On-line Version December, 2006 Volume 24, Number 12 WWW.GODSGRACE.ORG

Table of Contents
	A WORD FROM THE PASTOR SERMONS FOR DECEMBER COMING EVENTS ENCOUNTER SCHEDULE VALLEY COVENANT LOVE OFFERING BE A GOOD STEWARD 2007 DIRECTORY DECEMBER'S BOOK OF THE MONTH LOST AND FOUND: HELP WANTED: ALL-CHURCH CHRISTMAS PROGRAM Doris Elowson CARE FOR OUR BUILDINGS POINSETTIAS ART & CRAFT FAIR AT VALLEY COVENANT CANDLELIGHT SERVICES THANK YOU VALLEY COVENANT VOLUNTEERS CONGREGATION MEETING STAFF APPRECIATION GIFT OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DECK THE HALLS! OUR MINISTRIES AT THE EUGENE MISSION AND VALLEY WEST VALLEY COVENANT'S CHRISTMAS CHOIR CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR OPEN HOUSE QUOTE FOR THE MONTH
A WORD FROM THE PASTOR
	Dear friends, It will soon be time for me to get out and start playing my favorite CDs. No, not my collection of Johnny Cash albums. It's time to play over and over in the car the wonderful music of Handel's "Messiah." As my family gets tired of hearing me say, Handel's masterpiece is the finest music ever written. It's an excellent preparation for Advent as it leads us from the haunting cry of Isaiah, "Comfort ye my people," to the joyful dance of "For unto us a child is born." Listening straight through Messiah is also a reminder that the great "Hallelujah Chorus," which we often sing at Christmas, only comes after "He was despised," and "All we like sheep have gone astray," and "Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow." In other words, Handel's work asks me to remember that the trajectory and aim of Christmas is the greater holy season of Easter. The truly grand part of Messiah comes after "Hallelujah," in the bass recitative on I Corinthians 15 that always moves me to tears, "The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Advent is not just looking forward to Christmas-that's a kind of good play-acting because we know Christ has already come. But the music of Advent calls us to an actual expectation of the music of that last trumpet, when Christ who rose from the dead will raise us all. That's the Advent we await in reality and with the greatest hope and joy. May this season of music and joy heighten your own expectation of the day ahead, not just Christmas, but the grand new day of the Advent yet to come. In Christ's love, Pastor Steve Table of Contents
SERMONS FOR DECEMBER
	Date Description Text Title Dec. 3 1st Sunday in Advent Holy Communion Psalm 25:1-10, 14 "Shameless Song" Dec. 10 2nd Sunday in Advent Luke 1:l68-79 "Song of the Rising Sun" Dec. 17 3rd Sunday in Advent Isaiah 12:2-6 "Drinking Song" Dec. 24 4th Sunday in Advent Psalm 80:1-7 "Shepherd Song" Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Psalm 98 "Song for the World" Dec. 31 1st after Christmas   Mike Fargo preaching Our sermons are recorded and available as MP3 for download or as audio CDs which are available in the Narthex. From our church website, you can subscribe to the  VCC News Feed (access to text based sermons and updates),  VCC Podcast (sermon audio recordings) or browse the sermons page. If you are unfamiliar with RSS and or podcasts, helpful information is available. Table of Contents
COMING EVENTS
	Date Description December 3 Choir Rehearsal Congregation Meeting December 7 Tree Decoration Party December 9 Arts & Crafts Fair December 17 Children's Christmas Program December 24 Sunday Morning Worship Christmas Eve Services December 27 Open House at Bilynskyjs' December 31 No Sunday School Table of Contents
ENCOUNTER SCHEDULE
	Our Saturday worship gathering is now every week at 5:30 p.m. Date Flavor December 2 Encounter December 9 Encounter Vespers December 16 Encounter December 23 Encounter Taizé December 30 Encounter in Film Join in a fresh form of praise and devotion, hearing the Word, coming to the Lord's Table and encountering God each week. Table of Contents
VALLEY COVENANT LOVE OFFERING
	Our Love Offering provides help for people in need. In November, we received $55 and disbursed $220. The balance in the Love Offering is $911. These funds provide assistance to people both inside and outside our congregation. Thank you for your generosity! Thanks also for food donated to the food barrel. If you know of a need, especially for someone in our congregation, please speak to Pastor Steve. Table of Contents
BE A GOOD STEWARD
	Giving for November was $15,302, which is $4,000 below monthly budget. Our operating fund deficit is at $15,000. Through you, God has been very generous to us, but there is a long way to go before year's end. Please pray about it and give what you can in an extra offering to the Lord, using the envelope provided in this newsletter. Table of Contents
2007 DIRECTORY
	Our 2007 Friendship Directory should be coming out in the second half of December. Please be sure the church office has all of your current updates. Table of Contents
DECEMBER'S BOOK OF THE MONTH
	Our book donation for the season is G. K. Chesterton's The Everlasting Man. He defends the Christian faith with wit and power. The chapter on Christmas, "The God in the Cave," is a fine way to refresh your sense of the significance of Christ's birth. Table of Contents
LOST AND FOUND:
	"Left Behind" serving items left in the kitchen are available in the Sunday School room nearest the kitchen A new lost and found drawer is in the church office. And if you're missing your bible check the table at the back of the sanctuary. Table of Contents
HELP WANTED:
	TUESDAY & THURSDAY AFTERNOON OFFICE VOLUNTEERS We are looking for someone on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to answer the phone, take messages for Pastor Steve and Luke, and receive deliveries. If you are interested in meeting new people and seeing how the church office runs, please consider an afternoon in our lovely new offices. OR JUST ONCE A MONTH... Consider volunteering to fold our newsletter, the Conversations. It's prepared for mailing around the last Tuesday of the month. It's a great time for visiting and helps the church office a tremendous amount. Please let Danette know you're interested at 345-0055. Table of Contents
ALL-CHURCH CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
	December 17th, 6 p.m. Come join us for a Christmas pageant for all ages. This year, our program will be an "On the Spot Christmas Pageant", with opportunities for anyone to participate; details to follow in the church bulletin. This will be an evening for sharing the Christmas story and best-loved Christmas carols. The festivities will include a cookie exchange - bring your favorite home-baked cookies and leave with a variety of tasty cookies! Table of Contents
Doris Elowson
	We thank God for the life of Doris Elowson, charter member of Valley Covenant Church who left us to be with the Lord November 9, 2006. Table of Contents
CARE FOR OUR BUILDINGS
	If you would like to borrow an item from our buildings (tables, chairs, etc.), please make a request in the church office and sign the items out. We are currently missing a small folding table. Whenever leaving the buildings, please push all doors completely shut and then pull on them to make sure they are locked! Table of Contents
POINSETTIAS
	If you would like to provide a poinsettia for our Advent and Christmas decorating, just mark your donation and place it in the offering. A designation in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a blessing is welcome. Table of Contents
ART & CRAFT FAIR AT VALLEY COVENANT
	December 9, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Featuring AUTHOR BOB WELCH signing his new book, My Seasons Come join us at our second annual Holiday Art & Craft Fair. Bob Welch will sign his new book from 11 a.m. to noon. See our great selection of gifts, which include local hand-crafted items such as fused glass, wood carvings, stone & glass bead jewelry, Norwegian Rosemaling, toys, and much, much more. While you shop your children can participate in the activity table making crafts and ornaments. Don't forget to treat yourself to breakfast and/or lunch. This event supports our youth program. Table of Contents
CANDLELIGHT SERVICES
	Sunday December 24 5:30 p.m. & 11 p.m. Join us for a time of candlelight, carols and the Christmas message. Rejoice in the gift of our Savior and praise Him with song and candlelight. Every child receives a Christmas gift. Visiting family and friends are more than welcome. Come and share the joy of our Savior's birth. Table of Contents
THANK YOU VALLEY COVENANT VOLUNTEERS
	As the year draws to a rapid close and a new volunteer schedule is being drawn up, let's take a moment to think of our faithful volunteers who make Valley Covenant Church the Body of Christ in action. Thank you to the piano players and refreshment hosts, the office volunteers, newsletter folders, grounds maintenance supervisors, Sunday school and children's church teachers, worship leaders, ushers, scripture readers, council men and women, youth volunteers, kitchen supply shoppers, and childcare providers. Bless you for your hard work this past year. Table of Contents
CONGREGATION MEETING
	All members, please plan to attend this meeting on Sunday, December 3, 7:00 p.m. Please attend to review and discuss our budget for 2007 and to hear a presentation of our revised mission statement. Table of Contents
STAFF APPRECIATION GIFT
	Christmas is coming! If you would like to participate in our Yuletide congregational gifts to the Bilynskyjs, Luke, and Danette, please place your contribution in the offering clearly designated "Staff Appreciation" It is our pleasure to express to them in this holiday season our gratitude for the blessing of their joyful and dedicated service. Table of Contents
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
	Operation Christmas Child is a world-wide outreach ministry of Samaritan's Purse. Last year, gift-filled shoe boxes reached more than 7.4 million children in need around the world. We sent out 26 shoeboxes this year! Thank you for your generosity to children far away. Table of Contents
DECK THE HALLS!
	Thursday, December 7, 7 p.m. You are invited to our informal tree decoration and greens hanging. Bring some cookies to share and join the fun. Table of Contents
OUR MINISTRIES AT THE EUGENE MISSION AND VALLEY WEST
	Herb Leaming, who attends and plays music at our Encounter gathering, represents VCC by leading worship at the Mission on the second Sunday of every month at 7 p.m. Bart and Sara Swanson lead worship at Valley West Care Center on the third Sunday of each month at 10 a.m. Praise God for Christian service! Table of Contents
VALLEY COVENANT'S CHRISTMAS CHOIR
	Begins rehearsal December 3 5:00 pm Table of Contents
CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR OPEN HOUSE
	AT BILYNSKYJS' Wednesday, December 27 4-8 p.m. We invite you to celebrate God's gift of Jesus with us. We look forward to seeing you. Pastor Steve, Beth, Susan and Joanna Table of Contents
QUOTE FOR THE MONTH
	"Brutalized by Caesar, first-century Christians might have said, 'Look what the world has come to.' Instead, they said, 'Look what has come to the world.'"     -Joseph McCabe Table of Contents

Conversations is the newsletter for the ministry of Valley Covenant Church. It is published monthly. Items for inclusion in the January newsletter are due in the church office on or before December 18. Articles may be submitted in writing, on a disk or emailed to "conversations at valleycovenant dot org".