Christmas - When God Breaks In God breaks into our lives in surprising ways all the time. Most of the time we are unaware because our focus is on the busyness of life. When we are busy doing what we normally do, we often miss God in our midst. Issue 39 December 2, 2013 Ministry milestone page 2 Winter sunsets are amazing. The gentle laugh of a baby. The innocent chatter of a three year old. Technology that allows us to visually communicate with people half a world away. Corporate worship in all of its variety. The Lord's Supper. All of these things, I believe, are signs of God's Presence in our midst. Fish and fellowship page 3 The Biblical testimony gives evidence of God coming into ordinary lives - Moses tending sheep, Mary doing her daily chores, Elizabeth waiting for her cousin, Mary, shepherds tending their sheep. Did the people of that little, sleepy town of Bethlehem have a clue of what was happening in their midst? Probably not. Christmas trips page 4 So it is with us. God breaking into our lives is less dependent upon who we are and what we might happen to be doing at the moment than what God intends for us to experience. God often chooses to break into the ordinary routines and rhythms of our living. Over the next few weeks, our sensitivity to God's presence in our midst is heightened because of expectation. The traditions of the church intensify the expectation. Children's programs, Advent wreaths, the colors purple, blue and gold, choir cantatas, Christmas Eve services of worship all serve to make us more aware of God's presence than at other times of the year. Random gifts page 5 My prayer is that we allow our heightened sense of God's Presence to be a part of our journey, not just through the Advent and Christmas season, but in the year ahead. Grace and Peace, Larry MORNING GLORY CHORUS & MEN S CHORUS THIS SUNDAY!
STAFF DIRECTORY Happening at 1st December 8, 2013 - December 14, 2013 Sunday, December 8, 2013 7:35 AM Morning Glory Chorus & Men s Chorus rehearsal, Asbury Hall 8:15 AM Morning Glory Worship, Asbury Hall 9:15 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 10:30 AM The Crossing, Asbury Hall 3:30 PM Youth Praise Band 4:00 PM Children s rehearsal for musical, Sanctuary 5:00 PM Silent Night (Children s Musical), Sanctuary 6:00 PM Youth, Asbury Hall 6:00 PM 12 Steps for Christians, 213, 215 Monday, December 9, 2013 10:30 AM Circle 3, Carolyn Cox s House 11:30 AM Men s Connection 7:00 PM Troop Meeting, Asbury Hall Tuesday, December 10, 2013 7:45 AM Family Promise Board, 214 6:00 PM Devoted Fitness, Asbury Hall 6:00 PM Jail Ministry Party, Wesley Hall 10;00 AM The True Christmas Story, 214 6:00 PM Devoted Fitness, Asbury Hall 7:00 PM AA, 128 7:00 PM Orchestra Rehearsal Wednesday, December 11, November 27, 2013 3:45 PM Girls Bible Study, Vienna Coffee Recovery at Maryville, Asbury Hall 5:30 PM Light Meal, Asbury Hall 6:30 PM Celebration Service, Asbury Hall 7:45 PM Sharing Groups (assigned room) 7:00 PM Ladies Bible Study, Panera Bread 7:00 PM Dude s Bible Study, Taco Bell 7:00 PM Chancel Choir & Orchestra Cantata rehearsal, Sanctuary Thursday, December 12, 2013 6:00 AM Men s Bible Study, 214 10:00 AM Prayer Shawl Ministry, 243 5:00 PM Welcome Table, Asbury Hall 7:00 PM AA, 128 7:00 PM VFW 10855, 213 Friday, December 13, 2013 5:00 PM Youth Christmas Party, The Morton s home Saturday, December 14, 2013 6:00 PM Chancel Choir Cantata, Sanctuary Sunday commitments for December 8, 2013 Prepare for Worship Isaiah 11: 1-10 Psalm 72: 1-7, 18-19 (UMH 795) Romans 15: 4-13 Matthew 3: 1-12 Kids Own Worship Preschool: Stephen & Jennifer Daves Elementary: Mike & Janell Nocton Staff on call: Please contact Brenda (414-8493) or Larry (414-8494) Parsonage (233-2712) Greeters: 8:15 Morning Glory Bonnie & Sterley Van Pelt Phil & Amy Large 10:30 Sanctuary Jim & Rita Warner Betty Sessoms Betsy Halliday 10:30 The Crossing John & Julie Elder Dennis & Anita Griffith Acolytes: Joseph Morstatt Abram Abbott Our Church Family All e-mails end with @fumc-maryville.org unless otherwise noted. Phone: 982-1273 Staff Member Email Extension Brenda Carroll brendac 111 Larry Carroll lecarroll65@gmail.com 106 Asa Majors rev.asa.lee@gmail.com 107 Mark Blodgett mblodgett 103 Clayton Hensley chensley 100 Ginny West Case ginnywc 105 Terry Wilson sacmusic 109 Susan Daves sdaves 110 Denise Johns djohns 113 Jane Sanders jsanders 101 Stephen Nelson 1stumyouth@gmail.com 202 Chris Lee clee 116 Amelia Geis ameliageis@yahoo.com Dwain Pesterfield DwainP602@bellsouth.net Paul Brown Sherri Justice Bryan Holder Congratulations! At Charge Conference last month, Greta Smith was officially recommended for Ordained Ministry! THE CHURCH BELL Page 2
The Chancel Choir of 1st UMC with guest choir: The Tennessee Wesleyan College Chorale December 14th @ 6:00 pm December 15th @ 10:30 am & 7:00 pm For the 32nd year, the Chancel Choir of 1st UMC brings YOU an unforgettable time of music. This year, the Tennessee Wesleyan College Chorale joins the choir as a special guest. Come hear familiar Christmas carols like O Holy Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night and Do You Hear What I Hear? along with a unique arrangement called The Friendly Beasts where the sounds of different animals at the manger are presented vocally. At the conclusion both choirs join in John Rutter s exciting arrangement of Joy to the World. Chancel Choir Cantata TV Schedule Christmas Eve, December 24th Noon 1 pm on MyVLT (15) Christmas Day, December 25th 6:00 am 7:00 am on WVLT (8) 4:00 pm 5:00 pm on WVLT (8) 5:00 pm 6:00 pm on WVLT (8) On the morning of December 15th, choir members and 1st UMC members are asked to park behind the Jr. High School. There will be a continuous shuttle running from 8:45 am to 12:15 pm from there to the Porte -Cochere. This will help free up dozens of spaces for our guests. Christmas Offering During this year s Chancel Choir Cantata and Christmas Eve Services there will be a special offering. This year the money goes toward the 2014 1st UMC Habitat for Humanity Build and Good Neighbors of Blount County. THIS SUNDAY! Morning Glory Chorus And Men s Chorus 8:15 am Asbury Hall Dollywood s Smoky Mountain Christmas Check out the theme park all decked out in millions of lights. Catch the new show Dollywood s: A Christmas Carol and taste some of the great holiday food. Come join the fun on Friday, December 20th (leaving at 12:30). You will need to buy your tickets to the park and food. 1st UMC will provide the transportation. Call 982-1273 to reserve your seat or register online at www.fumc-maryville.org. Advent study continues Finding Bethlehem in the Midst of Bedlam. Sundays at 9:15 am in room 215 Described as the hippest concert of the season, come enjoy this evening of holiday favorites in the style of Basie, Miller, Ellington and more! Adult Ministries Swingin Christmas December 17th @ 8 pm Bus leaves @ 6:30 pm Tickets: $45 Reservations are needed by 12/9 Contact Ginny West Case: 982-1273 or ginnywc@fumc-maryville.org or register online www.fumc-maryville.org. THE CHURCH BELL Page 3
Memorials & Honorariums Welcome Table In Honor or Memory Of Given By Oscar Simpson Darlene & Richard Thompson Ginger & Ed Waters Gerald & Betty Smith Recovery at Maryville In Honor or Memory Of Given By John Kennedy Gary & Ellie Doughty United Methodist Women Chances are many of you will be shopping online for gifts this Christmas. From Amazon.com to Walmart.com there is a way to buy gifts AND help the church out at the same time. It s called UMCmarket.com and it is simple to use. Give while you shop In Memory Gifts to Missions: Mary Wallace Hazel Hammontree Mildred Harrill Faye Rogers Kathryn Canby Local unit of UMW Local unit of UMW Linda Richards Linda Richards Mary Kay Hamlin Just go to the website, create an account, choose a church, then shop. (There is more than one First Maryville, but you will know you have the right one when you click on My Organizations after you ve made your church selection.) In Honor Gifts to Missions: Paul Brown, Sherri Justice and Bryan Holder given by Mary Kay Hamlin. Each of the more than one-thousand online retailers donates a portion of each purchase to the church you choose. It is as simple as that. You also get a running tally of the money your purchases have earned for your church! Contact: Asa Majors at rev.asa.lee@gmail.com or 982-1273 Season s study During Advent you hear the word incarnate and its variations numerous times. But how many of you really know what this word means, much less how it impacts your life? We celebrate the incarnation every year on December 25th, yet nine out of ten church-going Americans DON T believe in it. In his new book Incarnation, retired bishop Will Willimon explores this theological doctrine. More importantly, Willimon makes it personal for YOU! Come join the Young Adults on Sunday mornings (room 128) as together we discover what the Word made flesh means for us today. Last week, the Young Adults gathered in the Asbury Hall kitchen to bake pies for the Thankgsiving Day Welcome Table. Thanks to everyone who helped. In all the crew baked 20 pies! No trivia: Holiday fun instead! We will not have trivia on Tuesday, December 17th, but you are invited to a Christmas gathering for ALL young adults at the Lambert s home. We will meet their at 7:30 on Wednesday, December 18th for Christmas treats and an ornament exchange. Make or purchase an ornament ($10-$12 max) to exchange. There will also be a Christmas movie playing. It will be a great evening together and we hope you will add to our holiday fun! RSVP to Asa or contact her for more details. Fish, fun and fellowship On November, 22nd, this group of folks headed to Knoxville for an early Thanksgiving at Chesapeake s. Everyone enjoyed the evening out together, but those who couldn t make it were missed. Be sure and join the fun when we go out to dinner again. Watch the newsletter, Facebook, and the mail for future outings. THE CHURCH BELL Page 3
Children s Corner What are your children learning? Sunday, December 1st (Last Sunday) Preschool 4th Grade Lesson A Child is Born Bible Verses: Isaiah 9: 2-6 Tweens Hope (Isaiah) Sunday, December 8th (This Sunday) Preschool 4th Grade Lesson A Message to Mary Bible Verses: Luke 1: 26-38,46-47 Tweens Trusting God (Elizabeth and Zechariah) This Sunday night! The Children s Choirs of 1st UMC present Silent Night: The Birth of a Carol at 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Following this mini-musical you are invited to share in some fellowship and finger foods in Wesley Hall. There will also be crafts for the children. More info at www.growproclaimserve.com For more information on any of these events, please call Denise at 982-1273 or e-mail e her at djohns@fumc-maryville.org maryville.org. Smile: You ve been RACK d! Don t be surprised over the next few weeks if you see displays like this one popping up throughout the church. The children in Kids Own Worship secretly decorated Brenda Carroll s office door this past Sunday. RACK is an Advent conspiracy. It is an acronym for Random Acts of Christmas Kindness. Before the decorating commenced the kids watched a video about RACK and LOVED IT! The crew in Kids Own Worship hopes to do at least two more each week during Advent. And if you see that someone else has been RACK d then let us know. Have you registered yet? Financial Peace University begins January 5th The Legacy Journey begins January 12th So, have you been posting those pictures each day to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram? Just look at the word for each day, take a picture you think represents that word and post it with the tag #1stMaryvilleAdvent. You can also keep up with all that s going on over the next few weeks on these social media sites as well as www.1stchurch.org. Financial Peace University (9 weeks starting January 5th, Cost is $95) Sundays @ 6:00 pm Wednesdays @ 7:00 pm The Legacy Journey (8 weeks starting January 12th, Cost is $115) Sundays @ 4:00 pm Sundays @ 6:00 pm Mondays @ 7:00 pm Tuesdays @ 7:00 pm Wednesdays @ 7:00 pm Thursdays @ 10:00 am Thursdays @ 7:00 pm Register online at www.1stchurch.org or call the church office at 982-1273 THE CHURCH BELL Page 5
Maryville First United Methodist Church 804 Montvale Station Road Maryville, Tennessee 37803 Phone: 865-982-1273 Fax: 865-983-5408 www.fumc-maryville.org