From the Pastor s Pen

Transcription

1 December 01, 2018 Newsletter Printed Monthly Volume 1, Issue 1 From the Pastor s Pen Inside this issue: A Rural Christmas Town of Rural Retreat Festivities 2 Youth Ministry Stewardship 3 4 Lunch with Santa 4 Missions 4 AGAPE Birthdays & Anniversaries 4 5 December Worship 5 Attendants Pancake Supper to 6 benefit RRHS Lady Indians Basketball Night of the Father s Love Rural Retreat 6 A Christmas Mistake (a Christmas short story) 7 Hands for Haiti Fundraiser 8 December has arrived! I can t bel i eve h ow quickly this year has flown by and how another Christmas is upon us! Perhaps you ve already been caught up in the rush that happens this time of year. So many things to do... Christmas shopping, decorating, preparing special meals, visiting friends and relatives, and so on. It all seems so important! However, this Christmas season, I invite you to slow down and take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. One of the most important things to remember during this time of year is a night long ago before the Christmas rush a night filled with wonder and awe. It was a most holy night when shepherds heard angels singing. A night when a young mother wrapped her new born son in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. Our king was born in the humblest E XPANSION P ROJECT L OAN B ALANCE As of 12/31/16 $163,850 As of 12/31/17 $137,795 As of 11/30/18 $100,262 Please remember to put EXPANSION on the memo line when writing your check.. of conditions. Let us praise our Savior even more this month because He, the Christ child, was born to us in the town of Bethlehem those many years ago. Amy Grant s song, I Need a Silent Night. is a great reminder to us that during the hustle and bustle of Christmas, we all need to take time to reflect on the glory of that first Christmas. Here is the chorus to her song. I need a silent night, a holy night To hear an angel voice through the chaos and the noise I need a midnight clear, a little peace right here To end this crazy day with a silent night I wish everyone a very blessed Christmas! Pastor Bob Budget thru end of Nov. $146,667 Offerings thru end of Nov. $139,017 Below Budget (7,650)** **Your additional support during the month of December would be greatly appreciated in helping meet our budget for the year!

2 A Christmas Festival sponsored by the Town of Rural Retreat after the Christmas Parade on Sunday, December 2, 2018 Parade begins at 2:00 p.m. Free to the public: Carousel rides Roasting marshmallows, smores Hot Chocolate Children stories inside Community Center Christmas music - R.R. Community Choir, Handbells & RRHS Band Horse drawn carriage rides Visit Santa Claus under the Pavilion with option of purchasing pictures made with Santa Food Vendors Pork rinds Funnel cakes A mailbox for letters to Santa will be located at the Town Office for children. Our office is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Page 2

3 Page 3 Youth Happenings Youth We are in an exciting time here a t R R U M C a s o u r Y o u t h g r o u p c o n t i n u e s t o g r o w, a n d w e a r e seei ng good thi ngs happeni ng for the glory of God! Regular youth meetings will be held on Dec. 2nd, 9th, and 16th 5 : 0 0 p m t o 7 : 0 0 p m, D E C E M B E R 16th WILL BE OUR CHRISTMAS DINNER NO GIFTS please, but bring a dish to share. There will be NO YOUTH MEETINGS DEC. 23rd OR 30th due to the holiday travel season. Pl ea se tu rn i n a n y fl ami n go requ ests ASAP. And remember to turn i n all remai ning deposi ts for Resurrection 2019 ASAP as well. If a n y o n e i s i n n e e d o f f i n a n c i a l a s s i s t a n c e, p l e a s e l e t m e k n o w ASAP. Many thanks to our seniors and others h er e at RRUMC for your generosity in providing so much in the way of both time and finances to the Youth. Kids for Christ (KFC) Many thanks to those who donated cookies and/or money for our service project. We sent a big box of cookies and cards to our troops in Kuwait! Our children are busy preparing a Christmas program for you. We will share this program with the c o n g r e g a t i o n o n S u n d a y, December 16th, during the morning worship service. Merry Christma s from the KFC! Children s Christmas Program Youth Director December 16th during the 11:00 am service

4 Page 4 Lunch If we want to please God if we want to hear Him say, Well done my good and faithful servant when we meet Him in heaven then we must faithfully support our church with our tithes and use our talents in a way that s pleasing to Him. Community and Church-Wide Potluck and Lunch with Santa T h e c h i l d r e n w i l l continue to collect coins during greeting time for the Missions Committee. These funds will be donated to UMW Missions for the month of December. AGAPE Food Pantry December 19th Agape food pickup Judy Buck December 22nd Agape food distribution Shirley Bartleson Sunday, December 2nd immediately following the 11 o clock Worship Service Join us in the fellowship hall for a Christmas potluck lunch with Santa. Everyone is invited, so bring the whole family and grab your friends and neighbors and come enjoy some great food and fellowship. The Activities/Outreach Committee will provide turkey and ham all you need to do is bring a dish of food to share. If you have little ones, bring them to see Santa and receive a treat. After lunch, stay for the Christmas parade and all the festivities the Town of Rural Retreat is offering. Hope to see you there!

5 Page 5 ANNIVERSARIES BIRTHDAYS Dec 04 - Barbara Rudolph Dec 05 - Julie Carter Dec 06 - Raymond Matney Dec 13 - Kathy Williams Dec 14 - Andrea Poole Dec 16 - Ann Ellison McCuan Dec 19 - Cheryl Viars - Rodney Maxey Dec 23 - Preston Glenn - Amy McBride - Sarah Steffey Dec 25 - Donna Meredith Dec 26 - Anne Cumbow Dec 01 - Pastor Bob & Elaine Ruth Dec 03 - Frank & Sandra Reasor Dec 06 - Jerry & Phyllis Hurt Dec 19 - Rodney & Brenda Maxey Dec 23 - Roy & Sara Evans Dec 31 - William Bud & Alison Pollard May your Home be warm, your Holidays grand, & may your Heart be held gently in the hands of the Lord! During the month of December, the Contemporary and Traditional services will be combined into the 11:00 am service in order to allow everyone to come together to enjoy the advent season programs. Sunday School will be at the regular time, 10:00 am. GREETERS & USHERS Dec Mark Haynes, Chad Trivitt, & Donnie Buck Dec Stephen Bear, Dale Steffey, & Susan Evans Dec Jerry Davis, Michael Spraker & Tim Carter Dec Brian Smith, Tony Glenn, & Donnie Buck Dec Mark Haynes, Tony Rudolph & James Bear NURSERY SCHEDULE Dec Alison Pollard Dec Amy Bear Dec Alison Pollard Dec Amy Bear Dec Mitzi Haynes ACOLYTES Dec The Maloskey Family Dec The Matney Family Dec The Spraker Family Dec The Pollard Family Dec Houston Bear CHILDREN S CHURCH Children will be dismissed to Children's Church after the children's message Dec NO CHILDREN S CHURCH Children s Christmas Program The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

6 Page 6 performed by the Rural Retreat Community Choir Christmas Cantata December 9, :00 pm Rural Retreat United Methodist Church for pancakes, sausage, and beverages after a fun-filled day at Rural Retreat s Sunday, December 2nd 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Rural Retreat Community Center (meal by donation) All proceeds go to benefit the Rural Retreat High School s Lady Indians Basketball May the light of love shine upon you, And may your life be filled with blessings in this Christmas season.

7 Page 7 Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas. My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love. The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood - the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "CHRIST WAS LOVE" And, I believe, He still is. Every time a hand reaches out to help another...that s Christmas! Every time someone puts anger aside and strives for understanding... that s Christmas! Every time people forget their differences and realize their love for each other that s Christmas! May this Christmas bring us closer to the spirit of human understanding closer to the blessing of peace!

8 Rural Retreat United Methodist Church P.O. Box 307 Rural Retreat, VA Phone: (276) Fax: (276) Website: R E M I N D E R: JANUARY NEWSLETTER ARTICLES & INFORMATION DUE BY DECEMBER 15TH Hands for Haiti Mission Trip FundraiserLuncheon Sunday, December 16th Hosted by Kayleigh Gibson Soup Chili Baked Potatoes and more! Kayleigh Gibson is hosting a luncheon of soup, chili, baked potatoes, desserts and drinks immediately after the worship service on December 16th. The cost of the meal is by donation only, and EVERYONE is welcome. All proceeds raised will go toward Kayleigh s mission trip to Haiti in January with The Bastian Union Church. During their time in Haiti they will be working with orphaned children and offering a medical clinic. The mission trip has been entitled Hands for Haiti. Lamentations 3:51 says that what we see with our own eyes affects our heart in a very powerful way. Kayleigh is the daughter of Tessa Glenn.