First United Methodist Church www.albionfirst.org find us on Facebook 600 East Michigan Avenue Albion, MI 49224 (517) 629-9425 Dear Friends and Fellow Worshippers: Our 2019 Pledge Campaign is upon us. Sunday, November 11, we will dedicate our gifts in support of our various programs, building needs and operating costs for the coming year. Your personal commitment to the work of this church can make a difference to our future. As you know, Pastor Leslee is on a 3/4 time appointment. In this reduced capacity, she has given us more of her heart and soul than any of us could have imagined when she arrived just a year and a half ago. In working closely with Pastor Leslee, the Staff Parish Relations Committee sees first-hand the multitude of responsibilities she takes on, and how she remains available to us every way she can manage no matter how much time or personal commitment it takes. SPRC believes it is imperative to have a full time pastor to maintain the strength of this church. The most critical step in making this happen is to ensure that we have can increase our pastoral compensation from three-quarter time to full time. We need to demonstrate our commitment to the District Superintendent during the early months of 2019. As you think about your pledge, please prayerfully consider how you can help us reach our goal of restoring a full-time pastor by offering a 5-10% increase to the Operating Fund. Please also do not forget that pledges for our Welcoming Spaces and House By the Side of the Road funds also need your support. It is with prayers and faith that we reach out to you to help secure the future of this church. Please contact the church office if you have questions, comments or would like more information. Barb Lange, SPRC Chair November 2018 Christian Sympathy 2 It s Time to Order Disciplines Devotionals for 2019 Leadership Listing Lois McCullen Parr to Preach Prayers 2018 Saints Listing 3 All Saints Sunday Are You Handy Around the House? Heritage District Conference Lessons and Carols Hanging of the Greens 4 Poinsettias UMW News and Views Calendar 5 Albion College Men s Basketball Food Drive Back Cover Follow Jesus; Love Everyone
Prayers Donna Gaskell, Becky Picard, Barb Stowell, Beverly Bentley, Greg Metzler, Fred Roesti, Scott Tuthill, Lois Fennimore, Hilda Ebbinghaus, and Pastor Tom Hollowood @ home Phil Hostetler @ Oaklawn Hospital Sherry Wyma @ Allegra Nursing/Rehab, Jackson Edward Sobie, Jr. @ Calhoun County Jail Allison Roesti @ Borgess Hospital, Kalamazoo Betty Beese @ Glazier Assisted Living, Chelsea Lois McCullen Parr to Preach November 25 Rev. Lois McCullen Parr, who currently serves as Staff Chaplin at the Chelsea Retirement Community and as Facilitator for Justice Leaders Network, Doing Our Own Work: An Anti-Racism Seminar for White People and with the Albion-Marshall Resilient Communities Project, will lead worship on Sunday, November 25. After you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends, come hear Lois share the God s word. Christian Sympathy John Robison, younger brother of Mark Robison, passed away on Monday, October 22. Please wrap John s wife and children, Mark, their father, and the entire family in your prayers. Cindy Zamora passed away on Thursday, October 18, after a brief illness. There will be a memorial service on Saturday, November 10, at 11:00 a.m., at the Parma Baptist Church. Please remember Cindy s family in your prayers during this difficult time. Leadership Listing Lay Leader Church Council Chair Treasurer Trustees Chair (Building & Property) Staff-Parish Chair (Personnel) Finance Pastor Missions Co-Chairs Memorial Chair Choir Director Music Director/ Pianist Administrative Assistant Housekeeper Custodian Lois Fennimore glfennimore@yahoo.com Mark Robison majerobi@gmail.com Sally Ammerman sallya@wowway.com Barbara Rafaill plantgirl@rafaill.com Barbara Lange langehome.2@gmail.com Rick Lange langehome.1@gmail.com Leslee Fritz pastorleslee1@gmail.com John Williams Donna Williams Carol Maynard Drew Dunham Jan Fourn Cindi Klingel albionfumc@gmail.com Lynn Markovich Larry Maynard It s Time to Order Disciplines Devotionals for 2019 Please notify the office if you are interested in purchasing this book of daily reflections. The deadline for orders is Sunday, November 4. Prices are as follows: Regular Print $ 16.00 Large Print $ 19.00 2
Heritage District Conference Saturday, November 10 9:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Manchester Sharon UMC 19980 Pleasant Lake Road Manchester, MI 48158 Please RSVP via e-mail by November 7 to sharonumchurch@gmail.com (Include: Name, Church, and Number Attending) All Saints Sunday On Sunday, November 4, we will honor our saints in a PowerPoint presentation. Please come and worship with us and help us remember and celebrate the lives of those family members whose pictures have been submitted for this honor. Are You Handy Around the House? The church could use a little help. We frequently have fix-it jobs problems that don t really need the services of a professional repair company but are more than the pastor and staff can manage. If you have fix-it skills and a little extra time, we d love to be able to call on you when things arise. Please let Pastor Leslee or the church office know if you d be willing to help. Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 2, 2018 The Albion College Music Department s tradition continues this year with the beloved Lessons and Carols programs on Sunday, December 2 at 7:00pm in Goodrich Chapel The Service of Nine Lessons and Carols was designed by Archbishop E. W. Benson for use in the cathedral at Truro, England. The first formal event was held there on Christmas Eve, 1880. The late David L. Strickler introduced a modified service to Albion College in 1966. 3 All Saints 2018 We remember the following: Patricia Louise Sanford Brown December 13, 1931 February 26, 2018 Jim A. Deal April 30, 1932 June 22, 2018 Natalie Gillham May 11, 1933 August 9, 2018 Cindy Zamora January 8, 1965 October 18, 2018
SACRED SPACES: ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD AND NEIGHBOR This is the theme for the year for all United Methodist Women. The highlight of our October meeting was a report on the general assembly of the UMW which meets every four years; this year was in Columbus, Ohio. It is a good experience for women from all over the US and some from abroad. It s a chance to share experiences, to get to know each other, to sing, learn new songs, make new friends and feel a oneness with other United Methodist women. Dottie Kammer presented our annual World Thank Offering, where we are reminded of many needs in our world. We also hear individual stories and hear about the places where the money will be going. Our time together leaves us feeling like this hymn that we sing at the end of the meeting: Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place; I can feel his mighty power and his grace. I can hear the brush of angels wings, I see the glory on each face; Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. (words and music by Lanny Wolfe) On November 15, the two circles will join together to remember the women in our church who have died during the year, Pat Brown, Natalie Gillham, and Cindy Zamora. It is a special time of sharing. The meeting will be in Wesley Lounge at 1:00 p.m. We welcome any one to our meetings. Please check the Sunday bulletin for date, times and places. To close this article, I share with you this prayer by Mrs. E. C. Schneider: In the midst of life s changing scenes, you are the Changeless One, The same yesterday for our mothers, The same today for us, The same tomorrow for our children. You are the solid foundation that God has laid (which) cannot be shaken. Thank you that this is not the end of the road. May this be a broad new highway on which we can run faster with Good News of Jesus Christ. Amen. RUN! In Christ, Barb Stowell Poinsettias Again this year, poinsettias will adorn our worship space on Christmas Eve. If you would like to provide one or more, forms will be available on the guestbook stand in Wesley Lounge and in the church office. The plants are yours to keep following the service. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office. Cost is $10.00 per plant and the available colors are red, white, and pink. The deadline for ordering is Sunday, December 2. Hanging of the Greens will Kick Off Christmas Season Help us Hang the Greens 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 29. There are trees to decorate, garlands to drape, nativity scenes to arrange and poinsettias to place. Please join us for an evening of fellowship as we prepare our church for the season of the Coming of Christ. We will have an old fashioned Christmas Carol sing at 6PM followed by a soup and salad dinner. Please let the office know if you can join in the fun, or sign the sign-up sheet as the date gets closer, and consider if you can contribute soup or salad for our supper. Joy and peace to all! 4