First United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 First United Methodist Church November15, 15, December T M Volume, Issue 2 A Taste of What s Inside 2-9 1,5,8 1,5,,8 1, Church Facts A Candlelight Christmas Blue Christmas Christmas Eve Service Mission Opportunity Poinsettias for the Church Christian Crafters Angel Tree Light-A-Light Information Scholarship Deadline Music Notes Children s Corner Thank You from the Fellers Youth News Puppets for Jesus Newsletter Deadline Friends... If I have the schedule correctly in my mind, this will be the very last newsletter of 201. Personally speaking, I look, with appreciation and with joy, at the months just past. Even though I can make a short list of challenges, for the most part, the sailing has been good. Much of my contentment comes from the way in which this congregation chooses to be a viable presence for Christ in our community. I look forward to entering into 2018 with you and pray for the future of this congregation. Mark Your Calendar Even though time is running shy here in 201, there are still a handful of extraordinary privileges coming our way. I trust that you will choose to be present and to bring someone with you. I note this coming Sunday, December 1, when at 6:00 p.m. our choir, along with friends from the Longview Symphony who ll be joining in, will present A Candlelight Christmas, A remarkable time of worship in sights and songs. Then following on Thursday, December 21, at 6:00 p.m., our worship ministry time is offering Blue Christmas, a Service of Wholeness and Healing. This significant opportunity is presented to assist us in finding joy in this unique season of the year, even for those who know challenges and for whom Christmas may not be so merry. In its quiet, reflective nature, Blue Christmas provides an avenue of peace and joy to all who seek A Candlelight Christmas December 1 Blue Christmas - December 21 Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion December 2 Poinsettia Deadline - December 1 Christian Crafters - January 19, 20 Light-A-Light Deadline December 1 College Scholarship Applications Due January Children Deliver Wreaths December 1 MYF Christmas Party - December 20 MYF Serves Lunch at Newgate December 22 Puppet Team Meetings Resume January Newsletter Deadline January Finally... keep in mind First UMC s Christmas Eve Communion and Candlelight. Starting at 6:00 p.m., on December 2, church friends will gather in order to once again hear the story of our salvation as played out in Bethlehem so long ago. (Please see Pastor s Letter, page 2) Mission Statement: Contact Us First United Methodist Church is a loving, supportive family of faith working together to share God's love. Pastor, Richard Laster pastorlaster@etex.net 105 N. Montgomery St Gilmer, TX Secretary, Esther Faggione gilmerchurch@gmail.com Financial Secretary, Lamon Geddie fumcacct@etex.net Church Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Closed for lunch from Noon - 1 p.m.)

2 Page 2 WE SHOW OUR LOVE By Our Prayers... Pastor s Letter Anita Baker, Ceci Crombie, the family of Millie Feller, Lamon Geddie, Stephanie Hamberlin, Roy Helpenstill, the family of John Hunt, Billie Stevenson Remember ongoing prayers for loved ones with serious illnesses, our shut-ins, family and friends in the military service and the leaders and staff of our church and our country. Remember to check our Web Site for up-to-the-minute prayer requests. (Continued from page 1) During the flow of the evening, Christian communion will be offered. Worship time ends as Silent Night is sung, and as personal candles of Christmas are lighted in honor of Christ s birth. Christmas Eve Communion and Candlelight, is a beautiful and reflective opportunity to be had by all. So... even though we are closing in on the end of one year and the beginning of another, there are still a variety of ways in which we can remember that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Prayer Ministry Thanks for your time... see you soon... Don t worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don t forget to thank Him for His answers. -- Philippians :6 Submit requests to Church s web page: Or Call: Church Office Prayer Contacts: Betty Parish Annette Breazeale Regards and God Bless... Richard Our Deepest Sympathy to The Family of John Hunt Our Presence Date Sunday School Worship Visitors November December Average Year to Date Average Last Year The next Newsletter will be sent on January 15th; there will not be a January 1st issue. Like us on Facebook First United M ethodist Church Our Presents Income Total Total Income Expenses Month of Gilmer Over/ (Under) November $9, $, ,92.1 Year to Date $2, $9, $6,85.05 Our Worship Service is broadcast on ETEX, Channel 999, Sunday, 6 p.m. and Monday, 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

3 Page Mission Opportunity Poinsettias for the Church Would you be interested in serving lunch at Newgate Mission in Longview? Our church serves on the 1st Friday of every month and on the 5th Thursdays. Servers need to arrive at Newgate at 11:15 and serving begins at 11:0. We are usually completed by 12:0. No cooking or clean-up is required, only serving the meal. We need three to four servers for each meal. A sign-up sheet will be located in the church foyer. If you are hesitant on making a commitment for a particular date, then consider signing up as a substitute. If you have any questions, please give me a call at You will find the people at Newgate warm, kind and appreciative. Not only will you be a blessing, but you will find you have been blessed as well. Thank you for your consideration. Because of the difficulty of maintaining fresh poinsettias during the entire season of Advent and Christmas, we now use silk poinsettias. Starting this year you may adopt a poinsettia In Memory or In Honor of loved ones. An information form will be in the bulletin. Deadline for inclusion in the bulletin insert is Sunday, December 1th Barbara Smith Come join the Christian Crafters for our first crafting session of the year! It will be on January 19th from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. and January 20th from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., in the CLC, room 06. This is a great opportunity to start new projects or finish those projects that you started ages ago. There will be sewing, scrapbooking, crocheting, knitting, and most importantly, fellowship! Plus we will also work on a project for the Operation Shoebox Mission. Mark your calendar and plan to join in on the fun! g Christmas (Angel) Tree Once again the Christmas Tree is in the hall to be decorated with items for Newgate. A list of some items needed includes warm caps, socks, gloves, etc. for men, women and children. Also appreciated are hard candies. This tree is sponsored by the Mission Committee and items are packed and delivered by the Youth. Thanks, Sarah Monk

4 Page A Christmas Tradition LIGHT-A-LIGHT CELEBRATION As part of our Advent celebration in preparation for Christmas, lights will be added to an unadorned, undecorated Light-a-Light tree in the sanctuary in honor of or in memory of loved ones. The lights will vary in price as follows: Gold $50 Green $25 Blue $10 Red $2 (given by children under 18 only) Your gift will be listed in the December bulletin insert. Note: Complete a separate designation for each light. Use additional forms, if needed. Light #1: Gold Green Blue Red In memory of in honor of Person s name as you want it listed in the bulletin: Light #2: Gold Green Blue Red In memory of in honor of Person s name as you want it listed in the bulletin: Print your name as you want it printed in the bulletin: Amount attached: Watch Our Tree Glow as it Grows with Gifts of Love Deadline for inclusion in the bulletin insert is Sunday, December 1th College Scholarship applications are now available on the table outside the church office. If you have graduated from high school, are continuing your college education, and are a member of FUMC, please stop by and pick up an application. The deadline for submission is Wednesday, 5:00 p.m., January, 201. If you have questions or need additional information, please call Esther in the church office at

5 Page 5 Music Notes by Lora Robison Morning worship for December 1, includes scripture from Luke 2:8-20. The sermon topic by Reverend Laster is Of All People, Why Shepherds? The opening hymn is Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. The second hymn is a congregation s choice of Christmas carols from The United Methodist Hymnal. The closing hymn from The Faith We Sing hymnal is Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow. Jubilation Bells will be ringing Silent Night arranged by Dobrinski accompanied by Brenda Brannon, flute for the offertory and the Chancel Choir will be singing Hurry, Shepherds, Run! by Wagner for the anthem. The evening service beginning at 6:00 p.m., will feature The Chancel Choir and guest singers from the Harmony High School Choir along with favorite other guest singers including Darren Richardson, Brent Heatherington (who is now singing with the Pensacola Opera), Shelbi Herndon, who is studying for a masters degree in vocal performance at SMU, and our own Cori Beasley. The choir(s) will be singing A Candlelight Christmas by Benjamin Harlan accompanied by Bill Marshall, Longview Symphony strings, oboe, and Brenda Brannon, flute. Narrators are Reverend Laster and Nancy Carter. Please make plans to attend this service which will be held in the Sanctuary. On December 21, the longest night of the year, our worship committee chaired by Annette Breazeale, will lead in our annual Blue Christmas service. The warmth of the scriptures and beauty of our adorned Sanctuary will bring us to a wonderful worship experience on this longest night of the year. This beautiful service of Christ s hope and love begins at 6:00 p.m. The Christmas Eve morning service includes scripture from Luke 2:1-. The sermon topic is Naming the Date. The opening hymn from The United Methodist Hymnal is Joy to the World. The second hymn from The Faith We Sing hymnal is Star-Child. The Chancel Choir will be singing The Glory of Christmas a medley of carols for the anthem. The closing hymn is Sing We Now of Christmas from The United Methodist Hymnal. The annual Christmas Eve Communion Service is for all families and friends. Come and experience the joy of Christmas with Christmas scripture, Holy Communion, and wonderful music in the beauty of own sanctuary! This candlelight service will begin at 6:00 p.m. The New Year s Eve, December 1, morning service will focus upon scripture from Galatians :- with the sermon topic The Law Taketh Away the Law Giveth. The hymns from The United Methodist Hymnal include There s a Song in the Air, The First Noel, and Go Tell It on the Mountain. Annette Breazeale will offer a beautiful seasonal solo during the service. Merry Christmas from your Music Ministries teams! We hope we have brought to the season, music worthy of the Praise of our Lord Jesus Christ and that in our worship we have shared the true joy and spirit of Christmas! In His Love, Lora

6 Page Page 6 6 Children s Corner by Chandra Sorrells Merry Christmas! The Christmas season is well on its way. We have had a great puppet show, sang for the church, and enjoyed a fun Children's Church. On Sunday, December 1th, we are going to deliver the wreaths that our church families made to donate. Kindergartners and younger will need a parent with them. We will have a quick lunch right after church, then head out to brighten peoples day. I hope each of you are getting to spend time with your family this Christmas. A really nice family tradition my family has is the Christmas Eve service, here at the church. It is a great way to remember the true meaning of Christmas. I hope to see each of you there! Mrs. Chandra Family Wreath Making 201

7 Page Page 6 Dear members and friends of First United Methodist Church, We would like to thank all of you for the support that you have given us during these last few weeks, upon Millie s passing. We want to thank Richard Laster, for his comforting words for both the funeral and at the burial. Also, thank you to the choir, Bill Marshall, Annette Breazeale and Lora Robison for the beautiful music. Lastly, we would like to thank the pallbearers and the ladies who prepared our meal on the day of the funeral service. With our love and appreciation, Verlon, Mark, Peggy, Susan and Debbie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Youth News Blue Christmas A Service of Reflection and Comfort Longest Night of the Year Thursday, December 21 at 6 p.m. our Blue Christmas Service will be held in the sanctuary. For many of us we wonder how we can get through the holidays. Christmas can be a time when we are in need of reassurance and comfort. Perhaps we are grieving over the loss of a loved one, struggling with illness, have experienced the loss of a job disaster, or need reassurance. The suffering people who looked for the longawaited Messiah were given a hope-filled image of God in the writings of Isaiah expressing a belief that no matter what happens to us, God will be there to comfort and support us. If you are looking for comfort, hope, wholeness, and renewal, join us for a time of quiet reflection and meaningful words, music and communion. All shared in the good news of God with us: Immanuel! Invite others who may need to know they are not alone. A time of fellowship will follow in the Fellowship Hall. By Matthew Potter Annette B. Hello everyone! The youth will have our MYF Christmas party on Wednesday, December 20th from 6 - :0 p.m. We are asking everyone to bring a $5 gift to be exchanged as well as an angel tree gift item for our angel tree kids. If you have any questions regarding the angel tree items please let me know. The youth will be going to serve at Newgate on Friday, December 22nd. We will meet at the church to load up at 10:15 a.m. We will serve and then eat lunch afterwards. We will contact parents upon our return. There will be no MYF during the holiday break on Wednesday, December 2th and January rd. We will return January 10th. Matt

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9 P age 9 Page 9 Page 8 Flowers for December Rob and Lora Robison December 10 Melvin and Jo Reynolds December 1 The Steve Williams Family December 2 Anonymous December 1 James and Kathy McClain Greeters John and Ann Irwin Lay Readers Fred and Jennifer Anderson Ushers Janvan and Sandy Jenkins, Jeff Sorrells, Bob Lansdale Deadline for Newsletter Articles January, Noon The Sanctuary Flowers for November 5 were given by Deborah Loyd and family and Kenneth and Cosette Stewart in memory of Alan Loyd. November 12 were given by our church family in honor of the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces both past and present. November 19 were given by Linda Keller in loving memory of Mrs. Montie Erwin. November 26 were given by Lynn Davis, Leland Davis, Leandra Taylor and family in memory of Perry and Francis Davis. December were given by Rob and Lora Robison in honor of Bill Marshall, Organist and in honor of Annette Breazeale, Pianist. Puppets for What another amazing puppet Christmas musical we had! COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS on CMTV (Camel Music Jesus TV) was so much fun to perform and the audience enjoyed the music and the entertaining puppet characters as well. The NEW JR. by Babs Crombie Team members were showcased for their first big production and they did an amazingly wonderful job. They opened the show with Alvin and the Chipmunks song Hurry up Christmas. Cameron Came, played by Ray Sorrells was the CMTV host who gave the countdown of the top six music videos of the year. The show was filled with humor as well as the message of salvation. Gift tags that read TO: JESUS. LOVE: ME were handed out to the audience as they arrived. There were several fun songs, humorous commercials such as used camels for sale or lease, scratch and sniff Bibles, and an Eternal Life Insurance plan. A HUGE Shout Out to the following: JR. team ~ Sam Sorrells, Seth Ball, Jacob Fenlaw & Hagen Hagler. SR. team ~ Ray Sorrells, Adam Fenlaw, Jeff Sorrells, Mimi Ross, Ben Fenlaw, Ceci Crombie, Joseph Fenlaw, Lisa Fenlaw, Nick Sorrels & Babs Crombie. We will meet for the last time Dec. 10th before taking a winter break, and will resume meetings again on Sunday, January th, The Jr. Team members will begin meeting at 1:0 and the Sr. Team will meet at :00 in the CLC. My Special Thanks also include the MANY who helped either decorate, set up, furnished refreshments or helped clean up!! You were ALL loved and appreciated so very much! A very BIG Thank You to Marcus Smith, Stan Crombie, Chandra Sorrells, Lamon Geddie, Joy Sorrells, Dolly Robison, Penny Taylor and Adam Fenlaw for their magical help!! HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Puppets for Jesus Team! Babs Li k e u s o n F acebook - Fir st Unit e d M ethodi st Ch urch o f Gi lme r