December 2016
The Presbyterian Church of Broomfield – Volume 17, Issue 12
There will be no services on December 25th
The purpose of the Presbyterian Church of Broomfield is to glorify God as a community of faith that: • Welcomes people in worship of the triune God; • Shares the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ to neighbors near and far, and • Challenges people to service and a deeper discovery of God's truth and love. The New Wine is a publication of the Presbyterian Church of Broomfield. 350 Main Street Broomfield, CO (303) 466-4433
[email protected] Worship Service Times: 8:00am and 10:30am
Merry Christmas!! December Celebrations! 07 11 12 13 16 20
Ranita Ezeonu Don Lenocker Mae Ashley Sandy Madura Rebecca Vermillion Evelyn van Gorder 03
23 23 24 26 27 27
John Graessle Stephanie Bogart Cathy Erichsen Lee Ann Krigbaum Tyler Bogart Anne Rain
John & Lori Buechner
Gooph Troupe 6th – 12th grade youth group What is that?? That is our 6-12 grade youth group on Wednesdays 6:00-8:00. We are a creative group doing special projects, Community Theater, mission trips, fundraisers, and our favorite- making our own YouTube videos! Our next special project is "Happily Forever After". Questions call Susan Bailey: 303-875-6882
Adventure Club 1st – 5th grade youth group We meet on Saturdays from 4:00-6:00 for "All About That Baby" rehearsals as well as fun, games, mission projects, music, munchies, and special activities. Upcoming events: Christmas Pageant on December 16th at 6pm Questions call Susan Bailey 303-875-6882
Kids Hope USA
Our mentoring program at Emerald is going very well. It is always amazing and melts my heart when I see one of our students’ faces just light up when they are with their mentor. They know they have a supportive friend and that the time us just for them. Thank you to all the mentors and prayer partners for taking time out of your schedule to give love and attention to these precious children. We are growing in our relationship and trust at Emerald, which also means that our waiting list is getting longer. There is always a need to have more caring adults that have a heart for helping kids. Please prayerfully consider becoming a part of Kids Hope USA. Contact Susan 303-875-6882 Attention mentors: Dragon School will finish earlier in December this year. Please check with me to see if we can continue your student without DS transportation arrangements. Christmas Vacation is December 19 - January 3; no school January 16 Susan Bailey * 303-875-6882 *
[email protected] 2
Fellowship News There’s so much going on this month! Mark these dates on your calendar. DECEMBER 3rd, Saturday: Baby shower to welcome Jakob Loots – We’ll meet at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Please come and join in the fun and goodies. There will be lots of new baby holding, too! DECEMBER 4th, Sunday: CRAFT SALE – Our many talented members will display and sell their goods in the lobby. Get a jump on your Christmas shopping and help our church at the same time. Proceeds go to the Youth Ministry and the Fellowship Committee. DECEMBER 5th, Monday: Father Christmas makes a stop at PCOB! Come at 6pm to see and hear Father Christmas, enjoy a photo op, and have cookies and hot cocoa. DECEMBER 17th, Saturday: Our last Women’s Breakfast of 2016! (Don’t worry. We’ll be back in January of 2017.) We’ll meet in the Fellowship Hall at 9am and have a little respite from the craziness of the season, as we enjoy great food and wonderful fellowship! Upcoming fellowship events: January, date TBD - Madcap Theater February 3rd - Chili cook-off March 3rd - Movie Night April 16th - Easter Brunch Questions? Call Cindy Pearson: 303-469-3906 or Mary Hellen: 303-450-9456
Christmas Eve
The Christmas Eve worship committee is in need of greeters and ushers for the 7pm service and also helpers to set up and take down extra seating! If you can help, please plan to come between 6pm and 6:15pm on Christmas Eve. Sign-up sheets are posted on the bulletin board next to the stairway. Thank you!! 3
Christmas Pageant
"All About That Baby" is this year’s Christmas Pageant! The performance will be on Friday, December 16th, at 6pm. This a fantastic multi-generational play with awesome music. It’s a new sheepishly funny story that packs a lot of fun and humor into its presentation, but it never gets away from pointing us back to the true message of that holy night...back to the moment when our Savior was born, bringing great joy and light to all. “All About That Baby” points the way to Bethlehem and the gift of salvation that was imparted to human hearts by a loving, heavenly Father who sent His Son to save us from our sins. We’re looking forward to joining together in this project. Please let Susan know if you’re interested in volunteering or participating! Here is the rehearsal schedule: Saturday, Dec. 3 4:00-5:30 (everybody) Wednesday, Dec. 7 (4:00-5:30 children) (youth & adults 5:30-7:00) Saturday, Dec. 10 4:00-6:00 everybody Wednesday, Dec. 14 and Friday Dec. 16 TBD for everyone to attend Saturday, Dec. 17 Pageant Performance Questions contact Susan Bailey at 303-875-6882 or
[email protected]
Mission News New Genesis: Looking ahead to January, our New Genesis Meal will be served on January 8th. The sign-up for cooks, servers, and food will be posted early: December 18th. Please consider going with us to serve. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share Christ’s love with men who are working very hard to get their lives back on track. Contact Coleen Miller or Gus Carlson with any questions. Bread for the Soul: Bread for the Soul is still looking for donations to fill our winter blessings bags. Food and clothing donations can be left in the tub mark Bread for the Soul in the Narthex. If you would like to make a monetary gift or donate a grocery card, please leave it in the mail box marked Bread for the Soul. If you are unsure of what items are needed, there will be a chart posted on the community board. Thank you again for your prayers and donations! 4
Preschool News
Presbyterian Preschool has enjoyed a lovely fall season with our students and tried to take advantage of all the season offers in the way of arts and crafts, walking field trips, and delicious foods that come with the season. Our Thanksgiving celebration ended with homemade applesauce made by the preschoolers accompanied by pumpkin bars. We are so excited to add two students to our Friday pre-K group making a total of ten students in that program. We had two people who joined me in the classroom in November, Mrs. Karen Davis and Mr. Dave Gordon. Karen brought all of her many years of teaching knowledge to our classrooms, and Dave (my husband) brought his many years of aviation knowledge along with him as well as several airplanes and a science project to teach that all important concept....what makes a plane fly? We are so blessed at the preschool to have Pastor John leading us through any issues or concerns that come our way and also sharing in the many joys that come with precious preschoolers! The month of December is full of excitement as we make ornaments to send home to adorn Christmas trees and practice for our Polar Express Christmas concert. We also enjoy learning about other countries and their special celebrations during this magical month. Mittens and hats will be arriving with preschoolers to hang on our giving tree displayed in the ABC Room. Both Miss Bailey and I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and an abundance of time spent with family and friends during the month of December. Respectfully, Connie Gordon
Other Important Announcements Thank you: Thanks to all who helped fill 49 boxes for Operation Christmas Child! The love this church has for the world is tremendous! Gospel Ensemble: The ensemble will be practicing on December 11th at 9:15am. King Soopers Cards: The holiday season is upon us! It's that time of year to stock up on snacks and party food. Before you make your Christmas cookies or pick up that Christmas ham, purchase some King Soopers cards from the church. Our church receives 5% of every card purchased through us. It doesn't seem like much, but it really adds up! If you forget to stop by before or after the Sunday service, call Diane Caro at 303-439-8286; she can arrange to get some grocery cards to you. Happy shopping at King Soopers! 5
A Letter from Pastor John Well, we have made it to another December! Advent is in full swing, Christmas is on the way, and hopefully, we are doing our best to share the “good news of Great joy” with our friends and family. Sadly, I know we are also at the end of a very nasty election cycle, and many of us have said or posted things that may have caused some strife in our relationships.
The last point reminds us that the magnanimous person is the one who does not carry grudges and who does not stoop to settle every score. Today, everyone seems to be offended about something. We tweet insults, or “retweet” insults in an attempt to show everyone how offended we are. I think we have a lot to learn about magnanimity. It’s not only the right thing to do, but it is the smart thing to do. I know we should insist on all the rights accorded us by God and by the laws of the land. But when it comes to insults, rudeness or social media anger, we need to aim for kindness and restraint. We should be like David when he pardoned Shimei (2 Samuel 16:11) and not like the son of Zeruiah who kept looking for the next enemy to destroy (2 Samuel 16:9). Magnanimity is and can be its own reward.
So this month I want to talk about an old fashioned word: magnanimity. What is magnanimity? The dictionary defines it as “loftiness of spirit enabling one to bear trouble calmly, to disdain meanness and pettiness, and to display a noble generosity.” I know there is a time to fight and a time to stand your ground, and maybe even a time to “give as good as you get.” But Advent is not one of those times. In fact, most of the time, I think we should diminish our own “offendedness” and praise what we can, even with those who may think very differently from us.
Let’s show the world Christian magnanimity. Let us bear one another’s burdens, avoid petty meanness, and set an example of noble generosity. This is not merely the way to win friends and influence people, but it is the way of Jesus.
In September 1775, a founding father John Witherspoon preached a sermon to the senior class at Princeton entitled “Christian Magnanimity.” He listed five principles of magnanimity:
- Pastor John
1. To attempt great and difficult things. 2. To aspire after great and valuable possessions. 3. To encounter dangers with resolution. 4. To struggle against difficulties with perseverance. 5. To bear sufferings with fortitude and patience. 6
