Messenger | December 26, 2024

 This week's release at a glance:

• Pastor’s Message
• Woods Church Crosses for Sale
• •Remember a Loved One this Holiday Season
• New Adult Education Class
• Winter Relief is Coming
  

Pastor's Message

Merry Christmas!!! One of the odd things about the Christmas season, of course, is that the cultural observance of Christmas essentially ends on December 25, when that is only the beginning of the Christian season of Christmas. As even the secular song says, there are actually twelve days of Christmas (though there is a surprising absence of partridges and pear trees, given the song). We celebrate the Incarnation of Christ from December 25 through January 5; January 6 is the holiday of Epiphany, on which we celebrate the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, which marks the start of a new season in church life. So this Sunday, December 29, is the first in the season of Christmas (and we will be celebrating Epiphany on Sunday, January 5, this year). I hope you will join us as consider “Jesus’ First Words” in the story of his visit to the Temple in Jerusalem as a boy.

Before we do that, though, I want to take the opportunity to thank all those who did so much to prepare the church for our Christmas Eve pageants and services. From those who decorated the Sanctuary so beautifully, to those who served as Greeters and Ushers to ensure a strong ministry of hospitality to all our visitors, to the dedicated folks who appeared in and organized the children’s pageants, to the singers in the choir, to crucial behind-the-scenes work, in so many ways, this could not have been the Christmas celebration it was without each and every one of you. THANK YOU for your faithfulness, service, leadership, and good will.

I also want to say a special thanks to our staff who played such a crucial role in supporting our members, leaders, and worship services this past week. We are blessed with an extraordinary team of dedicated, collaborative and servant-minded people on our church staff, and the hours and energy they spent on facilities prep and cleaning, special communications, bulletin production, music and worship planning, intergenerational connections, special pastoral care, and so much more helped ensure a very smooth, powerful, and well-attended season of special events during Advent and Christmas. It is truly a pleasure and an honor to work with each one of them.

I continue to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas, and hope to be with you in worship, either in person or online, this Sunday!

Peace and blessings,

—Pastor J.C.

Church News

Woods Church Crosses for Sale

Both small and large, gold and silver Woods Church crosses will be available for sale in the Fellowship Hall between services (10:30–11AM) on Sunday, December 15. You also may come to the church office Monday–Friday, 9AM–4PM, to make a purchase. These crosses are replicas of the forged iron cross hanging in our Sanctuary.

Questions? Contact Liz Pringle at 410.647.8914.

Visit the Columbarium of Your Loved One

Columbariums can be opened by calling the church ahead of time, or by stopping in during office hours.

You also can honor the memory of your loved one by visiting their columbarium from the comfort of your home. You can reflect, remember, and feel connected to their legacy. Our virtual Columbarium offers a serene space to pay tribute, leave a message, or spend a moment in remembrance.

Light a Virtual Candle to Honor Someone Special
this Holiday Season

This holiday season, take a moment to honor someone by lighting a virtual candle on our website. Whether it’s for a loved one, a cherished memory, or a meaningful cause, your gesture can illuminate their importance in your life.

Lighting a virtual candle is simple yet profound, creating a space for reflection and gratitude during this special time of year. Visit our website to light a candle and share the warmth of remembrance and celebration with others. Let your light shine brightly this holiday season!



Education & Small Groups

New Adult Education Class

Adult Education is offering a new study on Sundays, January 5–26, 11AM, featuring Which Way Lord by the Rev. Rob Fuquay. As Christians, we hunger to know and live out God's purpose for our lives. But how do we know for certain which way to go? This study aims to help you understand God’s direction for your life. Your guide for this journey is Paul, the missionary hero of early church history.

Through many detours, adversity, and time spent thinking about his life, Paul completely reoriented his understanding of faith and God’s purpose for his life. God placed Paul in a community that shared God’s love with him, and Paul underwent several years of training in his quest to follow Jesus and ultimately follow his call to be an apostle.

We will meet in the Office Conference Room and on Zoom. Books are in the office.

Youth News

Winter Break

Youth programming is on a break over the holidays. Confirmation Class and Youth Group will both return on Sunday, January 5, at their regular times.

Children's News

Save the Date for VBS!

Vacation Bible Study for all ages—smalls, talls, and all—will be held July 14–17, 4–7PM, with dinner at 6:30PM. More information coming in January!

Mission News

Winter Relief is Coming to Woods in January!

Winter Relief is coming January 20–27. Sign up to help after each Service in Fellowship Hall or online on on the Church website.

There are opportunities for meal prep, brown bag lunch prep, evening and overnight chaperones, drivers, shower escorts, Stephens Ministers, laundry support, youth volunteers, and snack donations.

Please help us help the homeless. If you want more information about Winter Relief and how you can help, contact Scott Wiley at 410.353.1491 or wilecoy2us@gmail.com. Thank you for helping with this important mission.



Winter Relief Supplies Needed

The Winter Relief Shelter at Woods needs various supplies. Please donate new travel size toiletries: deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes. (We do not need soap, conditioner, or combs or brushes.) The shelter also is in need of new men’s and women’s underwear including panties, undershirts and underpants of all sizes. (We do not need socks or men’s large underpants at this time.)

The items can be dropped off at the church office marked “Scott Wiley/Winter Relief.”



Trip to Greece to Walk in the Steps of Paul

We invite all interested parties to commit to joining us on an eight-day pilgrimage to Greece in late October 2025 to visit the places where St. Paul sought to spread Christianity in the first century AD. The deadline for committing to our pilgrimage is December 31—an extension from the original December 1 deadline. Click here for the itinerary details, reservation amounts, and where to mail your reservation checks.

Contact Elder Bill Hadley with any questions.



Information Session for Malawi Summer 2025 Mission Trip

Join us on Sunday, January 12, 10:30AM, in Founders Room to learn about mission trip details, ask questions, and meet the team leaders. Over the past several years, dozens of Woods members have traveled to Africa to learn from and support our mission partner, Ministry of Hope. We would love to have you join us! Trip dates are still being formulated, and we welcome your input.

For more information, please contact Pat Johnson at paj10041949@gmail.com or Karen Bennett at MDKBennett@gmail.com.

Music Ministry

2025 Music Notes

Mark your calendars today for these 2025 Music Ministry events.

• Squisto’s Music Fundraiser | Thursdays, January 23, February 20, March 20, 4–9PM
• Coffee House | Saturday February 8 (FREE!)
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Show dates are March 28–30 & April 4–6. Tickets are $20 and will available in the New Year.
• A Night at The Opera | Saturday May 10, dinner starts at 6PM. Tickets are $25 and will be available in the New Year.
• A Journey to Hope Concert | Saturday June 7, 7PM. (FREE but a reservation will be required.)
  

A Moment of Prayer

Gracious and Loving God, as we approach the day of Christ’s birth, help us to throw wide the doors of our hearts in preparation. Help us to remember the words of Mary, the angels and shepherds, and the prophets who proclaimed your plan of salvation long before, and to celebrate all the promises that you made through each of them. Help us to take firm hold of the meaning of all these things, to ponder them in our hearts as Mary did, and to know that even now you are seeking to work in us and through us to fulfill the promises you have made. Through Christ our Lord we pray.



Amen.