Pastor David. Inside this issue: them on the branches of the willow trees. For there our captors demanded a song of us. Our tormentors requested

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1 The mission of First United Methodist Church of Silsbee is to glorify God, make disciples, and transform lives in Christ December 3, 2015 A publication of : First United Methodist Church 670 North 5th Street, Silsbee, Texas Phone: (409) Rev. David Green Senior Pastor Rev. Nancy Ratchford Associate Pastor Come Visit Us At: Inside this issue: Cantata Ad 2 Olivia Dawson Info 2 Boy Scout Update 3 Advent Study 4 Music Notes 4 Memorials and Gifts 4 Presence 4 Converge Youth 5 Staff Spotlight 6 Advent Information 7 Community 8 Thanksgiving Info Dear Friends, When I think of the Christmas season, my mind and heart are drawn to music. Now, not just any music, but Christmas music. Who can forget such classics as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, O Holy Night, Jingle Bells, and my personal secular favorite: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (no offense to any grandmas out there!). Our church hymnal has several excellent selections that, when sung, will put you in the Christmas mood for sure. But I must say, it is hard for me to think of the beauty and meaning of the music when once again mass violence has happened in the USA. This time what was truly horrible was that the victims were in a center for people with disabilities. This ungodly incident reminds me of the Book of Psalms 137, verses 1-4: Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. We put away our lyres, hanging them on the branches of the willow trees. For there our captors demanded a song of us. Our tormentors requested a joyful hymn: Sing us one of the songs of Jerusalem! But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? Dear friends, what is happening is not just about guns, or politics, or disgruntled individuals. What is happening in our society today, that no one is saying in the media, is the fact that evil is real and Satan is at war with us. Please pray for the victims and those who were especially trying to protect us all. And pray with gratitude that because of what we celebrate this month, we can sing O Holy Night even in our times of pain and loss. May God watch over us, Pastor David

2 Robbie Reeves Joyce McClung LaVerne Ross Tommy and Dinah Smith Linn and Barbara Wallace Stan and Susan Wallace Bert Wallace James Bland Marianne Deadmon Ed and Sonia Cain Reid and Sharon Dickard Methogram Schedule Dec 16 publication Please submit any articles and info by noon, Tues. Dec 15. Worship 11/ / Sunday School 11/ /29 75 Gifts 11/22 $5, /29 $2, We will be having a live Nativity scene on the front church lawn December Gather five or more friends and family members and come be a part of this wonderful mission. You can sign up in the church office or call Glenda Delano at The scene starts each night at 5:30 and goes until 7:30. Come to the parlor a little early to get your costume. We have a wide variety of costumes, so come and join us. We even supply safety pins, so the costumes will fit everyone! Glenda Delano Second Sunday of Advent/Holy Communion on December 6th Everyone is reminded and invited to worship on December 6 as we celebrate Holy Communion in worship. Our Holy Communion offering for December will be the Angel Tree project. The Angel Tree is a unique program that started in Lynchburg, Virginia in It involves the community in a direct way allowing them to become personally involved by sharing with those less fortunate in their community. The program provides gifts of new clothing and toys to thousands of children who otherwise might not have anything for Christmas. Children who are recipients of Angel Tree gifts are from families who have applied for Christmas assistance through the Social Services program of The Salvation Army.

3 The chill is in the air and Christmas is right around the corner. The youth have started an advent study called Christmas Light Splits the Night. It is a study about the hardships, journey and coming of our savior, Jesus Christ. We will be having youth every Sunday this month at 5:30 pm with a meal provided. If you know of any youth that would like to join us, please invite them or let me know. There is also a camp being offered that our church hasn t participated in for a while. Midwinter Camp is February It is a conference-wide retreat and will be at Lakeview. This retreat is for youth in 6 th - 12 th grade. The information and registration packets are here, and available in the office. This retreat costs $115 per participant and registration is due by January 22, 2016.For more details, please or call me. The youth will be attending Hot Hearts on January Tickets are $30 and money needs to be turned in BEFORE December 22 to reserve your spot so that we all have seats together. We will meet at the church on Friday at 5:00 pm and leave for Ford Park. We will return that night no later than 11:45 pm. Saturday morning, we will meet at 7:00 am and go have breakfast before getting to Ford Park. We will have sack lunches at the stadium and will return to the church Saturday night at approximately 4:00 pm. Please contact me or the church office for permission slips for this trip. The youth are also hosting a Valentine s Day dinner on February 14. We will have a dinner and a fun little game. Mark that date on your calendar and come join us for a nice night out with everything taken care of for you. Below are dates for trips and other important dates. Please note that as of right now, I only have the dates for many of these trips, and not all the details and prices. As I get information, I will continue to pass that along. Important Dates: January 17 No Converge due to James at school January Hot Hearts February Midwinter Retreat June 6-10 Choir Camp June 26-July 2 UM ARMY July 4-8 District Camp James Borello Director Converge Student Ministries

4 Your church staff would like to share a little about ourselves so that you can get to know us better. Staff Member: Nancy Ratchford Position on Staff: Associate Pastor How long have you been working for the church? I was appointed as Associate Pastor at First United Methodist Church in I am a part-time Local Pastor. I have been blessed by God to serve this church for 16 years Tell us about your family I am a widow. I have three daughters and two stepsons. I have eight beautiful and smart grandchildren. Are you from Silsbee? If not, where are you from? I was born and raised in Greenville, TX. I went to college at Baylor University and received a B.S degree.in Medical Technology. What are you doing when you are not at work? I read and study a lot. I recently completed the Course of Study for Local Pastors at Perkins School of Theology, and that required a lot of reading and writing papers. What is your favorite hymn or praise song? My favorite hymn is Amazing Grace. My favorite Praise Song is How Great is our God. What brought you to church work? Robert Stutes, a former pastor of this church, encouraged me to go to Licensing School to become a Local Pastor. What is your favorite part of your job? Loving and serving God and the people. I love this church and I am so thankful that I have been called to serve at First United Methodist in Silsbee. If you have any other questions you would like to ask Pastor Nancy, you can her at nmr428@aol.com.

5 2016 Stewardship Campaign a Success Good news!!! First UMC Silsbee has stepped up in a big way to financially support the many ministry areas of our church in As of December 1, we have received pledged amounts of $288,588, which is 87% of our projected 2016 budget. This great total features an increase in pledging by 27 families, and an exciting first time pledging by 22 families. Our 2016 budget will be officially adopted in January, so it is still not too late to join in with this important opportunity. To join in with many others, simply call our church office and we will gladly supply a 2016 pledge card for you. Again, thanks be to God for this wonderful outpouring of faith commitments. Scripture and Sermons for the Season of Advent The seasons of advent and Christmas are just around the corner. Pastor David will be preaching from the gospel of Luke and the following are dates and information 2nd Sunday of Advent Dec. 6 Luke 3:1-6 Sermon: All I want for Christmas is Forgiveness. 3rd Sunday of Advent Dec. 13 Christmas Cantata December 6-20 Youth Ornament Sale December 24, 5:00 pm Family Candlelight Service 4th Sunday of Advent Dec. 20 Luke 1:39-45 Sermon: All I want for Christmas is Joy. Christmas Eve Dec. 24 Luke 2:1-20 Sermon: All I want for Christmas is Jesus. December 13 9:30 am Sunday School 11:00 am Cantata December Live Nativity December 20, 10:00 am Birthday Party for Jesus December 20, 4:00 pm Sing for Your Supper Caroling Followed by supper December 24, 7:00 pm Traditional Candlelight Service December 27 9:30 am Sunday School 11:00 am One Combined Service

6 December 13, :30 a.m. First UMC Silsbee, Sanctuary First United Methodist Church 670 North 5th Street Silsbee Texas RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED