First United Methodist Church of Johnson City

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1 First United Methodist Church of Johnson City Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors First United Methodist Church 105 North LBJ Drive PO Box 207 Johnson City, TX Website: Angela Bacon * Carrie Anders Youth Coordinator youth@fumcjctx.org * Ronnie Birck Education Director * Cindy Leonard Wesley Nurse Mo-Fr 8-12 & CLeonard@mhm.org ************************* Pastor Lee Romero pastor@ fumcjctx.org Cell: ************************** Worship Services 8:30 a.m. Contemporary Service 10:50 a.m. Traditional Service Sunday Christian Education Classes 9:40-10:30 a.m. Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God DECEMBER 2017 John Wesley Christmas carol singalong Christmas carols are an important part of our holiday season, but other than Sunday morning worship services, we don t have much chance to sing them as a body of faithful. This year, we re changing that. On Thursday, December 21, we ll have a special carol singalong in the sanctuary, beginning at 6:30 and ending in time to get the kids to bed for school the next morning. We ll sing your favorite traditional carols, including Handel s Hallelujah Chorus, because it s fun to sing and people enjoy it, even if we don t sound like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Making their debut will be our new youth choir, which started in October with a bunch of young non-singers, but Marian Hoy has brought them along and they ve worked hard and are beginning to sound like a real choir. The youth choir will give our voices an occasional rest, but we ll do most of the music-making. This isn t a concert; it s a singalong, and we re counting on everyone present to pitch in. There are a bunch of reasons carols matter at this time of year. For one thing, they tell the story of Christmas, from the expectation of the birth of the Christ through the Nativity itself, then the attendance of the angels, shepherds, and kings, and on through to you and me. Another reason is that you ve been singing these songs all your life, and well they just sound like Christmas ought to sound. Each carol brings back a flood of memory and emotion. Through the music, you relive the warm feelings and happy times of Christmases past. And they re just plain fun to sing. Because you ve sung them all so many times for so many years, you know the music and, with a little prompting, the words, so you can let your voice hide in the crowd and let loose with the pure enjoyment of singing. It s a great way to put the true spirit of Christ s birth in your holiday and to pass it along to another generation.

2 As members of this congregation, we pledge to faithfully participate in its ministries by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. Our Prayers...Lord Hear our prayers: for those who are ill, grieving, or facing difficult times; for those persons in nursing homes, assisted living and homebound; for our military and civilian men and women serving in harm s way and their families; for our leaders, and children everywhere. Our Presence 1st Service November 5th November 12th November 19th November 26th Our Gifts 2nd Service SS Year to date as of November 30, 2017 Budget Requirements $276,125 Tithes Received $280,435 To our Friends at J.C. United Methodist Church: Thank you for your love, friendship, and support these past 20 years. It has been a joyous ride. With God's help, we will now embark on the next phase of our lives. Blessings and Our Love, James and Dottie Deal Toy drive James & Dottie Deal 106 Bella Toscana Ave # 3205 Lakeway, Texas Remember last year s Christmas cards? When you re in Dollar General this Christmas season, you ll be invited to buy a toy and drop it in the box for their toy collection. You ll notice that the sign says the toys will go to the First United Methodist Church us. You brought your cards in to the church after Christmas instead of sending them to the landfill, and we saved them all year, and now we re bringing them out again. From here, they ll fatten the otherwise lean stockings of low income children but it only happens if you help them help us. And then we start it all over again with an appeal to you to save you Christmas cards, bring them in to the church when the holiday is over, and we ll tuck em away again. Our children s program will use them as art materials to cut up and re-assemble as ornaments, decorations, or new cards. What they don t use (and there should be a lot of leftovers) will go to school to be used for the same purpose, recycling both the cards and the spirit of the celebration for a broader audience. Good for the environment, good for the kids, and it costs you nothing. Hard to beat a deal like that.

3 The Library Corner For anyone who has been wanting to read the Bible, or who has been searching for a good New Year s resolution, the church library may be able to help. We have several different Bibles that are designed to assist you in completing the entire Bible in one year with selected daily readings. There are various versions including the NIV, NLT, and the New American Standard. There is also The Bible in 90 Days and The One-Minute Bible. If you are interested in deepening your prayer life and your personal walk, there are three shelves of devotionals. There are several copies of the annual Guidepost daily devotional, A Devotional for Kindred Spirits, and Today God Is First. On a lighter side we have Laugh a Day A Daily Devotional and A Dose of Heavenly Humor. There are daily devotionals by Max Lucado, Billy Graham and Charles Swindoll as well as several other well-known Christian writers. You might try Daily Living with Hope or 15 Minutes Alone with God. There is an entire shelf devoted to devotionals aimed at women. These include Gentle Spirit, A Place of Quiet Rest, God s Little Devotional for Women, and Praying God s Word. Wherever you are on your journey of faith or whatever you need to help you along your way, the library has a book for you. Please feel free to come in and peruse the shelves. Take your time and find exactly the right book to help you grow in God s love. Library Update By Shelley Levitt The remodel of the Church Library is almost complete, thanks to the recent hard work by Wendy Sultemeier and her sister. They completed one of the last steps, organizing the Church s historical documents. All that remains is placing the conference table and chairs in the library and planning the dedication. My thanks to the many members of the Historical Committee, Trustees, and men of the Ramp Builders who have dedicated time to help remodel the library. The library now has new bookcases that the Ramp Builders and the Trustees help put together; it has organized and labeled bookshelves. The Historical Committee have spent numerous hours sorting thru books and organizing them so you can find what you need Bibles, Devotionals, Inspirational Message, some Class materials, etc, etc. The recent hard work by Wendy, her sister, and Terry Wiemers saw those books finally make it to the bookshelves. As you can tell, it took a village. Next time you are in the Activity Center take a look, it is really nice. And we will have a date for the dedication, Coming Soon! During Living Nativity we are in need of food for the cast, and cookies for the guest kitchen. Anyone who would like to donate cookies for our guests, please contact Jeanne Hardy All leftover cookies are given to our friends who are shut-ins or Nursing Home Residence. We usually need about 180 dozen cookies. We also collect cookie tins to distribute the cookies. Please contact Dona Sultemeier to sign up for food for the cast. Please bring only listed items Juice boxes and water, NO SODAS Soups: potato, taco soup, and chili Sandwiches: tuna, chicken salad, pimento and PB&J Fruit Chips & dips Dessert: cookies ( little Angels need to stay clean) THANK YOU!!!

4 Mission trip! We re going on a mission trip to help survivors of Hurricane Harvey put their homes back together again. Donating money and supplies for immediate aid was good, but this is better this is where we really make a permanent, hands-on difference in their lives. There are 40 homes in and around Columbus which flooded when Harvey s rains overflowed the Colorado River s banks. The houses are still uninhabitable, and the residents are still out in temporary housing. Their Christmas wish is to go home. We can make it happen the week between Christmas and New Year, when we go down on the 26th and work until the 1st, replacing flooring and wallboard and doing whatever else is needed to make the homes livable again. Normally, a trip like this would cost volunteers $25-50 per person per day, eating makeshift meals and sleeping on a cot in a church gym. Not for us. We ll be in real beds in real rooms at Cathedral Oaks retreat center at Weimar (look em up on line) and they ll feed us hot breakfast and dinner daily, plus sandwich lunches on the jobsites. The cost will be only $10 per person per day. Want to stay in a motel of your own choosing? Feel free, just be at the retreat center with the rest of us for the evening dinner, debriefing and worship. Want to bring your own quarters with you in your trailer or RV? No problem they have six hookups with water and 30-amp electricity. No septic connection, but there is a station on site. We re also making it easy to go. It s family friendly, with jobs for non-builders and learning opportunities for wannabes. The schedule is flexible: if you can t leave home on the 26th, you can come later. If you have to be back before the 1st, you can leave early. In addition to bringing the tools we ll work with, we re asking folks to check around their shops and garages for extras duplicates, oldies they ve upgraded to newer models, tools they just don t use any more and bring those, too. In addition to giving newbies something to use, we ll leave the extras behind when we come home, for use by the next teams, or for loan to local residents working on their own homes on those of their neighbors. But there s a catch. The conference and district have adopted the national Volunteers in Mission rules, and one of them is we have to have a team meeting mandatory for all volunteers on the trip well out ahead of the trip itself. We ll have ours at the church on Saturday, Dec 9, and mandatory means everyone who goes must be there. That means at the end of the meeting we;ll close the list of participants. You can get off the list if you find you can t go, but you cant decide later you do want to join the team and go. Short version: be there if you do or might want to go with us, because if you re not there, you re not going. There are other things that will need doing before we leave, too, like getting a background check through the church especially for this trip, even if you just had one for something else. Their rules, not ours. Why is this mission trip such a big deal? It started out as just a trip for our own volunteers, following our own usual loose rules. Like other programs that start with us, this one has expanded to the rest of our Hill Country District and beyond, with volunteers coming from several other churches to se how we do this. With that, though, comes the obligation to figure out how the new rules work, and we re trying to do that. And when you make your church a recognized leader in your district and conference, you sort of have an obligation to make it all work. You can help with that the week after Christmas but get your name on the list pronto. Dec 9 is sooner than you think.

5 Thoughts from the Center Office As I sit in my office looking at the keyboard of my computer and occasionally looking out of the window noticing the activities that are taking place on the campus, I struggle to come up with a pastoral note for December s newsletter. I looked back at previous articles; I contemplated the events of months past, tragedies and evil events, and still wrestle with where to go with this month s writing. I prayed. I dwelled and contemplated. I prayed some more. But what came was to keep it simple and to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Not that my articles are ever scholarly, but I try to make sure they are pastoral in some respect and that too could be argued whether or not I accomplish it. But what came to mind was something that took place in December of It was a recitation by Linus van Pelt, of Charlie Brown frame. It goes like this: Linus Speech on The True Meaning of Christmas Charlie Brown: Isn t there anyone, who knows what Christmas is all about?! Linus: Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. Lights please? And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men. That s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. When this first aired it was seen by an estimated 15.5 million people, approximately 46% of the viewing public. It continues to be broadcast each year multiple times. This will be its 52 year of being viewed, by millions upon millions of people. So this year I will keep it simple: For, behold, I bring you tidings a great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. God Bless and Merry Christmas! Pastor Lee Dec. 24th Christmas Eve Services everyone is welcome! 5:00pm service for children and families 7:00pm service for families Childcare will be provided for 5pm and 7pm service 11:00pm service no childcare provided

6 Sunday School Classes FELLOWSHIP led by Bill & Elaine Swiss. The class will be studying Take the Flag: Following God s Signals in the Race of Your Life. New members and visitors are welcome to join in. The class meets in Fellow Ship Hall, located near the Sanctuary. JOHN WESLEY led by Barbara Hudson. Please join John Wesley Class for a Ray Vander Laan video and study entitled "A Clash of Kindoms." The videos are filmed on location as Paul traveled to deliver the good news of the gospel. If you are not involved in a Sunday School class, you are welcome to join us. NOMADS The Nomads class will be doing a twelve week study by Matt Chandler on the Apostle s Creed. Each week Pastor Chandler will take one verse of the creed to look at more closely. The Nomads class meets across from the office. Everyone is welcome to join us at any time. SEEKERS The Seekers class is studying "Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman. All are invited to join. YOUTH - All 6th 12th graders join us as for a 4 week series A Social Media Christmas. CHILDREN The curriculum used for Nursery, PreK-5th Grade is Planting Faith, Growing Faith. All classrooms are accessed from the hallway by the church office. DECEMBER LECTIONARY December 3, st Sunday of Advent [Purple or Blue] Isa 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-7, (UMH 801) 1Cor 1:3-9 Matthew 13:24-37 December 10, nd Sunday of Advent [Purple or Blue] Isa 40:1-11 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 (UMH 806) 2 Pet 3:8-15a Mk 1:1-8 December 17, rdSunday of Advent [Purple or Blue] Isa 61:1-4, 8-11 Psalm 126 (UMH 847) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Jn 1:6-8, December 24, th Sunday of Advent/Christmas Eve 2 Sam 7:1-11, 16 Lk 1:47-55 (UMH 199) Rom 16:25-27 Lk 1:26-38 Isaiah 9:2-7 Psalm 96 (815) Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-20 December 25, 2017 Christmas Day [White or Gold] Isaiah 52:7-10 Psalm 98 (UMH 818) Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) John 1:1-14 December 31, st Sunday after Christmas day/new Year Isa 61:10-62:3 Psalm 148 (UMH 861) Galatians 4:4-7 Lk 2:22-40 Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 Psalm 8 (UMH 743) Rev 21:1-6a Matthew 25:31-46 Please remember and pray for our nursing home residents, those in the hospital and shut-ins: Delores Bozeman David Freer Elnora Kneese Alice Wadsworth Bernice Casparis Doris Hartmann Yvonne Leonard

7 A Note from your Wesley Nurse Christmas can be a great time of year, but also a very challenging time as well. For those of us that have lost a loved one or someone dear to us, holidays can be a tough time. An empty chair, a phone call that does not happen, photos with someone missing, all contribute to that sense of loss and grief. I would like to organize a time to get together and share. We can share memories of loved ones, we can share how we are feeling, we can share. Please let me know if you are interested and we will set a date. I pray that your Christmas will be full of joy and peace. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 Stress and the Holidays Keep your expectations balanced. You won't get everything you want, things will go wrong, and you won't feel like Bing Crosby singing White Christmas. Remember that everything doesn't have to be perfect and don't worry about things that are out of your control. Don't try to do too much. Fatigue, over scheduling, and taking on too many tasks can dampen your spirits. Delegate as much as possible and manage your time wisely. If you choose to do less you will have more energy to enjoy the most important part of the season - friends and family. Don't isolate. If you're feeling left out, then get out of the house and find some way to join in. There are hundreds of places you can go to hear music, enjoy the sights or help those less fortunate. Don't overspend. Create a reasonable budget and stick to it. Remember it's not about the presents, it's about the presence. Watch your diet and remember to exercise. It's normal to eat more during the holidays, but be aware of how certain foods effect your mood. If you eat fats and sweets, you will have less energy, which can make you feel more stressed and run down. It can be very helpful to take a walk before and/or after a big holiday meal. Plan ahead. Many people don't go to the mall after Thanksgiving to avoid shopping stress and others do much of their party prep in advance. Just say NO. By saying "yes" to every holiday invitation and demand that comes your way, you could wind up exhausted and possibly broke. Instead, reflect on what you cherish most about the holidays, experts say, whether it's sending greeting cards to maintain relationships, tree trimming, baking, church, seeing family and friends, supporting a charitable cause, or just relaxing. Cindy Leonard, RN, is a Wesley Nurse with Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM). MHM s Wesley Nurse program is a faith-based, holistic health and wellness program committed to serving the least served through education, health promotion and collaboration with individual and community in achieving improved wellness through self-empowerment. Learn more at

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10 Jayme Roschetzky December 1 Sally Wells December 1 Darlene Young December 1 Shannon Meurer December 2 Bill Swafford December 2 Kayla Kneese December 3 Todd Kneese December 4 Happy Birthday! Kenneth Troppy December 13 Jerry Sultemeier December 14 Kristine Urbanovsky December 16 Betty Fort December 17 Butch Philips December 17 Bill Wiemers December 18 George Barnette December 19 Margie Roe December 28 Tom Walston December 28 Ron Young December 28 Amber Fry December 29 Cindy Weiershausen December 30 Jeffery Brothers December 31 Earl North December 31 Holly Liesmann December 4 Jason Brothers December 5 Kalli Dalland December 5 Joel Honeycutt December 8 Lilli Philips December 9 Ronnie Batchelor December 10 Colleen Adair December 11 Shelby Sultemeier December 11 Jim Odiorne December 19 Brittini Young December 19 Wren Liesmann December 21 Hagen Birck December 22 Tammy Liesmann December 26 Jenifer Holland December 27 Kourtney Kyzar December 27 Happy Anniversary! Christy & Brock Lacy December 3 Mark & Kris Urbanovsky December 17 Glenn & Wendy Sultemeier December 22 Will & June Dahmann December 22 Pat & D'Lee Pickett December 28 Zenon & Tracy Corpus December 28

11 A Place to Grow in Christian Love First United Methodist Church PO Box 207 Johnson City, TX Return Service Requested Hand folded and sealed with love especially for... December 2017 The mission of the Congregation of the First United Methodist Church is to continue to be a committed fellowship of disciples sharing the love of God through Jesus Christ and furnishing a place of Christian worship, programs, services and facilities for its members and the people of the Johnson City area. Living Nativity at the FUMC December 8th & 9th Dec. 15h & 16th Worship Services 8:30 a.m. - Contemporary Service 10:50 a.m. - Traditional Service Christian Education: 9:40-10:30 a.m. *************************************************** The church office is open: Monday - Thursday 9 am - 12 & 1-4 pm Office Phone: Pastor Lee s cell Pastor s pastor@fumcjctx.org Secretary s secretary@fumcjctx.org Youth Coordinator: youth@fumcjctx.org Education Director: education@fumcjctx.org Visit our Website: Shows are 6:30pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm and 8:30pm