PRESBYTERIAN MESSENGER (PM)                                                                                                                                                      

UPCOMING EVENTS. . .

Every Sunday 10:00 AM Worship

Communion served 1st Sunday of Month

Choir Practice 8:30-9:30AM

Knitting Group 2nd Sunday of Month in

Sanctuary 12-1:30PM

Every Tuesday – Bible Study 7-8:30PM

Every Wednesday –

Bible Study with Rev. Lou Kilgore 10-11:30AM

Bell Choir Practice 7PM Sanctuary

Tues 12/19 and Wed 12/20 No Bible Study

Thu 12/21 Longest Night Service 7PM

Sun 12/24 Fourth Sunday Advent 10AM

Christmas Eve Candle Light Worship Service 9PM

Mon 12/25-Jan 1/1 Office Closed

Christmas Season at HMPC

December 21- The Longest Night Service   This gathering is organized to offer support and encouragement for those who will be having a difficult time this holiday season.  As everyone speaks of joy and happiness it can be overwhelming to deal with the grief and loneliness that many of us face.  Anniversaries of death and loss of any kind including divorce or diagnoses that can ruin your joy can really make you feel alone and lead you to isolate because you may feel that no one wants to hear how you are doing.  This is not a Christmas service.  It is a service of encouraging music, readings and sharing.  On the longest night of the year when darkness claims more than its share of the day, we gather to know that there are others who need some sense of community and love.  This is a great gathering to which you might invite a friend or family member to come with you and be encouraged as you light a candle or two.  The service is at 7PM and usually lasts for 45 minutes – 1 hour.

December 24 – 4^th Sunday Advent Service and Christmas Eve Service at High Mountain Presbyterian Church

Christmas Eve Morning This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Advent and we will light our final Advent candle at 10AM during regular Worship service.

Christmas Eve Evening Please join us on Sunday, December 24^th at 9PM for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship service celebrating the birth of the Christ Child.   HMPC Bell, Choir, Adult Choir and guest musicians will be performing on this most holy of nights.  Everyone is invited!

The Longest Night

December 21st is the longest night of the year. Christians often associate the darkness of the nighttime with every-thing that is hard in life.  The coming of the night is a time of vulnerability and sometimes aloneness.  When the night is long it reminds of our fears and losses.

Christmas is a celebration of light in the darkness. But sometimes we can’t get to the celebration because the grief or loss is overwhelming us.  This may be the first year at the holidays without your mother or your husband.  Perhaps you have lost your job, experienced a divorce, or you or a friend are fighting for life against cancer.

This year we will set aside a time to acknowledge the hardship and the loss that comes in life. You are invited to come to a service of prayer, poetry, encouragement and comfort.  During the longest night service you have per-mission to be sad, or depressed.  This is a place where you can be honest about how it feels to be surrounded by the signs of wonder and joy when you just don’t feel that way.

This service is not for everyone but it may be just what you need. Even though it takes place in December, it is not a Christmas service.  This service may be just the thing to help you or your neighbor or your friend who is wondering how they are going to make it through the holidays.

Mostly in times of hardship and grief we need to know that we are not alone. Come to the longest night service and you will discover that you are not alone.  Bring someone who needs some encouragement and prayer.

Thursday, December 21 at 7:00 PM. The service will last for one hour & there will be a time of refreshment to follow.

No Bible Study

Please note that there is no Tuesday Evening Bible Study tonight, December 19 and December 26 and no Wednesday Morning Bible Study, tomorrow, December 20 and 27. We will resume our Bible Studies on Tuesday, January 2 and January 3, 2018.

Christmas Joy Offering

Advent is a time of anticipation and promise, of thanksgiving and celebration. Every year, we pour out our gratitude by giving to the Christmas Joy Offering which supports church workers and their families in need and nurtures the promise of our future racial ethnic leaders.

Today, Sunday 17, your Offering will provide financial assistance to church leaders in need. It supports grants that help retired church workers and provides aid for church workers with urgent financial needs.

On Sunday 24, your Christmas Joy Offering supports opportunities for future leaders at Presbyterian racial and ethnic schools. It gives scholarships for future leaders and equips racial and ethnic leaders for ministry.

2018 Stewardship Update

If you have not yet made a 2018 pledge, please consider supporting your church generously and sacrificially so that we can be more and more of what God is calling us to be and do. We have to raise $120,000.00 in gifts and pledges to continue to grow as a community and fulfill our mission.  We are off to a great start!  As of this week, we have 59 pledging units totaling $82,950.00   We are still waiting for pledges from 22 households.  If you are one of these, please send us your commitment now and help us reach our goal and make our budget for next year.

Thank you to everyone who has committed their support!

If you have not pledged you can still do so by dropping an Estimate of Giving card in Sunday’s offering plate, calling or emailing the church office with your pledge at 201-891-0511 or emailing our bookkeeper, Lynn Collins at lcoll43@aol.com.

Please make our job easy and help us to make plans for next year’s ministry!

Thank you!

Reading Group @ HMPC

The Book Club meets on the 4th Friday of the month and anyone is invited to come and discuss the books. Our gathering time is changing from 1 – 3PM to 1:30-3:30PM so please make a note.

If you have never been a part of a book club or used to be and would like to join a club again, please consider joining the HPMC Book Group. There’s nothing to do: why not try coming for one meeting and see how enjoyable it is!

12/15 100 Year Old Man Climbs Out the Window by Jonas Jonasson.

1/26 The Whistler by Kohn Grisham

Building a Life of Blessing

       We Believe in You

             Stewardship 2018

A long, long time ago, as far back as we can even remember, God spoke to Sarah and Abraham and invited them into a relationship. They accepted.  The terms were simple.  God said “Let’s walk this life together. You be you and I will be me.  I will use you if you are willing to bless all the families on the earth.  I will give you blessings of food and, health, and spirit, faith and courage and you will in turn share these blessings with those you will come to know so that together we can respond to the broken condition of this world. “

The High Mountain Church stands in that tradition and promise. We are building a life of walking together with each other.  We are committed to sharing what we have so that others will be strengthened for a life of faith and courage.  God is calling to us and asking us to bless the world on God’s behalf.

Here is a list for you to see just a few of the ways we have shared with others from what you gave in 2017. Your gifts of financial support have gone to:

Center for Food Action and CUMAC food pantries to relieve the pain of hunger.

Summer Camp Scholarships to encourage young people in adventure and faith.

Pastoral Care services for local hospitals for those who do not have a church community.

Strengthen Our Sisters, breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

Presbyterian Hunger Fund and Habitat for Humanity, responding to the causes of homelessness and hunger.

Safe Space and Oasis in Paterson, providing safe options for children and parents.

Mission at the Eastward, making homes safer, warmer, and dryer in Appalachia.

Disaster Response in the USA and the World Workers rights campaigns for fair food practices.

New City Kids, a ministry after school for Paterson youth and children.

HMPC Outreach Team Supports PCUSA Office of Public Witness

As part of our outreach funds, we sent $1000 to the PCUSA Office of Public Witness. In 2016, Rev. Rosemary Mitchell of that agency met with the team and explained the work of the office and how funds ae used. The Ministry of the United Nations and the Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC, are the voice of PCUSA’s social witness policy and advocacy. These ministries inspire, equip and connect Presbyterians to engage the issues of our day in our own communities, our nation and our world. They provide trustworthy information, resources for congregations, as well as internships and field education opportunities for college and seminary students. For further information, see www.presbyterianmissionagency.org/ministries/compassion-peace-justice/washington/.

HMPC Live Stream

http://highmountainpres.org/hmpc-live-feed/

HMPC is live to view, Sundays at 10am EST. Feel free to browse the HPMC YouTube channel, for past streams. Hold your control button down and click on the following: HMPC YouTube Channel for a selection of pre-recorded services.

Prayers & Announcements

Announcements for the Sunday Worship Service should be emailed to the church office. If you would like the community to pray with you please call the office at 201-891-0511.

Sunday Servers

One great way you can help HMPC is through your Stewardship of Time. By volunteering once a year, once a quarter or once a month, as a Greeter, Reader, or Hospitality person, you keep our Worship service and spirit of community going! These jobs are super easy and if you would like to try one, please call church office at 201-891-0511.

                                        HMPC Sunday Servers: Fourth Quarter 2017

*Assigned families can decide who will be reader. Please inform Chris (201-891-0511), who is reading one week before you are scheduled. If you will not be available for your assigned date, please try to switch with someone else and inform the office of this change.  Please check PM regularly to see the date of your assignment.        

Thank you for taking time to assist with this church service!

                                        HMPC Sunday Servers: First Quarter 2018

*Assigned families can decide who will be reader. Please inform Chris (201-891-0511), who is reading one week before you are scheduled. If you will not be available for your assigned date, please try to switch with someone else and inform the office of this change.  Please check PM regularly to see the date of your assignment.        

Thank you for taking time to assist with this church service!