Sparta United Methodist Church Church office hours: Mon-Thurs (8:30 am-3:30 pm) Office: 372-4441 Parsonage: 276-579-2280 Fax: 372-1534 190 N. Main Street, P. O. Box 697, Sparta, NC 28675 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Church Office: office@umcsparta.com; Rev. Bob Miller: pastor@umcsparta.com Director of Discipleship: bengatton@umcsparta.com; Director of Music: music@umcsparta.com Church Website: www.umcsparta.com WEEKLY BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTS should be submitted to the office by Tuesday and MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ARTICLES submitted by the 15th of each month. Contact the church office to RESERVE ROOMS for activities to be added to the church calendar. Please let the church office know of name, phone, address UPDATES and information corrections. There is a 6-week delay for processing changes for Offering Envelopes. CHILDREN S CHURCH is available for children ages 3 years thru 3rd grade at. Children go to the classroom following the Children s Sermon. Please TURN CELL PHONES OFF in gatherings, as we want to be reverent and respectful in our time of communal worship. WATCH CHANNEL 98 & CHANNEL 21 for Sunday Worship Service; Sunday-11:00 am; Monday and Friday-3:00 pm; Tuesday-8:00 pm. WATCH THE SUNDAY SERVICE anytime at www.actv.me on your computer. Select Sparta United Methodist Church and the date of the service you would like to watch. INCLEMENT WEATHER updates/closings will be announced on TV channels WXII 12 and Fox 8 WGHP and the Phone Tree will send out a congregational message. PRAYER REQUEST CARDS ~ If you have a prayer or praise request today, please fill in the information on a prayer request card that can be found in the envelope slots at the ends of the pews or you can get one from an usher or greeter. During the Passing of the Peace time return the card to an usher, Pastor Bob, or place in the baskets located on the altar rails. The prayer or praise request will be lifted up at the Opening Prayer time during the worship service. SUMC BLOG-Words For The Journey-www.sumcblog.com ~ Check out the weekly devotional posts related to the Sunday sermon to deepen your faith and stay connected. 2015 SANCTUARY FLOWER CALENDAR-Please check the 2015 Flower Calendar by the office for available Sunday dates to provide flowers in the sanctuary in memory of or in honor of a loved one. Sanctuary flower forms are located below the calendar. Arrangements may be taken following the 11:00 service. Our Church Mission Statement Sparta UMC is a family of those who proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and serve all God s people in our community and around the world. January 10, 2016 Baptism of the Lord Website:umcsparta.com
THE ORDER OF WORSHIP 9:00 am January 10, 2016 11:00 am Baptism of the Lord PRELUDE Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart Nancy Jones GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD WELCOME & PASSING OF THE PEACE Welcome others by saying, The Peace of Christ Be With You. *CALL TO WORSHIP Ezekiel 37:1-11 L: We have come, broken, battered, and lifeless. Our bones are dry and we have lost sight of who we are. P: Breathe new life into us that we might live. L: We need your resurrection power to fall in our lives today. P: Breathe new life into our lives, Breathe new life into our home, Breathe new life into our neighborhoods, Breathe new life into our relationships, Breathe new life into our church. L: We, like Ezekiel, Mary, and Martha, trust in your power to breathe new life into our dry bones and dead situations. P: We stand waiting for your life-giving spirit to fall upon us so that we might be revived, restored, and renewed; so that we might live resurrected lives with newness and vitality in new and transformative ways. HYMN No. 539 O Spirit of the Living God Congregation *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (see insert) OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Ezekiel 36:24-28 OFFERING/ANTHEM Spirit of God Choir *DOXOLOGY CHILDREN S MESSAGE () A nursery if available for children under 2. Children s Church, ages 3-3rd grade. PASTORAL PRAYER EPISTLE LESSON Acts 8:14-17 Martha Thompson SERMON God Filled, God Empowered Rev. Bob Miller RESPONSE TO GOD S WORD *HYMN No. 420 Breathe on Me, Breath of God Congregation *BENEDICTION DEPARTURE TO SERVE *HYMN No. 334 Sweet, Sweet Spirit POSTLUDE Nancy Jones *Standing as you are able. SANCTUARY FLOWERS The beautiful rose bud vase in the sanctuary today is given in honor and celebration of the birth of Brant and Libby Banks granddaughter, Alice Becton Rowe, born December 21. PROCLAMATION
Liturgist Children s Church Offering Counters Communion Servers Ushers January Greeters Liturgist Offering Counters February Communion Servers February Ushers 1/17 Greeters 1/17 1/17 This Week Alan Sears Martha Thompson Jennifer Robinson & Jody Tracy Gray & Jane Sloop Wrenn & John Kilmartin Martha Allred Linda Wishon Upcoming Debbie Edwards Don Cobb & Jane Wallace Jane Wallace Larry Prince Larry Myers Wayne & Sandy Lovett Fran Lewis Carol Upchurch Sunday Monday 9:00 am 11:00 am 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 3:30 pm Wednesday 10:00 am 10:00 am 6:30 pm 6:30 pm Sunday School Sunday Worship Mission Meal Prayer Group/Library FUSION The Well NA meeting/fellowship SS Girl Scout Troop/CC Church Council Disciple Bible Study Ladies Disciple Study Choir Practice ROCK Ministry FUSION Youth United Methodist Women Thursday Evening Ladies Bible study Sunday Monday Week of January 10-January 16, 2016 Week of January 17-January 23, 2016 8:00 am 9:00/11:00 am 10:00 am 1:00 pm 3:30 pm Wednesday 10:00 am 10:00 am 6:30 pm United Methodist Men Sunday Worship Sunday School Prayer Group/Library FUSION The Well NA meeting/fellowship SS Girl Scout Troop/CC Disciple Bible Study Ladies Disciple Study Choir Practice ROCK Ministry FUSION Youth Thursday Evening Ladies Bible study TODAY S PRAYER CONCERNS OUR SYMPATHY TO OUR THANKSGIVINGS God s many blessings and our church family Corine Bare-good health report following chemo and radiation treatments HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Libby Squires January 11 Sylvia Truitt January 11 Nadine Comer January 12 Ramsey Howard January 13 George Latham January 13 Casey McKenna January 14 Meghan Oliver Norris January 14 Karen Miller January 15 PLEASE PRAY FOR... Ongoing: Peace in the world; our pastor and our ministries; our country & leaders; homeless; Ellen Church-health; Jane Farr-health; Sharon & Leland Simons; Arnold Wagoner; Kimberly Parsons; Jo Burch; John and Junior Boyer; Faye Cornelius; Pam & A.M. Phipps, Corine Bare; Keith Oliver-recovery; Scott and Lisa caring for Scott s mom; Ora Brady-health December 27: Chris friend, Jimmy Oats family; Kyle & Heidi Dawson; Sean & Karen; Peggi Ciolfi-recovery January 3: Bob & Karen Miller-health/tests; Clarence Crouse; Pam Souther-healing from surgery HOMEBOUND/NURSING HOMES Lewis Bobbitt Genesis Health Care-Sparta John Boyer Grayson Nursing & Rehab-VA Jo Burch Winston-Salem, NC Ellen Church Independence, VA Paul Church Commonwealth AL, Hillsville, VA Paul Cooper Genesis Health Care-Sparta Boyd Farmer Woodland Terrace, Cary, NC Watana Marion Carillon AL, Clemmons, NC Thomas Myers Dobson Tim Myers Dobson Bobby Saintsing Triad Nursing/Rehab-High Pt. Mary Wagoner Genesis Health Care-Sparta
JANUARY MISSION MEAL Today at 12:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall The Woodruff Sunday school class is preparing a delicious meal of soups, sandwiches, and yummy desserts. Donations will go to the Alleghany County Ministerium s Relief Fund. Hope you can join us! CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING Monday, January 11 at Ministry Chairpersons please plan on attending our first council meeting of the year tomorrow night. We will review 2015 and hear about future ministries at Sparta UMC for 2016. Everyone is invited to attend the Council meetings. UNITED METHODIST WOMEN Wednesday, January 13 at 6:30 pm Connie Amburn will have the program to launch the 2016 UMW Reading Program book list. We would like to welcome all ladies to join this mission-minded fellowship who work together in faith, hope, and love in action. UNITED METHODIST MEN Sunday, January 17 at 8:00 am (see insert) Come join the men for a delicious breakfast, short message and great fellowship! 2015 ANNUAL GIVING STATEMENTS The 2015 Giving Statements will be mailed soon to those who gave at least $250 to the church s annual budget. If you do not receive one and would like to have one, please contact the church office or Sandy Lovett, our Financial Secretary. SUMC BLOG ~ Words for the Journey Have the church blog sent straight to your email inbox! Go to www.sumcblog.com and click on one of the blog post titles. Then at the bottom right hand corner you will see a little dark rectangle with a plus sign and the word follow. Click that and enter your email address and every post to the blog will come straight to your inbox! Attendance/Giving ~ January 3, 2015 Service 43 Service 101 Sunday School 72 Weekly Needs $4,288 Last Week s Offering $6,759 YTD Needs $4,288 YTD Offering $6,759 Sparta UMC Staff Pastor Rev. Bob Miller Administrative Assistant Donna Myers Discipleship Ben Gatton Children s Ministries Talina Pipes Music Director Nancy Jones Nursery Melissa Kennedy Custodian Corine Bare Today s Anthem Spirit of God by Steve Garnaas-Holmes Spirit of God, bright Wind, breath that bids life begin, blow as you always do; create us anew. Give us the breath to sing, lifted on soaring wing, held in your hands, borne on your wings. Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come! Spirit of God, bright Dove, grant us your peace and love, healing upon your wings for all living things. For when we live your peace, captives will find release, held in your hands, borne on your wings. Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come! Spirit of God in all, we gladly hear your call, the life in our hands that sings, the power of your wings. Born of your grace we rise, love shining in our eyes, held in your hands, borne on your wings. Alleluia! Come, Spirit, come!
Leader: Leader and People: AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true church, apostolic and universal, whose holy faith let us now declare: We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, power, and love, whose mercy is over all his works, and whose will is ever directed to his children s good. We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, the gift of the Father s unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death. We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ, and find strength and help in time of need. We believe that this faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord, to the end Leader: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true church, apostolic and universal, whose holy faith let us now declare: Leader and People: AFFIRMATION OF FAITH We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, power, and love, whose mercy is over all his works, and whose will is ever directed to his children s good. We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, the gift of the Father s unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death. We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ, and find strength and help in time of need. We believe that this faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord, to the end
UMM SPECIAL INVITATION by Alan Sears MAKE JOINING THE UNITED METHODIST MEN S BREAKFAST ONE OF YOUR NEW YEAR S RESOLUTIONS! Try us for breakfast the third Sunday of every month at 8:00 AM. Good food, fellowship, inspiration, did I mention good food? All men of the church are members of UMM. Bring your wife, bring your son or come alone. The important thing is to just get up and come! Questions and Answers: How much does it cost to belong? Nothing, not a dime. We do have a basket for donations at breakfast, but no set fee. If you don t like our breakfast, I d invite you take the money you placed in basket back out. That s how confident I am you ll enjoy the food and fellowship. I d like to be of service. What opportunities do I have? Wood Ministry Cooking Team Serving with UMM Manpower at church and UMW functions Lend a hand to a church member that may need help with a leaky faucet, changing a light bulb, etc. Basically, any trade skills you might have and would be willing to assist one of our members in need. Do you ever have any spiritual retreats? That s a great question and I m glad you asked. We are going to plan one for 2016 and we hope you ll pray about attending. It will be a great time of fellowship. Please plan to join us for breakfast on January 17 th at 8:00 AM. No time like the New Year to start a new tradition! UMM SPECIAL INVITATION by Alan Sears MAKE JOINING THE UNITED METHODIST MEN S BREAKFAST ONE OF YOUR NEW YEAR S RESOLUTIONS! Try us for breakfast the third Sunday of every month at 8:00 AM. Good food, fellowship, inspiration, did I mention good food? All men of the church are members of UMM. Bring your wife, bring your son or come alone. The important thing is to just get up and come! Questions and Answers: How much does it cost to belong? Nothing, not a dime. We do have a basket for donations at breakfast, but no set fee. If you don t like our breakfast, I d invite you take the money you placed in basket back out. That s how confident I am you ll enjoy the food and fellowship. I d like to be of service. What opportunities do I have? Wood Ministry Cooking Team Serving with UMM Manpower at church and UMW functions Lend a hand to a church member that may need help with a leaky faucet, changing a light bulb, etc. Basically, any trade skills you might have and would be willing to assist one of our members in need. Do you ever have any spiritual retreats? That s a great question and I m glad you asked. We are going to plan one for 2016 and we hope you ll pray about attending. It will be a great time of fellowship. Please plan to join us for breakfast on January 17 th at 8:00 AM. No time like the New Year to start a new tradition!