FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 306 W.

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1 The vine newsletter NOVEMBER 2017 I am the vine you are the branches VOL. 54 ISSUE 11 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 306 W. Center St. (P.O. Box 445) Galax, VA Phone: fumcgalax1@gmail.com Web Page: VISION STATEMENT: Jesus calls us to be a community of loving and growing Christians committed to spreading the Good News while serving God and our neighbors. PASTORAL PONDERINGS Thanksgiving. Count your many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. The other night I was having trouble sleeping. Some people say that sleeplessness is a part of the aging process, but I am too young for that to be true, so there must have been another reason. Pretty soon I was having a real pity party. In my mind I was going through a long litany of problems and things that were wrong in my life. Then all of a sudden the words of a song I thought I had long forgotten came into my mind. Try as I would, I could not get those words out of my consciousness. Those words were: Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done. I began to do that and pretty soon I realized just how much God has blessed me. The next thing I knew it was morning. When I awoke I wanted to finish my list. I soon realized it could not be finished. God s blessings are really without number. Maybe what I came to understand is the true meaning of what Thanksgiving really is. Beingthankful for the good things God gives us and not allowing the problems that we incur to become the things that control us and give us our identity. When we dwell entirely on the negative we lose sight of the positive. By the way here are some things that topped my list: 1. Jesus Christ - God loved me enough to send His One Begotten Son to be my savior. 2. The beauty of creation - God looked at all God had made and indeed it was very good. (Genesis 1:31) That goodness has not been overcome. 3. First Galax United Methodist Church I am blessed to serve a church that loves the Lord and cares for one another. 4. The portion of health I enjoy my health problems are not nearly as bad as they could be. 5. Family I thank God for those who love, sometimes in spite of me. I am also very thankful for friends, for our combined Worship Service, for our Future Committee who are looking at ways the church can improve over the years, and for my upcoming Retirement. May we begin to count our blessings and realize just what God has done for us. May we do tis not just on the fourth Thursday of November, but each and every day we live. -Richard

2 MEMORIALS/HONORARIUMS DONOR FUND IN MEMORY OF Joyce & Gary Hensley Children s Program Cornett Parks Linda Richardson Holston Home For Children Bruce & Sammie Stoneman DONOR FUND IN HONOR OF Jo & Edsel Rudy UMCOR Judy White NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS Rachel Zachary 11/23 Alice Anderson 11/26 Danny Drye 11/09 Mike Anderson 11/28 James Chappell 11/06 Libby Taylor 11/07 Glen Grimes 11/02 Tonya Reavis 11/13 Chris Gurley 11/29 Nick Hayes 11/27 Wade, Jr. Peery 11/23 Tara McKnigh t 11/12 Ben Zachary 11/13 Emily Vaughan 11/01 Cameron Frazier 11/13 Tyler Newman 11/12 James Tompkins 11/02 Derek Spraker 11/14 Cassidy Koger 11/26 Gene T. (Fuzzy) McKnight 11/07 NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES Larry & Sandy Grabman Nov. 30 Pledge Sunday Will be November 19 th. Please place your pledge card in the offering plate or in the box outside the church office. Pledge cards are available at all entrances of the Sanctuary. NOVEMBER ALTAR GUILD: Danise Reynolds & Nancy Westmoreland

3 UMW NEWS We are looking forward to a very busy November. Our regular meeting will be on the 14th at 10:00 am. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall for our World Thank Offering program which will be presented by Earlene. Following the program we will have soup, sandwiches and dessert. All women are invited to attend. You don't need to bring anything other than yourself. We will have a time of fellowship and food together. The Angel Tree will be put up around the 17th of the month with gifts due back by December 10th. Many thanks in advance for the help you give in providing Christmas gifts for children in our area. The Cookie Walk is scheduled for December 2. This is a church wide project. The money earned will be divided between a local mission and UMCOR disaster relief. We need everyone's help in making cookies, helping put them out on trays December 1st and helping with the sale on the 2nd. Also be sure to buy some cookies for the holidays and tell all your neighbors and friends to come and buy, too. Sign-up sheets will be in the church and you can call Agnes Ritchie for more information. Peggy Chappell, President

4 Kid Junction News KIDS JUNCTION For the month of October, Kids Junction served 7 families and 24 children. All these children were blessed with clothing, winter coats, shoes, socks, underwear, hygiene items, school supplies, books, coloring books, etc. We would like to thank you once again, the church family, for supporting this very special ministry! Special thanks to our volunteers this month: Irene Turner, Doris Ward, Elsie Davis, and Dianne Marshall. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Hebrews 13:16 (New King James Bible)

5 CHILDRENS BIBLE STUDY (CBS) C.B.S. met on Sunday, October 29, Eight children were present and what a productive hour and a half we had! Our Bible verse was from 1 Thessalonians 5:18- In everything give thanks for this is God s will for you. The children made their own creative thank you cards for the firemen at GVFD and presented them to Fireman Chris Hennis, along with two containers of homemade cookies. Also, the kids really enjoyed making a humongous appreciation card for Pastor G, which was posted on his door as a surprise on Monday morning. Last but not least, we ended with pizza, drinks, chips, and yummy homemade cookies and brownies. What a joy it is to interact with children as we learn how to share the love of Jesus!!!