Prayers Lifted on Sunday, November 27, 2022

During the last Sunday's worship service, we received the following requests for prayers...

For family members traveling home today.
The family of Roger Markay as they mourn his death and celebrate his life.
The women of Iran as they seek justice and freedom of expression.

We Remember

Longtime member of the Chatham UMC, Marilyn Schindler entered Life Eternal on Sunday, November 27, 2022 at the age of 92. Marilyn was very active in the United Methodist Women and helped out in various ministries at the church. She was an active leader and mentor in the SCEEP program which mentored young people from Newark who came to Chatham UMC for tutoring and community. Her obituary can be seen at:

https://madisonmemorialhome.com/tribute/details/989/Marilyn-Schindler/obituary.html#tribute-start

Let us keep Marilyn's son Kurt and daughter Bonny and their families in our prayers. Cards of love and support can be sent to:

Bonny Chopey

723 Radley Road

Westfield NJ, 07090

From the Pastor

Dear Friends at Chatham UMC,

Thank you for your notes, cards, texts, calls, flowers and kindness during my Dad’s brief time in hospice care, and in the weeks since his death. I experience your kindness as a clear expression of God’s love and presence as my family and I walk through the landscape of grief. We will celebrate Roger Markay’s life at a service held in the chapel at Cedar Crest Senior Living located in Pompton Plains, NJ on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 11:am. Below is his obituary which will give you a glimpse of a life well loved and well lived. My family and I miss him a lot, but are grateful for love filled memories. We thank God for him, and give thanks that he is no longer struggling and has been welcomed home into the fullness of life in Christ.

With love, with thanks, and with trust,

Jeff

https://www.vpfh.com/obituary/Roger-Markay#obituary

Updates

CUMC Rides for David

We are scheduling rides for our seminarian, David Gaitan, to get to and from church from his home in Madison. Please follow this link to sign up. Thank you for your help!

A Note from our Lay Leaders

Dear Friends,

It has been our Congregation’s Annual Tradition to give a gift during the Christmas season to each member of our Church staff. As a reminder, we plan to give the gifts out by Friday, December 23^rd. If you wish to participate, please mail your check, attention Co-Lay Leaders, or feel free to hand it to either Chris or Hal after the Sunday service so that it is received no later than Monday, December 19^th. Checks should be made out to Chatham United Methodist Church, with the memo line indicating Staff Christmas Gift, or, if you are familiar with our online donation service via Vanco, you may make a payment by going to our website at www.chathamumc.org, click on the “Make a Donation” button and follow the instructions. Please use the “Other-Miscellaneous” field to enter your payment amount.

If you need assistance with using our online donation service, please email our Finance Manager, Zrinka Cvetkovic at finmgr-chatumc@optonline.net.

Chatham United Methodist Church

Attn: Co-Lay Leaders

460 Main Street

Chatham, NJ 07928

Thanks again for considering this well received Christmas tradition.

Chris Fillimon and Hal Burlingame

Co-Lay Leaders

Sarah Circle to Meet this Tuesday, December 6^th

The Sarah Circle will meet on Tuesday, December 6^th at 10:00 a.m. in the Asbury Room. Eileen Ruggiero will speak to us on the Pantry and Wednesday Food Distribution and then we will sing Christmas carols. Members are asked to bring canned goods for the Pantry. All are welcome.

Calling all Knitters for December 7^th!

Beginners to Experts can participate in this exciting Congregational Care Ministry. We will show you the skills needed to make a simple Prayer Shawl that will bring Comfort, Love, and Joy.

“With your love and prayers knitted/crocheted into every stich, your Prayer Shawl will become a treasured gift for a specific person.” We will meet again on Wednesday, December 7^th will take place from 7:00-8:30 p.m., in Room 6. For more details and questions, contact Chris at: ckess119@aol.com

Advent Happenings

Cookies4Life

All-ages, Intergenerational Event

TOMORROW!!!

Friday, December 2, 7:30 - 9:00 pm

All are invited for fun, fellowship, and cookies! CUMC has again been asked to provide cookies for the inmates and staff at the Morris County Correctional Facility as part of the Chaplaincy’s Christmas Gift Collection. We’ll gather in Rodda Hall to bake cookies, decorate plain, pre-baked, homemade cookies (no frosting), and package the cookies in Ziploc bags. It will be fun for all ages, and a great opportunity to bring a friend or two to church! Can’t be there? Consider donating plain homemade cookies for us to decorate. Questions? contact Associate Pastor Sharon Yarger at the church office or at scyarger@optonline.net.

Keep Warm and Support RISE!

Final Call! Last day to order is this

Sunday, December 4^th.

This sweatshirt blanket fundraiser will help us to continue our mission! It's a great Christmas gift for your favorite RISER or yourself. It can keep you warm while dreaming about the upcoming summer RISE week. You'll love wrapping yourself in it's cozy navy sweatshirt material against the winter chill when at home or bring it along for the occasional cool evening at the picnic. The blanket will look like the image on the left with the dimentions of 60" x 50". All proceeds will go to support our summer mission.

Risingville Intercommunity Service Effort (RISE) is a mission of the Chatham United Methodist Church in Chatham, New Jersey that links youth groups to families in need in Western New York. We provide urgent home repairs free of charge. Unfortunately, this year, costs for tools, building supplies, and vehicle maintenance continue to increase. This fundraiser will help to offset these costs.

Order Here

It's time for Sticky Buns for Christmas!!

Order in Person this Sunday, December 4^th

The RISE 2023 team will soon be taking orders for their famous Sticky Buns made by the youth to help aid in funding of their summer mission trip to help repair homes in Appalachia.

The buns are sold for $15 per dozen and come frozen so that you can pop them in the oven on the day of your choosing and enjoy the wonderful aroma of freshly-baked sticky buns wafting through your home. You may chose plain or pecan when you order.

Place your order this Sunday, Dec. 4^th and Sunday, December 11^th at the RISE table in Rodda Hall following the 10AM service.

You may email your order to David Gaitan at dgaitan@drew.edu

***Please indicate how many orders and if it's plain or pecan.***

Checks made out to CUMC with (RISE Sticky Bun in memo) can be sent to the church office or dropped off at the RISE table by 12/11/22.

Questions? email David Gaitan at dgaitan@drew.edu

Coat Drive Final Week!

_{The donation bin is at the top of the stairs until}Sunday, December 11^th

We will be collecting clean and gently used men & women's coats to be given to those needing the services of Our Promise in Morristown. Please look for a collection bin at the top of the stairs.

Our Promise is an outreach program of Family Promise that serves as a drop in and resource center for those who are chronically and/or transient homeless. Questions? Please email Carol Lang at cj.maga@yahoo.com

You’re Invited!

Advent Small Groups

All Are Welcome – in Person or via Zoom

Our Small Groups offer an opportunity to connect more deeply with God and with one another. Groups will gather weekly for one hour to discuss Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes.

This book by pastor and author Cynthia M. Campbell and architect Kevin Burns takes us on a visual and spiritual journey through the distinctive perspectives on the birth of Jesus or the Incarnation offered by each Gospel. Print and electronic editions of the book may be purchased at cokesbury.com, amazon.com, and a wide variety of other online booksellers.

Groups will meet in person in the Asbury Room and via Zoom:

Sundays (12/4, 11 and 18) at 11:15 AM, facilitated by Ron Yarger. To participate, contact Ron at ryarger@optonline.net

Mondays (12/5, 12 and 19) at noon facilitated by Associate Pastor Sharon Yarger. To participate, contact Sharon at scyarger@optonline.net

Christmas Poinsettia Forms are now available!

The CUMC Missions Committee has selected the following organizations to receive this year's contributions: Local CUMC Food Pantry, National UMCOR Disaster Response, International Hospital #5 in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

The poinsettia display at Christmas time has always been the hallmark of the Advent Celebration. If you would like to participate but can't get to CUMC for a form, Click Here for a downloadable form.

Deadline for poinsettia forms is Sunday, December 18^th.

Blue Christmas:

A Service of Comfort and Hope

Saturday, December 10^th3PM Sanctuary

A Blue Christmas Service is a time to acknowledge the feelings that surrounds Christmas for some of us, a time to remember the reason for those feelings, and a time to offer those feelings to God. This service offers a haven for people who desire a special touch from God during the holidays, and promises to be a time of quiet reflection, candle lighting, readings, singing, and prayer. We invite you to join us this Christmas season for a time of comfort and rest. The service will be held in the Sanctuary. Please join us, and bring a friend.

Annual Advent Gathering at the Parsonage

Sunday, December 11, 2022

5-6:30PM

48 Elmwood Ave

Chatham NJ 07928

All are invited to bring a plate of hors d’oeuvres to share. We will light some candles, sing some Christmas carols and enjoy fellowship around the fireplace and Christmas tree in the parsonage living room.

Novena de Navidad

Saturday, December 17^th,

6:30pm, Asbury Room.

A traditional Advent event for Latinos in December. All are welcome to come!

Join Us This Weekend

Sunday, December 4^th

^{Second Sunday of Advent ~ Peace}

Join us for worship this Sunday at 10:00 AM in our Sanctuary. Following worship, all are welcome to come to our Fellowship Coffee in Rodda Hall.

Advent Adult Discussion Group

Join us in the Asbury room this Sunday at 11:15 as we continue exploring Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes. Don’t have the book? No worries. Come anyway and explore the Christmas story as presented in each of the four Gospels, as though entering the writer’s home decorated for Christmas. If you have questions, contact Ronald Yarger at ryarger@optonline.net.

Sunday, December 4^th’s service at 10:00 a.m. will include The Covenant Choir singing Ruth Elaine Schram's, Lord of The Stars and the Wesley Ringers ringing Angels from the Realms of Glory by Henry T. Smart, arranged by Larry Sue. Join us!

The next meeting of the Ukulele Orchestra will take place at 10:00 a.m. on December 3^rd both in-person in the Asbury Room and on Zoom. For information contact, music director, Peter Hill at petepiano@mac.com.

We have two wonderful recitals for you to attend this December in our Sanctuary. Please scroll down to Music Opportunities at CUMC below to see what The Suburban Music Study Club and The Masterwork Chorus are hosting next week in our Sanctuary!

As our music groups prepare for the Advent & Christmas season, singers and instrumentalists are invited to join the Covenant Choir, Ukulele Orchestra, Praise Band, Wesley Ringers, or Instrumental Ensemble, for an occasion or for the season! For information contact, music director, Peter Hill at petepiano@mac.com.

Faith Formation (Sunday School) takes place on Sunday mornings at 11:15 for

Kindergarteners and up!

Whirl Kids (K – 4th grade) Sundays at 11:15 am in Room 6.

Middle School (5th-8th grade) –Sundays at 11:15 am in the Library.

High School Discussion – Sundays at 11:15 am meet with David Gaitan (our Simpson seminarian) and Matthew Beland in the Wesley Room.

We Need Your Help!

Questions? Email Sharon Yarger at scyarger@optonline.net

or David Gaitán at dgaitan@drew.edu

Music Opportunities at CUMC

All are welcome to attend in the Sanctuary on December 8^th and December 11^th.

Current Masking Status & Frequently Used Links

The CUMC Church Council has voted unanimously to follow the CDC Covid Data tracker for Morris County to evaluate weekly Covid levels. This tracker is used to guide us in determining our indoor mask usage for all CUMC functions. Covid levels and recommendations are updated weekly on Thursday nights by the CDC. These updates will be used at CUMC from Friday-Friday and will state if masks required (high level) or optional (medium/low). You may check to see what the current Morris County Covid levels are prior to coming by clicking below.