C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T

Lewinsville Presbyterian Church www.lewinsville.org December 2016

L E W I N S V I L L E

1724 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA 22101

703-356-7200

DECEMBER WORSHIP DECEMBER 4 at 8:30 & 11 a.m. Second Sunday of Advent Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12

“The Peaceable Kingdom” The Rev. Emily Berman D’Andrea

Alternative Gifts 7 p.m. Advent Taizé Worship DECEMBER 11 at 8:30 & 11 a.m. Third Sunday of Advent Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper at 8:30 a.m.

Isaiah 35:1-10; Matthew 11:2-11

“Good News for the Poor” The Rev. Scott Ramsey

Fair Trade Fair and Alternative Gifts 6 p.m. Christmas Festival DECEMBER 18 at 8:30 & 11 a.m. Fourth Sunday of Advent NARNIA- “At the Stone Table” Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper at 8:30 a.m.

Isaiah 7:10-16; Matthew 1:18-25

“The Coming of the King” The Rev. Scott Ramsey

Alternative Gifts and SMP Bake Sale DECEMBER 21 at 7:30 p.m. The Longest Night Service Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

John 1:1-14

“Testifying to the Light” The Rev. Emily Berman D’Andrea DECEMBER 25 at 10:00 a.m. Christmas Day Isaiah 52:7-10; John 1:1-14

“The Word Became Flesh” Kate Satterstrom

DECEMBER 18

THE KING COMES: Christmas in Narnia We hear the Christmas story every year; but has familiarity caused us to forget the wonder

and delight found in the Gospel? Christian apologist and storywriter C.S. Lewis wrote the

Chronicles of Narnia hoping to reawaken the wonder and excitement of the Gospel

account by creating a world of fantasy where a parallel story unfolds: Supposing that there really was a world like Narnia and supposing it had (like our world)

gone wrong and supposing Christ wanted to go into that world and save it (as He did

ours), what might have happened? C.S. Lewis On December 18, the Lewinsville family is invited to enter into the world of Narnia and,

through encounters with fauns, the White Witch, Father Christmas, and Aslan, take a fresh

look at our own story of redemption through Christ’s coming and sacrifice.

An Intergenerational Christmas Celebration: NARNIA

Sunday, December 18

Enter the Wardrobe, 9:45-10:45 a.m. Beginning in the Chapel At the Stone Table, 11:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary

Christmas at Lewinsville Church December 24, Christmas Eve 4:30 p.m. Children’s Crèche and Choirs 7 and 9:30 p.m. Candlelight Communion Services Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-14 “A Child Has Been Born For Us” The Rev. Scott Ramsey

C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 2

FROM THE INTERIM PASTOR

Dear friends at Lewinsville,

A t the annual Session retreat in

November, your Session decided to focus

its attention and energies for 2017 around

the church’s ministry with younger

generations. The Session is excited about

emphasizing and developing our ministry

with younger generations (children, youth,

young adults, and parents of young children)

in ways that will strengthen the entire

church. To be clear, choosing this as a

focused emphasis will not exclude or

eliminate other things that the church does;

it is not a way of saying that other ministries are

unimportant. It is a way of saying, “This is where we want to

focus for the coming year.”

This focused emphasis is one fruit of Lewinsville’s

participation in the Church Assessment Tool (CAT) earlier in

2016. One of the key learnings from the Lewinsville CAT was

that every demographic age group in the church (persons

under 35, persons between 35 and 64, and persons 65 and

older) named the following as their top priority: “Make

necessary changes to attract families with children and

youth to our church.” Every demographic age group. There

is a broad consensus within the congregation, among people

of all ages, that ministry with younger generations needs to

be a priority for the coming year.

The Session was also clear that, in order to engage

in ministry effectively with younger generations, we need to

learn more about meaningful ministry with younger

generations. Ministry with children, youth, and young adults

is different now than it was 20 years ago (e.g., when I went to

seminary!). The social pressures and the cultural demands on

families and young people are different. The promises of the

gospel remain the same, but the context in which those

promises will take root has changed. So the church needs to

learn what that means for our ministry with younger

generations. Along the way, there will be plenty of learnings

for young people themselves, and there will be lots of

learnings for all of us who long to be in ministry with young

people.

Over the coming months, you will be hearing

more about specific, concrete action steps that the church

will be taking to develop our ministry with younger

generations. We will need everyone to contribute their best

energies to discerning how to do this most faithfully and

most effectively.

Many blessings for your journey,

Pastor Scott

AN ADVENT STUDY

Names for the Messiah Advent is a season of HOPE. This hope is centered on the belief that God

has sent the promised Messiah in the person of God's self in

the child of Bethlehem, Jesus of Nazareth. There are many

references to this promised Messiah in the Old Testament, but

none more beloved or famous that Isaiah 9:2-7. In verse 6,

Isaiah describes this coming Messiah using four royal titles,

"Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the

Prince of Peace." What did The prophet Isaiah mean by these

titles? How were these titles understood by the people in

biblical times? How did or did not Jesus fulfill each of these

titles? And perhaps, most important of all, how can these titles

help us embrace Jesus as our Messiah or Savior today.

Join Rev. Dan Thomas on an Advent journey

of pondering and exploring these titles for

the four Sundays of Advent starting on

Sunday, November 27th from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

in the church Chapel. Our main text will be

the Advent study "Names For The Messiah"

by noted biblical scholar Walter

Brueggemann ($11:00) but we will also

consider these titles using biblical texts,

music, and the poetry of Anne Weems.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21 AT 7:30 P.M.

Longest Night Service On the longest night of the year we gather in the sanctuary to worship the One who is the Light of the World—the Light no darkness can overcome. For some the darkness, grief, and discouragement of life is heightened at Christmastime. The Christmas season can usher in or rekindle painful memories of loss and loneliness. This loss and loneliness may be especially felt among those for whom this is a first or second

Christmas without a loved one. At the longest Night Worship Service we will gather in candlelight to sing, pray, and receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper as we lay claim to the Light of Life. Bring a friend who you know may appreciate a more quiet and reflective Christmas service.

C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 3

DECEMBER 11 AT 6 P.M.

Come to the Christmas Festival Join all the singing and ringing choirs of Lewinsville for the Christmas Festival on Sunday, December 11, at 6:00 p.m. in the church sanctuary. These choirs include children, youth, and adults from as young as 8 years old. We will be joined by an instrumental ensemble as we prepare for Christmas with a program entitled, “Will Not Day Come Soon? The Questions of Christmas.” All of the music will ask a question about the season. Among the most familiar tunes are “What Child Is This?”, “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, “What Star Is This, With Beams So Bright?”, and the very mean-ingful, “Mary, Did You Know?”. The string ensemble will play the final

movement of St. Paul’s Suite by Gustav Holst. Dessert will follow in St. Andrews Hall. This is the perfect time to invite friends to celebrate this season with us!

DECEMBER MISSION SPOTLIGHT Christmas Joy Offering

Each year during the Advent and Christmas seasons, we turn our eyes to Bethlehem and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. By giving to the

Christmas Joy Offering, you honor this gift by providing assistance to current and retired church workers in their time of need and developing our future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges. The Christmas Joy Offering will be received in worship on Sunday, December 18. You may put a check in the offering plate and designate in the memo line “Christmas Joy Offering.” Please give generously.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5 AT 7:00 P.M.

Annual Advent Reflection Dessert Presbyterian Women will host their

Annual Advent Reflection/Dessert on

Monday evening, December 5 at 7:00

p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Rev. Scott

Ramsey will be leading in the Reflection

and a Free-will Offering will be taken to

support the ministry of Rev. Joe Powlas

in Kentucky.

All women of Lewinsville are invited to

attend and bring a friend! If babysitting

is needed, contact Betty Yurkewitch at

703-790-9586 or Jody Ransom at

703-532-0864 to arrange for child care.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4 AT 10:00 A.M.

Have Breakfast with the Angels! Preschool children, ages 2-5, are invited to bring a parent, grandparent or

other adult to a special breakfast with the angels on December 4. Enjoy an

angel breakfast of star pancakes, create angel ornaments to hang on the

tree, and hear about the visits of the angel

to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. Children will gather in their Joyful Noise

Sunday School room for a brief rehearsal,

then proceed to Fellowship Hall to meet

their parent or “significant grown-up.”

R.S.V.P. by December 1 (so the angels will

know how many treats to make) by

contacting Allison Lineberger at

alineberger@lewinsville.org or signing up

outside the Godly Play room in the

Sunday School hallway.

C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 4

College Luncheon

All college students are invited

to lunch on Sunday, December

18 at Rocco’s in McLean. Join us

for a time of fellowship and

catching up as we reunite and

celebrate the end of the

semester.

Meet us at Rocco’s at 12:15 p.m.

or caravan over with us after the

11 a.m. service. Rocco’s is

located at 1357 Chain Bridge

Road in McLean.

Single Seniors

Lewinsville’s Single Seniors are

invited to the next fellowship

lunch that will take place Friday,

December 2, in the Chapel from

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Join us to

hear our guest speaker, Hilda

Ross, who will be sharing her

tips on “Writing Your Life

History,” which is also the title

of the book she has written on

the subject. Many of us are

eager to begin the journey of

writing some of our life’s

highlights to share with our

children and grandchildren and

Hilda has been invited to help

get us started.

Please bring $5 to cover a simple

lunch. For further information

and to RSVP, contact Lois

Dokken

(manpadokken@aol.com/

703 789-0617) or

Wendy Maiwurm

(wmaiwurm@cox.net/

703 759-6705).

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 9:00 A.M. TO NOON

Parent’s Day Out As we enter into the Christmas

season our to-do lists often

become overwhelming. In an attempt to check off of the to-do list some things are easier

to accomplish without children in tow. Children of all ages are invited to spend the

morning at Lewinsville on Saturday, December 4th from 9am to noon. We will play

games, create artwork, eat a snack, and have a wonderful time playing while parents are

able to have a kid free morning. Email Kate Satterstrom at Kate@lewinsville.org to reserve

a space for your children.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 6:30-8:30 P.M.

Young Adult Christmas Party (20’s - 30’s - 40’s) Young Adults—and those young at heart—are invited to join us for an evening of

merriment and fellowship as we gather to celebrate Christmas. We will be gathering at

Dogfish Head Alehouse in Falls Church (6220 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22044) on

Thursday, December 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Bring your spouse, bring your siblings, bring

your friends, everyone is welcome. This is a great opportunity to reconnect with

out-of-towners. We'll be gathering in the bar area, so people are able to come and go as

they desire. We look forward to seeing you there!

Noon 17

News from Our Lewinsville Family MEMBERS IN INDEPENDENT LIVING, NURSING HOMES, & CARE CENTERS

ASHBY PONDS: Quinn and Celia Morrison, Glenn and Evelyn Jones

CHESTERBROOK RESIDENCES: Ruth Bathe, Mai Estelle Collins, Dee

Custer

GOODWIN HOUSE, FALLS CHURCH: Charles and Mary Hutchison

GREENSPRING, SPRINGFIELD: Herb Dimmock, Joanne Field, Alice

Johnston

THE HERMITAGE: Margot Scheffey

THE JEFFERSON, ARLINGTON: Fran Pearce

LEWINSVILLE RETIREMENT RESIDENCE: Louise Fox, Lurleen Ogle,

Lucille Quinn, Mina Sulaiman, Minnie Fadullon, Dong Lee

SUNRISE, HUNTER MILL: Chuck McGuire

SUNRISE, MCLEAN: Roy and Betty Palmer, Mary Partridge

VINSON HALL, MCLEAN: Elaine Baker, Jean and Charlie Mertz, Helen

Martin

WESTMINSTER AT LAKE RIDGE: Lora Watson WEDDINGS

Congratulations to David Douglass and Silke Sookraj on their

marriage, November 5, at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.

David is the son of Bruce and Betty Douglass.

Congratulations to Luke Hupp and Allie Smith on their marriage,

November 5 at Meadowlark Park. CONGRATULATIONS

Our congratulations go out to:

James Foster who was installed as the Oliver T. Carr, Jr. Professor

in International Affairs at a ceremony at the George Washington

University on November 1, 2016.

Ramona Rayle whose book, Odyssey Shared: A Memoir of Sailing

and Friendship, was recently published by Word Association

Publishers.

Stephen J. Hiemstra whose book, My Travel Through Life: Memoir

of Family Life and Federal Service, was recently published by

T2Pneuma Publishers.

ANNIVERSARIES Congratulations to ALL Lewinsville couples celebrating

December wedding anniversaries. The following couples are

celebrating a milestone:

Diane and Louis Erasmus– 30 years on December 6

Betty and Barney Holmes– 66 years on December 16

Heidi Schwarztrauber and Andy Tibbals– 15 years Dec 21

Sylvia and Hendrik van Voorthuizen– 50 years on Dec 22

Leslie and Frank Sogandares– 30 years on December 27

Connie and Phil Church– 50 years on December 30 BIRTHS

Congratulations to Cathy and Tim McKeon on the birth of their

daughter, Veronica McKeon, on October 17 in Blackshear,

Georgia. The proud grandparents are John and Joanne Theon. DEATHS

Our loving sympathy and prayers are extended to:

Siobhan Grayson and family on the death of her mother, Dr.

Jimmie Grayson, on November 9. A memorial service was

held November 15.

The family of Carolyn Bailey on her death on November 6. A

graveside service was held November 10 at Columbia

Gardens Cemetery in Arlington on November 10.

The family of Sara Mae Eckstein on her death on November 5.

A memorial service was held at Lewinsville Presbyterian

church on November 21.

C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 5

Congratulations Sluggers on a Season Well Played

The Lewinsville Sluggers had a fun and lively fall season of softball. The co-ed

team was comprised of all age players with varying skill levels. It was great to

have many friends outside the congregation join the team. Our team represented

Lewinsville well as we befriended other teams with encouragement, laughter, and

good sportsmanship. What a joy to join together to play and build

friendships. Congratulations Sluggers!

Mark your calendars for next fall, we’d love for you to join our team on the field

or in the stands cheering.

C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 6

Alternative Gifts Opportunity during Advent The Mission and Service Ministry Group invites you to participate in the annual Alternative Gifts program. This is an opportunity to give a gift that honors someone and, at the same time,

supports one or more mission projects. Look for additional information at the Alternative Gifts table in St. Andrews Hall after each Sunday worship service during Advent.

An Alternative Gift is a wonderful and easy way to honor loved ones, friends, teachers, neighbors,

service providers, and others on your Christmas gift list and simultaneously provide a

tax-deductible gift to support one or more Lewinsville mission projects. Make a list of the

people you wish to honor in this meaningful way, identify the organization(s) you wish to

support with your charitable contribution, obtain one of the beautiful Alternative Gift cards for

each person you are honoring, and write one check (payable to Lewinsville Presbyterian Church) for your selections.

The Mission and Service Ministry Group is highlighting the following organizations for your special support: Homestretch, Friends of the

Lewinsville (meal subsidy program), United Orphanage and Academy (Moi’s Bridge, Kenya), Falls Church Homeless Shelter, Falls Church/McLean Children’s

Center, and S.H.A.R.E. You may also support any of the other organizations/projects listed in the LPC Mission Handbook. To learn more

about these organizations and reference the Mission Handbook, visit the Alternative Gifts table in St. Andrews Hall on November 27 and each

Sunday during Advent.

FAIR TRADE FAIR DECEMBER 11 IN ST ANDREWS HALL Shop for friends and family at the Lewinsville Fair Trade Fair Sunday, December 11 after both worship services in St. Andrews Hall. We will have food items from Equal Exchange for sale. “Equal Exchange's mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, and to

foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers . . . ” Coffee, tea, chocolate, and nuts will be plentiful. There may be a few other items for sale this year but we will focus mostly on small food items. Introduce Fair Trade to teachers, co-workers, friends and family you would like to remember this Christmas. Any

surplus received from the fair will go toward Lewinsville mission priorities.

SHEPHERD’S CENTER Do you want to become a volunteer to help seniors? The Shepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church has been

receiving a HUGE number of requests from seniors asking for rides to and

from medical and therapy appointments, the pharmacy and the grocery

store. The numbers asking for help far exceeds the number of volunteers

available to handle all the requests.

We invite you to become a volunteer with the Shepherd’s Center. No

long term commitment is required and you accept to take someone to an

appointment only when it meets your schedule and time permits.

To find out more about the Shepherd’s Center and how you can

volunteer to provide transportation and other services, please call the

Center number at (703) 506-2199 or e-mail the Center at info@scmafc.org.

The Center’s website is www.scmafc.org and follow us on Facebook.

CALLING ALL BAKED GOOD LOVERS!

The Annual Christmas Bake Sale will be held

on Sunday, December 18, in St. Andrews Hall.

All proceeds will benefit the Summer Mission

Trip. If you are a baker, we would love your

help stocking the bake sale with baked

goods. If you are a baked goods lover, we

would love for you to purchase some

delicious sweets and help contribute to the

Lewinsville mission projects.

Thank you for your support!

C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 7

One of the Sustainable Gardens at Westgate Elementary School

Monarch Caterpillars found in the Sustainable Gardens at Westgate

If you are interested in being a part of the Westgate Partnership contact:

Karen Siple— karen.siple@cox.net or Mary Frase—maryjfrase@gmail.com

January ChristCare Launch – Prepare to start the New Year by participating in a ChristCare Group. You will be invited to: 1. Experience ChristCare by visiting an

existing group 2. Join a new daytime ChristCare group for

women in January 3. Join a short-term Lenten ChristCare Group More information will be forthcoming in the New Year. For now pray about how God is calling you to small group involvement. Questions? See Pastor Emily or Jim Tenney

Successful First Year for the Westgate Sustainable Garden November 7th marked the end of the first year for the gardens at Westgate

Elementary School that are part of the Lewinsville-Westgate Partnership. The

highlight of the year was that Monarch butterflies found the milkweed that had

been planted and Monarch caterpillars emerged shortly after school started in

September. The students got to see the full cycle of caterpillars, the chrysalis

stage, and the butterflies that emerged. The success was quite remarkable given

this was the first year for milkweed in this location, there were not that many

plants and the butterflies had to fly over 10-15 feet walls to find the milkweed in

the interior courtyard where they were planted.

Every segment of the Westgate community enthusiastically participated

in all phases of the garden. The garden was a valuable adjunct for several

aspects of the Fairfax County curriculum, including the Monarch segment in the

second grade. The entire school community enjoyed the vegetables harvested

from vegetable beds and kale was still being harvested in early November.

Lewinsville members were involved in all stages of the project, from planning

the gardens; building raised beds for vegetables and pollinator plants; planting

trees, shrubs, and perennials; watering and weeding over the summer; and the

final cleanup. Our efforts and participation were very much appreciated by

everyone at Westgate.

All are looking forward to the next year in the garden, building on this

year’s success and taking into account lessons learned from 2016. One such

lesson is to plant many fewer pumpkin plants. Kindergarten started pumpkin

seeds in their classrooms and multiple plants were planted outdoors in late

spring. The pumpkins TOTALLY overwhelmed one of the courtyards and it took

multiple dumpster loads to cart the remains of the plants away at cleanup time.

On the plus side, the school raised money by selling the pumpkins to help fund

the garden for next year and Monarchs used the pumpkin plants for their

chrysalis. Next year the scope of the gardens will be expanded to the grounds

outside the building, assuming that the county finally gives control over that

area back to the school after construction. Come join us in the garden in 2017.

Thank You, Lewinsville! A huge thank you to the Lewinsville volunteers who

participated in the STOP HUNGER NOW meal packaging event

on Saturday, November 5th at Redeemer Lutheran

Church...and thanks to everyone who wore our blue

Lewinsville T-shirts. A great time was had by all! Over 300,000 meals were packaged! This marked over 1.5 MILLION meals that the McLean Stop Hunger Now event has packaged to date. Around the world, more than 868 million people lack

adequate food and more than 25,000 die each day from

hunger-related illnesses. Stop Hunger Now operates meal

packaging locations in 17 cities throughout the U.S. and international locations in Asia,

Africa and South America. Food packaged at this year's McLean event is being shipped

to help alleviate hunger in El Salvador.

1724 CHAIN BRIDGE ROAD MCLEAN, VIRGINIA 22101

LIBRARY NEWS

Our church library has a wealth of

books that will add to your holiday

reading pleasure. They are listed

below, and may be located on the

library shelves by using the call

number.

264.2 Collins, Ace: Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of

Christmas

394.2 Brown, The Little Book of Christmas Joys

394.2 Hartman,Rachel: The Gift of Christmas

394.2 Kelsey, Norton: The Drama of Christmas

394.2 Wernecke, Herbert: Christmas Customs Around the

World

394.26 Tonn, Maryjane Hooper: The Best of Christmas

700.4 Young, Ann Van Wagner: The Spirit of Christmas

745.5 Fitzpatrick, Nancy: Vanessa Ann's Christmas Ornaments

808.8 Newcombe, Jack, ed: A Christmas Treasury

823.9 Thomas, Dylan: A Child's Christmas in Wales

92C Carter, Jimmy: Christmas in Plains

F/D Dickens, Charles: A Christmas Carol

F/E Evans, Richard Paul: Promise Me

F/L Lofts, Norah: How Far to Bethlehem?

F/L Lucado, Max: The Christmas Cross

Memorials Dedication November 2015-November 2016

The following memorial gifts were dedicated to the glory of God and

in loving and faithful remembrance of those who have joined the

Communion of Saints. Barbara Brooks Music Fund

Frances Gaugler Permanent Endowment Fund

Michael O’Hara Permanent Endowment Fund

Robert and Editha Williams Permanent Endowment Fund

Robert Rayle Mission and Service Fund

Carla Scopeletis Mission and Service Fund

Barbara Siple Communion Pottery and Flower Fund

Special Gifts and Bequests Music Fund Fred and Helen Martin