Our gifts have touched heaven s Gift Jesus!

Transcription

1 December 2011 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Letter from John 1-2 A Celebration of Joy 3 Top Notchers 4 Youth Scoop 5 Children s Ministry 6 Small Groups 7 Joy Boxes 8 UMW 9 Birthdays & Anniversaries 10 Contact us Phone: Fax: Pastor John Gaulke johng@altoonaumc.org Shelene Billups Children s Ministry Director sheleneb@altoonaumc.org Sarah Millard Administrative Assistant sarahm@altoonaumc.org LeAnn Gaulke Director of Small Groups, Assimilation, & Youth Director leanngaulke@hotmail.com Jane Burns Financial Manager janeb@altoonaumc.org Steve McLellan Director of Creative Arts & Pastoral Care stevem@altoonaumc.org Heather Mahoney Visual Arts Director heatherm@altoonaumc.org Dear Friend, Christmas is often referred to as the Season of Giving. Some may wonder why, but I bet you already know. It is the time of the year when we remind ourselves of the great gift that God sent to us when he gave his Son Jesus. You know the verse; it is tucked away in the recesses of your heart: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. And what a gift it was and is and will always be. It is the most precious gift that has ever been given to you. God gave and so we give. This is the season when perhaps more than at any other time of the year we are mindful of our blessings and the needs of others. The cold brisk air of December meets the warmth of Christmas compassion, and the winds of kindness and love start to blow. It is the season to give. And give you have. The Turkey Mission Dinner was simply a miracle. To date, over $25,000 has been given which translates into 125,000 meals. Try to explain what happened to someone without using terms like amazing, unbelievable, incredible, or miraculous you can t. The best English word we have is miracle! But the miracles don t stop there. Over 360 needy families will soon open Joy Boxes. The number of local families being touched with kindness this year is double what we were able to do last year. Why? God! God with us and in us God working through us. The words of Matthew 25:40 seem so appropriate, it is a future scene from Great Judgment, The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40 (NIV) Our gifts have touched heaven s Gift Jesus! Continued on page 2

2 Page 2 May we all remember this Christmas season the time when God invited us to give our best for others, the time when God moved in our midst and multiplied our gifts into more than we could ever have imagined. What a joy it is to be your pastor! Walking with you on cloud 9, Pastor John November 27, December 4, 11, & 18 8:20, 9:40, & 11:00 a.m.

3 Page 3 The sounds of Christmas tradition will be fresh and yet familiar as we gather on Sunday, December 18 to hear the choirs and festival orchestra combine with all new costuming for our nativity celebration. This Celebration of Joy can be experienced in the traditional service and both contemporary services. Come join in singing with the choir and orchestra on a grand and powerful presentation of Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Hear the bell choir ring in the season with the chancel choir in the popular song by Michael W. Smith titled Christmastime. Feel the Christmas gospel celebration with African percussion as the Chancel Choir sings an African Alleluia. Your heart will be genuinely touched as we bring it all together in the song One Child, originally recorded on Mariah Carey s Christmas album. The Chancel Choir, children s voices, and festival orchestra powerfully remind us that one small, seemingly insignificant child of lowly birth changed the world forever. Finally, celebrate His birthday as the children s choir sings with our festival orchestra lifting their voices to the King in Happy Birthday Jesus. I believe everyone who attends will not leave without experiencing the Joy of Christmas in their hearts. During the 9:40 a.m. service ONLY you will have the opportunity to hear our very youngest Sunday School children. Look for the traditional service to present the traditional carols in the way you remembered them as a child. In the contemporary service you can sing along with these carols just as you have heard them on Christian radio. Merry Christmas and May God bless you each and every one! Steven McLellan

4 Page 4 Top Notcher News The Top Notcher Christmas potluck/party is December 13th in the Family Life Center at noon. Hartgraves and Nolins will host. Table service and coffee are furnished. Guest entertainers are Keith and Joann Lambertsen from Garwin, Iowa. They are better known as the Squeeze Box Ministries. They play 25 various sizes and ages of accordions (many 50 years old) and give their history. Keith and Joann are fantastic entertainers besides all the music they present. Also, they are fellow Methodists! Our own Marilyn Cowell will probably join in the fun. A freewill offering will be taken. You don t want to miss this outstanding program! Please bring donations for the local food pantry the need is especially great with the down economy. Who are the Top Notchers? We are an active group comprised of people who usually meet the second Tuesday of each month. We have guest speakers and entertainers, travel, and do service projects in the community. The group is open to all people in the community, ages 55 and over. New friends are always welcome. For further information, please call Joan Nolin, Director, Top Notcher Committee Pastor Steve McLellan (chairperson) Marla Carr Howard Leinen Marilyn Cowell Beth McKee Joan Nolin (advisor) Jerry Nolin This is my last year as Director of Top Notchers. I will continue to conduct the monthly meetings and handle the bus trips. I am happy to announce a committee has already been formed to handle all planning and activities of Top Notchers. The committee is listed above. Please support this committee in every way you can. I want to thank everyone who has worked with me and supported me over the past 12 years. I has been an honor to serve you. Joan Nolin

5 Page 5 December 4th Caroling/Meal 3:30-6:00 p.m. Each youth family, please bring a dozen Christmas cookies or goodies to share with those we sing to. Please reserve your ride with LeAnn by December 1st. December 11th Christmas Celebration 5:30-7:00 p.m. Rather than exchanging gifts, we will share our Christmas cheer with those youth at Lutheran Hospital. Please wrap and bring the gift(s) that you previously signed up for. December 18th & 25th No Youth Group College and Young Professional Girls Night Out Join us Friday, December 2nd 5:30-8:00 p.m. for an evening of creativity. We will meet at the church at 5:30 p.m. and travel together to Creative Treasures of Ankeny to create our own pottery. The studio fee of $3.50 and the pottery of your choice will be your only cost. Please sign up at the Welcome Center by November 27th. Contact Anna McLellan at with any questions that you might have. Men s Recreational Basketball Join the men of AUMC for some basketball fun on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. No previous NBA experience is necessary!

6 Page 6 Take Note 12/7: Last regular Midweek 12/14: Christmas Worship Celebration Rehearsal 12/14-1/4: No Midweek (including Puppets) The Jesus Freak Puppet Troupe Presents: December 9th & 10th 6:30 p.m. Family Life Center 12/18: Children s Choir & Nativity in Christmas Worship Celebration 1/11: Midweek resumes Merry Christmas! Thank you for making a difference! Our children s Sunday School classes are filling a combined 8 Joy Boxes for the Caring Hands Food Pantry. Parents thank you so much for your support and help in making this project a success. The real gift goes far beyond what s in the box! Midweek and Jr. Puppets are teaming up with the Youth Group to provide toys, games, and sundries for the Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health Units at Iowa Lutheran Hospital. Parents to participate in this mission, please help your child sign-up on Wednesday or Sunday night and return items to the church by December 18th. If you are unable to or do not wish to participate, please let Shelene or LeAnn know. The church will provide something on your child s behalf. Thank you for your generosity!

7 Page 7 His Rules Your Rules This February our church will embark upon the church-wide campaign, Life Rules Instructions for Life written by Andy Stanley. You might be surprised to know that every relationship we have has a set of unwritten rules. We don t talk about them, think about them, and we possibly don t even understand them. Wherever we go, we all live by particular rules for every situation. Whether you find yourself intertwined amongst family members, co-workers, or friends, there are distinct rules that apply to each relationship. God has a set of life rules too. When we became Christians, we began the process of adopting God s life rules in place of the ones we had lived by previously. According to Andy, Christians have the tendency to focus on the rules regarding their relationships with God while downplaying the rules for dealing with their neighbor, brother-in-law, supervisor, or teammate. God places a high priority on how we interact with each other. How we treat others has a direct impact on how we relate to God. We d Like YOU to HOST! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HOST A SMALL GROUP and explore the dynamics of the various relationships in your life and discover God s life rules for these relationships, you can contact LeAnn Gaulke at leanngaulke@hotmail.com or sign up at the Welcome Center in the Narthex. Hosting a small group is quite simple. All you need is a comfortable room (at home or elsewhere), TV/DVD, and a willingness to facilitate the study guide s discussion following the DVD teaching. Andy will do all the teaching as he encourages us to improve our current relationships and mend the hurting ones. Small groups will meet weekly February 12th through March 25th (excluding the week of spring break March 18-24th).

8 Page 8 Wrapping Paper needed to wrap over 350 Joy Boxes..175 rolls Tape used in wrapping this year s Joy Boxes rolls Bars of soap included in the 2012 AUMC Joy Boxes over 1,050 Bringing JOY to more than 350 families in our area.,,, PRICELESS Join in the JOY...fill a Joy Box for a needy family in our community. So far, over 350 boxes have been taken, and already 75 completed boxes have been returned to the church ready to be delivered. Empty pre-wrapped boxes are still available in the Narthex. Filled boxes must be brought back to the church by December 11th for delivery to the Caring Hands Food Pantry. Please include the following items: (1) Women s Deodorant (1) Men s Deodorant 3 Pack Bar Soap Package of 3-5 Disposable Razors Hair Shampoo 4 Pack of Toilet Paper (2) 18.6 oz Cans of Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup (1) 38 oz Can of Beef Stew *AUMC will provide a devotional and card for each box. (1) Package of Oyster Crackers (2) 16 oz Packages of Spaghetti (2) 26.5 oz Cans of Spaghetti Sauce (2) 12 oz Cans of Tuna or Chicken (1) Package of Fun Size Candy bars 25 oz Bottle of Dish Soap (put in a plastic bag to prevent spills) 32 load/50 oz Non HE Laundry Detergent (put in a plastic bag to prevent spills) Stay Connected! If you would like to receive our weekly updates via , please go to the church website. Under the Resources tab, choose E-newsletter signup. Enter your address when prompted, and you will begin to receive our weekly newsletters on Thursday afternoons in your box!

9 Page 9 United Methodist Women (UMW) meetings are open to all women at all times. Please join us in December! December 1st Meeting UMW has a fun December meeting planned for December 1st at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Room. Please bring two or three dozen cookies. We will eat some for dessert and use the rest for a cookie exchange so we will have an assortment of cookies to take home with us! The program for Christmas will be given by Sue Tomlin. The mission items for this month to go to Bidwell Riverside are: Mittens Hats Socks Underwear (infant, toddler, child, or adult size for teens) Meetings for December December 1 7:00 p.m. Conference Room Cookie exchange! Bring 2-3 dozen cookies Abigail Circle December 20th 6:30 p.m. Connie Ruggless home for Christmas dinner $5-$10 gift exchange Martha Circle December 15th 11:30 a.m. Fireside Grill Christmas luncheon

10 Page 10 December Birthdays & Anniversaries 1. Elizabeth White 2. Amy Kruse, Danielle Malaise, Connor Bradley, Dale & Janice Hartgraves 3. Dianne Norris, Linda Keller 4. Duane & Shirley Hunziker 5. Jeannie Nutter, Emory Braunsweig- Norris 6. John Hageman, LeAnn Stout, Aaron & Kellie DeCamp 7. Courtney Jones 8. Roberta Sporrer, Evelyn Long, John & Amber Schubert 9. Millie McDowall, Rebecca Watters, John & Rosemary McClain 10. Matthew Hess, Mary Wood, Bill Good, Gage Gaul 11. Karen Overturf 12. Shelene Billups, Caitlin Bair 13. Chad Kruse, Rita Carroll, Jan LeCroy, Bud & Jamie Harter 15. Shirley Silver 16. Alice Reberry, Sydney Harter, Cheryl Russell, 17. Marvin Cole, Jane Wendel, David & Jane Wendel 18. Carol Dillow 19. MacKenzie Bills, Phil Sanddquist, Nathan Henderson, David & Nancy Dunfee 20. Kevin Bennett, Aaron Cory, Bella Griffin 21. Cheryl Timmins 22. Rylan Gaul, Pam Lageman 23. Kristi Hasek, Jim & Cheryl Dickerson 25. Sam Swaim 26. Doug Workman 28. Mary Ballagh, Cory & Elsed Paul 29. Alyssa VanFosson, Matthew Collison, Leah Carr 30. Tessa Cassler, Josh Quick, Bob & Beverly Merkle 31. Haley Olson, Matt & Amanda Aswegan 2012 Offering Envelopes You will be able to pick up offering envelopes for 2012 at the Welcome Center beginning the first Sunday in December. Altar Flowers If you would like to provide the altar flowers for a Sunday in 2012, please contact Sarah in the office at or sign up at the Welcome Center. Poinsettias It is time to order poinsettias for the Christmas Eve service! The cost this year is $8.00 per poinsettia. Envelope order forms are available at the Welcome Center. Please deposit a completed form with your payment in the designated box located at the Welcome Center. Please make checks payable to the church. You may pick up your poinsettia after the Christmas Eve service.