Pastor Penny Ellwood's eNote Friday, December 18, 2015 - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Blue Springs of Blue Springs, Missouri, United States

Pastor Penny Ellwood's eNote Friday, December 18, 2015 - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Blue Springs of Blue Springs, Missouri, United States

Friday, December 18, 2015
Dear Resurrection Blue Springs,
It's nearly here! Can you feel the anticipation of Christmas growing as we approach these final days of preparation? I am excited for this afternoon. We'll be joining friends from our Downtown campus as we help host the Christmas parties at Wendell Phillips Elementary, one of our partner school in the city. We will be carpooling from the church parking lot at 1:30 pm this afternoon, if you'd like to join us. We can always use extra hands. It's going to be fun to share the excitement of Christmas with these children.
This Sunday is our 4th and final Sunday of Advent. Pastor Scott Chrostek, our Resurrection Downtown campus pastor will be preaching as we continue our sermon series on The Promises of Christmas. Sunday we'll be focusing on Advent from the Other Side. We’ll be taking a look at Joseph’s experience of Christmas and God’s mercy. Then on Monday evening we will be hosting a very special evening of worship to coincide with The Longest Night (Winter Solstice). It will be an evening full of music, reflection and prayer. This service is for all needing a moment of peace and quiet in themidst of all the preparations of travel, welcoming guests, wrapping gifts, cooking special goodies, and tying up loose ends at work. it is also a special time set aside for those for whom this season is particularly difficult. It is to remind us of God’s power to push back the darkness in our lives in order to bring about healing and redemption.
Then on Thursday we hold our Christmas eve services. This year we will offer four Candlelight Christmas eve services at 3, 5, 7 and 11 pm. The services will all include beautiful music, Pastor Adam's Christmas message, an opportunity to help children in poverty around the world and right here in KC, plus the cherished tradition of passing the light of Christ. The 3 pm service will also include a children's introduction of the Christmas story and the 11 pm service will include Holy Communion. If you are a longtime part of the Resurrection Blue Springs family, please help us make room for guests by attending the 7 and 11 pm services. Our earlier service times tend to be the most popular with families. Also, please park in the farther parts of the parking lot and sit toward the front and middle of the rows so the prime seats are available for our guests. We want our guests to feel welcome and make it easy for them to find a place.
Then don’t forget that we’ll have only one worship service on December 27th at 10:45 am. You can come in your pj’s or your new Christmas attire, we don’t care. We just want to have one more opportuntity after all the craziness of Christmas has subsided a bit to hear the words of scripture concerning Christ's birth one last time and to sing the carols of Christmas with our whole family gathered together.
One last thing, as we celebrate Jesus's birth in the stable of Bethlehem this coming week, I want to remind you of the trip we have planned to the Holy Land in November of 2016. This might be the perfect Christmas present for someone in your life. Bill and I hope to take many of you there with us as we pilgrimage to visit Jesus' birth place and many of the sites where he walked and taught.
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A thank you to those who donated poinsettias in honor or memory of someone.
Our beautiful poinsettias were donated by:
Donna Abernathey in honor of Shirley Harter, Mary Slack, Lucille Abernathey, Myron Abernathy and Johnie Abernathey.
Stephanie Boscarino in honor of her parents.
John and Judy Davis in memory of Jennifer Ware
Tom and Sherree Gorman in memory of Rev. William Gorman.
Tom and Kathy Guzinski in memory of Richard Anderson and Daniel Guzinski.
Janet and Ann Jeffrey. Love for my Delbert and Dad. We miss you.
Ceri Anne Lewis. For all the people who have reached out to make me feel welcome.
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Take a look at what's coming up:

• JOY in Serving - Make an impact in Kansas City with opportunities to joyfully offer yourselves in serving. Help to transform the barbershop at Hope Faith Ministries into Santa's Shop Saturday, Dec. 19. Provide food for the meal and/or Serve at Lazarus Table Saturday, January 2. Learn more about the JOY in serving holiday opportunities here.
• The Longest Night Worship Service – Monday, Dec. 21, 7 pm. For many people, Christmas is a time of loneliness, sorrow, alienation or sadness. This worship service is offered on the winter’s solstice, the darkest 24 hours of the year, as a way for people to find a quiet, beautiful space to claim those feelings and still feel surrounded by the compassionate love of God.
• Serve for Christmas Eve Worship Christmas Eve worship is a time when many people find their way back to church or come for the first time. We have the opportunity to welcome and encourage them. Please consider serving at one of our four worship services. To serve as a greeter, usher, Guest Services volunteer, parking lot attendee, hospitality volunteer or help distribute candles, sign up at Guest Services or contact Stephanie.Weigel@cor.org. To serve in the nursery, email Caitlin.Willis@cor.org.
• Help Welcome Christmas Visitors We want tell our many Christmas Eve visitors, “thanks for visiting” by delivering a Resurrection coffee mug to their door. It takes less than 60 seconds, but the difference a personal welcome makes is powerful and long-lasting. Sign up at Guest Services, or you can just pick up mugs from the counter in the office after the service you attend on Candlelight Christmas Eve to deliver to someone who lives near you with a smile and a warm welcome!
• miniMusic – Wednesdays, Jan. 6 – Feb. 24, 6:30-7 pm. This 8-week class for toddler – pre-K children is designed to encourage early learning and creativity through the sheer joy of music and movement. During the class, children will learn rhythm, pitch, movement, dance and games. We need at least one parent or guardian to stay in the class with your child(ren). Cost $10/child. Sign up here or at Guest Services on Sunday. 
• TGIF (Thank GOD it’s Friday) is a fun, interactive program for children kindergarten – 5th grade, Fridays, Jan. 8 – Feb. 26, 6:30-8 pm; $10 per child. Children will have worship, games, snacks, crafts, mission projects and build lasting friendships with God and each other. Sign up here or at Guest Services. 
• Listen to My Life – Wednesdays at 6:30 pm, Jan. 6 – March 16 (no class Feb. 10, Ash Wednesday). Small group opportunity for women to review your past, assess your present and discover how to joyfully and courageously to walk with God into your future. Create visual maps and share within a trusted circle as you learn more about yourself and God’s care for you in the various seasons of your life. Connect to your story as part of a much larger story of purpose, and launch into new and intentional ways of living out your God-given story. Class will meet at Pastor Penny’s home unless childcare is required. Sign up here or at Guest Services. 
• Financial Peace University – Wednesdays at 6:30 pm, Jan. 6 – March 9 (no meeting Feb. 10). This life-changing 9-week program on personal finance empowers better money management through biblically based strategies. Taught via entertaining video by best-selling author Dave Ramsey along with small group interaction. Cost for the materials is approximately $100 per family unit and includes a complete kit of FPU materials. Order course materials and sign up for childcare at cor.org/bluesprings/fpu.
• Parenting Teenagers – Sundays 6-7:30 pm, Jan. 10 – Feb. 7. Parenting teenagers can be harder than ever for parents today. The aim of The Parenting Teenagers Course is to equip parents and caregivers to build a healthy relationship with the teens while guiding them into adulthood – plus it helps to discover we are not alone in the challenges we face. Come join other parents of teens to commiserate and learn new strategies for parenting teens well. Sign up here or at Guest Services.
• Confirmation classes forming for Jan. 2016 – Confirmation is an important step in a student’s faith journey. Please let us know if you have a 7th-grader (or older) who would like to join our January class. Sign up at Guest Services or email Heather.Sooley@cor.org.
• Year-End Contributions and Deductions – To be deductible in 2015, contributions must be physically received at Resurrection or postmarked by Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015. Or you may place your check in the offering plate during December worship services, or deliver donations to one of our Resurrection office's by Wednesday, Dec. 31 (office open9 am – 1 pm). You may also donate online through Resurrection Access no later than 11:59 pm CDT, Wednesday, Dec. 30, or through PayPal no later than 11:59 pm CDT,Thursday, Dec. 31.
• If you haven’t had the chance to turn in your 2016 annual giving commitment card, please place it in the offering plate, or fill one out online at cor.org/give, click on Annual Giving.

Christmas Calendar and Office Times:
Dec. 21 7 pm The Longest Night – An Evening of Worship
Dec. 24 3, 5, 7 & 11 pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Services
Dec. 25 Office Closed
Dec. 27 10:45 am Worship Service | No 9 am Service
Dec. 28 Office Closed
Dec. 31 9 am - 1 pm Office Hours
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I look forward to spending this weekend with you in service and in worship. I hope you'll invite friends and join us.
Abundant Blessings,
Pastor Penny
For our Resurrection Blue Springs Campus Calendar: click here
Contact Our Staff
Church Office Phone: (816) 389-8900
Rev. Penny Ellwood, Campus Pastor penny.ellwood@cor.org
Mike Ash, Worship Leader/Director of Community mike.ash@cor.org
Diane Enlow, Director of Children's Ministry diane.enlow@cor.org
Riley Ledford, Technical Producer riley.ledford@cor.org
Heather Sooley, Operations Coordinating Assistant heather.sooley@cor.org
Stephanie Weigel, Guest Services Coordinating Assistant stephanie.weigel@cor.org
Caitlin Willis, Nursery Coordinator caitlin.willis@cor.org
Lori Wolverton, Nursery Staff lori.wolverton@cor.org

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Blue Springs
601 NE Jefferson Street

Blue Springs, Missouri 64014, United States
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