Hope United Methodist Church of Pocahontas County, IA

Hope United Methodist Church of Pocahontas County, IA

Pocahontas Christmas Program "The Night Before Christmas" December 9, during 10:30 Worship. Please join us for refreshments in the Fellowship Hall after. Life Touch Pictures, Monday, December 17th, 2:00pm - 9:00pm for anyone needing a picture taken for the Directory Havelock December 23, 8:30 Worship Duet by Sharyn Cook and Sharon Hauswirth and a Flute Solo by Andrea Ramsey Book Nook in December Travelling for the holidays? HUMC library has a small collection of music CDs available for check out that can make those miles pass more quickly or at least more pleasantly! Here s a sample: Simplicity Christmas by Pamplin Music Amazing Grace by Elvis Presley We Believe by Steve Green The Concert of a Lifetime by Ray Boltz The Great Adventure by Steven Curtis Chapman

WORSHIP ASSISTANTS for DECEMBER 8:30 Service - Havelock Liturgists: December 2, Candace Larson December 9, Judy Boysen December 16, Vicki Kerns December 23, Volunteers December 30, Volunteers 10:30 Service - Pocahontas Communion: December 2 - Russ & Julie Waterman Liturgists: December 2, Elaine Cook December 9, Carol McCurdy December 16, Ginger Ernst December 23, Donnie McLain December 30, Julie Waterman Acolytes: Volunteers Advent Candle Lighters December 2, Hopkins Family December 9, Brad Cook Family December 16, Brett Johnson Family December 23, Kevin Hauswirth Family December 24, Brian Friesner Family Ushers: Bill Plantz, Kevin & Megan Hauswirth, Duane Wiemers, Patrick & Jessica Frank Greeters: North: Brad & Angie Cook family, South: Jeff & Kammi Shearer, West: Martie Nedved East: Donnie & Carol McLain Fellowship: December 2- (H)-- (P) Tim & Elaine Cook and Leo & Carol Hallman December 9 - (H) -- (P) Bob & Joan Reinhart and Judy Timan December 16 - (H) -- (P) Ginger Ernst December 23 - (H)-- (P) Bob & Ann Harrison December 30 - (H)-- (P)-- Volunteers

Sunday School Christmas Mission Project update: The Sunday School kids would like to thank the Hope Congregation for helping them with their "Operation Christmas Child" project this year. We were able to send 50 boxes to children around the world who may not have otherwise had a Christmas gift this year. And the best part - those children will not only receive your thoughtful gifts, but also the message of Jesus and His love for them, the true meaning of Christmas! Thank you so much for your generosity with this project and helping our kids here at Hope learn the true meaning of Christmas, by sharing Jesus with other children around the world! May God bless you the Christmas Season! A CANDY MAKER'S WITNESS A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God. The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shephard" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift our fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. He added the peppermint flavor to symbolize the spices that were gifts from the Wise Men. Today a simple candy cane still reminds us to celebrate the sweetest gift of Christmas - Jesus!

Poinsettia Christmas offerings Our family who have gone before us from Tim & Elaine Cook Char Samuelson, Richard Freeburg, Margaret Freeburg from Sarah, Rob, Heidi, Colton, Caleb, & Caden Freeburg Jim Hudson, Fran Nathanson from Leo & Carol Hallman Charles & Isla Mae Hallman from Leo & Carol Hallman Our Loved Ones from Bob & Ann Harrison Don Hopkins, Murl & Margie Leith, Earl & Naomi Hopkins, Deb Schendel from Beverly Hopkins Jim Hudson from Donna Hudson Char Samuelson, Wilbur & Lorella Johnson from Leon Johnson Family Cam McCurdy from McCurdy Family Our Parents from children & grandchildren of Donnie & Carol McLain Donna McLain Foege from Carol & Donnie McLain Our Parents & Our Sisters from Bill & Monica Plantz Joe Sobotka (brother-in-law) from Bill & Monica Plantz Ray Timan from his family James A. Turner from Mary Turner Our Parents and Our Son from Ray & Ernella Van Horn Lyle & Phyllis Wheatley from Bruce & Carolyn & Matthew Wheatley & Rosie Herman Floyd & Theo Nielsen from Bruce & Carolyn & Matthew Wheatley

UMW News December 2018 Scripture: John 1:5 - "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it". NRSV Christmas Vespers is Wednesday December 5th, at 6:00 pm in the sanctuary. A meal will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Tickets are $9.00 and must be purchased by December 2nd. Dixie Gottsch, Ginger Ernst and Joan Reinhart and Vicki Kerns have tickets available. Cookie plates for shut-ins will be made and delivered by Charity Circle No Circle meetings this month. Thank you to Plover Circle for the donation of soup bowls and the 100 cup coffee maker for Pocahontas kitchen. Also thank you to Truth Circle for purchasing two crock pots and the donation of 30 cup coffee maker. Have a blessed Christmas Season from all at Hope United Methodist Church.

UMW News December 2018 (con't) Thank you for all of your support for the Thanksgiving Ingathering projects. Hope UMC delivered 50 health kits and 108 school kits to the Cherokee site on November 1st. A check was also delivered that included $600 for Church World Service blankets, $50 for Self-Help International, $50 for toothpaste (for 50 health kits) and $316 for shipping UMCOR kits. The check plus the in-kind value of the kits plus $160 for items on the auction totaled $2,964. FREE SATURDAY SUPPER Saturday ~ December 15, Serving from 5-6:30 p.m. At HOPE UMC, Pocahontas There will be many opportunities to help prepare, serve and clean-up. I want to thank everyone that worked so hard to make our 2018 Soup & Pie Supper successful. I am amazed with how much work goes into preparing the soup. This is our yearly fund drive with proceeds in this fund going to finishing the scholarships, campership needs, third grade bibles, and anything else that comes up. It is very much appreciated and I thank everyone for donations for the meal in any form, working on any committee and coming to enjoy a great soup supper. Thank you, Sharon Hauswirth

This is the Urban legend told by Pastor Loren Vogler during the advent service on December 3rd. Roman Catholics were not permitted to practice their faith openly in England after the death of Mary 1 in 1558. When Catholics went underground, someone wrote the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas as a catechism for your Catholics. Each phrase of the song is designed to help them remember some detail of their faith without giving away the Catholic identity of the singer. This certainly gives this carol much meaning when sang. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ. The two turtle doves are the Old and the New Testament. The three French hens are faith, hope, and love from 1 Corinthians 13:13. The four calling birds are the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The five golden rings recall the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation. The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit as found in Isaiah 11:2-3, the gift of understanding, knowledge, wisdom, council, piety, courage, and fear of the Lord. The eight maids a-milking are the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. The nine ladies dancing or waiting are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5: 22-23. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. The ten Lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20: 3-17. The eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples in Acts 1-13, The are Peter; John; James; Andrew; Philip; Thomas; Bartholomew; Matthew; James, son of Alphaeus; Simon the Zealot; and Judas, son of James. The twelve drummers symbolize the twelve points of belief in the Apostle's Creed.

Happenings for December 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 8:30 Havelock 9:00 - Adult SS 10:30 Pocahontas Noon: Hopkins 3 4 5 Joy Bells- 3:30pm Vespers- 6:00pm 6 7 9:00am Plover Advent Study- Vicki Kerns 8 9 8:30 Havelock 9:00 - Adult SS 10:30 Pocahontas Noon: Hopkins Christmas Program/Joy Bells UDMO Food Pantry 10 11 12 13 14 9:00am Plover Advent Study- Vicki Kerns 15 Saturday Supper- 5:00pm 16 8:30 Havelock 9:00 - Adult SS 10:30 Pocahontas/Choir Noon: Hopkins 17 Lifetouch pictures 2:00pm - 9:00pm Newsletter & 2019 Worship lists due 18 19 Caroling- 4:00pm carpool to Laurens 5:30pm for Pocahontas Youth - 5:30pm 20 21 9:00am Plover Advent Study- Vicki Kerns 22 23 8:30 Havelock (Duet) & Flute Solo 9:00 - Adult SS 10:30 Pocahontas/Choir Noon: Hopkins Manor 1:30pm 24 Christmas Eve Service -5:30pm 25 Office Closed 26 Office open 27 28 29 30 8:30 Havelock 10:30 Pocahontas Choir sings Christmas Decorations down 31 Office Closed