THE COLUMNS. Leading People in New Life with Jesus. Bring Commitment Cards This Sunday! Inside... First United Methodist Church. Dec.

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1 Leading People in New Life with Jesus First United Methodist Church Dec. 6, 2012 Vol. 33:24 THE COLUMNS Inside... Pastor s Note... 2 Cantata Sunday... 2 New Members... 2 Million Dollar Man... 3 UMW Honors... 4 Upcoming Events... 5 Dreams for Leist s Lines... 6 Youth News... 7 Information... 8 Upcoming Opportunities Wednesdays, The Gathering, 6pm Saturday, Dec. 8 Holiday Food Sale, 9am-2pm Sunday, Dec. 9 - Choir Cantata, 9am worship Saturday, Dec. 15 Pancake Breakfast and Pictures with Santa, 7:30-11am Sunday, Dec. 16 Caroling and Chili, 4pm Friday, Dec. 21 RADICAL CHRISTMAS, 5pm The shopping has begun and the applications are coming in for our Third Annual Radical Christmas event at the Miner Convention Center. This year s celebration will be at 5 p.m. Dec. 21 st and will be a partnership with at least 10 other local churches. We hope to distribute presents for about children who would not otherwise have a very merry Christmas. Already, applications have been received for gifts for close to 200 children. The deadline to apply is Dec. 14, so spread the word. In cooperation with the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, we expect to distribute about 400 baskets of food to those in need. The distributions follow a concert/ worship celebration that will feature a combined choir, praise band, message and more. There is a possibility we will offer a second service at 7 p.m. and second distribution if the need is great and the funds are available. It s a special time that requires lots of people being the hands and feet of Christ. If you would like to serve through Radical Christmas, please mark your Connection Card this Sunday, or call the church office, If you would like to financially support Radical Christmas please indicate that on your check and send it to the church, PO Box 682, Sikeston, MO If you know of a family in need, direct them to apply for a voucher at the church, or the YMCA, Montgomery Bank, Montgomery Bank-Miner or First State Bank and Trust. Applicants can register until Dec. 14. They must show identification, birth certificates for each child up to age 18, and proof of food stamps or assisted school lunch. Applicants can apply just for food baskets if no children are at home. Plan to be a part of this very special life -impacting event. It changes lives - not just those of people we assist, but the lives of the servants as well. Bring Commitment Cards This Sunday!

2 Celebrations Be Impacted by Cantata Our Chancel Choir will present its Christmas Cantata, All Is Well, this Sunday during the Traditions 9 a.m. worship. Directed by Choir Director Terry Sapp, the cantata contains well-known Christmas hymns as well as some songs that may be new to you. Jim Caskey will be the narrator, while soloists will be David Jones, Sharon Cavil-Toran, Rob Clay, Celeste Colley, Caroline Heckemeyer, Bethanie Ward, Garry Warner, and Shea Wolfenkoehler. The cantata fits right into our Wrestling with Christmas worship series, as it acknowledges that the holidays bring on many emotions some joyful, but for others, some that are not so joyful. In both situations, beyond appearances, what can be missing in both scenarios is Hope, say Dennis and Nan Allen who created the musical. This narrated musical provides songs of hope and celebration for the season. It reminds us that the only source of true hope comes with a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. Welcome! New Members! In the past several weeks, we have welcomed several new members, bringing our total new members for the year to 137, 55 professions of faith and 82 transfers. Wow! Thank you for your role in inviting others! Please welcome the following individuals and families who have joined us recently all of these during our Wednesday service, The Gathering. Laura Bush of Sikeston. She is employed at the Sheltered Workshop and enjoys roller skating and watching movies. Kyle and Jessica Carlisle of Sikeston. Self-employed in Carlisle Lawn Care Service, Kyle enjoys hunting and fishing. Jessica enjoys riding horses, outdoor activities and family. They are already involved in church life: Kyle with the media and Jessica in Grace Land. Eddie and Donna DeLoach of Sikeston. Eddie is Core Operations Manager for Tag Truck Center and enjoys hunting and movies. Donna is a home-school mom who enjoys reading. She is active on our Connections team and helps in Graceland and with youth. They are parents of Dustin, DJ, Kaylee, Sarah and Brittney. Ami Housman of Bertrand. A stay-at-home mom, she loves to read and spend time with her children, Lauren, Emily and Johnathon, and her sister, Lisa. Jon Moore of Sikeston. Sales and Service Manager for Central Transport, he enjoys music and sharing God s word. Jon is already involved in groups and worship. James Terry of Sikeston. He works at the Workshop. Pastor s Note As part of a Million Dollar Dream for 2013, God wants our church to be an even stronger training center for following Jesus. Each person must be led on their own pathway from not knowing Jesus to introducing other people to Jesus. Our youth and children's ministries are already leading the way in this vision. Youth Minister Nathan Persell fearlessly leads students in discipleship growth. Youth worship weekly in Amp d Worship. In their current series, "Hot Topics" students have been led with scriptures and guidance on matters such as abortion, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, war, and others. "It's helped the students learn how to talk about spiritual things and to make a connection between what's going on in the world and their faith," Nathan says. Fifty students were present at a recent youth event, most of whom had never been to our church before. Nathan also notes increased leadership development among the students and increased adult involvement. Growth continues in our Grace Land children's ministries under the leadership of Children's Ministry Director Robin McIntyre. Earlier this year she led five Grace Landbe leaders to a children's ministry conference in Chicago. This has already borne fruit in structuring children's ministry for maximum Kingdom impact. Robin works constantly to equip her team in both the practical matters of leadership and in their own spiritual growth. Robin's vision is to, "impact our church and Christ's Kingdom by growing dynamic leaders from birth." The energy in the east wing of the church is vibrant with the Holy Spirit. As God calls us deeper into the mission field in leading people in new life with Jesus, our children and student ministries are leading the way! Geoff Posegate Praying Those present at a standing room only recent Wednesday evening Gathering service lay on hands and pray for six individuals who had just become members of the church. Page 2

3 Can you tell Ted he changed my life today! Those words were voiced by a firsttime guest Sunday who came to hear and see Ted DiBiase, the former wrestler known as The Million Dollar Man. Ted brought a message of hope and faith to a full house attending the Journey Sunday, Dec. 2, as we kicked off our current message series, Wrestling with Christmas. In telling of his life s journey through difficult times as a child, the headiness of being a top wrestler, and his struggle finally to make Christ the focus of his life, he imparted some humor, warnings to those straying from what they know is right and hope for those struggling with bad choices or other circumstances. Following his message, he prayed with several who came forward. Many first-time visitors were drawn to the worship service, excited to see the man they watched on TV wrestling programs for years. The person who made the comment above also said: My dream was to be a daddy and the best daddy people ever saw I didn t know it was my job as a daddy to lead them to church! I will now step up to the plate! I don t know much about God. I question God as why he made a man that was hurt as much as me on the inside! I think I know now and I need you to teach me how to talk to God and ask him how to use what he put in me. The most common other word heard after the service was Awesome awesome message, awesome service, awesome hospitality, awesome experience. One visitor commented Ted's message was really good. It's great to hear him share some of the hardships and how God has brought him through them. I also want to give a shout out to Daniel Page 3 Sharing Hope and Faith Wrestler Has Life-Changing Message Can you tell Ted he changed my life today! Ted DiBiase, known as the Million Dollar Man to wrestling fans, delivered a powerful message at the Journey service Sunday, Dec. 2. He also delighted fans by letting them put a wrestling hold on him or putting his signature hold on those who asked. Sexton and the worship team and them rocking out Shine this morning. Another visitor said they would be back next week. I ve had some rough years, and I need God in my life, this guest said. I had no idea you could enjoy yourself in church, still another woman commented. I loved the atmosphere - loved it all from beginning to end, said yet another. After the service, a long line formed for autographs and photo opportunities with the genial former wrestler. FUMC member and volunteer Ron Payne noted: I cannot help but envision that the diverse group of people gathered at First United Methodist last Sunday must greatly resemble what the people looked like in the gospels - a multitude of differing backgrounds gathered for a common purpose, to worship and hear of God. The vision of our leadership and their willingness to do anything to proclaim Christ to our community is indeed a great response to a great charge given by a Great God. The visit by Ted DiBiase was the start of our Wrestling with Christmas worship series. If you know someone struggling this Christmas, invite them to come hear these impacting messages. Geoff s message Sunday in the Journey service will be center on sadness. The Chancel Choir will bring the message in music at thetraditions service. Plan to attend both!!

4 ...News from Mission-Minded Women Service to Others Recognized Thanks to the generosity of our congregation, our United Methodist Women raised enough money for missions to burn a candle for one hour on United Methodist Women s Sunday, Dec. 2. They also honored one individual and one group with special mission recognitions. Penney Limbach received the Woman of the Year honor for the many ways she shows the love of Christ inside and outside the church. Penney is in charge of our hospitality center at the Journey service; is a Stephen Ministry leader; serves on the Nurture team, Hospitality team, and Bereavement Meal team, helps the Financial Secretary; assists each week with the bulletin preparations as well as other office needs; is a key helper at many of our special events, and more. Our Bereavement Meal team, headed by Brenda Munger, Patty Ginder and Rubye Woodburn, was also honored for the comfort they bring to grieving families by providing a meal before or after the funeral service. One of the most important and satisfying things United Methodist Women do is provide a comforting meal and welcome atmosphere for those who have lost a loved one, said Mary Bryant, UMW president, as she presented the award. If you would like to assist with this special ministry, please note it in the comment section of your Connect Page 4 Honors Penney Limbach, left in the top photo was honored as Woman of the Year by the United Methodist Women, while our Bereavement Meal team led by, from left, Patty Ginder, Brenda Munger and Rubye Woodburn was recognized. Presenting the honors was UMW President Mary Bryant. card, or call the church office, , and asked to be part of the team. Each year, as part of a Candle Burning recognition, the women receive donations in honor or memory of individuals. All money goes to mission projects. It is estimated that it costs $28.07 per minute to support a missionary abroad. That cost is divided into the amount raised to determine how many minutes the candle will burn during worship. For the third consecutive year, First UMC s candle burned for one hour, after raising $1,731.00! The United Methodist Women are a community of women whose purpose is: To know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ, To develop a creative supportive fellowship, To expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. The women meet the first Thursday of each month, except for January, for an 11 a.m. meeting, program and luncheon. All women are invited to join them. Saturday More Than A Bake Sale! Don t forget the Holiday Food Sale this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It s much more than your usual bake sale! In addition to the baked goods, there will be frozen casseroles for sale the perfect item to have in your freezer for quick lunches or suppers. Of course, you will find cakes, candy, many types of bread, cookies, pies and more! Radar cutlery will also be available. All money raised goes to mission work and to our Radical Christmas event. If you have a specialty you would make to be sold to help raise money, please have it to the Family Life Center before 9 a.m. on Saturday. Then, don t forget to stop by Saturday to pick up some tasty goodies. For more information, contact Mary Bryant, , or Shirley Crites,

5 ...Other News Around the Church Caroling and Chili Dec. 16 Let s fill the air with the Christmas spirit and share love and joy with people who can t get out much. Don t miss our Caroling and Chili afternoon and evening Sunday, Dec. 16, beginning at 4 p.m. We ll gather in Fellowship Hall at 4 p.m., form some groups and then go to nursing homes or the homes of our members who can t get out. After singing favorite carols for a time, we ll gather back in Fellowship Hall at 5:30 p.m. for chili and dessert prepared by our Nurture Team. Our Youth Band will entertain during the chili supper. All are invited. Father of Light If you are up at 6am, love strong coffee and great fellowship, join a group on Dec. 19 as they examine the film, Father of Light. They meet in the Smokehouse, at the back of 211 Greer St. each Wednesday. Call Pat Jones or Steve Williams for details. Christmas Eve Worship 4-5:30 pm - Come and Go Communion in the Chapel 6:00 pm - Candlelight Communion in the Sanctuary Words of Thanks and Greeting The Armstrong Family is grateful for the prayers and support following the death of our loved one, James A. Armstrong. Dear Pastor Geoff, Greetings to you and the church in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ amen. Sorry for the loss of our dear friends, Eloise Marsh. May her soul rest in peace. Sister Eloise was contributing financially to us since I came back from there and she has gone to be with the Lord, and my fried the late Gwen. I miss you so much and the church and friends. Greetings to your dearest wife. God bless you, Queen and Jimmy Kaonga Christian Bible Church, PO Box 73236, Ndola, Zambia Page 5

6 Dreaming for the Future Million Dollar Dream for 2013 We hope you have been praying about our Million Dollar Dream effort announced several weeks ago - and the life -changing impact it can have on lives in our community. If you have not yet turned in your Million Dollar Dreams Commitment card, please bring it with you this Sunday or drop it in the mail to the church (PO Box 682, Sikeston, MO 63801). If you don t have a card, one will be available Sunday or can be picked up at the church office. The cards give you an opportunity to be part of our five dreams for Initiating a mobile Hope Center for counseling, coaching and prayer 2. Providing a Renewal Center for retreats, prayer, spiritual guidance, etc. 3. Becoming a training center for all ages in spiritual growth, discipleship and leadership. 4. Building mission partnerships with other churches. 5. Becoming more involved in mission and learning. The cards also give you the opportunity to plug in and serve through First UMC, with opportunities ranging from children, student and adult ministries, to administration, food service, worship, technology, building and grounds and missions. As the cards say, With God s help I/we will commit to do his work through First United Methdoist Church by committing to worship, discipleship, service and investing. Each person is asked to prayfully commit to walk in the steps of Christ in 2013 by Praying for his church Attending worship on a regular basis Growing in Christ by participating in a group Serving inside and outside the walls of the church Investing in life impact and change by generous giving. Please bring your Commitment Card this Sunday to worship. With everyone working together in these areas, we can achieve our exciting ministry plans and dreams for The cards help our staff and ministry teams plan what they hope to accomplish for God in the next year. If you would like a card mailed to you, please contact Sandy Brashear, office manager, at , or sbrashear@sikestonfirstumc.org. Message from our District Superintendent Leist s Lines - Christmas Edition is a message from our UMC Southeast District Superintendent Fred Leist, a former associate pastor of this church. Remember the way Charles Dickens described Scrooge after his Christmas Eve conversion? It was said of him ever afterwards that he knew how to keep Christmas well. So, how will you keep Christmas this year? I can offer several suggestions to guide us through our Advent-Christmas journey this year. Keep Christmas in prayer. I can hardly think of a time when it is both more important and more difficult to maintain a discipline of prayer. Make an Advent commitment to spend some quiet time in prayer each day. Use your favorite devotional tool to focus your prayer and meditation. Most of our churches have The Upper Room available. Or you can find it online at Keep Christmas in song. The shepherds heard the angels sing and we ve been singing ever since! Keep a tape or CD of the great Christmas carols in your home or car. Sing them with your children and grandchildren. Attend the Christmas Pageant or Christmas Cantata at your local church. Keep Christmas with the songs that tell the story and share the meaning of the birth of Jesus. Keep Christmas in worship. Amid all the alternative uses of our time during this season, make weekly worship a top priority as a way of centering your week in the love, peace, and presence of God. Keep Christmas in giving. A secular Christmas is largely about getting. A Christ-centered Christmas is all about giving the gift God gave in Bethlehem s manger, and the ways in which we give ourselves to others. Join with fellow church members in supporting agencies and ministries that make a real difference in the lives of others. Check up on your giving to the general ministry budget of your local congregation. If your giving has fallen behind, catch up. Make sure your faithfulness and consistency in giving matches your convictions about the value of Christ s Kingdom in this world. Give to something larger than yourself and take great joy in doing it. It will make you a bigger and better person in the process. Give yourself away in love this Christmas! May it be said of all the United Methodist Churches in the Southeast District, They knew how to keep Christmas well! Advent Blessings, Fred Leist Page 6

7 Contact Youth Director Nathan Persell for information on any of the following: or , ext. 210 Amp d Youth Fellowship Each Sunday Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Sundays for the game room, open gym and Snack Shack. Worship, with our youth praise band, and study of Hot Topics is from 6 to 7 p.m. Lots of Events for Youth! Lots of youth events - and deadlines - are quickly approaching. WOW - Deadline to sign up for WOW is this Sunday, Dec. 9th. This huge worship event in Springfield Jan is for youth throughout the state. If you would like to go as an adult sponsor let Youth Director Nathan Persell know. Sponsors must be Safe Sanctuary certified. Ask Nathan about that process also. (Contact info above) YOUTH LOCK-IN - A youth lock-in is planned after Radical Christmas Dec. 21. The start time depends on whether there is one or two services that evening. With just a 5pm service, the lock in will start at 9pm. If we have a second service, we will start one hour after the distribution at the Miner Convention Center has finished. The lock-in ends at 7 a.m. Deadlines are also approaching for the international and summer mission trips. Check with Youth Leader Nathan Persell for details soon! Do you need offering envelopes for 2013? Please return this form to the church office by Dec. 16 or put it in the offering plate. If you have any questions, please contact Sandy Brashear at or sbrashear@sikestonfirstumc.org. Weekly Envelopes Monthly Envelopes Name: Telephone #: Pickup at: Traditions Lobby Journey Lobby (FLC) *Envelopes will be available starting the week of Dec. 23 rd. Poinsettia Order Form Poinsettias given in honor or memory of someone may be ordered through the church for $9.50 each and are used to decorate our worship areas. Deadline is Dec. 10. The money needs to accompany your order. This year, if you do not plan to take your poinsettia home, you may donate in honor or memory of someone to our Radical Christmas effort. Name I will give poinsettias. In Honor of In Memory of To the glory of God In lieu of a poinsettia, I want my tribute to go to Radical Christmas Page 7 REMEMBER IN PRAYER First United Methodist Church is a praying community, continuing the relationship with each other by name in prayer concerns to God. However, respecting privacy of individuals, we do not publish the prayer request list on the web. Remember in your prayers Mucocane United Methodist Church, our partner church in Mozambique, Africa. Please use the energy of prayer to invite God's presence into the needs you know and those of the our world. The Art of Christmas How can we best keep Christmas? By following the star on an inward journey to Bethlehem to stand again in awe and wonder before the Babe in a manger. By rediscovering the faith and simplicity of a little child, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. By being still and listening to the angels sing within our hearts. By quietly evaluating our lives according to the Master s standards as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount. By resolving to give ourselves away to others in love, joy and devotion. -Wilferd Peterson, The New Book of the Art of Living Hopes and Fears Sacred Christmas carols are a cherished tradition. But during sorrow and struggle, some lyrics may seem hard to swallow. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant? Where is the joy when my loved one has just died? Where is the triumph if I ve lost my job? Silent night, holy night, all is calm? Not in my house; I m exhausted from the fighting. The little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes? Our baby screams with colic for hours on end. Yet listen: And you beneath life s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low Oh, rest beside the weary road And hear the angels sing. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear Truly, God reaches out to the happy and hurting alike. The hopes and fears of all the years are met - and gathered up - in the Babe of Bethlehem, who shares our joys and troubles. There are Christmas carols for us all.

8 First United Methodist Church Sikeston, Missouri First United Methodist Church Columns Published every other week by First United Methodist Church, 1307 N. Main St., Sikeston, MO POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to above address. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Million Dollar Man Pancakes with Santa! Make Christmas Radical C H ECK O UT T H E W EBSI T E! WWW. T HEF UN CHUR CH. ORG P AST O R G EO F F S B LO G: Second Class postage paid Sikeston, MO (publication # UMP ) The Columns The Columns are a visual symbol of the history and forward-focused faith of First United Methodist Church of Sikeston. Still standing in downtown Sikeston after the dome church burned in 1968, they represent the hope and determination of the people of this church to serve God and our community. Today, we are encouraged by all those who have gone before us in upholding the faith and Leading People in New Life with Jesus. Almost Here! Dec. 8 Holiday Food Sale, 9am-2pm, Family Life Center Dec. 9 Cantata, 9am, Sanctuary Dec. 15 Breakfast & Pictures with Santa, 7:30-11am, Fellowship Hall Dec. 16 Caroling & Chili, 4pm, Fellowship Hall Dec. 21 Radical Christmas, 5pm, Miner Convention Ctr. Dec. 24 Christmas Eve worship, 6pm Information for Guests and New Members Welcome to First United Methodist Church! Regular Worship Opportunities 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Chapel 9 a.m. Sunday in the Sanctuary 11 a.m. Sunday in the Family Life Ctr. Shaping Opportunities All ages at 10 a.m. Sundays Nursery A nursery is provided during Wednesday and all Sunday services and Shaping Hour. It is located east of the lobby by the sanctuary. Please see a greeter for directions. Address: 1307 N. Main St., P.O. Box 682, Sikeston, MO Phone Website: 1stumc@sikestonfirstumc.org Staff Geoff Posegate - Pastor Brad Aycock - Executive Director Robin McIntyre - Children s Ministries Nathan Persell - Youth Director Sandy Brashear - Business Manager Paullester Walker - Office Manager Marilyn Lambert - Faith Growth Coordinator Jill Hopson - Connections Coordinator Elaine Posegate - Senior Adult Ministries Pat Marsh - Communications Coordinator Ken Nave - Custodian Terry Sapp - Choir Director Judy Nickell - Organist Daniel Sexton - Band Leader Harry Howard - The Gathering Pianist Robin Meadows Nursery Staff Cornelia Reed - Kitchen Director Stephen Ministry Church This one-on-one lay ministry aids those facing some of life s trials. Contact the church office or a pastor for details. Next Newsletter Deadline: Dec. 13 Page 8