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December 16, 2014
FROM THE PASTOR
Dear Friends,
Many families have the tradition of making a wish list so that family
members can do informed shopping. Well, we are a church family here at
Cornerstone United Methodist Church. Below are items --- concrete and not
so concrete --- that the church wishes for Christmas:
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attendance of all members at Christmas activities including worship.
$14,000 for Conference apportionments.
all persons to complete their pledges for 2014.
all members to participate in the “Thanks Giving” 2015 stewardship
campaign.
* all members will truly encounter the Christ child with his grace, love, and
empowerment for life.
* all members will have a safe and healthy holiday season.
I also offer you the following Christmas gift suggestions not advertised on television, in catalogues or elsewhere. I hope you will give one or more of these as gifts this Christmas season:
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Give your parents the words, "I Love You.”
Give your children a full day of your time.
Give an ear to someone who needs a listener.
Give a hand to someone who needs help.
Give an old friend an unexpected visit or letter.
Give a kind word to a weary sales clerk.
Give a smile to a stranger on the street.
Give a prayer for peace in the world.
Give yourself time to reflect on this holy season.
Give God thanks for sending His Son as the Redeemer of the world.
God's richest blessings,
Dr. Dave
PLEASE NOTE: Every week Dr. Meadows has a new “Pastor’s Note” on our website
(www.Cornerstoneumc.org/pastor-desk). You are encouraged to go to our website each week and
read his inspirational thought for the week.
Touchstone 12-16-14
December 21st, Christmas Eve & December 28th
On Sunday, December 21st, the Cornerstone Chancel Choir accompanied by an orchestra will
be presenting a special Christmas music program entitled "The Winter Rose" at both the 8:30
and the 10:45 a.m. services. At the 9:30 a.m. service led by Journey Praise, the message will
be a special “Advent-themed Readers Theater.”
On Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24th, Cornerstone will offer three worship opportunities: 4:00
p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. At 4:00 p.m. there will be the Family Christmas Service. In
addition to the singing of carols and Communion, children will be invited to the front of the
church to hear the Christ Story and receive a special "Christmas" gift from the church. At
6:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. there will be a traditional "Candlelight and Communion" service. It
will include the retelling of the "Birth of Christ" through Scripture readings and hymns. All
three services will include a “Candle Lighting Ceremony” with everyone lighting candles during the singing
of "Silent Night".
On Sunday, December 28th, we will continue our Christmas celebrations and include a
“Favorite Christmas Hymn” time at our 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. services. During this time, worshippers will be given the opportunity to pick and choose their favorite Christmas hymns
from The United Methodist Hymnal to be sung. At the 9:30 a.m. worship service, the Journey Praise Band will be leading worship with celebrative music. At all three services we will
also be celebrating a special moment called “The Blessing of the Toys.” In addition, the
youth will be serving as liturgists in the various services and Scott Grow, the Director of
Youth Ministries, will be bringing an inspiring post-Christmas message.
We will have a nursery available for all of our worship celebrations except the 11 p.m. Christmas Eve
service. For more information, please call the church office at 281-859-4141. Cornerstone wishes each of
you a “Merry Christmas!” and a “Happy New Year!”
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
May God grant you peace at Christmas and
fill your heart with cheer;
May God grant you health and happiness
throughout the coming year; May God guide
you with his wisdom and keep you in his care;
This is our special wish for you This is our Christmas prayer.
From the Church Staff
Scott
Trish
Gl o
Debbie
Br e
nd a
ve
St e
Erica
Karina
e
D av
Donna
Lin
da
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WORSHIP MINISTRY COMMITTEE-
BAPTISM CELEBRATIONS!
by Helen Rupert
Christmas is in the air and
our Worship Center looks wonderful
with the addition of the Chrismon
tree. Special thanks to Sarah Elolf
for all her hard work putting the
Chrismon kits together and to her
husband Charles for photographing
them for a scrapbook and to all of
you who made them. If you have
not taken the time to look at the scrapbook book
please do, it is located next to the Chrismon tree.
Sarah will put another set of kits together for 2015
and I encourage you to take a kit.
Also many thanks to the following people
who came and helped decorate for this joyous season: Jerry Rupert, Karen Duhrkopf, Nicola Corpuz,
Bev Brophy, Veda Dietz, Brandy Jacobson, Bree
Garcia, Rita Mickey, Linda Rodriquez, Sarah and
Charles Elolf and their daughter and son in law.
Please be sure to not miss the Chancel
Choir and Orchestra on December 21 present “The
Winter Rose” by Joseph Martin. From earliest time
the rose has been a symbol of divine love. Today,
the rose remains and expression of love and peace
inside the Church and the outside world. Let the
words of this cantata remind you that even in the
deepest winter, we are people of joy and life…the
children of the garden.
We still need ushers for the Christmas Eve
services. If you can usher at the 11:00 service
please contact Jerry Rupert at jerry.rupert@att.net
or call him at 281 304 8518. Jerry is also setting the
usher schedule for 2015, if you have not ushered
and want to be included please contact him at the
above email or phone number.
We are earnestly trying to fulfill CUMC’s vision by “Faithfully serving God, serving you.
MOTORCYCLE RIDER REMINDER
Our next ride is scheduled for Saturday, December
20th. Weather permitting, we
will meet a the church at
7:30a.m. (Please note this is
a change in time) and plan to
be on the road by 7:45. We will take a break in
the middle of the ride to have breakfast and
should be back by 12 noon or so.
Celebrating the
Baptism of Owen Patrick Grow on November 30, 2014 at the
10:45 service.
Here’s
Owen
being held by his dad,
Scott. Included is his
mother, Camille holding
his big brother, John.
Rejoicing in
the Stegall household when the entire
family was
Baptized
and celebrated on December 14, 2014 at the
10:45 service. Here
are Seth and Vicki Stegall with children Grady,
Carter, Peyton.
YEAR END DONATIONS
In order for contributions/
donations to be placed on your 2014
statements/acknowledgments, those
funds must be received into the
church office by December 31st.You
may use the “After-Hours” drop box
located outside the education building door in the event you can not
make it to the office during business hours. If you
are mailing your donation, it must be postmarked by
December 31st as well. Any funds received after December 31st will be counted on your 2015 statements.
Statements for 2014 will be sent out after
January 15, 2015. Please review carefully and report any corrections to Linda Humphrey in the
church office. Her hours are Monday through Thursday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
Touchstone 12-16-14
CHRISTMAS EVE/ADVENT OFFERING
Christmas is a time for sharing, sharing the gift of God’s love. One
way we can share the gift of God’s love is through Cornerstone
UMC’s special Christmas Eve/Advent Offering. Every year, Cornerstone invites members and guests to participate in a special
Christmas Eve/Advent Offering. This year’s special offering will go
toward the church's 2013 apportionments. Our apportionments
help support ministries that help others not only at home but
around the world…missionaries, hospitals, orphanages, schools,
and more. Your gift to the apportionments of our church will keep
on helping long after the Christmas wrapping has been discarded
and the tinsel and candles have been packed away.
Cornerstone UMC has a wonderful reputation around the conference for being a
loving and caring church. This love and care have not only been felt by the members
of our own church but many others who the church has helped through the payment
of 100% of its apportionments each year. We will be challenged this year to pay our
2014 apportionments in full.
But you can help. Your generous gift can make a difference. Please prayerfully
consider what financial gift you can give this Christmas season to help those in need
as well as those who are taking God’s love and word to people around the world. Offering envelopes are available in the Worship Center or in the church office. Or, you
can simply place your gift in the offering plate designating that it is for the “Christmas
Eve/Advent Offering”. Thank you in advance for your generous gift of love.
ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT
Since we will depart for Mercedes at the end of December, there are only 2
more weeks to donate black shoes for school children in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico.
Already your generosity has produced 66 pairs of shoes. THANK YOU!! We are so
grateful for your donations to this ministry.
Olan and Lola Halbert
Pop Tabs for Ronald MacDonald House
BRING IN YOUR POP TOPS!!!! We are still collecting for the upcoming year. The Ronald
McDonald House was VERY grateful for our last donation of 75pounds of pop tops. Check the bulletin board
near the restrooms for the letter from the Center. Please continue to collect your tabs at home in a plastic bag
zip bags or milk cartons and drop them in to the basket in the Ed Building. Also, if you buy a soda at church,
don’t forget to drop your soda pop tab in the BLUE BOTTLE by the donation table. Remember, the tab just
has to be aluminum, so it can be a soda or other beverage can, a pet food can, other canned meats like
Spam, etc. Please help us reach our goal of 100 pounds of tabs to deliver to the RM House! Michele
Moura michele.moura@hilton.com
NEXT OUTREACH MISSIONS MEETING IS JANUARY 12 @ 7:00 PM
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Mission of Yahweh On Going Food Drive
Women’s Shelter)
Thank you for your constant support of the Mission of Yahweh. The “NEED” never goes
away!
You will find a the regular list of needed items located on the notice board in the Narthex and
Education Buildings. Please remember that just ONE item each week makes all the difference in the world.
November Donations: Food 184, Toiletries: 27 and a bag of travel sizes, Coats/Jackets: 35 and a bag
of warm clothes.
IMPORTANT: Please do not place any OPENED or EXPIRED food in the donation bins.
Please be sure to thank our Cornerstone delivery team Lisa Simmons, Linda and John Hash, Ingrid Johnson
and Kay Cullum. Remember, you are always welcome to visit the Mission Of Yahweh for a tour of their facility
at 10247 Algiers Houston, TX 77041 (713-466-4785 ext 107), or visit their website www.missionofyahweh.org
for more information and how you can help.
Mission of Yahweh - Coat Drive
Thank you Cornerstone for the warm coats and clothes that were delivered just in time for the cold
weather. There were 35 coats / jackets and some bags of warm clothes that were donated. The residents
really appreciated the donation. The mission is still in need of warm clothes for infants, children and the ladies
for the winter. Currently they have 112 residents so, if you would like to donated some warm clothes please
place them in a bag and put it by the baskets in the narthex.
Thanks again for sharing with someone in need.
THANK YOU!!
4th QTR Blood Drive
We had a GREAT 4th quarter blood drive! Thank you so
much to everyone that participated! You not only saved lives, but
you have put a smile on a child this Christmas when they get
your Holiday Hugs card and Bear! We had 22ppl completed donations with 27 total donations (17 Whole Blood and 5 Automated
– Double Reds or Platelets). This was our best drive this year. I
hope that we can continue in this direction next year. Please
mark your calendar for upcoming 2015 Blood Drives starting with Sunday, March 8th for our 1st Qtr drive. I
also want to thank EVERYONE who attempted to donate – don’t give up! Please try again next time!! Your
gift of blood is a gift of life. Every unit donated saves 3 lives! For more information or to sign up, please go
to www.giveblood.org Please contact me with any questions. Michele Moura michele.moura@hilton.com
SUCCESSFUL SEAFARERS MISSION
------
THANK YOU!
We had a wonderful time and the International Seafarers Center on Nov 8th last month. 15 church
members went, and we encountered 58 seafarers that evening with 7-9 ships docked in the port! We brought
a total of 60 goodie bags with us, so everything worked out perfect! If you did not get to go this time, please
consider joining us next year (date to be determined). If you have any questions please feel free to contract
Michele Moura 281-797-5828 or michele.moura@hilton.com or Bill Turner at williamt02@aol.com
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CONFIRMATION INFO FOR 2015
What is confirmation?
Confirmation is a class for students foundations of the faith. Students in 6th
grade or older who have not yet participated in confirmation are invited to join us
as we journey together to understand the foundations of the Christian faith.
After completing this course students make their first public statement of a profession of faith. In
a sense they confirm their faith.
What to Expect
Attend 9:30 Service together
This allows us to come together as a class to worship with the larger church family.
10:45 Confirmation Class
Each week we will discuss the topic about the Christian Faith
Field Trips
We will be visiting several different services throughout the class to help us better
understand the background to the Christian faith as well as the opportunity to visit
different Christian Churches.
Faith Statement & Banquet
At the end of the class each student will create a short powerpoint or artistic presentation about what they have learned in confirmation and how they hope to integrate what they have learned into their daily lives. They will get the opportunity to
present this to friends and family during the confirmation banquet.
Parents/Mentors.
Mentors have the great opportunity to walk with the students as they learn the foundations of the
Christian faith, sharing with them their own experiences that have helped them grow in their own
faith, as well as encouraging students throughout the class.
Each week the students will gather to learn about a different topic of the Christian faith and then
split into small groups to discuss what they have learned together. If you are interested in becoming
a mentor to one of our students in confirmation please contact Scott Grow at
youth@cornerstoneumc.org
Curriculum
The curriculum we are using is called Re:form. This curriculum utilizes short funny videos for
each topic, and includes a workbook for the mentors, as well as one for students. The workbook
has activities that allow students to interact with the faith topics in fun and sometimes challenging
ways.
This is a great opportunity for students to take the next step in the development of their faith, but
it is a commitment. Each lesson builds upon the next so while we do allow a few excused absences
students will have to make up the work so that they are not missing out on anything.
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ELECTRONIC GIVING QUICK REFERENCE (QR) CODE:
Use a QR Code Reader App on your smart phone or tablet to connect from your mobile device to
Cornerstone’s secure Electronic Giving web site. This site is hosted for us by
Vanco, who is a PCI certified secure site approved by the United Methodist
Church.
You can also start at our giving home page (http://
www.cornerstoneumc.org/give/
Thank you for your financial support of Cornerstone United Methodist Church.
Every seed that you sow is used to fulfill our mission of igniting a passion
to follow Jesus. We strive to honor the Lord with the “first fruits” (Proverbs 3:9) of all our labor.
DOING SOME ONLINE SHOPPING?
Pick “a little something” out for church while you’re at it.
What if you could buy the things you need online and give to your
church at the same time? At no cost to you or your church?
CHA-CHING!
You’re going, “NO WAY!” But this isn’t a too-good-to-be-true type
of thing. This is the UMCmarket, a shopping portal that pays a commission of 1-9 percent to your church with zero effort on your church’s part and no increased costs to
you.
The United Methodist Church*, in partnership with some of the largest online retailers, have
built a shopping tool that provides a cash benefit for your church when you purchase through
the UMCmarket -- items you'd probably be buying anyway. The retailer does not markup the price
any — you still pay what you’d pay as you did before.
How does it work? Simply create an account at UMCMarket.org and designate the church of
your choosing.
Then when you're ready to buy, just log into your UMCmarketaccount and shop at any of the
partner retailers and, PRESTO, a percentage of the sale is given to the beneficiary you designated
in your account settings.
Sign up today at UMCmarket.org
Kroger’s Community Rewards Program “The 411”
Did you know that you can help the preschool while you
are
shopping
for
groceries?
Visit
www.krogercommunityrewards.com and register your Kroger
Shopper’s card. When they ask for your organization’s number
enter: 18203. Each time you shop the preschool gets a small
percentage back. You have to register your card each year.
Thanks so much for your support!
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THE CORNERSTONE COMMUNITY
is in prayer for:
Our Sympathy: Mike & Diane Huffman on the death of here mother, Jo
Powell, Dorris Knight & Family on the death of her husband Glynn Knight; Steve
Stone & Family on the death of his wife, Patti Stone
Illness/Hospitalization: Bill Allen, Bill Robinson, Rachel Wickman, Joan
DeAngelis, Angelica M. Moura, Alexis Ragatz, Ida Rodriguez, Bennie Johnston, Jim Brophy,
Kellie Molina, Rhonda Porter, Cynthia Cox, Amelia Welch, Tyler Runyon, Les Sarles, Sharon
Stephenson, Isaac LaBauve, Charlotte Boullion, Rosemarie Visconti, Donna Finders, Beverly
Pates, Marlene Mussack, Santosh Korde, Carolyn Llorens, Hawa Harmon, Beth Hubby, Fern
Wass, Kenneth Mitchell, Ben Wasserman, Pam Keplinger, Joshua Ragatz, Lori Robinson,
Dianne Andrews, Connie Eustace, Tom Majors, Mike Odell, David Todd, Leslie Kirkbride
General: All first responders and military personnel, All persons affected by disasters
& tragedy in our country & around the world, David Johnson, Becky Mitchell, Madison LeClair
(send prayer requests to prayer@cornerstoneumc.org) <Requests are on the prayer listing for 3 weeks>
Our mission is to respond to God’s call by reaching out
to nurture and grow the family of Christian disciples.
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES
8:30 am - Worship w/ piano
9:30 am Worship w/ Journey Praise
Band
10:45 am - Worship w/ Chancel Choir
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
from age 3
9:30 am
Nursery Available - 8:15 - 12:00
Handicap Accessible
CUMC
18081 West Rd, Houston, TX 77095
Office: 281-859-4141
Fax: 281-859-3915
Financial Office Hours
Monday -Thursday - 8:00 - 4:00
The Touchstone is published twice a month.
Email articles to admin@cornerstoneumc.org.
For more info, please call Gloria (Glo) Myddleton
at 281-859-4141.
NEXT NEWSLETTER - December 30, 2014
Articles due by 9:00 am - Tuesday, Dec 23
Staff
Pastor
Dr. Dave Meadows
Associate Pastor
Rev. Trish Woodruff
Deacon
Rev. Brenda Porter
Church Secretary
Gloria (Glo) Myddleton
Financial Administrator
Linda Humphrey
Youth Director
Scott Grow
Children’s Director
Erica Knight
Music Director
Steven Hoyle
Accompanist
Dr. Karina P. Barnett
Preschool Director
Debbie Durkin
Preschool Asst. Director
Donna Heath
Administrative Office Hours
Monday -Thursday - 8:30 - 4:00
Friday - 8:30 -12:30
Preschool: 281-859-1612
Touchstone 12-16-14