Sunday, January 5th

Sunday, January 5th, Jim & Carol Sack and Pastor Teresa will bring us the Epiphany play, “This is what I have learned” from Matthew 2:1-12.  There will also be Communion.  After service will be our fellowship time.
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West Tokyo Union Church women have been a integral part of the 57 year history of the Women’s Conference.  The 2014 conference will be held January 31st – February 2nd at Amagi Sanso – one week later than usual.   Give yourself the wonderful gift of this special fellowship!  The theme is Through the Valley and the keynote speaker is renowned author and educator Sharon M. Draper.  For more information, please see the website at http://wocon.net
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Christmas 2013 special offering is being taken through 1/15/14.  We are supporting two projects: the film, 2 Criminals and Second Harvest Japan.  2/3 of the offering is going to the production costs of 2 Criminals, a movie that will be shown in public settings, at churches, at festivals around the world and in prisons, with sponsorship by Prison Fellowship.  There is more information about this film at the entrance of our sanctuary.  1/3 of the offering will go to Second Harvest Japan, the only nationwide food bank.  In 2012 they delivered 3,152 tons of food to the needy, including single parent homes; institutions, as well as hot meals to the homeless on Fridays and Saturdays.  They are also involved in teaching food advocacy to communities interested in developing food banks, and in the Philippines.
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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)  Contact Carrie Bennett for ES, Julie Rogers for MS, Amy Harbaugh for HS or Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com with any questions.
All classes will resume in January.  The children`s child care held during the service will also resume January 12th.  For those with children, we LOVE children of all ages in our worship.  Please at any time in the service get books and coloring materials from the cupboard at the back of the room.  Your whole family is welcome at WTUC.
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Interested in becoming a member at WTUC? – please talk to Pastor Teresa about the upcoming membership classes.
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Upcoming Preaching Ministry
January 5          Jim & Carol Sack and Pastor Teresa, Epiphany, Communion
January 12        Pastor Teresa, Steering Committee meeting
January 19        Rev. Jim Sack, Communion
January 26        Rev. Jim Sack
February 2        Rev. Tim McKenzie
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SNACK SIGNUP Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or on the list on the white board.  We greatly appreciate your contributions to our community life!
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WTUC  Announcements
*Any questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.
*Please enjoy and refer our website and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others.  Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee.  https://wtuc.net/
*If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Gene Witt ewitt@asij.ac.jp
*If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo Ozawa.
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Matthew 2:1-12 1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
3-4 When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5-6 They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:
It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land, no longer bringing up the rear. From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”
7-8 Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”
9-10 Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!
11 They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
12 In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.