First United Methodist Church Newton, North Carolina

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1 Loving People into the Kingdom of God in the Heart of Catawba County. First United Methodist Church Newton, North Carolina DECEMBER 2016 IN TOUCH 300 N. Main Ave. PO Box 926 Newton, NC fumcnewtonnc.org facebook.com/ fumcnewtonnc First United Methodist Church Staff: Lara Willis Greene, Pastor cell: Julie Braswell, DCE Ann Cook, Adm. Assist. Sarah Luhrs, Choir Director John Coffey, Organist Michael Roberts, Praise Service Rose Bibeau, Children s Music Kayla Sigmon, Nursery Ministry Kristi Harvell, Preschool Have you watched your favorite Christmas movie yet? Those classic Christmas movies warm our hearts and touch our souls for hidden within them are deep Christian truths. Join us for worship over the coming weeks as we look at the timeless messages of the Christmas movies and what they can teach us about the real meaning of the season. Christmas Eve Worship 7:00-8:00pm Come and Go Communion 9:00pm Candlelight Communion Service Christmas Day 11:00am (sanctuary)

2 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH DECEMBER 2016 Children's Ministries Sunday School Preschool through 5th grade 10:00 to 10:45am Please join in Sunday morning fun as we learn lots of great Bible stories. Birthday Party for Jesus Sunday, December 25 10:00-10:45am K-5th Sunday School Room All children are invited to come to a Birthday Party for Jesus. We will make crafts, sings songs, play games and have a special birthday treat. Kids 4 Christ Wednesdays 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm Activity Room, Children Kindergarten - 6th grade December is always a busy and exciting month and k4c is no exception. We will have a ton of fun practicing for our Christmas Play The Real Star of Christmas " on Sunday, December 18th during the 11:00am worship service. Our mission project for the month is collecting children's hats and gloves for The Corner Table Soup Kitchen. We will not meet on December 28th due to school holiday. VBS's New Meaning 2017 is heading our way and we want to start this New Year with a New Ministry, VBS! No, it is not Vacation Bible School, it is Very Big Saturday. This summer, we are taking our Vacation Bible School out the front doors of the church and into the community. We are teaming with Abernethy Memorial United Methodist Church on this venture. We will hold this VBS at 3 different locations on 3 different Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm, but with the same theme. If you are interested in joining this venture, please contact Julie Braswell at or juliebbraswell@gmail.com.

3 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH DECEMBER 2016 firs you h December Activities Mission Response Center Sunday, December 4th Youth are invited to meet at the church at 3:30pm. We will visit the Western NC Conference Mission Response Center in Terrell to work for the afternoon. At the center, we will help pack the Shoeboxes for Armenia. Please check out their website for more information on how you can serve: mission.wnccumc.org/mission-responsecenter/. We will return to the church at 6:30pm. Youth Caroling and Christmas Party Sunday, December 18th 2:00 to 6:00pm Community Christmas Party Friday, December 16th, 5:30 pm Please meet in the Fellowship Hall to help set up for our visitors. This is the really fun part of our Lock-out event when we share a Christmas Party with our friends from the Startown Elementary School's Exceptional Children Class. The children will make crafts, dance, eat, and receive specially chosen gifts. Clean up should be completed by 8:00pm. We will meet at the church bus in the parking lot at 2:00pm for Christmas Caroling at Abernathy Laurels. This year we are excited and grateful to have Hank Weddington from the Praise Band accompanying us on guitar. At 4:00 pm we will head over to the Driscoll home for our annual Christmas Party. Please bring your party food to share and your inexpensive wrapped gift for the swap when you arrive for caroling. We will make sure the food and gifts are taken to the party. Parents can pick up from the Driscolls, (1039 Fox Chase Drive, Newton ) at 6:00pm. Winter Retreat January 14-16th, 2017 Camp Cedar Cliff at the Cove All youth, grades 6th-12th, are invited to attend this awesome Youth Retreat where First Church will join with other youth groups from North Carolina to connect with God. The beautiful scenery and flowing hot chocolate only add to the great music, games, and fellowship that will be shared. You will not want to miss this memorable weekend. Everything is included in the cost of $150 per person. Scholarships are available. Registration and a $75 deposits are due by Monday, January 2nd. The final payment will be due by January 14th. Questions, contact Julie Braswell or juliebbraswell@gmail.com.

4 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH DECEMBER 2016 Care Ministry Christmas Cards Due by Sunday, December 18th The exchanging of Christmas cards is a time-honored tradition of remembering loved ones at the holidays. You can share this tradition of cards with some extra special members of our church family, our members who are homebound or living in centers. On a table in the upper breezeway, the Care Ministry has a list of names and bags for each individual receiving cards. Please pick up a list, address your cards, and drop them in the bags. It is that simple! Please have your cards in by Sunday, December 18th. If you would like to assist with delivering bags, please contact Julie Braswell, or juliebbraswell@gmail.com Let s Give a Heads Up and Helping Hand this Christmas CARE MINISTRY There will be a brief Care Ministry team meeting on Sunday, December 18th after worship (12:15 pm) in the Gomedela Room. Our Kids 4 Christ children's ministry is collecting new child size toboggans and mittens or gloves now through Sunday, December 18th for the children who visit The Corner Table Soup Kitchen. If you would like to help with this mission project, you may bring your unwrapped items and leave them in the baskets located in the Narthex, Fellowship Hall, or church Welcome Center. Kids 4 Christ will deliver these gifts to the soup kitchen. New Member Michael Mike Jenkins

5 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH DECEMBER 2016 First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir (along with a 7 piece orchestra) presents Appalachian Winter A CANTATA FOR CHRISTMAS that celebrates the legacy of early American carols and hymnody by Joseph M. Martin Sunday, December 11 11:00am service Honor a loved one by giving a gift to the Community Christmas Party What better way to honor friends and family than by giving a gift that will impact the life of a child? This year, the Youth Group will once again host the Community Christmas party for the Exceptional Children s Class at Startown Elementary School. You are invited to partner with the Youth Group by giving financial gifts in honor or memory of loved ones. Your gift will provide a delicious Christmas meal for the fifteen children and their families. In addition, your donation will provide gifts for each child and quality educational tools for their classroom. Donations may be made in honor or in memory of a loved one, and tributes will be listed in the worship bulletin on Sunday, December 18. In lieu of poinsettias and Lights of Love, we now have the opportunity to give gifts that will reach beyond the walls of this church and directly into the community. Thank you for being a part of this significant ministry which touches the lives of children and families in our neighborhood. Through your gifts, First Church can be the hands and feet of Christ! A gift is given in memory/honor of By

6 Kids 4 Christ celebrating Veterans Day with Vietnam Veteran Paul Campbell. Rev. Lara Willis Greene with Mrs. Louise Barkley at the exhibit of the Barkley family s military service at the Catawba Historical Museum. Dollar Dash to fill shoeboxes for Project Agape. Youth shopping at Wal-Mart for the Community Christmas Party. Read Willis article to see how you can partner with our Youth to make this outreach project a success.

7 Bill Noel 12/1 Anne Richard 12/1 Kevin Yoder 12/1 William Cable Jr. 12/2 Dwaine Morgan 12/2 Ruth Richardson 12/2 Billye Roland 12/2 Terra Butler 12/3 Allison Newton 12/3 Christian Underwood12/3 Anne Brooks 12/4 Debbie Lindler 12/4 Lawrence Punch 12/4 Mark Sitzer 12/4 Amy White 12/4 Ken Campbell Jr. 12/5 Jordan Jones 12/5 Jan Freeman 12/7 Sara Fletcher 12/8 Carolyn Scronce 12/8 Debbie Bandy 12/9 Bob Carter 12/9 DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Evaleene Fowler 12/9 Sylvia Hansmann 12/9 Pennye Jones 12/9 Thomas Lowder 12/9 Alvin Thornburg II 12/9 Logan Cox 12/10 John Tate 12/10 Brent Roland 12/11 Lucy Cook 12/12 Billie Shrum 12/12 MaryClaire Caldwell 12/13 Kristy Wooten 12/13 Merv McGee Jr. 12/14 Don Sigmon 12/14 Ellen Fountain 12/15 Ken Martin 12/15 Jim Mauney II 12/16 Sarah Meshaw 12/17 Zoe Kelley 12/18 Brandy Storms 12/18 Jason Yount 12/18 Mary Cilley 12/20 Pete Winbauer 12/20 Rowe Bollinger 12/21 Tucker Clark 12/21 Gary Kale 12/21 Rhonda Pawlik 12/21 Tiffany Smyre 12/21 Erick Yoder 12/21 Margaret Reitzel 12/23 Wayne Dellinger 12/24 Howard Smith 12/24 Inez Drum 12/25 Danny Wilson 12/25 Jacob Smith Jr. 12/26 Blake Miller 12/27 Mike Jenkins 12/28 Rhonda Noel 12/28 Eric Dellinger 12/29 Mark Killian 12/30 Rob Rights Jr. 12/30 Brooke Roberts 12/30 Kyle Robinson 12/31 Shera Waller-Smith 12/31 DECEMBER WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Jeff & Mary Lou Fox 12/2 John & Deena Trivette 12/2 Tim & Leah Hayes 12/4 Brooks & Melba Nichols Jr. 12/12 Jim & Wendy Hildebran 12/18 Frank & Susan Reinhardt 12/18 Wayne & Audrey Smith 12/19 Brent & Billye Roland 12/21 Rowe & Anita Bollinger 12/28 Bill & Amy Cable 12/28 December 8 in the Fellowship Hall Coffee/cookies available at 9:30am Program begins at 10:00am John Coffey, pianist Devotion Helen Bledsoe, Covenant Christian Church Lunch at noon BBQ Pork, Baked Beans, Slaw, Rolls, Homemade Desserts Lunch Reservations are required. Donations accepted. Please call the FUMC office at (828) by 12:00 noon the Monday before each meeting.

8 Sharing Our Gifts Sunday Attendance Tithes and Offerings Capital Bldg. Fund Nov , Nov , Nov , Nov , November Memorials Sally Sowers Lana & Barrett Lynch Campaign Garden Fund Garden Fund Our Pledge Campaign for 2017 is winding to a close, and we would like to remind you that if you have not made your pledge to support the ministries of First United Methodist Church, it is not too late. Pledge cards and envelopes are available around the church or in the church office. Complete your card and either drop it in the offering plate on Sunday or bring it to the church office. Thank you for your generous support of First Church Newton. Alex and Will Yoder received their Eagle Scout award on Sunday, November 20th at the 11:00am service. We are so very proud of the accomplishments of these young men. Congratulations Alex and Will. 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. Methodist Women The Methodist Women will meet for lunch at the Catawba Country Club on Friday, December 9th at 12:00pm. We welcome non-members and encourage you to join us for a delicious meal. If you plan to attend, please contact Martha Sowers, by Monday, December 5th.We hope to see you there. The fellowship we enjoy will be a great way to usher in the holiday season. YEAR END GIVING According to the IRS, individuals are allowed to deduct charitable contributions from their income during the year in which the donation was delivered. This means that we will need to receive your contribution for 2016 in the church office by 3:00pm on December 29. If a donation is mailed, we will use the postmark date on the envelope to determine whether it will be applied to 2016 or Remember that this year you have access to Online Giving. If the transaction is made by December 31, it will count toward your contributions for Go to to give online. The church offices will be closed on December 26 & 27 for the Christmas Holiday.