In The Spirit December 2007 The winter wind confirms my faith. Not only does it give my life breath; invisible, it sneaks through every crack and crevice, blowing where it wills and wants to blow. Like God, the breath of the Spirit is always with us! Emmanuel! See you on Christmas Eve and before! NEW MEMBERS!? Included in the Advent/ Christmas brochure mailed last week, you will find a unique Adult/Youth class offering on “Gift Giving.” We begin on Nov. 25th and continue through Dec. 30th at 11:20a.m. This is an excellent opportunity for those interested in joining Covenant as new members and for those interested in understanding our Methodist heritage. Those wishing to join Covenant in our ministries will be received into membership on Sunday, Dec. 23rd. If interested, speak with our pastors, Ann and Paul. Don’t Forget to join us for New Year’s Eve Watchnight silent prayer and communion in the chapel at 5 p.m., Dec. 31st and for our free annual community-wide New Year’s Day Dinner from 2-5 p.m. Our Events Team could use your help as greeters, servers, chief cooks and bottle washers, eaters, musicians, and more.
Out of Africa – Part III From the Children’s Message on Sunday, November 4 Today is a special day in the church. In many churches the first Sunday after November 1, is when we celebrate All Saint’s Day. It is a special time when we honor people in our lives that have died and, for many reasons, were very special people to both us and to God. For instance, a few weeks ago Millie Widmer died. She was 104 years old! Millie loved the church AND she loved children. For years Millie took care of children in the nursery. That was her way of helping people and living out a life of faith. In Africa there is a proverb that says, “The death of an elderly person is like a burning library.” I think that means when an elderly person (like Millie Widmer) dies, the many stories and experiences of her life are gone…and on All Saint’s Day the church we intentionally remember those stories and honor the faithfulness of people like Millie who helped so many of us learn more about what it means to follow Jesus. Before I left for Africa in September I promised to bring you back a gift. I wasn’t sure what to bring, then one day I was sitting in the courtyard of our hotel working on a presentation when a young boy came up to me and wanted to know if I would buy some of his postcards. I said, “no thank you”, but he was very persistent … so I took a look at them and decided right away I wanted to give you each one. The young boy and I agreed on a price and I brought home these postcards. They are all a little different –each one is a hand-painted picture of a traditional African scene. The people are in native costume carrying baskets or tools. These are small paintings of the ancestors, and painting these pictures is a way for the young boy to remember his heritage. So, I’m giving you a gift of the ancestors…something for you to look at and remember special people who have died; people who can still be a part of your life because you remember and honor their stories. Let’s say a prayer and bless these postcards before I hand them out: Holy and gracious God, we thank you for the stories and life experiences of our ancestors. Help us to learn from them and honor them in ways that will help us to be better people too. We pray that these pictures help remind us to honor our ancestors and remember them with love. Amen. Grace and peace to you all as you prepare for the Advent season and the birth of our Lord and Savior, Rev. Ann
‘Finance Report’ as we approach the end of 2007 As we face the final weeks of opportunities we have to give to the church in 2007, I must take this time to shoot straight from the hip. In our Finance meetings the last few months, we have seen a serious gap develop between what we projected as budget income with what has been given in actual contributions. Entering December, we are looking at over a $13,000 gap between needed income and what has actually been contributed through our congregational giving. Part of the seriousness of this issue is that by not finishing 2007 in a strong financial position it will translate into serious problems for our 2008 budget. Plain and simple -- there are three ways you can help: 1) Pay up your pledge – OR over-pay your pledge for 2007. 2) Be extra generous with your Christmas offering. 3) Give for no reason at all. On Nov. 17 the youth stayed after serving dinner to those who attended the Pittsford Musical and we watched a movie called ‘Pay It Forward’. I encourage you all to watch it. The theory behind ‘Pay It Forward’ could very easily be used to close the $13,000 gap. In the Church of Jesus Christ there are no individuals – we are a corporate body that relies on one another for the ministry and mission we accomplish TOGETHER! Please pray that TOGETHER we can accomplish our financial goals and begin 2008 confident in our ability to be present to the community around us. Blessings to you all in this holy time of preparation, Rev. Ann
 DECEMBER
For most of us, celebrating Christmas involves eating well. Special family recipes and treats we may only have at this time of year are part of our tradition. Some of our neighbors will not have that choice unless we think of them this season. Please consider including our Food Ministry in your Christmas plans for this year. Special requests for December include canned hams (not needing refrigeration), cookie and pie mixes, nuts, cranberry sauce and the fixings for green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and gift cards for Wegmans and Tops. Please bring your food offerings the first Sunday of December, and put them in the Daily Bread box in the Narthex. Birthdays Happy Anniversary Thurma McDaniel 12/3 Jolene and John Leisten 12/16 Scott Clark 12/10 Lisa and Joe Miles 12/31 Mary Jane Taylor 12/10 Harold Stacey 12/12 Craig Mertens 12/14 Eva McDaniel 12/14 Shirley Krein 12/15 Margaret-Anne Milne 12/18 Maizie Slaver 12/20 Greg Bogoshian 12/21 Carol Holberton 12/26
CHRISTMAS CRAFT WORKSHOP – COVENANT’S MALL-TERNATIVE By Rebecca Fuss Covenant’s third annual Christmas Craft Workshop will be held Saturday, December 8, from noon until 3:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend!
Billed as Covenant’s Mall-ternative, the Christmas Craft Workshop is designed to share the true meaning of Christmas, God’s great gift of Jesus Christ. In the spirit of giving, participants will share a meal, sing Christmas carols, hear a pastor’s message, and make and wrap gifts that they can give as Christmas presents to friends or family members. Christmas cookies and milk finish the afternoon.
We have seven craft tables this year, and participants will be able to make such things as pretzel wreaths, colored ornaments, toothpick houses and more.
It’s not too late to volunteer to help! We can always use extra helpers to hold something gluey while it dries, or serve lunch, or meet and greet families. Please contact Rebecca Fuss, 482-8963 or
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if you would like to volunteer.
Many thanks to our crafters: Chris McGovern, Joan Clark, Kira Soule, Jolene Leisten, Natalie Auburn, Cheryl Rook, and Liz MacGregor and family from Fairport UMC. Also thanks to Cay Bischoff, greeting coordinator; Will Tepper, invitation designer; Heather Lieb, wrapping coordinator; Elaine Kraus, accompanist; Lois Palmer, cookie gatherer; and Doug Pease, cookie arranger and server.
This year and next the political arena is going to heat up for local, state, and national offices, including for president. Without saying its perfect or even religious, one place you may want to check on the web is called FACTCHECK.ORG. The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and other for-profit and not-for-profits recommend it for those who want to be responsible citizens and intelligent consumers of the daily news. Try it and see if it works for you. Church Conference Sunday December 9, Noon Special Church Conference for the 2008 Budget, especially Staff Support, Rev. Dr. Dick McCaughey. Sunday, February 10, Noon, Annual Church Conference (reports, elections, etc.); Rev. Margie Mayson, Pastor at Penfield United Methodist Church. FROM THE OFFICE
May the blessings of the season be with you and yours. Happy Holidays
United Methodist Council of Bishops Resolution on the Iraq War Approved November 9, 2007 Whereas, the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church is committed to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world; and Whereas, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, calls his followers to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9); and Whereas, ”We believe war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ” (Book of Discipline 2004, Par. 165.C); and Whereas , the cost of the war in Iraq as of Nov. 7, 2007, has been the lives of 3,843 members of the U.S. Military, 171 members of the United Kingdom military, 132 members of the other Coalition military, 28,385 U.S. military wounded, and the lives of at least 76,241 Iraqi civilians; and Whereas the war in Iraq has displaced 2 million persons and forced another 2 million persons into refugee status; Whereas, every day the war continues more soldiers and innocent civilians are killed with no end in sight to the violence, bloodshed and carnage; THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, meeting Nov. 9 at Lake Junaluska, N.C., calls on the President and Congress of the United States and the leaders of all the nations in the Coalition Forces: · To begin immediately a safe and full withdrawal of all military personnel from Iraq, with no additional troops deployed; · To declare that there will be no permanent military bases in Iraq; · To increase support for veterans of the Iraq war and all wars; · To initiate and give strong support to a plan for the reconstruction of Iraq, with high priority given to the humanitarian and social needs of the Iraqi people, such as healthcare, education and housing; FURTHER, THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS calls United Methodist people throughout the world: · To pray for peace and to have regular prayer vigils for congregations and communities; · To care for all impacted by the war, including combatants and noncombatants by honoring the dead, healing the wounded and calling for the end of the war; · To be peacemakers by word and deed that we may be called the children of god. LAS POSADAS IS COMING!!! A very special dramatization of the Holy Family’s search for a place to stay will be presented at Covenant at 11:20 a.m. (right after worship) on Sunday, December 16th. This is the age-old story of Mary and Joseph seeking a place to sleep and for Mary to have her baby, Jesus. Traditionally held in Mexico, the play tells the story of Joseph knocking on somebody’s door and asking for a place to stay. Night after night, the householders turn them away. Finally, on December 24th, the innkeeper has compassion and allows Mary and Joseph to stay in the stable. In Las Posadas, they enter the home,, along with carolers, and the celebration begins. Covenant’s play will feature children and adults from our congregation, with Suzanne Feather directing. The congregation will also have a part, even singing Silent Night in Spanish! Lunch will be served following Las Posadas, and there will be a traditional Mexican Piñata filled with treats for the children. Don’t miss this wonderful interpretation of the Christmas story told with a Hispanic flavor!
Brrrr……. Please bring in mittens, hats, scarves and hang them on the tree in the sanctuary. These will be given to the children at School #33
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