COMMUNITY. MonValley District Newsletter

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1 MonValley District Newsletter DECEMBER 2015 MonValley District Office 309 Cleveland Avenue, Suite 100, Fairmont, WV Phone: ~ Fax: Inside this issue: Dear Sisters and Brothers, I greet you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John says nothing about the actual birth of Jesus, but the magnificent prologue to the Gospel says a lot about why it mattered. There we read that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. Without the light of Christ, we struggle in the world s darkness. Without that light we either give up in despair or endlessly and uselessly plot ways to ward off the ultimate futility of life. We fear the darkness, but we are powerless to overcome it. Now comes the light, and we can see our way. John proclaims the essential point: The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory...full of grace and truth. Christ is God s grace to us. Christ freely offers God s love, which we could never merit on our own and which draws us out of our despair. Christ can be God s grace to us because Christ is also the truth about God. Christ is who and what God really is. Now we know. Now the darkness of our ignorance and fear has been broken. The essential truth about life has to appear in human form in order to touch us. God cannot be remote and speculative to penetrate our deeper self. The heart of the meaning of God, the Logos, the Word somehow must be present in the flesh or we shall never get it. On Christmas we celebrate God s true presence to us in Christ. DS Calendar Prayer Concerns and Joys Merry Christmas Birthdays & Anniversaries District Edu Funds 2015 Clergy Christmas Dinner Conference FS Update District FS Update Looking/Planning Ahead Mission & Ministry News Cooperative Parish News Giving Tuesday U M Men News Clergy and Spouse Retreat Night to Shine C.O.M.E Grace and Peace, Rick District Website- Monvalleyumc.org

Page 2 MonValley District Superintendents Calendar Richard K DeQuasie December, 2015 December 2 Blueville-Haymond PPRC Meeting, 6:00 PM 3 DCOM, 10:00 AM, District Office, Fairmont 5 District Clergy

2 Page 2 MonValley District Superintendents Calendar Richard K DeQuasie December, 2015 December 2 Blueville-Haymond PPRC Meeting, 6:00 PM 3 DCOM, 10:00 AM, District Office, Fairmont 5 District Clergy Christmas Dinner, Philippi UMC, Philippi, 11:30 AM Fellowship, 12 Noon Eat 6 Blacksville Charge Conference, Olive UMC, 2:00 PM 9-11 Cabinet Christmas, Charleston 15 Clergy Appointment Request Forms Due in the District Office 19 District Lead Team Meeting, District Office, Fairmont, 10:00 AM District Office Closed for Christmas 31 District Office Closed for New Year s Prayer Concerns and Joys PLEASE LIFT THESE PERSONS UP IN PRAYER: Sandra Berisford continued healing Brad Blanchard dealing with serious medical issues Craig and Carol Blankenship and the people of Enterprise UMC as they deal with the loss of the parsonage Susie DeQuasie continued healing Jo McCartney continued healing Bruce Miller continued healing Sherry Rawlings continued healing Gina Stewart continued healing Michael Waide Mother, Linda, fighting cancer TO ALL OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE MONVALLEY DISTRICT: WE PRAY FOR A BLESSED AND SAFE CHRISTMAS THAT OVERLFOWS WITH CHRIST S LOVE AND PEACE

Page 3 Birthdays DECEMBER Anniversaries DECEMBER 1 Aulbert Pete Roberts 6 Clyde and Alma Jean Beard 3 Tim Edin Mark and Karyn Harris Peggy Petrich 8 Jim and Mary Zinn 5 Kim Bleigh 13 Steve and Lesa

3 Page 3 Birthdays DECEMBER Anniversaries DECEMBER 1 Aulbert Pete Roberts 6 Clyde and Alma Jean Beard 3 Tim Edin Mark and Karyn Harris Peggy Petrich 8 Jim and Mary Zinn 5 Kim Bleigh 13 Steve and Lesa Wotring 9 Connie Helms 15 GE and Bonnie McCabe 10 Vaughn Michael 18 Lee and Rotha Hall 11 Judy Lightner 21 Bob and Florence Wilkins Mark Rawlings 23 Jim and Carolyn Kerr 18 Donna Kinsey 28 Brad and Stephanie Bennett 20 Claude Kinty Andrew and Megan Burd Harris Barbra May Steve and Judy Lightner 22 Stanley Merrifield 23 Daryl Shue Please contact the district office 24 Dan Lowther to make corrections, additions 25 Aslam Barkat or deletions to the birthday and/or 27 Hal Hevener anniversary dates listed 31 D D Meighen MonValley District Educational Funds Emphasis for 2015 $9,473 Goal Thank you for your giving! We not only reached, but exceeded, our goal! The mission emphasis for 2015 MonValley District Charge Conferences is the three Educational Funds established by General Conference. MEF (Ministerial Educational Fund) provides scholarships for Licensing School, Course of Study, and Seminary as well as continuing formation events in our Annual Conference. (25% of monies received are returned to our Annual Conference) Your pastor has benefited from MEF funds in some way. The Africa University Fund, provides scholarships to the only degree granting institution of higher education supported by the UMC in Africa. Young men and women from 25 countries come to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees. The Black College Fund supports the 11 historically Black United Methodist colleges and universities here in the United States. As is our custom, the District Superintendent, Rick DeQuasie, collected monies from each church for $1 per member at Charge Conferences to insure that we reached our 2015 district goal of $9,473. Because of your faithfulness, our Annual Conference continues to be able to pay 100% of these funds annually. Thank you to those churches that were faithful to this mission asking! MonValley District Clergy Christmas Dinner Saturday, December 5, 2015 Philippi United Methodist Church 115 Mason Street, Philippi, WV 11:30 A.M. Fellowship Time 12:00 P.M. Noon Let s Eat!

4 Page 4 MonValley District Conference Apportionment Update Through October 31, 2015 Thank you for your faithfulness! Churches that have paid 100%: Arnettsville, Avery, Bailey Memorial, Ballah Chapel, Bethlehem, Blackshere, Boothsville, Buckeye, Central Chapel, Chestnut Ridge, Christ, Community, Concord, Corley, Cross Roads, Downs, Eldora, Evansville, Fairview (Catawba), Fairview (Woodland), First Shinnston, Flemington, Fort Martin, Highland Park, Hopewell (Catawba), Howesville, Janes Memorial, Joetown, Johnson Chapel, Jones Run, Kingmont, Lambert s Run, Mariah s Chapel, Mary s Chapel, McCurdysville, Mt. Israel, Mt. Moriah, Mt. Pleasant (Harner Chapel), Mt. Tabor, Mt. View, Mt. Zion (Evansville), Mt. Zion (Catawba), Oak Forest, Olive, Peora, Pine Bluff, Pisgah (Bruceton Mills Circuit), Pleasant Valley, Plum Run, Riverside, Rymer, Shays Chapel, Simpson Evans Chapel, Sinclair, Snider s Temple, Sugar Creek, Teverbaugh Chapel, Valley Chapel (Wadestown), Wadestown, Wallace, Wesley Chapel (Rivesville Circuit), Wesley (Morgantown), West Farmington, Winfield Churches that are ahead: Bee Gum, Benton Ferry, Berea, Bruceton Mills, Burns Chapel, Central, Colfax, Enterprise, Fellowsville, First Mannington, Granville, Harner Chapel, Hutchinson, Kanes Creek, LIFE, Mt. Union, Otterbein, Pisgah (Meadowdale), Trinity (Grafton), Victor Chapel, Warren Churches that are on schedule: (83.33%) Astor, Camp Chapel, East High Street, Hopewell (Bruceton Mills Circuit), Kasson, Knottsville, Levels, Logansport, Mansfield, Miracle Run, Mt. Pleasant (Knottsville), Mt. Vernon (Mansfield), Mt. Vernon (Kanes Creek), New Hope Valley, Newburg, Sabra, Spruce Street, Valley Chapel (Fairmont), Walnut Grove, Wana, Wesley Chapel (Knottsville), Westside MonValley District Office Apportionment (Promotional Fund) Update The following churches have paid 100% of their 2015 District Apportionment: Arnettsville, Astor, Avery, Bailey Memorial, Ballah Chapel, Barrackville, Bee Gum, Benton s Ferry, Berea, Bethel (S. Fairview), Bethel (Belington-Junior), Birds Creek, Blackshere, Blueville, Boothsville, Brookhaven, Bruceton Mills, Buckeye, Burns Chapel, Camp Chapel, Carolina, Catawba, Centenary, Central Chapel, Cheat Lake, Chestnut Ridge, Christ, Colfax, Community, Concord, Crim Memorial, Cross Roads, Cuzzart, East High Street, Eldora, Elk City, Esler Chapel, Evansville, Fairview (Catawba), Fairview (Woodland), Fellowsville, Fetterman, First (Mannington), First (Shinnston), Flemington, Fort Martin, Gateway, Good Shepherd, Grace Chapel, Granville, Green Hill, Gypsy, Harner Chapel, Highland Avenue, Highland Park, Hopewell (Catawba), Howesville, Hutchinson, Janes Memorial, Jerusalem, Joetown, Johnson Chapel, Jones Run, Kanes Creek, Kingmont, Knottsville, Lamberts Run, Laurel Point, Levels, LIFE, Logansport, Lumberport, Lynch Chapel, Mansfield, Mariah s Chapel, Mary s Chapel, Masontown, Miracle Run, Montana Mines, Monumental, Mt. Israel, Mt. Moriah, Mt. Morris, Mt. Pleasant (Knottsville), Mt. Pleasant (Harner Chapel), Mt. Tabor, Mt. Vernon (Kanes Creek), Mt. Vernon (Mansfield), Mt. Zion, Mt. Zion (Evansville), Nestorville, New Hope Valley, Newburg, Olive, Peora, Pine Bluff, Pisgah (Bruceton Mills Ct.), Pisgah (Meadowdale), Pruntytown, Reedsville, Rivesville, Sabra, Shays Chapel, Sinclair, Snider Temple, Spruce Street, Sturgiss Chapel, Sugar Creek, Sugar Valley, Talbott, Teverbaugh Chapel, Trinity (Grafton), Valley Chapel (Fairmont), Wadestown, Wallace, Walnut Grove, Wana, Wesley (Morgantown), Warren, Wesley Chapel (Knottsville), Wesley Chapel (Rivesville Ct.), West Farmington, Westside, Westover, Winfield, Ziesing

Page 5 Looking/Planning Ahead for Your Local Church December, 2015 through February, 2016.

5 Page 5 Looking/Planning Ahead for Your Local Church December, 2015 through February, DECEMBER Special Dinners, Choir Cantatas, Children s Pageants, Candlelight Services - expect visitors and be ready to welcome them 1 World AIDS Day 2 DS Meeting at Blueville/Haymond Charge 3 DCOM 5 District Clergy Christmas Dinner, Philippi UMC, Philippi, Gathering-11:30 am, Dinner-12 Noon 9-11 Cabinet Christmas 15 Clergy Appointment Request Forms Due in the District Office 19 District Lead Team Meeting, District Office, Fairmont, 10:00 AM 3:00 PM 24 Christmas Eve, District Office Closed 25 Christmas Day, District Office Closed 31 New Year s Eve / Watch Night JANUARY Meet With Each Church Committee, Review Goals Set at Charge Conference, Complete Annual Conference Statistical Report 1 Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus / New Year s Day 3 Epiphany Sunday 6 Epiphany of the Lord 10 Baptism of the Lord 11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day Cabinet 14 District Clergy Meeting, Gateway UMC, Fairmont, 9:30 AM Fellowship, 10:00 AM Worship and Meeting (lunch provided) 17 Human Relations Day 18 Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. s Birthday Observance Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 23 District Lead Team Meeting, District Office, Fairmont, 1:00 PM 24 Ecumenical Sunday Cabinet FEBRUARY Plan Lenten Services. Make Lenten purple bows for each household to place on the door, mailbox, or light post to identify homes of church members and friends 2 Presentation of the Lord/Candlemas 6 DCOM Interviews, Gateway UMC, Fairmont (schedule and questions will go out in January) 7 Transfiguration of the Lord 10 Ash Wednesday 14 Boy Scout Sunday 15 Presidents Day / Wesley Foundation at FSU & PCTC Cabinet\ 20 District Lead Team Meeting, District Office, Fairmont, 1:00 PM 29-3/2 Cabinet Plan NOW to attend the MonValley District Clergy and Spouse Retreat scheduled for March 4 and 5, 2016 at Stonewall Resort

6 Page 6 Mission and Ministry News Heart and Hand House, Inc.: As we move into the last month of 2015, we re still in the thanks-giving spirit, here, at Heart and Hand. We re thankful for all the items we received through the Undie Sunday collections across the district. We will be distributing these gifts at our Christmas Basket distribution in mid-december. These basic clothing items, that most of us take for granted, are appreciated by our families more than you may know. Last year a mother was actually moved to tears when she discovered that she could get free socks and underwear, not just for her children, but for herself, as well. We re also thankful for the wonderful response we ve received in support of our Christmas Basket program this year. Your gifts of food items, enabling us to provide families with food for a special Christmas dinner, along with hygiene and cleaning products, are much appreciated. We d also like to remind you about a couple other opportunities to support our ministry this Christmas season. First, consider participating in Giving Tuesday. This year s theme is Activate Love-Transform Lives-Change the World. On Tuesday, December 1, between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Central Time (1:00 a.m. to 12:59 p.m. our time), visit the website click on Give to Mission; using the search box, enter Heart and Hand House, Inc. or search for our Advance number ; and make a donation. That s all there is to it! Secondly, if you do any Christmas shopping online, check out AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com, but when customers shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the Amazon- Smile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations of their choice like Heart and Hand. Please consider shopping smile.amazon.com this Christmas season and support the work of Heart and Hand at the same time. Here s a direct link to our support page: smile.amazon.com/ch/ Thank you for your gifts and prayers! May God richly bless you this Christmas season! - Brenda Hunt, Executive Director Scott s Run Settlement House: Greetings from Scott's Run Settlement House! We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the churches in the district who donated food, time, and money to our Thanksgiving Outreach Program! With your help, Scott's Run was able to provide over 1,000 individuals with a Thanksgiving meal! Thank you for your continued support and prayers for our ministry! Peace and Blessings, - Shay Petitto, Executive Director Cooperative Parish News Morgantown West Cooperative Parish: Many in our parish are looking forward to December 5 th, the day of our mission ministry event at Sundale Nursing home here in Morgantown. Some of our pastors, kids, youth and adults from parish churches will spend a couple hours with SunDale residents taking them Christmas cards from our churches, addressing and mailing cards to family and friends of residents who are unable to do so themselves. Our kids and youth will be coloring pictures with and/or for the residents and we will have people available to visit with residents and have prayer with them. We are looking forward to a day filled with joy as we share God s blessing with others. - Pastor Jo McCartney, Parish Coordinator Shinnston Cooperative Parish: We bring you holiday greetings from the Shinnston Cooperative Parish!! It has been a wonderful year of blessings here in the parish. We continue to seek God s leading in missions and ministries throughout our Parish. We continue to stay very active and engaged with each other so that we may see the needs where they are in our communities. We are looking forward to another wonderful year of sharing in ministry together. So, keep your eyes peeled for more exciting happenings from the Shinnston Cooperative Parish. Blessings to you all!!!- Pastor Cindy Murphy, Parish Coordinator

7 Page 7 MonValley District United Methodist Men December Update: Yes, December is here and the Christmas Season is upon us. I hope that all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day Holiday and pray that all will have a wonderful time of preparation for the Lord s coming. Enjoy the Advent time and ALWAYS remember the blessings that we have already received through the coming of Jesus. May your households be blessed with good health, happiness, peace and joy. Safe travels to all who need to do so during the holidays. May the New Year bring blessings to one and all throughout Let us rejoice in all that God has made. REMINDER: As previously stated, the next MonValley District UMM meeting will be on January 12, 2016, at Westover United Methodist Church. Gathering will begin at 6:00 and dinner begins at 6:30. Ralph Herron, WV UMM Scouting Coordinator, will give a presentation on Scouting Ministry. Please plan to join us for another informative, enjoyable, inspirational meeting! Hope to see you there! Please keep those in mind who are in special need of prayer, including Allen Wolfe, John Jones, and Odell Miller. Your brother in Christ, Paul Hanko, MonValley District UMM President Hanko@comcast.net, H , C

Roanoke, West Virginia Beginning at 7 PM on Friday March 4 and 5,

8 Page 8 MonValley District Pastor and Spouse Retreat LOVE LANGUAGES Retreat Leaders: Rick and Susie DeQuasie Stonewall Jackson Lodge Roanoke, West Virginia Beginning at 7 PM on Friday March 4 and 5, 2016 Ending at 3 PM on Saturday Registration forms will be sent in January, 2016

Page 9 Celebration of Mission Event C.O.M.E. 2016 The MonValley District Celebration of Mission Event is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2016. It will run from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Please make note of the date on your calendar and spread the word to your congregations, family and friends. The C.O.M.E.

Church and Community Ministries, and Volunteers in Mission.

9 Page 9 Celebration of Mission Event C.O.M.E The MonValley District Celebration of Mission Event is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, It will run from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Sadly, the Middletown Mall in Fairmont was not available to us. The new location will be announced soon. Please make note of the date on your calendar and spread the word to your congregations, family and friends. The C.O.M.E. is an opportunity for all persons and churches to present the fruits of their faith, labors, and commitment to the support of our West Virginia Annual Conference United Methodist Mission Projects, Church and Community Ministries, and Volunteers in Mission. It is a day to reach out to help the world s needs through local fund-raising by making and selling crafts, quilts, food items, and by gathering material goods for mission kits and /or other designated needs. It is a celebration of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to do good in this world as the Body of Christ. Join other congregations in supporting missions with your presence on April 30. The two missions that have been assigned to MonValley District for 2016 are the Ebenezer Community Outreach Center and the Greater Clarksburg Cooperative Parish. We will advertise each mission s Needs List in the January district newsletter. Rick and the Co-Chairs for the COME (Ginny Davidson, Barbara Metcalfe and Janice Watts) ask that you begin planning and preparing now so that our upcoming COME will be awesome! We invite you to send us your COME activity and/or plans for What will you be doing to raise funds for this event? Please us at monvalleydistrictumc@outlook.com with your information. We will be sharing across the district how you have been and continue to be Mission-Minded in the district newsletter each month. Here are some money raising possibilities we want to share for the MonValley District Celebration of Mission Event: Collect money in church the month of March, Put out a basket every Sunday and have members donate their loose change, Bake sales, Hot Dog sale, Basement sale, Gospel sing, Have an auction in each parish, Get the youth involved, Bakeless bake sale, Walk-a-thon, Fishing tournament, Craft sales. Jesus said, As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it unto me. (Matthew 25:40) The district superintendent hopes that churches, individuals, and businesses will be willing to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

10 MonValley District The United Methodist Church 309 Cleveland Avenue, Suite 100 Fairmont WV Phone: Hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm M-F Fax: District Office Rick DeQuasie s rdequasie1968@gmail.com District Office Website: monvalleyumc.org Rev. Richard K. DeQuasie District Superintendent Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball Resident & Presiding Bishop West Virginia Annual Conference MONVALLEY DISTRICT NEWSLETTER If you receive this newsletter from a printed source and would like to have it sent to you electronically please send your address to the district office at monvalleydistrictumc@outlook.com.

COMMUNITY. MonValley District Newsletter

COMMUNITY. MonValley District Newsletter MonValley District Newsletter JULY 2015 MonValley District Office 309 Cleveland Avenue, Suite 100, Fairmont, WV 26554 Phone: 304-366-6811 ~ Fax: 304-333-0224 Inside this issue: Dear Sisters and Brothers,