FIRST THINGS JANUARY, 2017

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1 FIRST THINGS JANUARY, 2017 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 501 Church Street, Sweetwater, TN Website: Glorifying God Offering Christ Making Disciples Serving Others Church Staff: Ron Fisher, Pastor Jacqueline Mason, Children s Minister Crystal Ragan, Youth Minister Larry Orr, Senior Adult Minister Margareth Urias, Music Minister Anne Wilson, Administrative Asst. Melinda Hendricks, Custodian Patricia Richesin, Organist Janet Standridge, First Kids Director All Christians, Ministers REFLECTIONS from PASTOR ron A cartoon in the New Yorker magazine says it all. In the middle of the floor is a dried up, withered, Christmas tree. The calendar on the wall reads December 26. Dad is sitting in his chair with an ice pack on his head. Mom is in a bathrobe and her hair in rollers. The floor is a virtual mountain of torn wrappings, boxes, and bows. Junior is reaching in his stocking to be sure that there is no more candy. In the background we see a table with a thoroughly picked turkey still sitting there. The caption on the cartoon reads simply: The morning after. How do you feel now that we are on the other side of Christmas. Have you taken down your decorations? I always get excited about putting up the Christmas decorations but I am never thrilled about packing them away. Christmas always arrives before we know it and ends as quickly. As we begin the New Year (2017) let's focus on four of God's promises we learned during Advent and Christmas. (1) The angel told Mary, "You will have a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:32) (2) When Joseph was ready to end his relationship with Mary and dismiss her quietly, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." ( Matthew 2:21) (3) The prophet Isaiah said, "They shall name him Emmanuel, which mean, God is with us." (4) While shepherds were watching over their sheep by night an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. The angel said to them, "I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Amazing! We learn so much about God from these four scripture passages. (1) The message to Mary was that Jesus is the Son of the Most High & his kingdom is eternal. This is a concept that we have trouble wrapping our mortal minds around. Our world is measured by time but God's kingdom is everlasting (2) The message to Joseph was that Jesus came into the world for the purpose of saving us from our sins and bringing us salvation. Sin had separated us from God but it no longer has a hold over us. We still sin and make a mess of our lives-- yet God's grace redeems us. (3) The prophet Isaiah reminds us that we are not alone on our pilgrimage in this world-- Emmanuel - God is with us. (4) The message to the shepherds was "Good News" -- the Savior came into the world for everyone. Our lives are filled with meaning & purpose because the Christ of Christmas has come into the world.. I pray you will spend every day of 2017 in the presence of Jesus. Intentionally seek him out each day. Spend time daily in prayer and reading the Bible. Come to church on Sundays for worship and get involved in Sunday School or a small group. Dedicate your life to sharing the love of Jesus with everyone you meet. Get involved in a ministry at the church. Choose everyday to make the world a better place. Make disciples for Jesus. 1

2 I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again. Stephen Grellet On January 1, 2017, we will gather at The Lord's Table and I will look at the story of the Magi which is found only in the Gospel of Matthew. In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage. When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet." And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel." Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. THE SEASON OF GIVING We thank everyone who has supported First United Methodist Church this past year with their time, talent and financial contributions and look forward to support from all of our members in the year ahead. If you need a convenient way to make regular offerings or if you plan to make an additional gift before the end of the year, we encourage you to check out our electronic giving options. As the pace of life speeds up, especially around the holidays, you may find electronic giving a most welcome way to make contributions. Visit and click on Donate Now or contact the church office for more information. The deadline to give contributions to the church and have them posted on the 2016 tax statement is noon, Thursday, December 29. Please make sure you check the hours the office is opened the last couple of weeks in December. The Magi returned home by a different road after being in the presence of the Christ Child. We are Advent people who have traveled to Bethlehem. We have heard the message of Christmas and our lives have been transformed by the "Word that became flesh." Now, let's "Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere, go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born." Happy New Year, Ron 2

3 ALTAR FLOWERS We had an amazing response this past year and altar flowers were provided for every Sunday in 2016! We are hoping those folks will want to continue the tradition year after year. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board outside the church office. Please contact Susanne Mortimer at talk/text or She will be glad to answer any questions or help with any details in providing flowers. If each of us signed up for just one Sunday a year, we would have plenty of beautiful flowers every Sunday!!! WELCOME NEW MEMBERS OF OUR 2017 LEADERSHIP COMMITTEES Thank you to those individuals who have served in the past, those who continue to serve, and to the new people who will begin serving on Leadership Committees in the church in We really appreciate your dedication and ongoing service to your church. The Church counts on its members to lead and it really cannot thrive without your leadership. There are several new people joining our committees in 2017 and we appreciate your willingness to step forward and help. The list is posted on the bulletin board outside the office. If you would like to have a copy, please contact Anne or drop by the office. HAPPY NEW YEAR May God shower you and your dear ones with all the love, luck and happiness in the world! Best wishes and seasons greetings for the New Year from me to you. Love, Anne 3

4 SENIOR HAPPENINGS SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO OUR SENIORS BORN IN JANUARY Jan 2 Patsy Goodman Jan 3 Venoy Hadorn Jan 4 Buster West Jan 6 Pat Mow Jan 11 John Walden Jan 14 Melissa Polley Jan 16 Carrie Bright Jan 20 Ann Toomey Jan 31 Ron Fisher The person featured in the December newsletter Who Am I article was Geri Babb. SENIOR ADULT TRIP SCHARACKS CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND On a dreary Tuesday evening, 31 of our seniors traveled to Shadrack s Christmas Wonderland located at the Tennessee Smokies Baseball Stadium parking lot near Sevierville. Before viewing the light display, they dined on some yummy food at Uncle Buck s Grill located inside a nearby Bass Pro Shop. Once at the park they were greeted to an amazing light display billed as the world s largest drive-through, fully synchronized, LED Christmas light and music show. It takes about 25 minutes to drive through the display, but you can take as long as you like and stop often to get out, take pictures, or simply admire the dazzling panorama. Most everyone agreed that it was amazing for the cost ($25 per car and $40 per church van) and odds are this trip could find its way back onto the 2017 seniors trip calendar. The light display is open until January 8 th from dusk to 10 pm, and later on weekends. If you haven t seen this display, it is well worth the trip! 4

5 KIDS KORNER REZKIDZ January 14-15, 2017 The Connexion The new Holston Conference Event Center in Sevierville If you are interested in attending, please let Miss Jacqueline know right away so she can reserve some rooms. You won t want to miss this wonderful family worship event. To register go to Cost is $20/person until January 12th. Children 3 & under are free! A MESSAGE FROM MISS JACQUELINE RE: OUR KIDS TASK (Tuesday After School Kids) begins Tuesday, January 17 from 3:15-5:00 pm. You are welcome to join this fun after-school group for kids from K-5. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18 4:30 pm Preschool Bible 4:45 pm Preschool Choir 5:00-6:00 pm Children s Choir 6:15 pm WEB (Wednesday Evening Bible) for children ages 5-11 years. WEDNESDAY NIGHT CONNECTION BEGINS ON JANUARY 18 We re so excited to once again begin our WNC dinners, Bible Studies, and Children s Activities. Please plan to join us commencing January 18th for a dinner prepared by our members from the church. If you and some of your friends would like to volunteer to prepare one of the meals, we would be so very grateful. Please contact Jody Smithey or call the office. We would also appreciate folks stepping up to help with the clean-up. If we have lots of volunteers, it s not such a burden on a few people. You are very welcome to attend just the dinner and fellowship if you choose. The Bible studies will start on January 25. Below is the schedule. Jan 18 WNC Dinner only Jan 25 Bible Studies begin (Week 1) Feb 1 WNC (Week 2) Feb 8 WNC (Week 3) Feb 15 WNC (Week 4) Feb 22 WNC (Week 5) Mar 1 WNC Dinner & Ash Wednesday Service (No Bible Studies) Mar 8 WNC (Week 6) Mar 15 WNC (Week 7) Mar 22 WNC (Week 8) (Last WNC) Mar Spring Break IMPORTANT: Our church runs on the same schedule as the Sweetwater City Schools as far as closures are concerned. If the schools are closed due to inclement weather, the church will be closed too. This particularly pertains to Wednesday Night Connection activities. Thank you. 5

6 WE CELEBRATE OUR YOUTH Hello Church, It's been a while since I have written, but honestly, we re just hanging out every Sunday and Wednesday learning more about Jesus!!! Just for fun... look at these Crazy Boys, Can you believe how fast they are growing?!? In October we attended the Judgment Day program at Fairview. It was a great experience for all of us and the Kids want to go again next year!! Thank you Mr. Steve Ragan, Mr. Scott and Mrs. Lea Watson for driving us and giving of your time... We love you!!! 6

7 We had a Wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner and Lock- In, along with playing Midnight Laser Tag in Knoxville. Unfortunately, we had a broken arm, and several shared the Stomach Virus during that time. Thank you to all who provided food, Mr. Tim Andrus and Mr. Tom Bieniek for giving so freely of your time... we love you and are very Thankful for you!!! This Season I have shared a revelation with My Kids, I think they appreciate my Simple Mind. It has opened doors for them to think deeper and ask lots of questions. Some to which I'm having to pray and research answers for!!! What is My Revelation?!?? That Jesus was not simply born of the Virgin Mary on Christmas Day, HE left His Father in the Heavens and came to this Earth. HE LEFT HIS FATHER!!! He left the ONLY Perfect place, free from suffering, pain and disappointment... ALL because of His LOVE FOR US!!! From the minute of His conception, problems began. His life was full of trouble, persecution and exclusion. But none of this was a surprise to Him. NO, He knew when He left His Fathers right hand... He knew all that He would endure. I don't know about you, but knowing all of what He would face would have been a deal breaker for me. Thank our God in Heaven that Jesus loved us enough to be obedient and come save us anyway!!! Much love, Crystal Ragan 7