The Edge Edgefield United Methodist Church Newsletter Kathie Wilson-Parker Pastor edgefieldumc@embarqmail.com December 2015 Getting ready and preparing are part of life. Every day we prepare meals, prepare homework, prepare clothes, prepare our vehicles. As part of our church we prepare Sunday School lessons, worship music, special meals, mission gifts. We prepare ourselves to participate in worship and service of the living Christ. Anticipation adds to the joy and excitement we experience with an event. When something really special is coming, we spend considerable time and effort in preparing. Think about the preparations for a baby or a wedding! When we anticipate the coming of a special guest, we try to anticipate their needs and desires. We set aside time to spend with our guest. We make efforts to make them feel truly welcome. Surely we would want to do that for Jesus. Over the centuries, the 4-Sunday season of Advent has developed as a time to prepare for the coming of Jesus. As Christians we anticipate that joy at three levels: the coming of Christ in final, eternal victory, the coming of Christ into our hearts and lives as our Savior and Lord, and the coming of Jesus into the world as a tiny baby (which we celebrate at Christmas). As we make decisions and preparation in the name of Christmas, let s be sure that they are in spirit of Jesus. After all, it s his birthday we are honoring! May you have a blessed Christmas filled with the spirit of Jesus. -- Kathie Safe Sanctuary standards are designed to help our children, youth, and adults be safe and wisely cared for. Anytime there is an activity with children or youth, there need to be at least two unrelated adults with them, (preferably a male and female if there are boys and girls). Men, we particularly need you to step up and say that you are willing to be either the leader or an assistant for children in Sunday School, Children s Church, and Wednesday-night programming. Our children need the leadership of and personal connection with both Christian men and women. Talk to one of our children s coordinators: Melissa Whitehead, LeAnn Roberts, or Cheryl Penix-Chapman.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Sympathy is extended to Cathy, Mary Beth, and Ashley Sidebottom in the death of Leonard Peters on Nov. 1, 2015 *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Sympathy is extended to Cecil McGlamery in the death of Nancy on November 8, 2015 *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ Congratulations to Makayla Shaw. She placed 7th in the Regional Cross Country Meet held on 10/29 which qualified her for State. At state on 11/7/2015 she finished29th out of 180 girls and her time was 20:02. She plans to run at the Footlocker race Thanksgiving Day weekend in Charlotte, NC. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Congratulations to Mason Johnson and Blake Walker. They finished 7th in the # 9 roping at the USTRC finals and won buckles and $12,000 each. Congratulations to Ambria Turner and the Elizabethton High School Band. The EHS Betsy Band traveled to Middle Tennessee to compete in the 2015 Tennessee Division II Marching Band Competition at Stewart's Creek High School on November 7. They won second place. Ambria plays clarinet. Dec. 13 3:00 pm Christmas Caroling in Sanctuary. The Sunshine Class invites the entire church for an hour of singing your favorite carols. We will honor our senior citizens since the class will be unable to go house to house caroling this year. Transportation available as needed. Call Tom Hodge 282-3411, Bob Hudson 538-8032 or Janet Elliott 967-9570. I am in the process of updating the church directory for 2016. If you have changes in address, phone number, cell number, or email address please email me at edgefieldumc@embarqmail.com or call at 423-967-9570. If your birthday or anniversary is not on the weekly power point screen please let me know or if would like to add one. Janet
Who Ate the Christmas Candy? My dad, like most parents, always put great stock in honesty. No matter how bad something we may have done might be, it could be easily forgiven if you just owned up to it. It was Christmas time and Momma had been decorating everything in sight. She even went out and bought some Hershey Kisses in brightly wrapped red and green foil to fill the candy dish in the living room. My sister, Jeannie, had come in for several days from her home in Washington, D.C. It was so good to be home with Mom, Dad, Jeannie, my brother, Leonard, and of course, my beagle, Patches. After a few days Mom noticed the candy dish was losing a large number of pieces of candy during the night. Daddy asked Jeannie and me if we had gotten it. We told him no. He then asked Leonard. Naturally, Leonard too denied having any candy. There was no doubt in anyone s mind he had to be the culprit, but he stood firm in his denial. Leonard was known to be sneaky and lie about things when the truth was best. There was no reprieve; he must be taught a lesson. So Daddy took a stand and made one of his famous appointments for a spanking the next evening after dinner. Well that is a spanking that never happened. The next evening when Daddy got home from work he made a surprising discovery in the back yard. There were little piles of doggie doo decorated with red and green foil. Patches had been getting up in the middle of the night and stealing the Christmas candy. Daddy apologized to Leonard and we all had a good laugh about it. Some years later, my siblings and I were all gone from home with children of our own. By this time, Mom and Dad s only child left at home full time was their poodle, Babbette. Jeannie lived very near Mom and Dad with her son Raven. Raven spent lots of time at Granny and Pawpaw s when he was not in school, while his mom worked. It was Christmas time and the whole house was decorated, right down to the red and green Hershey Kisses in the candy dish. History was repeating itself. The candy was disappearing. Raven, who was about eight years old, was the new suspect. When confronted with the missing candy he readily denied taking it. Daddy reminded him that lying was a bad thing. Jeannie and Mom reminded Daddy about Patches eating the candy. So the backyard was checked. There was no sign of red and green foil outside. Then Daddy pointed out that he had found the papers hidden behind a living room chair. A dog would not unwrap the candy before eating it. Like Leonard in years before him, Raven continued to deny taking the candy. The next evening they are all in the living room when they hear a rustling sound coming from behind the chair. There was Babbette carefully using her nails to gently take the paper off the Hershey Kiss candy before eating it. They say
chocolate is really bad for dogs, but apparently my family s dogs were the exception. No one in my family can see a dish of Christmas candy without laughing and remembering Daddy s frustration at who ate the Christmas candy? It is memories like this one that puts a smile on my face at Christmas time. Although I no longer have Momma with her candy dishes and now Leonard with his childish sneakiness, it is the laughter of my precious family I dwell on rather than the loss. I remember the Christmas mornings that I woke Leonard up to go downstairs first because he was the youngest and I did not want to seem more anxious than he to see what Santa brought. I remember when we got older and valued sleep more. Those were the years it was Momma that got up early waking everyone to come open presents. As long as she lived, I don t think she ever lost the childlike excitement of Christmas. So I will not dwell on the empty places at my Christmas table. Instead I will rejoice in the crowd around God s Christmas table. Let the joy of your family and the precious memories of loved ones keep the light of Christmas shining in your eyes. Merry Christmas Cathy Sidebottom +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Edgefield UMW Report The 2015 Special Mission gift given by the United Methodist women has been made to honor Linda Wilcox. Linda is a second generation United Methodist Women member. In 2002 she took the job of delivering or sending flowers to a member who had to spend time in the hospital. If my memory is right, her mother did the same job before her. This year she said that the hospital halls have just become too long for her to continue the task. Thanks, Linda, for job well done. We hope that someone new might take up the task. Pat Tester RezKidz - A Family Worship Event January 23-24, 2016 LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge, TN RezKidz is a family event for families with children and grandchildren 0 to 5th grade. Registration deadline is January 14 for $20 per person. After January 14, registration is only available at the door for $30 per person.
MEMORIALS: For: Dallas Grubb By: Lola Hilton For: Nancy McGlamery By: Linda & Ernie Sprouse Charlotte Harkleroad, Christa & Callee Justice Beulah & Larry Grindstaff Pauline & Jimmy Hensley Phyllis & Gary Greene Charlotte Brown Mack & Helen Houston Steve & Debbie Elsea Joan Williams Jerry & Betty Malone Joseph & Genie Jackson Margaret Ann Frizzell Ella Burton, Mike, Libby, & Meghan Walker Sherry Adams Dave & Pat Tester Bill & Shirley Smith George & Barbara Weaver Brenda Warren Sara Elsea John & Karen Williams Weaver Elementary Middle Adult Class at Valley View UMC Ruth Tinker & Carolyn Fletcher Pete Carrier The Hayworth Family Sherry & Steve Box Memorials to Food Pantry by Buck, Betty, & Marvin Johnson For: Nancy McGlamery For: James Alfred Oliver For: Dwight Sluder
STATISTICS: October Averages Worship 98 Sunday School 41 Average Offering- $2,889.00 (Needed--$3,191.00) DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Hazel Pierce 4 Penny Johnson 9 Sandra Honeycutt 11 Olivia Bowers 14 John Smith 15 Bill Parker 16 Sarah Dillow 18 Hunter Hess 19 Annette Gross 20 Kelley Collett 21 Peggy Grubb 22 Tim Hardin 23 Don Moyers 25 Pat Powell 26 Morgan Godsey 28 Henrietta Hyder 29 Ivy Smith 31 ANNIVERSARIES Jeff & Micki Hess 6 Harold & Patsy Phillips 17 Lynn & Judy Cross 18 Sam & Janet Elliott 20 David & Tammie Casasola 23 Bill & Pat Powell 24 Joe & Nancy Broyles 29
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Dec. 5 Noon Older Adult Christmas Party at Edgefield Christian Life Center. Please call Jamie Hyder at 306-5552 if you plan to attend. Dec. 6 4:00 pm Community Christmas Tree Lighting at 4 way stop at Mary Hughes School. Santa pictures, free hotdogs, hot chocolate, and apple cider. There will be ornaments and shirts for sale. Area churches present Nativity Scene. *Actual tree lighting will be at 6:00 pm. Dec. 6 7:30 am United Methodist Men Dec. 8 6:00 pm United Methodist Women s Potluck Christmas Dinner at Christian Life Center Dec. 11 6:00-10:00 pm A Night at Edgefield Aboard the Polar Express Put your child in their pajamas and drop them off for an evening filled with movies, games, crafts, and snacks while you enjoy time taking care of those last minute gifts you need to buy or just to have time for yourself. Cost $10.00 for first child and $5.00 for additional child. Ages 4 yrs-5th grade. Please RSVP to chazelwo@gmail.com or RSVP text to 423-215- 3766 by Friday, December 4, 2015 so that we can have an exact head count. Proceeds go to the Edgefield Children s Ministry Program. Dec. 13 Choir Cantata at both services Dec. 13 3:00 pm Christmas Caroling in Sanctuary. The Sunshine Class invites the entire church for an hour of singing your favorite carols. We will honor our senior citizens since the class will be unable to go house to house caroling this year. Transportation available as needed. Call Tom Hodge 282-3411, Bob Hudson 538-8032 or Janet Elliott 967-9570. Dec. 14 8:30-10:30 am Second Harvest Run Dec. 16 10:30-12:30 am Second Harvest Run Dec. 19 8:30-10:00 am Food Pantry Distribution. Workers needed to load and carry boxes. Dec. 20 6:00 pm - Children s Christmas Program (Bring a finger food to share) Dec. 22 10:30-12:20 am Second Harvest Run Dec. 23 7:00 pm Christmas Candlelight Service