The newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Waynesburg January Dear Waynesburg First Family,

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1 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 The newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Waynesburg January 2016 Dear Waynesburg First Family, May the grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ continue to be with you in I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:3-4, New International Version) May God Almighty bless us and make us fruitful and increase our numbers. (Adapted from Genesis 28:3, New International Version) On Sunday, November 29, 2015 we celebrated the beginning of the church s new calendar year by lighting the First Advent candle. On January 1, 2016 we will celebrate most of the world s new calendar year with fireworks and many other forms of celebration. Which celebration is the most important to you and me? I hope you answered the First Sunday of Advent. I look at both celebrations as offering us an opportunity for reflection on the past year and how we lived out our lives. They offer an opportunity for change and for renewal with one big difference! The change and renewal for 2016 depends on us making resolutions and keeping them. The change and renewal for the new Church Year depends on God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We don t need to make resolutions, we only need to ask God for forgiveness and help in the name of Jesus. (See John 14:14) Then God will meet our every need with the help and resources that only God possesses. The Holy Spirit will change us and renew us. I trust that you and I are well on our way to being renewed in the name of Jesus. I trust that God is helping us to grow into new wine skins, new persons, who can receive the new wine God has for us; such as a closer walk with God and a new obedience to God s will that we receive through prayer, reading of scripture and weekly attendance at worship. (See Food for Thought below) Which New Year are you counting on? The church s or the world s? In Christ s Love, Pastor Gary HAPPY NEW YEAR Pastor Gary Grau s Office Hours: Varied (see bulletin) Church Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 am-12:30 pm. Please join us for Sunday Services: 8:30 am & 10:45 am F.I.S.H. Club 9:30 am Children plus Adult Ed Classes First United Methodist Church 112 N Richhill St Waynesburg, PA firstumcpa@windstream.net

2 Sermons and Scripture Lessons for January 3 rd They Honored Him Matthew 2: th The Father Honors the Son Luke 3:15-17, th The Good Wine John 2: th The Spirit of the Lord Luke 4: st No Prophet is Welcome Luke 2:21-30 Food for Thought No one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. Luke 5:37, New Living Translation Jan. 3 Youth Schedule for January Youth Group with dinner, games, and a lesson from 5-7 pm. Bring a friend! Jan. 10 Ice Skating at Morgantown Ice Arena and Sweet Frog. Leave the church at 12:45 p.m. and return around 5:30 p.m. Cost $7 including skate rental. Jan. 17 Youth Group with dinner, games, and a lesson from 5-7 pm. Bring a friend! Jan. 24 Wheeling Nailers Hockey Game. Leave the church at 2:30 p.m. and return around 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10. Jan. 31 Youth Group with dinner, games, and a lesson from 5-7 pm. Bring a friend! *All guys are encouraged to come to a young men s Bible study held weekly on Thursday s at Alex s apartment for Bible discussions and food. We will be going through the book of 1 Peter. This schedule is subject to change. Please don t hesitate to contact Alex if you have any questions! Cell Phone: (724) Office Phone: (724)

3 Liturgical Colors Epiphany Green is the color associated with the time after Epiphany. The theme of Epiphany is the spread of the Good News of Christ from its source in the Jewish community to all nations on earth. This theme (along with the sequence of readings from the Gospel) continues in the season after Pentecost, so both seasons together can be called the "Time of the Church." The traditional liturgical color for both seasons, green, is the color of growth. The Way, is the Mission and Youth newsletter for our church. Grab one now to check out what has been going on with our church s mission and youth programs and to find out how you can get involved in these programs. They are located on the tables in the back of the sanctuary. Applying Bible Principles to Stewardship In 1935, Dr. R. A. Forrest, president of Toccoa Falls College in Georgia, embarked on a trip to visit former students who were serving the Lord on the mission field. R. G. LeTourneau, a prominent Christian businessman, heard him speak in Omaha and was very encouraged by what he heard. The night before Dr. Forrest sailed to Japan, a letter arrived at his hotel containing a check from Mr. LeTourneau for $1,000. Mr. LeTourneau thought it would be nice if Dr. Forrest had some money in his pocket as he went around the world to give to folks in a tough spot. Dr. Forrest was elated and kept a detailed accounting of how he used that money to minister to people in need. When he returned to New York, he mailed the records to Mr. LeTourneau. A few days later, a reply came from Mr. LeTourneau that simply read, Come see me. When Dr. Forrest arrived at Mr. LeTourneau s office in Peoria, he found a man who was deeply moved by Dr. Forrest s record of changed lives. He said, If you can be trusted with $1,000 and make that kind of impact, you can be trusted with $10,000 and gave him a check in that amount. Dr. Forrest had received without paying and he gave without pay (Matt. 10:8). He typified the kind of giving that God expects each of us to demonstrate as we respond to His good gifts by giving back to Him what was rightfully His in the first place. Charles Stanley wrote this: When God deals with us, it is always in abundant grace. He is lavish with His love and forgiveness. None of us can ever repay Christ for what He did for us at Calvary. He generously gave His life so we could enjoy eternal life. He went on to say, There are two kinds of people: givers and keepers....if you decide to be a keeper, you will miss God s richest blessings. But when you give yourself away, you will reap the goodness of God. That s because it is impossible to outgive God who has a unique accounting system. He never divides; He always multiplies. Will you trust Him today by giving generously to Him who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17)?

4 ERIN S INSIDEOUT CAFE The volunteers that helped serve Thanksgiving dinner were amazing. We had enough food for everyone to have seconds and take home extras. The Café was visited on December 14 by Daryl and Kim Jedlowski to celebrate Erin s birthday. Her favorite almond truffle cake came along and joined a large sheet cake that we devoured. Everyone enjoyed the meal and I believe we had more show up for the party than Thanksgiving dinner. Christmas will be different. We will have Christmas in a bag. Sack lunches, a story known as The First Christmas Present and a special Christmas surprise funded by Greene County Hospital Foundation and other monetary gifts to the Café. Amazingly, teen ladies have decided that volunteering at the café is cool. What started as a small adult volunteer pool since September has become overflowing with teen help and they bring their friends. One of the young fellas has joined the dart ball team. It s a good thing. It s a God thing. We now have a prayer board and lift up the names placed on it by patrons. Some prayers have been answered but we always acknowledge God is the great healer and we must accept his answer wherever it leads. This relational ministry is growing in so many ways. The amazing servant volunteers, work hard, becoming more caring and contributing in so many ways. It s hard to say who is more blessed. We are looking for people interested in cooking at least one day a week. Look into your heart and see if you can give a total of 4-5 hours a week to prep and cook for people - your choice of Monday or Wednesday. Wonder where God is taking this ministry??? Only the New Year will tell. Blessings, Janice Gottschalk, Café Coordinator

5 Prison Ministry News.We were pleased to have a graduation on the evening of December 20 to recognize the accomplishments of 15 men from our third 40 Days of Purpose session. As part of our celebration our church choir presented the Breath of Heaven cantata. The chapel was filled with men who had come to worship and they were very enthusiastic in their response to the wonderful music. Three of the men spoke on what the last 20 weeks had meant to them. They were all appreciative of the program and felt they had grown in their faith. We truly saw growth in many of the men and many changes as the weeks progressed. The first 2 or 3 weeks are truly a test in getting to know the men s names and determining where they are in their Christian walk. It is exciting to see them get more comfortable with us and, as the weeks continue, to have them start discussing their faith and sharing with one another more openly at our individual tables. They expressed their sadness in seeing the sessions end as some of them shared that we are the only visitors they get. While we are usually ready for a break, we, too are sad to see the sessions end as, many times, we are just beginning to see real growth in their faith walk. Please continue to keep us in prayer as we will be starting a new 40 Days session on January 12. Connie, Marilyn, Shirley and Rex Opening Spring 2016 Gateway Senior Housing 1-2 Bedroom Apartments at 325 E. High Street, Wbg. Must be 62 + and meet income guidelines Contact Jason at See the flyer on the bulletin board if interested. Prayer Focus The Prayer Focus for January is again the Greene County Corner Cupboard Food Bank. During this time, we will be collecting food items so that local families will have quality meals during the holiday season. There is a list of essential items in the Mission Room for you to take. Through 2015, the teens have collected for the Food Bank and have collected over 70 items. Let s see if the adults can match that number!

6 January Birthdays Practice Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays 7:30 p.m. Greene County Hymn Sing 1 David Mariner 3 Mike Gaston 4 Tessa Mariner 6 Nicole Roberts 8 9 Craig M. Alderson Zachary Patton 12 Megan McElligott 13 Bill Gensler January 10, 2016 Advocate for the disempowered on Human Relations Sunday. On Sunday, January 17, 2016, we will celebrate Human Relations Day at our church. Human Relations Day is our day to support, through a special offering, those living in the margins of society. Our offering makes a real difference. Bill Okuley 15 Kevin McElligott Devonne McCall Quinn Stoner 17 Gregg Stoner 18 Ava Mariner 19 Caleb Ward 20 Ramonda Lipscomb 24 Eileen Lang Troy Cree Offering Envelopes Offering envelopes are ready to picked up from the pew in the back of the church. If you wish to have an envelope assigned to you please contact Linda in the church office ( ) Pray always ~ without ceasing! Please call prayer requests to: the church office at If you would rather , send them to Wayne Hart at: wahart@windstream.net (Subject: Prayer Ministry) Nathan Patton Amy Milliken 30 Frank Robinson 31 Amy Hartman Did we miss anyone s birthday? Call the church office or send an to get your special day in the newsletter Call or firstumcpa@windstream.net... January Announcement List January 3.Youth January Lynn Bussey January Rich Waddel January Jeff Cree January Rich Waddel

7 January 2016 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 New Year s Day 3 Epiphany Sunday 5-7 PM Youth 4 Dartball Home 5 6 Epiphany Noon Church Council 12:45-5:30 PM Youth 7 PM Hymn Sing 11 Dartball Oakview UMC Human Relations Day 5-7 PM Youth Group 18 Dartball Crosspoint Assembly of God Newsletter Deadline :30- Youth Group PM Youth Group 25 Dartball Home NEWSLETTER ARTICLES ARE DUE TO THE CHURCH OFFICE BY Friday, Jan. 22nd or earlier.