Our 2017 Advent and Christmas theme, Bound Up with You, was inspired by these words from Desmond Tutu: “My humanity is bound up with yours, for we can only be human together.” If you remember the illustration from last week’s memo, you can see how our seasonal banner is developing under the direction of Roger and Becky. This Sunday the banner will reflect the participation of lots of you last week at the banner station of our annual Intergenerational Advent Event.

Thank You

Thank you to Dawn, Peggy, John C., JT, Roger, and Jen for their spirited leadership of various stations at our Intergenerational Advent Event.  Thank you to everyone who contributed gifts for the annual Toys for Tots drive. And thank you to Dawn, John, Kate, Emma, Lars, Ann T, Peggy, Jan, Theresa, Rob, and Martha for all of their wrapping hours at the Salvation Army on December 19. Last week was a busy one at Mayfield.

Sunday, December 24 – Fourth Sunday in Advent (Love) and Christmas Eve

Who could come with you to worship at Mayfield?

10:00 am – Fourth Sunday in Advent – Please bring a candle with you to worship. It could be a tea light, a pillar candle, a taper in a beautiful candlestick, any candle that you choose to celebrate the light of the love of God shining through us.

5:00 pm – Christmas Eve – Our mighty Mayfield Choir will offer twenty minutes of music before the service begins.  Plan to arrive by 4:40 pm if you would like to hear it all. Worship will be filled with scripture readings, carols, and light. From the writer John Shea I have learned about the 18^th century Neapolitan crèche at the Art Institute in Chicago. It has over 200 figures. 41 of them are items of food and drink. In addition to manger characters you know well, there are bartenders, merchants, the king of Naples, chickens, dogs, and cats. Shea has written that “Jesus is born among people, busy with the duties and pleasures of earth.” And he reminds us that “Incarnation means the sacred can surprise us through the people and events of our ordinary life, a life always more than we know.” Inspired by Shea’s words, you are invited to bring to Christmas Eve worship a picture, a symbol, an object of someone, something, somewhere from your ordinary life to add to the typical Christmas manger scene on our altar. Our fellowship time after the Service will feature a Bethlehem (house of bread) Table. Offer a holiday treat to add to the table and to share with others there.

Advent Mission Project – Music for the Jane Adeny Memorial School (JAMS)

Nelle Conley, one of Jen’s daughters, is preparing to begin a vocal and instrumental music program at JAMS in the summer of 2018. During Advent and Christmas this year we are raising money for the music stands that will be needed ($700 for 20 of them) and we hope to make an additional contribution to the instrument fund too. Your generous support will be appreciated. Mark your envelopes and checks Music for JAMS. We are thrilled to support Nelle and JAMS in this effort.

Plastic Caps and Lids for Benches

Keep those plastic caps and lids coming! So many people and groups are helping us collect the 800 pounds of plastic we will need for two Waystation benches. There are several pharmacies, the NIU community, the hospice team at Northwestern Medicine Hospice DeKalb, a bunco group, scouts, and at least five area UCC Churches: Union Congregational in Somonauk, Federated in Sycamore, Garden Prairie UCC in Garden Prairie, St. Paul’s in Hinckley and Woodside in Rockford. We have also have had one request for help with a pollinator garden in Hinckley.

Poinsettias

We still have room for a few more red, pink, and white poinsettias if you would like to add them this Sunday to the beautiful plants that have been donated. Plants will remain in the sanctuary through Christmas worship. Thanks!

Thank you to Jan, Karen, and Laura and John for decorating our sanctuary this year. In addition, as our Deacons, Karen and Jan, quietly and carefully attend from week to week to many details around our worship in this season.

A Word from our Trustees:  Winter Weather Reminder

If you have any questions about whether worship is being cancelled on any Sunday this winter due to weather, by 7:00 am that Sunday morning you can check for an email blast or you can look on the front page of our website, www.mayfieldchurchucc.org.

There are sign-up sheets in the Gathering Area for sponsorship of bulletins in 2018 ($7 per week) and for liturgists and fellowship hosts in January 2018.

The return of your completed pledge sheets by mail to the church office or in the offering plate will be appreciated by Sunday, December 31, 2017.