Long Memorial UMC December 2017 Worship With Us Every Sunday 8:45 AM - Early Service - Chapel 9:45 AM - Sunday School 11:00 AM - Worship Sanctuary Long Memorial United Methodist Church 226 North Main Street P.O. Box 310 Roxboro, NC 27573 longmemorial@esinc.net(e-mail address) jeffnash@nccumc.org (Pastor s e-mail address) 336-599-1193 (Telephone) 336-599-1194 (Fax) We are on the web at: longmemorialumc.org Like us on Facebook: Long Memorial United Methodist Church PRAYER CHAIN: Members of the prayer chain are offering daily prayers for those on our prayer list. If you, or someone you love, would like daily prayers for a special need, please call Martha Butler (597-3946). SYMPATHY Our deepest sympathy is extended to:..teeny, Gayl, Eddie and Danny Talbert in the death of Edgar Dorton Talbert, Sr.;..Eddie Bridges and Terri Cates in the death of Eddie s father, Thomas Edward Bridges;..Mary Jean Stovall in the death of her sister, Renee Beard;..Wayne Winstead and Becky Brann in the death of their sister-in-law, Kay P. Winstead.
Page 2 LONG MEMORIAL UMC CHRISTMAS SEASON EVENTS December 3, 2017 - First Sunday of Advent December 10, 2017 at 5 P.M. - Love Feast December 17, 2017 at 6 P.M. - Children s Musical: We Three Spies - Secret agents work to bring the joy of Christmas to ALL! December 24, 2017 at 8:45 A.M. UMM Family Christmas Breakfast 10:30 A.M. - Lessons and Carols: A celebration of Christmas music and the story of Christ s birth. Please note that there is ONLY one service this morning and NO Sunday School. December 24, 2017 at 5 P.M.- Candlelight Christmas Eve Service LOCAL MISSION PROJECT CHRISTIAN HELP CENTER NEEDS: canned meats, canned fruit. A basket is in the Narthex for your donations. Thank you! YOU CAN HELP PUMP is collecting personal care/hygiene items to put in bags for the Christian Help Center. Long Memorial has been asked to supply lotion for these bags. We need 25 bottles for men and 25 bottles for women. Please donate if you can - a box will be in the Narthex to collect these. They are due by December 5. Please contact Terri Cates (336-504-7226) if you have questions.
Page 3 Christmastime and thoughts of home just go together. I ll be Home for Christmas, and There s No Place Like Home for the Holidays, are two seasonal songs that come to mind. Christmas movies and television shows regularly feature stories of people going to their family home or extended family home over the holidays. The majority of the rituals we create are associated with either going home or doing special things at home- - whether lighting candles and having a time of family prayer during Advent, or decorating a Christmas tree, or caroling through a neighborhood, or hosting open house parties for friends and neighbors. At the center is a powerful, mystical, image of home/homecoming. Of course, Advent/Christmas are about another kind of homecoming, the homecoming of Christ to redeem and renew us, this earth, and all creation till heaven and nature sing with joy. The Advent texts focus first on the final fulfillment, and later on the beginning of that fulfillment in Jesus. So while seeking God s desired reconciliation we also talk about how far from it we have been and what its fullness might look like. Using the homecoming metaphor each week we will unwrap something that leads us toward shaping our hearts, lives, and relationships more like the home Christ s ultimate homecoming will make it to be. Please join us on this journey through Advent. Peace, Jeff FINANCIAL NEWS As we draw near the year s end, it is also the end of our fiscal year. Our practice at Long Memorial has been to fund the majority of our missional giving in December. I shared with you in November, our remaining funding need is $100,000. This year we have made wonderful advances in reducing our capital debt (now approximately $286,000). Clearly, we are part of a generous and faithful community. However, over the last few months we have experienced the passing of an unusually large number of saints who, like you, faithfully supported this community. I share this perspective because I believe it is one factor of why our giving through November is approximately $18,000 less than a year ago. Every community experiences seasons of unexpected
Page 4 challenge, and yet in the rearview mirror we see that God s provision is always enough. Please prayerfully consider how God is prompting you to generous and faithful giving in joyful gratitude and our faithful work as the church. Grace and peace, Jeff DECEMBER 2017 WORSHIP ASSISTANT SCHEDULE 11:00 A.M. SERVICE: December 3: December 10: December 17: December 24: Acolytes Caroline Cates & Grant Evans Lay Reader Tom Loftis Children s Church Sam Craig & Courtney Crag Flowers Advent Wreath Acolytes Tres Linville & Joseph Stovall Lay Reader: Taylor Rogers Love Feast Acolytes: Tres Linville & Nicholas Young Children s Church Sam Craig & Courtney Craig Flowers - Advent Wreath Acolytes CeCe Fitzgerald & Lilly Atkins Children s Church No Children s Church Preschool-K can go to the nursery Flowers Advent Wreath Acolytes Sam Bailey & Susan Claire Bailey Children s Church - No Children s Church Flowers Advent Wreath December 31: Acolytes Caleb Evans & Grant Evans Lay Reader Lois M. Winstead Children s Church Jamie & Michelle Young Flowers Advent Wreath January 7 Acolytes Nate Stovall & Joseph Stovall Lay Reader Donna Kurst Children s Church Carla & Morgan Stovall Flowers
Page 5 January 14 Acolytes Olivia Nash & CeCe Fitzgerald Lay Reader Ralph Lewis Children s Church Carla & Morgan Stovall Flowers United Methodist Women Come share a MORAVIAN LOVE FEAST Featuring harpist Anita-Burroughs-Price December 10th 5:00 P.M. Doors open at 4:30 P.M. Please bring an unwrapped gift or two to place under the Chrismon Tree. These presents will be given to Santa s Helpers and shared with families who are in need this year. THE 2018 FLOWER CALENDAR WILL SOON BE POSTED ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE HALLWAY. PLEASE STOP BY AND SIGN UP FOR A SUNDAY TO PLACE FLOWERS IN THE SANCTUARY OR YOU MAY CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE (336-599-1193) HAND IN HAND 2017-2018 Hand In Hand is in full swing for the 2017-2018 school year and our 11th year at South Elementary. We have seven wonderful tutors and lunch buddies as well as others who contribute to special events. Please continue to support this outreach with your time, talents, gifts and prayers. Thanks for your support! Amy Bayliff (336-597-0761) CHRISTMAS CARDS You are invited to drop off your Christmas cards for our church family in the BIG Christmas box in the Narthex beginning December 3. Your cards will be sorted and available for you in the mailboxes (labelled according to last names.) Please check your mail each week. All you will have to do is put the name on the envelope no stamp and no address needed.
Page 6 We will provide a list of your church family. The list is names that will likely be able to benefit from picking their cards up at church. Please drop off your cards if you would like during the week and check your mail! (Please call Church Office at 599-1193 for your birthday or someone in your home.) DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS December 01 Tonya Evans December 04 Patti Morgan December 08 George Gentry December 11 Mackenzie Clayton December 12 Dolly Denton, Aiden Strachan, Fran Westmoreland, Aiden Strachan December 14 Caroline Cates December 15 Becky Brann December 16 Jamie Young, Nancy Lee Newell, Brian Lowery December 21 Clay Tuck December 22 Ron Johnson December 25 Scott Paith December 28 Karla Peed, Cathy Lowery, Susan Claire Bailey December 29 Nannette Carver December 30 Will Carver JANUARY BIRTHDAYS January 01 Paige Fitzgerald January 03 Ben Tillett, Brantley Burnett January 05 Linda Mabe January 09 Mary Calhoun January 11 Mary Winder Holeman January 13 Keith Starr January 16 Gail Fitzgerald January 23 Joann Bradsher January 24 Janet Clayton January 25 Deborah Burke January 29 Mary Lib Winstead THE CHURCH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED DECEMBER 25, 26, 27 FOR CHRISTMAS.
Page 7 YOUTH NEWS Dec. 3 rd NOTE TIME CHANGE: Youth will meet at 3:00 p.m. to go shop for our Christmas Angels. Then back to the church for a Wrapping Party with Pizza, Christmas Hot Chocolate and Dessert hosted by The Linville s. Bring a $10.00 Wrapped Gift for a GIRL OR BOY for our annual Gift Exchange. There will be Fun and Games to be had by all. See you Sunday! 3:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Dec. 10 th LOVE FEAST Be here at 4:30 p.m. wear black pants/skirt and white shirts. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are in the season of Advent. Advent is the name for these days leading us to Christmas and the birth of Jesus. It is a season to give attention to God s gift for us that is new every year. We watch and we wait in Advent. We watch so that we might be found. Wishing you and your family a very WONDER-FULL Christmas! Love Feast December 10 at 5:00 p.m. Don t forget the beauty and solemnity of the Christmas Love Feast worship service on Sunday, December 10 at 5:00 p.m. Certainly this is an important event in the life of our church, but it is so much more. In many ways the Love Feast is our church s gift to the community to help remind everyone that is hurried with Christmas shopping, busy baking Christmas goodies, and pre-occupied with cleaning up the house for company the real meaning of this season. As you make plans to attend this service, please invite some of your friends to come as well. A nursery will be provided for the Love Feast.
Page 8 Please bring an unwrapped gift or two to place under the Chrismom Tree. These presents will be given to Santa s Helpers and shared with families who are in need this Christmas season. This year they are asking our congregation to bring EDUCATIONAL TOYS OR TODDLER TOYS! LONG MEMORIAL PRESCHOOL Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 If you were to stop by the church on any given morning from December 1 st -15 th you will find memories that are being made... Sounds of Christmas Carols ringing from Classroom to Classroom... Wonderful smells of baking... Kiss-mas Trees...A countdown til Christmas... Beautiful Christmas decorations created by the children and displayed in the classrooms and hallways for all to see and enjoy... Listening to the Christmas Story and learning that LOVE was born at Christmas... Excited young children playing with completely unbreakable and touchable manger scenes... Telling and retelling the Christmas Story... Decorating classroom Christmas trees...and un-decorating them All Aboard The Polar Express Run, Run, Run Fast as you can. You can t catch me I M THE GINGERBREAD MAN!... Join in all the Reindeer Games... Mary Had a Baby Christmas Angels Christmas Stars
Page 9 Celebrating Christmas in Story and Music presented by the Long Memorial 4 s On Friday, December 15 th 6:30 p.m. Church Sanctuary. Jesus Cake to be shared by ALL. Celebrating Christmas in Story and Music presented by the Long Memorial 4 s On Friday, December 15 th 6:30 p.m. Church Sanctuary. Jesus Cake to be shared by ALL. Merry Christmas! LONG MEMORIAL PRESCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED DECEMBER 18 AND REOPEN ON JANUARY 8! *************************************************************************************