SEASON OF ADVENT Thought for the Season: God offers Hope and new beginnings.

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1 COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Community s December, 2018 LINK Sundays 7:30 a.m. Hot Breakfast 8:30 a.m. - Traditional Worship in the Chapel 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School and Bible Study 10:30 a.m. - Blended Worship in the Sanctuary Pastor Daniel Baker Please remember the GOLDEN HEART FUND in your giving! SEASON OF ADVENT Thought for the Season: God offers Hope and new beginnings. Advent may be the church season of beginnings, but in the northern hemisphere Advent occurs during a cold season in which very little in nature is pointing to burgeoning life. But life is there nonetheless. Deep under the ground, seeds are waiting for the warmth of the sun to bring them to sprout new life. The trees will again put forth leaves as the days become longer and warmer. In the middle of winter we may begin to feel as if spring will never come, but the promise is there. God promises new life for us as well. In the midst of the dead ends of our lives - those times or places where we feel lost or just tired to think - God reminds us: there is yet time! Those things you dream about are still possible. God can still answer those prayers you have been praying, No matter whether we are refreshed or tired, peaceful or anxious, hopeful or hopeless, God sends a message we need to hear. The story of Advent is the story of Immanuel, "God with us". Even in the darkest night, even in a hospital room, even on the cross, God is always about beginnings. Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to trust in your power at work in our lives when we cannot sense it. Amen. Pastor Dan WORSHIP SERVICE Monday, December 24 6:00 p.m. Candlelight Worship Scripture, Message, Singing, Candles Come celebrate the Birth of Jesus!

2 HANDS FOR THE LORD You are all invited to come and enjoy our Christmas Celebration of Jesus Birthday at Community United Methodist Church on Saturday, December 1st, at 6:00 PM in the Sanctuary. This musical will feature the Puppet Team, Community s Praise Team, and Children s Church Kids. Before the program, you may join us for a Barbeque Dinner in Hilson Hall at 5:00 PM. After the program we will be serving Happy Birthday Jesus Birthday Cake. We are also excited about bringing this musical to Lynmoore Assisted Living on Saturday morning on December 1st at 10:30 AM. In addition to the Musical, the puppeteers will be bringing dowel rod presentations to both Sunday morning services during the Christmas Season. These are short interpretive dances to the Christmas Carols that we love to hear. Thank you to Bob Young for singing the Carols that go with the dowel rod routines. Calendar: Dec. 1 Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Dec. 16 Dec. 23 Dec. 30 Good News! Great Joy! Performance 10:30 at Lynmoore Dinner Hilson Hall 5:00 PM / Performance 6:00 PM Dowel Rod - While Shepherds Watch - 8:30 & 10:30; Practice 1-3 pm Dowel Rod - We Three Kings - 8:30 & 10:30; Practice 1 3 pm Dowel Rod - Away in a Manger - 8:30 & 10:30; No Practice Dowel Rod - Joy to the World - 8:30 & 10:30; No Practice No Practice GOOD NEWS GREAT JOY! Saturday December 1 5 pm Celebration Country Dinner 6 pm Musical Program

3 POINSETTIAS We will decorate the Chapel and Sanctuary with poinsettias on Sunday, December 16 through Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship. You are invited to take your plant home that night. 40 poinsettias have been ordered this year. They are available for $7 each. Dedicate them in honor or memory of a special person or persons. To reserve a plant and have your information in the Dec 16 bulletin, return the form in the bulletin or contact the church office by Wednesday, December 12. Thank you for paying when ordering. YOUTH Calendar December 6 December 13 December 20 December 27 Youth Meet, 6:30-8:00 pm Youth Meet, 6:30-8:00 pm Youth Christmas Party, 6:00-8:00 pm at Pastor Mark s home No Youth Meeting Christmas Thanksgiving As we set our eyes on Christmas, I take a moment for thanks-giving: Thank you for your support of our youth ministry this past year! Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for donations and dinners. Thank you for the sacrificing and the strategizing to keep the youth program growing. Thank you for your support of the youth stock sale. Thank you for mentoring our young people through puppets, Sunday worship, Vacation Bible School, and community outreach events. Thank you for your love! I wish you all a blessed Christmas Season, Mark CHRISMONS What is a Chrismon? A Chrismon is a monogram of Christ. The hand-made ornaments on our Christmas tree represent secret Christian symbols created and used by early believers. Look for them at Community. ADVENT The season of Advent, which comes from the Latin word adventus meaning coming or visit," begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year for Christians; the first Sunday is December 2, Thank you to all of the Fundraiser Committee (Ways and Means) for the Spaghetti Supper. Ellen Hessert

4 Christmas at Community 2 nd Annual Holiday Concert CUMC Praise Team Presents *Narration of the Christmas Story* *Traditional Carols* *Modern Classics* Saturday, Dec 15 at 6 PM in the Sanctuary Invite a friend. (This is a free performance.) Florida United Methodist Children's Home Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 The following is from an alumnus of the Children's Home: I would like to recognize my houseparent for being like a mother to me and making me feel like someone really cares about me. You always make me feel good, even when I make mistakes. Even though I can't call you Mom, you would be perfect for the job. Your donations, prayers and love make a real difference in the lives of the children living in the Children's Home. Thank you for your support this past year. We are looking forward to the new year and the blessings it will bring. Have a joyful Christmas Season. God bless you all. Cheryl and Terry Milam

5 GOSPEL GARDENER It is December and we are thinking about this glorious time of the coming of Jesus. Thoughts of the beauty of the Christmas Story. What a gift to us all from God. The love of Gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. Gertrude Jekyll I like gardening. It s a place where I find myself when I need to lose myself. Alice Sebold. While I was finally back in the garden weeding and trimming, I got to thinking - I certainly wouldn t want to be a weed. Gardeners come and pull them up. I know weeds get bossy and want to take over the whole garden. However, they are so beautiful. Our God made each weed. Different colors and sizes. The garden invites you to enter. A breeze gently moves the leaves, the vines, the blossoms. Bees buzz to visit every bloom. Our mourning dove greets us with a flurry of wings and a little hop. He sings happy greeting. I visited Home Depot and saw our bush with yellow blossoms and saw it does have a name. Thryallis Glauca. Also saw some Durante Golden Dewdrop. Saw some little Firebush plants. I m ready to get some new plants for our garden. Nice to be able to weed and trim again. July was the last time I had been to the garden. My last thoughts were to bring a weed-eater to trim the grass areas. Maybe that wasn t such a great idea. I ll think about it a little more. I appreciate all the helping hands that have painted all the stepping stones in the garden. So colorful and bright. Some remodeling of Ben Seay s Memorial Garden. The change invites you to visit. Lots of weeding to do in the garden. The Entrance Arbor was reinforced and colored. I feel like I m the mother of this garden. You know how a mother can notice all the changes in their child. So, I can notice all the changes in the garden. It is such a neat feeling. Plants that are thriving. Plants that really need a trim. Good to be back. Again, thank you for all your prayers and help in the garden. I appreciate it so much. God Bless. Jean Harvey Points to Ponder. God Almighty first planted a garden, and indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures. Francis Bacon Money can t buy happiness except at the garden center. A weed is but an unloved flower. Book Buddy Ministry Helpers are ALWAYS needed for the Book Buddy Ministry which is an outreach program to provide the preschool children of our church with books for their classrooms and their homes books that instill Godly values and nourish children spiritually. Helpers are responsible for providing four books during the school year. For more information, please contact me at (772) Thank you. Respectively, Carole Ratliff, Book Buddy Coordinator

6 Calling All Angels Young and Old! Parents/Guardians of Younger Angels who regularly worship at Community, Thank you for filling out an information sheet for your child age 0 through grade 12. Forms are still available in the church narthex or by calling Patty Surface on or before Worship on Sunday, December 2, Older Angels, Thank you for selecting an Angel from the CUMC Angel Tree. Remember to put your name on the list next to the angel you selected or let Patty Surface know so she can account for all little angels. Included on the Angel is the information sheet for selecting the gift for the child. Also attached are details about returning the gift. Select/Purchase only one of the gifts from the list. Thanks for keeping the gift at $20 - $25. Please mark which gift you purchased and return the sheet with the gift to Patty or Rick or the church office. Thank you for wrapping the gift and putting the child s name on it. Presents should be returned on Sunday, December 16, 2018, if possible. Thanks for making one of our little angel s Christmas happier and more blessed. Lovingly, Patty Surface (772) / surfacep@msn.com LADIES ON A MISSION We did not have our regular meeting in November as many regulars were out of town. The Ladies are hard at work, however, completing projects at home or wherever their travels take them. At our next meeting more Pew Bears will be readied for adoption. These cuddly ambassadors are available to carry God s love and compassion out into the world. If you have new or gently used bears to donate, we would love to have them. We will continue to accept plastic bags (any color except brown Publix bags) for our Mat Ministry. The Police Department can use more hygiene packs as the cooler months always bring more need. If you have small sample-sized hygiene items, please leave them by our closet. We look forward to our next meeting on Wednesday, December 5. Rumor has it that Reba Bryan is in town and will join us! Remember that no experience of ANY kind is necessary to join our group-we always have something that you can do! As always, we are grateful for your donations and your prayers. Thank You and God Bless!

7 Join us for CHRISTMAS CAROLING, Sunday, Dec 30. Yes, it s always a great time to sing of Jesus Birth! Meet at the church at 1:30 pm to travel to sing for our home-bound friends. It s lots of fun for all. See Patty for more information Are you thinking of JOINING Community United Methodist Church? See Pastor Dan or call the Church Office (772) Hope s Closet 4 Children ages birth through 17 (at Graceway Village on Hartman Road) is still having a clothing drive. Their biggest need is socks and underwear. Socks can be toddler to adult size. (These are available at Dollar Tree and other places.) The kids like the low ankle or no show socks. Underwear needs are boys boxer style, size boy s 6 to 12 and men s S, M, L, and XL. Prints are best. For girls, sizes 6 to 12 with princess or cartoon prints and teen girls ladies size 5, bikini style. Thanks for placing your donation in the basket in the Chapel/Sanctuary foyer. Call Patty for details We are collecting money to purchase Christmas gifts for 5 children in 2 families at Fairlawn Elementary, our neighborhood school. If you wish to help, thank you for giving your donation to Patty Surface or marking it Fairlawn Family and putting it in the offering or the church office. We will continue this through Sunday, December 16. We will also be collecting non-perishable food items. Thank you. Thank you to all who participated in Operation Christmas Child SHOE BOX MINISTRY. We dropped off 17 shoe boxes so they could begin their journey to other parts of the world. Thank you from the child or youth who received your box. LEARN TO READ My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 We will be relocating our Tuesday evening class for non-english speakers to the library on 2nd Street beginning in January. If you know anyone needing help with English, please refer them to Cheryl Milam. I will make an appointment for them to meet with the Learn to Read Director so they can participate in this fun class. There is no cost to the students. All books and materials are provided. Thank you and have a joyful Christmas Season. God bless you, Cheryl Milam

8 DECEMBER FLOWER MINISTERS Dec. 2 - Valerie Banks Dec. 9 - Judy Eaton & Bob Richard Dec Sue Hall Dec. 23 Please deliver a flower to a friend. Dec. 30 Please deliver a flower to a friend. "Wishing one and all Blessed & Happy Holidays." Nancy Calkin Flower Ministers: PLEASE or call Sylvia/Church Secretary a follow-up report for flower deliveries. RECYCLING: The Church continues to collect aluminum. Nancy Calkin, with Rob Robinson assisting, deliver the aluminum to the recycling facility, on Tuesdays if there is a sufficient amount. Thank you. Nancy COMMUNITY s NEWSLETTER Thanks for submitting items for the LINK by Wednesday, December 19 by ing them to surfacep@msn.com. Our folding date is Friday, December 28. Thanks. Patty Surface (772) PRAISE TEAM PRACTICE Thursdays at 7:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Please join us. SUNDAYS - FREEE HOT BREAKFAST Paul, assisted by David and others, is cooking a hot breakfast Sunday mornings. It is served from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m. Come and enjoy food and fellowship. Everything is free. Please call the CHURCH OFFICE at if you would like to donate flowers in honor or memory of a special person(s) or event. The cost is $ CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON and PARTY Wednesday, December 12 at Noon Remember wrapped hygiene items for friends in need. We ll unwrap the items and sing carols. Bring a friend, 2 items and a dish to share. UMW is having a Christmas Tea on Sunday, December 2 at 3 p.m. in Hilson Hall. We are inviting Church Women United and Women from other UMW units. Thanks for arriving by 2:30 with 2 dozen cookies to share. Also bring a present for a foster child, age 0 to 10. There is no Administrative Council Meeting in December. January 28 at 6 pm is the next meeting. Chair people, Ministry Leaders, all are welcome. CHURCH NURSERY Is available at 10 a.m. to Noon each Sunday for children under 4 years of age. Community United Methodist Church 3114 Okeechobee Road Fort Pierce, Florida Phone (772) ; FAX (772) Church cumc_ch@bellsouth.net Church Website: Pastor s Office bannerdan01@comcast.net Pastor s Cell: (772) Church Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Preschool Director: Mrs. Carol Hilson Weekdays 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Phone: (772) cumcpreschool@bellsouth.net