Pastor Paul. A W o r d F r o m O u r P a s t o r... Church Staff

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1 First United Methodist Church 411 N. 4th Street Vincennes, IN A W o r d F r o m O u r P a s t o r... December 2015 Senior Pastor: Paul Wagner paul.wagner@inumc.com Administrative Assistant: Sabrina Stevenson fumc@cinergymetro.net Treasurer: Jennifer Baumberger jb@cinergymetro.net Church Staff Director of Youth & Children s Ministries: Patrick Schutz vincennesfumcyouth@gmail.com Director of Music Ministry: Dan Miller dmiller@vinu.edu Director of Children s &Cherub s Choir: Lisa Miller lmiller@vinu.edu Organists: Nancy Mathis mathisnancy@hotmail.com Ellen Bardole ebardole@yahoo.com William Andert Worship Services Sundays Traditional Service: 9:30 am Worship First: 11:45 am Sunday School 10:45 am Be sure to visit us on Facebook! or Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Hello First Church Friends, Laurence Houseman once penned these verses- Light looked down and beheld Darkness. Thither will I go said Light. Peace looked down and beheld War. Thither will I go, said Peace. Love looked down and saw Hatred. Thither will I go, said Love. So came Light and shone. So came Peace and gave rest. So came Love and brought Life. As our world seems to be torn with strife, hatred, terrorism, pain and suffering, it is the message of the Christ-child at Christmas that we need most - the child who is often known as the Light of the World, the Prince of Peace and the very Love of God in the world. May Christ s Light, Peace and love overflow in your life and throughout our world driving out fear, pain, anger and terror this Christmas and forevermore. Pastor Paul 1

2 Attendance December Flower Calendar December 06 - Dave & Pep Salmond December 13 - The Paul Couchenour Family December 20 - Sue Mardis December 27 - LaVaughn De Hon 2 November Traditional Offering to Budget $4, , , , The Mission of The United Methodist Church: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Our First Church Discipleship Process: To bring people to Christ; to help people grow in Christ; to serve all people for Christ If you would like to provide altar flowers in honor or memory of a loved one, please contact the church office ( ). December December 06 First Person Advent Stories #2 Inn Keeper Luke 2:1-7 December 13 First Person Advent Stories #3 Jeroboam the Shepherd Luke 2:8-20 December 20 December 27 Joy To The World Psalm 98:4-9 Pre-School One Room Sunday School 10:45 am Middle/High School College Adult Classes: 4:10: The Ten Commandments ICU: The Apostle Paul WHO: The Christian Community Comes Alive Home Builders: The Christian Community Comes Alive 03 Sue Hermes Birthdays 05 Kenzie Vermillion 08 Becky Cox 09 Robyn Draeger 10 Olivia Halter Ronda Harrell Arlene Wolven Betty Salter Charlotte Swonder Darrell Beard Needs Debra Fisher & Family Denise & Mike George Elizabeth Shatto FUMC Prison Ministry Kevin Seitzinger Marley family December Dan Miller 15 Heather Whaley 17 Paul Wagner 19 Betty Dunlap 20 Chayton Green 22 Dick Helton 24 Hoss Foncannon 26 Julie Halter Matt Hensley 28 Geneva Halter Betty Mardis Mary Lou Terrell Phil Garner Phyllis Catt & Family Randy Robyn Draeger Steve Powell Susan Mehrer Those that don t know Jesus Wayne Ader Anniversaries 11 Chuck & Ann Hedde 12 Larry & Kay Henderson 20 Kirk & Leah Abendroth 21 T.J. & Khelia Brink 27 David & Robyn Draeger Praises God s healing hand on those in our congregation who have been sick or in pain. Dinner with the Doctor drawing lots of people in our doors. Pre-Advent Bible Study going so well! 15

3 14 COMMUNITY to Kenny Roberts For cleaning the underside of the canopy and to Dana Klipsch for working so hard getting us heat...both insulation and heating. We shall care about and address people s needs inside and outside the church. Titus 3:14 Matthew 7:12 We are collecting: Box Tops for Education and Campbell s Soup Labels. These can be placed in the appropriate drawers in the Elevator Room. Vincennes Food Pantry Fill-A-Box Gravy Mixes or Jars Jell-O Instant Mashed Potatoes Pumpkin Canned Vegetables Stuffing Cranberry Sauce Canned Soup Fruit Juice Biscuit Mix Sweet Potatoes Marshmallows Chicken Broth First United Methodist Church Core Values As a congregation of believers in Jesus Christ desiring to faithfully fulfill our mission, we strive to do ministry remaining true to these core values: ENCOURAGEMENT We shall bring hope to the hopeless. Jeremiah 29:11 Romans 15:4-6 & 13 STEWARDSHIP We shall contribute our finances, time and talent to build God s kingdom. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 PRAYER We shall privately and publicly commune with God and connect with God s grace. Colossians 4:2 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 WORSHIP We shall regularly attribute worth to God together as a body of believers. Hebrews 12:28 Psalm 29:2 Our core values act like bumpers on a bowling alley lane. They aren t our goal or objective, but as things we value they give us boundaries within which we operate to fulfill our mission. FUMC Biz Continued on page 4 Keeping you up-to-date with the latest church news... Know someone who needs recognition? or call in information to the church office for inclusion in the Mid-Week News and monthly Newsletter. Pre-Advent Study... Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and delicious! Join us for our last class as we finish up our Old/New Testament series. Dec. 2 nd Matthew 2:13-15/Hosea 11:1-11 Amelia Jane Schutz was born Wednesday, November 4 th. She was 9 lbs. 3 oz. and 23 inches. Amelia is welcomed by her mom & dad, Sara & Patrick and big sister, Ann Marie. Congratulations Schutz Family!!! Advent & Christmas Events... November 28 Hanging of the Greens 9:00-11:00 am November 29 Advent Taize Prayer Service 4:00 pm December 20 Christmas Cantata 9:30 am December 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Festival 7:00 pm The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear! ~ Buddy the Elf 3

4 FUMC Biz continued from page 3 4 First United Methodist Church of Vincennes INC. annual meeting will be held Thursday December, :00 PM, in conjunction with the Administrative Council meeting. The only agenda item will be election of officers. Everyone is invited to attend, and any member present, may vote. Angel Breakfast... All two-year old children through 5th Graders, You and your family are invited to share in a very special Advent Celebration. Sunday, December 6 8:30 am ~ Fellowship Hall A truly scrumptious breakfast will be served. Please RSVP the church office by Monday, November 30. You can call ( ) or at fumc@cinergymetro.net. We look forward to seeing you there! If you have not received your letter yet, it should be arriving soon. Upper Room Devotionals... If you would like to receive an Upper Room devotional, please notify the church office. We aer revamping our order transaction in order to minimize waste. If you are already a regular reader of this publication, fantastic! Just call the church and let us know that you would like us to keep ordering for you. If you haven t ever read this daily devotional, we encourage you to start a great new habit this year! Devotionals are bimonthly and can be ordered in large print or regular. The cost per is $1.05 for regular and $1.47 for large. ($6.30 or $8.82 per year.) FUMC Website... Starting in December, our website will have some new features. There will be video devotions posted weekly, WZDM Faith Breaks and Audio Sermons. This is also the place to find where you can get connected here at First Church. There are helpful links, online giving, our church calendar and even this newsletter! Check it out at A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!! Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ Date: Every day. Traditionally, December 25 but He's always around, so the date is flexible... Time: Whenever you're ready. (Please don't be late, though, or you'll miss out on all the fun!) Place: In your heart... He'll meet you there. (You'll hear Him knock.) Attire: Come as you are... grubbies are okay. He'll be washing our clothes anyway. He said something about new white robes and crowns for everyone who stays till the last. Tickets: Admission is free. He's already paid for everyone. (He says you wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway... it cost Him everything He had. But you do need to accept the ticket!!) Refreshments: New wine, bread, and a far-out drink He calls "Living Water," followed by a supper that promises to be out of this world! Gift Suggestions: Your life. He's one of those people who already has everything else. (He's very generous in return though. Just wait until you see what He has for you!) Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light, Life, Love, Real Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness, Miracles, Healing, Power, Eternity in Paradise, Contentment, and much more! (All "G" rated, so bring your family and friends.) R.S.V.P. Very Important! He must know ahead so He can reserve a spot for you at the table. Also, He's keeping a list of His friends for future reference. He calls it the "Lamb's Book of Life." Party being given by His Kids (that's us!!)! Hope to see you there! 13

5 Every month we will feature old photo(s) from our church s past. If you have any old photo s please send them to the church office! It was December 25, 1914, only 5 months into World War I, German, British, and French soldiers, already sick and tired of the senseless killing, disobeyed their superiors and fraternized with "the enemy" along two-thirds of the Western Front (a crime punishable by death in times of war). German troops held Christmas trees up out of the trenches with signs, "Merry Christmas." Christmas Eve Service "You no shoot, we no shoot." Thousands of troops streamed across a no-man's land strewn with rotting corpses. They sang Christmas carols, exchanged photographs of loved ones back home, shared rations, played football, even roasted some pigs. Soldiers embraced men they had been trying to kill a few short hours before. They agreed to warn each other if the top brass forced them to fire their weapons, and to aim high. A shudder ran through the high command on either side. Here was disaster in the making: soldiers declaring their brotherhood with each other and refusing to fight. Generals on both sides declared this spontaneous peacemaking to be treasonous and subject to court martial. By March 1915 the fraternization movement had been eradicated and the killing machine put back in full operation. By the time of the armistice in 1918, fifteen million would be slaughtered. Not many people have heard the story of the Christmas Truce. The Christmas Truce story goes against most of what we have been taught about people. It gives us a glimpse of the world as we wish it could be and says, "This really happened once." It reminds us of those thoughts we keep hidden away, out of range of the TV and newspaper stories that tell us how trivial and mean human life is. It is like hearing that our deepest wishes really are true: the world really could be different. Trevor Dobbyn (red stripes in back row) Kenny Deetz (beige sweater in back row) Evelyn Crowley (green dress in back row) Tanner & Taylor Dobbyn (back row, right) Annie Miller (far right) Briley Brink (holding penguin) Elizabeth Deetz (center, in front of Kenny) We tried to identify more, but none of the staff was here in We apologize for leaving several out and if we misidentified anyone. Please let us know if you can identify anyone else. 5

6 6 FUMC Youth Group News Ages: 6 th -12 th grades Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith and pure life. ~ 1 Timothy 4:12 December 6 Retro Video Games!!! 1:00-2:30 pm Youth Sunday Plan This year for Youth Sunday, the youth will join with the children to perform a musical written by our very own Jane Wineman, entitled: Lord of the Rainbow A romping adventure with Noah and his family. There will be several practices for the children participating: Sunday, January 31 Saturday, February 6 December 13 December 27 December 21 Christmas Caroling (with the Youth Group) Area Nursing Facilities 1:00-3:00 pm Youth Sunday Planning Meeting 1:00-2:30 pm December 21 Christmas Caroling with KFC 12:00-4:00 pm We will be going to various area nursing facilities. Youth Group Lock-In with St. John s UCC 8:00 pm-8:00 am of Christmas A time of merrymaking Most people believe that the Twelve Days of Christmas refer to the days before Christmas. However, it s really the period starting on Christmas day and finishing with the Epiphany on January 6 th, when the Three Kings from the East came bearing gifts. Here are the facts: 1500s: The date of the song s first performance is not know, though it was popular in European and Scandinavian traditions as early as the 16th century. 1582: The Gregorian calendar was introduced, resulting in several days being dropped from the Julian calendar. December 25th eventually became January 5th. 1602: By the numbers Shakespeare wrote the comedy Twelfth Night to fit the spirit of the occasion with plenty of drinking, dancing and foolery. Cost per gift Partridge in a pear tree: $15 + $189 2 turtle doves: $125 3 French hens: $165 4 calling birds: $520 5 gold rings: $750 6 geese-a-laying: $210 7 swans-a-swimming: $ maids-a-milking: $58 9 ladies dancing: $ lords-a leaping: $ pipers piping: $ drummers drumming: $ : The first publication of the song was printed in a book called Mirth Without Mischief. total cost of all items: $111,592 total number of gifts given: 364 Twelfth Night and the drinking of alcohol were closely intertwined. Whatever the origin of the song, it is probable that it gained a lot of popularity as a drinking game with forfeits handed out to those unable to remember the words. The first seven gifts are all birds (if you interpret the golden rings as gulderers-basically a wild turkey). French cuisine La Foi de la loi, a French version, is sung with the following lyrics: a good stuffing without bones, two breasts of veal, three joints of beef, four pigs trotters, five legs of mutton, six partridges with cabbage, seven spitted rabbits, eight plates of salad, nine dishes for a chapter of canons, ten full casks, eleven beautiful maidens, and twelve musters with their swords. 11

7 From the FUMC Mailbox Dear FUMC members, Thank you for the flowers purchased by Tommy & Brenda Sutton delivered to me by Sue Mardis and Rona Miller. It was a heart warming surprise. Sincerely, Jerry Jett Dear 1 st United Methodist, Thank you for your continued financial support of the Backpacks of Love for VCSC Project. Brenda & Kathy Sweet friends, Over the last week and a half I have seen the love and caring of this church family and am so grateful for each of you. The beautiful cards and gifts made me smile when I needed it the most. Best of all though, I was covered in so much prayer. I am truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group of believers and pray that God blesses you as you have blessed me and my family. All my love, Sabrina Stevenson Missions Ministry Presents Fill-A-Box For the month of December we are putting the boxes away and encourage you to take part in the Youth Group s Angel Tree which will be helping out the School Nurse s Fund. Stop by the tree and choose a card. There are some for monetary donations and clothing donations. 10 Ways to Serve at fumc... Altar Flower Delivery: This is a fun and fulfilling ministry. Many people provide our beautiful altar flowers that you see every Sunday and instead of just throwing them out on Monday, they are taken to someone in our church family. One month a year, you will be a bright ray of sunshine in someone s life by taking the altar flowers to the person of your choosing to cheer their day. Liturgist: Twice a year, you will help to lead Worship. Our liturgists help lead worship by reading the Call to Worship, Scripture and by accepting the offering plates and giving a prayer of dedication of the offering. Usher: We need ushers for our balcony section. You will greet them and make sure they have a bulletin. A good way to meet others in our church family! Call or the church office to get plugged in in 2016! Advent 2015 Advent is upon us and our faithful Missions Team has been hard at work choosing ministries to support for You will be receiving your letter and envelope in the mail soon. Please pray for God s guidance in your giving this Christmas Season. Knox County Mental Health Association Loaves & Fishes VCSC School Nurse Fund Your letters will explain in further detail exactly what these organizations do. 7

8 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Weekly Events unless otherwise noted on date Sunday: Worship Service - 9:30 am (Kids Church during service) Sunday School: 10:45-11:30 am : 11:45 am 1 Staff Meeting 10:00 am 2 Pre-Advent Bible Study 12:000 pm Education Team Work Day 1:00-2:00 pm Angel Breakfast 8:30 am Communion Youth Group Retro Video Games 1:00-2:30 pm Youth Group Youth Sunday Planning Meeting 1:00-2:30 pm Devotion Time Willow Manor - 2:00 pm Youth Group UCC Lock-In 8:00 pm-8:00 am 7 Education Team Meeting All-Occasion Room 8:00 pm KFC & Youth Group Christmas Caroling at Nursing Facilities 12:00-4:00 pm Staff Meeting 10:00 am Trustees Meeting All-Occasion Room 7:00 pm Staff Meeting 10:00 am Finance Team Meeting All-Occasion Room 6:00 pm Administrative Council Meeting All-Occasion Room 7:00 pm :00 pm Office Closes at Noon New Year s Eve Deadline for January Newsletter items Office Closed Weekly Events unless otherwise noted on date Thursday: Handbell Choir - 6:00 pm Chancel Choir - 7:00 pm 8 Office Closes at Noon 9