St. John UMC Satellite Invite * Relate * Nurture * Send forth A Note From Our Pastor.. December 2018 Choir Notes 2 Count Your Blessings United Methodist Men Knitting Fellowship 3 Puzzle 4 UMW 5 Outreach Harvest Celebration 6 December December 8 Christmas for Children at the Parsonage December 9 UMW Mary Kendall Home Christmas Party December 16 St. John Christmas Party December 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 25 Christmas Day Dear Members and Friends, I would like to express gratitude to all of us for our participation in filling God s pantry during the Thanksgiving Season. Again, we give God the glory for everything we were able to achieve because he is the provider. Now, Advent is here, the season of expectation and waiting, a season of preparation for Christmas. This year we are going to do a study on the story of Jesus in a very uplifting and memorable way. The book and a video Under Wraps: The Gift We Never Expected is an inspiring read and watch. We are all invited to come for Sunday School this month. Again, Christmas is around the corner we welcome all our friends and neighbors to join us for our Sunday services @ 10 am we are having an Advent and Christmas series called The Paradigm Shift beginning 12/2/18. Also join us for our Christmas Eve service on Monday 12/24/18 @ 5 pm. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6). I urge us to approach Advent and Christmas with expectant hearts, developing a personal Advent and Christmas devotional time. A moment to reflect on God on a personal level, to seek to know him better and develop a more Spirit filled relationship with God during this season. A few suggestions to reflect on ((Rom 8:18-25; 1 Peter 1:13; Rev 22:20; Psalm 62:5-7; Psalm 130:5-6; Psalm 130:7-8). Let me challenge all of us this season of expecting and waiting, try to be observant of your surroundings around the home, church or shops and keep a record of those things you have never payed attention to or noticed for a long time. Then see how there are many surprises that surround us every day. I wish all of you a Happy, Hopeful, Peaceful, Joyful and Love[ful] Advent and Christmas and New Year Season. Rev I.M. Kabete
Page 2 Choir Notes Submitted by Howard Luttrell During the month of December the choir will sing anthems chosen from Christmas cantatas from the several past years. We are doing this rather than having a separate cantata. We think you'll enjoy the music that has been selected. With our choir being small at this time with people out of town or who may be sick I would like to invite anyone who would like to sing to come join us, even if just for December. The choir will not meet during the Christmas and New Year holidays and will begin practice again on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and a big thank you to all our choir members for their dedication in coming to practice and singing on Sunday mornings. "Sing-cerely," Howard Counting You Blessings...Name Them 1 By 1 We have all been blessed beyond measure, but have we told others as a witness of God s goodness and faithfulness to us? Beginning this month thru November 2019 we will be naming our blessing. We ask that every month you take a moment to write a blessing you have received and put it in the blessing jar. These blessings will then be used as part of our de cor for the 2019 Harvest Dinner. Sponsored by UMW Special Advent Study Begins December 2nd! For the month of December our Sunday School classes will begin a special Advent Study: Under Wraps (The Gift We Never Expected). It consist of a 30 minute video followed by 30 minutes of discussion. Sunday School is at 9:00 a.m. Invite a friend, neighbor or family member and tell them everyone is welcome to join us!
United Methodist Men's News Submitted by Jim Houtchen Page 3 The United Methodist Men's group met Saturday Nov. 17. We enjoyed our wonderful breakfast, as usual, followed by a time of devotion. There was no regular business discussion today. We will meet next on December 15. Hope to see you there, and bring your friends. **SPECIAL THANKS to all who helped and attended the JBM Craft Fair. Knitting Fellowship Submitted by Elaine Doolittle The Knitting Fellowship will meet the first two Wednesdays in December at 10:30 am. We will then take a break and resume our meetings January 9. If the weather is bad and Owensboro Public Schools cancel for weather we do not meet. We would love for you to join us. You don't have to knit: other crafts are welcome or just warm your hands around a coffee mug. St. John Christmas Party December 16th ~ 5:30 p.m. THE ST. JOHN FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE: Please bring an ornament with your name or family name printed on the back to hang on the Christmas tree in the fellowship hall. On Christmas Eve, we will each take an ornament home so that we can lift up that name in prayer throughout the coming year. Many blessings and much love are extended to our church family and others through this outreach.
Page 4 Christmas Find and circle all of the Christmas words that are hidden in the grid. The remaining letters spell a secret message. ANGEL BELLS BETHLEHEM CANDLES CANDY CANE CAROLS DECORATIONS EGGNOG FAMILY FRANKINCENSE FRIENDS FRUITCAKE GABRIEL GIFTS GOLD GREETING CARDS HOLLY ICICLES JESUS JOSEPH LIGHTS MANGER MARY MISTLETOE MYRRH ORNAMENTS POINSETTIA SANTA SHEPHERDS SKATES SLEIGH SNOWFLAKES SNOWMAN STABLE STAR STOCKING THREE WISE MEN TOBOGGAN TOYS TREE WREATH
United Methodist Women Submitted by Kathy Sherman Page 5 Thank you for all the Winter Wear donations for the homeless. They will be distributed the first of December. Several bags of clothes have already been given to Oasis. The UMW will have a church-wide Christmas party on Sunday, December 9 @ 3:00. Everyone is invited to join us. We will be collecting donations for the Mary Kendall Home. At this time we don t have a list of needed items, but one will be available before the party. Gift cards and cash are always appreciated. We hope you ll join us for an afternoon of fun and fellowship. Did You Know.. Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem. The Bible says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus said that He existed before the foundation of the world. He was there when the moon and stars were flung out into space from the Father s flaming fingertips. He was there when God created this planet. He has always existed. He is from everlasting to everlasting. - Billy Graham Children s Christmas Party at the Parsonage December 8th ~ 2:00p 4:00p The Outreach Committee will meet on Tuesday, December 4 at 4:00. This is an important meeting to discuss evangelistic plans for the new year. Please be there if you are on Outreach Committee Submitted by Kathy Sherman the committee for next year. Thanks to all who continue to serve at St. Benedict s and New Life. We will serve at St. Benedict s on Monday, December 3. New Life will start back again in January. Evangelism Outreach St. John Serving Others
Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. St. John United Methodist Church 2160 Griffith Ave Owensboro, KY 42301 Irene Kabete, Pastor Phone: (270) 683-6326 E-mail: office@stjohnum.org Debbie Fulkerson, Editor/Church Secretary We re on the Web www.stjohnum.org Check us out on Facebook! Twitter: stjohnumc1 I would like to thank everyone who participated in the harvest celebration. I very much enjoyed sharing about the Owensboro Help Office at the Sunday service. My family has a long history of volunteering there and so does Saint John. The brown bags of groceries that were collected completely filled the big blue truck and I so appreciate your generous giving every year. The harvest dinner was well attended. The food was fantastic as usual, and everyone enjoyed the fellowship. Thanks to everyone who helped with the dinner including Kathy Brey who cooked the turkeys and Ruth White who provided the ham. Just a note, we no longer have to mark the barcodes on the groceries.! Vicki Hast Harvest Celebration Coordinator