COMMITMENT.....1 December 7, 2014 SW SCHOOL... 2 & 5 THOSE WHO SERVE......3 MATURE METHODISTS....4 NEWS... 4 & 6 WEDNESDAYS @ 1ST..5 LOVEFEAST......4 First views THE PURPOSE OF FUMC IS TO INVITE ALL PEOPLE TO BECOME FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST, GROWING TOGETHER IN LOVE AND SERVICE TO GOD AND NEIGHBOR. The Advent Season is upon us. And with Advent, our lives tend to get more and more busy. Often in the busy-ness of the season, it s easy to forget who and whose we are in light of our calling as followers of Jesus. One of my daily prayers for us as a church is that we would remember the commitments we made when we became members of First Church. We committed to be active through our presence, our prayers, our gifts, our service and our witness. I want to highlight 3 different people who have recently used their service and gifts for the greater Kingdom. This beautiful hand-welded Advent wreath was made by Daniel Blackburn, and will be the centerpiece of the Advent season in the Christian Life Center. Pastor Wil knew that Daniel was a welder and, several weeks ago, asked Daniel if he could build an Advent wreath for The Vine service. So Daniel worked on it, and this beautiful piece of art will be used for many, many years. Thank you, Daniel, for using your talents and gifts to help us remember the joy of Advent! This beautiful, hand-made stained glass art piece hangs in the Christian Life Center, and is one of two pieces created by Mark Bodnar. Mark took all of the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving to create this beautiful piece and another one hanging on the other side of the stage. These two pieces hang down from the top of the stage and are spectacular sights when the stage lights are lit. Please make sure you see the beauty of these hangings in the next few weeks, as the dove and the cross (the other piece) remind us of the peace and salvation that come from Christ. Thank you, Mark, for blessing us with these gifts of beauty! Finally, the beautiful Chrismon tree in the sanctuary (as well as most of the other decorations we all enjoy around the church campus during Advent) was decorated under the artistic eye of Beth Palermo. Beth has given many, many hours of her time and energy to help us enjoy the beauty of the season of Advent. She was the one responsible for the recent Hanging of the Greens service, which helped usher in the season of Advent. We are so thankful for Beth s abilities to create such beauty in our church, which reminds us of the joy and beauty of the season. When you see Beth, Daniel and Mark, please thank them for what they bring to our church! Friends, these are simply three examples of people who are willing to use what God has given them. Please remember that the church needs you! Your commitment to your church is also a commitment to the Kingdom of God, and I truly believe that God is counting on each of us to live into our commitments. Blessings on your week, Pastor Craig 1
Journey 101 is a class that helps you learn who we are and what we are about at First Church. We will meet Sunday, December 14 at 9:45 a.m. in the Scout Room. Come meet with Pastor Wil. wil@firstumchickory.org CIRCLE #4 will meet Monday, December 8, at 7 p.m. CIRCLE #5 will meet Tuesday, December 9, at 12 p.m. CIRCLE #3 will meet Sunday, December 14, at 8:45 a.m. MISSED A SUNDAY? BLESS SOUTHWEST Do you have a heart and passion for children? Do you want to find ways to bless local school teachers, administrators, and staff? Do you have gifts for administration, service, or creativity? This team will lead our church in blessing the children, staff, and parents of our partner school, Southwest Elementary School. Through our partnership with Southwest we currently serve as reading tutors, lunch buddies, duty free lunch volunteers, and we serve on special projects like landscaping and school supply drives. We need your help coordinating these wonderful projects and helping us think of other opportunities to bless Southwest. If you want to be part of this team, contact Margo Morganti (mmorganti@charter.net) to get on the contact list and remain updated on team happenings. SUNDAY SCHOOL Advent and Growing in Faith is the topic for discussion this coming Sunday morning in the Faithlink Sunday School class. While we are currently in the church season of Advent, many Christians overlook opportunities to learn from and celebrate the season because we are busily preparing for Christmas celebrations. What is Advent? What can we learn by paying attention to the season? How can Advent help us grow in faith? The Faithlink, class meets on the 3 rd floor of the Education Wing (beside the theater) at 9:45 a.m. Not to worry. Our worship services are recorded and available by podcast in two places. First, you can search First UMC Hickory on itunes. Or you can subscribe to our RSS feed. Click the RSS icon toward the top right of our website to get started. Each of these opportunities allows you to stay connected through worship at First Church. And you can share these recordings with friends by recommending they also check out our podcast. We hope you ll add the podcast or feed to your other regular subscriptions. SOUTHWEST SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL SERVICE PROJECT HOMELESS RELIEF PROGRAM Please bring the following items to the Community Room between now and December 8. We appreciate your participation in this very important project. Hygiene Products Toothpaste/Toothbrushes Body wipes Toilet paper Deodorant Food Crackers Pop-top canned food Bottled water Bagged snacks Protein bars 2
Sunday, December 7, 2014 Second Sunday of Advent 8:30 a.m. - Early Worship 11:00 a.m. - Traditional Worship 11:00 a.m. - The Vine Message: (Traditional) Waiting In The Dark Rev. Wil Posey Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9 Message: (The Vine) Light in the Darkness Rev. Craig Langston Scripture: Isaiah 9:1, 35:1, 6-7 Kingston: Kathy Wood Ginger Dickinson, pianist Nursery: Jack Carmichael, Erica Carmichael, Pam Hale Acolytes: Ella May and Ryan May Ushers: Gregg Lauffenburger, Bruce Blackburn, Hal Armstrong, Jason Chambers, Cindy Rushing, Diane Teeter, John Teeter, Louis Wetmore, Margaret Varn, Harry Varn, Cindy King Greeters: Roger Bradford and Claudene Smith Offering Stewards: Joe Palermo and Roy Cox Sunday School Greeters: Earlie Goad and Kelley Young Donut Rotation: December - Pairs & Spares January - Trinity Office Champions: Claudene Smith, Jane Lindsay Donna Waldron, Cathy Jones, Diane Creasman, Laura Eckard WEEKLY CALENDAR Sunday, December 7 8:30 a.m. Early Worship Service (S) 9:30 a.m. Donut/Fellowship - Comm. Rm. 9:30 a.m. SunShine Singers 9:30 a.m. Orchestra Rehearsal 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 9:50 a.m. Kingston Service 9:50 a.m. Family Care Service 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Service (S) 11:00 a.m. The Vine Worship Service (CLC) 12:30 p.m. Joy Outlook Luncheon 4:00 p.m. Disciple II 4:00 p.m. Youth Handbells 4:30 p.m. Agape Kids 5:00 p.m. Youth Group 6:30 p.m. Christmas Handbell Concert Monday, December 8 6:30 p.m. Cub Scouts 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts 7:00 p.m. Circle #4 Tuesday, December 9 12:00 p.m. Circle #5 5:30 p.m. Carolina Crush VB practice 6:00 p.m. Finance Committee Wednesday, December 10 7:00 a.m. HS Youth Breakfast 10:00 a.m. Staff Caroling 4:45 p.m. 1st Ringers 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays at First 6:15 p.m. Chancel Ringers 6:15 p.m. Wesley and Aldersgate Choirs 6:20 p.m. Wednesday Night Youth 6:30 p.m. Moravian-style Lovefeast (S) 7:15 p.m. Chancel Choir Thursday, December 11 10:30 a.m. Women s Study - Mother Roots 4:00 p.m. Temporary Warming Station* 5:30 p.m. Adult Fellowship Class Meal 7:00 p.m. SSHS Guys @ St. John s 7:15 p.m. Chancel Choir 8:00 p.m. AA Friday, December 12 7:00 p.m. Girl Scout Troup 10384 Saturday, December 13 9:30 a.m. MMs to Lake Junaluska and Biltmore 5:00 p.m. Timothean Class Holiday Get-Together 8:00 p.m. A.A. Attendance for November 30, 2014 Early service 22 Kingston 35 11:00 a.m. services 320 Total 377 Sunday School 249 GIFTS TO THE CHURCH In memory of DR. AUGUSTIN QUILICI by Margaret Edwards (PEF) M/M Max Reese (PDF) M/M Charles Lindsay (Budget) M/M Ron Hight (PDF) December 8 - CIRCLE #4-7 p.m.. December 9- CIRCLE #5-12:00 p.m. - Holiday Out-to-Lunch December 9 - FINANCE COMMITTEE - Craft Room December 14 - CIRCLE #3-11th/12th Grade Class Sunday, December 14 8:30 a.m. Early Worship Service (S) 8:45 a.m. Circle #3 9:30 a.m. SunShine Singers 9:30 a.m. Orchestra Rehearsal 9:30 a.m. Donut/Fellowship - Comm. Rm. 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Journey 101 9:50 a.m. Kingston Service 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Service (S) 11:00 a.m. The Vine Worship Service (CLC) 12:15 a.m. Chancel Choir Lunch 4:00 p.m. Disciple II 4:00 p.m. Youth Handbells 5:00 p.m. Agape Kids 5:00 p.m. Youth Group S - Sanctuary CLC - Christian Life Center * Only if temp. is expected to be below 34 3
Mature Methodists BILTMORE by CANDLELIGHT There are just TWO (2) tickets remaining for the candlelight tour of the Biltmore House on Saturday, December 13. Please let Sandy know (322-6058 or sandy@firstumchickory) if you would like to have them. We re planning to drive to Asheville on Saturday morning to have some time for shopping. Then, we ll enjoy a late lunch and tour the gardens, the winery, or Antler Hill Village prior to our tour which begins at 5:30 p.m. Cost: $80 plus lunch. The JOY OUTLOOK SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS is hosting a luncheon this Sunday, December 7, after the 11:00 church services. It will be held in the CLC and is for the purpose of raising money for the families they support at Christmastime and for the residents at the Austin Adult Care Center. The menu will include manicotti with meatballs, salad, rolls and desserts. Please come and enjoy a nice lunch and help support the Joy Outlook Christmas missions. Thank you! LOVEFEAST WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 6:30 P.M. FUMC Sanctuary The Moravian Lovefeast is a joyful celebration of Christian faith expressed through scripture, music, and the sharing of simple food. The coffee and lovefast bun, eaten together in community and fellowship, are reminiscent of the agape meal shared by early Christians out of their love for each other and their desire for close relationship. Please plan to join FUMC s lovefeast celebration during this season of Advent. Special music will be provided by our Wesley and Aldersgate Children s Choirs and by the FUMC 1 st Ringers. CULTIVATE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD The Upper Room Disciplines devotional guide for 2015 is now available. This guide offers a simple design of daily prayer, reflection, and scripture organized by the Revised Common Lectionary. To order your copy, phone 800-972-0433 or go to Bookstore.UpperRoom.org. Also, the November-December issues of The Upper Room and Alive Now devotional publications are available just outside of the sanctuary doors. AGAPE KIDS (4th - 6th grades) Sunday, DECEMBER 7 - Youth Group Wednesday, DECEMBER 10- Wednesday Night Youth Sunday, DECEMBER 14 - Youth Group Sunday, JANUARY 18 - Winter Jam Agape Kids will be shopping for our adopted family this week. Please meet at the church at 4:30 p.m. We will return by 6:30 p.m. 4
WEDNESDAYS AT FIRST! DECEMBER 10, 2014 MENU: Spaghetti, meat sauce, garlic bread, salad, German chocolate cake, fruit TEAM 3 will assist in the kitchen. Donna Waldron is the coordinator. Meal cost: $5; children 3 and under, free; and $18 family maximum Some of you may not realize the White House sends birthday cards to church members over 80. So if you are over 80 and have not been receiving a birthday card from the White House, (and would like to) please call or send your birthdate including year to Becky Griffin (828.324.7796) or bckygriffin@gmail.com. (There is no e in bcky). WEEKDAY SCHOOL NEWS The Weekday School would like to send out a great big thank you to all who have helped with our playground renovations. The playgrounds are really shaping up! Keep a lookout for more improvements coming soon. We have a few items on the smaller playground that need a new home to make room for new equipment, and for a small donation, they can be yours. Contact Kathleen in the Preschool office for more information (322-6058 ext.304 or email kathleen@firstumchickory.org.) A re you ready to really try to keep those New Year s resolutions? There has been some interest in a workout called Insanity, and the name fits! It s a 60-day fitness program that incorporates all sorts of exercises for 60 minutes a day, 6 days a week. It s a 10-week program, and it s absolutely nuts! But it s also fun! If there is enough interest, we ll begin Insanity the first week of January, 2015 in the CLC. If you are interested, please email Pastor Craig at craig@firstumchickory.org. We re not sure what times will be best, but considering either a morning (7:45 am) or afternoon time. Please note: this workout requires you to be in pretty good shape to begin. OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP SOUTHWEST SCHOOL Contribute to the principal s discretionary fund used for a variety of school needs Donate postcard stamps Tutor students Be a lunch monitor in 2015 Please contact dianecreasman@charter.net giving your name, number, email, and day/ time that is convenient for you. Thank you for your support of Southwest Elementary School!!! 5
Advent Photo Challenge #WalkingInDarkness 6
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Please know that the newsletter dated December 21, 2014 will be a two (2) week newsletter. It will cover the dates of December 21 through January 3, 2015. If you have anything that needs to be included for those weeks please get that information to Debbie as soon as possible. She will try to get it in the newsletter, but if not, it will at least get into the bulletin. Thank you for your help. debbie@firstumchickory.org If you are bringing egg cartons or food donations for CCM, please put them in the grocery cart that is now located in the Community Room kitchen. If you are bringing aluminum cans for recycling, please know that ONLY aluminum drink cans can be recycled. Please do not bring in any other cans. NEWSLETTER INFO NEEDED If you want something in the next newsletter - which will be for the week starting December 14, 2014, please submit your information by December 9. For the December 21 newsletter - by December 16 Thank you. First United Methodist Church 311 Third Avenue, NE Hickory, NC 28601 Telephone: 828-322-6058 Fax: 828-322-1515 www.firstumchickory.org First UM Church Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/first-united-methodist- Church-Hickory/187951964678411 The Vine Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thevinefirstumchickory. First UM Church Twitter page: @FirstChurchHky First UM Church Website: www.firstumchickory.org As the year comes to a close, the activities seem to pile up. While you are having your celebrations & joyous times, please take a minute to think about your group s plans for next year. I am already having requests for the use of our buildings into next year and have put them off (because of policy) so that the church s groups could have priority. But, come the end of December, I will be able to open up our facility to those wishing to use it in June...so, would you take a minute, email me your plans (at least a tentative schedule), and I can get your dates on the calendar. Thanks for your help. Debbie debbie@firstumchickory.org 8