Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Bruce Richardson, Mark Noller, Dianna Clem, and Rev. Robert Bushey, Jr.

CHURCH CALENDARCHURCH CALENDAR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18

Christmas Offering 9:00AM ADVENT STUDY 9:30AM Connection Café 10:30AM Worship 11:40AM Wassail Bowl 2-4:00PM Caroling 4-5:00PM Hot Chocolate @ Rev. Bushey’s House (213 S 3000W Rd, K3)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20 9:30AM Prayer Shawl Ministry

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 6:00PM Candlelight Worship

Offering for Blessings in a Backpack

CHRISTMAS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 9:30AM Connection Café 10:00AM Worship 11:00AM Dinner (RSVP 815-614-2697)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26 OFFICE & CHURCH CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS DAY OBSERVED

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 6:30PM Game Night

NEW YEARS DAY SUNDAY, JANUARY 1 9:30AM Connection Café 10:30AM Worship

MONDAY, JANUARY 2 OFFICE & CHURCH CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS DAY OBSERVED

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4 10:00AM BIB Bag Packing resumes

Results of Congregational Meeting & Stewardship Notes The Congregation unanimously approved a $121,075 Budget for 2017 and elected officers for the coming year at our meeting on Dec. 11th. We had 29 members present and received three absentee ballots prior to the meeting. Our stewardship campaign has generated 15 Covenant of Giving Cards to date for a total of $30,760. We will continue to receive cards and extras are available in the Narthex. Thursday, December 29 is the last day to bring your donations to Central Christian Church to count for 2016 Income Tax deduction. Gifts mailed to the church must be postmarked by Dec. 31st for tax credit. Your generous giving is appreciated. Giving Envelopes for 2017 will be available beginning Sunday, Dec. 18th. Please, do not use the new envelopes until Jan 1st. Giving statements for 2016 will be prepared and mailed in January.

Church Happenings

Now till Sunday, December 25th

Mission Tree

Bring NEW Underwear, Socks, Hats, Scarfs, Mittens to be given to

local agencies serving persons in need.

Sunday, December 18th

Christmas Families Gift Dedication—10:30 am

Wassail Bowl Fellowship—11:40 am

Cookies and Punch after Worship in Fellowship Hall

Saturday, December 24th

Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion—6:00pm

Bring your family for Candlelight Communion on Christmas Eve. at

6:00 p.m. We will celebrate the birth of Jesus. Come and

experience anew the gift of Light and Love born for you!

Sunday, December 25th

Merry Christmas! Worship —10:00 am

Christmas Day Dinner—11:00 am—1:00 pm

(for reservations call 815-614-2697)

Thank You All for the prayers, cards, bears, and love offering for me and my family while

my daughter has been sick. I pray for each and every one of you that God will bless you as much

you all have blessed me. I am so grateful for this wonderful congregation!

Love & Appreciation, Dianna Clem

November Giving: Central received $4,510 for

the General Fund, $45 for the

Building Maintenance Fund,

$100 for Reconciliation, $138

for Thanksgiving Offering,

$502 for BIB RVC, $295 for

Christmas Families, $75 for a

Love Offering and $150 for

Heifer International. Your

generous giving is

appreciated. As of October

31st we are 3% behind in

our giving budgeted for the

year. We hope you will do

your best for your church as

the year comes to a close.

From Robert’s Round Table Oh the weather outside is frightful… As I write you this mid-December we are experiencing a colder than usual weather pattern with temps just above zero degrees Fahrenheit and wind chills in the negatives. Feels a bit more like mid-January if you ask me! We are still a little less than a week before the Winter Solstice but nothing outside looks anything different than winter. Last December, I wrote to you of my plans to “celebrate the arrival of the Winter Solstice with a bonfire and good cheer as the longest night gives way to lengthening daylight.” (I’ve spent enough time outside in cold weather lately finishing up the siding on our home, I’m not sure about that bonfire this year!) I continued, “While there is nothing Christian about a solstice, Christianity did place the Holy Day of Christmas near the Solstice, not because it accurately fixed the historical date of Christ’s birth on a calendar (more likely to have taken place in July than December, actually) but to claim the pagan festival of light as our own celebration of the Light of the World. There is nothing wrong with honoring the changing of seasons and the natural ways of our earth, just read through the Psalms and you will find several celebrating the changing seasons of the earth.” So, I remind you that as frightful and dark as the season may already see to be, there is a natural hope in the return of longer hours of daylight, day by day by day!

Our Advent/Christmas worship series is based on Isaiah 9 where we find the familiar words “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined.” So far, we have been visited by three different prophets who may have contributed to the book of the Bible we associate with the 8th Century BC prophet Isaiah. Because the happenings of the 66 chapters of Isaiah take place over more than 300 years, many scholars believe the writings were authored by as many as three people with the second and third writer being students of the 8th Century Isaiah. What is very clear from all three is how difficult the times were for ancient Israel as the kingdom was torn apart and carried into exile where they experienced torment and grief such that they “hung their harps in the willows and wept” for they could not even sing the songs of Zion any longer. Even the last several chapters convey the utter despair of God’s people as they returned to the ruins that once were their temple and kingdom. Dismal is not strong enough to describe the circumstances of the people. Desperate may come closer. And, yet despite their desperation, the prophets proclaimed a word of hope, the promise of the ages would be fulfilled, God’s people restored as flowers blooming in the dessert. From deep darkness, they will emerge into a great light, and the one to lead them will

be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!

Some of you may feel like you are walking in a land of deep darkness these days. Reliving the pain of losing love ones you held close in your heart, coping with an illness or adjusting to a new health reality, worrying about your finances and where the economy or country is headed next, dreading the gatherings of people who only seem to care for you during the holidays, facing life changes no one is ever truly prepared for, or missing a love one who lives or serves away from you; you may be having a blue Christmas.

Our friends at St. John UCC 1045W River St. in Kankakee will offer a Blue Christmas Service recognizing and acknowledging the real human struggle many share as we are expected to rejoice regardless of our grief, loss, shame, guilt and stress, Wednesday, December 21st at 6:00p.m. The service is open to the community and you are invited to attend.

We will proclaim with Isaiah the hope of a people who have seen a great light who is Christ the Lord with carols, candles and communion on Saturday, Dec. 24th at 6:00p.m. and rejoice in worship Christmas Morning at 10:00a.m. The service on Christmas Day will be brief and joyful and we invite you to come as you are during your family celebrations. Of course, you may also RSVP and stay for a Free Community Dinner serving from 11a.m. to 1p.m. And, on New Year’s Eve we invite you to end 2016 with us at a Game Night in Fellowship Hall. Bring finger foods, snacks, and games to share. We’ll begin at 6:30p.m. and conclude no later than 9p.m. Come and go as your celebrations allow.

I’m looking forward to the opportunities and challenges 2017 will bring and want to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!

Peace & Joy, Rev. Robert Bushey, Jr.

PS. Have you tried the Fair Trade

Store Hot Organic Cocoa? It will

warm you up inside and touch the

lives of small farmers in the

Dominican Republic. We’ll have free

samples in the Welcome Center on

New Years Day.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Monday - Thursday 9:00a.m – Noon

310 Main ST NW, Bourbonnais, IL 60914

Phone: (815) 939-4433

Email: cccbourbonnais@gmail.com

Staff: Dianna Clem, Administrative Secretary;

Rev. Robert Bushey, Jr. Minister

Mobile: (815) 662-7771

CONNECT WITH US:

Last Minute Gift Ideas? Stop by the Fair Trade Store for Missions in the

Welcome Center where you will find Build Your Own

Gift Baskets for that one last person on your list.

Chocolate bars, organic nuts, snack bars, teas and

coffees all supporting indigenous farmers across the

globe. You will feel good knowing your gift was

produced without child slave labor, and your loved one

will enjoy some delicious treats. Holiday special 10% off

all gift baskets. The store is open every Sunday from

9:30a.m. to 10:25a.m. and after worship as well.