With the 2nd Sunday of Advent we bring our YOUTH CHRISTMAS PAGEANT! Cathy Berghahn, our director has readied the youth to present “A Story of Joy†for you. Please feel free to invite your friends and family for this special time. After service, we will enjoy a robust fellowship hour filled with Christmas delights after the service. All are invited to stay and be
refreshed by good food and conversation.
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For our December 8th fellowship hour we are having our traditional “Christmas Cookie Exchange.†Please bring a plate of your favorite Christmas treat to share with others! We look forward to enjoying each other`s yummies.
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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)Â Contact Carrie Bennett for ES, Julie Rogers for MS, Amy Harbaugh for HS or Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com with any questions.
Classes will resume in January
Sunday, December 8th: @ 9:45-10:45 am. Pageant Practice – this is just before we do it for real for that service. So we will need to get everyone in costume and set to go. Even if your child has not been to the other rehearsals we can still put on wings or sheep ears and have them be a part. It is lovely if we have some stray sheep or angels.  Any questions: wtucrev@gmail.com
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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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Interested in becoming a member at WTUC? – please talk to Pastor Teresa about the upcoming membership classes.
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Upcoming Preaching Ministry
December 15Â Â Â Rev. Jim Sack, Communion
December 22Â Â Â Rev. Tim McKenzie
December 24Â Â Â Pastor Teresa, Christmas Eve Service
December 29Â Â Â Pastor Teresa
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT during our special Thanksgiving offering for Child Fund Japan for their outreach to the Philippines. Their webpage is accessible in both Japanese and English http://www.childfund.or.jp/
Now our hearts move towards our ANNUAL SOCKS AND CHRISTMAS PRESENT outreach for the children of Nozomi no Ie orphanage. There will be a time during today`s pageant for us to bring our gifts forward to the tree. We will be Christmas Caroling at Nozomi no Ie and Choyo Gakuen in December.
More information from Jim Sack about Socks and Gifts for the children of “Nozomi No Ie,†an orphanage in Mitaka.
The tradition of collecting socks and gifts for the children residing at Nozomi No Ie goes back some 30 years. Members of WTUC are asked to select a child (or children) and buy them both some socks and a present for Christmas. We ask each giver to sign up for a child by writing their name on a master list. The names of the children are also placed on a slip of paper that is given to the gift giver. It lists the name of the child, their sex, their age and sock size. The slips of paper have been color coded in case you forget their sex, with boys being blue and girls being red. If you happen to lose the piece of paper, you can call me to be reminded of who it is you are buying for.
Presents should not cost more than 2,000 yen. We want to get them something that is meaningful but we don’t want this to become a contest between children. Nozomi No Ie has asked that coupons, money and gift cards NOT be given. The orphanage would like each child to be able to open the gift and immediately be able to make use of it. If the socks and the gift are wrapped separately that gives each child the opportunity to open up two things. Please make sure the name of the child is SECURELY attached to each gift. If the name comes apart from the gift it is difficult to know who should receive the gift. The name of the giver may or may not be written on the gifts. That is up to each individual to decide.
We ask that the gifts be brought to church by December 15, 2013. They can be placed under the Christmas tree at the church. I take the gifts home each Sunday and put them in a secure place until they can be delivered to the orphanage before Christmas Eve. Those who bring gifts on the day of the pageant (December 8) may be directed to bring them up front as part of the pageant. If that is the case there will be further notifications from Cathy Berghahn about what to do.
This project continues to be a very wonderful example of sharing the love of Christ during the Christmas season. Thank you to all who support this ministry.
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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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WTUCÂ 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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for a little clicking fun during Advent
http://whyismarko.com/2013/the-50-worst-and-weirdest-nativity-sets/
GREATLY LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN WORSHIP