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In 1865, while he was serving as rector of Holy trinity Episcopal church in Rittenhouse square in Philadelphia, Philips Brooks took a trip in the month of December. He wanted to study and reflect on the Scriptures and to do so on their native soil in Israel. In 1865 he made a short journey from Jerusalem where he was staying several miles south of Bethlehem. Here, he assisted in celebrating a midnight communion service in the church in Bethlehem, which is actually built on the spot that tradition has it that Jesus was born. After he returned from being in Israel, as he was reflecting on his time there, he wrote the Christmas Hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem. You could almost imagine him reflecting on that horseback ride, clip clopping through the narrow streets of the city of Bethlehem when you hear the refrain of that song. Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light, the hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.
That’s a familiar line to many of us, even if it’s only background noise while you shop in December. But in that song, Brooks distills to a line what the Christian family has experienced for millennia - all the hopes and fears of all the years of the world; That all the great and deep longings of the human spirit for spiritual reality, for peace, for justice, for a sense of home in the world, all of these things find their resolution, they find their home in the person of Jesus. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in the figure of this child born in a feed trough in a no name town in a no name corner of the world. The book of Isaiah offers a unified vision of hope. He strains forward to picture a great promised day when God would step into history decisively to heal it and to remake it. Isaiah’s startling and vivid visions of God’s great promised tomorrow give us hope that we can gather energy and strength to live today. You see we live, serve, create, educate, work, love, forgive, make peace, study with hope today because we have our eye on this great promise for tomorrow. We know where God is taking the universe so we walk in the light of that tomorrow, today. I hope you hear the last line of the scripture as an invitation for you and me…. Come Crossroads church, let us walk in this hope today. Let’s walk in this promise of a great tomorrow today.
Pastors Heidi and Bill
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Please Join us TOMORROW, December 2, 8-11am for a community breakfast with SANTA! Have your picture taken with Santa - tell him all your Christmas hopes and wishes, enjoy a delicious breakfast. Donations accepted at the door.
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Greeters for December
December 3
Katie Raiguel
December 10
Barbara Satchell
December 17
Kathy Lavelle
Marie Raiguel
December 24 (morning)
Brian Ehly
Kemmi Oluwole
December 24 (evening)
Michael Duplessis
December 31
Michael Duplessis
David Patchell
Communion Elders
Decmber 3
Eric Okabayashi
January 7
VOLUNTEER NEEDED
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Coffee Hour
December 3
Doug and Julie Horn
December 10
Marybet and Michael Duplessis
December 17
Atiya Alexander and Kemi Oluwole
December 24 (morning)
Diane Felock and Stephanie Beaulieu
December 24 (evening)
VOLUNTEER NEEDED!
December 31
David, Marie and Katie Raiguel
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Anna will be in the office on the following days/times
Tuesday 8:30-11:30am
Thursday 8:30-11:30am
Friday 8:30am-12:30pm
Pastor Bill Borror will be in the office on the following days/times
Thursday mornings
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Farewell, Jim!
The consistory received a resignation letter from Jim T. as the director of music at November's meeting. Jim's last Sunday with us as our official music director will be December 31st at which we will have a special coffee hour after service to thank him. We will be working on hiring an interim music director to begin in early 2018. JT wishes to thank everyone for all of their kindness and participation in the music program and wishes Crossroads Fellowship the best as we move forward in our ministry of service to the community of Willow Grove and beyond.
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Consistory Notes
The consistory gathered in the library on November 21, 2017. The elders and deacons received the report of the supervising pastors. The trustee committee has met twice. Michael Duplessis and Bob George are serving as trustees, however we are still seeking one more person to join them. Pastor Bill continues to work with the Nursery School as their liaison and leads chapel every other week. The consistory received the resignation letter from Jim Telepchak; his final week will be December 31st. We will be searching for an Interim Musician. The supervising pastors will lead the consistory in the search process. Crossroads will be having a Christmas Eve service at which Pastor Dan of Mokyang will preach. We will be hosting the Battle of the Christian Bands again in February 2018. A congregational meeting was scheduled on January 22, 2018 for the purpose of review of the annual budget, election of deacon, and continuing to inform you of the progress as we move forward. After receiving joys and concerns, we closed the meeting in prayer.
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Look here for important upcoming events and their dates and times.
December 2 - Community Breakfast - 8-11am
Worship and Music Meeting - 9:30am
December 4 - Aid for Friends - 7pm
December 6 - Prayer Meeting
December 11 - Finance Meeting - 7pm
December 13 - Mission and Outreach Meeting - 7pm
December 17 - Mark Smeby Concert - 3:30pm
December 19 - Consistory Meeting - 7pm
December 24 - Family Worship - 9:30am
Candlelight Worship - 7pm
**Bell Choir rehearsals will meet on Sunday evenings at 6:30 and run weekly through December 17th into the Christmas Season.
Weekly Small Groups
Bible Study Groups
Mondays 7pm at the church - led by Eric Okabayashi and Barbara Satchell
Mondays at 7pm at the Burke Residence - led by Jim Burke
Thursdays at 7pm at the church - led by Jim Lavelle
New Horizon's Band - Tuesdays at 7pm
Thursday - AA 7:30 pm Fellowship Hall
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Happy Birthday to the following members this month!
Jim Burke
Joyce Civello
Micheal Duplessis
Lucy Fasano
Mario Fasano
Emily Raiguel
Lani Roscoe
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We want to Celebrate with you! If we have inadvertently omitted your birthday or Anniversary as it comes, please contact Anna in the office (reformedchwg@gmail.com) and let her know. We still have quite a few missing from our database.
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Look what we have been doing!
Thanksgiving feasts all around the school. The pilgrims and the turkeys came out to celebrate God's abundant blessings!
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For more information on our school, please contact our Director, April Schmer at rcnurseryscool@gmail.com, 215.657.1699, or visit our website by clicking here. We accept children from ages 2 1/2 to 5 in a variety of classes. We would love to be your school family!
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