THE BEACON



December at Cameron

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Monthly Calendar

1 Christmas tree sales begin, 9:00 Am

6 Ladies Night Out, 6:45 PM

Trustees Meeting, 7:00 PM

8 Miriam Gruber Circle, 10:30 PM

9 Maintenance Day, 9:00 AM

12 Virginia Jarvis Circle, 7:00 PM

15 SPRC Meeting, 7:00 PM

19 UMM Monthly Meeting, 6:30 PM

24 Christmas Eve Service, 7:30 PM

25 Christmas Day Service, 10:30 AM

31 New Years Eve—Happy New Year!

Weekly Calendar

Sunday Adult Sunday School, 9:15 AM

Men’s Chorus, 9:25 AM

Chancel Choir, 9:45 AM

Worship Service, 10:30 AM

Children’s Sunday School, 10:45 AM

New Life Tabernacle, 1:00 PM

Tuesday Cub Scouts, 7:00 PM

Wednesday Bible Study, 7:00 PM

Narcotics Anonymous, 8:00 PM

Thursday Choir rehearsal, 7:00 PM

New Life Tabernacle, 7:00 PM

Friday 7th Day Adventist service, 7:00 PM

Saturday 7th Day Adventist service, all day

Ladies Night Out

Cameron Ladies Night Out will be held at the Outback Steak House on Tuesday, December 6 at 6:45pm. If you would like to join us, please contact Ruth Ann, 703-960-2962 by Monday, December 5. Meet at the restaurant, 6804 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA. Come enjoy the laughter, fun and sisterhood.

Trustees Corner

Last summer, the Trustees brought to the attention of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) the dangerous nature of making a left turn from eastbound Franconia Road into the Cameron UMC entrance driveway. VDOT agreed to study the traffic pattern, and immediately installed a "Watch for Stopped Vehicles" sign on eastbound Franconia Road approaching this area. Last month, VDOT agreed to resolve this dangerous condition by restriping Franconia Road to extend the “Left Turn Only” lane beyond our entrance driveway so as to enable a much safer and legal left turn. Kudos to VDOT for a positive and quick response to resolve the concerns of Cameron UMC.

Donations from two Cameron members have enabled major renovations to be made to the Reiniker-Hall activities building (known to some as the Scout Hut). These include:

• Complete replacement/updating of the electrical system;

• Installation of central heating and A/C;

• Bathroom renovation, including installation of a handicapped stall;

• New flooring;

• Repainting of the interior;

• New lighting both inside and out.

This effort was initiated by serious interest from a local congregation to rent the space contingent on the above renovations; however, they later decided to look elsewhere. Still, when completed, Reiniker-Hall will be an excellent facility for use or rental by outside organizations or congregations as well as Cameron UMC. Thanks go to the generosity of these two members for reviving Reiniker-Hall for modern use.

UMW News

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of United Methodist Day at the Virginia General Assembly, two events are scheduled.

• Saturday, January 14, 2017, Centenary UMC in Richmond will host a lunch at special program on the history of UM Day at the General Assembly. For details and registration, visit

• Thursday, February 2, 2017, is UM Day at the General Assembly, when participants can meet with Virginia’s Senators and Delegates, attend committee hearings and a joint session of the General Assembly. Afterward, enjoy lunch at Bon Air UMC in Richmond and a special program with Bishop Charlene Kammerer. Additional information is available at

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Cameron UMC Staff

• Reverend Oliver Box, 703-960-9505, ext. 22

oliver.box@

• Monica Bellebia, Church Office Manager

703-960-9505, ext. 21; cameronoffice3130@

• Kathy Henry, Director of Communications

703-960-9505, ext. 23; cameronumccommunications@

• Carol Schaub, Director of Music/Organist

703-960-9505; cjschaubcameronmusic@

Shantini Ravindra and Betty Campos - Nursery Attendants Church office hours:

Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

A Note From the Editor

To paraphrase Queen Elizabeth II’s assessment of 1992, I think that most of us feel that 2016 is a year upon which we will look back with undiluted pleasure. We have been subjected to a particularly vicious election campaign—which is still raging, and we have seen terrible acts of violence—from one-on-one murders to mass killings. At times, it seems that our society is determined to tear itself to pieces. United Methodists continue to watch with trepidation as our church leadership struggles with social justice issues. Some of us have suffered personal losses which have left our hearts raw and grieving. It is easy to feel frustrated, lonely, abandoned.

A few weeks ago, I wrote these words to a close friend: “I know it looks as if the forces of darkness are taking over, but in the last year I have witnessed incredible acts of compassion, tolerance, and decency from people of all ages, races, from both believers and non-believers. I have experienced these things myself as nearly everyone with whom I have contact held me up in my moments of dejection and despair. I believe that America has a gigantic heart and that the greater part of that heart is good and generous and just.”

I also believe this: God is still the ruler of the cosmos, and Jesus still loves every single one of us. We are preparing to celebrate the reception of the Greatest Gift any of us will ever have—the birth of Jesus Christ who came to save us from our sin—and perhaps ourselves. Our friend Mike McLean likes to say, “We can’t out-give God.” Truer words were never spoken.

So, I want to wish everyone a joyous holiday season, particularly a very Merry Christmas. My favorite secular Christmas story is Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” At the end, that wretched, grasping, covetous old sinner Ebenezer Scrooge repents his ways, “and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!” (Blessings, Kathy Henry)

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