UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Our Gifts & Presence Sunday, Dec 16, 2018 Total Worship..180 Sunday School..15 Budget....$1179 (817) 451-4321 www.handleyumc.org A Time of Celebration and Giving Thanks As 2018 draws to a close, we give thanks to those who went before us. We give thanks to laypeople, ministers and staff who have given of their time, talents and resources to enable God s work to be accomplished in the community of faith we call Handley United Methodist Church. Through God s grace, lives have been changed through Sunday schools, Bible studies, sermons and Outreach such as Eastside Ministries, The Backpack program and many others. Lives have been changed as new families were formed through weddings. Lives were given to God through infant and adult baptisms and lives celebrated through funerals. As we celebrate together on Christmas Eve and partake of Christ s holy communion and end with the singing of Silent Night during our traditional candle light service, we remember we were blessed to be part of the 141 years old history of this church. Thank you for letting me be a small part of its history. "God Be With You (Till We Meet Again)" is a Christian hymn that was written by Jeremiah Rankin in 1880. Rankin was the minister for the First Congregational Church in Washington, D.C. and had this to say about the hymn, Written as a Christian goodbye, it was called forth by no person or occasion, but was deliberately composed as a Christian hymn on basis of the etymology of goodbye, which is God be with you. When I was a child, this hymn was often sung at the close of the worship service: 1 God be with you till we meet again, By His counsels guide, uphold you, With His sheep securely fold you, Till we meet, till we meet, Till we meet at Jesus feet; Till we meet, till we meet, 2 God be with you till we meet again, Neath His wings protecting hide you, Daily manna still divide you, 3 God be with you till we meet again, When life s perils thick confound you, Put His arms unfailing round you, 4 God be with you till we meet again, Keep love s banner floating o er you, Smite death s threatening wave before you, Amen. In God s Love, Pastor Judy Mehaffy Richmond 817-980-8472
Bruce s Bible Study This, of course, will be my last column for the Handley newsletter, and I have found myself thinking and praying how to end things, after years of doing this (and enjoying it). I've never run out of ideas, but I think that's what happens with anyone who does his or her best to walk with the Lord, and I've tried my best to do that for 50 years; God remains creative!!! I hope that you've enjoyed the columns as much as I have when I've been writing them. Let me know! I think I would finish up with just several words of advice; these are things I've tried to practice, and they sure work for me! 1) Read the Bible faithfully, preferably every day. I read mine aloud, because that keeps my professorial mind from wandering. Get a good translation (which is better than a paraphrase), and if you're finding things difficult, get some good Bible study helps, such as the Tyndale commentaries (in paperback) or N.T. Wright's The New Testament for Everyone set (also in paper, and one which I highly recommend). 2) Pray about everything. Some people say that one should pray only about "religious things," to which I respond, "Rubbish!" God is incredibly practical, and we need to voice our needs very specifically and not "generically," so that when the answer comes, we'll recognize it and be able to give Him the praise for it. In other words, not just, "God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy," etc. --there's nothing wrong with that, but those prayers are vague enough that we won't recognize the answers when they come! 3) Read good book and watch good TV shows. Consider these as adding data to your personal computer files! After my near-fatal bout with peritonitis nearly 16 years ago, I found myself wanting meat in my reading. That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a good mystery or TV show---but I try to "vet" them. Some of us are guilty of filling our minds with "junk food," and that's bad. 4) Don't listen to anyone (including preachers, of which I am one) who minimizes the importance of Christ, or who says that all religions are the "same," or who denies His power to do the supernatural in our lives today. Also, we need to look at these people's lives (not just preachers, note). If someone is living like the devil, we don't want to listen to them, no matter how "good" their words may seem. There's a worm (or maybe a king cobra) in those apples! 5) Most basic of all, make sure that you have made a personal commitment to Christ. You may or may not have a lot of "feeling" to go along with that, but when you do it, you'll start seeing some changes in your life that show He's there! He expects obedience, but the good news is that He'll help us to do those right things, even when they're difficult! At the end, I'll just quote Tiny Tim: "God bless us, every one." Amen to that! Recipe for Red Slush Punch (SERVED at Handley UMC Reunion Sunday, Dec.16, 2018) 4 cups sugar 1 large box cherry jello 2 quarts water Bring ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and Add: 1 large can frozen lemonade 1 48 oz can pineapple juice 3 quarts water Mix ingredients and put in freezer. Take out several hours before putting in punch bowl or pitcher. Should be consistency of a slushee.
Great to see sooo many children and youth visiting! Many are God s children! On Sunday, Handley UMC was filled with love as present and former members and friends reminisced over old photos & memorabilia and just enjoyed being here! The photos will still be on display in Fellowship Hall this coming Sunday if you missed last week And as a reminder our last Worship Service is on Christmas Eve @ 4:00pm.
Pastor Judy - Remembrances and Thanks From Handley Friends Thanks be to God and our Community of Faith. I write this note to you and the congregation from the perspective of a humble sinner that is thankful for the Grace of God and generosity of Handley Methodist. It had to be a God thing! I have to remind myself that the Lord lights the way! God sometimes puts us in the dark to show us that Jesus is the light. Judy, It was so AWESOME of you and APPRECIATED more than words can say. Thank you for watching over Handley Methodist at this time. Special thanks for help to my friend. God be with you. Kathye McCall The Peace of Christ be with you - Judy Gromatzky Dear Christian Friends, Thank you for your donation in memory of Bob Whitt It s hard to believe that we are again in the midst if the holiday season. Nothing lifts my heart and puts me in the holiday spirit like seeing the love and compassion expressed by people just like you who want to make the world a better place for the frailest members of our society, especially during this season of giving... Thank you for supporting Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County. I want you to know how much we appreciate your support in making Tarrant County a caring place to grow old. I also want to wish you a joyous holiday season. Sincerely yours, Carla Juston President & CEO Meals on Wheels, Inc. of Tarrant County Dear Handley UMC Members, I was so sorry to hear that Handley UMC was closing at the end of December. I was baptized at Handley and sang my first solo during the Christmas season there, at age 4, in 1963. Fifty-five years later, I am still singing and remember that first time. My parents, Pete and Betty Sears were married at Handley, and my sister, Paula, and I had both of their funeral services there, to bring them home. Although our family moved away to Houston, then to El Paso, a little bit of my heart has always remained in Handley. Thanks to your church, I have many fond memories of my early childhood that I will always embrace. Best wishes to all of you. Sincerely, Dick Sears
December 17, 2018 2929 Forest Ave Ft. Worth, Texas 76112 Address Service Requested Church Office: 817-451-4321 Church Fax: 817-446-4013 Meetings & Events Schedule Handley United Methodist Church December 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and Celebration of HUMC @4pm www.handleyumc.org handleyumc@sbcglobal.net Sunday s Service: The BURDEN of The Day Luke 1:39-45 December 18 Mail out last Newsletter December 19 Backpack Buddies Wonderful Wednesday December 23 Fourth Sunday of Advent Children s Christmas Program Rejoice! Usher Schedule 12/23 Mike Williams Group