Excerpts from the December 2019 UMC Compass Newsletter
Riverview United Methodist Church
4012 W. Court St. Pasco, WA 99301
Mailing address: P.O. Box 2306 Pasco, WA 99302
Phone: 509-547-5981; Office Email: riverviewumcpasco@gmail.com
From the Pastor’s Desk
Advent: What is it? Advent is a season of the Christian year that lasts about four weeks. It begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. It precedes and is a time of preparation for Christmas.
During Advent Christians prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the one who comes from God to set us free. In Advent we are reminded that we need a savior and look forward to the second coming of Jesus even as we prepare to celebrate the first. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means ‘coming.’ In the season of advent we honor the ‘comings’ of Jesus; at Bethlehem, now through the Holy Spirit and the one yet to come.
For people in the midst of the commercial Christmas season Advent can be downright odd. Churches that practice Advent do things a bit differently. You won’t hear many Christmas carols sung. You will hear Advent carols whose lyrics reflect our yearning for and need for God’s movement into this world. A great example is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
The scriptures read during worship are often the words of the Old Testament prophets and the stories concerning John the Baptist found in the Gospels. These are often words of judgment and warning. What an odd way to prepare for Christmas!
Even the colors of Advent are different. The Christmas colors are green, red, gold and white. The Advent colors are purple, a deep dark blue and a touch of pink. Why these? Purple is the same color as that of Lent. It symbolizes repentance and royalty. Blue is becoming more popular for Advent because it carries many of the same meanings as purple and gives Advent its own color. Think of the advent wreath with its five candle. Three are blue, one is pink and the last is the Christ candle which is white. Why pink? It is associated with joy and celebration. It is a reminder that even as we get in touch with our need and desire that God come to us, we celebrate that God has, in Jesus Christ!
And that is why we prepare. This season is incredibly busy and its challenging to stay centered in our faith. A commitment to observe Advent will lead us into a deeper understanding of our desire for God to come and set all things right!
May you experience a blessed Advent and Glorious Christmas as you prepare for and celebrate the birth of our Lord!
Pastor Derek
United Methodist Women
Join us for our December Meeting - Our next meeting is on Wednesday, December 11th at 1:00 pm in the fellowship hall. This month we will have a Christmas cookie exchange and a short meeting. We hope you can join us for this fun event!
Mitten Tree - Our tradition of a mitten tree continues! We will have a tree set up in the fellowship hall where the tree can be decorated with donated mittens, gloves, hats and scarves. These items will be donated to local agencies including Mirror Ministries. Mirror Ministries is an organization that advocates for and helps victims and survivors of sex trafficking. For more information on this organization, please visit www.mirror-ministries.org.
The RUMC knitters will have some of their creations on the tree available for purchase to be donated to the mitten tree.
The Compass Bite 2 Go for Christmas Vacation
Wednesday, December 18 10:00 AM -- This is the day that the UMW and other members of RUMC will be putting together bags of additional food to give to those students at Twain Elementary that are part of our Bite 2 Go program. These bags will help ensure that the kiddos have plenty of food during the long Christmas break.
Remember, all items need to be pull-top or easy open—NO tops requiring a can opener! Also, all items must be shelf-stable, ready to eat, and not require heating/cooking. The following is a list of items that are needed.
Vienna sausage - Ravioli - SpaghettiOs
Beef sticks - Nutrition bars - Fruit cups/pouches
Peanut butter or cheese sandwich crackers
The more that is donated, the more they can receive!
Mark Twain Elementary
Barbara Pierce, Principal of Mark Twain Elementary, was a guest at the November Leadership Board Meeting. She shared ways some of the struggles her students face. She also shared a list of ways that RUMC members can help. If you would like to help with any of the following opportunities, please let the church office know and we can get you in contact with the right person!
Reading buddies - Contribute to glove/hat/scarf drive - Backpacks with school supplies - Clothing for emergencies Staff rewards (food treats, movie nights, etc.) - Snacks for kids - Testing season snacks Motivational signs/notes for the students - Volunteers to pop popcorn - Parenting seminars - Book drive—Going on now! Cat Cash Cart trinket prizes - Goodwill Trailer donations 11/25-12/6 - Box Tops
The Compass Leadership Board Happenings
One of the goals of your leadership board is to develop a better understanding of our community and how RUMC might interface with other groups to help make things better. This month Barbara Pierce, the principle at Mark Twain, stopped by and gave us a better understanding of what is working well for them and where they also could use some volunteer support. Stop by the office and see Janiece if you could help. She has a long list of suggested ideas.
Nanette Walkley, our team leader for the Building Ministry Team, reported on the results of an accessibility audit of our church that she and Evelyn conducted. This is one of several different audits that are conducted annually. Nanette also provided a list of several repair and/or upgrade items that will need to be conducted in the future. These include:
1) An upgrade for the old single-pane windows in the education wing, $6,000.00 - an energy rebate may apply.
2) Fellowship Hall Carpet replacement with rubber base carpet tiles - $8,000.00 to $9,000.00.
3) Classroom paint and repair of ceiling tile.
4) Replacement of our aging water heater.
5) The Narthex door was repaired in November as it had been not closing properly; but, please do continue to check it to make sure it closes securely behind you.
Merry Christmas
Special Worship Services
Longest Night Service December 21st
This service marks the December solstice—the longest night of the year. It is also a service that acknowledges and offers healing and hope to those struggling to find joy during the Christmas season. Be on the lookout for details regarding this evening service.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 24th at 7pm
Join us tomorrow at 7:00pm for our candlelight Christmas Eve service. Celebrate Christmas as we sing carols, light candles, and hear the Christmas story as recorded in the Gospel of Luke! Joy to the World! All are welcome to attend!
Riverview United Methodist Church
4012 W. Court St. Pasco, WA 99301
Mailing address: P.O. Box 2306 Pasco, WA 99302
Phone: 509-547-5981; Office Email: riverviewumcpasco@gmail.com
From the Pastor’s Desk
Advent: What is it? Advent is a season of the Christian year that lasts about four weeks. It begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. It precedes and is a time of preparation for Christmas.
During Advent Christians prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the one who comes from God to set us free. In Advent we are reminded that we need a savior and look forward to the second coming of Jesus even as we prepare to celebrate the first. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means ‘coming.’ In the season of advent we honor the ‘comings’ of Jesus; at Bethlehem, now through the Holy Spirit and the one yet to come.
For people in the midst of the commercial Christmas season Advent can be downright odd. Churches that practice Advent do things a bit differently. You won’t hear many Christmas carols sung. You will hear Advent carols whose lyrics reflect our yearning for and need for God’s movement into this world. A great example is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
The scriptures read during worship are often the words of the Old Testament prophets and the stories concerning John the Baptist found in the Gospels. These are often words of judgment and warning. What an odd way to prepare for Christmas!
Even the colors of Advent are different. The Christmas colors are green, red, gold and white. The Advent colors are purple, a deep dark blue and a touch of pink. Why these? Purple is the same color as that of Lent. It symbolizes repentance and royalty. Blue is becoming more popular for Advent because it carries many of the same meanings as purple and gives Advent its own color. Think of the advent wreath with its five candle. Three are blue, one is pink and the last is the Christ candle which is white. Why pink? It is associated with joy and celebration. It is a reminder that even as we get in touch with our need and desire that God come to us, we celebrate that God has, in Jesus Christ!
And that is why we prepare. This season is incredibly busy and its challenging to stay centered in our faith. A commitment to observe Advent will lead us into a deeper understanding of our desire for God to come and set all things right!
May you experience a blessed Advent and Glorious Christmas as you prepare for and celebrate the birth of our Lord!
Pastor Derek
United Methodist Women
Join us for our December Meeting - Our next meeting is on Wednesday, December 11th at 1:00 pm in the fellowship hall. This month we will have a Christmas cookie exchange and a short meeting. We hope you can join us for this fun event!
Mitten Tree - Our tradition of a mitten tree continues! We will have a tree set up in the fellowship hall where the tree can be decorated with donated mittens, gloves, hats and scarves. These items will be donated to local agencies including Mirror Ministries. Mirror Ministries is an organization that advocates for and helps victims and survivors of sex trafficking. For more information on this organization, please visit www.mirror-ministries.org.
The RUMC knitters will have some of their creations on the tree available for purchase to be donated to the mitten tree.
The Compass Bite 2 Go for Christmas Vacation
Wednesday, December 18 10:00 AM -- This is the day that the UMW and other members of RUMC will be putting together bags of additional food to give to those students at Twain Elementary that are part of our Bite 2 Go program. These bags will help ensure that the kiddos have plenty of food during the long Christmas break.
Remember, all items need to be pull-top or easy open—NO tops requiring a can opener! Also, all items must be shelf-stable, ready to eat, and not require heating/cooking. The following is a list of items that are needed.
Vienna sausage - Ravioli - SpaghettiOs
Beef sticks - Nutrition bars - Fruit cups/pouches
Peanut butter or cheese sandwich crackers
The more that is donated, the more they can receive!
Mark Twain Elementary
Barbara Pierce, Principal of Mark Twain Elementary, was a guest at the November Leadership Board Meeting. She shared ways some of the struggles her students face. She also shared a list of ways that RUMC members can help. If you would like to help with any of the following opportunities, please let the church office know and we can get you in contact with the right person!
Reading buddies - Contribute to glove/hat/scarf drive - Backpacks with school supplies - Clothing for emergencies Staff rewards (food treats, movie nights, etc.) - Snacks for kids - Testing season snacks Motivational signs/notes for the students - Volunteers to pop popcorn - Parenting seminars - Book drive—Going on now! Cat Cash Cart trinket prizes - Goodwill Trailer donations 11/25-12/6 - Box Tops
The Compass Leadership Board Happenings
One of the goals of your leadership board is to develop a better understanding of our community and how RUMC might interface with other groups to help make things better. This month Barbara Pierce, the principle at Mark Twain, stopped by and gave us a better understanding of what is working well for them and where they also could use some volunteer support. Stop by the office and see Janiece if you could help. She has a long list of suggested ideas.
Nanette Walkley, our team leader for the Building Ministry Team, reported on the results of an accessibility audit of our church that she and Evelyn conducted. This is one of several different audits that are conducted annually. Nanette also provided a list of several repair and/or upgrade items that will need to be conducted in the future. These include:
1) An upgrade for the old single-pane windows in the education wing, $6,000.00 - an energy rebate may apply.
2) Fellowship Hall Carpet replacement with rubber base carpet tiles - $8,000.00 to $9,000.00.
3) Classroom paint and repair of ceiling tile.
4) Replacement of our aging water heater.
5) The Narthex door was repaired in November as it had been not closing properly; but, please do continue to check it to make sure it closes securely behind you.
Merry Christmas
Special Worship Services
Longest Night Service December 21st
This service marks the December solstice—the longest night of the year. It is also a service that acknowledges and offers healing and hope to those struggling to find joy during the Christmas season. Be on the lookout for details regarding this evening service.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 24th at 7pm
Join us tomorrow at 7:00pm for our candlelight Christmas Eve service. Celebrate Christmas as we sing carols, light candles, and hear the Christmas story as recorded in the Gospel of Luke! Joy to the World! All are welcome to attend!
