Dear Centenary Church Family:

This Sunday at Centenary: December 13, 2009
The Third Sunday of Advent / Annual Sunday School Pageant

9:00 AM – Adult Study – The Best Songs Come at Night (Sunshine Room)
9:00 AM – Sunday School Pageant Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
10:15 AM – Worship
Starry Night, Noisy Night
A Christmas Musical for Children
Written by Ruth Elaine Schram and Scott Schram
Presented by our Centenary Sunday School Children, Youth & Teachers
Lectionary Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-20 Philippians 4:4-7
Isaiah 12:2-6 Luke 3:7-18
Celebration of Found Coins: Centenary Children’s Ministries
11:30 AM – Fellowship Time (Room 20)
11:45 AM – Junior Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)
12:00 Noon – Ying Yu Swatzel Shower (Sunshine Room)
6:30 PM – Carol Sing and Cookie Exchange (Sanctuary & Room 20)
Reminder for Pageant Participants:
Pageant Rehearsals: Saturday, December 12, from 1:00-3:00 PM
and Sunday, December 13, at 9:00 AM.

Food Collection—Sunday, December 13
Please bring cereals, staple food items in plastic jars or cans, and paper products to share with senior residents in Perth Amboy. We and they are deeply grateful for your generous sharing.
Special Appeal for Diapers and Infant/Toddler Food for Amandla Crossing: Your assistance is needed to provide diapers (sizes #4, #5 (especially) & #6…and pull-ups) and infant & toddler food for children at Amandla Crossing. Please bring the items to Centenary and leave them in the boxes provided in the Narthex. Thank you. —Your Mission Committee

Come and Celebrate
the arrival of
Karina Li Swatzel
When: Sunday, 13 December 2009
Where: Sunshine Room of Centenary UMC
Time: 12:00 Noon

Given with Joy and Love by
The Women of Centenary UM Church

Celebration of Found Coins for Sunday, December 13:
Centenary’s Children’s Ministries Program

Your special gifts on December 13, when our children present their annual Christmas Pageant will provide additional resources for our ministries with children, over and above our annual ministries budget.

CAROLS & COOKIES
Sunday, December 13th
6:30 PM
at
Centenary United Methodist Church
200 Hillside Avenue
Metuchen, NJ 08840

An old-fashioned “carol sing”
in the Sanctuary followed by
refreshments
and a “cookie exchange”

Tired of wondering whether the weather will be fine for caroling out-of-doors? Bring your voices and a batch of your favorite cookies to our warm, dry Sanctuary. Join our musicians in singing songs of the season. Stay after the caroling for refreshments and the cookie exchange!

A free-will offering will be accepted.
Proceeds will help support the CUMC Music Ministry.

T.G.I.F. Christmas Party—Friday, December 11th @ 6:30 PM at The Barge in Perth Amboy. For directions call Michael Savoia at 732-826-1921. If you have not signed up in the Narthex, please call Michael or Cathy Savoia by this evening (Thursday) so reservations can be made. All are welcome to attend. Donations or a barrel offering will be accepted for Children’s Ministries.

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
PECANS AND OTHER GOODIES
The boxes with pecans, cashews, pistachios, candies, and trail mix are on a table in the hallway across from the Church Office. The prices are on the cartons and there is a blue money box on the table for you to place your cash or checks. Checks should be made payable to “Centenary United Methodist Women.” If you are not comfortable leaving cash or checks in the box, please see Sylvia Woodfield after Worship. The box is checked a couple of times a week and cash removed. The profit from the sale of these items will go to the Church Budget.

2010 Offering Envelopes Are Available
Weekly offering envelopes for 2010 are available on a table in the Hallway outside Room 20. Please check the boxes and take your packet of envelopes (arranged alphabetically) home with you…and please take a packet for a neighbor or friend, if you see it still there. Mailing out these offering envelopes costs quite a bit per set, so by taking them with you, you assist us greatly in reducing mailing costs ($2.00 per box set!). If you do not find a packet of envelopes with your name on them and wish to have a set, please notify the Church Office, and Sue Brownlow, our Financial Secretary, will prepare a set for your use. We encourage everyone to use these envelopes to share their gifts with the church as it makes it much easier for our financial teams to maintain accurate giving records throughout the year. Thank you.

Have You Returned Your 2010 Financial Commitment Card?
The financial support of everyone at Centenary is imperative if we are to meet our ministry and mission goals for 2010. If you have returned your Financial Commitment Card indicating your pledge for the coming year, thank you. If you have yet to return your Commitment Card indicating your intention to share from your resources, we request that you do so as soon as possible. Additional Commitment Cards are available from the ushers during Worship each Sunday, and from the Church Office. Thank you for your faithful support of our shared ministry.

The 2010 Deluxe Christian Family Appointment Calendars
for Centenary United Methodist Church
are available in the Hallway Outside Pastor’s Study
Please pick up a copy for your use at home or work, and you may want to take an extra calendar or two to share with neighbors and friends. We are grateful to Costello-Runyon Funeral Home for again providing these beautiful calendars to the congregation.

O Come, All Ye Faithful!

Celebrate the Birth of Jesus the Christ at Centenary
Thursday, December 24, 2009
7:00 PM — Christmas Eve Service of Carols and Candlelight
Special Children’s Message by Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight
Junior Choir, Congregational Carols and Candle lighting
Preacher: John D Painter Theme: The Man Who Hated Christmas
11:00 PM — Christmas Eve Service of Carols, Candlelight and Holy Communion
Chancel Choir, Congregational Carols and Candle lighting
Preacher: John D Painter Theme: The Man Who Hated Christmas
Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7 Titus 2:11-14
Psalm 96 Luke 2:1-20

Some Thoughts for This Week

[T]he most significant event in the whole course of human history will be celebrated…at the end of this season, Advent. – J. B. Phillips

Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for — because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything. – Peter Marshall

Happiness consists of a solid faith, good health, and a bad memory. – Clare Boothe Luce

The mystery of love is that the more you give, the more remains within you.

“Just living isn’t enough,” said the butterfly, “one must also have freedom, sunshine, and a little flower.” – Hans Christian Anderson

Money can buy happiness only when you spend it on someone else.

Hatred is never anything but fear – if you feared no one, you would hate no one. – Hugh Downs

Be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. – Muriel Spark

Pray to God but row to shore. – Proverb

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. – William Arthur Ward

I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do. – Helen Keller

The secret of life is that all that we have and are is a gift of grace to be shared. – Lloyd John Ogilvie

True expressions of love are said to come from a source which lies beneath words and thoughts. – W. Timothy Gallwey

We cannot love God unless we love each other. – Dorothy Day

Before strongly desiring anything, we should look carefully into the happiness of its present owner. – Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the right to do the same. – Voltaire

Real maturity is the ability to imagine the humanity of every person as fully as you believe in your own humanity. – Tobias Wolff

Next Sunday at Centenary: December 20, 2009
The Fourth Sunday of Advent

9:00 AM – Adult Study – The Best Songs Come at Night (Sunshine Room)
10:15 AM – Worship & Sunday School (Pre-K through Grade 6)
An Advent Cantata: Candles & Carols: A Service of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love
by Mark Hayes & Pamela Martin
with Chancel Choir, Instrumental Ensemble, and Congregational Singing
Lectionary Readings: Micah 5:2-5a Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:46b-55 Luke 1:39-45
Celebration of Found Coins: Centenary Music Ministry
11:30 AM – Fellowship Time (Room 20)
11:45 AM – Junior Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)
12:00 Noon – Confirmation Class (Youth Room)
Prayer for the Week of December 13: With a laughing heart and joyous hope, I come to you, O God. With a tired soul and withered dreams, I come to you, O God. In my joy and in my sorrow, I turn to you, O God. Renew me with your love. Gather me into your strong embrace, that I may know your presence and rejoice in your promised coming. With hopeful expectation, I pray. Amen. (Based on Zephaniah 3:14-20 & Isaiah 12:2-6)

I look forward to sharing with many of you in Study, Worship and Christian Fellowship this Sunday morning at Centenary.

In Christ’s Love, Pastor John