CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR OUR STAFF:  
Our Staff does such a wonderful job throughout the year. On Sunday, December 18^th, we will be having a special collection to say “thank you” and “Merry Christmas” on behalf of Rockport Church.  A special box will be placed in the back of the church.  For those that attend on-line you can send your donation to the church office.  Please designate on the payment Staff Appreciation.  Thank you on behalf of the Staff Parish Relations Committee – Beverly Cavanah, Debbie Bryant, Dan Newman, Dave Stephan and Jim Leitch 
We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:3





CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR HOMEBOUND:  
Please stop in the chapel hallway on SUNDAY and sign Christmas cards
for our homebound.  
Letting our homebound members know their church remembers them is very important.
The gift of a simple card can mean the most!  Thank you!

Youth ALUMNI & Young Adults!!!!!
Be watching for our January Dinner Date! WOO! 




BOOK CLUB:  
ALL LADIES OF THE CHURCH
are invited to join us on
Monday, December 12 @ 6:00pm for a Christmas gathering!
Pork tenderloin and a Vegan option will be provided by Lisa who will host this gathering at her house in Westlake.
Please bring a side dish or dessert to share and a
wrapped book of your choice for a book exchange. 
     Also, our next book discussion will be on Wednesday, January 25 @ 7:00pm.  
We will be meeting at Bonnie’s house on the corner of Story and Carol.  
The book we will be reading is “Call Your Daughter Home” by Deb Spera.
This book is “a bold and mesmerizing debut set in a time and place lost to history; a world rescued now by Deb Spera, a talented storyteller.  With lush language, Spera illuminates a powerful story of women, of motherhood and survival.”
Hope to see everyone both in December and January for fun, fellowship and discussion.




LADIES CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON: 
All church ladies are invited to a Christmas lunch here at church at noon on December 14^th.  Please come hungry for an Italian feast of chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan, Italian Sausage, Noodles, Salad, Garlic Bread and Dessert.  There is no charge but donations will be accepted for Rockport Missions.  Please come ready to share a Christmas memory.  Sign-ups are requested but not required.  Please let the church office know of any dietary restrictions or if you need a ride.  Look for more Ladies Luncheons in 2023.  Diana Leitch, 440-759-5980.







DON’T FORGET YOUR COMMITMENT TO ROCKPORT! 
As we approach the end of the year, don’t forget your commitment to Rockport. If you are unsure of where you are with your 2022 pledge, please call the church office.
Thank you, The Finance Committee





2023 PLEDGE UPDATE:
To date, we have received 51 pledges totaling $107,831.  Thank you to those who have already pledged. Your financial commitment to Rockport is greatly appreciated. You may still mail in your pledge card, email or call the church with your pledge, or fill out a pledge card available in the narthex. Pledges help leadership set budgets and plan for next year. Please remember all money received goes toward the operating budget, as well as, paying our apportionments!  Thank you, The Finance Committee




GOOGLE DRIVE REMINDER:
Rockport All Church Information, and Financial Reports can be found here or in the church office.  October Financials are now posted.




KIDS & YOUTH FALL & ADVENT MINI MISSION PROJECT:
We are collecting hats, gloves, and scarves to go for the Take What You Need Cabinet all season, AS WELL AS, the Sister’s Haven Mission, in Cleveland, who is also pairing with Rocky River UMC.  Please leave them on the Christian Ed Table in the hallway, outside the Sanctuary! Thank You! Please be watching our Mini Mission Schedule each month! 



 
WE NEED CABINET DONATIONS! 
We need help replenishing our cabinet stock! If you are able to grab something off of our monthly list, we’d surely appreciate it!
Donations can be left underneath the Christian Ed table!

 


REMINDER:
Office hours are Monday-Thursday 8:00 - 2:00pm and Fridays from 8:00 - 1:00pm.  
Rev. Don's office hours are Tuesday and Thursdays from 11:00 - 1:00pm




CONFERENCE NEWS:
An Advent Message from the Bishop

The Advent season is here and awaits our attention to the invitation to slow down and prepare for the gift of Christ. I invite you to embrace this Holy Season, which can invoke in us a desire to want to know and experience a fuller measure of hope, love, joy, and peace that Christ offers to each of us. Advent invites us to “Come and find the quiet center in the crowded life we lead, find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed: Clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes that we can see all the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.” (Words of Shirley Erena Murray from “Come and Find the Quiet Center”).

Are you preparing for Christ … for the hope of Christ instilled in you to be renewed; for the love of Christ to be manifested in and through your faith, life, and witness; for the joy of Christ to permeate your life and overflow in your acts of compassion and service; and for the peace of Christ to calm your fears and to reconcile differences? Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to slow down and prepare for the gift of Christ?

In the Gospel of Luke, the angel Gabriel prepares Mary to receive the gift of Christ by telling her that she was surrounded by God’s presence. Mary was shaken, not understanding why she was receiving the message. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33, NIV).

Mary, still not understanding says, “How can this be … since I am a virgin?” Isn’t it interesting that even after being prepared with the assurance that she had nothing to fear, Mary still asked, “how can this be?” She could not fathom the idea of how it would be possible to conceive a child. The angel told her that God has a surprise for her, and the Holy Spirit will overshadow her and the one who will be born will be called the Son of God – Jesus. Because of the grace and patience of God, Mary accepted the freedom and power that God gave her and said, “let it be done to me according to your word.”

How often have we thought or uttered the words, “how can this be?” What about the times when we wonder or doubt whether Christ could make a miracle out of the mess or chaos we witness or experience in our lives. Or the times when we pray and prepare ourselves to receive the gift of Christ and even feel the assurance of the presence of Christ, and then something unexpected happens and we are shaken by our own fears. Or what about the times when God has dispatched “angels” to give us a word of blessing and encouragement, or to lend a helping hand, or to be a listening ear or to give us a message of peace and hope; and we find ourselves rejoicing and saying, “God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good!” As it was with Mary, so it is with us … God has a plan, a purpose, and a promise for our life!

God is always surprising us and giving us the gift of Christ. May we always be open to the surprise of God. May we open space in our hearts and our lives to discover and rediscover the all-encompassing love and promises of God. And may we always expect to experience a full measure of hope, joy, peace, and new life through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, even when we least expect it! May it be so! 

Have a blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas!

Also, check out the conference website https://www.eocumc.com/