December 2017 A Church that Loves People into a Relationship with Christ as we Worship, Grow, and Serve First United Methodist Church Newton, North Carolina Christmas Worship Services 2017 December 17 10:00am Cantata December 24 10:00am Morning Worship (Christmas Eve) 4:00pm ABC s of Christmas: A Children s Candlelight Worship Service 6:00-7:00pm Come & Go Communion 9:00pm Candlelight/Communion Service December 31 10:00am Morning Worship (New Year s Eve)
Children s Ministry Sunday School 10:00 am to 10:45 am Children's Hall Ages 3-5 years and K-5th grade Due to our special 3 @ 10:00am services December 17, 24, and 31, Children s Sunday School will only meet on December 3 and 10. Jesus is Born is our theme for December. During our time together on December 10, we will have a Christmas Party in the Activity Room. Kids 4 Christ (k4c) Wednesdays 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm December is crazy busy and our k4c ministry is no different! We will be singing for the 9:00 Praise Worship and the 11:00 Traditional Worship on Sunday, December 10th. You will not want to miss. On our Wednesdays together, we will be busy making crafts, performing skits, and singing, all to help us celebrate the Birth of Jesus. We will not meet on December 27th due to the school holiday. Thank You! Christmas Caroling For ALL ages Sunday, December 17th 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm Want to join in with other members of your church family on a favorite and FREE seasonal activity? Come dressed for the weather, bring your voice, (good or bad) and we will make a joyful noise! Meet in the church parking lot at 3:00pm before we set out to share the joy of the season with our neighbors. Printed song cards and jingle sticks will be available. No excuses! Be a part of this fun Christmas event. A big shout out and thank you to our Preschool and Church Families for your generous donations to our Fall Service Project. The students were able to make 66 Blessing Bags to donate to the homeless. The ABC s of Christmas: A Children s Candlelight Worship Service Let your children not only hear the Christmas story but become a part of it. This unique worship service is intentionally designed for children. They can dress up in our angel, shepherd, or wise men costumes, and will have special speaking parts. All are welcome, so invite your friends and bring the entire family for a wonderful Christmas Eve afternoon.
First YOUth - Students 6th-12th grade Sunday, December 3rd, Dollar Dash We will meet in the church parking lot at 4:00pm and travel to Dollar Tree in Conover to shop for items for Project Agape shoeboxes. We will share a meal at Zaxby's before returning to the church at 6:00pm. Each youth will need $10 for shopping plus money for their meal. Attention parents! The bus is not available for us this day, so we will need some transportation support. Please let Julie Braswell know if you can assist. Sunday, December 17th, Christmas Caroling & Party Please meet in the church parking lot at 3:00pm. Our afternoon will begin with Christmas caroling outside, so dress accordingly. Our Youth Christmas Party will follow at Jim Richard's house. Please bring your party food to share and an inexpensive wrapped gift for our swap when you come to the church. We will make sure all the food and gifts arrive at the party. Parents, please pick up your Youth at 6:30 pm. JR s address is 950 Ridge Drive, Newton. Pledge Campaign January 13-15,2018 MLK Jr. Weekend Open to 6th graders-12th graders Camp Cedar Cliff in Asheville is the place to be for this wonderful annual youth retreat. The Book of Acts is our guide for a weekend of worship, speakers, music, games and relationship building. The theme is "Better Together. The cost is $175.00 per person, a deposit fee of $85.00 is due by Tuesday, January 2, 2018. The balance of $88.00 will be due on January 13, 2018. Please contact Julie Braswell with any questions, 828-464- 84228422 or juliebbraswell@gmail.com. Scholarships are available. Community Christmas Giving, It is Not Too Late... First Church Youth spent part of their annual Lock Out last month Christmas shopping for 10 children from 3 local families in need. These families would not be having Christmas gifts if it were not for our great church's congregational love for our community. If you would like to donate to help with the cost of these gifts, it is not too late. You may drop a check in the collection plate or drop it by the church office through the end of this year. The Youth thanks you for your generous gifts and continued support of their activities. May God Bless you in the New Year! Our Pledge Campaign for 2017 is winding to a close, and we would like to remind you that if you have not made your pledge to support the ministries of First United Methodist Church, it is not too late. Pledge cards and envelopes are available around the church or in the church office. Complete your card and either drop it in the offering plate on Sunday or bring it to the church office. Thank you for your generous support of First Church Newton.
Care Ministry Christmas Cards The exchanging of Christmas cards is a time-honored tradition of remembering loved ones at the holidays which you can share with the shut - in members of our church family. There will be cards with a list of names on a table in the breezeway. Simply pick up a list, address your cards, and then return them to the bags on the table. Deadline for the cards is Sunday, December 17th. If you would like to assist in the delivery of the bags to our members, please contact Julie Braswell at 828-464-8422 or juliebbraswell@gmail.com. December 14 in the Fellowship Hall Refreshments available at 9:30am Program begins at 10:00am A Christmas program by: Marjo Erickson and John Coffey Devotion Rev. David Greene, Salem UMC, Denver, NC Lunch at noon Turkey/Dressing, Rice and Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Rolls, Homemade Desserts Lunch Reservations are required. Donations accepted. Please call the FUMC office at (828)464-8422 by 12:00 noon the Monday before each meeting. Methodist Women The Methodist Women will meet at the Catawba Country Club for a holiday lunch on Friday, December 8 at 11:30 am. Please call Martha Sowers at 828-464-6954 by Monday, December 4 to make your reservation.
This event is open to children ages 3 (potty trained) to 6th grade.
On Sunday, December 10th, you are invited to join First Methodist as we shower the children of Armenia with Christmas shoeboxes! Through Project AGAPE we will be sending Christmas shoeboxes to children who are not served through the nationally recognized Samaritan s Purse. For the past 17 years, Project AGAPE has been (and continues to be) the ONLY humanitarian relief group in the Kashatagh region of Armenia. Project AGAPE assists with humanitarian and benevolent activities such as an orphanage, educational and training opportunities, distribution of food & clothing, and The Cattle Project (Heifer Project does not serve this region). One of the ministries which brings joy and resources to the children of the area is the Christmas Shoe Box Project this is where YOU are invited to join the AGAPE mission. Fill a plastic shoebox (directions are enclosed in this newsletter) and drop it by the church by December 10th. Thank you as we partner with Project AGAPE to share Christ s love with the children of Armenia. To discover more about Project AGAPE, please visit www.project AGAPEArmenia.org.
Joe and Diane Colletta Baptism of Adelaide Hinshaw Fisher, great-granddaughter of Sara S. Caldwell. Conner Baker, Tracie Kelley, and Patrick Loyzelle PB & J Sunday ECCCM Workday On the first Sunday of every month, First Church will celebrate PB & J Sunday, a day for everyone to bring a plastic container of peanut butter or jelly for school Backpack programs. The first Wednesday of each month has been designated as the day for our church to volunteer at ECCCM. No registration or sign-up is required, just show up! Don t feel obligated for an 8 hour day; a couple of hours will be appreciated. DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Anne Richard William Cable Jr. Dwaine Morgan Ruth Richardson Billye Roland Terra Butler Christian Underwood Amy White Sara Fletcher Evaleene Fowler Sylvia Hansmann Thomas Lowder Alvin Thornburg II John Tate Brent Roland Lucy Cook Billie Shrum Merv McGee Jr. 12/1 12/2 12/2 12/2 12/2 12/3 12/3 12/4 12/8 12/9 12/9 12/9 12/9 12/10 12/11 12/12 12/12 12/14 Ken Martin Jim Mauney II Zoe Kelley Jason Yount Mary Cilley Rowe Bollinger Tucker Clark Erick Yoder Margaret Reitzel Wayne Dellinger Howard Smith Danny Wilson Jacob Smith Jr. Mike Jenkins Mark Killian Rob Rights Jr. Shera Waller-Smith DECEMBER WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES 12/15 12/16 12/18 12/18 12/20 12/23 12/24 12/24 12/25 12/26 12/28 12/30 12/30 12/31 Timothy & Leah Hayes Brooks & Melba Nichols Jr. James & Wendy Hildebran Albert & Susan Reinhardt K. Wayne & Audrey Smith Johnny & Beth Isenhour Brent & Billye Roland Rowe & Anita Bollinger William & Amy Cable 12/4 12/12 12/18 12/18 12/19 12/28 12/28 The church offices will be closed on December 25 & 26 for the Christmas Holiday.
Sharing Our Gifts Sunday Attendance Tithes and Offerings Capital Bldg. Fund Nov. 5 207 13,528.10 580.00 Nov. 12 173 6,857.45 430.00 Nov. 19 191 10,007.20 445.00 Nov. 26 186 16,716.40 40.00 IN TOUCH 300 N. Main Ave. PO Box 926 Newton, NC 28658 828-464-8422 fumcnewtonnc.org Memorials Ken Keener Ken Keener Clark Fletcher Clark Fletcher Doris Elliott Doris Elliott Doris Elliott Lana Lynch Barrett Lynch Capital Building Fund Current Expense Fund Music Fund Capital Building Fund Capital Building Fund Current Expense Fund Garden Fund Garden Fund Garden Fund facebook.com/ fumcnewtonnc You can now give electronically at www.fumcnewtonnc.org First United Methodist Church Staff: Lara Willis Greene, Pastor cell: 828-461-5918 Julie Braswell, Children and Youth Ann Cook, Administrative Assistant Sarah Luhrs, Choir Director John Coffey, Organist Michael Roberts, Praise Service Rose Bibeau, Children s Music Kayla Sigmon, Nursery Ministry Kristi Harvell, Preschool IN MEMORIAM Blessed are the dead who died in the Lord for they cease from their labor and their works do follow them. Doris Lawing Elliott March 15, 1028 - November 9, 2017 IN MEMORIAM Blessed are the dead who died in the Lord for they cease from their labor and their works do follow them. Vera Drum Arndt April 2, 1919 - November 21, 2017 YEAR END GIVING According to the IRS, individuals are allowed to deduct charitable contributions from their income during the year in which the donation was delivered. This means that we will need to receive your contribution for 2017 in the church office by 3:00pm on December 28. If a donation is mailed, we will use the postmark date on the envelope to determine whether it will be applied to 2017 or 2018. Remember that this year you have access to Online Giving. If the transaction is made by December 31, it will count toward your contributions for 2017. Go to www.fumcnewtonnc.org to give online.