ccumc january magazine 2010

A Magazine of Christ Community United Methodist Church

CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP

On the web at: ChristCommunityUMC.com Volume 8, Issue 1

Christ Community Staff Pastor: Rev. Dr. B.J. Norrix 457-9382 (church) 345-5604 (cell) [email protected]* Church Secretary: Dona Dalton 457-9382 (church) Director of Christian

Education : Julie Valeski 457-9382 (church) [email protected]* Pastoral Care: Pastor Linda Prell 457-9382 [email protected] Music Director: Phill Sterling 638-4956 (home) [email protected]* Associate Music Director: Denise Weeks-Bush 635-7175 (home) [email protected]* Director of Communications: Heather Claver 468-6811 (home) [email protected]* * All email addresses are @ChristCommunityUMC.com

In 2010, God is calling us to push deeper in our relationship with Jesus and we are called to move wider in our influence and impact as a Church. Here is what I believe this means:

Deeper. Deeper means we will move deeper in our understanding of our faith and life in God. I am preaching about idolatry in January and February. I am preaching about Stewardship in February and March. I will be preaching about living life in the Holy Spirit in April and in May we will be thinking about what God is calling us to be and to do. Deeper also means we are encouraging folks to continue to read the Bible, to engage in worship (private and public) and to get involved in a small group and fellowship. I have made a commitment to read more and pray more and to live out the rhythm of the Spiritual life. The first question of faith: what is God calling you to be?

Wider. Wider means we will look for ways to impact more of our community and our world for the Lord Jesus Christ. Wider means we are looking for more ways to be involved on the north side of Syracuse.

Wider means we are looking to establish some new missions within our zip code. Wider means we are sending a team to the Dominican Republic this S u m m e r , w e a r e supporting a team to Zimbabwe in 2011, we are s p o n s o r i n g c h u r c h planters in India, and I will be returning to Uganda in October to continue my work with Rev. Davis Matovu and Nexus Seminary and perhaps some further contact with the Humble School and the Uganda United Methodist Church (want to go? Let me know.). Wider means more clothing for “Dress Our People!” Wider means the Sunday School is raising funds to “fill an ark”. Wider means God has

Jan-Feb 2010

Christ Community United Methodist Church 3474 Stiles Road Syracuse, NY 13209 (315) 457-9382 ChristCommunityUMC.com Sunday Worship 9:00 &10:45 am, 7:00 pm Sunday School 9:00 & 10:45 am

Deeper and Wider with Jesus Christ A message from Rev. Dr. B. J. Norrix, Senior Pastor

called us to look for more local, regional and international missions and ministries. The second question of faith: what is God calling you to do?

I am very (VERY) excited about what God has in store for us this year. We have “Walk Through the Bible” coming March 13. We are holding a “Mission and Ministry Sunday” the third Sunday in May. We have 14 youth and adults in confirmation class this year. We are going to help plant a new church at the Carousel Center Fall 2010. We are moving up, we are moving forward and God has us on the move.

It is a great privilege to be your Pastor. —BJ

Marriage Renewal—Sunday February 14, 2010 St. Valentine was martyred for performing Christian

marriages against Roman law over 1000 years ago. In celebration of St. Valentine we are going to offer a renewal of marriage vows to all couples in attendance at the 9:00; 10:45 and 7:00 worship celebrations on February 14. Those of us whose are single or whose spouses cannot attend will be invited to celebrate marriage with their friends and church family. Pastor B.J. will invite couples to come forward and face one another as part of the celebration.

Watch for more information in the updates and bulletin information.

The Mission Team is sponsoring 2 missionaries through Gospel for Asia. Below is a letter from one of those missionaries. The next Mission Team meeting is Tuesday January 19th at 6:00 pm for the meeting and 7:00 pm for prayer—everyone is welcome!

PAGE 2 CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 1

November 2009 Karbi Anglong, Assam, INDIA Dear Sponsor,

Greetings to you in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you for your valuable prayer and financial support for my ministry.

I acknowledge that your valuable prayers and financial support has been playing a vital role in sustaining my life and ministry. I too pray for you earnestly. May the dear Lord bless you richly.

During the past months, I was able to learn many lessons from the Word of God. Those lessons helped me to lead a victorious Christian life. Moreover, He has protected me from all harms and dangers and provided for me everything at the right time. I praise God for His love, care and faithfulness toward my life.

I am serving the Lord as a pastor in Nujokthepi village. There are 45 believers regularly attending the worship service in my church. They are taking part in all the ministry activities. As a team we go to nearby villages and share the Gospel with many people. We are actively involved in tracts distribution, house visitation, pray for the sick and personal evangelism. In several places we faced opposition from the village people. Kindly pray that those who are opposing our ministry would come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

During the last six months, God helped me to distribute 2000 tracts, 50 booklets and 25 Bibles. Through my ministry eight people received Christ in their lives and took water baptism. Please pray for the rapid growth of our church. In Christ, Daniel Terang

It is such a blessing to be able to help others when they are in need and wondering how to make it through difficult times. Every time our Moving Ministry swings into action I am amazed by our Church Family and how they give their time and energy to help each other. The picture does not show how cold and windy it was that day, but all you see are smiles (the covered up hands are a giveaway). Call Gary Glenn or Joe Frega if you can join in and help the next time the call comes to move a family in need. No experience is needed, just a willing-ness to pitch in and get the job done!

Men’s Ministry Update Joe Frega & Bill Dibble, Co-Chairs

Our next Men’s Ministry meeting will be January 24 between ser-vices at around 10:15 in the Jun-ior High class-room. Please join us as we plan our upcoming activi-ties. Coffee and donuts are in-cluded in your usual entrance fee, but for this month only we will waive the fee if you stop in fellowship hall to pick up your own coffee (haha!). We will be setting a date for our postponed

Habitat for Humanity Dinner. We will also be making plans to build our new Bar-B-Q pit to have it ready for our May 1 Chicken BBQ!

Part of a recent moving team, there were even more people still working!

CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 1

CCUMC Youth to go to Dominican Republic In July 2010 15 members of our

Youth Group will be going to the Dominican Republic to help the Orphanage Outreach Program. Click the link at the top right of the page if you’d like to donate to our trip.

Orphanage Outreach is a non-profit organization headquartered in Glendale, Arizona, and working at orphanages in the Dominican Republic.

Since 1994, over 3000 volunteers have joined Orphanage Outreach in the Dominican Republic.

The objective of Orphanage Out-reach Christian Alternative Breaks Program is that orphaned and abandoned children will have all the tools and resources necessary to grow up to be productive, re-sponsible, caring members of soci-ety. Children will leave the orphan-age strong and confident in their Christian faith, with a personal relationship with Jesus. Thousand of children and adults who live in the communities where we work will have found Christ and grown in their Christian faith.

Short term mission teams work in a variety of programs including tutoring the orphanage children and teaching in the local schools.

We host sports camps, English camps, vacation bible school, and medical and dental clinics. There is often an opportunity to be involved in physical work projects and small construction projects.

Volunteers live directly on the orphanage grounds, and work at the orphanage and in the local schools and churches. Orphanage Outreach mission programs are professionally managed by Ameri-can and Canadian missionaries living at the orphanages

Here’s what other’s who’ve

served have said: The experience and lessons that I

learned while I was in the Domini-can Republic can not be expressed in words. Each child is an inspira-tion and is such a survivor. To see God work through the kids and community of Monti Cristi left me in awe. I was able to grow in my faith and build incredible friend-ships. Becky Therres, Hope Inter-national University

Go! Share your love, though you

will receive much more in return. Give your heart recognizing that you'll leave part of it in the Domini-can Republic but that it will still be

bigger when you return home. Robert Wright, Pastor, Roscoe United Methodist Church, Ohio

It costs about $1000 per per-

son to go on this Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic. Right now we have 15 youth and 4 adults signed up to go.

To support the Christ Commu-nity United Methodist Church Youth Group Mission Trip send your check to:

CCUMC, 3474 Stiles Road, Syra-cuse, NY 13209 (Please put D.R. Mission Trip on the memo line.)

To donate online and for more information on Orphanage Outreach visit our website: www.ChristCommunityUMC.com

CCUMC Youth Group Mission Trip to West Virginia, July 2009

Our food pantry may be small, but the hearts of our congregation are larger than life. This Thanksgiving, we not only filled our food pantry through the Paper Bag Project, but we were able to bring 43 bags of food to our sister church on the North Side, Father’s Heart Ministries.

When we arrived at Father’s Heart, their cupboards were bare and we emptied our car right onto their shelves. “This gift is an

Food Pantry Crumbs Karen & Laurel Frega

answer to a prayer, as our shelves were wiped out before Thanksgiving,” said Pastor Jim of Father’s Heart. Thank you so much for your continued love and support of the food pantry ministry. The need is constant, no matter what the season.

Thank you all for your faithful contributions to our food pantry!

43 Bags of Love, Headed for Father’s Heart Ministries on the North Side of Syracuse


I want to thank the whole congregation for all of the support we had through the Holiday Season. All of the church mice were adopted, we sold about half of our fundraising cards, and we had a great turnout for our Sunday School play!

Here’s what’s going on for the upcoming months:

We still have about 150 fundraising cards to sell. If you, your family members, your friends, your coworkers, or your neighbors would like one, they are only $10 a piece! Each offer on the back of the card can be used every day through December 31, 2010. What a bargain!

The Sunday School will be having a baked goods fundraiser between services on February 7th. Anyone can bring in baked goods to share and a love offering will be taken. Mark your calendars!

On February 27th, the Social Committee will be bring a little bit of summer to Syracuse by

Children & Youth Ministries Julie Valeski, Director of Christian Education

hosting a Luau from 5:00-8:00 pm. Tell your friends and neighbors and bring the entire family for an evening to beat the winter blahs! For one night only, we will jack up the heat and have some tropical fun. Don’t forget to wear your shades and shorts. There will be crafts and games such as coconut bowling and indoor beach volleyball. Everyone will also have the opportunity to learn how to hula dance. Of course the evening would not be complete without tropical island foods and drinks! A love offering will be taken to cover expenses. Watch for the sign up sheets in Fellowship Hall and we will need people to help run various activities. See you there!

March will be a busy month at Christ Community!

Sunday, March 14th, will be scout Sunday. If you are involved in scouting

at any level, please wear your uniform to church!

On Saturday, March 27th, the Sunday School will be hosting a pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 9:00 am-Noon. All proceeds will help fill the ark. More details will be coming soon!

A special thank you to all of the Sunday School teachers and youth workers that make Children’s Ministries such a great team! I am truly blessed to be able to work with all of you! Thank you to everyone who makes our church such a great family! Your love and support of all of the ministries is greatly appreciated!

9:00 AM Sonrise Choir Plans are to have the anthems presented in the early part of each morning service, so those that work with Sunday school can participate as well. If you can sing at either or both services, that'll be great! Contact Phill Sterling at [email protected] if you'd like to be included this season. 10:45 AM Praise Choir Our praise choir rehearses the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome! Contact Denise Weeks-Bush for more details.

Musical Notes Cloverleaf Children’s Choir Sing Praise to the Lord! With the Children's Choir. All are welcome. Practice Performance 10:15 9:00 & 10:45 February 7 February 21 March 21 March 28 April 18 April 25 May 16 May 23 (wear RED) June 6 June 13 (Education Celebration, "Steps of faith") Practices will begin at 10:15 (after first service) in the Junior high room until 10:45 service.

Inspired Expressions Dance Team Our Dance Team practices on Thursdays at 6:30 pm. New members of all ages welcome. See Chris Haskins or Lynnie Janson for more information. Drama Team DRAMA TEAM is open to anyone who likes to have fun and praise God through drama. We’re looking for actors, writers, and behind the scenes people. All ages welcome! See Betty Kline or Joe Frega for more information.


Children’s Ministry Team

♥ Julie Valeski: 635-9516, [email protected]

♥ Susan Rayo: 635-8937, [email protected]

♥ Karen Woodside: 857-1818

♥ Marsha Dillon: 487-0923, [email protected]

♥ Laurel Frega: 218-7128, [email protected]

♥ Amy Tyler: 706-5664

CCUMC Luau! Beat the Winter Blahs with

an indoor beach party!

Saturday, February 27 5:00-8:00 pm

Wear your shorts and shades

and join the fun!

We’ll have crafts, games and tropic foods! And of course,

Hula Dancing Lessons!

Everyone is welcome, so bring the whole family and your

friends!

2010 Children’s Ministries Activities Church Luau February 27 5-8pm.

Breakfast w/the Easter Bunny March 27 9-Noon

Easter Egg Hunt April 3 11am.

NO SUNDAY SCHOOL: EASTER, April 4

SS PJ’s & Movie Sunday April 18

SS Teacher & Worker Brunch April 25

Family Bowling May 15 2-4 pm.

Congregation Appreciation May 16

NO SUNDAY SCHOOL May 30

Confirmation Sunday June 6 9am.

Education Celebration June 13

Vacation Bible School August 15-19 6-8:30pm “EGYPT”

See Julie Valeski or one of the Sunday School Coordinators

for more information on any of these events.

On-Going Bottle and Can Drive!

It’s easier than ever to donate to the CCUMC Mission Team! Bring

your returnables to the B’ville Bottle Return at the P&C strip-mall or J's

Bottle and Can in Lakeland on State Fair Blvd and tell them you want your deposit to go to Christ

Community Mission Team. THANK YOU!

CCUMC Classifieds*

Computer Desk for Sale $40 or best offer.

Like New. Dark maple color 19 ½” deep, 53” High,

35 ¾” wide. Call Micki: 4847989

House Cleaning Services

We can all use a little extra help around the house!

Call Amy Tyler 706-5664 for details. References available.

*To place your free classified ad in the Christ Community Close-Up email:

[email protected]

CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 1 PAGE 6 CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 1

review. By the end of the day, you’ll be able to trace major geographical

movements on a giant map made from the people at-tending the seminar, learn to “Walk Thru” 77 major events in less than three minutes, and understand the themes and purpose of the Old Testament. The Old Testament seminar is the flagship of Walk Thru the Bible, and it's perfect for new believers as well as sea-

soned Christians. Its success year after year can be attributed to one thing: It meets a need for clarity and connection to God's Word that most Christians recognize they have.

We have the unique opportu-nity to host this seminar at Christ Community United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 13th. This event is for all ages (3rd grade and up). The cost is only $17 for the seminar and workbook. Lunch will be available for $5. We will have soup, salad, sandwiches and drinks. You are also welcome to bring your own lunch or go off-site. Child care will be pro-vided for those children in 2nd grade or younger and a love offering will be requested to cover child care expenses. Watch for registration opportu-nities beginning soon! Debt –Proof Your Life

Have you ever thought “If I could only get out of debt my life

would be less stress-ful” Do you ever feel like you never have enough money? Con-trary to what we’ve been taught, the problem is not that we don’t have enough

Christian Education Julie Valeski, Director of Christian Education

Mark your calendars for a very special event on March 13!

Have you ever said or heard someone else say that the Old Testament is confus-ing? Although many know the general chronology of Genesis, it's hard for most to put all of the people and events of the entire Old Tes-tament together. Many be-lieve it would take years to understand. After all, there are 39 books, 929 chapters and 23,214 verses in the Old Testa-ment.

What if we told you that you and everybody in our church could memorize the key char-acters, places, events, and themes of the Old Testament in five action-packed hours? Wouldn't that be something that could benefit the whole church for years to come?

More than 1.5 million people have taken this walk before you, making the Walk Thru the Old Testament seminar one of the most attended seminars of all time. It's successful because it doesn't bog down with tedious note taking and rote memorization. Instead, par-ticipants will be delightfully caught up in a highly creative, in-teractive learning adventure that's as fun as it is effective.

During this time, attendees will meet Bible characters in an up-close and personal way and enjoy every minute of it. It's as easy and pleasant as taking a walk. Thou-sands of years of history and scores of famous names and places will be your companions, and a wealth of new insights and understanding their destination.

In just a few hours, you will memorize more than they ever dreamed possible by using hand motions, catch phrases, and group

money. The problem is we don’t know how to take care of what we have already. Until we learn how, more money will never be enough.

We are forming a new group led by Don Cronk, which will work thru Mary Hunt’s book Debt-Proof Living. We will learn how to live a debt-proof lifestyle and a system of money management which will help you control your finances, not have them control you! There’s no cost associated with this group. Meetings will be from 7:00-8:00 pm every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month starting on January 25th. NOOMA Series with Rob Bell

Jesus lived with the awareness that God is doing something, right here, right now, and any- body can be a part of it. He inspired, challenged, provoked, comforted, and invited people to be open to God’s work in this world. Wherever he went, whatever he did, Jesus started dis-cussions about what matters most, because for Jesus, God is always inviting us to open our eyes and join in. NOOMA is a series of short films that explore our world from a perspective of Jesus. Nooma classes are every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm. Come join the discussion any-time!

Confronting The Controversies

We will be continuing our Con-fronting the Controversies class on the first Thursday of every month. Our next meeting will be on Febru-ary 4th at 6:30pm. Febru-ary’s discussion will be on Chapter 4-Eutahanasia. This class is for those that want to come together with other Christians to see what scriptures from the Bible tell us about these topics. We discuss, ask questions and share our opinions with Christian love and respect. Come join the dis-cussion!


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: [email protected].


Party for a Cure—Saturday, January 30 from 1:00-6:00 pm Hope for Heather (Gary & Freida Weeks’ daughter’s foundation), Ovarian Cancer CNY and The Castaway's Riverside Restaurant of Brewerton, NY present an afternoon of great music, dancing, food, raffle drawings. A day of fun and entertainment for a great cause: funding a cure for ovarian cancer. All money donated will go to ovarian cancer research and local education on the key symptoms of ovarian cancer. Early detection of ovarian cancer dramatically improves the survival rate. A buffet lunch and cash bar is included in your $15 ($10 children under 12) gate donation. Many bands, including Denise Weeks-Bush’s band, The Hip Replacements will be playing! Fun, food, music and dancing—join us for a full afternoon of entertainment! See Gary Weeks for more information.

SAVE THE DATE:

Women’s Ministries presents:

“Simply Hope” Friday, March 12th 7:15 PM to 8:30 PM.

Frieda Weeks, President of the Hope for Heather Foundation, will be our special guest speaker and will tell us of the Hope for Heather Foundation’s goal of raising awareness about Ovarian Cancer. Women of all ages should consider coming. Dessert and coffee will be served. Child care will be available. See Randa Greer, Rachel Valis or Michele Wunderlich for more info.

“Ode to a Cookie” Contest

Oh, Cookie, Perfect Cookie! Your Goodness knows no measure...

Write an Ode to a Cookie in rhyme or in prose,

or if rhyming isn't your thing that's okay maybe you would prefer to draw a cookie or a bunch on a tray.

We'll need some pictures to decorate our cook-book so break out your markers and crayons and get to work.

Submit it to the Women’s Ministries Team at:

[email protected]. Entries must be submitted by February 28, 2010. Winner will be published in the

Women’s Ministries Cookie Cookbook!

Two Grand Prizes! One for each category. And the prize is .... COOKIES made by the Women’s Ministries Team!

All entries become the property of the Women's Ministries Team

Looking for a Small Group or Bible Study?

Monday 7:00 PM Bible Study at Church with Pastor BJ 7:00 PM Couples Group at the Suddabys

Wednesday 11:00 AM Brown Bag Bible Study at Church with Pastor BJ 5:30 - 9:00 PM Worship On Wednesday (W.O.W) 5:30 Dinner, 6:00 Worship 7:00 Classes and Small Groups

Friday 10:00 AM Bible Study with Shelly Peters at Carousel Mall (by H&M 2nd Fl)

First Thursday of the Month: 7:00 PM, Confronting the Controversies

Saturday 8:00 AM Men's Bible Study


On Tuesday December 29th, 2009, twenty-two members of the CCUMC 2010 confirmation class assembled at the church to attend a world religion tour. This was an opportunity for the group to witness the differences in, and ask questions of, leaders of a diverse group of denominations. As group leader, Pastor BJ Norrix pointed out in the first class meeting: this is confirmation class, not conformation class. He followed this up with the primary instruction for this event, “there are no dumb questions.” “This is your opportunity to ask and get answers to those tough questions you wonder about.” This event is an opportunity to see how your neighbors worship before you confirm the United Methodist Church as your denomination.

The first stop was at Beth Sholom – Chevra Shas – Jewish Temple in Dewitt.

The group was transported by four van driving chaperones to the Beth Sholom – Chevra Shas Jewish Temple in DeWitt. Rabbi Rachel Ain met the group and provided a tour of the building and worship center. Her overview of the faith was steeped with history, religious traditions and world events that shaped the Jewish faith. Judaism is not just religion; it defines a people, a heritage, a way of life. It defines a group of people not bound by race or color.

Confirmation Class World Religion Tour Gary Weeks (aka Mr. Baseman)

Jewish youngsters study the history of Judaism and the Hebrew language; Sunday through Thursday and then break for the Sabbath. They focus their studies on the seven Toras (Hebrew Scrolls) or the 5 books of Moses from of the Bible, in the original Hebrew texts. They believe in one God so they do not view Jesus as the messiah. This means they do not use terms like “BC” (before Christ) and “AD” (in the year of our Lord), instead they define these calendar regions as “BCE” (Before Common Era) and “CE” (Common Era). They do not have a new testament in their bible. They believe the world stands on 3 things: Acts of Love and Kindness, Studying to learn the law, Prayer and a group relationship with God. Rabbi Ain summed up the Jewish peoples struggle to survive and flourish throughout history: “They tried to kill us, . . .We ran,. . . .Let’s eat!”

The second stop was at The Islam Society of Central New York – Muslim Mosque

The group traveled to Comstock Ave. to a Muslim Mosque. Upon arrival the first task was to remove our shoes before entering the Muslim prayer room. Magda, the Muslim guide, explained the prayer room faces east toward Mecca as this is the requirement of God. The room was very plain, plus men and women are separated to remove all possible distractions from prayer. Muslims pray 5 times daily to Allah (God) so that they demonstrate they think about Allah daily. They believe a person becomes responsible in the eyes of Allah when they reach puberty. Allah will judge the person on all acts of their life. It is important to pray together as one receives 27 rewards when 2 or more pray together. All Muslims must demonstrate their belief in Allah through actions based on five

pillars of faith. Allah is the one and only God. Jesus and Mary are very important figures, but they are human prophets. Like the others before, sent by Allah to provide humans with his message or reminders of His Word and Laws. Mohammed is the last prophet Allah will send. Mohammed collected the most important Biblical messages from Allah into one book called the Qur’aan (Koran). These are written in Arabic and are read in Arabic. The English translations are not considered as good as the

Traditional Jewish implements on display

The Class is ready for the tour!

It was cold out, but we received a warm welcome from Magda


Arabic verses. Mohammed provided information for the mind and pizza and soda for lunch! Not sounding much like traditional or sacred food. Pastor BJ, who had promised to buy us lunch, seemed most happy that lunch was provided by our hosts. He thanked Mohammed profusely.

The third stop was at The Zen Center of Syracuse – Buddhism

Zen means meditat ion, typically sitting still and focusing on self and allowing the mind to achieve balance through focused meditation. Our Buddhist nun, Bonnie Shoultz explained that meditation can occur while walking and during other activities once one learns to focus thoughts. Buddha became the “enlightened one” after a 6 day sleep. He traveled for 40 years throughout India and the Far East teaching and learning about the meaning of life. Buddha is not a “God figure” for Buddhists. The religion is about finding spiritual enlightenment through meditation and other activities. Choice of God figure is up to the worshiper. Bonnie told us many attendees are members of various God based denominations and attend here to g ro w persona l l y thro ugh meditation. Hats and shoes were removed before entering the Zen medi ta t i on room. Bonnie explained the pillars and the

symbolism of the faith. She led the CCUMC group in a 5 min Zen session. The group did a very good job of sitting still even though some of the teens were in borderline sugar shock from the ice cream and monster milk shakes of the previous snack break. Someone said the ice cream would provide fuel to keep us warm on a minus 5 degree wind-chill day. Say what??? A couple of the teens were flexible enough to achieve the full lotus position, all the adults stopped short at the full pain position, with some retreating to chairs along the wall. These adults achieved a different level of enlightenment very quickly: they may be over the “full lotus” hill. I left thinking meditation is probably good for everyone, but would not replace our Supreme Being, God, Christ, Holy Spirit based belief system.

This last section was added by Julie Valeski: A small group (about 9 of us) visited the Hindu Mandir Temple on Sunday, January 3rd, which concluded the World religions Tour. The doors were unlocked but no one was there when we arrived and Pastor BJ told us that it is common practice for them to leave the doors unlocked 24 hours a day so that people can go in and pray whenever they want. We first removed our shoes and then proceeded into the Temple. We took our own tour and noticed all of the different statues of gods,

pictures of gods, bright colors, and different foods left for offering. Pastor BJ did his very best at explaining to us what he knew of the Hindu religion. As we were getting ready to leave, a member of the Temple arrived and agreed to try and explain their beliefs and answer our questions. The man that we were speaking with, as we quickly found out, did not know many English words and had a difficult accent for us to understand. What we were able to decipher was that there are many gods that represent different prayers: Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu the Protector; Goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu's wife and Provider; Shiva, the Powerful God; Goddess Parvati, Shiva's Consort; and Goddess Saraswati, the Deity of Knowledge and Learning.

It became very apparent that what they pray for is good knowledge and good things. The man we spoke with told us to come back any evening during the week to have someone else help answer our questions. Before we left, he have each of us a handful of clove “holy water” and a handful of raisins and almonds. It was definitely an experience that we will never forget.

A complete event photo album from our tour on December 29 is available for everyone to view by following the link from the Christian Education page on our website: www.ChristCommunityUMC.com.

Bonnie Shoultz explains the principals of Buddhism. Budda the enlightened one.

Budda is a man not a God.

Pastor BJ reminded us there are no “dumb” questions.

Ice cream stop on a 19 degree day with wind chill of -5 degrees. The teens loved the idea—thanks Pastor B.J.!

Editor’s note: A few years ago we ran a story writing contest and asked people to write about their hero. We got 4 very good entries and decided rather than just picking one story to print, we’d print all of them, in alphabetical order. This is the third installment.

Every one of us has a best friend

that helps us through thick and thin no matter what it is. These friends are definitely far and few in between. I want to tell you about the friendship bond that rocked my faith and made it stronger at the same time. My best friend is no longer around anymore. He died when I was 15 years old. Imagine the pain that anyone would go through losing someone close to them.

He was the one that I could tell my secrets to and know he would never tell a soul. He was my world! I did everything possible with him. I sincerely did spoil him at times too. I always got him a special gift every now and then. He even kept me warm at nights on the cold win-ter nights. He wrote a story about himself back when I was in sixth grade. I’ll share it with you:

Hello, my name is Mitten, the cat, but you can call me Mitters. Heather always calls me that. I never did tell her how much I love that nickname. Anyways, I will tell you about my life. Long time ago when I was just a little baby kitten, I had two sisters, one of my sister couldn’t be sold; only my older sister and I could be sold and a nice fam-ily came with a young little girl named Heather. She came to pick me up and she also picked up my sister and I was hoping to be picked. I thought I wasn’t going to be picked. I heard the grandmother and grandfather say, “Oh, he is a beautiful cat let’s get him.” But

My Hero Heather Hampsey (Cliff & Marie Reese’s granddaughter)

Heather said, “But I want that kitten” That was my sister that couldn’t be picked. Heather’s grandma and grandpa said, “Hurry up and pick one.” Heather looked at my sister that could go, but she said, “I want the male gray kitten.” I was sur-prised and I was also very happy! She took me home and named me Mitten. I do not know why she named me, Mitten. I’m all grey.

Now I will tell you how I look! I am a Russian Blue Cat and my owners think I am a beautiful cat. I have pretty green eyes and I have good eyesight. I am a beautiful dark gray cat and I have on my tail dark gray stripes and also a shade of dark gray on the tip of my tail. I love myself because I do.

Now I will tell you about the things I do. I am a playful cat be-cause I jump a lot, love to be chased, love to play with your feet and I like to chase the flashlight only when Heather’s friends or she turns it on. I am a bite-ful cat, only when I am playing and when I am hungry, but I don’t mean to hurt you. I am only trying to play with you. I am a lazy cat too because I like to sit, sit, sit and sit almost all the time. I love to sit on the win-dowsill too. I hate when it’s winter because I hit my head on the glass on the window sometimes and when I do, it hurts a lot. I guess I learned my lesson not to jump to the win-dows when it’s wintertime.

Now I will tell you the rest!! Well there’s nothing else to say and I am on my way upstairs to take a nap.

Ever wish for something so hard and it does not come true? At least you think it did not come true. I know I did. I brought Mitten to Syracuse, New York from Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania. I sincerely

loved this cat, but now that we owned a house, something was missing. I had to get a dog! After a year of begging and pleading, I finally got my dog. Uh-oh!! I remember the day I brought Frosty

home, Mitten was so angry! I tried to pet him so many times and he hissed at me. Imagine that, my best friend was that angry because I brought a new member to the family. After a while, things cooled down, but then the most horrible thing happened. Mitten was acting weird and was getting awful skinny. I was afraid, so I took him to the Vet the day before Christmas Eve and never expected to hear what I was going to hear. My sweet innocent angel was sick with kidney failure. They said there was some treatment they could give him to help him get better, but it’s a small chance. The Vet told me, he was going to die soon.

My heart dropped and I cried so much, but I refuse to give up on Mitten without a fight. I left him at the Vet’s for the weekend. I prayed and prayed every night for God to help him get better. I do not think I have asked for anything so wishfully and meaningfully in my life! I was even willing to donate a kidney for my cat! Obviously we all know that is not possible.

Dear God, I know I have not been the best little girl this year, but I’m trying my best. Please, please, please, please, please help Mitten feel better! I’ll do whatever it takes for him to feel better. Thank you God! Love, Heather P.S. Please do not take him away from me.

The prayer that I just shared with you guys, I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the feelings, and where I started to cry

PAGE 10 VOLUME 8 , ISSUE 1 CHRIST COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP


as I was praying. Finally, some good news about my cat, he was getting better. I brought him home the day or so after Christmas. I held on to him so tight, if he didn’t die from Kidney failure, he was go-ing to die from me squeezing him. I have to admit, I wasn’t the nicest to my dog after Mitten got sick. I felt it was my fault that Mitten got sick.

I remember I told Frosty that as much as I love her; I felt the stress that Mitten felt because I got a dog and how angry Mitten was at me for it, made Mitten sick. Also, I felt I was being punished because I begged for a dog. In a way, a lesson to teach me not to take the people or animals around me for granted. Cherish all the times you have with them because it could be the last. Ever feel like your animals can un-derstand you when you talk to them? I do, all the time because after I vented how I felt, my dog licked my face and got so close to me, she was basically on my lap!

After mitten was brought home, I babied Mitten so much. We had special food for him to keep his kid-neys from failing again. He did only live a year after that. He ended up having a stroke. Such a sweet animal had to go through so much pain. He kept meowing like he was in agony, but I was selfish.

I did not want to let him go. My grandparents and the doctor said the best thing to do is put him to sleep. I could not do that. I kept him near my bed, but he kept mov-ing and lying next to the litter box. He wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t drink and he constantly laid next to the litter box. I sat there next to him hearing him breathe. He looked at me and I knew what he was think-ing. I told him that it was ok. I understand if he has to leave me. The minute I said that, he only breathed once more then he died, so within a week of Mitten having a stroke, he died. I always believed that he was waiting for me to tell him it was ok to go even though he never needed my permission. I picked him up and held him as he was still alive and took him to the garage. I laid him down so gently and kissed his head. I wrapped him up in a towel because he felt so cold and I did not want him to be cold.

My grandparents did make me go to school the next day, can you be-lieve it?! I was so sad in school and I could not go anywhere to cry. For a day or so, after he died, I would go into the garage and hold him crying. Finally, we did bury him in our backyard. I did have a tomb-stone for him, but the rain washed the marker off.

For a while, afterwards, I was angry at God because he took Mit-ten away from me, but then I started to get closer to my dog and realized that God did give me my miracle. Mitten survived the first battle, but the second one was just too much. After he died, I would talk to him through God. I thought just because he’s not here, doesn’t mean he can’t still hear me. I still do talk to him every now and then and I always think about him. I have pictures of him that I keep near me and also I think of him every time I see a Russian Blue cat.

Now, if anyone ever tells you that you cannot have a pet as a best friend, tell them they are wrong. Pets can be just as good as friend as a human, maybe even better at some times and Mitten surviving for another year was the best Christmas present anyone could have ever given me. You don’t always get exactly what you want, but eventually you’ll know why it happened the way it hap-pened.

Heather Hampsey, the grand-daughter of Cliff & Marie Reese, was 23 years-old and a student at Rochester Institution of Technol-ogy (RIT) majoring in Psychology when she wrote this story.

A note from Amy Tyler, our Nursery Coordinator As Christmas Day approached, our family got together as part of our regular Holiday tradition to share in the joyous “day” with them. (But to us believers, we’re sharing the whole season!) We always exchange gifts. Nonie, who is an orderly person, enjoys when all the grandchildren open gifts one at a time. And if you are the first one done—well your patience really gets practiced! After watching the children open gifts with glowing faces, the adults share their gifts to one another. Most of us open our gifts and it moves forward wasting no time—except for Aunt Dena! Aunt Dena carefully removes the bow, then one piece of tape at time and unwraps the gift slowly and removes the box, then refolds all the wrapping paper very neatly—she likes to take her time, enjoying the anticipation and opening her gift to make the fun last.

This year I really felt as if God were dropping hints to me through Aunt Dena to treat each day like a special gift from God. It’s important to start the day by gently untying the bow, and as the day goes on, unwrap your gift slowly throughout the day and look for the small miracles that God blesses us with each and every day! May you all have a blessed New Year!

What Goes Into Your Stew? Pastor Linda Prell, Director of Pastoral Care

still fully His, and dedicated to serving him. What is so exciting is that He isn’t even close to being done with me.

We are each made uniquely different with varied l i fe experiences. No two people are exactly alike just as no two stews taste exactly the same. The important thing for us to remember is that we allow ourselves to continue to be developed by Jesus Christ. Like a stew cooking on the stove, sometimes we boil , sometimes we simmer, and there may even be times when the heat is turned off (by our own volition) and we just sit there in a type of suspended state. Even during those times, God is working on and in us. Sometimes we just don’t realize or recognize His Almighty presence. My advice is to turn the heat back on!!! Let us allow ourselves to be filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit so that all the things that make us so wonderfully special can be transformed into what God intended us to be, instead of just a bunch of different ingredients sitting in a stewpot on a cold stove. Go forth and be a wonderful source of spiritual nourishment for someone else.

Call Pastor Linda for your Pastoral Care needs at 457-9382.

type of stew filled with many different ingredients. That name is quite lengthy and I would much rather refer to myself simply as a Christian. Flawed, yes, but dedicated to trying to live my life more fully in God’s grace and mercy each day.

My “varied” church background has had its benefits. It has enabled me to more fully understand others of different faith walks which helps when engaged in conversations. It also aids me when I preside over the Ecumenical Christian Worship Celebrations at Elderwood Nursing Home. If I have learned anything, I hope it is tolerance, love, and compassion, for those who may believe differently from me. I hope I am able to enter into conversations with others with the spirit of Christ’s love always evident in my words, expressions, and mannerisms. Upon hearing of my “ecumenical” background, some eyebrows may rise slightly, but I know with assurance that our Lord has used every thing I have experienced to shape me into who I am today: a sinner saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. Even though I mess up on a daily basis, I am

Lately I have been pondering my Christian journey and the different experiences that God has used to help mold me into who I am today. It is kind of similar

to a stew recipe. In a stew there are many ingredients that are combined together and are then left to simmer as all the spices and ingredients cook together. Hours later we have a unique and hopefully delicious meal that we consume in order to nourish and strengthen our bodies.

My Christian journey has been similar to a stew simmering. I was baptized in the Presbyterian Church, and after moving when I was six, my family started attending a United Methodist Church where we stayed through my confirmation. During my years in the United Methodist Church, I also sang in the local Presbyterian Church’s Youth Choir. Occasionally I would attend 5:00 mass at the Catholic Church on Saturdays with my friends. In my mid-teens and early twenties I drifted away from the church and started a life journey without Jesus at the center of my life. (Big mistake folks!!) At the age of 23 and after the birth of my first child, I experienced an epiphany and turned back to God and the church. At that time I felt the presence of the Lord in a Fundamental Baptist church where I worshipped for quite a few years. Due to differing theological views, I found myself returning to my United Methodist roots where I continued to grow (or simmer) spiritually. If someone at that time were to ask me what “religious” denomination I was, I guess I w o u l d ha v e h a d t o s ay “PresbyMethoCathoBaptodist.” A


This hearty group of folks went Christmas Caroling for our Shut-Ins!

ccumc january magazine 2010

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