DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS T H E C H U R C H M O U S E. C.V. United Methodist Church 21 Otter Drive P.O. Box 420 Cherokee Village, AR 72525

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1 DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Karen Schmidt 12/03 Darlene Findlay 12/15 Mary Ann Torbit 12/03 Chuck McMahon 12/15 Ken Zajicek 12/03 Bailey Gage 12/16 Carol Reynolds 12/04 Lois Mock 12/18 Zach Duncan 12/08 Jeanette Weisman 12/18 Carl Penrod 12/08 Jenny Strano 12/19 Byron Henley 12/10 Jean Maxedon 12/21 Hobie Weisman 12/11 Sophia Christy 12/28 Sue Henley 12/13 Geraldine Dennis 12/31 THANK YOU FROM THE STEWARDSHIP & FINANCE COMMITTEES Thank you for turning in your 2019 Service Commitment Forms and Estimate of Giving Cards. Your support of the church through your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness help to make the work of furthering God's kingdom more fruitful. After the first of the year, you will be hearing from us, acknowledging your service commitments. We will also be contacting the appropriate person(s) regarding your commitments to service in the various areas of ministry in the church. If you have not turned in your Service Commitment Form or Estimate of Giving Card, it is not too late. You can bring them by the church office during the week or give them to a member of the Stewardship Committee on Sunday. Again, thank you for your commitment to God and your commitment to service and giving in T H E C H U R C H M O U S E December 2018 C.V. United Methodist Church 21 Otter Drive P.O. Box 420 Cherokee Village, AR cherokee.village@arumc.org Website: Phone: Loving God, Serving Others

2 General Fund Report for October 2018 Total Asset Accounts Balance Beginning of Month Less Total Liability Accounts Less Total Equity Accounts Adjusted Balance End of Month $46, , , , A Mile of Quarters progress is $2, Our total goal is $16,896. Please continue to drop your quarters in the container by the office to help meet the ministries of our church. Thank you! MEMORIALS RECEIVED Carol Judickas Sunday Services 8:30 AM 10:45 AM Sunday School 9:45 AM Wednesday Bible Study 8:45 AM Wednesday Communion 9:45 AM Pastor s Cell Phone Pastor s Personal angie.gage@arumc.org Pastor s Home Address 7 Chickasha Drive Cherokee Village, AR Office hours: Mon. Thurs. 8:30 4:00 RECENT DEATH Larry Kinnard Thank you for your continuing support of our HVAC system by honoring your pledge. If you would like to review your HVAC Pledge or Giving Record, please contact our finance office. CVUMC WEBSITE: cherokeevillageumc.org CVUMC cherokee.village@arumc.org Contact Update? Has your personal contact information changed? Please notify the office to help us update our records. Thanks! Join us for our Advent Sermon Series: A Christmas Carol Advent. A different Christmas Carol will be featured every week. 12/2: Blessed Be the God of Israel 12/9: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing 12/16: Choir Cantata One Service only this week. Worship at 10:00 am 12/23: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus 12/24: Silent Night, Holy Night Pastor Angie has something special for everyone each week during Advent (except on the 16th). We hope to see everyone in worship as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Sunday Worship Choir Cantata December 16 10:00 am The Heart of Christmas tells the timeless story that we remember each year in a creative, profound way by probing the hearts of those most directly involved in St. Luke's account of that first Christmas. This touching construct is complemented by Choplin's masterful use of a variety of musical styles, from blues and bluegrass to the warmly melodic and chorally traditional. Please join us. CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICES 5:30 & 11:30 PM Both services will be held in the Sanctuary with communion and candlelight. We will have invitation cards available in the Narthex for you to hand out to your family, friends, acquaintances, and neighbors. We are looking forward to worshipping together on this very special night in the life of our faith. At 7:00 pm, join us for the special movie The Muppet Christmas Carol. Bring a snack to share as we gather in Cooper Hall.

3 BROWN THURSDAY, BLACK FRIDAY AND BLUE CHIRSTMAS? WHAT? Brown Thursday (name of shopping on Thanksgiving) and Black Friday (name of shopping the day after Thanksgiving) have come and gone. But did you know that there is also a Blue Christmas? And, no, I am not talking about the Elvis Presley song. Blue Christmas Service, also called Longest Night, is a special worship service that happens during Advent. From umcdiscipleship.org we find the following explanation: Blue? Yes, blue as in the blues. As in "I am feeling blue." Not everyone is up and cheery for the Christmas holidays. Dealing with the death of a loved one, facing life after divorce or separation, coping with the loss of a job, living with cancer or some other dis-ease that puts a question mark over the future, and a number of other human situations make parties and joviality painful for many people in our congregations and communities. There is a growing attentiveness to the needs of people who are blue at Christmas. Increasing numbers of churches are creating sacred space for people living through dark times. Such services are reflective, accepting where we really are, and holding out healing and hope. We will be having a Blue Christmas Worship Service this year on Friday, December 21. We will begin with a meal in Cooper Hall (Fellowship Hall) at 6:00 pm. Worship will be in the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm. We will be joining our Friday night congregation/celebrate Recovery for this time. Everyone is invited to join us for this special service and time together. Cherokee Village Community Chorus Concert December 1 at 2:00 pm at Omaha Rec Center Tickets may be purchased from a Community Chorus member or at the door. FROM THE PASTOR S DESK It is hard to believe that it is already December. It seems like it was just the summer, but here we are, December, Advent, a time for us to focus and reflect and wait. I get a little weary during Advent because we seem to have so much to do. However, what I realize is that the weariness is not from the celebration of Advent, but from the secularization of the celebration of Christmas. Consumerism overwhelms us this time of year. Buy, buy, buy spend, spend, spend. It seems to be the message that is out in the world. Where is the preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ, the gift of a Savior to the world? Where is the emphasis on what we can give to God instead of what stuff we buy? Where is the emphasis on our faith? And, have we ever considered giving a gift to God at Christmas, whether it be a financial gift to the church, extra time spent in service of others through our local church, extra commitment in our prayer life or in our Biblical studies? Have we ever considered giving a gift to God? I could really get on a soap box right now, but I will refrain from that. Instead, I want to focus on how we, as Christ s church, can come together during this time of year to make a difference in 2019 for the cause of Christ in the world. This month during Advent, we watch and wait, we prepare. We prepare for the coming of the Christ Child but we also prepare for the second coming of Christ. We must prepare. We must be aware of the lives we are living and if we are living them for Christ or for ourselves. We must be aware of what we are giving to God as a response to what God has given to us through Jesus Christ. We must be aware of our full relationship or lack of relationship with God. We must be aware of how much or little time we give to God and how much we give to the world. We must be aware in order to prepare. As we begin our time of Advent and our time together to prepare, may we all look inward and find where our relationship with Christ is and if we need to focus more on our call as Disciples of Jesus Christ. May we all be aware and prepared and willing to serve our loving Creator, our giving Redeemer and our strong Sustainer. Grace and Peace Pastor Angie

4 YOUTH DIRECTOR NEEDED We are currently in need of a new volunteer Youth Director. All adults working with our youth must be at least 25 years old and able to pass a background check. If you are interested in filling this position beginning in January, please see Pastor Angie. This is a vital ministry of our church and help is needed. Please prayerfully consider this ministry. Prayer Shawl Ministry From all of us to all of you, have a peaceful Christmas season! Prayer shawls have been given to Betty Waser in October and to Donna Kinnard, Father Daniel Brandenberg and Lenny Judickas in November. If you have any extra yarn lying around, you can donate it to the Prayer Shawl Ministry. Monetary donations are always appreciated! If you have a friend or family member in need of a prayer shawl or baby blanket, please call the church/ or Len Judickas/ If you are interested in learning to crochet or knit, we usually meet on the first Wednesday of the month at CVUMC. We have some yarn for your use. Our next meeting is Wednesday, December 5 at 10:00 am. See you there! From the Library This commentary is taken from Susan Henry-Crowe, United Methodist Church and Society article. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities It is not the worst of times. It is not the best of times. It is a time when people of faith are recalled to life a life of resurrection and a life of hope. We must soberly ask, in the light of the chaos and violence around us, what does it mean for us to be recalled to life? To be recalled to life is to turn from our ways of violence and hatred. To be recalled to life is to live into our creator s desire for each of us to be whole. To be recalled to life is to work to make a world where every human is afforded this divinely-ordained dignity. May we all embody the peace that surpasses all understanding this Christmas season. Hope Smith UNITED METHODIST WOMEN 12/2 Coffee/Tea Sales Esther Circle 12/4 Leadership Team 11:00 Unit Meeting 1:00 Hostess/Program Priscilla Circle December Receptions Members at Large No Regularly Scheduled Circle Meetings Our 2018 Holiday Bazaar was an exciting success! Many thanks to Pam Gunsten, our go-to person, for an exceptional job! The smooth transition from individual shoppes to a combined display area in Cooper Hall was great! Everyone working together made this a fun, enjoyable time for all! Thanks to everyone who helped in any way with the Bazaar. We really appreciate all you did. This event wouldn t have been successful without you! Our special thanks to the United Methodist Men for the wonderful soup lunch they provided! Our combined efforts this year resulted in approximately $4,040 raised for mission ministries that will benefit women, children and youth! All women of the church are invited to participate in UMW activities. Please join us as we look forward to new opportunities for service in 2019! FAITH HOPE LOVE IN ACTION Blessing Box Your help to supply items for our Blessing Box is on-going. If the Blessing Box is full, please feel free to bring your items inside. We ask you to check for expiration dates on items. If you would like to receive credit on your giving record, please turn in your receipt (or copy) with your name on it to the finance office.

5 Pick up CHRISTMAS BAGS on Sunday, December 9 or throughout ADVENT WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE that week. Fill them with food from the list attached to each bag. We hope you can join us on for the meal beginning at 5:15 pm with fellowship around the tables and worship at 6:00 pm. Cost is the same as last WNL season. If you plan to attend, please sign the Sunday attendance pad after your name with WNL#, or call the office Monday morning before we shop. December 5 Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup, rolls, salad, dessert December 12 Homemade Creamy Chicken Chowder, rolls, salad, dessert December 19 Homemade Creamy Loaded Potato Soup, cornbread, salad, dessert There are two lists, which together, make a complete meal for a local family. It is very important to buy all of the items on the list no substitutes. Thanks to your contributions to the Pastor s Discretionary Fund, ham and bread will be purchased for them too. We ask that you return your items by noon on Monday, December 17. Thank You! Outreach Committee DIRECTORY UPDATES David & Kathy Vanosdoll 7710 West Desert Cactus Way Tucson AZ GOD S LITTLE ANGELS It's that fun time of the year again when we get to shop for God's Little Angels. Look for the tree in the Narthex. We need your help in bringing joy to them on Christmas. We ask that you spend approximately $45 per child so that each child in every family will be treated equally. Look for sale items and try to get clothing along with a toy or game. When you check out, ask for a gift receipt. After you choose your Angel, be sure to sign the paper by the tree so that we have a record of where our Angels are. Wrap your gifts and put them in one large gift bag. Then tie the Angel tag from the tree on the outside so that we can identify the gifts for the family. It will be helpful to leave the price on the gifts to help make necessary exchanges easier. Please return your gifts on or before December 12 by 6:00 pm under the Angel Tree in the Narthex. Thank you for your generous support during this Holiday Season. This is truly a Giving Church. Outreach Committee Donna Kinnard Thank you for helping us brighten up our Church this season. Please take your poinsettia(s) with you after any service on Christmas Eve. CHRISTMAS DINNER The Christmas season is upon us! Staying in town for the holidays? Home alone? Join us for dinner on Christmas Day in Cooper Hall at 1:00 pm. Turkey, ham, dressing, green beans, potatoes, and gravy will be furnished. A sign-up sheet will be available for those who wish to sign up for side dishes/desserts. Reservations will be needed. Please call Donna Palmer at or Sandy Kimber at UNITED METHODIST MEN Saturday, December 8 9:00 am CVUMC All men and their guests are invited to the UMM Meeting for this time of good news and fellowship. RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18 1:00 6:00 PM

6 DECEMBER 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 2 1st Sunday of Advent Communion Fair Trade Coffee/Tea Sales 9 2nd Sunday of Advent Christmas Bags Out Greeting Card Sales 16 3rd Sunday of Advent 9:00 am Sunday School 10:00 am Choir Cantata (Combined Worship) 23 4th Sunday of Advent 3 4:00 pm Church Council 5:30 pm SPRC 10 9:00 am 1:00 pm AARP Driver Safety Class (by appointment: ) 17 Noon Christmas Food Bags In 24 CHRISTMAS EVE 5:30 pm SERVICE 7:00 pm Movie 11:30 pm SERVICE 4 8:00 9:00 am Community Breakfast 10:00 am Ministerial Alliance Pill Box 11:00 am UMW Leader Team 1:00 pm UMW Unit 2:00 pm Advent Study 6:00 pm Advent Study/Potluck 11 8:00 9:00 am Community Breakfast 9:00 am Mouse Deadline 10:00 am Staff Meeting 2:00 pm Advent Study 4:00 pm Finance 6:00 pm Advent Study/Potluck 18 8:00 9:00 am Community Breakfast 10:00 am Staff Meeting 1:00 6:00 pm Blood Drive 2:00 pm Advent Study 6:00 pm Advent Study/Potluck 25 CHRISTMAS 1:00 pm Christmas Dinner (by reservation: ) 5 8:45 am Coffee Talk 10:00 am Prayer Shawl Noon Emmaus 5:15 pm Advent Wed Night Live 12 8:45 am Coffee Talk 5:15 pm Advent Wed Night Live 6:00 pm Angel Gifts Due 19 8:45 am Coffee Talk Noon Emmaus 5:15 pm Advent Wed Night Live :00 am Area UM Clergy 27 9:00 am Mouse Out Winter Begins BLUE CHRISTMAS 6:00 pm MEAL 7:00 pm SERVICE (with Celebrate Recovery) :00 am NE District Charge Conference FUMC Jonesboro 2:00 pm Community Chorus Omaha Center 8 9:00 am UM Men Meeting Watch Night New Year s Eve 1 New Year s Day 2 8:45 am Coffee Talk 10:00 am Prayer Shawl Noon Emmaus 5:15 pm The Connection 3 4 5