Worship this Sunday, November 26
First Families – Betrayal and Blessing
Worship Leader: Brian Martin Burkholder
Song Leader: Jeremy Nafziger
Preacher: Jennifer Davis Sensenig
Children’s Story: Anna Bishop
Pastoral Prayer: Jason Gerlach
Prelude/Offertory: Carol Snell-Feikema
Scripture: Genesis 40-41
Bulletin: 112617-bulletin.docx
Upcoming CMC Events
Sun, Dec 10 Congregational Meeting, 12 noon, meal provided
Tues, Dec. 19 Monthly Gathering, Intergenerational Hymn Sing
Sun, Dec. 24 Worship, 10 am, No Sunday School
Sun, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Service, 6 pm
Sun, Dec. 31 Christmas Breads, 8:30 am, Worship, 10 am
CMC Events and Announcements
Church office closed for Thanksgiving. Please note that the church office will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24.
Middle East Gift Items for Order on November 26. Dorothy Jean Weaver will be setting out Middle East gift items for order on Sunday, November 26 after worship, and during and after Sunday School. Items include hand-painted ceramic plates, bowls, and mugs; olive wood trivets, jewelry boxes, trays, salad forks and spoons, and Christmas ornaments; mirrors framed by olive wood and ceramic tiles; etc. Shipping will add 33% to in-store prices. Payment is at time of order. Please bring your checkbook. Thanks so much for supporting a hardworking Bethlehem shopkeeper!
CMC Congregational Meeting on December 10. CMC's annual congregational meeting will be on Sunday, December 10 following Sunday school. Lunch and childcare will be provided.
No Potluck in December. Please note that because of the congregational meeting and meal on December 10, we will not be having a potluck in December.
CMC Lost and Found. Please check the Lost and Found bin under the church mailboxes in the Fellowship Hall for any item/s that you may have left behind. As of December 1, all remaining items will be taken to Gift and Thrift.
Advent Devotionals. Please take a look at the selection of advent devotionals on the shelf in the back of the sanctuary. You are welcome to take these home to use with your family during this advent season.
Sunday School Connection. Below is a weekly note for families of children (age 4 and up) who use the Shine curriculum. Each Sunday you will find faith nurture ideas that coordinate with the weekly session plans.
Faith Talk. Genesis 39–45: “Joseph forgives” Here are some ways to nurture faith at home based on this week’s story. (1) Read Genesis 45:4–8. According to Joseph, what role did God play in his life? (2) Draw pictures of Joseph’s dreams. See Genesis 41:1–7. (3) Joseph decided not to seek revenge. Tell about a time you decided against getting even.
Did you know? The cows in Pharaoh’s dream came up out of the Nile. Look at a map of Africa. What tributaries feed the Nile? White Nile, Blue Nile, and Atbara River in East Africa
Prayer for the week: God, your love brings us back when we have done wrong. Show us the way to live. Amen.
Children’s Bible Memory Passage This Quarter: Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgements are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord. Psalm 36:5–6
Becoming a CMC Member. If CMC is your church home and you worship with us regularly, we encourage you to become a member so that you can participate in formal decision-making, be eligible for various leadership roles and so that our records match reality. Like most congregations, we have an ongoing membership list that we update annually. We also annually renew membership with CMC in our Covenant Renewal in January. Members are persons who have been baptized and shared their confession of faith in Jesus Christ with the congregation. We'll have Sundays for receiving new members in November and January. If you would like to discuss becoming a member of CMC, please contact one of your pastors. Pastoral Team.
2-Liter Bottles Wanted: Mira Yoder is in need of empty 2-L bottles for a science project. If you have some, would you bring them to church, please?
Host Family for Eastern Mennonite School Student. A host family is needed for 2nd semester for a student from Bogotá, Colombia who is a senior at EMHS. Please contact the CMC office for more information or contact EMS directly at 236-6000.
Volunteers Needed. Aliese Gingerich is teaching a 3rd grade social studies class at Waterman and is looking for extra hands each day the week after Thanksgiving, 12:
Hark! A Walking Roots Band Christmas. Mark your calendars for the Walking Roots Band's Christmas CD release show on Dec. 10 at 6 PM here at CMC. Last year's Christmas show at CMC was the first ever for TWRB, and it was so much fun they turned it into an album! Hark! A Walking Roots Band Christmas features classic Christmas hymns, new arrangements of old Christmas texts, and brand-new original TWRB Christmas songs. Doors open at 5:30 PM for snacks and CD sales, but don't wait to claim your copy of the new album. Pre-orders are going fast via Kickstarter: http://kck.st/
DoveTale. Fun for the whole family, DoveTale will be performed at EMU's Lehman Auditorium Sunday, Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. Written 20 years ago by CMCs Ted Swartz and Lee Eshleman, together with Ingrid DeSanctis, this warm, moving and hilarious account of the Christmas story will create a lasting memory. The show — in honor of EMU's centennial celebrations and Lee Eshleman — is a benefit for EMU's student financial aid through its University Fund. As CMCers, you know and love Ted Swartz and many have cherished memories of Lee. In addition, newer CMC member Braydon Hoover will be playing the part of the Angel Gabriel. Please join the celebration, reflection and special memories! Entry of $15 at the door per adult is suggested with freewill offering also taking place. Questions? Contact dev-events@emu.edu. Doors open at 6:45. No pre-ticket sales available.
CMC Senior Christmas Potluck. Christmas is a busy time, so we want you to be able to mark your calendars early. We are planning for the seniors Christmas potluck on Thursday, December 14 at 6:00 pm in the church fellowship hall, followed by a time of singing Christmas carols. Meat and drink will be provided. Please note the change: we are meeting on December 14 and NOT on December 12. We will be back with a reminder and more details in the future. This is the 4th or 5th year we have had a Christmas potluck and singing together, which everyone seems to enjoy. –Seniors Planning Committee
AUTUMN LEAVES us with lots of 'good stuff' depicted on the newest photo collage up and running on the bulletin board on the west side of the fellowship hall – four baptisms, an "All Saints Day" candle-lighting ceremony and CMC youngsters enjoying Sunday school. Next to it, a photo flashback to EMU's Homecoming and Centennial Weekend, Oct. 13-15, where Community folks were deeply involved in the myriad activities that contributed to the success of this celebrative and historic event. In addition, a vintage "Virginia Ham" column from Mennonite Weekly (World) Review reflecting on Thanksgiving has also been posted. Come and see . . .
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE over yonder on the east wall of the fellowship hall as Mr. Peabody sets his Wayback Machine for Nov., 2012 and transports viewers to CMC's "Purposeful Plan Worship Series" on reconciliation, Christian formation and a celebration of community. Another poster goes back even farther to a Nov. 21, 2010 service on "The Tribe" (remember when . . . ?). –Jim Bishop
Events and Announcements from the Broader Community
EMU's Centennial History by Donald Kraybill, Eastern Mennonite University: A Century of Countercultural Education, is available through EMU at a special cost of $19.99. Makes a great Christmas gift for someone on your list! emu.edu/book
Thanksgiving Day Service. The annual area Thanksgiving Day Service will be Thurs, Nov. 23 at Trissels Mennonite Church (11246 Hisers Lane, Broadway), beginning with fellowship and refreshments at 9:30am. Service at 10am will include hymns of thanksgiving, brief meditation by Jim Musser, and time of open sharing of thanks. An offering for Mennonite Disaster Service will be received; Rich Rhodes from the MDS Shenandoah Valley Unit will share updates on MDS’ current work.
Shop Ten Thousand Villages. Beginning Saturday, Nov. 25 through Saturday, Dec. 9 if you shop at Ten Thousand Villages, Harrisonburg you can also support a number of local organizations. Some of these include, Patchwork Pantry, NewBridges, Bridge of Hope, and Our Community Place. Just mention the organization you'd like to donate to at check out and 15% of your purchase will be donated. Please consider supporting artisans around the world as well as these local organizations.
Advent/Christmas Hymn Sing, Martin Chapel, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Dec. 2 at 4 PM. The Advent season is an important time in the Christian calendar. A time of waiting, stillness, darkness, and hope, Advent is the pre-dawn calm just before the brilliant light of Christmas. Join us for an afternoon of singing songs of Christmas and Advent, celebrating the waiting and the promise of Immanuel — God with us. Ken Nafziger and others lead this hymn sing in the beautiful Martin Chapel at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. A free-will offering will be received to support the mission and vision of the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center. 1200 Park Rd., Harrisonburg, VA 22802. www.vbmhc.org/events-
Water is Life Rally. There will be a rally in Richmond on December 2 in protest of the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines. Bus transportation has been arranged to travel from Harrisonburg to Richmond and back. Would you like a seat on the bus? The cost of the round trip bus trip is FREE thanks to the Virginia chapter of Sierra Club (please remember them in your year-end giving). The Harrisonburg bus will depart from the JMU Memorial Hall parking lot at 9:00am on December 2 and return to the same location at 7:00pm on that day. If you would like to reserve a seat on the bus to Richmond, please click on this link: Eventbrite.
Christmas Coffeehouse Concert. Shekinah and Cantore (women’s and men’s vocal groups) warmly invite you to their annual Christmas coffeehouse concert with refreshments and festive music at 7 pm on Friday and Saturday, December 8 and 9, at Park View Mennonite Church. Admission is by donation (suggested $8), and proceeds will benefit Our Community Place.
Christmas at CrossRoads. Christmas is a busy season, so mark your calendars now and come out to Christmas at CrossRoads on Dec. 9 from 2 pm to 6 pm. This is a wonderful event for children, families, and people of all ages. Enjoy breath-taking views of the Shenandoah Valley and lots of fun activities on the beautiful 24-acre hilltop campus. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students age 6 – college, and FREE for children 5 and under. Proceeds benefit the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center.
Calling all Gingerbread Architects! Get out your blueprints and square your angles…the Great Gingerbread House Contest is on at Christmas at CrossRoads. Bring your Gingerbread House to the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center before Dec. 9 to be judged at Christmas at CrossRoads. Houses will be judged for Decoration, Design, and general Delightfulness. Drop off submissions at 1921 Heritage Center Way, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 next to Harrisonburg High School and across from Bluestone Elementary School.
Christmas Lessons and Carols. Eastern Mennonite University invites you to Christmas Lessons and Carols, December 11 at 7 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium. This classic service features Christian scriptures, university choirs, congregational singing and the premier of a choral piece from composer, Gwyneth Walker. A free-will offering for the EMU compassion fund will be received. Everyone is welcome.
Shenandoah Valley Choral Society Concert. The Shenandoah Valley Choral Society, led by Curtis Nolley, presents its annual Christmas concert on Friday, December 15, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 17 at 3:00 p.m. at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren. The concert will feature G. F. Handel's “Messiah” accompanied by the SVCS Chamber orchestra, and guest soloists. The second half of the concert includes a variety of new and traditional carol settings, and will feature the premier of a new carol by local composer John G. Barr. Tickets are available at the door, locally from Choral Society members, Red Front Supermarket(Harrisonburg), Bridgewater Foods (Bridgewater), and on-line at www.singshenandoah.org. Admission is $15 for adults/$12 for seniors and students.
Longest Night Service. Trinity Presbyterian Church will hold a Longest Night service on Dec. 21 at 7pm. This is a service designed to offer space to name and hold in prayer our losses and struggles during the Advent and Christmas season, and to share the deep peace of Christ in the midst of the busyness.
