THE WINDOW ONCE MORE, AT CHRISTMAS Volume 68, Issue 12 December 2017 www.winbap.org Check out our Facebook page and download the Winstanley app for more information on services, events, and opportunities to serve. Sunday Schedule 8:15 & 10:55 am Worship 9:30 Sunday School 6:00 pm Evening Worship Wednesday Activities 4:45-6:00 pm Dinner 6:00 pm Child Care 6:00-6:30 pm Children’s Choir 6:00-7:00 pm Prayer meeting Mission Friends Youth Worship Handbells 6:30-7:15 pm RA’s & GA’s 7:00-8:00 pm Chancel Choir 8:30 pm Open Basketball
After this issue of The Window, it will be sent out electr onically. There will be a few mailed to the homebound, and a few copies at church for those who do not have computers. We have most of your email addresses, but if you aren’t sure, please email Carol at carolt@winbap.org with yours. This will allow you to get your Winstanley news faster, and you will be seeing some changes with format also. The newsletter will still be on the Winstanley facebook page.
I hardly need to remind you how special Advent and Christmas are at Winstanley. Most of you know by virtue of having lived through it before. You are aware of much that is coming. This year, however, the season already has been accentuated by a powerful missionary message from our longtime friend and Executive Director of Woman’s Missionary Union, Sandy WisdomMartin. When she spoke to us last Sunday, November 26, she memorably set the tone for our receiving the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. This year the church goal is $9000. And then comes Advent. I think of Advent as a time of reflection and anticipation. Part of the reflection for me is personal this time around. I am remembering many years of putting Christmas baskets together, the packed sanctuary on Christmas Eves, and the wide variety of people who have lighted the Advent candles, and . . . . Well, you get the picture. But Advent is also a time of service, and not just in the way we contribute dollars to various missions endeavors. For a very long time many of us have been involved in special projects through the Christian Activity Center. More recently a good number of us have contributed to a local homeless ministry. Then, there was always ministry which was present, but which
December 3
kind of flew under the radar, unnoticed by most. You see, Christmas is not a celebration for each of us to take only personally. Jesus died for each of us, as we well know, but His death happened in order to impact the entire world. Therefore, Advent and Christmas are celebrations for communities (like ours) and entire villages and cities and nations and languages and peoples. The Light that shone in the darkness of ancient Israel shone for more than Israel. The Light that shines from Winstanley Hill most assuredly is to break forth into our larger communities. We are called to shine. So here is my word on the cusp of another amazing time of year. Take advantage of every opportunity you are afforded for Jesus’ sake. Keep your eyes wide open for moments of ministry and witness. Let your hands be outstretched in the way not completely unlike the way Jesus’ hands were outstretched for you. Let your ears ring with challenges and joys every day. At Christmas Jesus came for you. In turn, however, again this year, He is asking you to come and give and live and be for others. Still grateful to be your pastor, Dr. Steve
6:00 pm Hanging of the Green/Sweet & Savory Bar December 7 10:30 am Ladies Tea December 10 7:30 am Church-wide Pancake Breakfast December 17 6:00 pm Children’s Musical December 24 6:00 pm Choir Cantata/Christmas Eve Service December 27 4-7 pm Reception for Dr. Steve and Dawn in Garrison Hall
This past month our youth spent some time volunteering at the Fairview Heights Food Pantry for the Canned Food Drive. We are especially thankful to Nancy Idoux for alerting us to this opportunity to serve the community. If you have never worked at the Food Pantry, you might wonder exactly what we do there. Let me take a second to fill you in. When we arrive at the Pantry, there are gobs and gobs of cans and other food items waiting to be carried and organized into various boxes. The Cheerios and Captain Crunch go into the cereal box. The chili cans go into the chili can box. The fruit cocktail goes into the fruit cocktail box. You get the idea. But then there are those items that are really obscure, and you can’t find any box for them, and so they get put into the miscellaneous box. One thing you have to be careful of is to never ever place an expired can into any box. No, those go on the expired can table. They have a contest to see who will identify the oldest, most expired can. I think someone found one from 2003 this last time. May this be a lesson for all of us to check the dates on the cans before we donate them. We enjoy serving the community at the Food Pantry, and if you would like to join us next time, you are more than welcome. November also marked our first Youth Fall Retreat at Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp. I’ve heard stories about Lake Sallateeska since coming to Winstanley, but I finally had the opportunity to experience it for myself. Although we were there for less than twenty-four hours, we managed to sit under three sermons, sing praises, have small group time, canoe, eat a couple meals, enjoy a campfire with snacks, and even sleep a little. I could easily see this becoming an annual tradition for our youth. Fielding
Winstanley will host an Open House retirement reception for Dr. Steve and Dawn on Wednesday, December 27th from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm. The entire Phillips family will be present to share in this celebration of his ministry and his retirement. Feel free to invite anyone in the community who would like this opportunity to visit with Dr. Steve and his family. Desserts, coffee, and punch will be served. There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for anyone wishing to bring a dessert or to help with the event, or you can contact Linda Spradling at 618-406-8510. Please plan on stopping by to offer them your love and encouragement.
If you would like to get in the Christmas spirit and have a fun Christian evening of fellowship, then you won’t want to miss the “It’s A Wonderful Life” Dinner Show at Dr. Jazz Soda Fountain in Lebanon, Illinois. The date is Monday, December 11th, from 6-8 pm. Menu will be: Ma’ Bailey’s Famous Turkey Heehaw! Mashed Potatoes Charleston’s Carrots Grandma’s Stuffing
Uncle Billy’s Christmas Ham Mr. Potter’s Green Bean Casserole Clarence’s Cranberry Apple Salad Little Tommy’s Hot Cross Buns
Dessert is either Mr. Gower’s Meticulously Measured Apple Crisp or Dr. Jazz Famous “George Bailey Sundae” Cost of the dinner and show is $10 for children (ages 5-12), $15 children (ages 12-17), and $30 for adults. See Nancy Reinard or call 618-537-2200.
Winstanley Flower Power There is a card that says, “These flowers have been on the altar at our church, Winstanley Baptist. They have heard the hymns sung, the prayers offered, and the sermon preached. Now they come to share God’s love with you. That’s one blessing that will never wither away.” This card is attached to a bouquet of flowers that is delivered each week to Winstanley members who can no longer attend Sunday morning worship or they may be in the hospital. Every Monday the beautiful, large, fresh flower arrangement sitting on our Lord’s Supper table is not tossed away, but rather broken down into several smaller arrangements for delivery by either Lauretta Newton, Cindy Holderfield, Amy Hoots, Liz Pirtle, Linda Rogers, Jerri Robbins or myself. Lauretta has been delivering flowers once a month for nearly 20 years. She says,” I enjoy getting to visit with our older members. I think they love being remembered by the church and are blessed by the flowers and the visit.” Currently the flowers are arranged and delivered by Steven Mueller Florist in O’Fallon. There is no line-item in the church budget to pay for the flowers, they are paid for by donations. In January, there will be a sign-up sheet so members can celebrate someone’s birthday or anniversary or remember a loved one with their names printed in the Sunday bulletin. The contribution will be $30 starting in 2018. We also take donations of bud vases. We try to recycle and reuse as much as possible. If you have vases to give, please leave them in the church workroom. And if you feel God calling you to volunteer in the ministry, please call Joni Garrison at 618/624-0885. Luther Burbank, an American botanist once said, “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” Joni Garrison
Christmas Basket Pick-Up, December 16
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering-Our Goal $9,000 It’s that time of year again! In case of church weather cancellations, a message will be put on the church phone, facebook, the app, and channels 2, 4, 5, and 11.
Youth Christmas Party, December 15 at church From the Church Media Center: “A Morning Like This” by Deborah Bedford. A riveting tale of two families and the secret that ties them together, or the secret that may destroy them both. “A Distant Melody” by Sarah Sundin. This is a story of love, courage, and sacrifice during World War II. “The Secret”, “The Missing” and “The Telling”, by Beverly Lewis. No one does Amish-based inspirationals better than Beverly Lewis.
BUDGET SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER & WEEKLY STATISTICS Report for October Budget Checkbook Bal. 9/30/17
$ 74,289.66
Gross Budget Receipts
$ 41,338.95
Less Total Budget Expenditures
$ 31,862.00
Budget Checkbook Bal. 10/31/17
$ 83,766.61
Sunday School Worship Budget Off.
10/29 138
11/5 145
11/12 145
11/19 151
11/26 129
147
156
155
153
152
$4,967.00
$12,221.00
$5,753.00
$5,525.00 $6,473.00
1
7 Ladies Tea 10:30 am
8 Robbins Class Party 6 pm
2
3 6 pm Hanging 4 of the Green/ Sweet and Savory Bar
5 Romeo’s Breakfast 8 am/ Juliet 8:30 am
6 Wednesday Activities
9 Bryant Class Party 4 pm
10 Church-Wide 11 Dr. Jazz 6 pm Pancake Breakfast 7:30 am
12 Romeo’s 8 am
13 Wednesday Activities
14 Open VB 7 pm 15 Christmas Baskets
16 Christmas Baskets
17 6 pm Children’s Musical/ Reception
18
19 Romeo’s Breakfast 8 am/ Juliet 8:30 am
20 Wednesday Activities/WOM
21 Open VB 7 pm 22
23
24 Sunday Worship/6 pm Candlelight Serv. ______________ 31 No 8:15 am/ No PM
25 MERRY CHRISTMAS!
26 Romeo’s Breakfast 8 am
27 No Wednesday 28 Open VB 7 pm 29 Activities/ Reception 4 pm
30
Open VB 7 pm