December 2016 VOLUME 88, NUMBER 12 WAYSIDE’S MISSION IS TO . . . “Reach out and bring people to meet, know, and follow Jesus.” “A Broad, Inclusive Faith Church” SESSION Kim Carlson Phyllis Carriere Bruce Decker Dave English Maria Glass Laura Glista Karen Klug Dave Matson Bonnie Moran Lynn Palyszeski Steve Schmittendorf Clerk of Session Maria Glass DEACONS Joy Boccolucci Mark Chavel Janet Evert Audrey Hawthorne Tracey Kalembkiewicz Joan Kelly Ruth Kelly Shari Kindellan LeeAnn Klug Susan Schmittendorf Debbie Tyler STAFF Temporary Pastor Rev. Dr. Carol Evans LeBlanc Pastoral Assistant Rami Al Maqdasi Secretary Julianna Horwood Sunday School Karen Klug Music Coordinator Bruce Decker Librarian Karen Peiffer Custodian Kim Carlson Wayside Presbyterian Church 88 Years in Ministry 5017 Lake Shore Road Hamburg, New York 14075 716-627-2150 Sunday Service at 9:30 am
Transcript
December 2016 VOLUME 88, NUMBER 12
WAYSIDE’S MISSION IS TO . . .
“Reach out and bring people to meet, know,
and follow Jesus.”
“A Broad, Inclusive Faith Church”
SESSION Kim Carlson Phyllis Carriere Bruce Decker Dave English Maria Glass Laura Glista Karen Klug Dave Matson Bonnie Moran Lynn Palyszeski Steve Schmittendorf
Clerk of Session Maria Glass
DEACONS Joy Boccolucci Mark Chavel Janet Evert Audrey Hawthorne Tracey Kalembkiewicz Joan Kelly Ruth Kelly Shari Kindellan LeeAnn Klug Susan Schmittendorf Debbie Tyler
STAFF Temporary Pastor Rev. Dr. Carol Evans LeBlanc Pastoral Assistant Rami Al Maqdasi Secretary Julianna Horwood Sunday School Karen Klug Music Coordinator Bruce Decker Librarian Karen Peiffer Custodian Kim Carlson
Wayside Presbyterian Church
88 Years in Ministry 5017 Lake Shore Road
Hamburg, New York 14075 716-627-2150
Sunday Service at 9:30 am
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Do you have a favorite Christmas carol? There are so many, that perhaps it is difficult to choose.
Later in Advent, and, of course, on Christmas Eve, and even for a couple of Sundays after Christmas, we will take advantage of the large collection of Christmas carols we have in our hymnal, and sing them. There are fifty-five of them in our new hymnals! Yet, they are so much fun to sing, and the words have so many reminders to us about the meaning and purpose of Christmas, that it’s too bad we don’t sing them throughout the year, instead of only over the 3 or 4 short weeks of late Advent and Christmas-tide. Maybe we will!
Though it is difficult to choose a favorite one, I am particularly fond of “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Maybe it is because of all those glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oria in excelsis Deo!’s at the end of each verse. Maybe it is the way the 3 verses go from acknowledging not only the angel’s song, but the mountains replying to them. What a grand, cosmic understanding of proclamation about this world- and life-changing event! The heavens and the mountains in glorious, joyous conversation!
Maybe it’s the way the second verse questions the shepherds joy that keeps on going, asking what is this great news they’re singing about? It’s an interesting way to invite us into the whole event—as if WE were asking the shepherds ourselves. It also helps us ask the question of ourselves: just what IS this incredible news that angels and mountains are singing about throughout the earth and heavens, just what is this news that has stirred up those sleepy shepherds that they shout “gladsome tidings” of “jubilee” over and over? And I think by implication, this verse asks us why we’re not doing the same with just as much gusto.
Or maybe it is the last verse that is our proclamation and invitation to everyone—come to Bethlehem, come ready to kneel before this, Christ the Lord, our newborn king.
Do we do that, by the way? We joyfully sing about it, but do we actually do that? Find that humble place in ourselves that places our very lives at this stable-born baby who is our king? (Though we no longer have kings, we can understand what it means in our day. Jesus, the one and the only one who rules our lives, whom we serve, and who, conversely, has our interests, our lives, our well-being at heart. The king of love, not power-over interests.)
Whatever your favorite carol is, I encourage you to look up the words again, sing it to yourself sometime as your quiet meditation or perhaps your Advent time of personal devotion, and let it all sink in. This is why we all love Christmas carols so much—because all of them are about joy and newness and a powerful hope in the midst of darkness. So, let the words and music be your north-star for a few weeks, and see what it speaks to you again. It may be some all new insight that you need just now. It may be something in you about your faith that needs to be affirmed or reaffirmed.
Enjoy revisiting the Christmas carols! And I hope that you share what yours is with me or others. What great conversations you will have!
In Christ’s ever-moving-forward peace, Rev. Carol
O COME LET US ADORE HIM Come celebrate with your family and friends at Wayside.
December 24th 2016 4:30 pm Christmas Eve Family Service
10:00 pm Traditional Candlelight Service December 25th
The month of November holds many days of celebration for my family and I. We have two special anniversaries and wonderful memories in November.
The first anniversary is that of my 5th Ordination and the other being my 8th wedding anniversary. Both happened in Damascus, Syria the most beautiful place in the Mideast. We have many good memories of friends, relatives, food, and the church ministry. We used to leave our first daughter with our parents and I would take Raya out to a wonderful restaurant in the Old City in Damascus. We would have delicious Syrian food. I remember when we walked into one of those restaurants, a waitress greeted us with an enormous smile, she came over to our table and lit our candles. It was such a romantic place to go and sit with your loved
one and spend a nice moment together without children and away from the stress and trouble makers that we were dealing with in the church at that time. I remember that before we left the restaurant, we told the waitress how wonderful it was celebrating our anniversary at that restaurant. She replied: "How nice! and said in Arabic: "Eid Zawaj Saeed" which means Happy Anniversary with huge a smile on her face.
We really miss those times, but we are thankful for the memories that bring us a joy and blessings. Now, at this moment, my wife, Raya and I are planning to have dinner, watch a movie and share memories and our dreams and wishes for the coming year.
This November will mark my 5th anniversary of Ordination as a minister in Christ's Kingdom. I love being a minister. I have been a minister in my home country Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Syria and here in America. I love helping others and teaching. I believe what Paul the Apostle said, "Faith without work is dead." I think when God gives us gifts, He expects us to use them for His purposes which is always for our goodness. I hope and pray that God our Loving Father will keep helping me in this ministry and my requests to Wayside to support me in prayer and hopes that I do well in ministry everywhere I go.
Oh my gosh! Christmas season is coming. It's the time that many families and friends get together to celebrate this joyful season and share our gifts. At this great celebration we remember Christmas is a yearly reminder that God loves us and has been so generous with us. We tell this story to our children to remember how much Jesus cares for us not only in the past but in the present and in the future. So I encourage you to invite others who may be alone or in need to come to church or into your home. Take the initiative to care for others.
Finally, I thank God for this year and letting me work with all of you at our beautiful church, Wayside.
“MAY GOD BLESS YOU WITH MANY MORE JOYS"
Rev. Rami Al Maqdasi
CONCERTS FOR THE SOUL
Tenor Vocalist Cory James Gallagher and Writer/Poet Amy Gallagher present: Christmas Magic and Miracles– A Musical, Poetic Journey
Thursday, December 22 at 7:00 pm
Coming in 2017, Lake Effect Women’s A cappella Chorus (Karen and Al Peiffer’s daughter,
Wendy, sings with the group), Jazz, Pop and much, much more...stayed tuned!
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STITCHIN’ II
Bring your quilting supplies or any craft that you enjoy and have an evening of relaxation and camaraderie as you work on your projects. Everyone is welcome. In December we will only be meeting on Monday, December 12th at 6:30 PM. This will be our last meeting before our winter hiatus. If you have any questions, please call Mary Lou at 864-9347. See you there!
REMINDER!!
For income tax purposes, any contributions received after Sunday, December 25, 2016 will be applied to your 2017 January giving.
GIVING STATEMENTS
Do you want to know how much you have tithed so far this year to Wayside? Your giving statements are available at any time, so don’t hesitate to call Julie in the office at 716-627-2150 to find out about your donations.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
The Sunday School classes worked as a group to decorate the food bags on November 20th which will be available for families in need and for our own food pantry. Please return your donation by December 14th.
Alicia Faust has begun to put the Children's Christmas Pageant together for our Christmas Eve service. Thanks Alicia!
There is NO Sunday School on December 25th and January 1st. Classes will resume on January 8th.
The Sunday School children painted and decorated the Christmas-giving food bags. They are available for the congregation to take and fill with non-perishables and paper products (tissues, toilet paper, paper towels.) The bags will be in the Fellowship Hall and on the bench at the Amsdell entrance. Please return your donation by December 14.
GIVING TREES Please watch the bulletin for more information about the Giving Trees. Information will also be available on our website, www.waysidepch.org, on our Facebook page, or in the Call to Worship that is emailed out. If you need more information about these sites, or would like to be on the Call to Worship email, please contact Julie in the office at 716-627-2150.
COMING SOON... ANNUAL REPORTS WILL BE DUE!
If you chair a committee or belong to an organization that meets at Wayside, it’s soon going to be annual report time! Please e-mail me a synopsis of what your organization or committee did during 2016. My e-mail address is [email protected]. If you don’t have a computer, you can give me a typed or handwritten report. Please submit them no later than January 10th so I can have them typed and ready for the annual meeting. If you have any questions, or you need help, please give me a call in the office.
The Session met on October 24th @ 7:00pm. Here are a few highlights from that meeting. -Approved 4 room requests. -Mission & Outreach has several events planned... Nov. 7th Pre-election Ice Cream Social. Nov. 13th Fall clean-up and Nov. 30th Free Food Spaghetti Dinner. -Dedication of Quilts for WNY Heroes scheduled Dec. 4th.
-Carl Horton will present Peacemaking Program on March 18th and 19th.
Bill Dorsheimer, U.S. Navy Devan Wolffe, U.S. Iraq Aaron Blair, U.S. Air Force Jon Keogh, U.S. Army, Iraq Rudy McEnry, U.S. Army Pat Werely, U.S. Army Stephen Whelan, U.S. Navy Robert Whelan, U.S. Navy Cody Easter, U.S. Army Nathan Filkins, U.S. Air Force Kyle F.Klug, U.S. Marines David Czosnyka, U.S. Army Matthew Ward, U.S. Air Force Jason Nowak, U.S. Air Force Tyler J. Koehler, U.S. Air Force Mike Grimmer, Afghanistan
DAILY NEEDS BAGS
The Women of Wayside, and friends are sewing “Daily Needs Bags” to benefit Wayside Giving Tree Families, Buffalo City Mission, and Friends of Night People. The bags will be filled and distributed for Christmas.
We are hoping you will help by donating some of the items to fill the bags.
Here are the needed items:
December: Bottle of body wash, bottle of shampoo.
If you have any questions, please see Karen Peiffer. Thank you for your generous, giving hearts.
Who knows what Old Man Winter has in store for us this season, but if we do need to close the office, cancel a meeting, or even cancel Sunday Service, please listen to the following stations for all your Wayside delays or closing information. WKBW-TV, Channel 7
WIVB, Channel 4
WGRZ, Channel 2
ATTENTION
SNOWBIRDS
If you are planning on leaving the area, please let the office know so we can put a hold on your Waysider and/or Church Envelope mailings. We get charged for each returned mail piece. Thank you!
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MONTH OF OCTOBER 2016
Total Receipts: $12,777.86
Total Expenses: $15,976.04
If you would like to sign up and have your
credit card charged monthly for your giving, please
call Julie in the office. VISA, MASTERCARD AND DISCOVER
ACCEPTED ANYTIME
PRAYER REQUESTS: (If a person has stabilized,
please contact the office. After 60 days, names will
normally be removed.)
WAYSIDERS:
Ginny Lietz Jack Panfil Bev Stewart Fran Wise
Shirley Nowak Bob Marshall
Dick Smith Sharon Hanson Gerald Koehler
Kevin Ejbisz
WAYSIDE FRIENDS: Amy Jelensperger
Terry Martin Rebecca Zdrojewski
Joyce Brown Lois Gern
Aletha Patterson Adam Spunt Robbin List
Shirley Drzymala Carolyn Witkowski
Nancy Hoelzl Kathy McHugh Mr. & Mrs. Ring
Amy White Jim Aronica
Barbara Sorrentino
QUILT FOR THE LORD
This group meets each Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and we invite all who are interested in quilting, knitting, or any other craft to join us. We are an informal group that shares ideas and helps each other with projects. Many of the prayer shawls and quilts that we create are donated for those who are ill or grieving, and also for children who are attending camp through WNY Heroes organization. We often learn new techniques and patterns, and enjoy getting together socially while making items for ourselves. If you have questions, call Maria Glass at 549-1561, Shirley Vandepoll at 984-4096, or Joan Kelly at 627-9769.
2016 OCTOBER DATE ATTENDANCE 10/02/16 72 adults 10/09/16 68 adults 10/16/16 69 adults 10/23/16 77 adults 10/30/16 76 adults
6 Melinda Disare 7 Steven Schmittendorf 9 Donna Leigh 15 Sandy Fox 17 William Faust Scott Panfil 18 Jeff Dole 20 Rhoda Peace 21 Bonnie Hartman 26 Carol Sutfin 29 Kim Carlson
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Blessing of the new hymnals
Blessing of the new hymnals
Kids singing “This Little Light of Mine”
Pre-election Ice Cream Social
Noah’s Ark craft fun in Ashley’s class
Pre
-ele
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Ice C
rea
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ocia
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Ma
rk
Pa
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l an
d frie
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s!
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MEMORIAL COMMITTEE NEWS
Wayside's Memorial Fund has money available to subsidize the cost of special needs and/or member wishes within the church. Projects for consideration should be submitted in writing to the Memorial Committee, include the anticipated cost.
FAMILY RELIEF FUND: There is a special fund here at Wayside called the Family Relief Fund. This fund was established to give our pastor the ability to help those in need at her discretion. If you would like to donate to this fund please note it on your envelope or check. If you have any questions please contact the office @627-2150.
WAYSIDE BOOK CLUB The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is our book for December. I encourage everyone to read this novel. The following quote pretty much describes what you will discover when you read it. “In love we find out who we want to be.” “In war we find out who we are.”
In the quiet village of Carriveau France in 1939, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.
Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious 18-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.
With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightengale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France --- a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime. If you would like to get a head start on January’s book, pick up The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin.
Set in the Pacific Northwest. Amanda Coplin weaves a tapestry of solitary souls who come together in
the wake of unspeakable cruelty and misfortune. This is about a man who disrupts the lonely harmony
of an ordered life when he opens his heart and lets the world in.
Join us in the library on Monday, December 19th at 11:00 am to discuss The Nightingale. You
will be glad that you took the time to read this wonderful book. Please note this is a change of time
due to the holiday season.
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ANNUAL POINSETTIA & CANDLE SALE 2016
We are now taking Poinsettia and Light-A-Candle orders. The cost of the Poinsettias will be $7.00 and the Light-A-Candles are $2.00. We ask that you please send or drop off a check at the Church Office when you are ordering. Thank you all for your orders.
