SUNDAY'S SCRIPTURE
Advent Week 3: Joy
From Woe to Wonder
 
Luke 1:39-44; 2:8-20 
Cold Weather is Here and
Helping Hands Needs Your Support!
 
This crucial community fund allows us to provide gas cards, food relief, or help with utility/ rent payments for those struggling to make ends meet.

So far this year, BCUMC has assisted over 60 families with a food/gas card, utilities, or rent!

Right now the HHF account is empty and Dee is turning away multiple applicants daily.
We can’t help needy families without this fund and the fund can’t exist without your support. Please mark your donation "HHF". Your generosity goes a long way, thank you!
A Look From Brook
Pastor Brook shares his thoughts
How do we read these Christmas Stories? I mean Angels singing? Virgins giving birth? Babes being born in a Manger? A Camel Caravan following a star? Come on Pastor Brook…
Progressive Christmas Brunch
This Saturday at 10:00am
The BCUMC Women's Group invites all ladies and gal pals to join us for our annual Christmas Brunch at Trilogy.

Starters: Home of Judy Macmillan 
Brunch:  Home of Becky Zimmerman
Dessert: Home of Connie Gagnon

To carpool, meet at church at 9:40am.  
Please RSVP/ YES: Judy Macmillan

For addresses, please contact Connie Gagnon
Holiday Open House
This Sunday at 2:00pm

Come celebrate the season with Brook and Cyndy McBride at the parsonage.
(17624 182nd Ave NE, Woodinville)
 
Desserts and drinks provided. All ages welcome!

For more information or to RSVP, contact Pastor Brook.
Longest Night Service
Wednesday, December 20, 7:00pm

For some the Christmas season can be an overwhelming and sad time of the year. We are holding a quiet service to help those in the dark find a light of hope this season.
URGENT: Volunteers Needed for Christmas Eve Services!
Sunday, December 24
 
We need folks who are willing to help us set up for Christmas Eve worship services after Sunday morning worship on 12/24/17.

We also need scripture readers, greeters, and ushers for the 5pm, 7pm and 11pm services on Christmas Eve.
 
To sign up or for more information, please contact Sonya Garrett.
Sunday Morning Worship - 9:30 am
The service will be a time of singing our favorite Christmas carols acapella, lighting the 4th advent candle, and a message. All are welcome.  Because of a busy evening, we are going to keep the “after church” activities brief.   
Thanks,
Pastor Brook
 
PS: We will need folks helping set up for Christmas Eve worship services so if you can help with that after this service, we’d greatly appreciate it.

Family Worship - 5:00 pm  
This service is designed with families with young children in mind. We will be combining carols, contemporary Christmas classics, and some creative use of drama to tell the story of Jesus’ birth.  We will use battery operated candles for the candlelight service.  

Candlelight Service - 7:00 pm
This service is designed to blend traditional carols, contemporary Christmas classics, special music (including choir and bells), and Scripture to tell the story of Jesus’ birth. We will use real candles for this candlelight service.

Candlelight Service - 11:00 pm
This service will be an intimate candlelight service as we share traditional carols and special music to tell the story of Jesus’ birth. We will use real candles for this candlelight service.
Does Uncle Walter really need another Christmas sweater?
Why not get him a gift that keeps on giving?
Here are some great alternative ways to gift this holiday season:
sparkling-snowy-trees.jpg
Giving Tree for CUE Due This Sunday!

Pick a numbered tag from the tree to get a wish list for one of our individual CUE campers. Then return your wrapped gift with the number attached to Marge Kuykendall in the lobby or the church office on or before this Sunday .
 
Thank you for your generosity this Holiday season!  
Consider Giving Alternative Gifts for the Holidays!

We will once again be offering alternative gifts for you to purchase for the perfect Christmas gift! This is a great way to give a gift and help a charitable organization at the same time. Alternative giving is donating money to a worthy organization in honor of a family member or friend. When you make a donation, you will be provided with a card to give to the recipient with information about the charity and explaining that a donation was made in their name. These make great gifts for coworkers, teachers, neighbors, hostess gifts, and great stocking stuffers for the family.

Here are brief descriptions (and links) for the featured organizations for Alternative Giving 2017:

This free medical clinic is for homeless youth and run by volunteer staff and physicians through the University of Washington. It is solely dependent on donations for all the medical needs of the youth including prescriptions, lab tests and other needed medical supplies.

Located in the Seattle area, Mary’s Place provides both day and night shelter services including two meals a day, hygiene facilities, showers, laundry, medical care, support groups and resources for housing, employment and benefits.

This is a special ministry provided for families of incarcerated men in Washington. These families are often left behind with financial and emotional struggles. Your donation may help provide transportation for a visit, provide food, or other types of support for these families.
Finally arriving in the US after a long and challenging process, 243 refugees have settled in the Tukwila area. SCM opened a refugee community service center on Saturdays which provides classes and other programs to help the refuges adjust to their new life. SCM provides gift cards for food, some rental assistance in emergencies, clothing, shoes, and school supplies. They assist families with trauma support, medical expenses, help finding employment, and other immediate needs.

The mission of UMCOR is to alleviate human suffering throughout our world – whether caused by war, conflict, or natural disaster. Currently, they have active relief missions in over 100 countries.

The Alternative Giving table will be available in the lobby after worship on Sundays during the month of December. Please consider this great gift option for the special people in your life!
Reverse Advent Calendars for Local Food Banks
 
If it is truly better to give than receive, how about having your family put something in a basket for a Food Bank every day in December leading up to Christmas??
 
Children can easily participate by buying items with their own $$ or even choosing an item each day to add to the basket! Then after Christmas helping to deliver the food to one of the Food Banks below.
 
Any non-perishable food is welcome but here are a few items always needed:
Spaghetti Sauce Pasta Hamburger Helper Tuna
Rice-A-Roni Spaghetti O’s Cocoa Syrup
Cold Cereal Peanut Butter Toiletries (TP, toothpaste, soap)
If you cannot deliver it yourself, drop off the items at church and we will see that they are
delivered. Below are 3 Food Banks close to us. Thank you in advance for your continuing
generosity.
 
Maltby Food Bank  21104 86 th Ave SE, Snohomish, 98296
Tuesday 10-1 Thursday 9-11:30 & 1-4 360-668-7900
 
Hope Link Redmond 16725 Cleveland St, Redmond, 98052
Tues 1:30-4:30 Wed 4:30-730 Thurs 10:30-1:30 425-882-0241
 
Woodinville Storehouse 17110 140 thAveNE Woodinville 98072
Tuesday 6:30-7:20 pm Saturday 9:30-10:20 am 425-483-5252
2017 Giving Statements

As we're winding up 2017, The Finance Committee would like to remind you about financial giving dates.

All checks must be in the office by December 31 in order to be on your 2017 giving statement. How handy that falls on a Sunday! It doesn't count if you get it in the mail, it has to be at church on the 31st.

I look forward to what the new year at BCUMC will bring! If you have any questions or concerns regarding your giving statement, please contact Barb Wilson.

Many thanks for your generosity in 2017!
Bear Hugs
  A big Bear Hug to Connie Gagnon and the cast and crew of “Three Wee Kings”. Last Sunday night’s performance was touching and humorous.
 
Thank you to the Youth Group, Youth Advisers, and chefs for serving s oups after the production last Sunday night. Delicious!

Bear Hugs and many thanks to Randy Holt, Jim Colquhoun, Larry Braun, Andy Nelson, Tom McMillan, Karl Brackmann, and Dee McMillan for your work replacing lights/ballasts and cleaning the fixtures in the lobby and Sanctuary this week. 

  Want to give someone a “Bear Hug”? 
Please contact Susan Jackson .
Friday Feel Good Song! 

It's Friday! You've made it through a busy week of work and/or school. With the holiday season upon us, it's also the busiest time of the year for many of us!

Here's "Mary, Did You Know?" by Pentatonix.
Week At A Glance:
December 17th - December 24th
Sunday, December 17th
Worship - 9:30am
Sunday School - 10:45am
Holiday Open House - 2:00pm - 5:00pm
(BCUMC Parsonage)
Youth Group Christmas Party - 6:00pm
(The Nelson's Home)
Hanukkah Concert - 6:00pm

Monday, December 18th
Men's / Women's Reunion Groups - 7:00pm
Yoga Class - 7:15pm

Tuesday, December 19th
Lay Leader Meeting - 11:30am
Finance Meeting - 7:00pm

Wednesday, December 20th
Weekly CUE Meal - 6:00pm
"The Longest Night" Service - 7:00pm
AA - 7:00pm

Thursday, December 21st
Worship Band Practice - 7:00pm
Celebration Choir Practice - 7:45pm

Sunday, December 24th (Christmas Eve)
Worship - 9:30am
Sunday School - on break
Youth Group - on break
Family Service - 5:00pm
Candlelight Service - 7:00pm
Candlelight Service - 11:00pm

For our entire Events Calendar, click the button below:
Miss A Sunday Service?

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The weekly message is also available on our website. Simply click the button below!

Have An Announcement?

Do you have something to tell the Bear Creek UMC community? Send us your announcement (60 words or less) and a preferred graphic (if you want one) and we'll place it in our publications.

Please contact the church office .
Worship:
Sundays at 9:30am

Office Hours:
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM  
Wed: 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM 
Closed Weekends & Holidays

Ph. 425.788.2953