November 20-22 events and November 22, 2015 worship

November 20th-22nd – a wide variety of musical and evangelistic opportunities (Friday 6:30PM, Saturday 10:00AM and 5:30PM, and Sunday 3:00PM sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Organisation at the Budokan –http://celebrationoflove.tokyo/en/  Pastor Teresa has FREE tickets for each of the events throughout the weekend, Rev. Christian Zebley is one of the volunteer laborers organisers – if you would like to help – please contact him or wtucrev@gmail.com

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West Tokyo Union Church Weekly - Sunday, November 22, 2015    

Pastor:  Rev. Teresa Thompson Sherrill     wtucrev@gmail.com

9:30 AM – Adult (in the Sacks` living room) and Multigenerational Sunday School (in the cafeteria)

11:00 AM – WORSHIP

FELLOWSHIP TIME: after the service.

BGEA`s CELEBRATION OF LOVE https://celebrationoflove.tokyo/en/ at the Budokan – last gathering starts from 3:00pm (doors open at 2:30pm) – need a ticket? contact Pastor Teresa

Sunday, November 22nd – After the Adult and Multigenerational Sunday Schools at 9:30 am, during the 11AM worship service Rev. Claudia Genung Yamamoto, will bring the sermon “Thanks-Giving and Thanks-Living!” from Psalm 68 and 1 Thessalonians 5. Kazuko Sacon will provide the organ worship music. Following our worship will be a Fellowship time.

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about the preacher – We welcome Rev. Claudia back to WTUC today! She is a United Methodist Church mission worker – Enjoy this link about Claudia – http://www.umcmission.org/Explore-Our-Work/Missionaries-in-Service/Missionary-Profiles/Genung-Yamamoto-Claudia

serving in Kobe at the Kagawa Center and the church within the center.  She is involved in the Tengoku cafe ministry (one of our outreach ministries), preaching at Kobe Union Church as well as at the Kagawa Center, engaged in relief work with Tohoku HELP and Fukushima/Kobe Children’s Camp, participates in homeless ministry, and networking in the community. Rev. Claudia was our pastor at WTUC from September 1994-June 2011. 

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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 well over 20 years. Members of WTUC are asked to select a child (or children) and buy them both some socks and a present for Christmas. This year please feel free to accept more than one child. 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, ( which I am sure will never happen) you can call me or email wtucrev@gmail.com to be reminded of who it is you are buying for.

Presents should not cost more than 2,000. 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.

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 by Christmas Eve.

This project continues to be a very concrete example of sharing the love of Christ during the Christmas season. Thank you to all who support this ministry.

Jim Sack

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Little Kidz: All are welcome to go with Oliver and have fun learning about “The Good Samaritan.”

Little Kidz, ES, MS, HS: Everyone is needed for this year`s Pageant being created by our own Cathy Berghahn. Practices will be December 6th and 13th, with the Pageant being in the service on the 13th.

Confirmation Class: Monday November 30th, 6:30-8:00pm at the Bennett`s home, Pastor Teresa is teaching. Pizza provided this month by the Montgomery/Shimokawa family.

HS Youth: Gathering cloth to continue with quilting projects – quilts are being created to give to refugees – please give your usable material to one of the Youth.

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We are looking for someone desiring to serve WTUC next year (2015-6) posting to the website and sending out the emailing – if you are interested, please talk with    Pastor Teresa, or wtucrev@gmail.com

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Events

November 20th-22nd – a wide variety of musical and evangelistic opportunities (Friday 6:30PM, Saturday 10:00AM and 5:30PM, and Sunday 3:00PM sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Organisation at the Budokan – http://celebrationoflove.tokyo/en/ Pastor Teresa has FREE tickets for each of the events throughout the weekend, Rev. Christian Zebley is one of the volunteer laborers organisers – if you would like to help – please contact him or wtucrev@gmail.com

November 22nd  Adult and Multigenerational Sunday School, Rev. Claudia Genung-Yamamoto preaching, organ: Kazuko Sacon, Celebration of Love (including a mass gospel choir that Pastor Teresa and Sophia are singing in) at the Budokan from 3pm.

November 29th  Advent I – Rev. Dr. Jim Sack preaching, Organ: Kazuko Sacon, Senzoku Music Conservatory will offer pieces in the worship and will have an Advent Concert from 12:45pm. Invite your friends to this delightful afternoon.

December 6th   Advent 2 – Christmas Pageant Practice from 9:30am, Rev. Christian Zebley preaching, Communion will be served, organ: Kazuko Sacon.

December 13th Advent 3 – Christmas Pageant Practice, Pageant during Worship. Christmas Caroling at local orphanages and Christmas treats at the Sacks` home.

December 20th  Advent 4 – Rev. Dr. Jim Sack preaching, Communion will be served, organ: Gene Witt.

December 24th  Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols, 6:30pm followed by Christmas treats fellowship, organ: Kazuko Sacon.

December 27th (Adult and Multigenerational Sunday School will resume in January), Pastor Teresa preaching, organ: Kazuko Sacon.

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MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!! 

We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Who is welcome? All ages. We will  be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more. At the same time, the Sacks host the Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30 am in their living room. The method used is the, “Swedish Bible study method,” interacting with the texts for the service through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary.  Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, hosted by Dr. Toshi Sasao, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time= ) 2015 Sunday School schedule:  11/22, 12/6 (pageant practice for kids); 12/13 (pageant practice and pageant during worship)

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WTUC  Announcements:  *Questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime *Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others. Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee. If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Pastor Teresa *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. *Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or Jill. We appreciate your contributions to our community life!  *Interested in baptism or membership, please contact Pastor Teresa.

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Sermon texts –

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

Psalm 68:19

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18