Senior Adult Appreciation Day Sunday, Nov. 29 th

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1 NOVEMBER 2015 First United Methodist Church Staff: David Greene, Pastor cell: Lara Willis Greene, Pastor cell: John Coffey, Organist Beth Fowler, Choir Director Michael Roberts, Praise Service Josh Costello, Youth Worship Rose Bibeau, Children s Music Julie Braswell, Children s Ministry Ann Cook, Administrative Assist. Kayla Sigmon, Nursery Ministry Julia Macemore, Preschool IN TOUCH 300 N. Main Ave. PO Box 926 Newton, NC fumcnewtonnc.org Loving People into the Kingdom of God in the Heart of Catawba County. First United Methodist Church Newton, North Carolina Senior Adult Appreciation Day Sunday, Nov. 29 th The church would like to honor all senior adults (75 years and older) with a day of celebration. We would like to acknowledge, that as God s older children, you are a blessing to our congregation. Graciously you have shared your faith, gifts, talents and wisdom with First United Methodist Church of Newton and for that we are very grateful. 9:00 am Blessings and Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall, special music provided by Beth Fowler and John Coffey. 10:00 am Rev. Fred Thompson will be your guest leader at Sunday School in the Gomedela Room. 11:00 am Recognition during the Unity Service. 5 th Sunday Unity Service November 29, :00am in the Sanctuary facebook.com/ fumcnewtonnc Please join us for your day and RSVP by Sunday, Nov.22 nd to the church office Sunday, November 15 3:00-5:00 pm Gomedela Room No matter how long it s been since your loved one died, grief can make the holidays a painful time. But there s hope. Join us for an encouraging seminar that will help you survive the holidays and discover new reasons to enjoy them again. For this session the facilitators will be Betty McGee and Harold Lynch. Please contact the church office at to register for this seminar. Holiday Survival Guides will be available for $5.00.

2 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015 Hickory Rings Concert & Fellowship Dinner TUESDAY, November 17 First Methodist is delighted to welcome, Hickory Rings, the well known hand bell choir comprised of musicians from Catawba and the surrounding counties. On Tuesday, November 17, Hickory Rings will present their 4 th Annual Christmas Concert in the Sanctuary at 7:30pm. The concert is open to the public. Prior to the concert, The Faith & Fellowship Sunday School Class will offer their traditional Thanksgiving Meal. Dinner will begin being served at 6:00pm. Donations will be accepted. Please RSVP by Sunday, November 15 by calling the church office at or online at Care Ministry Thanksgiving Bags Please remember our shut-ins and our members that are at assisted living centers over the upcoming holidays. You are invited to bring small gift items for our annual Thanksgiving bags. The items can include sugar free candies, pens, note cards, individual tissue packages, healthy individually wrapped snacks and small hand lotions. There will be a donation box at the Welcome Center in the Administration Building of the church from Nov.1st through the 15th. The Care ministry will be packing up the gift bags for delivery on Sunday, Nov. 15th at 5:00 pm in the Gomedela Room. Join us we would love to have more hands and hearts in the Care Ministry. Watch for us in December as we collect Christmas Cards for special members! College Student Addresses Needed To let our college students know they are supported and cared for by their church family, we will be remembering them during their exams with a special care package. However, this is only possible if the church office has your student s correct college mailing address. Please call the church office ( ) or Ann Cook annmcook@gmail.com with your student s address.

3 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015 A Word from the Pastor There s a story about a professor who taught at the University of Chicago. Quite often, his granddaughter would stop by his office to visit him. The little girl loved to reach up and hold her grandfather s hand and walk around the campus with him. One day, the man was carrying his granddaughter around on his shoulders. They met a friend who had seen the little girl just a week or so before. The friend looked up at the girl riding on her grandfather s shoulders and, with a smile on his face, said to her, My goodness! Look at how much you ve grown since I saw you last time! And without any hesitation at all, the girl replied, Not all of this is me. Of course, what the girl meant was, I m not really this tall; I m not really this big; I m riding on somebody else s shoulders. I like that story because it represents how I feel about life. Every day I go through life riding on the shoulders of others. I go through life riding on the shoulders of my family, my mentors, my staff, my church family and my friends. Also, I go through life riding on the shoulders of the saints of the church who have gone before me. During this season in the life of the church, we are busy planning for Committees have been at work putting together an operating budget and selecting officers. Throughout this process I have once again been reminded of how blessed I am to have so many dedicated and talented church members who have allowed me to ride on their shoulders. Our congregation is so incredibly blessed by so many persons who are willing to give sacrificially of their time, talent, and treasure. You can t even begin to imagine how reassuring and comforting that is for me to know. And yet, the truth is that the most significant things that happen around here are not about me or anyone else for that matter. All of it is ultimately about God. It s the work of God. We are merely the instrument of God s Spirit. We are simply riding on the shoulders of the Holy Spirit. And I am convinced that the God who has been faithful to us in the past will continue to be faithful in the future. Here are a few things that I would like to call your attention to: Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make our first-ever pumpkin patch such a huge success. Thank you for supporting the youth. We had many first time visitors stop by our church campus to purchase a pumpkin. It was a great opportunity for folks in this community to get to know us a little better. Our Fall Festival was one of the best ever great crowd, wonderful music, delicious BBQ and beautiful weather. Some said that I had ordered beautiful weather, and I reminded them that I was in sales and not management. The Faith and Fellowship and Faith Builders Sunday School classes will be feeding the Newton- Conover Red Devils football team on Nov 6. Thank you to these classes for extending our church s hospitality to such a worthy group of young adults. November 17 is the evening of our annual Thanksgiving fellowship supper. In addition to the wonderful meal, we have a special treat in store for us. The Hickory Rings handbell choir will be giving a concert in our sanctuary. Dinner is at 6pm sharp and the concert is at 7:30pm. Don t forget to invite a friend. As I write this article, the Blessing of the Animal service has not taken place yet. I can t wait to see what kinds of pets are brought. If anyone brings a snake though, I ll be delegating that to Willis. She once had a pet snake back in her college days. Can you believe that? We are in the process of putting together stewardship materials for the coming year. You should be receiving this information very soon. Thank you so very much for supporting the ministry of this church with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. The Senior Adult Recognition Breakfast will be held on the fifth Sunday of this month at 9am. Our congregation is fortunate to have so many members of what Tom Brokaw has called, The Greatest Generation. I can t wait to once again express my gratitude to these folks for the sacrifices and service you offered this congregation. As wonderful as the next few weeks will be as we journey through Thanksgiving and Christmas, the holidays can prove to be a difficult time for those dealing with loss. Fortunately, our Grief Share team is once again sponsoring the Surviving the Holidays workshop on November 15 at 3pm. Please don t hesitate to take advantage of this ministry if you have experienced loss recently or have discovered from the past that the holidays are a difficult season for you to negotiate. See you Sunday, David

4 Project AGAPE On Sunday, November 15th, you are invited to join First Methodist as we shower the children of Armenia with Christmas shoeboxes! Through Project AGAPE we will be sending Christmas shoeboxes to children who are not served through the nationally recognized Samaritan s Purse. For the past 15 years, Project AGAPE has been (and continues to be) the ONLY humanitarian relief group in the Kashatagh region of Armenia. Project AGAPE assists with humanitarian and benevolent activities such as an orphanage, educational and training opportunities, distribution of food & clothing, and The Cattle Project (Heifer Project does not serve this region). One of the ministries which brings joy and resources to the children of the area is the Christmas Shoe Box Project this is where YOU are invited to join the AGAPE mission. Fill a plastic shoebox (directions are included below or can be found on the website under the serving others tab) and drop it by the church by November 15th. Thank you as we partner with Project AGAPE to share Christ s love with the children of Armenia. To discover more about Project AGAPE please visit AGAPEArmenia.org.

5 Fall Is Here! Pumpkin Patch Annual Fall Festival Blessing of the Animals

6 NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS Cecilia Chiok 11/1 Justin Long 11/1 John Mull 11/1 Haley Hart 11/2 Donna Woodward 11/2 Stacey Blalock 11/3 Jack Brooks 11/3 Suzy Cadwallader 11/3 Clark Fletcher 11/3 Allyson Hall 11/3 Mary Alice McCombs11/3 Abby Gantt 11/4 Anna Gantt 11/4 Christie Sims 11/4 Nink Harvell Jr. 11/5 Andrew Pritchard 11/5 Glen Ryan 11/5 Kathleen Cook 11/6 Jeff Foss 11/6 Donald Scronce 11/8 Frances Hollar 11/9 Buck Calloway 11/10 Amber Nguyen 11/10 Cindy Sigmon 11/10 Paul Hunsucker 11/11 Katie Morgan 11/11 Mandy Yancey 11/11 Mason Isenhour 11/12 Brian McLawhorn 11/12 Elizabeth Newsome 11/12 Brittney Stephens 11/12 Hayleigh White 11/12 Wyatt Cossich 11/14 Rick Faust 11/14 Mary Bess Lawing 11/14 Martha Sowers 11/15 Angie McLawhorn 11/16 Eric Blalock 11/17 Roger Johnson 11/17 Mary Frances Stanley11/17 Zac Eller 11/18 Jeff Fox 11/19 Kimberly Jackson 11/19 Laura Richard 11/19 Diane Shillito 11/19 Tim Elliott 11/20 Christi Cranford 11/21 Dick Hewitt 11/22 Ethan Orange 11/22 Rene Swink 11/22 Beth Boston 11/23 Sherry Cooke 11/23 Allison Cox 11/23 Mike DeYoung 11/24 Cathy Stone 11/24 Trinity Podger 11/25 Sheila Robinson 11/25 Jamie Elledge 11/27 Leah Hayes 11/27 Hannah Lowder 11/27 Jarrett Mull 11/27 Max Bolick 11/28 Vernon Crawford Jr. 11/28 Chris Hornick 11/28 Michelle Wayne 11/28 Wesley Wyatt 11/28 Dotti Goble 11/29 Jim Hildebran 11/29 Scott King 11/29 Alyssa Riley 11/30 NOVEMBER WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Jeff & Beth Foss 11/1 Norris & Gail McRee 11/1 Mark & Magdalyn Stiver 11/6 Chuck & Rebecca Doty 11/12 Gary & Susan Kale 11/17 Greg & Laura Bailes 11/18 Paul & Becky Campbell Jr. 11/23 Max & Judith Bolick 11/24 Todd & Amy White 11/24 Neil & Kristi Harvell 11/25 Bobby & Carleen Jarrett 11/26 Bob & Donna Talmage 11/28 Women s Ministry Group III - Inspirations will meet on Monday, November 2nd at 2:00pm in the Gomedela Room. All women are welcome to attend these Group meetings. Sylvia Ray will be the guest speaker. Camp Carolwood Closing You are invited to the Camp Carolwood Closing Memory Walk on Saturday, November 21 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. There will be a Memory Walk around the Camp for those who would like to participate, followed by a worship ceremony, and then a covered dish luncheon. The church van has been reserved and will leave the church at 8:30 a.m. that morning, or you may join us at camp. To reserve your spot on the van (first come, first seated), please see Amy Cable or Harris Jones. Our church has been blessed by the Camp Carolwood ministry, and we are thankful for the times and years our congregation has used this special place. Bingo Tuesday, November 3 1:15pm Gomedela Room Please bring a friend! Twelve games will be played with prizes and refreshments furnished.

7 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NOVEMBER 2015 November Children's Ministries Sunday School Sunday Mornings 10:00 am to 10:45 am Ages 2-4 meet in the right side corner room for Bible stories and crafts. K-5th grade meet in the left side corner room of the Children's hall. Theme for November is Issac & Rebekah, Genesis 24, 25 : and 27 : We have great fun learning the Bible story through art, games, food, and videos. Kids 4 Christ (k4c) Wednesdays 3:00 pm -5:30 pm K-5th grade meet in the Activity Room. We have a big group of children that have a fun packed afternoon building Christian relationships, learning music and songs to express their faith. We have been busy making decorations for our church and making cards for our church members. We will not meet on November 11th or November 28th due to school holidays. Fall into Youth Happenings... Students in 6th -12 grades are invited to join in all the youth activities. We have a very busy season approaching with lots of fun filled events planned. Sunday, Nov. 1st- Dollar Dash for Christmas Shoe boxes We will meet at the church at 4:00 pm, pack into the bus and head to Conover's Dollar Tree. To support Project Agape, we will shop and pack shoe boxes for the children of Armenia. We will finish the afternoon with dinner at Zaxbys. Please bring your $10 for your shopping box and money for your dinner. We will return to the church by 6:30 pm Sundays, Nov. 8th, 15th and 22nd Youth are invited to meet in the Fellowship Hall from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Our time spent together is filled with games, worship music, message, and with sharing a great meal together. Please join us and invite your friends! Save the Dates... Friday, December 4th YOUTH LOCK IN Friday, December Community Christmas Party Details will be in upcoming bulletins and parent s. firs you h Dear members and friends of First Methodist Church, We would like to thank you for all the support given for our first annual Pumpkin Patch. We had great success and made lots of friends in the community. We tithed 10% of our profit to The Corner Table and ECCCM. Our remaining funds will go to help with our the expenses of Winter Retreat, Mission Trip, and Wilderness Trail. We could not have done this project without your help and prayers. You add so much to our faith lives, and we are greatly appreciative of all that you do for us. Blessings to you all, Your Youth of First United Methodist Church

8 Sunday Sharing Our Gifts Attendance Tithes and Offerings Time change this Sunday, November 1st. Set your clocks back one hour. Capital Bldg. Fund Sept , Oct , Oct , Oct , ON TIME Nov. 1 Nov. 2 Nov. 3 Nov. 4 Nov. 8 Nov. 10 Nov. 11 Nov. 15 Nov. 17 Nov. 18 Nov. 22 Nov. 26 Nov. 29 Preschool Board Meeting Youth Dollar Dash Group III (Sylvia Ray, speaker) GriefShare Bingo Kids 4 Christ All Saints Day Service Charge Conference GriefShare Trustees Surviving the Holidays Care Ministry Meeting Fellowship Dinner Hickory Ringers Concert Kids 4 Christ Decorating the Church Thanksgiving-Office Closed Senior Adult Breakfast Unity Service Oct , Charge Conference Sunday, November 8th 4:30pm Christ United Methodist Church Fairgrove Campus 1800 Fairgrove Church Rd. Conover, NC Jack Gantt Jack Gantt Bob Baucom Hazel Sims Nita Fulbright Wilma Waters October Memorials Current Expense Fund Capital Building Fund Garden Fund Garden Fund Capital Building Fund Music Fund October Honorariums Norris & Gail McRee Garden Fund Julie Braswell Capital Building Fund PB & J Sundays Sunday November 22nd 1:00pm Everyone Invited! Bring a new, plastic container of peanut butter or jelly for Conover School! On the first Sunday of every month, First UMC will celebrate PB & J Sunday, a day designated for everyone to bring either a plastic container of peanut butter or a plastic container of jelly.