A Magazine of Christ Community United Methodist Church

CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP

On the web at: ChristCommunityUMC.com Volume 5, Issue 6

Christ Community Staff Pastor: Rev. Dr. B.J. Norrix 457-9382 (church) 345-5604 (cell) PastorBJ@CCUMC.com* Church Secretary: Dona Dalton 457-9382 (church) Director of Adult Ministries : Roger Parker 635-5266 (home) Roger@CCUMC.com* Director of Christian

Education : Julie Valeski 457-9382 (church) Julie@CCUMC.com* Pastoral Care: Rev. George Craik 487-5227 (home) PastorGeorge@CCUMC.com* Music Director: Phill Sterling 638-4956 (home) Choir@CCUMC.com* Associate Music Director: Denise Weeks-Bush 635-7175 (home) GraceAlone@CCUMC.com* Ministry Assistant & Close-

Up Editor: Heather Claver 468-6811 (home) Heather@CCUMC.com* * All email addresses are @ChristCommunityUMC.com

On October 19, 2008, following morning worship, I will be heading back to Uganda to continue working with Davis Matovu and the Nexus Seminary Uganda. This project is a training program for rural pastors. The training is provided free to the students and all students are given a brand new NIV Study bible and a bible dictionary. Nexus Seminary was the brain child of Pastor Davis Matovu and Pastor Alan Howe.

Something happened to me when I was in Uganda last October. It is difficult to describe but I will try. In working with these rural pastors I came face to face, for the first time in my adult life, with first generation Christians. What I mean is that most of these pastors came from totally non Christian upbringings. They came from families that had no institutional history or memory of the Christian movement. Because of this I encountered an attitude and an understanding of the mission and cause of the gospel that I had never encountered before. My family has been Christian for centuries and this is probably true for most of us.

W i t h o u t a n y institutional memory, no one ever said “it has never

been done before” nor did I ever hear “we tried that and it did (or didn’t) work”. I found myself surrounded by men and women who loved Jesus (as I do) and who were willing to do whatever he called them to do (as I am) but who had no historical restraints or understandings about what could or couldn’t be done. When they saw a need to plant a church they put a group together and went out and planted a church. When they saw a need to develop a specific ministry (or to put one to rest) they went ahead and did it. Turf, whose parish it might be, none of these things mattered. I saw Sunday offerings that included a few coins, a bag of rice and a live chicken. I saw lives touched by the Holy Spirit. I prayed against the forces of darkness and I prayed for the salvation of husbands, wives and children. All that mattered was preaching the word as best they could as often as they could to as many people as they could. This passion for the Lord Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Gospel touched me deeply and has radically changed my life.

I saw, in a few short weeks that these men and women needed to be

October 2008

Christ Community United Methodist Church 3474 Stiles Road Syracuse, NY 13209 (315) 457-9382

Why I Go To Uganda A message from Rev. Dr. B. J. Norrix, Senior Pastor

encouraged, trained and challenged to continue to grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord Jesus Christ. I realized rather quickly that what little time and resource I could pour into these men and women could have an impact on a country and a culture for Jesus Christ t h a t w o u l d l a s t generations. I saw in a flash of a vision, that God could use me to encourage, teach and support these men and women and I knew, in a heart beat, that each encounter would change me irrevocably.

I love being the Senior Pastor of the Christ C o m m u n i t y U n i t e d Methodist Church. I cannot describe for you what it means to me to see our church grow in depth of our love for Jesus and in our willingness give of our time, our hearts and our resources to make a difference in this world for Jesus. My time with these Ugandan (and other African) pastors, changes me and I believe helps me be a more effective pastor for our community. Thank you for your prayers for me and thank you for making it possible for me to engage in this “mission” work.

I am praying for you as I travel – please pray for me.

PAGE 2 CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP VOLUME 5 , ISSUE 6

In celebration of Mission Sunday, the Missions Team lead us in a "Parade of Mission" which featured the flags of the dozen countries Christ Community has either had mission teams in or has helped people from. These flags included USA, Iraq, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Costa Rica, Peru, and others. CCUMC Missions at home: • CCUMC Food Pantry • CROP Walk • Paige’s Butterfly Run • Samaritan Center • Street Ministry in Syracuse • ACTS (Alliance of Communities

Transforming Syracuse) CCUMC Missions in the USA • Disaster Relief

Flood Cleanup, Conklin, NY Gulf Coast Mission Central (PA)

• Red Bird Mission • Youth Works - Youth in WV • UMCOR Missions around the world: Costa Rica: We sent a 5-person team who helped a Methodist school in Costa Rica.

CCUMC Mission Team News Mark Cavanaugh & Cathy Cronk, Mission Team Co-Chairs

Ghana: Family connections with Medical Missions India: We’re sponsoring a Gospel for Asia missionary in India. We also have family connections to folks who were long-time missionaries in India. Indonesia: We have family connections to missionaries with New Tribes Missions to Indonesia Iraq: CCUMC sponsored a family from Iraq several years ago, and may sponsor another family soon. Myanmar: We’re currently sponsoring two refugee families from Karen. We set them up in an apartment in Syracuse and we’re helping them get settled into a new life.

PeruPeruPeru

Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica

The USAThe USAThe USA

IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe

UgandaUgandaUganda GhanGhanGhan IndiaIndiaIndia MyanmarMyanmarMyanmar IraqIraqIraq

SudanSudanSudan

Missions Calendar at CCUMC

• October 5th: Mission Meeting at 1:00 pm. If you’d like join the team, or want learn more about it, you’re welcome to attend.

• October 19th: CROP walk begins at 1:00 at Onondaga Lake Park

• October 19- BJ off to Uganda (keep him in your prayers.

• October 15th: Mission Prayer Meeting in Chapel at 7:00 pm. Join us to pray for missions around the world!

Peru: The Wolfson’s went on a Literacy Trip in 2008. Sudan: We sponsored the Wohl’s—a refugee family from the Sudan. We set up an apartment for them in Syracuse and helped them get settled here. Uganda: Pastor BJ and friends make an annual trek to teach in seminary and do evangelist work in the country Zimbabwe: - We sent a team who worked in a school and mission. And sponsored the Container Project to send medical and school supplies to Mutumbara. We also sponsor students at Ishe Anesu. We supporting a new orphanage project and helping with micro-loans to help families be self-sufficient. We’re also sending members on a mission trip in 2009.

Ishe Anesu students during Bible study

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Have you heard? Have you seen it? Have you tried it? Have you tasted it? It’s….it’s…WOW!!

What is WOW? Why, “Worship on Wednesday”, of course! With a soft launch over the summer, and a kickoff on Sep-tember 17th, WOW has hit the ground running. Each Wednesday evening, we offer a chance to forget cooking dinner, to come to church and eat good food with great fellow-ship, to worship God and get refilled and refreshed spiritually, and to grow in your understanding and faith with a variety of classes, small groups and workshops.

And the best part? It is still grow-ing!

Currently, you can learn to read the bible with me, take part in Pastor George’s Bible Study, take a disci-plined walk with the Rev. Dr. BJ, or learn from the Bad Girls in the Bible with our Director of Children’s Min-istries, Julie Valeski.

Coming soon, you will have the opportunity to learn to be God’s friend with Pierce Bidlake and learn how to be a Disciple with Tom Eck-rote.

Don’t know where to start? Don’t

Coordination Station Roger Parker, Adult Ministries Director

know which offering is best for you? WOW is designed to give you a

mid-week spiritual pick-me-up. Often, by Wednesday, we have been worn down by work, family situations, health issues, rela-

tionship difficulties, etc. It is the perfect time to come and eat food someone else provides, spend some time in pleasant conversation, wor-ship God and to recharge your bat-teries while you learn. It is a win-win situation.

Would you like to learn more? Call the church office, or better yet, come on Wednesday evening and taste, talk, worship, sing, pray, and learn for yourself!

Here are some other things going on around church:

Scrapbooking Event – If you like to scrapbook, or if you would like to learn how to scrapbook, there will be a scrapbook workshop at Christ Community on Saturday, Oc-tober 18th, from 10:30 to Noon. In-struction on making borders will be the theme, and supplies will be available for sale, should you need them. For more information or to register, call Diane Pelkey at 559-4446. Refreshments will be served.

On the Horizon – Small Group Facilitators

Training – A workshop for anyone who wishes to host or facilitate a small group gathering in their home. Includes history, theory and hands on training experiences.

Evening Men’s Bible Study – it has come to our attention that there are a number of men who wish to study the bible together but cannot attend the Saturday Morning offer-ing. We will be offering a weekday evening option that will allow you to gather with other men and study God’s Word.

Family Worship at Home Workshop – Worship is not just for Sunday morning, and not just for within the walls of the Church build-ings. We will be offering a workshop to allow parents to worship at home with their whole family. Materials and training will be provided, as well as a hands-on demonstration.

CCUMC Crunch Hockey Night This crowd pleasing fa-vorite is coming back. The Men’s ministry will again host this event, providing discount tick-

ets and logistics so that families can gather for a quick meal at the church and then attend a Crunch game.

Promise Keepers Event Coming To CCUMC

The organization known as Promise Keepers has a long and well deserved reputation for inspiring and chal-lenging men to grow in their relationships with each other and in their faith and their response to that faith. Their mission is to ignite and unite men to become passionate followers of Jesus Christ through the effective communication of seven promises to God, their fellow men, family, church and the world. One way that they accomplish this is to hold stadium events. The CCUMC Men’s ministry has gone to a number of these events in the past and they have been a popular trip for many of our men. This year, the Men’s ministry is excited to be able to provide such an event much closer to home – our own church!! Promise Keepers has provided a webcast of their August 2009 Stadium event from Atlanta, Georgia and the Men’s ministry is pleased to be able to bring this event to Christ Community on Friday and Saturday, November 14th and 15th, 2009. This event will bring all of the speakers, worship music, drama, comedy and excitement to our church and is open to all men, high school age and older. The cost is a very affordable $ 35 dollars per man and includes a steak dinner on Saturday. There are a limited number of scholarships available for those who need them.

This is open to all Men, high school and up. The cost is a modest $ 35 which includes a steak dinner. For more information, check out the Men’s ministry bulletin board or call Bill Dibble at 374-6257 or Joe Frega at 382-4260. Registration is required.

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I would like to start off by saying a great big “THANK YOU” to everyone who made Sunday School Kick Off such a huge success this year! A special thank you to Karen Woodside for helping me get the rooms organized, to Sue Rayo for decorating the Fellowship Hall, and to Deb Crouch f o r p u t t i n g together all of the food! It is only because of all of you, and the amazing team of teachers, that God has called to this ministry, that we are able to have such a successful Sunday school! I couldn’t do this job by myself. Each person that is involved in this ministry gives of their time and resources consistently and freely! I am amazed at how God has made all of us come together for the sake of our children. It is my goal to touch the lives of as many kids as possible with God’s love! Together as a church, and with God’s guidance, we can do the work He has called us to do!

Our f i r st Ch i l dren ’ s Ministries covenant meeting will be held on October 5th at 12:15 SHARP! This covenant is for all workers with our children and youth. This includes all coordinators, teachers and youth group

Hi from Children’s Ministries! Julie Valeski, Director of Christian Education

leaders. Please come and pray, eat and talk together! On the menu is salad and pizza.

We still need a few more people to volunteer with the Sunday School. We need one person to team up with Melissa Stevens for 9am service. We will have three teams that will

rotate teaching so that each team teaches every third week. We also need a co-teacher to

work with Suzanne Dibble for CIW I, and two people to teach the fourth grade class all for 10:45 service. If you are being called to this ministry, or know someone who would be good at it, please see me or a coordinator.

Our Children’s Ministries Birthday Party will be held on Sunday, October 19th in between services. Please look for our helping hearts which will be hanging in the fellowship hall. On each heart will be listed a need the Sunday School

has. If you see a need that you can fill, please take the heart and bring the item to our Birthday Party. There will be cake and punch for everyone!

Our first Social Committee event will be our Fall Dine and Slime. We have quite a few volunteers, but could always use a few more! This team is in charge of planning and carrying out this event which is sure to be an “oozing” good time. This event is a great way to get our church family together and a wonderful way to introduce our friends to experience our church community. Please don’t forget to sign up on the attendance sheet so we know how many people to plan for and to sign up for a food or beverage to share. Sign up sheets are located on the Sunday School table in the Fellowship Hall. Please look for the “Mad Scientist” fund to donate money to this worthy event!

God has given us an amazing crew to guide and direct our church’s children and youth and I thank Him daily!

Children’s Ministry October Calendar

October 5 Children’s Ministries Covenant 12:15 pm

October 19 Sunday School Birthday Party

October 22 Social Committee Meeting 6:00 pm

October 25 Fall Dine and Slime 5-8:00 pm

PAGE 5 CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP VOLUME 5 , ISSUE 6

Looking for a family fall festival that’s oozing with incredible fun?

Then save the date for the CCUMC Fall Fest: Slime & Dine!! October 25, 2008, Dinner from 5:00-6:00 pm,

Fun activities from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Slime Time is a fun-filled, family-focused, celebration exploding with carnival games, shows and fun for the whole family!

Notes from Associate Music Director Denise Weeks-Bush The Praise Choir is always looking for more people to help us praise the Lord and lift our voices in song to the Lord. The most important thing to be a member of the Praise Choir is energy and a desire to sing praises. It isn't necessary to be able to read music. Many of the pieces that we do, we don't even have the music for. We meet once a month on the 3rd Thursday of the month and we sing at the 10:45 service the following Sunday. We have a great group of people, and one of the exciting things for me has been to be able to incorporate the Praise Choir into the opening Worship segment on the Sundays that we sing. It feels on those Sundays like we have the whole

congregation up front with us—and I love it! It is just so much fun and so much energy for praising the Lord. I want to thank all of our faithful members for their commitment. I know that sometimes there are those months that some of you can't make rehearsal or the Sunday that we sing. That's the disadvantage of only singing once a month. But we sing all year. We don't take the Summer off, so we are always thankful to those who can be there. I look forward to another exciting year with all of you. If you are feeling the calling to sing with us, please come and join us on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm. Blessings, to you all, Denise Weeks-Bush

Our 9:00 Choir practices the 1st, 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm New members are always welcome. Phill Sterling (638-4956 or Choir@ChristCommunityUMC.com)

Calling all Scrappers! October 18, 10:30 to Noon

Scrapbook workshop featuring borders. If you find making borders difficult, want new ideas or simply want to scrap-

book with others, this is for you. Light refreshments will be served and there will be plenty of space to spread out.

RSVP: Diane Pelkey at 559-4446

Children’s Ministry Team

Julie Valeski: 635-9516, madlukmom@hotmail.com

Susan Rayo: 635-8937, slrayo@twcny.rr.com

Karen Woodside: 695-4514, ricknred@aol.com

Deb Crouch: 452-0273, debcrouch@twcny.rr.com

Amy Tyler: 672-5184, Atyler001@twcny.rr.com

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Board of Trustees The Trustees meet the first Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM. The trustees are charged with the task of making the decisions that apply to church property. As a group we perform and or coordinate all facets of required maintenance to the building from blacktop

to the roof top and all points in between. Assistance is also given to other ministries to make changes or upgrades to the property where

needed. We also set policy for the use of this property whether it is for transportation with the van or use of the building for church family events. To be a trustee you merely have to have the want to give of your time and talents to improve the facility for all.

Church Council This group provides leadership to the church in between regular and special charge conferences. It is comprised of those in leadership positions of Missions and Ministries of the Church. Church Council meets on the second Tuesday of each month, excepting

July and December at 7:00 PM at the Church. If you are interested in this ministry, contact Joe Cole.

Finance Team This team is comprised of four parts - Treasurer, Tellers, Finance Chair and Stewardship committee. The current Treasurer is Kathy Hurd. Her responsibility is to monitor church

finances, especially payables, and to provide a check/balance on the checks of the church. The tellers are responsible for counting and

recording weekly tithes and offerings. The Stewardship committee helps to plan and execute a yearly stewardship strategy to be run each Spring. The Finance Chair oversees the whole finance process and is in charge of fundraising and overall financial strategy for the church. See Ken if you’re interested.

Staff-Parish Relations Committee This team is the liaison between the church and the pastoral and non pastoral staff. They oversee the hiring and firing of all personnel except for the Senior Pastor. This is one of two teams

here at Christ Community that is only open to those nominated and elected to the position.

Worship Coordination Team The worship team is responsible for making our worship celebrations memorable. This is done through the organization of the various worship teams and their offerings (dance, puppets, music, drama, etc.), the selection of appropriate music,

new worship themes and ideas and providing seasonally appropriate sanctuary decorations. This group meets each Tuesday at 4:00PM to work on these things. If you like to exercise and stretch your creative side, this is the group for you. Contact Jan or Pastor BJ directly for information or to join.

CCUMC Choir The Choir is open to all singers high school age and older who like to sing in 2, 3 and 4 part music. Rehearsals run September through April, Thursday evenings from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM, except the third Thursday of the month. Generally the choir sings at

the 9:00 AM service only, but occasionally will also sing at the beginning of the 10:45 service. There are no auditions and the only

requirement is regular attendance. See Phill for more information or to join this ministry.

Praise Choir The Praise Choir is a group of energetic participants who love to sing and praise the Lord in song. The only real requirement is some energy and excitement about praising—being able to sing is a plus. We learn everything by ear, so reading music is

not a requirement. High School and older Middle School Students are certainly welcome to come and sing with us. We meet every third

Thursday, year round. We sing on the following Sunday. Rehearsals are pretty important since we learn what we will sing on Sunday at the Thursday rehearsal. Everyone is welcome to join. Please contact Denise Weeks-Bush for more information or to join.

Cloverleaf Children’s Choir is a music ministry for children. Kids from the second grade and up are welcome to be a part of this exciting and fun ministry. We usually start up at the end of September and go until the beginning of

June. We rehearse Sunday mornings from 10:15 to 10:45 in the

CCUMC Ministries and Missions—A place to get in the game!

Bill Dibble 638-9248 bsdib@verizon.net

Joe Cole 673-2361 okcjoe@usadatanet.net

Ken Prell 487-0561 kprell@twcny.rr.com

Ellen Yeomans 635-0099 YeomansE@aol.com

Jan Maier 638-1619

Phill Sterling 638-4956 psterlin@twcny.rr.com

Denise Weeks-Bush 635-7175 Kybrdmom127@aol.com

Linda Prell Phone: 487-0561 kprell@twcny.rr.com

PAGE 7 CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP VOLUME 5 , ISSUE 6

choir room. (We usually don't have rehearsal on the third Sunday of the month.) We try and sing for the church approximately once a month, and we travel with Pastor George Craik to The Birchwood Nursing Home to sing for the residents when he preaches there. We are always looking for adults to help us with this ministry. We can use help keeping the children focused during rehearsal times, getting the children in their robes on performance days, etc.. If your child loves to sing praises to the Lord and wants to have fun while singing, then they should come and see what we are all about. Please contact Linda Prell or Denise Weeks-Bush if you have questions. Special Music If you play an instrument, like to sing, write or compose music and would like to share your creations with the congregation as an offering to God, see Phill Sterling or Denise Weeks-Bush. They can arrange accompaniment, as well as schedule an opportunity for you to use your gifts.

Liturgists The Liturgists provide a variety of voices during worship while leading prayers of the people and often reading scripture selections. This group is open to anyone who is not shy about speaking in front of a group. Please see

Heather Claver if you have any questions or are interested in joining this group.

Drama Team This group provides dramas for worship, running the gamut from funny to serious. It is an enjoyable way to praise God and enhance the worship experience. This group needs not only actors but also writers, artists, technicians and directors. It is open to

all, regardless of age or experience. Contact Betty or Rick directly for more

information or to join. Puppet Ministry This team is open to kids from K-12 and provides worship enhancing puppet shows on a semi-regular basis. No special skills are necessary, but a sense of fun is a prerequisite. They practice for several

weeks before the actual shows. Contact Rick for more information or to sign up.

Inspired Expressions Dance Team Inspired Expressions is Christ Community's dance team, which began about 7 years ago as a way to express our love for the Lord. Our choreography is very simple and is loosely based

American Sign Language. We usually have a new dance every 6-8 weeks. We often travel to different churches, and to nursing

homes. We have been a part of many workshops and special church events. No prior dance or sign language experience is necessary. We are an open group, meaning anyone can join at any time. We do ask, that children under the age of 7 be supervised during practice by a parent. We follow the Baldwinsville School calendar and meet Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00, starting in October and finishing up in June. Call Christine Haskins at 455-7129 or email her at chaskins03@msn.com

Prayer Ministry This ministry is comprised of a variety of components and is open to anyone interested. The Pastor's Prayer Partners meet

monthly for prayer, learning, discussion and a light meal. The Prayer Chain uses both phone and email to distribute prayer

requests to those who have volunteered to do intercessory prayer. There is a group that meets regularly for intensive prayer for the church and its servants. If you like to pray, see results when you pray, or feel called to this ministry, see Lois Peery.

Altar Guild This group takes responsibility for decorating the building and grounds of the Church for holidays. Contact Barb Grimes or Heather Claver for more information or to join this ministry.

Hospitality Team The mission of the Hospitality Team is to create a process to identify and greet guests, to help guests make connections with members of the congregation, to answer guests’ questions regarding ongoing ministries,

to identify guests for future follow-up by Pastor BJ. The Hospitality Team invites each of our Mission

and Ministry teams to take a turn welcoming folks on Sunday morning. If you’d like to serve on the Hospitality Team see Laurie Noll or Heather Claver.

Heather Claver Phone: 468-6811 heather@ChristCommunityUMC.com

Betty Kline 488-1586

Rick Woodside Phone: 695-4513 RicknRed@aol.com

Chris Haskins 455-7129 chaskins03@msn.com

Lois Peery 488-5273 LoisPeery@verizon.net

Barb Grimes, 451-0187 tbgrimes@twcny.rr.com

Laurie Noll Phone: 635-2712 LKNoll@twcny.rr.com

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Children’s Ministries Sunday School is available for children ages 3 years to 12th grade. We meet at 9:00 and 10:45 am. Professional childcare is also available during the Sunday School hour and at our 9:00 am worship celebration. Our Senior

High Youth Group meets from 5 to 7 pm. On Sunday afternoons. Children are a priority in our church family

and we are always looking for Teachers and various support staff to make sure that our children have a safe, fun and beneficial time of learning and growing in Sunday School. If you believe that you might like to join the team, contact Julie Valeski, our Director of Christian Education.

Barnabas Team Barnabas is the group within our church who make themselves available to assist members who are in nursing homes or hospitals, or for some reason cannot leave their homes (shut-ins). The name "Barnabas" is taken from Acts

9:27. Following Paul's Damascus Road experience and his conversion none of the other believers accepted him, fearing a trap, but Barnabas

did and became Paul's first partner in the mission field. Our Barnabas group is always looking for more volunteers, especially to visit and take communion to shut-ins. If you would like to accompany Pastor George on hospital visits, or visits to nursing homes or shut-ins to see if this ministry is for you, contact him directly and he will set up a time and day for you. If you wish to jump right in, he can provide a list of folks who would love a visit from one of their church family members.

F.I.S.H. ("Friends In Service Here”) This group serves both as a ministry to those in the church and as a mission to those outside our church family. It is primarily responsible for organizing and cleaning the kitchen and pantry, keeping

both stocked with the supplies necessary for use in luncheons, dinners and other ministry functions; providing funeral and

other luncheons as a ministry outreach; providing frozen meals for those in need of heat-and-eat food; and the delivery of these (as well as fresh, hot meals) to those of our church families that may need such help from time to time. There is always a need for

volunteers to clean, cook, pack, deliver, set up and break down luncheons. All are welcome to join as there is no age limit. In fact, children often comfort other children at funeral luncheons and love to help parents cook meals for others. Financial contributions towards this ministry are always welcomed and put to good use. Just contact Lynnie directly for more information.

The Reluctant Gardeners A group of cheerful but reluctant volunteer gardeners that want the front garden to look inviting to members, friends and

visitors to the church. No special skills are needed. The gardeners do not meet regularly, but instead meet

when there is a need—to spread mulch, to do spring clean-up, to do fall clean-up, or to pull weeds. Team members are also needed to water the flower pots

during the dry spells Transportation Ministry There are many within our church family who cannot drive or do not have their own transportation. This ministry exists to

provide rides to church, church events, doctors appointments, etc. There ANYONE with a vehicle who

can help. We can use the help of all who feel they can provide transportation to the church community on a regular or on-call basis. For information on needs, opportunities, or to join this ministry, contact Rick

Major. CCUMC Health Ministry This mission provides a wide variety of opportunities to improve the health and welfare of those at Christ Community as well as the wider community at large. These opportunities

include (but are not limited to) health care screenings, regular blood drives, blood pressure monitoring, health fairs, and informational sessions on

important health topics. If helping others to be healthier moves you, this could be the mission for you. Contact Lois directly for more information or to join. Women’s Ministry ‘Transforming the world for Jesus - One Woman at a Time.’ A mission statement very much like the CCUMC mission statement; and one that encompasses our purpose and goal for this new Women’s Ministries. Because there is a need for women to have opportunities to get to know each other; and because there is a need to have opportunities to grow in Christ alongside your sisters

Ministries & Missions continued from page 7

Julie Valeski 635-9516 madlukmom@hotmail.com

Pastor George Craik 487-5227 gcraik@twcny.rr.com

Lynnie Janson 622-0439 mrslmj@usadatanet.net

Randa Greer 635-6629 Daveranda221@verizon.net

Rick Major Phone: 635-9725 rmajor@usadatanet.net

Lois Cole Phone: 673-2361 lojoco@webtv.net

Christ Community Close-Up This magazine is a publication of Christ Community United Methodist Church.

Do you like to write? We need: Features on our many projects, ministries and missions; columns on a variety of topics; inspirational stories; poems; and short stories; FREE Classifieds for goods and services. Also, send photos from in and around church.

Give your submissions to Heather Claver or email her at Heather@ChristCommunityUMC.com.

in Christ; and because there is a need to have opportunities to serve each other in ministry and serve others outside of the church in mission, the Women’s Ministries’ team was formed. The goal of the Women’s Ministries’ team is to provide and promote opportunities to gather together, to grow in Christ, and to send disciples. We want the women of CCUMC to use their gifts and talents to serve Christ. We want to mobilize the women of CCUMC into a community. We want the women of CCUMC to get to know each other in a personal, spiritual way.

Men’s Ministry The CCUMC Men's Ministry exists to allow men to experience life in Christ together, through fellowship, bible study, small groups, ministry and mission opportunities

and special events. The group is open to all men at CCUMC from High School on up. Some of the Men's Ministry sponsored events

include the May/October chicken BBQ's, Saturday morning bible study, Family Hockey and Baseball nights, "Big Game" Night, the Moving ministry, etc. Come and be a part of what the guys are doing here at Christ Community! For further information, call Bill Dibble, Joe Frega, Burt Lamb, Rick Major or Roger Parker. Also, check the Men's Ministry Bulletin board or the CCUMC Website's Men's Ministry page for current information

and future events. CCUMC Mission Team This mission exists to provide everyone at Christ Community the opportunity to be involved with Missions work regardless of their skills, abilities or interests and is open to all ages. The opportunities range from local to international and include prayer, sponsorships, short term missions opportunities and local events. If you want to help others while spreading the gospel, this is the team for

you. Contact Mark or Cathy directly for more information or to join the Mission Team.

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Randa Greer Rachel Valis Amy Tyler Amy Kremenek 635-6629 638-0668 672-5184 468-5133 WomensMinistries@ChristCommunityUMC.com

Roger Parker Phone: 457-9382 Roger@ChristCommunityUMC.com

Mark Cavanaugh 457-3377

Cathy Cronk 638-0996 ccronk01@twcny.rr.com

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by pray-ing for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remem-ber. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty." 2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers. 3.. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and in-dustry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance. 4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them. 5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Christ Community Worship Times Sunday Morning Celebrations

9:00 a.m. Worship and praise with the CCUMC Adult Choir and acoustic sound

10:45 a.m. Worship with our praise band “Sanctified” and the CCUMC Praise Choir Sunday Evening Grace & Healing Celebration

7:00 p.m. Praise & Worship, and Healing Prayer with our worship band “Grace Alone” Sunday School, K-12

9:00 am and 10:45 am Wednesday Worship beings with light supper at 5:30 pm

Did you ever get to Wednesday, hoping that tomorrow was Saturday?! We can help you out. Join us on Wednesday’s for a light supper followed by a special worship time. Bridge the gap between Sundays and be fed physically and spiritually. Good food, good conversation and a chance to refresh and renew your spirit await you!

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Women’s Ministry “Simply American” Gathering Saturday, October 11, 2008 at 9:00 am

Elections are just around the corner! Confused by what’s on the ballot, propositions that are before us as voters, and other important questions about being a more informed voter? Be sure to join us for the fall 2008 Women’s Ministries gathering as we welcome Mary Lou Green from the League of Women Voters for this non-partisan informative meeting. And, of course, there will be wonderful food!

CCUMC HEALTH MINISTRY NEWS

Red Cross Blood Drive

October 9, 2-7 pm Sign-up at church

Flu Shot Clinic

October 16, 1-3 pm, $30 Sign-up at church

See Lois Cole for more information on either of

these events.

LOOKING FOR A BIBLE STUDY?

• Pastor BJ leads a Bible Study every Monday night at 7:00 at the Church.

• Pastor George leads a Bible Study every Wednesday night at 7:00 at the Church. This group has been studying the book of Acts and the letters of St. Paul.

• DAY TIME? Pastor BJ leads a Bible Study on Wednesday morning at 11:00 this is an open group and is currently reading the prophet Jeremiah.

• Pastor Roger is leading a "learning to read the Bible" group Wednesday's at 7:00 p.m.

• There is a Men's bible study every Saturday at 8:00 a.m. at church.

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Picture yourself at age 23, at the top of your game, an accom-plished dancer at the threshold of a promising professional career. Suddenly an unforeseen complication not only threatens your dreams but your very life. That’s the perplexing place Heather Weeks found herself in just months ago when she discovered that her back pain was sourced in an aggressive form of cancer. Having received this disturbing news Heather’s family and friends sprang into action with a plan that included prayers and a public aware-ness and support effort via a local blockbuster benefit. The public-ity campaign was themed, “Hope For Heather”, and just three days before the event, hope was born as Heather’s condition began to improve. New blood tests revealed significant improvements in her hemoglobin, an oxygen-producing blood component that in-creases a patient’s capability to cope with the toxic side effects of chemotherapy while facilitating the maintenance of healthy bone marrow. Heather continues receiving excellent care at Mount Si-nai Hospital in New York City.

The hope that began as a theme is turning into reality. That same hope was visibly demonstrated when over 400 supporters and friends turned out for the August 23 fundraiser at Meghan MacMurphy’s on Route 57 in Liverpool. A picture –perfect, sun-brightened day brought smiles of hope to the faces of children, teens and adults alike. Live outdoor music, fantastic food, a stilt-walker (John@magicaljohn.org), a choice of deck, inside, or lawn seating , and minimum place- your- own- bid vendor displays cre-ated a unique blend of friendship, fellowship and celebration. An incredible 100 large, jam-packed gift baskets were raffled-off into the hands of exuberant winners. Upbeat multiple musical per-formances included Denise Weeks (Heather’s aunt) who performed with her group “Glass Slipper”, Todd Hobin, Doug Moncrief and a special guest appearance by local singer and songwriter Ashley Cox.

The most encouraging aspect of this story is the results. Event organizer Tawn Campolieti (Heather’s former dance teacher at Tawn Marie’s Dance Centre) reports that the benefit was highly successful. Heather’s parents, Gary and Frieda Weeks of Liver-pool, were overjoyed as news came to them during the event that Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney had officially proclaimed August 23, 2008 as “Heather Weeks Community Recognition Day”. A beautifully en-graved plaque bearing the proclamation was presented to the amazed and grateful couple, who wish to extend their heartfelt thanks to each and every individual supporting their daughter’s recovery through their prayers and gifts.

So will Heather dance again? Will her dreams come true? If the turnout and enthusiastic support seen at this event is any indica-tor, she’ll be appearing on Broadway in no time. Those wishing to get updated accounts of Heather’s recovery can do so by accessing her blog at: heatherina.tumblr.com. Anyone interested in further supporting the effort to cover sizeable medical expenses can still do so by donating directly to: www.hopeforheather.com , or by con-tacting Tawn Campolieti at (315) 457-3151.

Supporters Want Heather To Dance Again John R. Petrilli

Great Music provided by Denise Weeks-Bush band "Glass Slipper" and others!

Neighbor helping neighbor was the spirit of the day

100 raffle baskets - lucky supporters left with big smiles and get valuables

the friends & family were there (right to left): Gary (father) Frieda (mother) Cecilia (friend)

Pastoral Care by Pastor George Craik times.

While in Tupper Lake we attended a local church service. In all honesty it was less than an exhilarating experience. We attended the Contemporary Worship Service at which three ladies led all 15 of us in singing choruses (none of which we knew) followed by a sermon I failed to understand. You never realize what a wonderful church relationship you have until you go somewhere else. At least it was all over in 40 minutes.

Bloopers seem to be in season these days and I want to share one of mine. At a special worship serv ice I was present ing membership certificates to folks who had joined our congregation over the past 12 months. One recipient was absent and I announced, “Mrs. MacDonald should have been here today but unfortunately she is home recurring from a heart attack. Fortunately she survived.

Have a great day and a joyous forever.

Now, as we Scots say it’s back to auld claes and parridge and it doesn’t

take long to get back into the swing of things. Since our return I have officiated at two fune ra l s ,

always a sad responsibility but there is always a bright side to being Pastoral Care Thingie. Currently Linda Prell, who is preparing for a like ministry has been tagging along with me to get a kind of hands-on idea of what it’s all about. By accompanying me to Nursing Homes and hospitals she is observing me carefully and learning from observation all the things one shouldn’t do in that capacity.

My Wednesday evening Bible study got off to its usual nondescript start and I continue to be excited about it. This year Carol and I have joined in the early WOW (Worship on Wednesdays) supper and ensuing worship time and it has been a uplifting experience; definitely the best of

It’s that time of the year again. In the words of The Londonderry Air (Danny Boy): The Summer’s gone and all the leaves are falling...

Well most of them are s t i l l t ree -at tached treating us to a gorgeous wealth of patchwork beauty b u t guess what’s to follow. In the meantime Carol and I spent a very enjoyable break from the action early in September. We spent a week in the Adirondacks hanging out in a motel at Tupper Lake.

It was quite unpretentious but was on the shore of the lake and we just sat there day after day catching up on our reading, throwing rocks at the ducks and watching the sun go down. The whole idea of the vacation was for me to do absolutely nothing and I achieved that with flying colors. Carol helped me in this regard so, as the song says, we were “busy doing nothing.”

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CCUMC Prayer Chain Barb Jesmer is our prayer chain

coordinator. You can contact Barb at 422-7266 (weekdays) or 451-7177 (evenings and weekends). Also there’s a link on our webpage to email y o u r p r a y e r r e q u e s t s a t www.christcommunityumc.com.

Your prayer request will be lifted up in prayer for one month—or longer if needed. All information is kept strictly confidential.

Call Barb, or visit our website to add your request to the prayer chain. Remember, God answers prayer.