Seija Anderson
18 Robert Mahnke, Dennis Liphart, Doug Liphart, Susan Johnson
19 Vernell Mercer, Hank Martinsen Jr., Karen Kay
20 Anne Chumbler
21 Brian Hammond
22 Meggan Gottschall
23 Mike Yankee, Brea Ann Hoglund
26 Mary Woods, Judi Holevatz
28 Nils Wickman, Laura Nabozny, Aaron Swanson
29 Jennifer Martinsen
30 Ryan Adams
31 Eric Adams, Jim Miller
Coffee Fellowship Hosts
6 Dale and Kay Despard
13 Lynn Adams and Sheila Urling
20 Jim and Anna Fridsma
27 Julie McKuen and Alice Evenson
Recording/Radio (played at 10:30 am 1400 AM)
6 Dick Whitten
13 Jim Roguski
20 John Urling
27 Aaron Mainguth
Acolyte Schedule
6 Lucas and Molly McKuen
13 Marshall and Hope Swanson
20 Tony and Trista Richardson
27 Colton and Carter Evenson
Children’s Chat Schedule
6 Bea Hayen
13 Sunday School Christmas Program
20 Bill Handy
27 Sheila Urling
Usher Schedule
6 Dani Penney & Roth Edwards & Jill Engleman
13 Middle or High School Youth
20 Dale & Paula Moyer and JoAnne Weister
27 Dale & Paula Moyer and JoAnne Weister
Lay Readers
6 Mark Sneed
13 Christmas Pageant
20 Jae Hilts
27 Victoria York
Bakers
6 Peggy Hoffman & Jan Erickson
13 Lynn Adams & Sheila Urling
20 Jim & Anna Fridsma & Sherry Hanson
27 Julie McKuen & Alice Evenson
Communion Servers for Dec. 6th
Sally MacGregor, Dale Despard, Bea Hayen, Bill Handy
Counters for Worship Contributions for Month of December
Dale Despard & Jane Kulbacki
Holiday Bell Ringing Schedule for Salvation Army: December 21st: Bell Ringers Note your time Slot and location Is the East side of Wal-Mart in Ashland – Thank you for this very worthwhile community holiday action! 9-10 am: Pete Man 10-1 am Russ Fish 11 am – Noon Paul & Eileen VanPernis Noon to 1 pm Evenson’s 1-2 pm: Julie & Gregg Radke 2-3 pm: Slot being filled by other source 3-4 pm Kat & Pete Whitten 4-5 pm JoAnne Erickson 5-6 pm Peter & Andrew MacGregor 6-7 pm Julie McKuen 7-8 pm Julia Waggoner
Moving or new email address? Please give all information for your address or email change to the church office. Information for the church newsletter. Please forward your information for the December issue of Good News! to The church office by Dec 20th.
United Presbyterian-Congregational Church 214 Vaughn Avenue Ashland WI 54806 (715) 682-3093
Our Vision: “To be a welcoming family of God that
joyfully embraces the servant
life in Christ.”
Contact Information
Ben Cogger
December
2015
Bill Handy Interim Pastor
682-3093 [email protected]
Kate Bernardo Secretary
682-3093 [email protected]
Allison Radke Youth Minister
682-3139 [email protected]
Cindy Johnson Treasurer
682-3093 [email protected]
http://www.presbych.weebly.com