The
Circuit Rider
Asbury United Methodist Church Newsletter – Published Monthly
DECEMBER – 2012 90 Church Avenue, Forestville, Connecticut 06010 Volume 19, Issue 12
Dear Friends,
As we draw near to the most joyous time of celebrating our Lord’s birth, I want to tell you that something is going to be different this year. Oh, not to worry, we are still planning the pageant, and the afternoon of caroling to our members who are unable to be with us; we’ll gather for the AACT Christmas party in a week or two and we’re going to light candles and sing our favorite hymns on Christmas Eve. What will be different is that you won’t be hearing announcements and receiving a letter asking you to give a gift to cover a year end deficit. In recent years, this deficit has amounted to as much as $30,000! You won’t be hearing anything about a deficit, because there is not going to be a deficit this year!
You spoke loud and clear in 2012, proclaiming that you remain strong and steadfast in your commitment to serving God through the ministries of Asbury United Methodist Church! You contemplated and prayed over the question, “What portion is God asking me to give of my income?” You answered with overwhelming generosity. Our Finance Committee reports that we will be able to pay all of our bills and fulfill our ministry commitments to the New York Annual Conference by year end. Can we hear a collective “Hallelujah!”
We will still have to watch our expenses closely and we will remain faithful stewards of all that God has given to us, all under the watchful guidance of our Finance Committee and Church Council. Looking ahead to 2013, we want to work to pay off the $60,000 that we still owe on the mortgage for the parsonage at 28 Cozy Lane. It is a beautiful home, and I am truly blessed to live there. I know that paying this off in the next few years is well within our grasp. If you have given faithfully at year end each year, and would like to continue to do so, you may wish to give a gift to pay off the mortgage. Label the envelope as such and it will be credited to the pay-down of the principle remaining.
As we draw to the manger and see the baby born to us in such humble beginnings, may we pause to give thanks for all that God has blessed us with. Let’s also celebrate all that God has allowed us to give in ministry to one another and to others. Merry Christmas!
God bless,
Asbury United Methodist Church
DECEMBER – 2012 The Circuit Rider Page 2
For DECEMBER
Worship Leaders
2nd.…...……...... ….JoAnn Bacon
9th………………...... Amy Majors
16th.…...…………...Mark Hultman
23rd……..……..Christmas Pageant
24th…….5:30……..Lenny Cannon
11:00 Marilyn May
30th.…....…..…Karna Baumberger
8:30 am service – Carl Aspland
Greeters
2nd..Jean Tibbetts & Verna Pekrul
9th – 30th………………...... TBA
Fellowship Hour
2nd.…...... Geri & Carli Beveridge
9th…………...Harriet Donovan &
Stacey Rich
16th.….Tom Esten, Mary Gibson &
Hailey McDonald
23rd……………………..Education
30th.………..…The Szydlo Family
Ushers
Wayne Fuller, Bonnie Emery, Chad Lockhart, Dennis Floyd, Dick Peterson, Roy DiYulio
Communion Stewards
Treaty & Wayne Fuller
December Altar Guild
Tammy Buonafede
December Birthday Caller
Claudia Peterson
Wednesday, December 26th
and
Tuesday, January 1st
DECEMBER
3 Dianne Smith
Bill McBaine
Bridget Cook
4 Jessy Sanchez
Ryan Partiss
6 Kelly Guglietta
Lorrie Barnaby
Allison Rusgrove
7 Gayle Van Buren
Victoria Puppel
8 Geri Beveridge
9 Eula Foster
10 Edward Coloske
Mark Vose
11 Julie Schilling
12 Melissa May
Molly Anderson
13 Jane Foster
Donna Achilli
Kim Sivers
Gabrielle Raymond
14 Kaylee Pinette
Robert Pullen
Kelly Bolduc
15 Andy Annelli
Keith Sauer
Anthony Agvent
Natalie Newton
16 Douglas Henry
17 Edith Nelson
Chad Lockhart
18 Justin Marshall
19 Brenda Rheaume
Emma Avery
20 Howard Bradley
Paige Buckley
21 Kara Cranford
William Bechert
22 Ethan Buckley
24 Jennifer Cannon
Sondra Clement
25 Todd Komanetsky
26 Robert McCutcheon
Houston Vaughn
28 Colin Cummings
Wayne Bacon
Jacqui Denski
Christopher Weyrauch
Benjamin Eachus
29 Andrew Audibert
Roy DiYulio
Michael Charest
30 Kim Bechert
31 Elizabeth Baker
Karren Grayson
Ronald Archambault
Asbury UMC Fundraiser at Wendy’s of Bristol
1247 Farmington Ave, Bristol
Tuesday, December 4th and January 8th
from 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Remember: no shopping, cooking or clean-up. Just come to Wendy’s and use the drive through or COME IN and enjoy the fellowship. Ask to have your receipt put in the Asbury UMC basket, and help us pay down the mortgage!
And don’t forget to purchase your Wendy’s Scrip Card from Christian Outreach during Fellowship Hour and support the many Mission projects at Asbury!
The deadline for the
January Circuit Rider is
Sunday, December 9th.
Please leave all articles in the mailbox in the church office
or e-mail them to:
.
Asbury United Methodist Church
DECEMBER – 2012 The Circuit Rider Page 3
FAMILY PAGE
Please keep these people
in your prayers……
Tom Johnson, Arlene Chabot, Elsie Lyons, Edward Coloske, Bob Pullen, and others who have needs of which we may not be aware.
PRAYER CHAIN
If you wish to relate prayer needs to the chain, please call Phyllis Petit at 860-589-6059 or Mernie Whitcomb at 860-583-5373, or e-mail Pastor Laura. Please keep your call brief, and be aware of the privacy rights of the person(s) for whom you are requesting prayers.
NEW MEMBERS
Several people joined the family of Asbury on October 21st. They include:
Paul Opperman from Litchfield.
Ruby Harper from Plainville.
Pat Potts from Bristol.
Lu Maringola from Bristol
Norm Fusaro from Bristol.
John and Denise Krom also joined the Asbury family on October 7th. They make their home in Plainville.
DEATHS
James (Jay) Morin passed away on October 22, 2012. He was the husband of Ann Morin, the father of Lukas Morin, and the step father of April and Daisy Savino and Amy Emery. A funeral service was held at Asbury on Saturday, October 27th.
Long time Asbury member Margaret Belisle passed away on October 30, 2012. She was 93 years old and made her home in Colorado.
Dear Asbury,
I would like to thank my church family for all the cards, prayers and well wishes during my recent hospital stay. Being in ICU for 8 days really took a toll on my body. I’m currently getting physical therapy and hope to be at full body strength in a few weeks. Again, thanks for all your prayers and concerns.
Dan Fasci
Hip Hip Hurrah!!!!
Thank you to my wonderful giving and caring Asbury family. You all carried me through as I got my new hip. The prayers, cards, visits and food were beautiful and delicious. God has truly blessed me with you all and 4 weeks out of surgery “I’m Back”!
With much love,
Harriet Donovan
To Our Asbury Family,
We would like to thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers after the loss of our Mother / Grandmother, Barbara Amadio. It’s comforting to know that we have such a loving congregation who supported us during our difficult time.
God Bless,
The Amadio Family
Dear Asbury,
We want to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks for all the support, kindness, prayers and cards of condolence that we gratefully received during our time of trial. We were able to be surrounded by family in Ottawa to celebrate the life of Bill Coderre, and then return to the arms of our Asbury family when we returned to Bristol. It meant more to us than we can say.
With love and thanks,
Michael, Heather & Mika
Dear Asbury Family,
My family and I want to thank everyone for their cards, prayers and phone calls, friends that brought food to the house and on the day of the funeral.
I also wanted to thank anyone that gave to the Lukas Morin Education Funding.
I would like to pass on what my daughter said at the service. “Don’t wait, make that phone call, go visit someone you have been wanting to see, forgive people, don’t wait. Because within a blink of an eye, you may be saying, “but…”
Thank you all for everything.
Our prayers are with you all,
Ann & Lukas Morin
April & Daisy Savino
Dear Asbury,
My family and I wish to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love, generosity and countless ways you provided for us in our time of need.
The service for my son, James “Jay” Morin, Jr. was one we will long remember. A wonderful variety of food prepared was yet another expression of the caring generosity of those who worked successfully as a team to provide for us.
May our Lord God continue to bless you very richly in this outreach to us.
In His Love,
Doris Aronne
Asbury United Methodist Church
DECEMBER – 2012 The Circuit Rider Page 4
Dear Friend,
Thank you for the beautiful sweaters you have made to help us warm the body and souls of needy children in our country and around the world. Your volunteerism through this gift has helped us make a difference in the lives of over half a million children. See your impact! View the smiles online at www.knitforkids.org.
Sincerely,
Guideposts Knit for Kids
Thank you to J & S Roofers for inspecting and repairing the parsonage roof FREE of charge. If you are in need of a new roof, we recommend them. The owner’s name is Jon and his number is 860-919-1329.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP AT THE PORK ROAST SUPPER!
I can’t begin to thank all those who helped out at the Pork Roast Supper. It is not only a success because of all the great eating, but also because of all of you. Everyone is so ready and willing to help out. It is great to work with all of you, and I look forward to it again next fall. It is a time of fellowship and a time of fun for me, and I hope that the many others who help out in setup, cooking, and cleanup experience the same exhilaration at the end when 150 people are well fed, and all are filled with the great Asbury spirit of love that is hard to miss!
A special thank you, also, to those of you who gave monetary donations toward the purchase of menu ingredients. It really helped to keep the overhead costs down.
Mark Hultman
Well, another year, and another successful Yankee Peddlar Fair. There are many that had a hand in making this a very successful year and for that, please accept my heartfelt thanks. A special thank you goes out to our YPF committee heads:
Maureen Martel – Auctioneer’s Gallery
Amy Majors – Cookie Jar
Stacey Rich – Peddlar’s Grille
Ruth Circle – Country Bakery
U.M. Men – Country Breakfast & Cemetery Boxes
Gardner Wright, Heidi Borkowski & JoAnn Bacon – Apple Pies
Lindsey Heinzman – Decoration Coordinator
And a very special thank you to Pat Sallstrom – Ye Olde Craft Shoppe and co-chair of the fair.
Congratulations to our 50-year and 50-year plus members. We hope you enjoyed the celebration that was held in Memorial Hall on Sunday, November 25th.
1 Psalm 92
First Sunday of Advent
2 Luke 21.5-38
3 Psalm 95
4 Psalm 96
5 Psalm 97
6 Psalm 98
7 Psalm 99
8 Psalm 100
Second Sunday of Advent
9 Isaiah 8.16—9.7
10 Isaiah 11.1-16
11 Isaiah 25.1-9
12 Isaiah 26.1-19
13 Isaiah 35.1-10
14 Isaiah 40.1-31
15 Isaiah 42.1-17
Third Sunday of Advent
16 Malachi 3.1-18
17 Isaiah 49.1-23
18 Jeremiah 31.1-22
19 Jeremiah 31.23-40
20 Jeremiah 33.1-26
21 Luke 1.1-25
22 Luke 1.26-56
Fourth Sunday of Advent
23 Luke 1.57-80
24 Luke 2.1-20
Christmas Day
25 John 1.1-18
26 Luke 2.21-52
27 Hebrews 1.1-14
28 Hebrews 2.1-18
29 Hebrews 3.1-19
30 Hebrews 4.14—5.14
31 Hebrews 6.1-20
Don’t forget to tune in to WFSB Channel 3 to check for any delays or cancellations of Asbury functions and services.
Asbury United Methodist Church
DECEMBER – 2012 The Circuit Rider Page 5
The Yankee Candle trip was held on Saturday, November 3rd with 4 WIFFERS attending, and despite the November Nor’easter several WIF members attended the Christmas in the Valley spectacular event held at the Avon Baptist church.
Thank you to Michelle Voisine for hosting the November WIF meeting. The December WIF meeting will be held on Thursday, December 27th at the home of Karen Cranford.
Upcoming events include monthly meetings, a women’s retreat in the Spring of 2013, and a possible Women’s Christmas tea next December. If you are interested in joining WIF, please contact Stacey Rich at 860-681-2810.
The Backpack program has expanded to 45-50 families on a weekly basis. This number will increase to 60-65 families by the New Year. This has resulted in more food deliveries to Asbury. Financial resources are being stretched but there is some good news. The program has received gift card donations from the following area merchants: Stop & Shop, Shop Rite, Big Y, and CVS. We are waiting on a few more grant requests.