Worship with Us This Christmas

Fourth Sunday of Advent: Love... We look and love

Join us on Sunday morning at 10am as we light four Advent candles - hope, peace, joy, love.

Our scripture passages are 1Corinthians 13 about love and Luke 2:1-5 as Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem for the Census.

The music includes: Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming; People, Look East; Jesus, the Light of the World; Be Near Me, Lord Jesus; It Came Upon the Midnight Clear; In a Feed Box, In a Stable; Gabriel's Message; and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

The Second Mile Advent Mission Moment will be about Emmaus Homes as shared by our own Nancy Litzinger.

The 10am worship bulletin can be found here:

https://parkwayucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/12-24-23-10am-FINAL.pdf

COME BACK LATER ON SUNDAY for CHRISTMAS EVE!

Each service is appropriate for all ages ... here are some details:

4:30pm Worship —A lively and spirited service with Nativity scriptures, carols and contemporary reflections. We will sing Silent Night by candlelight as we prepare to go out into this holy night.

7:30pm Candlelight & Communion —This more traditional service includes the Christmas Gospel, choir and carols as we ponder what this love story means for us today. We will share Communion at our open table and sing Silent Night by candlelight.

The Christmas Eve worship bulletin can be found here:

https://parkwayucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/xmas-eve-2023-bulletin-EVENING-FINAL.pdf

~ All three services on Christmas Eve will be in the Sanctuary and on Facebook Live ~

Please participate in worship virtually via our livestream on Facebook if that is convenient for you and/or if you have health concerns. Masks are available and respected here.

Christmas Day Pot Luck

Monday, December 25

2-4pm in the Heritage Room

at PUCC

Please join us for a fun, festive Christmas potluck dinner. Ham and rolls provided… together we will do the rest!

Please contact Gerry and Mike Rogers with RSVP, questions and/or comments at [email protected];

314-434-7122

FROM GABRIEL REQUADT ~

OUR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION & YOUTH DIRECTOR!

We are looking for two additional volunteers to join the team and help teach Children's Ministry in 2024. It's excellent way to serve in this church, and we have a vibrant Children's Ministry program. So, if you have a joy teaching children from PreK to 3rd Grade, we'd love to have ya! It's pretty low commitment, so not too demanding, so if you feel you'd have a couple weeks out of the month free, or even just one week a month, then this could be the right fit for you.

If interested, please reach out to Gabriel Requadt, our Director of Christian Education, for more information.

[email protected]

SECOND MILE ADVENT GIFTS

We continue to receive your gifts for 2nd Mile Advent—an opportunity to stretch our hope, peace, joy and love across the area and the wider church. All gifts are shared evenly among the three mission partners below in January. Please clearly mark your financial gift “2nd Mile Advent.” You may want to honor someone in your life with a 2nd Mile Gift—perhaps that person who is hard to buy for and/or who does not have any real needs right now. We - and so many other - are grateful for your generosity.

Circle of Concern

circleofconcern.org/

Each day, Circle of Concern feeds families from the food pantry, shares financial assistance, and distribute school supplies, Thanksgiving turkeys or holiday gifts.

Mission: Circle of Concern feeds the hungry and provides assistance to low-income families living in west St. Louis County.

Our Vision: Improving every life in the community by reducing hunger and poverty

Our Values: integrity in all they do; respecting the innate worth of every Circle stakeholder, including clients, volunteers, donors, staff and community partners, and striving to reflect that respect in every interaction; collaborating with many partners so that the work of Circle is successfully accomplished; being responsible stewards of the time stakeholders donate, the talents they share and the funds they invest; committing to excellence which ensures the highest quality services for clients today and the resources to sustain them in the future.

Emmaus Homes

emmaushomes.org/

Emmaus Homes knows that adults with disabilities want to be independent.

In order to do that, they need a home and a community that embraces their unique abilities. EH believes everyone deserves the resources needed to live independently.

EH understands it’s tough to manage life alone, which is why for over 125 years, as a faith-based organization, they have provided high-quality service caring for the whole person for their whole life – including the individual’s spiritual life.

The Christmas Fund

pbucc.org/index.php/christmas-fund-home

The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the United Church of Christ for over 100 years,

providing emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to our lower-income retirees.

Over the last few years with COVID-19 pandemic and inflations of all kinds, the emergency financial needs of many who serve the church have increased dramatically. In such a time as this, the need for the Christmas Fund is more urgent than ever.

Prayer List Updates as of December 21

All the acts of kindness, justice and equity near and far.

Seasonal beauty.

Families and individuals celebrating the holidays together.

Nancy and Jack Litzinger - relocating right now to The Willows at Brooking Park 207 S. Woods Mill Rd, #1211; Chesterfield, MO 63017.

Judy Waddell - as she continues to settle in at McKnight Place.

Coree Mix - also experiencing a fresh start - 8649 North Ave, StL 63114.

Rebecca Ray - that her book on suicide prevention will be published for a wide audience so her wisdom, gentleness, compassion will help others.

Students, families, faculty and staff - at the close of a semester.

Gabriel Requadt - graduated from Eden Seminary - MDiv this month! 

Pinky Wilcoxen - recuperating from surgery after a fall at home.

Jean Mueller - grieving Peaches – attacked and killed by another dog.

Don Wandless - strengthening and getting medications aligned.

Bill Hilgeman - continued healing after serious injuries.

Cherie & Mike Stolze - as they mourn and celebrate Cherie’s father.

Roger & Donna Fauss - grieving/giving thanks for his brother-in-law.

Jackie - loving/supporting ailing mom (102), step-dad (103) (Larson).

Matt Albers - cancer now in lungs - inoperable; clinical trial (Connors).

Grieving/struggling families or individuals as the holidays unfold.

The continuing war in Ukraine.

War in the Mideast - Israel and Hamas….Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen

Because of you, our church changes lives….

This is a reminder from our PUCC Stewardship Commission:

If you haven’t pledged for 2024 and intend to, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. We are nearing the end of the campaign and your pledge is important for us to complete the budgeting process and planning for 2024. Blank cards are in the Gathering Space or contact either Amy Yakel ([email protected]) or Harold Cobb ([email protected])Thank you!

SUSTAINABILITY CORNER

Along with our theme of being environmentally responsible and reducing single use plastic bottles, the Sustainability Team would like to promote more usage of reusable water bottles or thermoses. To do this we encourage you to bring your personal reusable bottle (be sure and put your name on the bottle) to church with you each Sunday. We will have a larger container of ice water that you can use to fill up your bottle with the water or lemonade provided. Or you can choose to fill up your thermos with coffee and take it into the sanctuary for worship. Glasses and mugs will, of course, still be available if you prefer. 

Here are a couple of Christmas tips and reminders: Most Recycling and Trash companies will allow you to place your real Christmas tree by the curb for yard waste pickup (whether you subscribe to the yard waste or not). In addition, most communities provide a place to drop off your Christmas tree. Just pay attention to where these opportunities will be held in your community. Also, any wrapping paper other than foil backed, is recyclable. No need to add these to the landfill. 

A New Year’s Resolution and goal for Sustainability Seekers will be to work harder at promoting ways to lower our carbon footprint - at home, at church and in the community.



Thank you,

Your Sustainability Seekers

Annual TWELFTH-NIGHT FEAST & FESTIVAL 2024

Featuring Visiting Choirs and other Musicians



Mark your calendars now for our annual TWELFTH-NIGHT FEAST & FESTIVAL here at PUCC on Friday, January 5th, 2024 -- the 12th Night of Christmas.

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC at 6pm, with the festivities beginning at 6:30pm. Featuring several visiting Choirs and other Musicians presenting their best (and last) of this Christmas Season’s music PLUS . . . good feasting after!

Any questions, please contact [email protected]; (636) 485-5378

Come to the Quiet is a silent retreat, January 5-7, at Mercy Conference and Retreat Center just down the street from church off Clayton Road. 

The retreat opens with 5:30pm supper Friday and concludes at 11am on Sunday. The cost is $165 for a private room with a private bath. The retreat has minimal structure with optional sessions and informal spiritual companioning to help participants connect with the silence within.

Dawn Stringfield, Executive Director of Mercy Conference and Retreat Center will lead the retreat. Dawn was one of the founders of Lydia's House here in St Louis.

Register at www.mercycenterstl.org by January 1.

AWOL - Adventurous Women Out Late

You are invited to go AWOL this winter and spring!

Join us as we make new connections and strengthen existing ones.

Saturday, January 13

Golden Globe Nominated Film - TBA. Carpool to nearby theater from church at 6:30pm

Thursday, February 15

‘Mamma Mia’ at The Fox Theater 7:30pm (around $65)

RSVP by Sunday, January 7 so we can purchase tickets.

Sunday, March 3 at 1pm

Art in Bloom @ The St. Louis Art Museum. This event also requires RSVP

Saturday, April 13 at 1pm

Spend a couple of hours with us outdoors at Laumière Sculpture Park

Friday, May 10 at 6pm

Dinner on the patio of a great restaurant - details TBA.

RSVPs and questions to Carmen Bumgarner [email protected]; 314-330-0813

Parkway Adventurers - Open to All!

Join us for a Dutch Brunch & 2024 Planning on Tuesday, January 16 at 9:30am at Sunny Street Cafe in Des Peres - 11692 Manchester Road, 63131.

We will plan interesting outings for 2024 with different PUCCers coordinating each outing. We usually go somewhere for lunch at a nearby restaurant too. Being with church members and learning something new about the St. Louis community is fun and educational.

Past adventures have included The Magic Chef Mansion; The History Museum; The Holocaust Museum and The La Salle Retreat Center.

RSVP to Carol and Harold Cobb at [email protected]; 314-640-8166

Lost and (hopefully) Found

This is a call for any Nancy Drew or Hardy Boy!

A PUCCer has lost a very valuable item and could use some help finding it.

From the forlorn person -- "I realize the chances of finding it are one in a zillion. I just can't give up until I've covered all possible bases. I tremendously appreciate any help that anyone is willing to offer."

If you are a friend of St Anthony (that's a joke), the patron Saint of lost things, please contact [email protected] and we will set you on your way!

Ponder

[You are likely receiving the PUCC Advent Daily Devotion written by Kevin based on words that start with W ... Gerry Rogers submitted one for all of us to enjoy. Thanks, Gerry!]

My W word is WONKY

Some definitions of wonky are as follows:

crooked, off center, askew, unsteady, shaky, not functioning correctly, faulty.

I have used this word for years to describe myself in a variety of ways - for example, I might say, "My tummy is a little wonky today." or I might say, "I am feeling a little wonky."  

I have always considered this a negative word, that is, until we were invited to think of W words for this season. Of course wonky came to mind right away. The more I thought about it, the more I was able to put a positive spin on it. Not many people use this word, so I find it very unique, and we are all unique in our own ways. So, I would add unique as a definition for wonky. I am certainly askew much of the time, and certainly off-center (I lean way to the left, but that is another story for another time.) I submit that askew and off-center can be very good things in the correct context. SO there are 3 more positives!! 

When you think about it, the Bible is full of people who are a little wonky, and it is a good thing!! Another positive!

Dear reader, are you a little wonky? I hope you are, and I hope that you will join me in seeing the positivity and joy in being so!

Prayer: Holy One, thank you for allowing all of us (even the wonky ones) to be part of Your Kindom... Amen and AMEN!!

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