FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 7100 Harvard Hills Rd. P.O. Box 846 Harvard, IL. 60033 Church 815-943-4474 ww.fpcharvard.org DECEMBER 2018 A Note from the Pastor Advent the beginning of a new Church year begins four weeks before Christmas. We enter Advent this week that time when the church prepares for the coming of the Christ. As we wait for the Baby to be born in Bethlehem, we also look beyond that night to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus when Christ comes again! There are many ways to prepare for the arrival of Jesus the shopping, decorating, wrapping and baking those are important and must be done; BUT there are other important things to do prepare yourself by spending time with others who believe by attending worship and Bible studies, listening to Christmas music, reading the Scriptures and believing that God is with us-emmanuel. The Church also prepares for the coming of Jesus. December 1&2 Light the First Advent Candle December 8 &9 Light the Second Advent Candle Hanging of the Greens Service where we sing Christmas Carols, read Scripture and learn the meaning of the different decorations. December 15 Light the Third Advent Candle December 16 Light the Third Advent Candle Children s Christmas Pageant at 10:00 A.M. December 22 & 23 Light the Fourth Advent Candle Watch and Wait for the Birth of the Baby December 24 5:00 P.M. Family Worship Service 10:00 P.M. Worship Service Lots of Christmas Carols, candle light and Communion at both services. Helping with the Bethlehem Families Project is another way to prepare our hearts for the Christ Child. Sharing God s love with those less fortunate can help bring us closer to the Child whose birth we celebrate. May you all be ready to welcome the Baby Jesus when He arrives! May you all fee the true meaning of that night Emmanuel God with us! Blessings, Claire
2 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT DEC.2ND HANGING OF THE GREENS - SAT. DEC. 8TH At our 5 pm Worship we will prepare for the coming of the Lord as we worship and decorate the Sanctuary for Christmas. DEC. 16TH Sunday School Christmas Pageant at our 10 am Worship CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES DEC. 24TH 5 pm Family orientated Worship 10:30 pm a Traditional Worship Service Communion will be offered on: DECEMBER 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, and 24 You need to receive communion once a year to remain on our membership roll.
3 BETHLEHEM FAMILIES We are helping Harvard Families this Christmas as we have in the past. The ornaments are up on the tree in the Narthex. Please take an ornament or two, purchase the items, return purchase WITH ornament/s BY DECEMBER 9th. Date will be announced when we will be wrapping. Hands will be needed!! CHURCH FUNDRAISERS Sentry Funds for Friends: Shop at Sentry in Walworth, and save your cash register receipts, A DATE MUST APPEAR ON EACH GROCERY RECEIPT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GIVE US CREDIT, please do not cut off the date on the receipts. GROCERY RECEIPTS CAN NOT BE SUBMITTED IF THEY ARE MORE THAN 4 MONTHS OLD. Return your receipts as soon as possible to the church with a Funds for Friends Sticker on the back and place them in the container in the Narthex under our bulletin board. Shop on line at www.igive.com to sign up. Enter your cause as First Presbyterian Church of Harvard to earn us a % of your purchase for any of over 900 popular online sites. Many of the sites are linked to igive.com, so once signed up, when you make a normal purchase we will receive the donation automatically. You also can browse the participating sites at igive.com and see the related % of giving through each retailer. Direct your questions to Mike Engle. USED INK CARTRIDGES are once again being accepted for recycling. Place your cartridges in the box by the workroom door. Have you visited our Facebook page? Let us know what you think!
4 Check out our website for upcoming events and calendar www.fpcharvard.org CHIMES, SCREEN AND BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENT DEADLINES Bulletin and screen announcements MUST be in by 9 am the Wednesday morning before that Sunday. Any screen announcement that is requested to be printed in the bulletin MUST be approved by Session due to the limited free space available in the bulletins. For the CHIMES you must have your signed article in by 9 am the morning of the 21st [Disclaimer: All articles will be printed as is as content/spelling is responsibility of submitted author] IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR CHIMES ARTICLES: We follow guidelines for non profit organizations bulk mailing restrictions. These restrictions relate to the type of advertisements allowed: the advertisement of a product, service or announcement of an activity must substantially contribute to one or more of the purposes on which our organization is authorized. Restrictions also apply to cooperative mailings, credit, debit, charge or similar financial instruments, or advertisements. These restrictions became effective on October 1, 1995. CHIMES usually available on-line on church s website after the 26th of each month. There will be paper copies of the CHIMES available in the Narthex after its completion each month
5 Birthdays Dec 01 Juliann Antonsen Dec 02 Marilyn Bough, Malaren Kruckenberg Dec 03 Madalyn Davis Dec 06 Paul Perona, Michelle Patnaude, Kayce Olbrich, Amy C Beetstra, Ann Rife, Shirley Perona Dec 07 Aletha Engle Dec 08 Larry Dowey Dec 10 Jacque Gratz Dec 12 Clinton McCullough Dec 16 Adam Olbrich Dec 17 Zachary Platt Dec 18 Timothy Soutar, Jr. Dec 20 Julie Soutar, Robert Carroll Dec 21 William Marquis, Perry Towne Dec 22 Mary Ann Anderson Dec 23 Christopher Vermett, Jeri Settles Dec 24 Carol Bye, Deborah Madden Dec 25 Jesus! Dec 26 David R. Joslyn, Kaylee Bischke Dec 27 Morgan Olbrich, Corrina Ortiz, Brian Olbrich Dec 29 Andrea Williams Dec 30 Michael Azzano, Amy M Beetstra Dec 31 Francisco Puga, William Rockcastle, Case Wolf Anniversaries Dec 12 Dec 15 Dec 22 Dec 28 Dec 30 Dec 30 Dec 31 Ryan and Annie Swenson Bill and Roseann Dooley Travis and Amanda Kirk James Miller and Annamarie Platt-Miller Gavin and Megan Flahive Gordy and Lea Ballweg Jeff and Joyce Borgerson CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ON-LINE?? Sign up to www.igive.com Purchases online earn us a % as long as you enter as your cause: First Presbyterian Church of Harvard
6 POP TOP COLLECTION PROGRAM: Little things can make a big difference. You can help the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago by saving the little tabs you pull to open soda, soup, or other aluminum cans. The funds generated from recycling these aluminum gems help offset the House s expenses. McHenry County s Home Community Education Association which is part of the University of Illinois Extension has been collecting pop tabs for many years. Last year they delivered over 72# to the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago. You can help by bringing your tabs to the church and placing them in the box by the door of the work room. Thank you, Florence Spesard Food Pantry Work Day for December is the 4th If you can help please call Florence Spesard 943-6134 Do you know that you can light our Memorial Candle on Sunday in memory of a loved one? This is done prior to the beginning of worship. Just make arrangement with Pastor Claire prior to the day you would like to do this. Give Janet a note stating who is lighting the candle and for whom. She will see that it gets placed on the screen announcements for that day. You are invited to place flowers in the Sanctuary in honor of or in memory of someone and have it printed on the screen. Just give Janet a call and give her the information.
7 Circle IV WILL MEET ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13TH WITH MARY HOSTING THE POTLUCK There is NO KITCHEN INSPECTOR for the month of December Please check the kitchen and parlor and clean up after your self! Take home and wash any dirty dishrags or towels..
8 CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS The Deacons are now taking orders for Poinsettias. This year s cost of a plant is $ 10.00 per plant. These plants will be available to be picked up AFTER the Christmas Eve Worship Service. The Deacons are also asking for donations so that plants may be delivered to our shut-ins prior to Christmas. Please mark the appropriate Box!! THIS FORM MUST BE IN THE CHURCH OFFICE BY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 th I would like # plants for the Sanctuary that I will be picking up after Christmas Eve Service. I would like it printed in the bulletin as follows: Donor: in Memory of In Honor of as a thank offering For: **************************** I would like to make a donation towards # plants that I understand will be taken to a shut-in by a Deacon. I would like it printed in the bulletin as follows: Donor: in Memory of In Honor of as a thank offering For: Our Poinsettias are purchased from the Harvard High School who holds this fundraiser to support their Spring Break trip. Please support our High School Students.
9 To the families of: Sue Hinderliter Bob Nixon Lynn Rockcastle 2019 PER CAPITA is $ 38.47 per member and Initial Offering is $ 8.25 per Adult box of envelopes and $ 6.50 per child s box.