December 2009 Newsletter
- Council Update
- Choir News
- Christmas Poinsettias
- Paperless Sundays
- December Service & Bulletin Roles
- December Supporting Roles
- December Communion Rotations
- Rotations
- Bible Study Group
- SLAG Recycling Update
- December Tab.Edu
- Christmas Eve Service
- We Welcome New Members
- Tab Online
- Free Concert Tickets
- Tuba Christmas
- Advent Party
- Phil Kline's Unsilent Night
Council Update
At its November meeting, the Tab Council received and approved the new Peace, Justice and Reconciliation Committee’s recommendation that Tab make donations from the mission budget to the Arts and Spirituality Center, Living Water United Church of Christ in North Philadelphia, and the New Sanctuary Movement, an interfaith effort to protect immigrant families from unjust deportation. The Council also reviewed the feedback received at the November 1 budget input session and approved a 2010 budget for consideration at the annual congregational meeting on Sunday, November 22 immediately following the worship service.
In light of the fact that people attending Tab continue to receive parking tickets before 1 pm on Sundays when they have a placard in their car indicating they are attending Tab, Council agreed to send a letter to the Philadelphia Parking Authority and send copies to our City Councilwoman, State representative and State Senator.
Choir News
Calling all singers! There are still many openings in the Tab Ensemble, especially for TENORS and BASSES! If you've been waiting for an invite or are a little shy about singing, don’t hesitate--NOW'S the time! You do NOT need to read music, nor be an "accomplished" singer, just one who loves to sing and perhaps has some previous singing/choral experience. It would be great to have more voices for Advent, so come lift your voice in song with Holly and the wonderful Tab Ensemble. We rehearse three Wednesdays per month, 7:00-8:30 pm; some gather at 6:00 pm to share a meal. The schedule for the rest of the season is below, worship services on the left, WEDNESDAY rehearsals (except where noted!) on the right. Contact Holly at holmus [at] aol [dot] com if you are interested or have questions.
| NOV 29 - OFF | DEC 2 - 6 pm: Dinner; 7 pm: Rehearsal |
| DEC 6 - Warm-up 9:15 am | DEC 9 - 6 pm: Dinner; 7 pm: Rehearsal |
| DEC 13 - Warm-up 9:15 am | THURSDAY, DEC 17 - 6 pm: Dinner; 7 pm: Rehearsal |
| DEC 20 - Warm-up 9:15 am | THURSDAY, DEC 24 - CHRISTMAS EVE (time TBA) |
| DEC 27 - OFF | DEC 30 - OFF |
Christmas Poinsettias
We will again be having poinsettias at Tab for Christmas this year. If you would like to contribute to the poinsettias by dedicating a plant in honor of someone or in memory of a loved one please contact Susan Collins either in person at Coffee Hour or via email: squant@isc.upenn.edu. Please arrange for your poinsettia dedication ON OR BEFORE December 15. The suggested donation for a plant is $10; please make checks out to "Tabernacle United Church", and indicate in the check memo that it is for (a) poinsettia(s).
Your poinsettias will be available for pickup after the Christmas Eve service, or after church on December 27 for those who are not able to attend the service on December 24.
Paperless Sundays
Usually the third Sunday of each month is paperless (no printed bulletin), however, due to the third Sunday of December also being the last Sunday before Christmas, this month our Paperless Sunday is being postponed until DECEMBER 27 (shown on the grids by the shading on that date). Contact the office for tips on creating a paperless liturgy.
November Service & Bulletin Roles
| Date | Preacher | Writer | Liturgist | Children's Time | Quote |
| Dec 6 | Chris Purdom & Vic Compher | Beverly Dale | Katie Day | Geneva Butz | Barbara Purdom |
| Dec 13 | Patricia Pearce | Patricia Pearce | Deb Burnham | Deb Burnham | Chris Purdom |
| Dec 20 | Patricia Pearce | Deb Burnham | Susan Teegen-Case | Patricia Pearce | Pauline Abernathy |
| Dec 24 | NA | NA | Suzanne Spaulding | NA | Patricia Pearce |
| Dec 27 | Katie Day | Chris Purdom | Mike Ehling | Katie Day | Katherine Huseman |
December Supporting Roles
| Date | Greeters | Coffee Hour | Counter(s) | Recycling | Compost * |
| Dec 6 | Lee Pugh & Jim Gerhard | Ginny Rice & Megan Gibson | Bob Case | Patricia Pearce | Josh Goldstein |
| Dec 13 | John & Ginny Rice | Geneva Butz & Katie Day | Larry Singh | Jim Gerhard | -- |
| Dec 20 | Josh Goldstein & Laura Line | Ken & Martha Gritter | Pauline Abernathy | Susan Collins | Laura Line |
| Dec 24 | Mike Ehling & Suzanne Spaulding | NA | Mike Ehling | NA | NA |
| Dec 27 | Ken & Martha Gritter | Deb Ahrens & Susan Collins | Mike Ehling | Verona Stern | -- |
* This is not going to be a weekly activity for the remainder of the year due to low volume.
December Communion Rotations
| Date | Co-Officiating | Set-up & Serving | Clean-up & Serving | Picking up Bread + |
| Dec 6 | Dick Fernandez & Katie Day | Jessica Culley | Ginny Rice | Lee Pugh |
+ Bread donated by Four Worlds Bakery, 4423 Chestnut St.; it should be picked up the day before.
Rotations
Extra copies of the rotation schedule (right-click to save) are available on the Greeter's table every Sunday and copies are hanging on the refrigerator in the kitchen and on the bulletin boards in the office and community room. Remember to contact the office when you switch Sundays with someone (the information above reflects changes already made), and don't forget to check the schedule before you go out of town!
Bible Study Group
The Bible Study Group meets most Wednesdays, 5:30-7:00 pm at CA House (adjacent to Tab). To RSVP or get more information contact either Jean Erb (jeanerb (at) verizon (dot) net) or Nicole Diroff (nicolediroff (at) yahoo (dot) com). The Vanderbilt University Lectionary website has the readings for the current season.
SLAG Recycling Update
If you missed the recycling workshop held November 29 by SLAG (the Sustainable Living Affinity Group), the handout with instructions for saving your recycling for our semi-annual trip to Recycling Services, Inc. in Pottstown is now on the website. Watch for notice of our spring collection date. Also look for the demonstration box that will be available most Sundays during coffee hour. See Andy Lees or Ginny Rice if you have questions.
December Tab.Edu
- 12/06 – The New Sanctuary Movement I - Peter Pedemonti, co-coordinator of the New Sanctuary Movement (http://www.newsanctuarymovement.org/) of Philadelphia, will speak about the activities of the movement around the issues of immigration policies and challenges at they affect the urban neighborhoods of Philadelphia.
- 12/13 – The New Sanctuary Movement II - A continuation of the discussion of the work of the New Sanctuary Movement, facilitated by Peter Pedemonti.
- 12/20 - Radical Welcome at Tabernacle - Continued conversations around the topic of radical welcome and hospitality and how we might envision these two ministries at Tab. this conversation will be a continuation of the sermon preached by Patricia during worship.
- 12/27 – NO TAB.EDU
Christmas Eve Service
Our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be Thursday, December 24 at 7:00 pm. This beautiful service of lessons and carols is a wonderful way to celebrate this special holiday; it's a very meaningful service to which to invite family and friends. The offering that will be received will go to support the work of a local charity. Checks can be made out to Tabernacle.
We Welcome New Members
During our November 15 worship service we welcomed into membership Wendy and Justin Klein Keane, who have been attending Tab off and on since last Easter. This fall they decided to make Tab their spiritual home and met with the council in October. Justin works at Penn in informational systems and Wendy is an attorney. Welcome to Tab, Justin and Wendy!.
Tab Online
Tab's website has info about affinity groups, events, news, a calendar, sermons, and more! Go to the Tab Blog on Livejournal to stay up-to-date on the current worship themes, to download forms and schedules (the rotations schedule, Time & Talent forms, Pledge forms, the choir schedule), or just take advantage of the links to the Tabernacle CafePress shop, the Arts & Spirituality Center, the Christian Association and other groups. You can read updates to the Livejournal through your own journal/blog or through email by signing up for the RSS feed or the Atom feed for the Tab Livejournal. You can also join the Tab Facebook group (just search on "Tabernacle" when on the site), which already receives the Livejournal posts via RSS feed.
Free Concert Tickets
Due to Tabernacle hosting rehearsals of the Philadelphia Chorus (formerly known as the Philadelphia Chamber Chorus) on Monday nights and occasional Saturday mornings, twelve FREE tickets for Tab folks are set aside for each of the chorus’s concerts. The holiday concert is this Sunday, December 6 at 4 pm, taking place at Holy Trinity Church on Rittenhouse Square. Contact Barbara Purdom to have any of these free tickets set aside for you.
Tuba Christmas
On Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 12 noon, join the audience at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and and watch Tab's own Jim Thacker at the eighth annual Tuba Christmas Celebration in the Kimmel Center's Commonwealth Plaza. The concert is FREE. See more than 100 regional tuba, sousaphone and euphonium players join together to perform holiday classics.
Advent Party
We'd really, really love it if you’d join us at Tab's Annual Advent Party on Saturday, December 5, at 5:30 pm. Please bring your favorite, special food to contribute to the collective feast; your voice and any instruments to raise in song; and gloves, clippers, and other tools to arrange greens and decorate the building for Advent.
Also, this year we encourage you to invite a friend or two to enjoy our hospitality. We are all gifts and as we offer a warm greeting to others, remember that our very important presence is a present! It's not necessary to RSVP nor to tell us what you'll bring but if you have questions, please call Katherine at 267.265.8279
Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night
Join in this magical evening caroling procession through Center City with hundreds of revelers bearing boom-boxes and filling the streets with the ethereal sound of composer Phil Kline's electronic masterpiece, Unsilent Night. It's the jolliest Holiday tradition in town! On Monday, December 14 meet at the Ethical Society Building (1906 Rittenhouse Square) at 6:30 pm. The walk lasts 45 minutes and it's free (suggested donation of $5), rain or shine.
I've participated in this for at least three years. All you need to do is walk, in whatever weather it is--so dress comfortably. For me, it's like being inside the prayer bowl, with more notes and sounds. Come along and tell me what it's like for you. --Katherine
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