OUR CLERGY AND STAFF Reverend Dr. P. Glenn Kinken III Senior Minister gkinken@centenary-ws.org Mary Ann Wexler Executive Director mwexler@centenary-ws.org Susan Bates Organist and Music Associate sbates@centenary-ws.org Martha Bassett Alternative Music Leader mbassett@centenary-ws.org Reverend Bret Cogan Assoc. Minister of Spiritual Formation & Education bcogan@centenary-ws.org Kristy Eaton Contributions keaton@centenary-ws.org Jonathan Emmons Director of Music Ministries Reverend R. Craig Ford Associate Minister cford@centenary-ws.org Reverend Kate May Associate Minister with Children kmay@centenary-ws.org Sandra Gramley Congregational Care Coordinator sgramley@centenary-ws.org Stacy Holley Exec. Assistant to Senior Minister sholley@centenary-ws.org John Markle Director of Operations jmarkle@centenary-ws.org Reverend Jeremy Pegram Assoc. Minister of Evangelism, Engagement & Missions jpegram@centenary-ws.org Doug Peninger Director of Communications dpeninger@centenary-ws.org Tamara M. Pollock Director of Youth Ministries tpollock@centenary-ws.org Debbie Pilson Director of DAYBreak/Respite Care dpilson@centenary-ws.org
OUR PAGES Table of Contents/Clergy and Staff ~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 Home for Christmas at Centenary~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 From the Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4 We Remember the Saints ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5 A Home for Christmas: Habitat for Humanity~~~~ 6 Page Eight ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8 New Members~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10 Our Sanctuary at Christmas~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11 Jonathan Emmons: New Lodgings in My Heart~~ 12 Lessons & Carols ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 13 Anna Steele: Food, Shelter and Comfort ~~~~~~ 14 UMW December Meeting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 15 Kate May: Christmas with Your Family ~~~~~~~~ 16 Impromptu Christmas Pageant ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 Angel Tree ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 19 Tammy Pollock: Christmas Homecoming ~~~~~~ 20 Stock Delievery & Women’s Retreat ~~~~~~~~~ 22 Advent Offering & Stewarship Wrap-Up~~~~~~ 23 Pointsettia Order Form ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 24 2020 Fashion Show Save-the-Date~~~~~~~~~~ 25 Jeremy Pegram: Home for the Holidays~~~~~~~ 26 Bret Cogan: Christmas Throughout the Year~~~~ 28 Calendar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 30 Memorials ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 32 Crucifers & Torchbearers Thank You ~~~~~~~~~ 33 Glenn Kinken: Home for Christmas~~~~~~~~~~ 34
OUR COVER Nestled at bottom of the “Growth and Majesty” window, you will discover the holy family. Mary and the baby are guarded by two of the heavenly hosts. At Mary’s feet is a lamb to fortell Jesus’ being the sacrificial lamb of God. You can learn more about the windows of the church by reading Centenary United Methodist Church Symbols: The Story Told in Glass, Stone and Fabric.
For a video tour of the ministry and office spaces located at The Haven, scan the QR code below.
John Rogers Director of Information Technology jrogers@centenary-ws.org
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From the Editor What do you think of when you hear the the words “home for Christmas?” I would guess for as many readers of Through Centenary Windows there would be that many different definitions. Isn’t that exciteing? We all come from different backgournds and different traditions as we approach the season of Advent, looking toward Christmas. For this issue, you have the opportunity to hear from our clergy as they share perhaps a few different concepts on the theme.
Jeremy Pegrams reflects on special memories regarding his grandmother. This toucnhing article reminds is that home is where your heart is, regardless of the actual location or facility.
We begin with our schedule for the season, found on page three. Be sure to mark your calendars as we begin with out Service of Jope and Healing then leading up the the 11 pm wroship service on Christmas Eve. We don’t want you to miss any of it. One thing thing special about home is celebrating our loved ones. On page five we remember the Saints who have gone on before us. On Sunday, we will read their names and light candles of remembrance at the 11 am Traidtional worship service I hope you’ll join us for All Saints Sunday. Guess what? Centenary is about build a home for Christmas a we partner with Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County. You can learn more about this partnership and how our Missions Committee is helping to make this happen on page 6. Lessons and Carols is one of the most popular worship serices of the season. Jonathan Emmons shares with us “New Lodging in My Heart” as we prepare for the sounds of the evening. You’ll want to get there early! The prelude starts at 4:30 pm on Sunday, December 15.
Another sound of the season is the ringing bells of the Salvation Army. Guest wtiter Anna Steele shares with us the importance of this ministry and how you may participate. Also, Bob Campbell will be the featured speaker at the December United Methodist Women luncheon. Is Christmas morning crazy at your house? Do your kids think more Santa than Baby Jesus? We have some suggestions of how to put more Christ in Christmas as Kate May offers her thoughts on how to make this possible. There’s something there for all families. See which one resonates with yours.
Does Christmas really stop on December 26 on on Epiphany? Bet Cogan offers his thoughts on how we can celebrate Christmas throughout the year. Bret helps us to remember that the incarnation cannot be held to a single day. Finally, Glenn Kinken takes us on a personal journey from his college days to the present as he remembers what is was like that first year coming home. He comes full circle as now his daughter, Clara, will experience this for the first time in Decmber. We hope you will enjoy reading and experiencing Home for Christmas at Centneary. We look forward to seeing you as we anticipate a special birthday. I’ll see you at Centenary!
Two items always popular during the season are the Angel Tree and the Impromptu Christmas Pageant. Kate May invites you to particpate in both. You can discover more on pages 18 and 19. Do you love it when all the youth “babies” come home for the holidays? Tammy Pollock shares her joy as she welcomes them home for worship and this special time of year. When they walk through the doors, you can feel the love.
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Doug Peninger Director of Communications
We remember...
On Sunday, November 3, Centenary will celebrate All Saints Sunday when we will remember the Saints who have gone before us. May the fire of their devotion light our way. *
*As of October 15, 2019.
Betty (Elizabeth) West Alexander Gloria Mecum Barrett Molly Thompson Bell John William Burwell George William Crone Walter Howard Coble James W. Ferree, Sr. Lawrence Fisher Omnia Fred Fowler James Kenneth “Jim” Haley Barbara Oyster Halliday Mary Elizabeth Harris Harper Manford Ray Haxton Edna Freemon Helms Edward (Ted) O’Hanlon Hill Margaret Anne Kester Robert Bowden Law Robert Mason Linker, III Andrea Barton Little Brigitta (Brigs) Maselli Dwayne Kelly Miller James Bruce Mulligan, Jr Aileen (Lee) Palmore Albert Carl Penney Sara Griffith Rayburn Harry Leon Reavis Dr. Yvonne Goolsby Spencer William Dennie Spry, III Edith Rollins Teague Howard William Wells Emily Mitchell Williamson Howard Morton Willis Ruby Shaw Wyatt
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| missions |
A Home for Christmas
A
We collaborate with residents and organizations in WinstonSalem and Forsyth County to revitalize entire neighborhoods and communities.
Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County takes this information to heart. Our mission, “Seeking to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope”, serves as our motivation to help change the lives of children and families so that they have a greater chance to succeed in the community they call home.
Your support of Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County will enable families such as Michelle Peters (a single mother of four who adopted her niece making hers now a family of six) to live in a safe and healthy environment. Michelle, the first in her family to earn a college degree, strives to insure a better future for her family. The Habitat homeownership program demands a lot of effort, time, and commitment. Families are required to spend 300-400 hours taking classes, helping to build their home, and participating in other social engagement activities. Michelle makes time during this very busy schedule to be present for her family – her main priority. She was determined to fulfill her dream of owning her home.
safe home. Nutritious food. Health care. Access to good schools. Reliable transportation. If you could only have one of these essentials, which would you choose?
A recent study in Forsyth County showed that these are the choices that more than 25% of families in Forsyth County must make every day. It is sad that children born into poverty in Forsyth County have the third worst rate of upward mobility in the United States (out of the 2,875 assessed). Children born and raised impoverished in Forsyth have the most difficult time escaping their poverty as compared to any other county in America.
At Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, we are here to help every family and every neighborhood raise the outlook of the entire community through decent, affordable housing. We partner with potential homeowners to build efficient single-family homes. We work with aging homeowners and veterans to repair their homes, providing them with a healthier, safer environment.
Habitat is built on the idea that everyone deserves a decent place to live. A family that has this fundamental core in place, becomes a stronger, more effective force for positive change in their own lives and in their community. They become invested in their neighborhood and motivated to take the lead in further growth and revitalization.
Meeting this fundamental need for a decent place to live has a lasting impact that inspires families to become more involved. In fact, many go on to take the lead in further revitalization of their neighborhoods. (reprinted with permission)
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T
he Centenary congregation will have the opportunity to build a Habitat house in 2020, providing a family with a home and helping address the affordable housing crisis in Forsyth County. Centenary has participated in seven house builds, last partnering with a local company in 2005.
The Mission Team enthusiastically endorses this churchwide opportunity and believes we can raise $65,000 to sponsor a house through our 2019 Advent offering. If you contribute directly to Habitat, you can designate your gift for supporting this project by noting “Centenary UMC Habitat House”.
dedicated to volunteer sign-up. Volunteers are needed Monday-Saturday. No skills are required and the minimum age is 16. Volunteers can help with general construction, installing vinyl siding, tiling a floor, painting, landscaping, or providing food for the building team. Detailed information will be forthcoming through all Centenary communications. For more information contact Rev. Jeremy Pegram (jpegram@centenary-ws.org) or Tom Cannon (tbcannon@novanthealth.org).
Habitat provides a skilled building team, supportive services, insurance, community publicity, and a website page
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8 | feature |
Page Eight
I’ll be home for Christmas. You can plan on me. Please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree. Christmas Eve will find me where the love light gleams. I’ll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams.
T
hese lyrics, written by Kim Gannon and then set to music by Walter Kent were recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby. The tune was written in honor of all of the soldiers who found themselves overseas during the holiday season. For many, this song is a Christmas favorite. What does it mean to be home for Christmas? I hope you will indulge me for a few paragraphs as I share some of my favorite things.
Doug Peninger
dpeninger@centenary-ws.org
I actually enjoy getting into the kitchen and breaking out some of the tried and true recipes that are only produced during this time of the year. One of those is my mothers’ peanut butter balls. As a child, this annual treat was something the entire family looked forward to helping make and consuming. I mean, peanut butter and chocolate, how bad could that be? A few years ago, the time had come to move my mother to assisted living. As we cleaned out her kitchen, there were countless cookbooks. But there was one I was particularly looking for…the Watkins Hearthside Cookbook. I don’t recall my mother using many of the recipes in the cookbook, but I knew this was where she kept her handwritten recipe for the peanut butter balls. Finally, we found it and there it was, yummy goodness gold. My two brothers willingly let me have the cookbook and the recipe only on the promise that I would send them copies of the recipe, which I have. There are a few other things about the season that are very important to me. Each year, a great joy is to unpack all of the Christmas tree ornaments. A few are from my childhood. Several are handmade, which are some of my favorites. Others include ornaments purchased during travels which bring back fond memories. Then, there are those which are annuals. It’s always interesting to see how a snowflake can be interpreted and how it finds its place among all the other ornaments. Then the time comes to just sit back and look at it. Of course, during the entire time of decorating, in the background, the holiday movie classic “White Christmas” is playing—yes, every year. You have to love nostalgia.
Then, there is church. And I don’t just mean the four Sundays of Advent as we light the wreath. It’s much, much more than that. It all starts with the decorating of the Sanctuary. Of course, at Centenary, this is no small task. It takes a small army to get all the poinsettias perfectly in their place. Then there are the Christmas trees, four in total. There are two in the Sanctuary and two with Christmons in the Narthex. And don’t forget the hanging of the greens and placement of wreaths. It takes days and a lot of love to get it all assembled. The chatter and joy in which the volunteers and staff share as they put it all into place makes our home at Centenary come alive with excitement as we anticipate the birth of Christ. Then, when it’s all up, I just like to go in and look at it, to take it all in. And, if I’m lucky, I may get to hear Susan Bates rehearsing on the organ. As always, the most important part for me during this season is worship. Each week as we light another candle, we move one step closer to celebrating a birth. We see our crowds grow in number and our Sanctuary sings the familiar carols and we hear the familiar story of the angels, and Mary and Joseph at the manger. Then, as we conclude our Christmas Eve candlelight worship, we sing Joy to the World as we return to our homes. But for me, it’s not over yet. As I return home, after four worship services and the emotion of it all, I need to wind down. This always includes watching the St. Olaf Singers’ concert from Norway. Being able to sit back and enjoy the music always helps me to seal it all up. When they get to the song “Beautiful Savior,” I always feel as though I have “had Christmas.” What is it about certain songs and lyrics that strike a chord in our hearts? Is it because they speak to our faith and our belief of the message of Christ? Perhaps. Maybe these songs help to wrap all of it up with simple words that speak truth. For me, from the secular to the sacred, these words mean home for me. They help me journey from the cold world to a warm hearth surrounded by loved ones with all the sights, sounds, smells, laughter, hugs and love of the season. May your home be filled with joy as the love light gleams.
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Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature, O thou of God and man the Son, Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, thou, my soul‘s glory, joy, and crown. Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations! Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine.
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New Members We welcome you in Christian love...
Greg & Carol Adams
Tyler Elvin & Ellie Morrison
Chad & Amanda Noonkester
Bryant & Tonya Johnson (Preston)
Wayne & Allison Roquemore
...we renew our covenant faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness, that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. MAY/JUNE 2019 | 10 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
Our Home for Christmas NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 11 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| music ministry |
New Lodgings in My Heart
Jonathan Emmons
jemmons@centenary-ws.org
Little child whose bed is straw, Take new lodgings in my heart. Bring the dream Isaiah saw: Knowledge, wisdom, worship, awe. - Thomas Troeger
A
t the center of our 2019 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a stirring setting of a provocative text by Thomas H. Troeger, drawn from his Borrowed Light: Hymn Texts, Prayers, and Poems. The text captures Isaiah’s prophetic vision of a redeemed world and a reordered nature, a promise that we anticipate this Advent season as we remember the abiding truths of the incarnation of God in Jesus. While this is a cosmic vision, an assurance that the arc of the universe is toward justice and restoration, it is also a surprisingly local and personal call as well. Let there be no doubt that all real acts of peacemaking begin with inner peace, that any lasting redemption of humanity begins with an inner stance of repentance. Our spiritual posture matters. The condition of our hearts determines the nature of our works and the callings of our lives.
with the Holy Spirit. It is a call for us to make ourselves small so that the Christ in us might become for us a deep well of grace, flowing through us and out into God’s broken world. The German mystic Meister Eckhart profoundly captures this gesture of self-emptying: “God expects but one thing of you, and that is that you should come out of yourself… and let God be God in you.” This Advent season, as we prepare our homes for our families, as we go home for the holidays, may we be about the business of creating a lodging for Christ in us. May we empty ourselves of all of our dulling distractions and deadening desires, that Christ may take up residence in Christ’s home, our hearts. May God with us, God in us, bring Isaiah’s dream: ‘knowledge, wisdom, worship, awe.’
As we ponder the nature of home this Advent season, Troeger’s vision of the little child making a home in our hearts has profound implications. This is not a call for a sentimental, nostalgic homecoming. Rather, this is a call for us to empty ourselves, that our hearts might be filled
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Puerto Rico Mission Trip NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 13 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| united methodist women |
Food, Shelter and Comfort
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on’t you wish every child had a Christmas tree in their home around which to celebrate with their family? I had wonderful memories with my Mom, Dad and brother. Unfortunately, that is not reality for all in our community today.
In Winston Salem, the Salvation Army Center of Hope offers the only emergency family shelter in Forsyth County serving children, mothers and fathers whose families are experiencing a period of homelessness. Recently, Marci, a mother of three, found herself and her children with no place to go. Arriving at the Salvation Army Center of Hope, she found a refuge Anna Steele where she could find the assistance Guest Writer she needed to get back on her feet. Her case manager helped her find a better job, a new apartment and in Marci’s words, the shelter became “the stepping stone” to her new life. Marci now works in a local restaurant. In the spirit of giving she found at the Center of Hope, she is now a part time monitor at the shelter.
Disaster Services and worship. Your time at the kettle helps all these life-changing services continue in Winston Salem and Forsyth County. The Salvations Army mission statement is much like Centenary’s and mine: “To bring the message of Jesus Christ to all people in all communities. We are here to replace despair with hope through programs that meet human needs: Food for the empty table, Shelter for the homeless family and Comfort in wake of disaster. All are tangible expressions of God’s love and care.” Help me share the abundant blessings God has bestowed upon us this Christmas Season.
In addition to the Center of Hope, Salvation Army offers a home for children during the summer and after school at the Ken Carlson Boys and Girls Club. The club is named for this Centenary member who is a lifetime member of the Advisory Board and one of its most ardent supporters. For these and many other reasons, I have been a strong supporter of the Salvation Army. It’s why this year I’m in charge of recruiting bell ringers for their red kettles for the Christmas Season. Besides the Center of Hope and the Boys and Girls Club, you may be surprised to know when you ring a bell, you fund these programs and more: food pantries, assistance with utility bills and rent, emergency travel help, life skills classes, Emergency
Want to Ring? Contact Anna Steele (336-761-1196)/annabsteele@gmail.com Centenary Dates for ringing are December 9-14.
Monday- Harris-Teeter at Thruway Shopping Center Tuesday- Lowe’s Foods at Robinhood Wednesday - Harris-Teeter at Robinhood and Peacehaven Thursday- Harris-Teeter at Cloverdale Friday - Lowe‘s Foods at Robinhood Saturday- BE Shoes at Thruway Shopping Center NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | 14 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
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| children’s ministry |
Celebrating Christmas with Your Family
E
veryone has different ideas and expectations when it comes to celebrating Christmas with our families, but I imagine that we could all agree on 3 things:
Want something simple to do with your kids no matter how old they are? Make sure to stop on Christmas morning before opening presents and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus!
• We want our kids to know the true meaning of Christmas • We want to have time together as a family • We want to get beyond the materialism of the season So how can we do it? Here are a few suggestions that you might want to try this season with your family.
What is Christmas really about? We would each love for our kids to have kmay@centenary-ws.org answers to this question that are a lot more Jesus and love than Santa and presents, but the world is not going to give them those answers so how can we? One place to start would be to have an Advent reading plan from the Bible for your family. Take time once a day or once a week to sit down as a family and read from the Bible. If you don’t read together make sure you’re reading the same thing and then talk about it. A simple question to ask, “what got your attention from the reading?” You can use the devotional guide prepared by our church family for this or you can head over to the church website where you can find some additional Advent reading plans for all ages. Rev. Kate May
A few years ago I found a fun book that we have been using at our house called The Star from Afar. This sweet book tells the story of the first Christmas focusing on the journey of the wise men. It then encourages you to use your own nativity set to remember this journey throughout Advent. Each night a family member hides the star somewhere in the house. The next morning the kids must find the star and move the wisemen from the nativity set to where the star is. Of course for Christmas morning the star makes it to the manger and before presents are opened the kids move the wise men to the manger giving you the perfect opportunity to talk about why we give gifts on Christmas: to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the gift that he is from God and the way the Wise Men brought gifts themselves.
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You might even consider making a birthday cake that you can enjoy with your family or incorporating some of your family’s birthday traditions. Not only do we want our kids to know that Jesus is the reason for the season, but we want to spend time together as a family. This can be as elaborate or as simple as you want! You could work together as a family to create an Advent/Christmas bucket list of things that you love to do together during the holiday season. Perhaps it is driving around and looking at Christmas lights. Maybe it is eating pizza and watching some
great Christmas movies. Maybe you have special Christmas treats that you always make and enjoy during the holidays. Whatever it is take time to make your own bucket list and see how many things you can cross off, schedule them if it helps! Need some ideas? On the church website we’ve got a link to a printable list you can use as your list or for inspiration. Want something more simple? Figure out what is meaningful to your family and do that. Do your kids love to be read to? Pull out all your Christmas books and make a point of reading them together. Do your kids love legos? Challenge one another to create objects or people from the Christmas story out of legos. Choose one night a week that will be family night and let each family member take a turn planning what you do. Just be intentional about spending time together. Giving is better than receiving, right? Many of us have learned the truth of that statement but it is not something that comes naturally to kids so we need to help them practice. This year you can do that in lots of ways. As you have read in this issue we are working together as a church to build a home for Christmas with Habitat. Help your kids participate! Get a tube of tiny M & Ms for each of your kids and start by using them to spend time together. As they eat the M & Ms use them as conversation starters! Eat a red and tell something you love. Eat an orange and tell a way you have shared kindness recently or how someone has shared kindness with you. Eat a green and tell about one of your favorite things that God has created. Eat a yellow and talk about something that makes you smile. Eat a blue and tell something you like about one of your family members. Eat a brown and tell about something you have learned recently. Once your tube is empty start filling it up with quarters. Give your kids ways they can earn quarters or create a scavenger hunt for the quarters. A full tube of quarters is approximately $20! You’ve also read about our Angel Trees. Start your celebrating early since the trees go up on November 3 and go shopping for your angels with your kids. Make a special shopping trip where you don’t get anything else except your angel gifts. Let your kids help with the wrapping and have them help bring the gifts back to the church. One more suggestion, in children’s ministry we talk a lot about kindness, it is our way of teaching kids about what it means to love God and love neighbor. Perhaps this Advent and Christmas season you could engage in Random Acts of Kindness as a family. Check the children’s ministry Facebook page and email each week for our weekly kindness challenge or head over to the church website for a resource with a list of ideas for each day already put together for you! There is a lot of pressure at Christmas to do all the right things, to celebrate in all the right ways. If this article and list of ideas makes you hyperventilate or want to shrink in shame because you feel like you’re been a horrible parent up to this point, please throw it away right now! However, my great hope is that perhaps it has inspired you to add one or two little things to your family’s celebration of Christmas to help make your celebration even more meaningful!
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Angel Tree
A
s I write this it is Monday, September 30 and two weeks ago my son started his Christmas list. He already knows and is sharing with the people who love him what he would like to receive for Christmas. I imagine he is not unique. Check in with the children in your life and see if they have started their lists. If they are not written down they can probably still tell you what is on the list in their head. It brings me tremendous joy to see the people I love open presents that they have been dreaming of and know that those gifts are now their possession. I imagine I am not unique either.
Rev. Kate May
kmay@centenary-ws.org ext. 1331
So what happens when you see the excitement and anticipation of the children in your life and you know that on Christmas morning there won’t be tremendous joy of a wish fulfilled because you cannot fulfill wishes, instead you struggle to meet needs. This is the challenge of the families of the sweet angels who fill our angel trees each year. Centenary works with the congregations of Marvin United Methodist Church and El Aposento Alto as well as the Winston-Salem Street School and Crossnore School and Children’s Home to help fulfill Christmas wishes for a few more kids each year!
stop by and adopt an angel or two to shop for. You will find your angel’s name, gender, age, clothes and shoe sizes, favorite color, and gift requests. Gifts should then be returned to the trees by December 8 so that they can be organized and delivered to each organization for the holidays. This ministry brings so much joy to our congregation as we share the abundance with which we have been blessed and if you would like to be a deeper part of that joy and participate in staffing a tree, helping to organize gifts or delivering days please be in touch with Alissa Williams (areawilliams@gmail.com) or Kate May (ext. 1331/kmay@centenaryws.org).
This year our Angel trees will go up in the reception Narthex as well as The Hub on November 3. Starting that Sunday we hope you will
Image from the Papal Basilica of St. Peter • © Doug Peninger NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 19 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| youth ministry |
Christmas Homecoming The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. • Numbers 6:24-26
Tammy Pollock
tpollock@centenary-ws. org
I
n just a few weeks Tyler and I will head out to the the National Youth Workers Convention (this year in Tampa, FL). Gathering with several thousand other youth workers from across the world to worship, learn, rest, network, and pray together for a week, we look forward to this event every year! Throughout that week we will have a chance to meet new people and reconnect with old colleagues, be challenged about the way we do ministry, and have a chance to offer perspective to others about our ministry at Centenary. One thing that I know about this event is there will be lots and lots of questions; How many kids do you have in your ministry? How many people attend your church? Are you ordained or not? Do you minister to middle school, or high school, or college students? Do you get along with your Senior
Minister? But the best question, the one I love the most is, What’s your favorite part of Youth Ministry? That question makes me smile! Because after twenty eight years in Youth Ministry, I can honestly say, my favorite part of Youth Ministry is Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is, hands down, the best night of the year for me, and probably not for the reasons you think. Absolutely, I love baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in the manger. I love that God in His infinite wisdom came to us on earth as an innocent and vulnerable baby, grace made flesh. I love the magnificent worship with candles, communion, and glorious singing. I love it all. But what I love the MOST about Christmas Eve is that all my church babies (current and grown) come home to their church for that one night. It makes
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me weepy just typing this, thinking about all the joy and squeals and hugs as they come streaming through the doors of their church home throughout the afternoon and evening of Christmas Eve. The beauty of seeing how they’ve grown and changed, some newly graduated, some with their new spouse or baby, and others weary and in need of being reminded that they are loved and they are home. It is the moment I look forward to the most each and every year. I think almost all of us can agree that we all have one place that reminds us of who we are and what we are about. For me, it’s being with my family. And when I was growing up and trying to find my way in life, it was being with my family at church. At the end of the week Tyler and I will be taking a gaggle of sixth graders on an adventure with our Sixers! Ministry. These ‘littles’ are bright-eyed and excited about being together and learning that church is this awesome place where they are loved on behalf of Jesus. In just a couple months, we will begin our 2020 Confirmation Class where our seventh graders will learn that faith in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit changes the way we live…because living a life of faith doesn’t mean we won’t have trials and tribulation, but it means we recognize we don’t go through life alone. At the end of the school year we will stand at the Communion rail with our graduates, wrapping blankets around their shoulders and blessing them as they set out into the world for the next chapter in their lives. We have watched them grow in stature and wisdom, we have given them blessing after blessing, we have reminded them that even though the the world may tug and pull us in different directions, they belong to us and always will. The famous benediction above is a blessing for all of us. A blessing not earned, but a blessing freely given as a remembrance of God’s extravagant grace and mercy. God making His face shine upon each of us is exactly what Christmas is all about. The glory of God revealed on Christmas Eve..as we all come pouring into our church home to see the face of Jesus, bright and new from heaven. We also receive the blessing of seeing the reflection of that Light in each other. May Christmas Eve be that touchstone reminder for each of us, that there is no greater blessing and joy than the love we share for God and for one another. I can’t wait to see you when you come through the doors of your church home!
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Stock Delivery Instructions Making a gift of securities to Centenary United Methodist Church is another way to contribute to the church. Such a gift offers tax savings to most donors. Electronic transfer is the most common method of delivering a gift of securities to Centenary. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kristy Eaton (ext. 1341)/ keaton@centenary-ws.org. (1) Instruct your broker that your DTC-eligible securities are to be transferred electronically to: Centenary United Methodist Church Federal Tax ID # 56-0552783 (2) Provide Centenary or instruct your broker to provide Centenary with:
1. a description (name of stock) and the amount of your securities to be transferred 2. the name of brokerage firm 3. the name of the fund to be credited or the purpose of the gift
(3) Provide your broker with the list of brokerage firms listed below that Centenary has accounts with: Charles Schwab Account # 2184 0742 DTC # 0164 Commission: $5 per transaction
Scottrade Account # 20746083 DTC # 0705 Commission: $7 per transaction
Stephens, Inc. Account # 160980382 DTC # 0419 Commission: $50 per transaction
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kristy Eaton (336-397-1341)/keaton@centenary-ws.org. Always be sure to notify Centenary when you authorize an electronic transfer of securities.
SAVE THE DATE February 28 - March 1, 2020
The Terrace Hotel at Lake Junaluska Cost: Early Bird Registration $249 double and $379 single until January 15
(After that registration increases to $329 double/$459 single).
Registration Deadline: January 28
(After the 28th we can take late sign-ups but rooms may not be available.)
Visit www.centenary-ws.org/sign-up for more information and to register. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | 22 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| missions |
Advent Offering
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Rev. Jeremy Pegram
jpegram@centenary-ws.org
uring Centenary’s Advent services such as Lessons and Carols and Christmas Eve worship, offerings are collected. 100% of these offerings go to support local missions in the city of Winston-Salem. This year the Missions Team is excited to share that we have partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County to build a home for a well-deserving resident of Forsyth County in the Boston Thurmond neighborhood. Our Advent offering for Local Missions will help fund the home. Centenary has already committed to building the home in 2020, but we need everyone’s help to make the dream of having a home for Christmas to come to fruition by giving generously during Advent to the Local Mission fund. We must collect $65,000 before we can begin construction. So the sooner we reach that goal, the sooner we can build, and the sooner a family will have a new home of their very own. Please consider giving someone a home for Christmas this year by giving to the Advent Local Missions offering at Lessons and Carols or on Christmas Eve. You may give to the Advent Local Mission Offering at any time by marking your payment with “advent.” Together may we give the gift of a Home for Christmas.
For consideration in the 2020 Annual Operating Budget, all pledges are due by December 31, 2019. For questions, please contact Executive Director, Mary Ann Wexler (336-724-6311 ext. 1346)/mwexler@centenary-ws.org. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 23 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
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Stay Connected with Centenary
PODCAST
Apple iTunes & Google Podcast
FACEBOOK centenarymethodist
WEBSITE
www.centenary-ws.org
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APP
Apple iTunes & Google Store
| congregational care |
Home for the Holidays
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he word home has so many connotations these days. Home is the place in which we live, or sleep, or receive our Christmas cards or the house where we grew up. But I dare write that home is also a feeling. When I have traveled, the motels and hotels where I’ve laid my weary head to rest
have all wanted me to feel like I was at home. Tiny bottles of shampoo and the clank of an in-room air conditioner were not so subtle reminders that I was far from the place where I was most comfortable – home! We feel at home when we experience peace in our minds, bodies and souls. Many of us go from cornucopia to natal star at a
Rev. Jeremy Pegram
jpegram@centenary-ws. org
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sprinter’s pace causing us to lose the feeling of home. We go from gathering to gathering and party to party. Much of our energy is exhausted by shopping and decorating. If you’re a college student, throw in some term papers and final exams, the biggest stealers of the feeling of home to ever be. If we add any other disruption between eating the turkey and singing “Auld Lang Syne” the feeling of home is certainly lost. This happened to my family when I was a junior in high school and my maternal grandmother spent nearly the entire month of December in the hospital.
Every day after school I went to visit her. And every day I saw progress being made towards her healing. She had set a goal to be home by Christmas. She did not want to spend Christmas and especially Christmas Eve in the hospital since that was the night when our family gathered in her home for a meal and the celebration of glad tidings. She wanted to be home and we, her family, wanted her home as much, or even more than she did. I don’t think it was the physical place of home that we all longed for, but rather the sense of peace that came with knowing our family would and could be together. During my grandmother’s stay in the hospital we also got to know her roommate as those were the days before private rooms. In addition to her roommate being physically sick, she was emotionally ill as well. She had lost her husband recently. Her body, mind and soul were stricken with grief. The day my grandmother was admitted, and her suitcase was carried into the room where she would spend the next three weeks, her roommate noticed that in the front pocket was my grandmother’s Bible. The heartbroken roommate saw the Bible and thanked God for a fellow sojourner in the Christian faith that would be a roommate and friend for dark, yet healing, days ahead. My grandmother and her roommate became a source of peace for one another, and through their shared love of God they could find home far from the addresses that were inscribed on their driver’s licenses. I share this story because I believe regardless of where we find ourselves during the month of December, or any other month for that matter, God desires for all of us to be at home. Home in his grace and love. I believe we find ourselves at home when we gather for worship, sing the songs of our faith, and hear the scripture lessons read and proclaimed. Those ancient words provide solace and care for our souls when our lives are disrupted by big things like a death or small things like an invitation to a yuletide party that takes up space on our already overcrowded calendars. In the midst of all that we endure in this season, and the other three to go quickly by year after year, God has given us the gift of God’s word – the scripture we read, and God’s Word with a capital “W”, his son. The Word was God and is God for you and for me, so that we might find peace and be at home in God’s love no matter where we find ourselves along our journey.
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| adult formation |
Christmas Throughout the Year
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Rev. Bret Cogan
bcogan@centenary-ws.org
hile I was at the coast in late September, I stopped at the Dollar General to pick up some basics for my weekend. While there, I noticed they had all of their Halloween supplies and decorations on sale! Sure, I scored on some candy the trick-ortreaters may never eat, but I was left wondering why are these things on sale so early? It didn’t take long to figure out, as soon as I rounded the corner into the next isle. I saw their Christmas displays! It was a bit shocking, and it felt too soon, and yet the Hallmark Channel has been showing Christmas themed movies all year! As I thought about this rush to Christmas, looking beyond the marketing and desire to entice people to find the perfect gift, I saw something deeper, something I think may be at the heart of why we seem to push the celebration of Christmas earlier each year. Could it be that something within us longs for this moment in time we call Christmas to last beyond Advent, extending the season farther and deeper into our lives? Pulling it beyond December into the calendar months of the fall and beyond to keep the wonder, meaning and message from getting lost, or at least dimmed throughout the rest of year? As I pondered this question my thoughts were drawn to the writings of Saint Augustine who lived in the late 4th and early 5th century. He was a rather interesting character. He was very much aware of his imperfections and places of temptations. He felt the pull of God’s love, and yet he seemed to struggle with loving himself. In the book called “The Confessions,” in the first paragraph Augustine’s thoughts portray what I believe is true for all of us as we wrestle with the meaning of Christmas for our lives. He wrote, “thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee,” this phrase has remained with me since I read it the first time. It speaks to our humanity calling us to consider who we are and why we are here. It also seems to arise as we ponder the meaning and message of Christmas, looking beyond the external decorations and gift giving to the wonder of the incarnation and the coming of God to be one us.
places within us is the message, this truth that God is one of us through this thing we call the incarnation, in and through the birth of the Christ child. I think this is what yearns within us throughout the year long after the dinner is cleaned up, and the gifts are put away (or taken back), and the decorations are back in the attic. The incarnation, this message that God is with us and more importantly God is for us and loves us long after the lights of Christmas have dimmed, continues to call us to remember and find rest within our restlessness. The incarnation, God being one of us, not merely to “save us,” but to reveal to us who we are and who we are created to become moves beyond the four weeks of Advent and the 12 days of Epiphany into every aspect and every day of our lives (for the rest of our lives!) Christmas and the message of the incarnation cannot be held within a single day. The wonder of this truth reaches beyond us, touching every aspect of our world, and every person who lives among us. The message that embodies this season calls us to understand once we have opened the box, we can never really close it again. The truth that is the incarnation opens our eyes, it touches our heart and awakens our mind to something about this God who loves us, as well as, about ourselves. The wonder of Christmas reveals not merely the depth of God’s love for God’s creation, but also within its message you and I discover we are more than we think we are as we ponder what it means for each one of us to be created in the image of God. The message of Christmas creates within us a restlessness that will only find what it is seeking when we discover every morning as we wake that Christmas and God have come to join us within each and every day of our lives!
We are pulled in through the music, the celebration and the joy of this season, but what speaks to the deep
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Be sure to mark your calendars with the events on these pages. For the most current information, be sure to see the Sunday bulletins and the church website.
November
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December
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Memorials
We remember the saints who have gone before....
Centenary Fund
IN MEMORIAM
In memory of Edward “Ted” O’Hanlon Hill by Brenda Maready. In memory of Edward J. Fowler by Martha D. Fowler. In memory of Emily Mitchell Williamson by Patricia Sipe. In memory of Robert Bowden Law by Jerry R. Wood. In memory of Sandra “Sandy” Buie Engert by Mrs. J. Robert Elster. In memory of Robert “Mason” Linker III by Dewey & Betty Ann Chapple.
Howard Morton Willis July 24, 2019 Albert Carl Penney July 31, 2019 William Dennie Spry III August 22, 2019 Robert Bowden Law September 1, 2019
Roots Revival
Dwayne Kelly Miller September 11, 2019
In memory of Dwayne Kelly Miller by Selwyn Matthews, Dot Chappell, Elizabeth Gordon, Gene & Lori Chappell, Michael & Pamela Harris, Scott & Julie Elliott, Jackie & Peggy Elliott.
Andrea Barton Little September 23, 2019 Walter Howard Coble September 25, 2019
Sacred Music Fund
Harry Leon Reavis September 29, 2019
In memory of Sara Fountain Lore by Ann Lore.
Honoraria
James Bruce Mulligan Jr. October 8, 2019) The ministers and members of Centenary Church extend their deepest sympathy to the bereaved families and pray they may know the comfort and peace of our Heavenly Father.
We celebrate the kingdom of God among us...
Backpack Program In honor of Lyndsay Foster by George & Amanda Hiatt, Todd & Sally Carlton.
DAYBreak Respite Care In honor of Laura Young by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Egleston.
General Fund In honor of Anne & Walter Henley by Jim & Vivian Hixon. In honor of Barbara Earnest by Jim & Vivian Hixon. In honor of Betty Ann & Dewey Chapple by Jim
& Vivian Hixon. In honor of Dianne & Jim Iseman by Jim & Vivian Hixon. In honor of Gayle & Ralph Atkinson by Jim & Vivian Hixon. In honor of Louise & Phil Kinken by Jim & Vivian Hixon. In honor of Melanie Collins by Jim & Vivian Hixon. In honor of Roland Barnhardt by Jim & Vivian Hixon.
Sacred Music Fund In honor of June Stegall by Paul & Susan Armstrong. In honor of Craig & Janet Ford on their 50th wedding anniversary by Aubrey & Barbara Smith.
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Stephen Ministry In honor of Wilba Brady by friends.
Thank you to our Crucifers and Torchbearers for helping to lead us in worship. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 33 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| senior minister |
Home for Christmas My sophomore year of college, I could not wait to come home for Christmas break. I finished my exams as quickly as possible, packed the car, said good-bye to my friends and raced up the highway. I found great comfort coming through the door to the familiar setting of the Christmas season at home. The lights on the Christmas tree, the sweet smell of sugar cookies baked from an old family recipe, the sounds of familiar Christmas albums crooning through the speakers, and the warm embrace of family served as a welcome reset to the chaos of college life. There are other times of the year – summer vacation, the opening of baseball or ski season, the first real
golf game of the year, spring break (to name a few)– or places – the beach, your vacation home, camp – that provide a similar reset to our lives, but I suspect that the Christmas season is universal to us all. Wrapped up in the whole mystique of our celebration of Christ’s birth are the traditions which we have woven into the season. Take your Christmas tree, for example. Real or artificial? Do you put it up Thanksgiving weekend, or the weekend after, or later? White or colored lights? Who puts on the lights? How close do you come to losing your religion putting lights on the tree? A hodge-podge of ornaments – some family hand-me-downs, others
Rev. Dr. Glenn Kinken gkinken@centenary-ws.org
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made by the kids, and others collected from your travels – or carefully color-coordinated or themed ornaments? One tree or multiple trees (if multiple, repeat these questions for each!)? How soon before the dog destroys the tree once it is fully decorated? Does the tree stay up no later than-- two days after Christmas, New Year’s Day, or Epiphany? Like me, I am sure you have passionate answers to each of those questions, and they are the correct answers, at least in your eyes and notso-humble opinion. But these answers have become the rubric of the Christmas tree tradition in your house. We have other traditions, too. Once we have conquered our understanding of the Christmas tree tradition in our families, we can then turn our eyes to these: Christmas cookies (sugar, ginger, or other); the traditional baked gift for the neighbors, teachers, et cetera; Christmas dinner (day, time, place, and menu); timing of the opening of presents; special wrapping paper (yes/no); Christmas cards (traditional family portrait, silly family
picture, travel collage, no picture, etc.); the household holiday party schedule; decorating the house all together (Southern Living versus Griswold Family Christmas, versus I-can’t-compete); and finally how to keep that one relative from talking politics! These traditions are just the supporting cast for our celebration of Christ’s birth, though. As the Advent calendar counts down the days to Christmas, our hearts warm with eager anticipation. We make room in our busy lives for the activities which bring into focus the love which God has for us and for the world. The Advent Wreath in our homes, which we light on Sundays for lunch or for supper, becomes a symbol of our waiting and serves as a reminder for us to slow down and focus upon the gifts from God – Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy. The Moravian Candle Tea may serve as a reminder that the celebration of Christ’s birth does not need to be elaborate or complicated, but that simple, heart-focused worship is gift enough to God who gave us the light of the world. The Lessons & Carols service simply tells the story of God’s love for the world from the Beginning and why the birth of Christ is a miracle is so many ways. The worship services during the season of Advent build to a crescendo announcing the Birth of Christ on Christmas Eve. As we hear the story of Christ’s birth told in the familiar verses which we could almost recite from memory (“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled…….”), sing familiar hymns, and lift our candles high on the final verse of “Silent Night”, we realize the depth of God’s love for us, the immense and awe-inspiring gift we have received through the birth of Christ. It is in that moment that we realize that we are truly home -- home in God’s house, home in God’s family, home in God’s heart. This year, it will be my own daughter returning from college for Christmas. When she walks in the door she will be embraced by the familiarity of Christmas in our home -- the lights on the Christmas tree that she will have helped us pick via Skype (yes, a new tradition for us), the smell of sugar cake in the oven from an old family recipe, the sounds of familiar Christmas albums crooning through the speakers, and the warm embrace of family will serve as welcome to reset the chaos of college life. She will lift a candle high on Christmas Eve during the final verse of “Silent Night”, having heard that “born unto you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger...” knowing that she is truly home and will always be. On behalf of the whole Centenary United Methodist Church family, I invite you to make Centenary your home for Christmas this year and invite your friends and neighbors to join you as well.
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(USPS 628-480)
Periodicals Postage Paid at Winston-Salem, NC
Published By: Centenary United Methodist Church PO Box 658 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-0658 Church Office: (336) 724-6311 Fax: (336) 723-5840 Website: www.centenary-ws.org Postmaster Send Address Changes to: Centenary United Methodist Church PO Box 658 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-0658 A Stephen Ministry Congregation Printed on recycled paper
WORSHIP AT CENTENARY Traditional Worship Sunday 8:30 am Memorial Auditorium
Sunday 9 am Sanctuary Includes Children’s Worship
Sunday 11:00 am Sanctuary Includes Children’s Worship
Wednesday 7 pm Memorial Auditorium
While you are away from our church home, we invite you to worship with Centenary on your computer, smart TV, smartphone, tablet, or whatever electronic device that has access to the Internet. Our Live Stream worship will be there for you. Be sure to sign in so we may be in connection with you. Join us for worship each Sunday at 11:00 am.
www.centenary-ws.org/live-stream