January 2014

Berkeley Buzz

ts no wonder that Christmas seems to end right after December 25. After all, the stores have displayed Christmas items and played Christmas music ever since Halloween! We undecorate our homes by January 1, if not sooner. No matter that the twelve days of Christmas are supposed to start on December 25 and extend through January 6, the Epiphany. And then what? Once Christmas is over, we can keep Christmas all year, as Ebenezer Scrooge learned to do. Years ago, the AfricanAmerican theologian Howard Thurman wrote a poem that perfectly captures The Work of Christmas. Once again, I share it with you as a reminder of our opportunity to keep Christ in Christmas and all year long.

When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among peoples, To make music in the heart. Your Pastor, Jeanne Devine

Cunningham Thank You!

We received the following letter from Maureen Haskell, the employee at Cunningham Elementary School who organized the gift card drive for flood victims: Dear Berkeley UMC, Thank you so much for your kindness, time, and great contribution to our families directly affected at Cunningham Elementary. We would not have been able to do the gift card fundraiser without YOU!! Many Blessings to you all!

BERKELEY STAFF
PASTOR Rev. Jeanne Devine revjeanned@sbcglobal.net DIRECTOR OF MUSIC Vikki Schwarz vlschwarz@aol.com

MINISTERS Members of the Congregation PIANIST Dr. Tyler Mabry tgmabry@gmail.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Niki J Torres bumc78745@sbcglobal.net

YOUTH DIRECTOR Devan Gartman devanfaygartman@gmail.com CHILDCARE DIRECTOR Allison McGillicuddy bumc.childcare@sbcglobal.net

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42

CHURCH HAPPENINGS

Many Ways to Be Generous

Submitted by Rev. Jeanne Devine

Berkeleys Permanent Endowment Fund Committee was created to develop support for the churchs ministries in the long term. While we contribute to the annual budget from our income, we have other opportunities to be generous. On January 26, we will observe Permanent Endowment Fund Sunday to expand our understanding. Do you have a will? Everyone needs one. You can name your church as one beneficiary. Do you have a life insurance policy you no longer need? You can change the beneficiary to your church with a simple form from the insurance company. You can do the same thing with your retirement plan, including the church with other beneficiaries. Other options for planned gifts exist; the Texas Methodist Foundation, along with your attorney and tax advisor, can help you create the best plan for you. Many long-term gifts are made when you no longer need the money, but they make possible a foundation for future ministry in your church. Please consider the variety of ways you can be as generous as you would like to be.

BIRTHDAYS
1/03 Aubrey Burnett 1/07 Devan Gartman 1/08 Bridgette Reece 1/09 Nick Tolliver 1/11 Joan Hilbig 1/12 Susan Long 1/16 Nancy Cecil 1/17 Forrest Green 1/18 Robert Gaston 1/18 Ed Littlefield 1/18 Rita Littlefield 1/18 Matt Potts 1/20 Letty Villamin 1/22 Kasey Triggs 1/23 Fred G. West 1/26 Shirley Williams 1/29 John Green 1/30 Breanna Demchok

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE NOVEMBER WORSHIP SUNDAY SCHOOL 2013

125 30

YTD
124 36

2012
123 43

ANNIVERSARIES
1/05 Mike and Kim Royal 1/22 Gary and Kathy Beth Stavinoha 1/24 Forrest and Cindy Arnold 1/26 Tom and Suzanne McClanahan

GIFTS AS OF NOVEMBER 30 MONTHLY INCOME MONTHLY EXPENSES YEAR-TO-DATE INCOME YEAR-TO-DATE EXPENSES $ 21,948 $ 21,331 $ 250,289 $ 243,601

Church-512-447-6633 Childcare Center-512-443-3509 bumc78745@sbcglobal.net

2407 Berkeley Ave. Austin, TX 78745 www.berkeleyumc.org

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed
1 Happy New Year!Church Office Closed

Thu
2 5:308p Saint Louise House (CLC) 3

Fri

Sat
4 6:30p Amen Austin! Church (FH)

5 Communion Sunday 12p Youth Fellowship (FH) 4p Tai Chi (FH) 5p Covenant Grp (9)

6 10a Womens Group (9) 7p Covenant Grp (9)

7 6p Congregational Care (7)

8 9:30a UMW Women in Action Circle (CLC) 6p Handbells 7p Choir

9 5:308p Saint Louise House (CLC)

10

11 7:30a Emmaus Team Meeting (Sanc. and FH) 6:30p Amen Austin! Church (FH)

12 12p Youth Fellowship (FH) 4p Tai Chi (FH) 5p Covenant Grp (9)

13 10a Womens Group (9) 7p Covenant Grp (9) 7p Worship Design Team

14 5:30p Prime Timers (FH) 6:15p Childcare Board (7)

15 6p Handbells 7p Choir

16 5:308p Saint Louise House (CLC) 7p Trustees (7)

17

18 7:30a UMW Women in Gods Grace Circle (FH) 6:30p Amen Austin! Church (FH)

19 12p Youth Fellowship (FH) 4p Tai Chi (FH) 5p Covenant Grp (9) Newsletter deadline 26 12p Youth Fellowship (FH) 4p Tai Chi 5p Covenant (9)

20 MLK, Jr. Day Church Office Closed 10a Womens Group (9) 7p Covt Grp (9) 7p Finance (7)

21

22 6p Handbells 7p Choir

23 5:308p Saint Louise House (CLC)

24

25 7:28a Mens breakfast (FH) 6:30p Amen Austin! Church (FH)

27 10a Womens Group (9) 7p Covenant (9) 7p SPRC (7)

28 5:45p Spiritual Care (9) 7p Church Council

29 6p Handbells 7p Choir

30 5:308p Saint Louise House (CLC)

31

Spiritual Growth
Share the Good News!
Submitted by Rachel Trudell, Spiritual Care

Go tell it on the mountainover the hills and everywhere, Go tell it on the mountainthat JESUS CHRIST IS BORN! During this Christmas season, have you shared the Good News? We celebrate His birth through our worship services, our music, our beautiful traditions, but this one thing sharing the Good News of Jesus birth with someone have we talked to anyone about that? What does the birth of Jesus mean to you personally? Go tell it on the mountain: go tell it to your neighbor, your co-worker, a family member, a friend, someone you meet on the walking trail...try it out. We are called to spread the Good News! Jesus is the reason for the season, is a good start, but there is so much more to tell, isnt there?

Focusing on Our Prayer Life

Submitted by Rachel Trudell, Spiritual Care

The Spiritual Care ministry will be inviting you in this New Year to explore a new-tomany-of-us way to focus our prayer life: protestant prayer beads. The beads are intended to use our God-given senses of touch and sight to coax prayer from our heads deep into our hearts. Look for more information in next months Buzz: a study class and a chance to make your own prayer beads will be offered. As this New Year begins, we offer these ideas in the spirit of deepening our discipleship walk with Christ.

Walking the Mourners Path

Submitted by Sydney Langley, WTMP coordinator

Covenant Presbyterian Church has been offering grief support/recovery classes since 2001 to those who have lost loved ones. It is called Walking the Mourner's Path, and we have had over 100 grieving folks go through the sessions. We are pleased to offer our upcoming classes to other churches in the area. It is recommended that at least three months have passed since the person lost their loved one. It is never too late to attend, even though years may have passed. Session dates are as follows: January 18 - March 8 from 9:30-11am (Saturday mornings) March 27 - May 22 from 6:30-8pm (Thursday evenings) September 25 - November 13 from 6:30 - 8pm (Thursday evenings) Classes meet for eight weeks and end in a Communion Service. For more information you can go to the website, www.mournerspath.com, or email/call Kay Austin at Covenant: 512-334-3030, kaustin@covenant.org.

Texas Council of Churches Events

By Steve Purdy, Austin District Superintendent

The information below contains several events sponsored / co-sponsored by the Texas Council of Churches all of which will assist brothers and sisters in Christ from various traditions to come together and strengthen the Body of Christ. Praying for Christian Unity January 1825, 2014, is the annual observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme chosen for 2014 is Has Christ Been Divided? (1 Corinthians 1:13). Throughout 2014, join Christians everywhere in praying that they may all be one joining our prayer with that of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Texas Conference of Churches works year round to bring Christians of all traditions together to learn, worship, and build relationships. For more information, go to www.txconfchurches.org. Faith and Arts Celebration Friday Feb. 7, 7-10pm at University Presbyterian Church, Austin (free parking!). For the whole family Taiz in Texas In the spring of 2014, as part of the "pilgrimage of trust on earth," a weekend for young adults will be held in Austin March 21-23, 2014. Homes for these young adults all over the world are needed; contact Vikki Schwarz (512-701-0701 or vlschwarz@aol.com) if you can help. For details go to www.facebook.com/pages/Taiz-in-Texas

Rabbit Stew, and a Penny or Two

By Maggie Smith-Bendell; Submitted by Kathy Beth Stavinoha, Spiritual Care

Maggies story takes place in England. She typically referred to herself as a Romani or a Traveller, a term used in England. She was born in the days when the Travellers roamed the country by horsedrawn wagons. They looked for seasonal work such as picking peas and hops for farmers and also sold spring flowers or scrap metal in towns. Constant travelling was partly due to the nature of their work, but much of it was a result of police officers telling them to move on. Ah, but this was in the 40s and 50s. That doesnt exist today, right? Oh but it does. As the open fields were declared off-limits to travelers, they were forced into council housing. They had to abandon their traditions and ways of life. They couldnt get documentation for medical treatment, because their births had never been officially recorded, or they needed a permanent address. Those who managed to buy a plot of land and wanted to live on it were denied permits from offices that gladly gave the permits to nonRoma. And all this in the 1990s and early 21st century! Whats being done to help the Roma? The United Methodist Church, particularly in Europe, is working to address the needs of the Roma and to integrate them into the larger community. United Methodist Women, through the UMWs Geographic Mission Study for 2013, has become aware of their needs and is doing its part to address the needs of this marginalized people through its missions outreach. This was an eye-opening book for me. It made me examine my own prejudices, and it made me think of many of the migrant farm workers in our own country, struggling to get an education for their children while trying to make ends meet, dealing with prejudice and discrimination. I highly recommend it, and it may be found in Berkeleys library.

BERKELEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2407 Berkeley Ave. Austin, TX. 78745 (512)447-6633 Email: bumc78745@sbcglobal.net ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Your $$ at Work
Submitted by Carolyn Brown, Outreach

The money you give each week/month to the church is put to good use. This year the Outreach budget supported the following: Shoes for Cunningham students Underwear/socks for Widen students Saint Louise House Childcare Workers Teacher Appreciation Lunch Cunningham Giving Tree Work Corner Free Store JFON (Justice for Our Neighbors, a new immigration service in the Austin District, scheduled to open in the spring) School supplies for children in Honduras This is in addition to all the special projects supported by this generous congregation. We thank each of you and encourage you to continue your generosity in the coming year.