The Wellspring newsletter

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Our Children & Family Ministries team has planned a time of encouragement, equipping, and resourcing for parents and caregivers at any stage.

This one-day event will allow you the chance to hear from great speakers on various topics while enjoying the company of others going through the same things you are!

Diversity College Is Coming - Steps and Preps Financial and Long-Term Planning for the Individual with Disabilities Autism 101: Putting the Pieces Together How to Talk

1 Fuquay-Varina United Methodist Church The Wellspring newsletter Most parents or caregivers have that stack of books or bookmarked blogs and good intentions to read them at some point but there is never any time! Our Children & Family Ministries team has planned a time of encouragement, equipping, and resourcing for parents and caregivers at any stage. Join us on Sunday, January 21 from 3:00-6:00pm for our first Family Summit. This one-day event will allow you the chance to hear from great speakers on various topics while enjoying the company of others going through the same things you are! Session Topics (You ll attend 2): Positive Parenting Building Resilience and Addressing Stressors (Elementary or Middle / High School) Talking to Your Child About Diversity College Is Coming - Steps and Preps Financial and Long-Term Planning for the Individual with Disabilities Autism 101: Putting the Pieces Together How to Talk to Your Child About Money December 2017 Schedule for the Day: 3:00-4:00pm: Session 1 4:00-5:00pm: Session 2 5:15-5:45pm: Keynote Address 6:00pm: Dinner (optional) Register for the Family Summit by January 1 at fvumc.org/ registrations The event is free, and dinner is $5 per person or $20 for a family of four or more (dinner is served at the end and is optional). Programming for Children & Youth Available During the Summit!

2 j F Youth Ministries Outreach j December 2017 Come lift your praises to the birth of our Savior! Operation Share Serve local families and support this FVUMC Youth Ministry outreach by bringing new, unwrapped toys and books by Thursday, Dec. 7. Our youth put together this annual Christmas Store outreach project to reach local families who are not served by other programs. The number of toys each child receives is based on your donations. Operation Share is specifically for children 5th grade and under. Families are anonymous, receiving an invitation from school guidance counselors who write the gender and ages of the children who can be served in each family. On the day of the Christmas Store, we welcome parents to our church and serve as personal shoppers to help them pick out gifts and wrap for their children. We need youth and adults to sign up at fvumc.org/operationshare for Friday, 12/8 and Saturday, 12/9. Let us show Christ s love by helping make Christmas special for many children in our area! a Service of Lessons and Carols Join FVUMC for the 2nd Annual Christmas Traditions Event, this year with two services on Sunday, December 17 at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. The event features an elegant evening including beautifully decorated tables, delicious food (a sweet and savory sampler), and a Lessons and Carols service with music provided by the FVUMC Choirs, Instruments of Praise, and Fanfare Handbells. All in attendance are invited to wear their Christmas best. Tickets are required for this event and are $5 per person with a $15 per family maximum (per service). Purchase them online at fvumc.org/registrations, in the lobby on Sunday, or via the church office. Free nursery care will be available. Contact the church office at or info@ fvumc.org for more information. Our congregation is invited to serve at FVUMC this season in a variety of ways - lighting Advent candles, helping at the Christmas Traditions event, serving Communion on Christmas Eve, helping with the Children s Christmas Eve pageant, greeting on Christmas Eve, etc. Sign up using the link at fvumc.org/christmas! Saturday, Dec. 2 Jingle Bell Beach Children s Musical 4pm. Sunday, Dec. 11 Christmas Praise 9:30 & 11:00 Worship with Cantata presented by Praise Band, Instruments, and Christmas Choir; Early Worship & Communion at 8:00. Sunday, Dec. 17 Christmas Traditions Details on page 3. Wednesday, Dec. 20 Blue Christmas 7:00pm in Room 117 While many are joyfully anticipating festive celebrations, some are in a difficult season of life. The death of a loved one, divorce, loneliness, and the loss of a job are just a few reasons why the Christmas season might be challenging. We want to invite you to attend this worship service that offers a place to claim feelings of sadness while also providing an opportunity to experience God s compassion, comfort, and healing. All are welcome to attend. Sunday, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve 10:30am One Morning Worship Service Featuring Holy Communion and Carols of the Season in a worship style including traditional hymns and contemporary music. No Children s or Youth Sunday School. 3:30pm Children s Nativity Worship Music from Kids NPraise, Spontaneous Christmas Pageant, and Communion 5:30pm Contemporary Worship Music led by the Praise Team, Holy Communion, and Candlelight; Free childcare 6:30pm FVUMC Brass Ensemble playing carols of the season out by the fountain 7:30pm Traditional Worship Music led by the FVUMC Christmas Choir, Holy Communion, and Candlelight 11:00pm Traditional Worship Communion and Candlelight Sunday, December 31 8:00 am Generations Worship with Communion 9:30 am Generations Worship with Communion 11:00 am Generations Worship with Communion j j

3 Boy Scouts Now Accepting Donations of Camping, Backpacking, Hiking Gear Biennial Consignment Sale & Brunch Supporting BSA Troop 320 Sale and Brunch April 14, :00 am 12:00 pm Fuquay Varina UMC Centrum Event includes outdoor activities and games Something for Everyone Contact: Kathy Moger Troop 320 Habitat For Humanity Work Days in January Come join us as we help build a new home in Fuquay- Varina in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood for Habitat for Humanity. FVUMC is sponsoring the build along with the Southwest Wake Faith Coalition. We have a long history of involvement with Habitat for Humanity in Southwest Wake County, and we re honored to be able to help with another home. Help us build a home for a deserving family in Wake Co that would otherwise be unable to become homeowners. Our dedicated work days are January 20 and February 17, 2018 plus a Youth Work Day (16 & older) on February 10. So please don t sign up for the Feb. 17 date until the youth have had plenty of time to fill the spots first. We also have a few slots available on the initial build day Wall Raising on 1/6. (We ll need a total of 5-6 from FVUMC.) There is no skill level required, just a desire to serve and help others. If this opportunity to Serve God interests you, please contact Shawn Eller at sellerdoor1@gmail. com or Purchase a Poinsettia and Support the Children s Ministry! You are invited to purchase a poinsettia in honor or in memory of a loved one, friend, Sunday school teacher, Life Group leader, etc. The poinsettias will decorate the Centrum during Advent and may be picked up following the Christmas Day service. Poinsettias are $10 each and proceeds will support the Children s Ministry. Please plan to purchase your poinsettias by December 12 in order to have your information included in the bulletin on Sunday, December 17. Birthday Party for Jesus This year we will again be having our Birthday Party for Jesus during our 9:30 and 11:00 Sunday school hours. During both service times, children will be dropped off to their Sunday school classes and are invited to wear their pajamas to church. Children are also encouraged to bring Jesus a birthday present (or two) in the form of supplies to help support the Fuquay-Varina Elementary School backpack buddy program. Children and parents will receive a list through and hard copies in Sunday school during December. Of course, no birthday would be complete without games and cake, but on this Sunday we will also be reminding children of the important meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate. We hope your child can join us! Family Advent Calendar Our Family Advent Calendar is back by popular demand! Take advantage of this resource to help you and your families anticipate the celebration of Christ s birth by focusing on the true meaning of the season. The Family Advent Calendar is available by . Contact Amanda Rackley (arackley@fvumc.org) if you are not on the Children s Ministry list and you would like to be) and on the Quay Kids Facebook page each day in December. Don t miss the opportunity to count down the days to Christmas by participating in meaningful activities that will help your families grow in faith together!

4 Christ-Monograms: The Chrismon Tree Chrismons: CHIRSt + MONogram are tree ornaments that proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ through the use of symbols. The symbols used represent a variety of biblical and theological concepts. The evergreen tree symbolizes the eternal life which our Savior has won for us and forms the background for the white and gold Chrismons. White is the liturgical color for Christmas, and suggests the innocence, purity, and perfection of our Savior. It is the color of joy and light. Gold is a symbol for the glory and majesty of God and the Son of God. Some of the symbols include: The Chrismon tree at Fuquay-Varina United Methodist Church was started at the First Methodist Church on Main Street. Mrs. Margaret Lane saw a decorated Chrismon tree in Danville, Virginia at the Lutheran church where Chrismons were first developed. Margaret suggested that the United Methodist Women take on the project of making the Chrismons for the entire Christian year series based on Christ s life. Some of the original ornaments are still in use today. Our tree is given by the Seeds of Faith Preschool to the children of the church. 4 The Anchor Cross was used as a symbol of their faith. The Heart symbolizes charity. The Butterfly symbolizes the resurrection and life everlasting. The Crown symbolizes the kingship of Christ. The Shell represents Baptism. The Christmas Rose symbolizes the Nativity. The IHS Cross uses the first three letters of the name Jesus in Greek. The Eight Pointed Star symbolizes regeneration through Baptism. The Triquetra and Circle symbolize eternity and the Triune God. The Five-Pointed Star is the great symbol of the Epiphany. The Alpha and Omega stands for Christ who says, I am the beginning and the end, the first and the last. The Chalice is used to symbolize the Passion. The Cup is also a symbol of suffering. The Scroll symbolizes the first five books in the Bible. The Lamp stands for Wisdom and Knowledge. Icthus the Fish represents the Savior was used as a secret sign by early Christians. The Angel of God announced the birth and resurrection of Christ. Chi Rho is the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ. The Descending Dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is often shown with a three-rayed nimbus (halo) around its head. Cross with Orb symbolizes Christ s dominion over the world. The Lamb is the symbol of Jesus Christ. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

Fair Trade - Celebrating 10 Years! In 2007, FVUMC hosted its first Fair Trade Store. The difference you have made since then has been incredible! Over the last ten years, a total of $133,299.

10 benefited more than 100 projects in 76 different developing countries, specifically including: Guatemala, Haiti, Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon, El

Thousands were blessed all over the world by the FVUMC Fair Trade Store. They are our brothers and sisters.

Young adults in India were rescued from the slums and given jobs and education; men and women in Kenya were provided with literacy programs; deaf women in Bangladesh were given a job with dignity.

Below is a sampling of the amazing work accomplished by the sale held in the fall and spring each year.

$8,270 benefiting 10 women in Uganda, providing them with a fair wage job, access to clean water, monthly health insurance, and school fees for their children.

5 Fair Trade - Celebrating 10 Years! In 2007, FVUMC hosted its first Fair Trade Store. The difference you have made since then has been incredible! Over the last ten years, a total of $133, has been spent for Fair Trade items through FVUMC s Fair Trade Store. This $133, benefited more than 100 projects in 76 different developing countries, specifically including: Guatemala, Haiti, Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon, El Salvador, Nepal, China, Ecuador, Uganda, Cambodia, Kenya, Philippines, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Bolivia, and Ethiopia. Thousands were blessed all over the world by the FVUMC Fair Trade Store. They are our brothers and sisters. The impact of spending ethically is far-reaching and powerful and is best measured in lives transformed! Farmers and artisans around the world were paid a living wage for their hard work. Young adults in India were rescued from the slums and given jobs and education; men and women in Kenya were provided with literacy programs; deaf women in Bangladesh were given a job with dignity. Girls have been educated and provided with books and uniforms. Women and young girls have been rescued from sex trafficking, offered safety, counseling, and training. Below is a sampling of the amazing work accomplished by the sale held in the fall and spring each year. $12,840 benefiting a project in Ghana that provides a fair wage job, life skill training, and a home for 12 homeless mothers and their children. $8,270 benefiting 10 women in Uganda, providing them with a fair wage job, access to clean water, monthly health insurance, and school fees for their children. $3,180 benefiting a women s cooperative in Guatemala, providing a fair wage job in their village, meaning that those women don t have to leave their families and travel a dangerous road to Guatemala City for work. $1,850 directly helping artisans living in Nepal rebuild their homes after a devastating earthquake. $4,570 benefiting women in Colorado who were previously plagued by extreme poverty and homelessness. This project pays the women a livable wage and also covers the expense of 3 months of life skills training, including parenting classes and financial planning. $1,290 for survivors of sex trafficking in Cambodia. The women earn a living wage, and the program provides them with safe shelter and one year of counseling. $2,300 that goes toward building clean water wells in Haiti. $6, was donated as a gift to Heifer International to provide live stock, seeds, irrigation systems, and training to women who are now able to provide shelter, food, and education to their children. $1, was given as a donation to The Interfaith Food Shuttle of North Carolina who helps train churches to plant and grow community gardens that will in turn feed their communities. $1, was spent on Equal Exchange products, which directly support the work of the United Methodist Committee On Relief. 452 Insect repellant-treated mosquito nets were distributed to women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa. A net provides 5 years of protection from Malaria for up to 6 people. Malaria is the #1 cause of death in this region, meaning you helped save thousands of lives! 5

6 Fuquay-Varina Food Pantry Requests: Instant oatmeal (regular and gluten-free), granola/protein bars, peanut butter, jelly, toothpaste Donations of other food and household items are always welcome. Bring donations to the baskets around the corner from the Welcome Center. (No glass containers.) AmazonSmile FVUMC has an AmazonSmile account. Do your shopping and support the church by starting at ch/ When you start your shopping from that link, Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the church. Church Office Schedule December Closed December 27, 28 Open 8:30am-5pm December 29 Open 8:30am-1pm January 1 - Closed A Different Kind of Gift Do you know anyone who has everything? Consider purchasing a Columbarium niche or memorial plaque on our In Remembrance walls for them or for a loved one. Our columbarium is now serving our church as the sacred space it was envisioned to be. There is room for additional memorial benches and other memorial elements. Visit fvumc.org/ columbarium or kentate@ 6 embarqmail.com for information. Suporting the Missions and Ministries of FVUMC Thank you for being part of what God is doing through FVUMC. Your gifts to this ministry make all the difference in the lives of children, youth, adults and many in need from our community and the world. Ways to Give If you would like to give at this time, please use one of the following options: Online Giving - Gifts can be made online up until 11:59pm on Sunday, December 31, Visit fvumc.org/give-online. Text-to-Give - Text the amount you wish to give to until 11:59pm on Sunday, December 31. For more information, visit fvumc. org/give. Checks & Cash - Place gifts in the offering on or before December 31, 2017 and mark in the memo line as offering. Drop it by the church office before 1pm Friday, December 29, or mail it postmarked by December 30. (After that, all gifts will be recorded as 2018 contributions, even if a check is dated 2017). Our office is closed on December 25 and 26. The office is open from 8:30am-5pm on December 27, 28 and 8:30am-1pm on December 29. Gifts of Securities - Gifts of securities can take several days to process and must be received by UMF by December 27, Be sure to notify the FVUMC finance office of your gift Budget Summary Total Annual Budget $ 1,645, Received YTD - 11/26/17 $ 1,473, Budget needed YTD - 11/26/17 $ 1,277, Difference ( $ 195,570.75) Building Fund Restricted Account $ 123, Building (Brick & Mortar Expenses Only) Restricted Account $ 40, Total $ 164, Annual Expenditure Budget YTD Budget Expenditures as of 11/30/17 Actual Budget Expenditures as of 11/30/17 (preliminary) Difference Sunday Worship Attendance Nov 5 Nov 12 Nov 19 Nov 26 Detailed monthly financial reports are always available in the church office for your review. Monthly Average $ 1,623, $ 1,470, $ 1,286, $ 183, Year-to-Date Average 8:00am :30am :00am Total

Lifeline Youth Help Needed for Operation Share Operation Share is the youth group s special outreach to local families who have not been served by other area ministries.

7 Lifeline Youth Help Needed for Operation Share Operation Share is the youth group s special outreach to local families who have not been served by other area ministries. Your help is needed to create and operate the Christmas Store. We are able to show Christ s love by helping make Christmas special for many children! We need youth and adults to volunteer on both Friday and Saturday. Friday, December 8, 5-8pm - Youth & adults help with set-up Saturday, December 9, 8am-Noon - Youth & adults help with Christmas store Go to fvumc.org/registrations and use the link in the Youth section to sign up and help! Register for Discovery Weekend January 26-28, 2018 Discovery is an action-packed formational weekend for middle school youth that is student-led by our high school youth. Our theme this year is Discover God s Love through Scripture. Registration is due by Wednesday, December 6. Cost is $60 for middle schoolers. We are also in need of adults to volunteer to help with Discovery! There are many different ways for adult volunteers to serve, from being a group leader or overnight chaperone at the church to helping with meals, transportation, and set-up. There are separate sign-ups for middle school participants and adult volunteers. Go to fvumc.org/ registrations and use the link in the Youth section to sign up! All payments are due by December 6 and can be made online at fvumc.org/pay-online. Youth Servers Needed for Christmas Traditions We are in need of more Youth Servers for our Christmas Traditions event on Sunday, Dec. 17. Servers will provide beverage service for tables during the Sweet & Savory sampler dinner and must wear a white long-sleeved button-down shirt, long black pants (no shorts, skirts, or capris), and black dress shoes. The church will provide ties for all servers. Youth who serve during the evening do not need to purchase a ticket, and youth who serve at both the 4 pm and 7 pm services will be provided with dinner. Youth serving at the 4 pm service need to arrive at 3:15 for Server Training, and youth serving at the 7 pm service need to arrive at 6:15. Go to fvumc.org/registrations and use the link in the Youth section to sign up and help! December Youth Calendar Sunday, December 3 - Lifeline Christmas Defy Gravity in Raleigh. We will meet at the church at 5 pm and get back at 8! Wear your wackiest tackiest Christmas attire to jump in! Cost is $20, which includes dinner. Go to fvumc.org/ registrations and use the link in the Youth section to sign up! This is our last Lifeline of the semester - we will resume on Sunday, January 7! Wednesday, December 6 - Last Life Groups for the semester and Operation Share toy drop-off night! Friday, December 8-Saturday, December 9 - Operation Share Wednesday, December 20 - FVUMC Youth Movie Night: Star Wars The Last Jedi. All youth, families, and friends are welcome! Cost is $9.21, and you can pay online at fvumc.org/pay-online. We will meet at Regal Beaver Creek Stadium 12 in Apex - doors open at 3:30 and the movie starts at 4 pm! 7

8 Music Ministries Children s Choir Festival On Saturday, March 10, 2018, FVUMC will be hosting the Sing for Joy Children s Choir Festival, sponsored by The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music & Worship Arts. This is a GREAT opportunity for our kids in 4th-6th grade. Participation in the Children s Choir Festival is not limited to Kids NPraise participants... all 4th - 6th graders are welcome! The festival runs 9:00 am - 3:00 pm that Saturday, with a culminating concert at 2:00 pm that is open to family and friends. Kids who participate in the festival will join their voices with children s choir members from other area churches, as we come together to form one large children s choir! The kids will spend the day rehearsing with a master clinician, and then show off their hard work at the concert. The music for the festival is more traditional choral music than what we normally do in Kids NPraise, and this is a great opportunity for our kids to experience another side of church music. And the best part is, all of this is happening right here at FVUMC! If your child is interested in participating, please register at fvumc.org/registrations no later than Wednesday, January 3, The cost for participation is $10 per child, and includes a Festival T-shirt. Rehearsals All participating kids will need to attend a majority of the following rehearsals* (at FVUMC) prior to the festival, in order to be prepared: Wednesday, January 3-4:30-5:30 pm Wednesday, January 10-4:30-5:30 pm Wednesday, January 17-4:30-5:30 pm Wednesday, February 14-4:30-5:30 pm Wednesday, February 28-6:00-6:30 pm Wednesday, March 7-6:00-6:30 pm *These rehearsals are planned around the 2018 Spring Kids NPraise schedule. The spring 2018 Kids NPraise session starts Wednesday, January 24. Guitar Players Needed The 9:30 worship Praise Band is looking for additional guitar players to join our team. Some prior experience or knowledge is needed, however we are also willing to work with those who may need a little time to sharpen their skills. Team members must be able to commit to Thursday night rehearsals. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Jennifer Harrenstein (music@fvumc.org, ext. 105) for more information. We invite you to join us in prayer for this ministry, as we ask God to call and send servant hearts to help lead our 9:30 worship service. New Music Opportunities in 2018! For more information about these opportunities, please contact Carol Stephenson, Director of Traditional Music, at traditionalmusic@fvumc.org. Men s Choir will become a part of the 8:00 musical offerings. The group is open to any man who loves to sing praise to God. No audition required. The first rehearsal is Sunday, January 21, from 9:15-10:15 am in the choir room. We sing for the 8:00 worship service on January 28, and sing approximately once a month after that, with rehearsal on the Sunday before the service dates. Please contact Carol to be sure there is music waiting for you at the first rehearsal. Active Senior Adult Music Group (60+) Weekly gatherings begin on Monday, January 8, from 10:30-11:15 am! Everyone will start together and will then divide into singing and handbell ringing groups as we see what the group s interests are. We will create a set of songs to can share with friends at local area senior communities and other local events. Come for the music and stay for the fun and fellowship! Contact Carol for questions. Bring a friend Stay in Touch! The latest FVUMC news and events are always posted online at fvumc.org/news. Special features and events are also posted on our Facebook In addition, you can receive churchwide news via . Sign up today at fvumc.org/ subscribe.

CHRISMONS. East Liberty Presbyterian Church 116 South Highland Avenue Pittsburgh, PA

CHRISMONS. East Liberty Presbyterian Church 116 South Highland Avenue Pittsburgh, PA CHRISMONS East Liberty Presbyterian Church 116 South Highland Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206-3985 CHRISMONS The word Chrismon is a combination of the words Christ and monogram. The word Chrismon has been