Living the Word. United Methodist Church of the Cross. 6pm. and 11pm. 6pm. and 11pm

Transcription

1 United Methodist Church of the Cross 1600 Rush Salina, Ks Living the Word A CARING COMMUNITY REACHING OUT TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH KNOWING, LOVING AND SERVING GOD! December pm 6pm and 11pm and 11pm

2 P a g e 2 Come and See For my money, one of the most promise-filled pieces of Scripture lies at the end of the first chapter of the Gospel of John. In verse 51, in words Jesus says to the four disciples who are with him at this point (Andrew and his brother, Simon Peter, Philip and his friend Nathaniel): Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Here we find Jesus telling these four men what they ll experience as they go where he goes and see what he does. Throughout the rest of the story, as these disciples, or apprentices of Jesus, marinate in his teaching and observe the miracles he performs, the promise is realized they come, they see. In accepting Jesus invitation these men find themselves transported into a realm they could have never imagined and changed in ways they could never have anticipated. In spite of the difficulties and hardship this call certainly visited upon these four it s unlikely any of them regretted making the decision to come and personally see the Savior s power at work. I think this coming and seeing is the primary reason folks continue to participate in the ministries of the church even yet today. I know it is for me. Because, just as it was with those first followers of Christ, so is it still-yet today. When people, through their connection to the church the Body of Christ in the world see the power of Jesus at work, when they see lives changed by his healing power (when they see hope replacing despair, when they see faith displacing doubt, when they see trust transforming fear, when they see laughter erupt where previously there had only been tears,) when people see the power of Jesus at work, these witnesses find themselves transported into an unknown realm. Find themselves changed in ways they never could have imagined. Having seen salvation first hand, having viewed the firstfruits of the resurrection having watched the living-dead return to life blind faith is not in their vocabulary. They come and see. They receive the promise. They see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man! 2018 has found the Church of the Cross digging deep into the theology, practices and experiences to be had in the Wesleyan tradition as practiced in the historical Methodist Church. Those who have participated in this deep-dive have not done so as an exploration of history but have, rather, begun to seriously engage the methods of Methodism. They have seriously practiced praying and being present with God and one another. They ve participated in recognizing and claiming their gifts and in beginning to use them. In doing these things, they have come and have seen have become witnesses in the truest sense of the word! They ve personally had life-changing experiences and have seen others in their groups have them too! In coming and seeing, in walking with Jesus and one-another, these disciples of Jesus, these apprentices, have been plunged into the saving grace that is all around just waiting to be claimed in-and-through faith! Don t take my word for it. Ask them. They ll tell you! It is fitting that this Apprentice series ends as the 2018 liturgical (Church) year wraps up on December 1 and the 2019 liturgical year begins on December 2 (the 1 st Sunday of Advent). It s fitting because 2019 is the year when COC is going to become laser-focused on inviting those who don t yet know Jesus, those who ve not yet experienced his healing and resurrecting power, to come and see is the year when we, through being a caring community, reaching out to transform lives through Knowing, Loving and Serving God are going to have the experience of seeing heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. If you doubt this, all I can do is, like Jesus, say: Come and See! As we begin this new ministry year, on behalf of the staff and the leadership of COC, I say to each of you and those not among us yet: We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Good tidings we bring to you and your kin. Good tidings for Christmas, and a happy new year! God bless us everyone! Pastor Loren

3 P a g e 3 From the Desk of Layla Peppers~~ CHILDREN S MINISTRY & This time of year is fascinating to me! It seems like during the month of December, people who may not typically give a thought to the wellness of their neighbors are baking them Christmas cookies. We offer a cup of hot chocolate to the Salvation Army bell ringer after dropping in a couple of bucks to help people we may never meet. Kindness and love seem to come in extra measure during this season. These are characteristics that we are working to grow in the kiddos at Angel Academy and Church of the Cross all year long. I appreciate the ways that all of the teachers pour into their students in order to show them the love of Christ. Stone soup was a success. Thank you to all of you who pitched by bringing a dessert, chopping veggies, preparing rolls, and serving the families. Everyone contributed an item or two and when we put it all together-it was a feast! We served nearly 700 people. Thank you to everyone who helped make the evenings possible. We are so blessed to have such a phenomenal church family. The Angel Academy Christmas celebrations will be our birthday parties for Jesus. We will once again invite the families to join us. We are planning to make party hats, sing a few songs, and decorate Christmas cookies. The Angels parties will be at 10:45 and 2:00 on December 19 th & 20 th and the Cherubs will be celebrating at 10:15 on December 18 th. If you are available on either of those days we can always use extra hands! The Christmas program for COC kiddos will be December 16 th at 6:30. We are excited about decorating the tree in the narthex, and about sharing with you the things we have been learning. Thank you for all of your kindness and support. May your Christmas be filled with the love of Christ!

4 Page 4 COC YOUTH NEWS ~ ~ From Robin s Desk: December Youth Group Happenings November 25: Hanging of the Greens 4:00 December 2: Youth Christmas Party December 9: Christmas Program December 14: Senior High Lock In December 16: Movie Night December 23: No Youth Group December 30: No Youth Group

5 Page 5 Church of the Cross is proud to once again be a host church for the 2019 Night to Shine. Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God s love, for people with special needs, ages 14 and older. The event will be hosted by an estimated 700 churches around the world simultaneously on Friday, February 8, We expect 125 guests for this year s event which will be held at Kansas Wesleyan University. In addition to the Prom Night, we will be hosting a Prom Dress/Men s Wear giveaway ( Get Your Shine On ) on Saturday, January 26, We will ask the community for donations and they will be given away to registered guests for the Night to Shine event. On Sunday, February 10, 2019, we will make a special invitation to our guests and their families to join us for church as we continue to spread God s love. In order to fund this event, we have received grants from The Tim Tebow Foundation, Earl Bane Foundation, and the Salina Regional Health Foundation. In addition, donations will be accepted to help sustain this mission. Donations should be made to Church of the Cross with the designation of Night To Shine. For more information, check out the website: or follow us on Facebook: Salina Night To Shine How can you help? Mark your calendars for these dates and volunteer! Sign up sheets will be available in the Narthex. If you have questions, see Sara Gault, Outreach Team Chair. If you would like to register a guest, packets are available in the church office and at the Welcome Center. PRAYERS & PRAISES Bailey Mike Weaver Pam Gengler CoCo Bob Conner Tammy Conner Ann Potter Dan Geist Amber Mounday John Jordan Tracy Van Riper Bunny Austin Margie McGreevy Ron & Sue Gallant Kay Rickard Terry Doty Prayer Vigil Friday, December 7 at 5pm thru Saturday, December 8 at 5pm PLEASE sign up.

6 Trustee Board Meeting Tuesday, December 4 at 7pm SPRC Tuesday, December 11 at 6pm UMW Tuesday, December :15PM Christmas Party & Luncheon Candy Cane Author Unknown Look at a candy cane, what do you see? Stripes that are red like the blood shed for me! White for my Savior, Who s sinless and pure! J is for Jesus, My Lord that s for sure! Turn it around and a staff you will see, Jesus, my Shepherd, is coming for me!

7 December a Gym Reserved 2 1st Sunday of Advent 8:30 a Worship 9:45 a Sunday School 11a Worship 5p MS Yth 5:30p Bells 6p HS Yth 3 1p Prayer Shawl 4:40p Girl Scouts 4 8a TOPS-Weight-In 9:30a Meeting 6:30p Scouts 7p Trustee Brd. 5 7a Men s Bible 10a CoC Staff Mtg. 5:30p Grateful Grub 6p Small Group and Strengthening Families 6:30p Youth Bible 6 10a TLC 7 8a TOPS 8 10a Gym Reserved 5 p P r a y e r V i g i l 5 p 9 2nd Sunday of Advent 8:30 a Worship 9:45 a Sunday School 11a Worship 5p MS Yth 5:30p Bells 6p HS Yth 10 1p Prayer Shawl 4:40p Girl Scouts 4:45p PSC Christmas Banquet 7p Angel Academy Board Meeting 11 8a TOPS-Weight-In 9:30a Meeting 12:15p UMW Christmas Party/ Luncheon 5p Outreach Team 6p SPRC 6:30p Scouts 12 7a Men s Bible 10a CoC Staff Mtg. 5:30p Grateful Grub 6p Small Group and Strengthening Families 6:30p Youth Bible 13 10a TLC 14 8a TOPS 6p Webster A7b,c Reserved 15 10a Gym Reserved 10:30a Webster Reserved 16 3rd Sunday of Advent 8:30a Worship 9:45a Sunday School 11a Worship 6p All-Church Christmas Program 17 1p Prayer Shawl 4:40p Girl Scouts 7p Children s Ministry Team Meeting 18 8a TOPS-Weight-In 9:30a Meeting 6:30p Scouts 19 7a Men s Bible 10a CoC Staff Mtg. 5:30p Grateful Grub 6p Small Group and Strengthening Families 6:30p Youth Bible 20 10a TLC 21 8a TOPS 22 10a Gym Reserved 23 4th Sunday of Advent 8:30a Worship 9:45a Sunday School 11a Worship 24 Christmas Eve Service 6p and 11p 25 Merry Christmas Church Office Closed a TLC 28 8a TOPS 29 10a Gym Reserved 30 8:30 a Worship 9:45a Sunday School 11a Worship 31 1p Prayer Shawl 4:40p Girl Scouts Angel Academy and Public School Break Dec. 21 thru Jan. 7, 2019

8 P a g e 8 December 2018 Birthdays S u n M o n T u e W e d T h u Fri S a t 1 Larry Beck 1 Braden Vandegrift Marcia Wells 3 Fran Johnson 4 Karen Cooksey Steve Cooksey 9 Fred Prater Ben Purcell Patrick Reed 12 Ray Buettgenbach Jeskan McGovern 13 Ann McGovern Abel Perez 14 Ethan McCary Wendy Kuhlman Monica Johnson Moyn Keim Crystal Locklear 21 Robin Cates Dave Musil 22 Melinda Paul 23 Shirley Davis John Reynolds Merry Christmas 26 Janet Bellew Brooke Wilcox 27 Dru Davis Dee Harding Rhonda Garcia 30 Darwin Henry Kaleb Speilman 31 Lane Beck

9 CHURCH OF THE CROSS - Financial Summary October 31, Oct YTD Actual YTD Budget Prior YTD Income Giving $ 23,820 $ 263,821 $ 258,333 $ 255,932 Angel Academy Income 18, , , ,985 Other Income (Expense) 1,002 8,075 7,917 8,016 Total Income 43, , , ,933 Expenditures Ministerial & Staff 17, , , ,006 Operating & Education 2,468 18,892 19,159 20,632 Buildings & Grounds 3,959 48,294 45,458 49,974 Conference Missions & Ministry 2,392 25,951 29,903 26,297 Angel Academy Expense 18, , , ,985 Unbudgeted Expenses (11) Total Expenditures 44, , , ,199 Excess of Receipts Over (Under) Expenditures & Transfers $ (1,216) $ 4,477 $ (10,315) $ (7,266) \ Unpaid Bills $ - Cash & Investments Balances: General Fund $18,565 Restricted/Designated Funds $144,513 Memorial Funds $15,167 Trustee Building Fund $29,674 Total Cash & Investments $ 207,919 Amazon Supports Church of the Cross! Did you know you could shop, buy and give to your favorite registered charitable organization through Amazon Prime or through regular Amazon? It's called AmazonSmile. Simply pick a charity and do all of your shopping on the AmazonSmile website. On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you simply select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. It will remember your selection for future visits, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation to your charity (COC of course!. They pay us every quarter! It has the exact same products and prices as Amazon.com. There are more than a million nonprofits to choose from (we hope your choose Church of the Cross United Methodist), and the one you pick will receive 0.5% of the value of your eligible purchases. Amazon says charities have netted $89 million via AmazonSmile to date. Sign up today!

10 United Methodist Church of the Cross 1600 Rush Salina, Ks Phone: Fax Web-site: