Straits Talk

United Methodist and Presbyterian (USA)

The Church of the Straits

P.O. Box 430 * Mackinaw City, MI 49701

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Straits Talk

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDMackinaw CityMichigan 49701

Permit No. 1

December 2013Minister Pastor David WallisHead Usher Cless Hurlburt Organists Wayne Clemens

and Loretta MartinekChoir DirectorAccompanist Cidney RothChristian EducationTreasurer Janet SchaeferFinancial Secretary Sheryl Childs

Secretary Judy Churchill

Office Phone: 231 436-8682 * Pastor’s Home Phone: 231 436-5484E-mail – Pastor – norev@juno.com

Church office – office@churchofthestraits.comChurch website – www.thechurchofthestraits.com

OUR WORSHIP SCHEDULELabor Day Sunday - Traditional Worship – 9:00 a.m. at COS

11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship at Conkling Heritage ParkStarting September 8 – We return to one service at 10:30 a.m.

Adult and Youth Sunday School 9:30 a.m.Christmas Eve Service 7:00 pm

The Mission of The Church of the StraitsTo worship God faithfully

To grow together spirituallyTo serve Jesus Christ and

our neighbor joyfully… in the power of God’s Spirit.

SILENT NIGHT. HOLY NIGHT

Bible Quiz Answer: C (See Matthew 1:21.)

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAYCommunion Wms Bible Study 3 pm Men's Breakfast 8 am Mens Emmaus 9am

Disciple III 2pm

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Wms Bible Study 3 pm Mens Emmaus 9am

Legend of the Chrismon Disciple III 2pmPoinsettia Orders Due PPRC 5:30pm Wallis

Disciple I 6pm Openhouse8 9 10 11 12 13

Kate's Kids Wms Bible Study 3 pm Men's Breakfast 8 am Mens Emmaus 9amAnnual Potluck

Annual Cantata 2pm BOG 7pmat St. Anthony's.

16 17 18 19 20 21Mens Emmaus 9am

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

BIRTHDAYS: ANNIVERSARIES:Dec 1 Randy Darrow Dec 18 Logan Smith Dec 1 Nelson & Denise ThompsonDec 3 Roy Cole Dec 22 Pastor Dave Dec 5 Chuck & Ginny Brew Dec 4 Nicole Laninga Dec 22 Rose LaPointe Dec 16 Nelson & Rose LaPointeDec 6 Obera Darling Dec 23 Dick Hunt Dec 18 Bill & Danna Marvin

Dec 11 Alex Clemens Dec 24 Kathryn Kube Dec 20 Frank & Christina HartmanDec 12 Amy Grieger Dec 26 Randy Kube Dec 23 Al & Diane RobbinsDec 12 Shirley Hyatt Dec 26 Debbie Moore Dec 28 Henry & Betty VieauDec 12 Frank Smith Dec 27 Margaret Goldman Dec 29 Walt & Betsy NaumerDec 14 Ginger Mannarino Dec 28 Ann Hayes Dec 29 John & Ann ChurchillDec 14 Patty Curth Dec 29 Ron GwiltDec 16 Samantha Cooley Dec 30 Stephen Heilman

6-8 pm 4

Disciple I 6pm 15

Here is a list of people who are in charge of making sure there are refreshments for coffee hour each month. They will find someone to help with coffee hour each week if there is not anyone signed up.

Sign- up sheet in Fellowship Hall. January – Nan & Jack Keck February – Dennis & Kim Flemming March – Laurel Birk April – Andrea Sarto May – Richard Phillips June – Janet Schaefer July – Darlene Krueger August – Ken McGuire September – Roger & Debbie Moore October – Deb Downing November – John & Sheryl Childs December – Nelson & Rose LaPointe

Thank you to everyone who filled a shoe box or made a donation towards filling and/or mailing a box. We shipped out a total of 74 shoe boxes. Please keep the children who will receive these boxes in your prayers.

Rose LaPointe is organizing a Christmas Table of Gifts for needy families again this year. If you have new items that you don’t need or want, please bring them into the office for her.

Please no clothes! Thank you.

Live to Give! In Acts 20:35, Paul quotes Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Interestingly, that’s the only recorded statement of Jesus that’s not found in one of the four gospels.) The blessings of giving are profound and lasting. Poet Maya Angelou says, “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”

The Light of the World Early Christians celebrated both Jesus’ birth and baptism on Epiphany, January 6. Only in the fourth century did Roman Christians appropriate a pagan festival to

celebrate what we now call Christmas — a contraction of “Christ Mass.” But the origin of when we celebrate Jesus’ birth doesn’t detract from the day’s holiness. In fact, God has always transformed things of the world to serve his purposes and show his glory. The festival honoring the “Unconquered Sun,” held on what was then considered the winter solstice, was deemed the perfect time to praise the “Sun of Righteousness” (a prophetic name for Christ; see Malachi 4:2). By claiming this day as our own, Christians profess that earthly darkness — winter’s seasonal darkness and the darkness in our hearts and lives — is brightened not by a heavenly body that will one day cease to shine but by Jesus, the real unconquered and unconquerable Light of the World.

If you would like a plant to decorate the Sanctuary for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, please fill out the following form. You may take your plant home, or give it away as a gift.IN LOVING MEMORY OF:

___________________________________________

_________________________________________

IN HONOR OF:

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

GIVEN BY:

_________________________________________

Each 6” potted poinsettia is $10.00.Your order must be in no later than

Monday, December 9th at the church office. Please make check payable to Church of the Straits.

Church of the Straits,P.O. Box 430

Mackinaw City, MI 49701 .

Children’s Program and Annual Potluck will be Sunday, December 15th. The children will perform during the service. The Annual Potluck will be immediately following worship. Please bring a dish to pass and your table service.

“Sweet Was the Song”, a collection of celebration carols of the Lord’s Birth! This Annual Community Cantata will be performed on Sunday afternoon December 15th at 2 p.m., at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.

Christmas Cards for Sale – Mary Lou Peters has made & packaged beautiful hand- painted Christmas Cards, with all the proceeds being donated to the COS food pantry. Cards are available in Fellowship Hall - $5.00 per package.

Happy Birthday Jesus! Each Christmas, a family celebrated by holding a birthday party for Jesus. To remind themselves of Jesus’ presence, they placed a chair of honor for him at their dinner table. The highlight of the party was singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and then blowing out the candles on a special cake. One Christmas, a visitor asked the family’s 5-year-old daughter, “Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?” The girl paused and then answered, “No! It’s not my birthday!”

What’s On Your List?A little smile, a word of cheer, A bit of love from someone near, A little gift from one held dear, Best wishes for the coming year...

These make a Merry Christmas! —John Greenleaf Whittier

Men’s Breakfast Group continues to meet the first and third Thursday of each month at 8:00 a.m. Feel free to come and join in.

Questions, call Jerry Prior at 436-5902.

Family PhotoAn 8-year-old girl was showing her 4-year-old sister some pictures from her Bible.

The younger sister was fascinated by a picture of Mary and baby Jesus. After examining it intently, she asked, “But where’s Joseph?”

The Wallis’Invite you to their Annual Christmas

Open Houseat the Parsonage

309 E Jamet Saturday,

December 14th

6 – 8 p.m.Dessert will be served

The older sister thought for a moment and replied, “He’s taking the picture!”To Our COS Family, Thank you for the wonderful send off party! It was great to see everyone before heading off! We will

continue to pray for you and ask that you also continue to pray for us! We are so blessed by the friends here at this church, by the prayers and financial support and by your encouragement to us! Thank you! Also – the donations at the luncheon were so needed and given so generously! WOW! We can’t thank you enough! Love, Peter, Kate, Levi and Aiden

** Your generosity provided the Walugembe Family with $761.15 from our Mission Luncheon. We wish them safe travels ♥

Do you have an hour for a special ministry? We are blessed to have some small children in our church. They are our future and we want families with children here at COS. One way we can nurture these families is to provide a nursery for them. I will do one Sunday a month and ask that you seriously consider this ministry. God has a special place in His heart ♥ for children and the church should also. Thank you! ~Lisa Wallis

Food Pantry is back! Open Tuesdays from 2 – 4 pm and Thursdays from 10am – noon. All donations are welcome, food & cash, and can be dropped off at the church anytime or call Jean Hunt at 231 818-0496 or Rose LaPointe

at 436-5307. Any member of the church or community that is in need of food during these tough economic times is encouraged to come.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

“The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth – the very thing the whole

story has been about.” ~C.S. LewisDear Friends at COS, Thank you for all of the cards, prayers and transportation during my recent bout with surgery on my arm. I especially appreciated Pastor Dave’s visit and prayers. Your kindness will

never be forgotten. Love and prayers, Sally Raible

Lessons from the Angels To frightened shepherds on the first Christmas Eve, a host of angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14, KJV). Nineteenth-century minister Charles Kingsley explained how these key words tell the meaning of Jesus’ birth and give meaning to our lives. • Glory. “That little babe, lying in the manger among the cattle, was showing the very highest glory of the great God who had made heaven and earth. To stoop, to condescend, to have mercy, to forgive — that is the highest glory of God.” • Peace. “God is not selfish. He sacrificed himself for us. Sacrifice yourselves then for each other! Give up your own pride, your own selfishness, your own interest for each other, and you will be all at peace.” • Good will. “God loves you, and he wills to raise you out of this selfish, quarrelsome life of sin, into a loving, brotherly, peaceful life of righteousness. That babe in the manger at Bethlehem is a sign to you and me that God will freely give us that spirit of love if we ask for it.”

Bible QuizAccording to Scripture, what does the name Jesus mean? A. “God is with us.” B. “Anointed One of God” C. “[The Lord] will save his people from their sins.” D. “Son of the Most High God”

Dear COS Family,

We have been blessed with another wonderful 2013 and have had many things to celebrate. Amber graduated from Paul Mitchell in March. Courtney graduated from high school and is attending NCMC for nursing and she also scored 1000 pts. in basketball. In Sept. Matt returned from his 3rd deployment (we treasure prayers when he and other troops are out in the field). Carter continues to grow and can’t imagine life without that little man. Christmas is always EXTRA special when you have a little one in the house.

We have been blessed to be part of your family for the last 7 ½ years. Your love, prayers, support, and your mission oriented hearts are a reflection of our love for our heavenly Father. If you’ve been here 50 years or a month, each one of you is a specialpart of this family.

We pray that each of you have a wonderful Christmas season. For some it’s a time of joy. Others may be having their first holiday without a loved one, or uncertain of what God has in store for themin 2014. No matter what your circumstances know that God is withyou. May you feel His love wrapped around you. He loves you so much that he sent a babe born in a stable to live and die on a cross for each one of us. There is no greater gift than that. We just have to accept it.

We love each of you,Pastor, Dave , Lisa, Matt, Amber, Courtney, and Carter