MEMORIAL PRESS

731 Walnut Street - P .O. Box 70 - Dayton, Indiana - 47941 (765) 296-3199)

Web: www.daytonpres.org

Pastor Justin:

Darlene :

December, 2013

Pastor’s Epistle

The word Advent literally means “coming” or “arrival”. We use the word Advent to describe the season prior to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, to both remember the coming and arrival of our savior in the past, as well as recognize the fact that we are called to wait with hopefully expectation for his coming and arrival again.

Unfortunately, one the things most people had to do is to wait! Whether it be waiting for a computer to boot up, waiting for a red light to turn green, or waiting for a package to arrive, being patient while waiting is becoming a lost art. It probably has something to do with the fact that in our world today, everything is almost instantaneous! The irony is the closer we get to near perfect, instant gratification, the more difficult it seems for us to wait. A comedian I heard a few years ago humorously suggested that in the future, when teleportation devices will have been invented, people will still complain about having to wait a whole five seconds to teleport from one side of the world to the other!

I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying that “patience is a virtue”, which probably has some history in the fact that patience is one of the fruits of the spirit. Therefore being patient while waiting for the return of Christ is an important quality to practice, especially during Advent. So what does patiently awaiting the return of Christ look like? Let me share a story…

The musician Eric Clapton is known for many songs, one of them being Wonderful Tonight. If you don’t know the song, it is a moving love song extolling the beauty of the song writer’s girlfriend. What I’ve always found fascinating is that the song was written by Clapton while he was waiting for his girlfriend to get dressed for an evening out at the annual Buddy Holly party at Paul and Linda McCartney’s home, which apparently always took her a great deal of time to do. Instead of getting frustrated with having to wait, Clapton instead chose to craft and create what went on to become a popular love song in the seventies.

I share this story as an example of how we are to await the return of Jesus Christ. Instead of getting frustrated with just how long we have to wait for the return of our savior, and rather than allowing ourselves to get distracted in the hustle and bustle of busy-ness of the holiday season, we too can make a choice to be creative and life giving in what we do while waiting. Some of the ways you could do this could be to assist with the annual LUM Jubilee, to volunteer to work at a non-profit mission such as our Dayton Food Pantry or Kid’s Closet, or by giving a gift to the Christmas Joy offering which helps support retired pastor’s and their spouses who are having trouble making ends meet. No matter what you decide to do while you’re waiting this year, let your choice bear witness to the grace and love of the one whom you are (patiently!) waiting to see!

Blessings,

Pastor Justin

Sardine Sunday!

So what is Sardine Sunday? Sardine Sunday will be the first Sunday of the New Year, which falls on January 5 in 2014, when everybody and I mean EVERYBODY, who is a part of the family of faith of Memorial Presbyterian Church of Dayton, is asked, encouraged, BEGGED to come to worship. If everyone who can show up does show up, it will be standing room only in the sanctuary and parlor, and a successful Sardine Sunday will have been accomplished!

Why would we do such a thing? Since the worship attendance of most main line churches is about half of their membership, there is seldom an opportunity for the entire congregation to see just how big they really are. And this indeed holds true for Memorial Presbyterian Church. Wouldn’t it be great if once a year we could meet together and be reminded just how many faithful servants of our Lord it takes to do the ministry of Jesus Christ at Memorial Presbyterian Church?

Since we are having Sardine Sunday the first Sunday of the New Year, I thought it would be fitting if we reaffirmed our baptismal vows, what I consider to be more faithful and Christian version of a New Year’s resolution. We will also partake in the sacrament of communion as we break bread with our family of faith, as well as have a panoramic picture taken from the chancel of all those in the sanctuary and parlor. And as I promised the session who approved holding Sardine Sunday, since it will be standing room only, the service will be shorter than an hour! (There will also be reserved seating for older members of our congregation; for them it will be sitting room only!)

Please mark your calendars and plan on attending Sardine Sunday on January 5, 2014!

* * * SESSION NOTES * * *

Your Session met on Tuesday evening, November 19, 2013, and during the meeting the Elders:

·  Heard a report of the Presbytery Mtg. held on 11/19/13, which included singing several unknown hymns from a newly printed hymnal

·  Read a letter of thanks from the Lafayette Urban Ministry for donations received from our church

·  Noted that our Business Entity Report has been filed with the Secretary of State

·  Approved our Youth Group shopping for and sponsoring a needy Jubilee Christmas guest with seven children

·  Heard that our Food Pantry is benefiting from donations of cash as well as specific food items, and is still serving more families than ever before

·  Learned that our Kids’ Closet ministry is in desperate need of volunteer clothing sorters

·  Approved allowing the Cub Scouts to store some items in our building

·  Read a Thank-You card from Darlene Craig, our Church Secretary, for the new, up-to-date computer now placed in her office

Michael E. Grimes, Clerk of Session

In the month of December the Adult Sunday School class will be using another of Adam Hamilton’s seasonal curriculums, The Journey; Walking the Road to Bethlehem, during the season of Advent.

“This five-session DVD was filmed in on location in the Holy Land. Each exciting and informative session contains 10-15 minute video vignettes of pastor and best-selling author Adam Hamilton retracing the actual path of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. “
The schedule of the class will be

December 1: Mary of Nazareth
December 8: Joseph of Bethlehem
December 15: Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth
December 22: From Nazareth to Bethlehem
December 29: The Manger

WHO WAS PAUL??

The Junior High Sunday School class has learned that one of the enemies of the early Christian Church was a man named Saul. He was a well educated Roman citizen who was fluent in several languages. After Saul’s conversion to Christianity, he became known by his Roman name, Paul.

In his many missionary journeys, Paul spoke to the people, and wrote letters to the several churches, encouraging them in their faith, their joy, and their commitment to God.

Our Junior High Class wrote letters to current Presbyterian missionaries, telling them about the class’s study of Paul, and explaining to them that the class knew, by their actions, that the missionaries were continuing Paul’s journey of Christianity.

Currently the class is engaged in a study of the Prophets, led by Cindy Stanford.

Jon Grimes

Change for Change!!!

As part of Sunday school we will have a special offering called, Change for Change. This offering is meant to support mission projects, such as Heifer Project – a program featured in our kick-off, Animal Crackers! Please, SAVE your loose coins (no bills – we want to make the offering buckets ring!). In November we collected $152.87. On December 8th bring your change to help with Change in our community and through out the world!

Plans are underway for Jubilee Christmas 2013 on December 14th

Jubilee Christmas 2013 will be held on Saturday, December 14th at 1:00 P.M. Please mark your calendars! The congregation and friends of Memorial Presbyterian Church have always been very supportive of this unique mission event that allows hundreds of families with well over one thousand children from the Greater Lafayette community to have a more joyful Christmas experience. We are gearing up for Jubilee Christmas 2013, turning our basement into a Toy Shop, and fully anticipating yet another incredibly successful event that celebrates family and giving.

The tremendous success of this program is due to the generosity of our congregation and friends. Generous donations of time, money, toys, gifts and prayers are essential to a successful Jubilee day. Due to current economic conditions, many families find themselves seeking assistance for the first time. Our church will help by hosting 15 area families this holiday season. Your assistance is needed to ensure that Jubilee Christmas 2013 at Memorial Presbyterian Church is another great success.

Volunteers are needed as hosts/hostesses, shoppers, greeters, wrappers, set-up, clean up, etc. If you are available to help, a job is available for you (someone fluent in Spanish would be helpful). If you have not volunteered for Jubilee before, ample support and instructions will be provided in all areas. The rewards are worth your time and effort!

Please return the volunteer form to the church office or contact Jubilee Chair:

Cindy Bull at 418-1342 or or thru Facebook.

Donations of new toys for ages 0 - 12 are needed. Monetary donations are also needed to purchase gift certificates, food certificates, canned hams, additional food items and additional toys. If you wish to purchase toys, please check with Cindy for specific needs. The gift tag tree will be up by November 10th for you to pick your preference from.

Please be generous and timely in your giving and volunteering as we prepare for Jubilee Christmas 2013. Please keep Jubilee Christmas. the volunteers and the guest families in your prayers.

Thank you & God bless you & your loved ones during the upcoming holiday season & always!

JUBILEE CHRISTMAS NEEDS YOUR HELP!

I would like to help with JUBILEE CHRISTMAS in the following way(s):

(You may mark more than one!)

Serve as a Host/Hostess:______Wrap Presents: ______

Help in Nursery for volunteer's children during event & Assist in set up: ______

Clean up Crew: ______Provide cookies/brownies: ______

Name:______Phone:______

(Please contact Cindy if you would like to help. Thank you!)

Staying in the Word Together - December 2013

Join Christians throughout North America as they read together – each Sunday – the scriptures for the week. Known as the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), the collections of readings is organized so that after a three year cycle, members of churches will have read through the majority of the Bible. In our church, our Sunday school curriculum follows the RCL.

As a church and denomination, we use the RCL and provide these to the pastors for direction on the order of worship and for guidance in Christian Education. A guest pastor may choose not to use the scriptures, but we are providing them to the congregation as a means of Staying in the Word Together. Traditionally, there will be an Old Testament, Psalm New Testament and Gospel reading. For additional readings go to http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/.

First reading / Psalm / Second reading / Gospel
First Sunday of Advent
December 1, 2013 / Isaiah 2:1-5 / Psalm 122 / Romans 13:11-14 / Matthew 24:36-44
Second Sunday of Advent
December 8, 2013 / Isaiah 11:1-10 / Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 / Romans 15:4-13 / Matthew 3:1-12
Third Sunday of Advent
December 15, 2013 / Isaiah 35:1-10 / Psalm 146:5-10
or
Luke 1:46b-55 / James 5:7-10 / Matthew 11:2-11
Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 22, 2013 / Isaiah 7:10-16 / Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 / Romans 1:1-7 / Matthew 1:18-25
Nativity of the Lord - Proper I
December 24 & 25, 2013 / Isaiah 9:2-7 / Psalm 96 / Titus 2:11-14 / Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)
First Sunday after Christmas Day
December 29, 2013 / Isaiah 63:7-9 / Psalm 148 / Hebrews 2:10-18 / Matthew 2:13-23

IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK: Our military, our nation & its leaders; persecuted Christians; people locally & nationally in need; victims of domestic violence; Carolyn Finkenbinder; Russell Lucas; Marjora Odenkirk; Jackie Ginther (Niece/Joy Schwartz); Richard Triplet; Seth Ratcliff; Ethan Pfaltzgraff (Susan Clawson’s relative); William Baker, Terry Lynn Pfeiffer; Dawn Morgan; Fran Alkire; Ben & LuAlice Huston (Parents of Becki Sprague); Cindy DeGolyer; Randy Smith, Monica Bretz; Martha Trautman (colleague of L.Campbell); Susan Dawson (niece of Mary Terry), Cheryl Byers (friend of J.Coleman); Gene Smith; Andy Vasiento (father of Nicole Rosen); Bob & Susan Yost; Kevin Konrad; Amy McGuire; Ellen Hiday (friend of T. Lineback); Sally Wengal (friend of J. Schwartz)., Betty Pfeiffer; Jack Ferry (friend of Don & Joy Schwartz); Richie Holmberg (nephew of Lynn & Judy Ryan); John Downham; Ann Jarboe (daughter of C. Gribble); Lucas Bush; Margaret Stonecipher (friend of C.Stanford); Jennifer Bower (daughter-in-law of Claude Bower); Miriam Woodrow; Kathleen Smith (co-worker, Karen Summers); Carol Bolander (daughter of Lina Guenther and mother of Josie Elzey); Robert Ewing; Ron Carter (son-in-law of Betty Pfeiffer); Diane Bower; Rick McCullom (nephew of Joy Schwartz); Scott Basden; Bernie Parmely; Sarah Campbell; Matthew Montgomery (friend of Emily Mundell); Rebecca Edwards; Caroline Warren, Margaret Grimes, Jon Grimes, Eve Hemmig, Bill Edwards.