text: Girdwood Chapel: 2013
  We've lit up the building, inside and out this year. Somehow that makes it feel more festive and a little bit warmer. The extra light brightens the season here in the North where daylight is at a premium at this time of year.
  We've been enjoying the weekly lighting of the Advent candles and reflecting upon the meaning for the season. Last week (photo above) we celebrated the 3. Advent (theme of JOY) by giving pink roses to those who attended our evening celebration ("Heaven @ Seven"). The theme for the 4th Sunday is "Love." We would *LOVE* to have you attend one of our activities as we bring Advent to a close and begin our celebration of Christmas:
  Sunday, the 22nd, we have our two morning services (8:30 and 10:00). Our evening informal gathering "Heaven @ 7" is, as you guessed it, at 7 p.m.
  On Monday, the 23rd, we will go caroling around the community. This is a good chance to share our love and care for the people of Girdwood, as well as members of our chapel who are shut-in or unable to attend services regularly. We will be gathering at 7 p.m. and head out to sing shortly thereafter. We hope to be back at the chapel by 8:30 p.m. to enjoy a time of singing Christmas carols while enjoying some warm chocolate, cider, etc., to warm back up again. Join us for either/both activities.
  On Tuesday, the 24th (Christmas Eve), the annual Christmas pageant will be presented at the Hotel Alyeska, followed by our Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. in our chapel.
  We hope to see you at these holiday activities. Merry CHRISTmas!
  Posted by Girdwood Chapel at Saturday, December 21, 2013
  Join us at Girdwood Chapel during the Advent season (Dec. 1-25) to learn more about this "Christian conspiracy" to "take back" Christmas from consumerism that some say has stolen the soul of Christmas.
  Those who take a stand against consumerism will join thousands of other Christians who are choosing to make Christmas what it should be -- a joyous celebration of Jesus' birth, not a retail circus. We will be challenged during this time to substitute compassion for consumerism by practicing four simple, but powerful, countercultural concepts:
  • Worship Fully - Because Christmas begins and ends with Jesus!
  • Spend Less - and free your resources for things that truly matter.
  • Give More - of your presence (not presents): your hands, your words, your time, your heart.
  • Love All - the poor, the forgotten, the marginalized, the sick, in ways that make a difference
  Posted by Girdwood Chapel at Tuesday, December 03, 2013
  Are You an "Almost-Christian"?
  The adult Sunday School class (that meets Sundays at 11:15) has begun a six-week study of Bob Crossman's book, "Committed to Christ - Six Steps to a Generous Life." It is a book on Christian "stewardship."
  But what I find striking about the book (so far) is the introductory section that precedes the six lessons. The author points out that NOTHING contained in the book is more important than knowing whether or not the reader has established a "relationship" with Christ. Without such a decision, a person is merely an "almost Christian." This is a critical point. Mr. Crossman states:
  "John Wesley, Anglican priest and founder of the eighteenth century Methodist movement, was a preacher's kid. From Wesley's perspective at his father's side, he saw lots of churchgoers who lived without purpose, claiming to be Christians because they went to church and had been baptized. Wesley believed there must be more to Christianity than sitting in worship on Sunday morning and going through a baptism ceremony. He began to seek the answer to some basic questions:
  What does the LORD expect of His faithful followers?
  What "holy habits" should be present in the believer's life?
  After years of thought and practice, Wesley eventually made a distinction between what he called the "almost Christian" and the "altogether Christian." The almost-Christian, Wesley preached in a famous sermon, will attend worship every Sunday; pray; respect common honesty; never steal a neighbor's property; feed the hungry; refrain from cursing or gossiping; and may use time and talents to serve God. Wesley, describing himself in his early years, said,
  'It is possible to go this far and yet be but almost a Christian. I used all diligence to avoid evil and keep a clear conscience. I was careful of my time, using every opportunity to do good. I was constantly using all the means of grace. With God as my witness, I did this with all sincerity, having a real desire to serve God. Yet, all that time I was only almost a Christian.'" (pp. 14 & 15)
  If this is what an "almost-Christian" is, what do you think Wesley meant by an "altogether Christian?" Startling thought, to think that many folks who, judging from their church experience, SEEM to be true Christians, may actually only be "almost" a Christian. They've put the cart before the horse, so to speak; in fact, in could be stated that there is NO horse at all!
  Intrigued by this distinction? Come to Sunday School this weekend and find out more.
  Posted by Girdwood Chapel at Saturday, October 05, 2013
  FUNday School Begins!
  Highlight from Day One:
  Funday School kids help dig up potatoes
  from the Girdwood Chapel
  (The kids got to take some home; the rest
  were donated to the Girdwood Food Pantry.)
  BTW, grown-up's have their own
  class at the same time,
  so the whole family can attend!
  Posted by Girdwood Chapel at Sunday, September 22, 2013
  Yes, it's that time of year again! The start of school always seems to bring change --- whether its to our sleep patterns, our daily routines, even our priorities. From now until May, life in Girdwood will, for the many people, revolve around the school year.
  This week Girdwood School opened its doors to second through eighth graders. (Kindergarteners and first graders will be ushered through the doors next week.)
  Perhaps the greatest change will be for our freshmen (high schoolers). They no longer attend school in Girdwood. This means getting up VERY early to meet the school bus that takes them to South High School in Anchorage. We pray for all of our students, of course; but we put a little extra effort into praying for those who travel the scenic, but challenging forty-five minute route to and from Anchorage.
  Girdwood Chapel helps support the local school in several ways. One of these is our annual donation of school supplies to Girdwood School for those students that do not have them. Members of the congregation are encouraged to bring their donations to the chapel on Sunday, August 25th.
  Also on this date we will have our annual "Blessing of the Backpacks" at the 10 a.m. service. Students and teachers are encouraged to bring their backpacks, lunch boxes, briefcases, etc., to the service.
  Join with us as we pray for God's protection for our children as they travel to and from school, and for wisdom for the teachers and staff as they work with our students. Most importantly, let's all remember to thank Him for giving us these wonderful children to bring up the "right way":
  "Teach a child how to follow the right way; even when s/he is old, s/he will stay on course." -- Proverbs 22:6
  Posted by Girdwood Chapel at Friday, August 23, 2013
  Pastor Linda Jean shared last Sunday a phrase she often heard growing up, "everything is the same, but different." So it appears to be here at Girdwood Chapel.
  Now that our pastor of twelve years is gone, Girdwood Chapel looks/feels the same, but different. While I don't pretend to know WHY we weren't immediately assigned a new pastor, nevertheless it would appear (to the untrained eye) that this might be a good time for our chapel's congregation to look at itself critically. While we await the appointment of a new pastor, it's a good time to ask ourselves some very important questions:
  Why do we attend Girdwood Chapel? If Girdwood Chapel ceased to exist, would anyone (but ourselves) notice it? Does Girdwood Chapel need to change/improve anything?
  With a new pastor, some things will change, of course; however, what should those changes be? Must we wait passively and accept what/who we're given, or can we anticipate change, prepare ourselves for it, and become part of the process?
  One thing I've noticed (in retrospect) is that perhaps, too often, the church relies so much on its pastor that it loses sight of its collective responsibility to one another. A body isn't composed solely of a head. We are a BODY of believers with different parts (spiritual gifts/abilities) to help coordinate us. (For more on this concept, look at 1 Cor 12:12-27.)
  This "interim" gives us the chance to take a look at what all of us "bring to the table." Who are the hands of the church, the heart, the feet, of change here at Girdwood Chapel? What are our role(s) in (re)making Girdwood Chapel a visible, vibrant, and valuable part of our own lives, those of the congregation, and then to the community at large.
  So, how do we go from here? The United Methodist Church leadership has given us five "talking points" to help us. We are at step two of the process -- (re)discovering our "identity."
  I have NO idea how we do that, so I unabashedly proclaim to you a "cut-and-paste" suggestion taken directly from the Internet. I don't own it; I'm not promoting it, either. Like you, I'm trying to figure out what it might mean. Here's one person's "take" on the issue:
  What are our Biblical values?
  What are our Biblical convictions?
  What spiritual experiences have most of us had?
  The Demographic Dynamic
  What is our age?
  What programs/activities do we do together?
  Who is admitted as a member, and as a leader?
  How do we relate to other churches and our denomination?
  Research through government publications
  Research through interviewing community leaders
  Research through home-to-home visitation
  http://www.kelleycentral.com/?page_id=376
  ©Mark Kelley 2010
  There will be an all-church meeting after the 10 a.m. church service this coming Sunday. We will be discussing these and other questions at this time. Lunch and child care are provided. All we need now is a good number of folks to be present for the discussion. Thank you for attending!
  Posted by Girdwood Chapel at Thursday, April 18, 2013
  If you're like me, news of a "pledge drive" is about as thrilling as hearing that the April deadline for filing income tax is fast approaching. However, without a pledge drive, Girdwood Chapel could not write a realistic budget for the year.
  This year's budget is of vital importance, as it pertains to the future of Girdwood Chapel. As we look forward to the arrival of a resident pastor in our community, it is important to determine the level of financial support we can provide.
  Are we financially able to support a full-time pastor, or even a 3/4-time pastor? The answer to this important question lies, in part, with our best "guesstimate" of our financial income for the year. That brings us to the "pledge drive."
  Girdwood Chapel depends upon its congregation to contribute to the life and mission of our faith community. The funds we collect are used for the whole work of the church. Just how much we will be able to do this year is determined, in part, by our annual budget.
  The term "pledge" has been (incorrectly) interpreted as a promise or obligation to the Chapel. It is not. The amount you pledge (by faith) is your decision, based upon your financial situation as you hope it to be in 2013. "Life happens" and, with it, the amount you will be able to actually give.
  We just ask, as a chapel, that you give us a ballpark figure upon which to base our budget. With our budget written, we can proceed to make decisions that will affect all of us who call Girdwood Chapel our church "home."
  The 2013 Pledge Cards are available at the church. You may wish to electronically download the card and submit it either by e-mail or regular mail to the addresses printed below. Thank you, in advance, for your participation in the annual pledge drive.
  Girdwood Chapel e-mail address: girdwoodchapel@gmail.com
  Girdwood Chapel mailing address: P.O. Box 1068, Girdwood AK 99587
  Posted by Girdwood Chapel at Wednesday, April 10, 2013
  We had a good crowd at both the mountaintop sunrise service and the 11 a.m. service down in the valley. As always, the crowd at the top was mostly from out-of-town; but even at the 11 a.m. service we had a good number of visitors. (One group said they were from Virginia!)
  We tried something new at the 11 a.m. service. We used the video player to display music and text both before and after the service. Folks seemed to enjoy the "Hallelujah Chorus" as interpreted by the Yup'ik community of Quinhagak. (We could well understand why their version has been viewed by over one-million people on You Tube.) The twenty-second pealing of the bells (from Seville, Spain, also via You Tube) was a nice touch.
  The sunrise service folks pitched in and gave just over $800 to our new one-time emergency needs fund. This is especially good news since (by a show of hands) most of those assembled up-top were not from the Girdwood area.
  We are also extremely grateful to announce the receipt of two very sizeable donations toward the elimination of our debt (mortgage). One gift was for $4,000 and the other was for $1,500! Such generosity is especially encouraging as the chapel finalizes its 2013-14 general budget.
  Although we didn't mention it at the Easter service, we have recently distributed "pledge cards" to the congregation and hope these will be returned to us a.s.a.p. We need to create a more realistic operating budget, to help us determine what type of position Supt. Beckett can advertise (3/4 or full-time resident pastor). Please note that the term "pledge" is different than a "promise," in that those who state their estimated giving amount on the card are not creating an obligation; we at Girdwood Chapel understand that "life happens" and that "reality can bite." Think of it as a sort of "faith promise" that you can hopefully complete in the coming year. We thank you, in advance, for whatever amount you feel you can give to the chapel this coming year.
  Also, for those who are unable to attend services (out-of-state / illness, etc.) but would like to turn in a pledge card, please contact us and we'll get one sent to you right away!
  Thank you, in advance, for whatever part you can play in helping Girdwood Chapel create its budget for the coming year.
  Posted by Girdwood Chapel at Wednesday, April 03, 2013
  1. The Paschal greeting is an Easter custom among many Christians. Christos Aneste ("Χριστός ἀνέστη!" - "Christ is Risen!" in Greek) and its response Alithos Anesti ("Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! " - "Truly He is Risen!" or "He Has Risen Indeed!") On this day, instead of greeting one another with, "Hello," or even, "Happy Easter!" you might want to say to your fellow believers:
  and wait for the response:
  He is Risen, indeed!"
  2. Have you ever wondered how the life of Christ might have played out "online" if the Roman Empire had Twitter? Here is one possibility:
  3. Hey kids! Here are 3 Easter songs that you might like to sing! (Grownup's can sing along, too!)
  4. Test your Easter Bible knowledge (answers at the bottom of this page)
  a. Judas (one of the original 12 disciples) betrayed Christ and subsequently committed suicide. Who took his place?
  b. What was the name of the hill where Jesus was crucified? (hint: it was called "Place of the Skull")
  c. How many trials was Jesus subjected to before being crucified?
  d. How many of these trials were legal under the law?
  e. Who was the first person to see Jesus on Resurrection Sunday?
  5. How about some non-Biblical Easter trivia? (Stump your friends, before they stump you!)
  • Egyptians were initially the ones who exchanged eggs to symbolize the resurrection of Christ. It was later that the tradition was passed down to early Christians.
  • Hot cross buns, made by European monks, are counted amongst the earliest Easter treats. They were given to the poor people, during the month of Lent.
  • On Easter, 76% people bite off the chocolate bunny ears first, while 5% bite the feet first and 4% eat the tail first.
  • Easter has been named after Eastre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess. The symbols of the goddess were the hare and the egg.
  • Red jellybeans qualify as the most favorite food stuff for kids on Easter.
  • The first Easter basket was given the appearance of a bird's nest.
  • In the mid-20th century, it used to take as much as 27 hours to make a marshmallow peep. Today, the time has been reduced to six minutes.