THANK YOU...1 November 30, First views

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1 THANK YOU November 30, 2014 SW SCHOOL... 2 & 5 THOSE WHO SERVE MATURE METHODISTS....4 NEWS... 4 & 6 1ST..5 LOVEFEAST First views THE PURPOSE OF FUMC IS TO INVITE ALL PEOPLE TO BECOME FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST, GROWING TOGETHER IN LOVE AND SERVICE TO GOD AND NEIGHBOR. My dear church family, How grateful I am for your affirmation, support, and affection during my years as your Director of Christian Education. My experiences with you have been unbelievably rewarding and joy-filled, and, as I relayed during the message last Sunday, I believe they have been used by the Holy Spirit to mature and mold me. It would hardly be possible to overestimate how important you are to me. I was overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity last Sunday. A simple thank you doesn t seem adequate; please know that it comes from my heart. Some of you worked hard to orchestrate such a special day. I m a little reluctant to name names for fear that I will leave someone out, but I ve learned that Craig Langston, Angela Yoder, Diane Creasman, Mary Wiggs, Cathy Schiffel, the Staff- Parish and Worship Committees, and members of the Pairs & Spares Sunday School Class were instrumental in planning my big day. So many others of you brought delicious breakfast food, wrote beautiful notes, and contributed to the generous and much appreciated love offering. I was touched deeply by the gift from the children. If you haven t seen the beautiful print of Jesus with the children, please do not miss it when we hang it in a children s area of the church. It is awesome. And speaking of awesome, the preschool, Wesley, Aldersgate, and Chancel Choir s anthems during Sunday s service were just that. Wow! Thank you, everyone! Now we look forward to the first season of the church year beginning this coming Sunday morning! Advent, the period of time from the four Sundays before Christmas until Christmas Eve, promises the coming of Christ into the world and into our lives. It s a time when we wait and watch with hopeful expectation that Mary s son, the Light of the World, will dwell with us anew. Advent is an exciting time of bustle and busyness as well. While we are enjoying all of the special activities this Advent season brings, let s also direct our focus toward creating hearts open to receiving him and a community ready to welcome Him when He comes. See you on Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent! With love, peace, and JOY! Sandy Daily Readings Traditional Monday Isaiah 64:1-9 Tuesday Jeremiah 18 Wednesday Psalm 51 Thursday Psalm 148 Friday Romans 9 Saturday 2 Corinthians 4 Sunday Isaiah 64:1-9 The Vine Monday Isaiah 9:1-2 Tuesday Psalm 18 Wednesday Psalm 27 Thursday Isaiah 42:1-9 Friday 2 Corinthians 4 Saturday John 8:12-20 Sunday Isaiah 9:1-2 1

2 United Methodist Women Monday, December 1 9:30 a.m. UMW LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING Craft Room Journey 101, a class that helps you learn what being a Methodist is all about, will meet Sunday, December 14 at 9:45 a.m. in the Scout Room. Come meet with Pastor Wil. Monday, December 1 11:00 a.m. UMW GENERAL MEETING Community Room BLESS SOUTHWEST Do you have a heart and passion for children? Do you want to find ways to bless local school teachers, administrators, and staff? Do you have gifts for administration, service, or creativity? This team will lead our church in blessing the children, staff, and parents of our partner school, Southwest Elementary School. Through our partnership with Southwest we currently serve as reading tutors, lunch buddies, duty free lunch volunteers, and we serve on special projects like landscaping and school supply drives. We need your help coordinating these wonderful projects and helping us think of other opportunities to bless Southwest. If you want to be part of this team, contact Margo Morganti (mmorganti@charter.net) to get on the contact list and remain updated on team happenings. MISSED A SUNDAY? Not to worry. Our worship services are recorded and available by podcast in two places. First, you can search First UMC Hickory on itunes. Or you can subscribe to our RSS feed. Click the RSS icon toward the top right of our website to get started. Each of these opportunities allows you to stay connected through worship at First Church. And you can share these recordings with friends by recommending they also check out our podcast. We hope you ll add the podcast or feed to your other regular subscriptions. SOUTHWEST SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL SERVICE PROJECT HOMELESS RELIEF PROGRAM Please bring the following items to the Community Room between now and December 8. We appreciate your participation in this very important project. SUNDAY SCHOOL Diabetes is the timely topic for discussion this coming Sunday morning in the Faithlink Sunday School class. November is American Diabetes Month. What is diabetes? How does it affect people who live with and manage the disease on a daily basis? How can the faith community be more informed about diabetes and support those living with it The Faithlink, class meets on the 3 rd floor of the Education Wing (beside the theater) at 9:45 a.m. Hygiene Products Toothpaste/Toothbrushes Body wipes Toilet paper Deodorant Food Crackers Pop-top canned food Bottled water Bagged snacks Protein bars 2

3 Sunday, November 30, 2014 First Sunday of Advent 8:30 a.m. - Early Worship 11:00 a.m. - Traditional Worship 11:00 a.m. - The Vine Message: (Traditional) Light in the Darkness Rev. Craig Langston Scripture: Isaiah 9:1, 35:1, 6-7 Message: (The Vine) Waiting In The Dark Rev. Wil Posey Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9 Kingston: Pastor Craig Langston Ginger Dickinson, pianist Nursery: Holly Page, Josh Page, Mary Howard Acolytes: Victoria Hudson & Ryan Henson Ushers: Steve Aaron, Kim Crosby, Edwin Jeffords, Roger May, Wesley Pope, David Ridgway, Paul Schiffel, Tommy Stratton, Jack Wade, Tracy Yoder, Tom Carter Greeters: Bill Wiggs and Cathy Jones Offering Stewards: Robert Rowe and Bill Barkley Sunday School Greeters: Joy Outlook Class Donut Rotation: November - Faithlink December - Pairs & Spares January - Trinity Office Champions: Claudene Smith, Jane Lindsay Donna Waldron, Cathy Jones, Diane Creasman, Laura Eckard WEEKLY CALENDAR Sunday, November 30, :30 a.m. Early Worship Service (S) 9:30 a.m. Donut/Fellowship - Comm. Rm. 9:30 a.m. SunShine Singers 9:30 a.m. Orchestra Rehearsal 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 9:50 a.m. Kingston Service 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Service (S) 11:00 a.m. The Vine Worship Service (CLC) 4:00 p.m. Disciple II Monday, December 1 9:30 a.m. UMW Leadership Team 11:00 a.m. Circle #1 11:00 a.m. UMW General Meeting 6:30 p.m. Cub Scouts 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts Tuesday, December 2 9:30 a.m. Craft Ladies 12:00 p.m. Goforth Club Wednesday, December 3 7:00 a.m. HS Youth Breakfast 4:45 p.m. 1st Ringers 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays at First 6:15 p.m. Chancel Ringers 6:15 p.m. Wesley and Aldersgate Choirs 6:20 p.m. Wednesday Night Youth 6:30 p.m. Disciple I 7:15 p.m. Chancel Choir Thursday, December 4 10:30 a.m. Women s Study - Mother Roots 4:00 p.m. Temporary Warming Station 8:00 p.m. AA Friday, December 5 Saturday, December 6 5:00 a.m. Youth Christmas Party 8:00 p.m. A.A. Sunday, December 7 8:30 a.m. Early Worship Service (S) 9:30 a.m. SunShine Singers 9:30 a.m. Orchestra Rehearsal 9:30 a.m. Donut/Fellowship - Comm. Rm. 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 9:50 a.m. Kingston Service 9:50 a.m. Family Care Center Service 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Service (S) 11:00 a.m. The Vine Worship Service (CLC) 12:30 p.m. Joy Outlook Luncheon Attendance for November 23, 2014 Early service 42 Kingston 23 11:00 a.m. services 409 Total 474 Sunday School 275 December 1 - UNITED METHODIST WOMEN GENERAL MEETING - 11:00 a.m. in the Community Room. December 2 - GOFORTH CLUB - 12:00 p.m. in the Christian Life Center. CIRCLE #1 will meet Monday, December 1, at 11 a.m. in the Community Room 4:00 p.m. Disciple II 4:00 p.m. Youth Handbells 5:00 p.m. Agape Kids 5:00 p.m. Youth Group 6:30 p.m. Christmas Handbell Concert S - Sanctuary CLC - Christian Life Center 3

4 Mature Methodists BILTMORE by CANDLELIGHT There are just TWO (2) tickets remaining for the candlelight tour of the Biltmore House on Saturday, December 13. Please let Sandy know ( or if you would like to have them. We re planning to drive to Asheville on Saturday morning to have some time for shopping. Then, we ll enjoy a late lunch and tour the gardens, the winery, or Antler Hill Village prior to our tour which begins at 5:30 p.m. Cost: $80 plus lunch. GOFORTH CLUB The December Goforth Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 2, at noon in the Christian Life Center. This month s delicious holiday meal will be turkey, dressing, gravy, rice, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, and Red Velvet Cake! The program will be a treat as well! Rev It Up, a 6-member group of Lutheran pastors, will provide a musical program. Please make your reservations by Sunday, November 30, by registering on Sunday morning s pew pad and dropping it in the offering plate or by contacting the church office, LOVEFEAST WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 6:30 P.M. FUMC Sanctuary The Moravian Lovefeast is a joyful celebration of Christian faith expressed through scripture, music, and the sharing of simple food. The coffee and lovefast bun, eaten together in community and fellowship, are reminiscent of the agape meal shared by early Christians out of their love for each other and their desire for close relationship. Please plan to join FUMC s lovefeast celebration during this season of Advent. Special music will be provided by our Wesley and Aldersgate Children s Choirs and by the FUMC 1 st Ringers. CULTIVATE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD The Upper Room Disciplines devotional guide for 2015 is now available. This guide offers a simple design of daily prayer, reflection, and scripture organized by the Revised Common Lectionary. To order your copy, phone or go to Bookstore.UpperRoom.org. Also, the November-December issues of The Upper Room and Alive Now devotional publications are available just outside of the sanctuary doors. AGAPE KIDS (4th - 6th grades) Sunday, NOVEMBER 30 - NO Youth Group Wednesday, DECEMBER 3- Wednesday Night Youth Saturday, DECEMBER 6 - Youth Christmas Party Sunday, DECEMBER 7 - Youth Group Please join us December 7 at 5 p.m. to wrap needy family gifts and a Christmas party. 4

5 WEDNESDAYS AT FIRST! DECEMBER 3, 2014 MENU: BBQ chicken, scalloped potatoes, broccoli, rolls, salad, brownies, fruit The GENESIS CLASS will assist in the kitchen. Pam Hale is the coordinator Meal cost: $5; children 3 and under, free; and $18 family maximum RETURN YOUR BOOKS! For those of you who have completed A Disciple s Path study (or will complete the study within the next few weeks), you are invited to return the Companion Reader books to the church office so that others who will take the study in 2015 can use them. We ll gladly accept any unused journals as well. Many thanks! Our beautiful altar decoration for Nov. 23. Thank you! WEEKDAY SCHOOL NEWS The Weekday School would like to send out a great big thank you to all who have helped with our playground renovations. The playgrounds are really shaping up! Keep a lookout for more improvements coming soon. We have a few items on the smaller playground that need a new home to make room for new equipment, and for a small donation, they can be yours. Contact Kathleen in the Preschool office for more information ( ext.304 or kathleen@firstumchickory.org.) OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP SOUTHWEST SCHOOL Contribute to the principal s discretionary fund used for a variety of school needs Donate postcard stamps Participate in their upcoming fundraiser--a raffle! November 12 December 9 Raffle tickets can be purchased for $1 per ticket. The money will be used to buy student ipads! The prizes are: a very big, thin TV, a tablet, and a $100 Wal-mart gift card. Prizes will be given on night of December 9. Diane will have raffle tickets on Wednesday night. Tutor students; please contact dianecreasman@charter.net giving your name, number, , and day/time that is convenient for you. Thank you for your support of Southwest Elementary School!!! 5

6 We are now taking orders for poinsettias & accepting donations for our homeless ministries in memory of/honor of a loved one. The flowers will be used to decorate the sanctuary for the holidays & the donations will help feed or warm the homeless. The cost for each plant/donation will be $10. Please fill out this order form and place it in the offering plate with the amount due on Sunday, or bring/mail the form to the church office no later than Monday, December 1. NAME (please print): PHONE NO. NUMBER OF POINSETTIAS: NUMBER OF DONATIONS: AMOUNT DUE: IN MEMORY OF: University Christian High School presents Our First Annual Live Nativity Friday, December 5 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Saturday, December 6 2:00pm to 4:00pm Featuring live animals, biblical characters, Lessons and carols, and refreshments Located behind St. Andrews Lutheran Church beside Lenoir Rhyne University Lenoir Rhyne will be hosting a Vesper Service at the conclusion of Friday evening s nativity in their new chapel. IN HONOR OF: Check one: Donate poinsettia to Home Bound Pick up poinsettia after the Christmas Eve Service Donate to Table of Grace Donate to L.O.A.F. (Warming Station) Some of you may not realize the White House sends birthday cards to church members over 80. So if you are over 80 and have not been receiving a birthday card from the White House, (and would like to) please call or send your birthdate including year to Becky Griffin ( ) or bckygriffin@gmail.com. (There is no e in bcky). The Temple Baptist Church Choir, under the direction of First UMC s own Richie Blevins, will present a Christmas cantata, Hope Has Hands, on Saturday evening, December 13th at 6:30 p.m. The church is located at 825 Lenoir-Rhyne Blvd. SE in Hickory (next to Dollar General). Following the Christmas program, festive holiday refreshments will be provided in the fellowship hall by Parties by Trisha. Admission is free. Please call or for more information. 6

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8 Happy Thanksgiving from the Staff of First United Methodist Church If you are bringing egg cartons or food donations for CCM, please put them in the grocery cart that is now located in the Community Room kitchen. If you are bringing aluminum cans for recycling, please know that ONLY aluminum drink cans can be recycled. Please do not bring in any other cans. NEWSLETTER INFO NEEDED If you want something in the next newsletter - which will be for the week starting December 7, 2014, please submit your information by December 2. For the December 14 newsletter - by December 9 Thank you. First United Methodist Church 311 Third Avenue, NE Hickory, NC Telephone: Fax: First UM Church Facebook page: Church-Hickory/ The Vine Facebook page: First UM Church Twitter First UM Church Website: 8