REV. JIM S THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS Christmas 2017 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord - Luke 2:10-11 Dear Friends, Greetings in the name of our Loving God! It hardly seems possible Christmas is right around the corner! Let me share with you two questions I ve been thinking about for the past few weeks as I ve been praying about the joy of Advent and Christmas. Question 1. What is the one word that comes to mind for you when you think of Christmas? Question 2. Are you ready for Christmas? So my friends, I invite you to sit down with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and read my answers. However, more importantly, I invite you to think about your answers to these two questions. What is the one word that comes to mind when you think of Christmas? For me that one word is love. Luke s Gospel tells the Christmas story of the joyous news of the birth of our Savior Jesus. What a story of God s amazing gift of love to you, and me, and the entire world! John s Gospel tells us God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have everlasting life. What an amazing love story about God s love for us. Are you ready for Christmas? So what does it mean to be ready for Christmas? I've finally figured out it isn t about buying presents. (Who can ever know what to buy and what size to buy?) I'm convinced it isn't about baking cookies. (Who can ever know what kind to make and how many to make?) So, how about you Are you ready for Christmas? Are you ready to receive God's gift of love as we celebrate the miraculous birth of a little baby who was born to save your life and my life? Are you ready for Christmas? Are you ready to enjoy the gifts of friends and family and food and laughter? Are you ready to give of yourself, your gifts, talents and resources throughout the coming year as you prepare for a New Year of Christian life and service? "Are you ready for Christmas?"Are you ready to receive the gift of God's forgiveness and love each and every day of your life? Are you ready to offer forgiveness to others each and every day of your life? Friends, my prayer for you is that you are truly ready to receive the joy of Christmas this year! Let s gather together throughout this Advent and Christmas season to receive the joy of Christmas! Lets' allow the birth of the baby Jesus to create new life for each of us! Love and Prayers, + Pastor Jim P.S. I hope to see you at our special Christmas Eve Worship Service Sunday, December 24-7:00 pm - Community Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Riceville UMC
After a recent church dinner there was a clamor of interest for the following recipe. We ate it without the baguette portion and it was more than fine. Also was cooked in crock pot for our dinner. Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Spinach Prep time 10 min - cook time 40 min Ingredients Soup 1 T vegetable oil 1 pound ground Italian sausage 1/2 c diced onion 1 T minced garlic 1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes 1-32 oz box of vegetable broth [chicken broth works too] 2 T fresh chopped basil 1 t salt 1/2 t pepper 1-9 oz package refrigerated tortellini 2 c packed fresh spinach Crostini 1 baguette Butter Fresh grated Parmesan cheese Instructions Soup 1. Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Heat vegetable oil and add diced onion. Sauté until onions are soft. 2. Crumble Italian sausage and garlic with the onion. Cook until sausage is no longer pink. 3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, vegetable [or chicken] broth, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Let soup simmer for 20-30 minutes 4. Add tortellini and spinach and simmer for about ten minutes until pasta is tender. 5. Serve with shredded Parmesan Crostini 1. Slice baguette into 1/2 in thick slices. Butter one side and place butter side down in a hot skillet until golden brown. Flip bread slices over and sprinkle with Parmesan while the other side gets golden brown. Transfer to a plate and immediately cover loosely with foil if cheese has not completely melted *For creamier soup, add a half cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Recipe by Yellow Bliss Road
Please bring jellies and jams for the Titusville Food bank Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Hanging of the Greens 3 First Sunday Advent Communion 4 Bill s Bible Study 1pm Prayer Meeting 6:45pm 5 Grief Group 12:30 @ 6 Choir - 7 7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance 8 9 10 Second Sunday Advent 11 Bill s Bible Study 1pm Prayer Meeting 6:45pm 12 Grief Group 12:30 @ 13 First Day of Hanukkah 14 15 16 17 Third Sunday Advent 18 Christmas Prayer Bible Study 6:30 CUMC 19 Food Distribution Fire Hall 11 Grief Group 12:30 @ 20 Women s Group Christmas 6 Choir 7 21 Winter Solstice 22 23 Christmas Caroling 6 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Christmas Eve Service 7pm @ RUMC Happy Christmas 31 New Year s Eve County Home Worship 2:30
Happy Anniversary 2 - Steve & Doris Dorn - 2000 3 - Jonathan & Stephanie Lassiter 16 - Don & Jean Wise - 1955 David & Adah Anderson 23 - David & Irene Johnson RUMC 3 - Anthony Higby 16 - Melissa Anthony 19 - Cathy Miller 20 - Cathy Waldinger 21 - Brooke Van Tassel It is the unseen and the spiritual in people that determines the outward and actual. Oswald Chambers Students! Do you have a sporting event, a play, a special event that you would like to share with others so that they may come and cheer you on? Contact Betsy Van Tassel, Ginny Lewis or Marie Howard and we will see that is appears in the bulletin if you give us at least two weeks notice. 4 - Herb Pease Maris Hanby 5 - Eric St john 8 - Danielle Evans 10 - Steve Kaster 13 - Elaine Hersman 16 - Joe Henry 17 - Crystal Canfield 20 - Joe Davis 22 - Erika Hedderick 25 - Tommy St John 27 - Gerald Lasher Dawn St John 30 Wanda Wilcox CUMC 4 - Andy Blystone 9 - Matthew Eldred Dawn Eldred Joey Blystone 10 - Rhonda Cooney 14 - Lauren Foltz 17 - Ben Long 19 - Tim Foltz 20 - Bill More 21 - Bobbie Rose John Bronson 23 - Stephen Speakman 27 - Amanda Foltz 29 - Elaine Murray Colleen Foltz Women to Celebrate Christmas Wednesday 20 Dec There will be a Make-a-Christmas-decoration celebration of the season. The women of Riceville and Parade Street are invited to join Centerville women. Please call Marie 827.2426 or Debi 694.3272 so that we can have enough materials available for the project. We will meet at 6:00 pm at the Centerville Parish House. Please bring a Christmas appetizer treat to share. Monday 18 Dec 6:30 pm at Centerville parish house Anyone who has participated in a prayer meeting or a bible study is invited to attend a special meeting to celebrate the meaning of Christmas. Please bring your favorite Christmas treat or appetizer to wrap up the evening. If your would like, bring an ornament or tell a favorite story of your meaning of Christmas. Call the pastor for more information if you have any questions 23 Dec 6 pm Starting and ending at Centerville Parish House, all voices are requested to sing for and to our community. To be followed by cookies and hot chocolate.
What is Happening at CUMC? Saturday 2 Hanging of the Greens 7 pm Sunday 3 Communion Monday 4 Charge Prayer Meeting 6:45 pm at Wednesday 6 Choir 7 pm Monday 11 Charge Prayer Meeting 6:45 pm at Monday 18 Combined Prayer group and Bible study Christmas celebration 6:30 at CUMC Tuesday 19 Food Distribution at fire hall 11 am Wednesday 20 Women s Group Christmas celebration 6 pm Choir 7 pm Saturday 23 Christmas Caroling 6 pm followed by cookies and hot chocolate Sunday 24 Christmas Eve Service 7 pm at RUMC Monday 25 Happy Christmas Sunday 31 Fifth Sunday Worship at County Home 2:30 and New Year s Eve Sunday 3 Monday 4 What is Happening at RUMC? Communion Charge Prayer Meeting 6:45 pm at Monday 11 Charge Prayer Meeting 6:45 pm at Monday 18 Combined Prayer group and Bible study Christmas celebration 6:30 at CUMC Tuesday 19 Food Distribution at fire hall 11 am Wednesday 20 Women s Group Christmas celebration 6 pm Sunday 24 Christmas Eve Service 7 pm at RUMC Monday 25 Happy Christmas Sunday 31 Fifth Sunday Worship at County Home 2:30 and New Year s Eve What Is Happening at? Mondays Bill s Bible Study 1 pm Thursdays Choir 4:30 Saturday 2 Hanging of the greens 6 pm Sunday 3 Communion Monday 4 Charge Prayer Meeting 6:45 pm at Tuesday 5 Grief Counseling Group 12:30 at Monday 11 Charge Prayer Meeting 6:45 pm at Tuesday 12 Lunch Bunch 11:30 at MaDonna s Grief Counseling Group 12:30 at Thursday 14 Sub Sales 7 am Choir 4:30 Sunday 17 Tureen Lunch after worship Monday 18 Combined Prayer group and Bible study Christmas celebration 6:30 at CUMC Tuesday 19 Grief Counseling Group 12:30 at Wednesday 20 Women s Group Christmas celebration 6 pm Sunday 24 Christmas Eve Service 7 pm at RUMC Monday 25 Happy Christmas Sunday 31 New Year s Eve
December Prayer Calendar for Centerville Riceville Parade Street I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always In every prayer of mine making request for you with all joy. Philippians 1:3,4 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 STEVE & DORIS DORN [KIRA, LIZ, WILLIAM, MI- CHAEL] 3 4 5 6 9 8 9 Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi Pastor Jim CHUCK PRICE TIM & GINNY MORE ERIC & TAMI FOSBURG [DALTON, LEXI] CLEO ROSIER DICK & MARY MURRAY 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi Pastor Jim LARRY GEER LES ROZELLE BOB & ELAINE MURRAY JAY & KRISTI GILL [JACK, BECCA] MARION SMITH 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi Pastor Jim JARED & AM- BER REED [CONNOR, AU- BREY] SCOTT & DEB- BIE GREINER [HUNTER] TERRY & ANN SMITH ROBB & DAR- LENE REY- NOLDS [SHONDA, MONI, TESSA] KIM KERR 24/31 Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi Pastor Jim 25 ERIC ST JOHN 26 SHANE & MACKENZIE REYNOLDS [LANGDON, GUNIISON] 27 BETSY MAKER 28 LOUISE ST JOHN 29 GREG & LORI ROSE [CODY] 30
Visit our website Riceville United Methodist Church [RUMC] Centerville UMC @CentervilleUMC16404 paradestreetumc16438.org centervilleumc16404.org Centerville UMC 18679 Erie Street Riceville UMC 37748 State Hwy 77 Parade Street UMC 7 Parade Street PO Box 44 Centerville PA 16404 DECEMBER