Somerset UMC Newsletter - The Messenger Pastor.......................... Somerset UMC POB 237 137-141 East Main Street, Somerset, Ohio 43783 740/743-1029 - church SomersetUnitedMethodistChurch@gmail.com www.somersetumc.org We re on facebook Sunday School @ 9am Worship @ 8 & 10am November - December 2018 Rev Karen K Walters Turkey and Pumpkin Pie Turkeys and cornucopias and pilgrim hats. Seasoned stuffing hot from the oven. Cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Uncles and aunts and cousins to play with. Grandmothers and grandfathers with family gathered round. Children waiting for the Great Pumpkin to rise over Charlie Brown's pumpkin patch and dads watching college football. A day to relax and maybe rake leaves in the afternoon. But Thanksgiving? How much will our celebrations on Thanksgiving have to do with giving thanks? A glance at the first Thanksgiving brings it all back. On December 21, 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth rock. Through the dead of winter the colony struggled with poor and meager food, strenuous labor, a biting wind that chilled to the bone, and the ravages of disease. Nearly half the 102 Mayflower passengers did not live to see Spring refresh Cape Cod Bay. But God sent Indians Samoset, Squanto, and Massasoit to help the English settlers plant and hunt and fish. The bountiful harvest that autumn led Governor Bradford to invite the Indians to celebrate God's goodness. Ninety tall braves accepted the invitation to join the Pilgrims in a feast of Thanksgiving to God for His blessings. The Pilgrims lived close enough to the soil to know how dependent they were on God's Providence. They had learned to thank God in the midst of the bitterness of winter past. And they were quick to thank Him during abundant blessing, too. We teach our children to say "please" and "thank you" as the rudiments of courtesy, yet it is so easy to be rude and unthinking toward God. How often we forget to gratefully acknowledge His goodness towards us. -1- -2-
This Thanksgiving let your prayers and expressions of love rise toward your Heavenly Father. "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116:12-13) When you speak, always remember God is one of your hearers Kroger Plus Card The Kroger Plus Card you have probably had for years will not only give you discounts on food and gasoline purchases but can also give a cash reward to the Somerset UMC of up to 5% of your purchases and it costs you nothing. All you have to do is register your Kroger Plus card with Somerset UMC. It's simple and takes just a few minutes. Go to Kroger.com and log in. Go to Savings & Rewards then Community Rewards. Enter our number: RF232 The Bible is like bread from home It fills my every need. Partaking of it I've found My, life, my Lord, indeed. We invest in God s Treasury Fund by using some of our money to express worship. There s nothing we can give God that he needs. But when we give an offering to God where and when we worship, we re saying, God I love you. That s the first purpose of life: to know and love God. The Bible says, Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income (Proverbs 3:9). We honor God when we tithe. It s an act of worship. God wants you to give to His fund before you invest in any other funds. Why? He wants our hearts more than anything else. It s not so much he needs our money; he wants what it represents. Wherever I put my money shows my priorities and values. This week, look through your checkbook and your credit card statements. What do they say about where your heart is today? Where do you want your heart to be? Put your money there! Please remember to return your pledge if you haven't already. Before you flare up at anyone's faults, take time to count ten - ten of your own. Evangelism Goal Everyone at SUMC is challenged to pray for at least one unchurched person for at least one minute every day at 1:00 pm. If you cannot possibly pray for one minute at 1:00 pm, you may want to choose another time. The important thing is to pray! Begin to pray now about who God would have you invite to Christmas worship. Thanksgiving Service The Somerset Community Thanksgiving Service is on Tuesday, November 20 @ 7:00 pm. Lots of folks are cooking on Wednesday and can't make it to worship so we thank God on Tuesday for the many blessings over the last year. We sing all the traditional Thanksgiving songs and spend some time in thankfulness. Bring a friend. -3- -4-
Help us, O God, to treat every human heart as if it were breaking and to consider the feelings of others as we do our own. Kids Sunday School Sunday School is at 9:00 am for all ages. The children use a curriculum called Dig In. The Tween Class uses Submerge and our teens are learning how to apply the Bible to every day life. We also have several adult classes. Come learn how to be a disciple in Sunday School! A smile is a crooked line that sets a lot of things straight. Giving to God Strengthens Our Faith Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, says the LORD of Heaven s Armies, I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Malachi 3:10 (NLT) God uses finances to test your faith. Have you ever had to decide between paying a bill and tithing? You only have so much money where is it going to go? It's a test. God is saying, Do you really believe I can take care of your bills? Or do you think you have to take care of them on your own? He says, Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do... I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! (Malachi 3:10) In effect, God is saying, "I dare you! I dare you to see what I will do if you become a giving, generous person. Tithe, and see what happens to your life. Did you know there are more promises in the Bible regarding giving than any other thing? Jesus talked more about giving than he did about Heaven or Hell. I believe this is because giving is the essence of being like Jesus. The Bible says God is a giver: God so loved the world that he gave... When we give, it shows God we trust him and believe his promises to provide for us. Giving strengthens, stretches, and tests our faith. Do you really believe God will take care of your bills? If you re struggling in this area, ask God to help you in your unbelief. He wants to help you find the freedom in your finances that only comes from trusting in him. As you pray about your financial needs, write them down and then watch to see how God provides. By keeping a record of how God provides, you will find your faith deepening as you see God s faithfulness and his creativity in providing for your needs. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth but only such a word as is good and helpful according to the need of the moment so it may give grace to those who hear it. - Ephesians 4:29 Bible Study The Thru the Bible class is now in the new Testament. We are placing the stories in chronological order so we can understand the grand sweep of God's reaching out to humanity. If you have something you'd really like to study next year, please make sure Pastor Karen or Jeanette Snider know. Sisterhood meets each week on Wednesdays @ 1 at Gloria Gill's home. All are welcome to that too. -5- -6-
Wise the ones who make the most of things that come their way and spend no time in weeping for the things that got away. Advent We ll decorate the church for Advent and Christmas following worship on November 25 th. We'll have a soup and sandwich luncheon and then decorate the church as a family. We'll bring the decorations over to the church as soon as worship is over - just enough time to get the meal on the table. A person should never be ashamed to own he has been wrong, which is but saying in other words s/he is wiser today than yesterday Christmas Eve Service Somerset United Methodist Church will h o l d a candleligh t communion service on Christmas Eve at 8:00 pm. The choir will sing and we'll sing all the carols. Come and bring your family! Please note the time - when the service moved to 8pm, we picked up 78 more people. The timing is so there's time for dinner for those who have family dinner on Christmas Eve to eat and even exchange gifts then the whole family can come to worship together to celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus. Keep my mind and thoughts clear, my speech soft and precise, never offensive; my work always worthy; my faith alive and strong. Christ the King Sunday Christ the King Sunday is November 25. This is the last Sunday of the church year. It s when we celebrate all Jesus is, all he s done for us and it s an opportunity to make him (or rededicate our lives so that he s) Lord and King of our lives influencing every single decision we make. We end the church calendar witih Holy Communion Bell Ringers We need bell ringers for Salvation Army. We need ringers every Saturday from Thanksgiving thru Dec. 23 at Carpenter's Market. Remember money donated in Perry County, stays in Perry County to help those who are struggling to keep utilities on. Worship Volunteers November Liturgist - none November Greeters/Ushers are Randy & Teri Painter and Pauline Callahan Thank You Thank you to everyone who helped make the Turkey Dinner a success. We need to raise about $90,000 for a roof. This is our start. There may be some outstanding bills to pay but we brought in $3842.88 for the dinner and another $244 from the bazaar. Rental The rental will have an open house on Nov 4, 2-4pm with the auction on Nov 15 @ 6 in CLC. Please spread the word. -7- -8-
Veterans' Day There is no school on Monday, November 12 in honor of Veterans' Day. The office will be closed in honor of the holiday. We will thank our Veterans on Sunday during the 10am service. Forgive me Father, for the times when I am anxious. You have promised to take care of all my needs. Missions News Operation Christmas Child: On Saturday, November 10 (yes, this is the same day as sewing), Jennie VanSickle would welcome help to go through the donated boxes to make sure they are filled, labeled, and sealed before she takes them to Rolling Plains the following week. Final deadline for boxes is November 4. Christmas Angel Project: We will have angels to select on Nov 11 and items need to be returned no later than December 9. Collection of Winter Items: Please bring in any clean gently used coats or mittens, gloves, hats and scarves for those who do not have them. Blankets are welcome too anything to make winter more bearable is welcome. Turkey Dinner (Nov. 1) and One Starry Night (Dec. 1): Helpers are needed for both of these upcoming events. Please be in touch with the church if you are able and willing to help. Our next meeting is Sunday, November 18 after the 10 am service. Charge Conference Somerset UMC's annual church/charge conference is Saturday, November 3 at 10am at Central Trinity UMC, 62 S. Seventh Street, Zanesville OH. All are welcome. There will be worship as well as a discussion on combing shrinking churches. Advent Series The Peace of Christmas will be the focus of this year's Advent Series. Be sure to invite friends and family to celebrate the coming of the Christ Child this Advent. Enjoy the carols and choir music as well as prepare for Jesus' second coming. We will need people to light the advent wreath - please let Phyllis Spohn know if you are willing. Date Night Saturday, November 3 - Your Best Night Out with Ted and Nancie Lowe is a one-night event hosted by Rolling Plains UM Church and programmed by MarriedPeople. This event is being held in Secrest Auditorium, 334 Shinnick St., Zanesville. Tickets are $15 per couple. This is a night of comedy and laughter with one powerful go and do couples can actually go and do. In addition to Ted and Nancie Lowe, the evening will feature comedian Jonnie W. Please Contact Rolling Plains Church for tickets or more information - 740-453-4192-9- -10-
Place # ordering in size/color box 6 ½ - $5 8" - $9 Order Your 2018 Poinsettia You are invited to order a poinsettia to make our sanctuary beautiful over the Advent and Christmas season... Red White Pink Marble Total Somerset United Methodist Church 137-141 East Main Street Somerset, Ohio 43783 Phone: 740/743-1029 Sunday School 9:00; Worship 8 & 10 The Messenger November/December 2018 Return Service Requested 10" - $13 Name Phone Total # pots Total Amount attached In Honor/Memory of (Deadline: Nov 27) -11- -12-
-13-
-14-
-15-