Unity News Volume 8, Issue 50 December 18, 2014 Christmas Eve Wednesday, December 24 4:00 p.m. Family Service: Children’s Choirs will provide music Nurseries provided for up to 5 years old, NO CIW 6:00 p.m. Musical Service: Chancel Choir will provide music Nurseries provided for up to 5 years old, NO CIW 11:00 p.m. Candlelight Service: NO nurseries or CIW programs Communion served by intinction Communion will be served at all three services. Gluten-free bread will be offered in the Narthex for all 3 services. This year both the Sanctuary and the Historic Sanctuary will be open for the 4:00 and 6:00 Christmas Eve services. We are offering these choices so you may experience a more intimate and meaningful worship experience. Communion will be served in both locations. The worship service will be streamed live into the Historic Sanctuary on two televisions so that everyone will be worshiping simultaneously. Offering Christmas Eve services in both locations will allow families the option of sitting comfortably together instead of having to split up, since there will be so many more seats available. United in Christ’s love, we glorify God through worship, nurture, and Sunday Morning December 21 2014 8:45 am Worship Service 10:00 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship Service Prayers of Concern David Angel Tree Gifts A very big thank you to everyone who participated in the angel tree this year. We were able to give gifts to 28 families, and this included bags of food for a holiday meal. Gift cards were given to our two RAIN teams to give to their care partners, as well as bags of food. Gift cards were given to Family Promise families who have been guests in our church during the year. Your generosity is much appreciated by the folks that received these gifts. Sincere thank you’s, Christmas cards and hugs were given, when the presents were given to them. Choate Monk Case Gwen Perry Buddy Culp Dot Hollis Pat Pope Sue Jones Beth Detar James McGregor Carol Herring Please continue to remember those with special needs. Christmas Concert by the Renaissance Singers of Charlotte Unity Presbyterian Church is hosting the Renaissance Singers of Charlotte for their “Christmas in the City” Concert on Sunday, December 21, at 4:00 PM in the Sanctuary. Please join us for a program filled with Yuletide favorites including O Magnum Mysterium by Lauridsen, Wassail Song of Gloucestershire, arr. by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Noel We Sing by Louis-Claude Daquin and Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day by John Gardner, in addition to works by Bach, Rutter and Goldschmidt. The Renaissance Singers will invite you to join your voices with theirs as great carols lift spirits and warm our hearts. Founded in 2002, Renaissance is a select group of about three dozen singers committed to presenting high-quality choral music to Charlotte and the surrounding region. We are delighted to welcome them to the Fort Mill area. An offering will be taken in lieu of tickets, which normally cost $15 – 20 per person. For more information, please visit http://www.singers-renaissance.org. Sunday, December 28, at 10:00 a.m. is our December Congregational covered dish Breakfast. Please bring any cookies, etc. that you have around the house from Christmas. Please join your Unity family during the Sunday School hour in the Fellowship Hall, as we begin to look forward to the new year. The Health Ministries Team will be offering blood pressure checks between services just prior to the Congregational Breakfast. We will be in room M210, right behind the Fellowship Hall. We hope to see you there! ♦ ♦ ♦ Christian Sympathy is extended to: Linda Weaver in the death her father, Ray Cochran, on December 10 in Abington, VA. Nancy Barbieri in the death of her mother, Maud Nims, On December 13. Ken and Ellen Barrett in the death of her son, Frans Bogardus, on December 11 in NY. What’s Happening in Christian Education? YOUTH No youth group Dec 21, 28 and Jan 4 – Merry Christmas! Youth group resumes on Sunday, January 11 What is GOD calling you to do? Summer Youth Trips The Ministry Teams of Christian Education are looking for people to serve in a number of capacities beginning in January: June 21-26 – registration deadline January 11 Middle School (completed 6th-8th grades) Asheville Youth Mission June 27-July 3 – registration deadline February 1 High School (completed 9th-12th grades) Urban Mission Camp in Mobile, AL July 9-12 – registration deadline February 1 Middle School (completed 6th-8th grades) Massanetta Middle School Conference July 12-18 – registration deadline January 11 High School (completed 9th-12th grades) Montreat Youth Conference All trip information, costs, and registration information is on the church website at: http://unityfortmill.org/youth-ministries Adult Sunday school Teachers Children in Worship Children’s Ministry Team Christian Education Ministry Team Nursery Sunday School Vacation Bible School Please contact Kathryn McGregor at [email protected] or 547-5543 to indicate the ministry(s) in which you would like to serve.. ADULTS Free Workshops - Check out E3: Educating, Equipping and Empowering God’s People for Ministry Workshops January 11, 2015 at Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church There are workshops for leaders in all ministry areas of the church. Two Unity people, Susan Bullard and Kathryn McGregor, will be leading workshops. For more information and to register online at http://www.providencepres.org/e3_registration_2015.aspx. Sunday School – Sunday mornings at 10:00 am Fellowship Holy Grounds Koinonia Feasting on the Word Upper Room Fellowship Hall Fellowship Hall Parlor Room M210 Unity Hall Room M321 Advent study: “Not a Silent Night” Fellowship & Devotions Advent study of Handel’s Messiah 12/21 – Luke 1:26-38 Year-long study of Hebrews Unity News page 2 Merry Christmas! We hope that your Christmas/New Year's plans will include helping with our Family Promise program. Even if you are not in town to serve as a Meal/ Overnight Host during this busy time of year, we have several supply requests that can be dropped off at the church (Fellowship Hall Kitchen or Church Office) during the next two weeks and we can always use your prayers. Unity has the pleasure of serving as the host church for Family Promise of York County families during the week of December 28 - January 4. We need many volunteers for the many different service opportunities that it takes to host the families. We use SignUp Genius to sign-up volunteers. If you have trouble using Sign-Up Genius, please just e -mail or call Linda (547-9898) and she will sign you up. *The link for Meal Host/Overnight Host/Set-Up Host is: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d49aeab28a02-mealovernightset3 *The link for Transportation Host/Linen Washer/Grocery Shopper/Supply Provider is: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d49aeab28a02-volunteer4 Family Promise currently has three families in the program (4 adults and 8 children). We will provide more detailed information on our families as we get closer to our hosting week to allow appropriate planning for meals. We appreciate everything that you do for this outreach program! Yours in Christ, Linda Bunge, Anne Weeks, Brenda Mullis, Allison Wyndham and Susan Ballmer Hosting Dates for 2015: April 5 - April 12 July 12 - July 19 October 18 - October 25 Attendance December 14, 2014 8:45 11:00 Sunday School Visitors JANUARY BIRTHDAYS 1-Michelle Batchelor, Jill Brooks, Gabriella Campbell 2-Maddy Cost, Paula Jackson, Harrison Lancaster, Bruce Marshall, Ronda Williams 3-Colby Hice, Grant Kessler, Mary Sue McGrath, Trudie Robertson 4-Chris Cost, Helen Hefner, Todd Scott, Hannah Swainey, Carole Tuthill 5-Ned Chamberlain, Mackenzie Fish, Christine Honeycutt, John Whitten 6-Don Christensen, Terri Couchenour, Lauren Raischel, Linda Weaver, Todd Wright 7-Carolyn Martin CPR Class: Is one of your New Year's resolutions to learn CPR or do you need to brush up on old skills? A CPR Class will be offered January 17, 2015, from 9a.m. 12 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The class will cover infant, child, and adult CPR and AED usage. Cost is $30. Checks made to Innovative Solutions on the morning of the class. Class size 6 minimum. Call church office 547-5543 to register. To our church family at Unity, we are thinking of you all. We miss and love you and want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. Love from Ira and Doris Ussery. Financial Information for 11/1-2014-11/30-2014 Operating Income ($) Actual Budgeted Year to Year to Date ($) Date ($) 46,749 994,240 Building/Debt Campaign Giving 8,604 329,768 Church Office Holiday Hours -6% 1,105,918 (111,678) -10% 325,072 Wishing a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all! +/- $$ +/- % 46,013 1,011,677 1,074,193 (62,516) Operating Expenses 232 326 189 74 4,696 1% SANCTUARY DEBT BALANCE………………$2,317,097 Unity News page 3 December 24: 8:30-12 Noon December 25: Closed December 26: Closed December 31: 8:30-5:00 January 1: Closed January 2: Closed Unity Presbyterian Church 303 Tom Hall Street PO Box 1267 Fort Mill, SC 29716-1267 803.547.5543 Www.UnityFortMill.org Non-Profit Organization U S Postage Fort Mill, SC 29715 Permit #23 Church Office (803) 547-5543 Dan Holloway (803) 548-7215 Jeannie Bickett (704) 588-4809 Return Service Requested December 18, 2014 Dear Friends, Holiday Schedule for Unity News Deadline: Tuesday, December 23 at 6 pm for Issue date: December 30. Please submit information to: Gina Mitchell: [email protected] Rev. Dr. Dan Holloway Christmas Eve at Unity is always special. In our growing church, it also requires multiple ways to welcome all those who want to join us for worship. We will have three services this year at 4, 6, and 11, with communion served at each of the three. At the two earlier services, seating will be available in both the sanctuary and the historic sanctuary, with a live feed to the historic sanctuary and communion in both locations. The 11 pm service will only be in the sanctuary. In terms of the nature of the services, the 4 pm service is a bit more relaxed and is designed with families and children in mind. The 6 pm service includes the music of our Chancel Choir, while the 11 o'clock service features candle lighting at midnight as we sing our way into Christmas. You and your family, neighbors, and friends are welcomed at any of these services, and we look forward to another celebration of God's greatest gift. In Christ's Service, Dan
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