Mark your Calendars. the Chapel, itled, Na es fo the Messiah that ill look at the Isaiah : e se: Wo de ful Cou selo,

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Mark your Calendars De e er,, : Ea h Wed esda the t adiio al eal ill e se ed, egi i g at : p.. T o ad e t eals a e fu d aise s. See a i les else he e i Ce t al Ra s fo o e i fo aio.

Child e ill go to thei egula Wed esda e e i g a i iies a d adults a ate d o e of t o Ad e t s all g oups hi h ega No e e.

Pasto Melissa Gall ill lead a stud itled Ad e t i Na ia, held i the Li a, hi h is ased o C. S. Le is The Lio, the Wit h, a d the Wa d o e. De e er : Seaso ed Ciize s ate ed eal a d pa t.

1 Mark your Calendars De e er,, : Ea h Wed esda the t adiio al eal ill e se ed, egi i g at : p.. T o ad e t eals a e fu d aise s. See a i les else he e i Ce t al Ra s fo o e i fo aio. If a othe g oup ould like to o du t a fu d aise o De e e, please o ta t the Chu h Oi e at -. Child e ill go to thei egula Wed esda e e i g a i iies a d adults a ate d o e of t o Ad e t s all g oups hi h ega No e e. Pasto Tho Bo she ill lead a - eek sessio, held i the Chapel, itled, Na es fo the Messiah that ill look at the Isaiah : e se: Wo de ful Cou selo, Might God, E e lasi g Fathe, P i e of Pea e. Pasto Melissa Gall ill lead a stud itled Ad e t i Na ia, held i the Li a, hi h is ased o C. S. Le is The Lio, the Wit h, a d the Wa d o e. De e er : Seaso ed Ciize s ate ed eal a d pa t. See a othe sto else he e i this issue De e er : The Child e s Ch ist as P og a ill e p ese ted du i g oth the : a.. a d : a.. s e i es. See a othe sto i this issue a out the p og a. De e er : Be ause Ch ist as E e is o Su da this ea, the e is a alte ed s hedule of se i es. The Ch ist- as E e se i es ith the t adiio al Lesso s a d Ca ols ill e p ese ted at : a.., : p.., a d : p.. The e ill e o egula Su da o i g se i es o Su da S hool that da. A stafed u se ill e p o ided fo the : a.. & : p.. se i es Reade s fo a ious pa ts of the se i e fo all th ee se i es a e eeded. Please sig up at the Wel o e Ce te Su da, De e e. S iptu e lesso s ill e dist i uted Pasto Melissa as the se i e i es ea. De e er -De. : The e a e o a i iies pla ed fo outh o adults.

Is it about getting the perfect picture to put on a fancy and creative card to mail to all your family and friends?

2 Birthday Party! What is the true meaning of Christmas? Take a moment and really think about that question before reading on. Is the true meaning of Christmas found in bypassing Thanksgiving to make sure all the gifts are bought and the lights are up? Is Christmas about black Friday or cyber Monday shopping? Is it about getting the perfect picture to put on a fancy and creative card to mail to all your family and friends? Is Christmas about vacation time and spending time with family and friends with lots of food and goodies? I am sure you can add to this list and perhaps would even agree with me when I say that one of the greatest parts of Christmas is spending time with family and friends. For some, this cultural understanding of Christmas creates a tremendous amount of stress, including financial stress. It can be a sad time for those who have lost loved ones. It can also be a distraction that diverts us away from the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is first and foremost a birthday party! It s a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It s a time we celebrate and are reminded of the greatest gift we will ever receive. It s a time of rejoicing in the fact that God loves us so much that he sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so we could have everlasting life. Through the sins of Adam and Eve, each one of us has inherited sin and the only way to be washed clean of it is through a little baby who was born in a manger. A little baby who would grow up and voluntarily take up a cross and die for your sins and for mine. This is why we celebrate. We celebrate with praise and thanksgiving at Christmas because we are freed from the bondage of sin. We celebrate the true meaning of Christmas because we are blessed by a loving God who desires nothing more than to see his children redeemed. Maybe the opening question should have had a part two. Maybe the question should have been: What is the true meaning of Christmas and how should we celebrate? The reason I say that is because the expectations of our culture is to celebrate Christmas in a way that overshadows its true meaning. What I find interesting about this, is the fact that Jesus Christ, our redeemer, was not about living up to cultural expectations. Instead, he was about living up to Godly expectations, which by the way I am very grateful for. More specifically, I am grateful for Jesus faithfulness and ability not to be misled. So, how do you plan on spending Christmas this year? I have heard of people inviting the poor into their homes for a meal and friendship. I know some families take half of what they would have spent on gifts and give it to those in need or to the church? There s others who are intentional at making Jesus the center of their Christmas celebration by having a birthday cake for Jesus, spending time with their family and friends reading scripture, doing devotionals, or praying together? These are obviously not for everyone; however, they do cause us to think. The way Christmas is celebrated might vary from person to person, but there is one common denominator, Jesus is at the heart of it all. I share all this because there is no greater joy at Christmas time than to celebrate Mary giving birth to the savior of the world. God s shalom to you and may you have a very Christ centered Christmas! Pastor Thom For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16 (NRSV)

If you are 55 and older, come share a time of fellowship and Christmas celebration, followed by a catered noon meal with a suggested donation of $5.

3 SEASONED CITI)ENS PLAN HOLIDAY MEAL The Seasoned Citizens of Central Church will meet Thursday, December 7, at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Group singing and special music will be provided by Paul and Verla Peterson, and Pastor DeVern Schwenn will share The Christmas Story. If you are 55 and older, come share a time of fellowship and Christmas celebration, followed by a catered noon meal with a suggested donation of $5. Chicken Kiev, cheesy hash browns, honey glazed carrots, dinner rolls, and goodies will be served along with apple cider and coffee. Please call the church, , for meal reservations or if you need a ride. Tee s Pla Fu draiser for Care Ce ter Christ as Gits Je Seehafe a d A gela Hoeke ill se e a hili suppe o Wed esda, De e e, as a Ad e t Fu d aise. The gi ls hope to aise e ough o e to pu hase ate ial fo dou lela e la kets to gi e as gits to the eside ts of Mil a k Ca e a d Reha Ce te. This p oje t ill e to fulil thei espo si iliies fo high s hool o u it se i e as a pa t of the Naio al Ho o So iet to hi h the e e e e tl i du ted. You suppo t fo thei p oje t ill e app e iated. Articles for the November issue of Central Rays are due Monday, December 18.

Je a S hulte a d daughte Madi ade the t ip last su e a d fell i lo e ith the people the e ut e e hea t oke the e dless eeds i that ou t.

4 Haiti to Benefit The Cal i S hulte a d Chad Thue fa ilies ill se e a Ad e t fu d aise suppe o Wed esda, De e e, egi i g at : p.., as pa t of egula Wed esda ight a i iies. Both fa ilies, i ludi g thei hild e, hope to ake the su e t ip to Haii ith Missio of Hope. As a egi i g efo t to aise fu ds fo the t ip, the fa ilies ill p o ide a d se e the eal that e e i g. Je a S hulte a d daughte Madi ade the t ip last su e a d fell i lo e ith the people the e ut e e hea t oke the e dless eeds i that ou t. You do aio ill help the fa ilies i a e the t ip a d p o ide eeded goods a d supplies to the Haiia s. The fa il of Ve la Mille ould like to tha k e e o e fo thei ki d o ds, thoughts, p a e s, a d a a ts of ki d ess ate the death of ou Mo. We ill iss he g eatl, ut a e happ fo he uz she gets to e i hea e o. God less ou all.

6 JAM in DECEMBER We will be walking through the Christmas story throughout the month of December. As we learn about the Christmas story, we will also be doing fun activities like candy cane bombing, practicing for the Christmas program, and hopefully a special fun event! (See article on page 7) There will be NO Wednesday Night JAM on the following dates: December 27, January 3, January 10. We will resume JAM activities with a fun event on January 17 th! We hope you have an amazing holiday season and look forward to an exciting new year! SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 WITH 8:30 AND 10:30 A.M. SERVICES Once again we will be presenting our impromptu Christmas Program on Sunday, December 17. There will be two worship services that Sunday to accommodate seating for everyone who wishes to attend. The services will be at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. The kids will lead us in worship that day, while presenting the Christmas story. There will not be regular Sunday School for the kids that morning. We ask that you, as a family, pick a service to attend that morning. Unless the kids are playing hand chimes or have a major part in the service, you only need to attend one service (unless you really want to go to more than one). All children are asked to go to the chapel to pick out their part for the program before they go into the sanctuary. We ask that the kids sit with their families. At the appointed time, they will come forward to build the nativity scene as the Christmas story is told. They will also be sharing special music during the service. We are excited to celebrate how Jesus came, during worship on Sunday, December 17. Make plans to join us for this meaningful service! We will have a time of celebration between the services in the Fellowship Hall. You can come decorate your own cupcake and enjoy fellowship with one another! NO CHILDREN S SUNDAY SCHOOL There will be no Sunday School on December 24 and 31. Thank you so much to everyone who helps with Sunday School! We couldn t do Sunday School without your faithful help each week! We are looking forward to continuing after the New Year starting on January 7.

7 Our Gift to You! The Children s Ministries would like to try something different for our Christmas gift to our Sunday School children. We would like to invite all of the children ages preschool through 5 th grade in our Sunday School and Jam programing to a special movie event. On Wednesday, December 13 th we will be picking the children up after school and transporting them to the Mill Theater. If you have a preschool child, please bring them to the Mill Theater. Beginning at 3:30 p.m., we will be watching the movie The Star. A small popcorn and pop will be provided as a snack. When the movie is done, we will go to the church to do our normal Wednesday evening JAM activities. Please RSVP to Kristy Liebe at by Sunday, December 10 or sign up at the Welcome Center to let her know if you are planning on going so that we can make all of the needed arrangements. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Kristy also! We hope that this will be a meaningful event! November Finance Numbers as of November 28, 2017 Total Budget Offering $49, Back Pack $ Sunday School $67.00 UMCOR $ Gess Eye Clinic $ UM Student Day $25.00 Zimbabwe Mission $1, Automatic Clearing House (ACH) No lo ge ill ou eed to e e e to i g ou he k ook o that see i gl o e iste t thi g alled CASH to hu h. ACH auto ai de it gi i g is o a aila le at Ce t al as a alte ai e to ii g a he k to the hu h ea h eek o o th. You a ele t to ha e a ithd a al do e o the st or the th of ea h o th. The sig up fo s a e fou d i the Chu h Oi e a d pe iodi all i the ullei s. Fo o e i fo aio please o ta t Ada Kopli o Jaso Ket- ig.

8 Pray Without Ceasing By Sheila Dailie During Advent, we will practice the lectio divina method of prayer. Spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is an important form of Meditation. This spiritual reading is traditionally called lectio divina or divine reading. Lectio divina is prayer over the Scriptures. The first element of this type of prayer is reading (lectio): you take a short passage from the Bible, preferably a Gospel passage and read it carefully, perhaps three or more times. Let it really soakin. The second element is meditation (meditatio). By using your imagination enter into the Biblical scene in order to "see" the setting, the people, and the unfolding action. It is through this meditation that you encounter the text and discover its meaning for your life. The next element is prayer (oratio) or your personal response to the text: asking for graces, offering praise or thanksgiving, seeking healing or forgiveness. In this prayerful engagement with the text, you open yourself up to the possibility of contemplation. Contemplation (contemplatio) is a gaze turned toward Christ and the things of God. By God's action of grace, you may be raised above meditation to a state of seeing or experiencing the text as mystery and reality. In contemplation, you come into an experiential contact with the One behind and beyond the text. Join us each week as we look at different characters of the Christmas story. Through the Bible in a Year By Sheila Dailie During the season of Advent and Christmas, we read the New Testament letters that help explain how we will live the Christian life, and the anticipation of Christ s second coming. Even though Advent is a busy, hectic time, you will discover that making time for God s word will enrich your experience of Christmas this year. Consider all that Jesus sacrificed to become a human being. Our readings take about 15 minutes each day, and then check us out on Facebook for devotional thoughts Monday through Friday. Let us know if you plan to join in again in God s word is alive with new truth for each day.

9 Prayers of the People

Dec. 2 Sue Ann Krahn Lillian DeBoer Dec. 4 Adalynn Bohn Dillon Schneck Dec. 6 Renae Fox Brian DeBoer Luke Koplin Dec. 8 Jordon Redmond Dec. 9 Jerry Mielitz Tayla Schulte Dec.

10 Dec. 2 Sue Ann Krahn Lillian DeBoer Dec. 4 Adalynn Bohn Dillon Schneck Dec. 6 Renae Fox Brian DeBoer Luke Koplin Dec. 8 Jordon Redmond Dec. 9 Jerry Mielitz Tayla Schulte Dec. 10 Marylynne Fields Deb Bowsher Dec. 13 Dawn Vander Wal Emma VanVooren Dec. 14 Susan Anderson Deb Lindholm Kelly Whitesitt Dec. 16 Nadia Thue Dec. 18 Eric Stengel Marilyn Dorsett Jaxon Weber Dec. 19 Gauge Stengel Chloe Bender Dec. 20 Charles Whitesitt Dec. 21 Isabella Pauli Jacob Erickson Dec. 22 Colton Frevert Calvin Schulte Dec. 23 Chely Wellnitz Dec. 24 Gary Armstrong Holli Seehafer Dec. 25 Anne Schulte Dec. 26 Steven Spors Dec. 27 Jim Marquardt Dec. 28 Jensen Schmieg Dec. 29 Helen Carlson Barb Robinson Dec. 30 Adison Pauli Duane Steege Dec. 31 Dave Dorsett Tim Graf Jason (Cubby) Grabow Dec. 3 Harlan & Mary Bohn Dec. 11 Fred & Sue Oslund Dec. 15 Tim & Sue Stengel Dec. 28 Jeff and Holli Seehafer Tim & Jennifer Brown Dec. 30 Tom & Marla Tillman Dec. 31 Mike & Nancy Copeland Dick & Jan Grorud Steven & Brenda Nomeland Rev. Thom & Deb Bowsher Alex & Daria Liebe Schulte, Anne *Bohn, Marge Brown, Tim & Jennifer Cross, Delwyn & Deloris Fields, Jerry & Marylynne Grabow, Elli Hofman, Don & Nancy Hupke, Dave & Darcy Krahn, Sue Ann Lindeman, Gary & Cheryl Nomeland, Steve & Brenda Seehafer, Jeff & Holli Smith, Darrel & Florrie Steege, Duane & Jerelynn Vander Wal, Paul & Dawn Wendland, Jim & Sheri Winquist, John We are continuously trying to update our lists. Please notify the Central Church Office at office@milbankcentral.org or with any additions or corrections..

11 Community Bible Study Invites New Participants Co u it Bi le Stud is ea i g the half- a poi t, a d just ate the Ne Yea ill egi the stud of II Co i thia s. If ou e looki g to ake a ha ge i, this just a e the pla e fo ou. Classes eet o Mo da ights f o : to : p.. at Li i g Wo d Luthe a Chu h a d o Tuesda s a d Thu sda s f o : to : a.. at the G a t Cou t Li a. But do t ait fo the e ea. Che k us out o. Co e to a of the sessio s. Be ou guest a d see ho e fu io a d hat e e all a out. Stud ooks a e desig ed to e eit those ho ha e litle k o ledge of the Bi le o those ho ha e ee stud i g fo a ea s. Ea h lesso del es i to the Bi le e ses a d p o ides Bi le k o ledge as ell as p a i al appli aio. Ne )i a e! "You a e el o e to isit a e )i a- e!" F ie ds i )i a e a e e p essi g thei hope fo the futu e of thei ou t. Polii al u est i No e e as follo ed the esig aio of thei lo g i e p eside t. Re e tl, a e p eside t as i augu ated a d the t a siio of po e as a o plished ith o iole e. We p aise God fo ai tai i g pea e a o g the people of )i a e. God is i o t ol! Da iel :, "P aise the a e of God fo e e a d e e, fo He has all isdo a d po e. He o t ols the ou se of o ld e e ts; He e o es ki gs a d sets up othe ki gs." A id a d Ja et Lie e dela ed thei No e e t ip to )i a e o e eek u il the t a siio to the e go e e t as a o plished. Cu e tl, the a e i the ou t o ga izi g the shippi g of the o tai e ith s hool, edi al a d fa e uip e t to Muta a a Missio. The a e also sei g up pla s fo a tea to u load the o tai e i. Co i ue to p a fo the people of )i a e! Where Can You Find Us? Television: Radio: ITC Ca le Cha el KMSD Mo da s at : a & : p Su da s at : a Mid o i e t Ca le Cha el Su da s at : p

Central United 201 South 5 th St. Milbank, SD 57252 Return Service Requested Lead Pastor Rev. Thom Bowsher pastorthom@milbankcentral.org Emergencies: 432-5363 Associate Pastor Rev.

14 Central United 201 South 5 th St. Milbank, SD Return Service Requested Lead Pastor Rev. Thom Bowsher pastorthom@milbankcentral.org Emergencies: Associate Pastor Rev. Melissa Gall melissa.gall@milbankcentral.org Pastoral Care Pastor/Children s Minister Kristy Liebe kristy.liebe@milbankcentral.org Youth Coordinator Levi Waddell levi.waddell@milbankcentral.org Office Manager Jen Aden office@milbankcentral.org Communications Coordinator Ginny Tostenson ginny.tostenson@milbankcentral.org Central United Methodist Church 201 S. 5 th St. Milbank, SD Fall Worship Times 8:30 am Traditional 9:45 10:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Blended DECEMBER 2017

a out NFBC: Ou Staf: NO Toothpaste Th u the po e of the Hol Spi it The UP Fathe - IN Othe Belie e s - OUT Wo ld Oi e: Heidi Hel uth

a out NFBC: Ou Staf: NO Toothpaste Th u the po e of the Hol Spi it The UP Fathe - IN Othe Belie e s - OUT Wo ld Oi e: Heidi Hel uth se i g e t Su da : *The Ser i g Today List is at the I for aio Ce ter Nu se : : No & Kaie Stutz a : Joe & Te esa Mille, Li da Mille J. Chu h: Ja ie Bii g, Li da Pippe Ushe s: Ke Te e, B ie Hall, Ra Mille,