First United Methodist Church T M December November 15, 15, 2016 2013 Volume 72, Issue 23 A Taste of What s Inside 2,8 Church Facts 2 Christmas Poinsettias 2 Food Baskets 3 Youth News 3 Children s Corner 3 College Scholarships 3,5 Christmas Eve Worship 3,5 Christmas Day Worship 4 Light-A-Light Celebration 5 Music Notes 5,7 Blue Christmas 5 Thanks to a Band of Angels 6 Mission Opportunity 7 Joy to the World, A Christmas Cantata 8 Puppets for Jesus 8 Newsletter Deadline Mark Your Calendar 2 Poinsettias Deadline December 18 3 Children s Happy Birthday Jesus Party December 18 3 Youth Vacation December 21 and 28 3 College Scholarships Deadline January 3rd 3 Candlelight and Communion Service December 24 3 Christmas Day Worship December 25 4 Light-A-Light Deadline December 18 5 Blue Christmas Worship December 21 6 Serve at Newgate Mission Various Dates Monthly 7 Christmas Cantata December 18 8 Newsletter Deadline January 9 Friends... With the kids and grandkids now situated in the Dallas area, Susan and I find ourselves doing as many in our position in life do during this time of year. Noting, perhaps subconsciously, that for the greater part of the Christmas season we will be the only ones in our home, we put off decorating the interior, with the exception of setting up the Christmas tree, until nearly the last moment. Same has been true so far this year. Here it is now December 13 and, last night, I finally relocated the tubs of Christmas decorations from the closet in the garage into the den. Honestly the move inside has caused us to focus more upon the Christmas celebration and to remember how much fun it is to dig through and review what we have collected over the years and to recall the happy memories associated with many ornaments and other season-focused treasures which came into our lives either as gifts or through a specific set of circumstances. Several of these Christmas tubs contain various nativity scenes. Susan has an interest and takes particular pride in displaying them here and there around the house. Her collection has made it easier to locate Christmas gifts for her and also allowed me to be specific in what I was able to bring home during the time I was volunteering with the Conference Division of Mission and saw mission projects in a variety of locations in the United States and beyond. For this reason we can identify handmade nativities set around the house from places such as Cuba, Russia, Ivory Coast, Bolivia, and others. (Please see Pastor s Letter, page 6) Mission Statement: First United Methodist Church is a loving, supportive family of faith working together to share God's love. Contact Us 105 N. Montgomery St Gilmer, TX 75644 903-843-2610 www.gilmer-fumc.com Pastor, Richard Laster pastorlaster@etex.net Secretary, Carol Craddock gilmerchurch@gmail.com Financial Secretary, Lamon Geddie fumcacct@etex.net Church Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Closed for lunch from Noon - 1 p.m.)
Page 2 WE SHOW OUR LOVE By Our Prayers... Thomas Bennett, Glen Bradshaw, family of John Carwile, Jr., Ceci Crombie, Ted and Linda Dickey and family, Susan Ellison, Imogene Harrison, Nat Harrison, Cherie Lambert, Amanda Scott, Helen Smith, Ray Thompson, Mary Lou Wightman, family of Wayne Wightman Remember ongoing prayers for loved ones with serious illnesses, our shut-ins, family and friends in the military service and the leaders and staff of our church and our country. Remember to check our Web Site for up-to-the-minute prayer requests. Putting Our Beliefs Into Action Thanks to the generosity of our members, this year s annual Holiday Food Drive was again a success. Donations were made which allowed 50 families to be fed at Thanksgiving and another 51 at Christmas. Special thanks go to the Clothes Closet group for their generous donation. Thanks also to the Cub Scouts and our youth who have helped with this project. Steve Nye Prayer Ministry The next newsletter will be sent on January 15th; there will not be a January 1st issue. Don t worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don t forget to thank Him for His answers. -- Philippians 4:6 Submit requests to Church s web page: www.gilmer-fumc.com Or Call: Church Office 903-843-2610 Prayer Contacts: Betty Parish 903-843-3865 Annette Breazeale 903-790-1131 Poinsettias for the Church Our Presence Date Sunday School Worship Visitors December 4 100 263 28 December 11 115 266 22 Average Year to Date 94 169 22 Average Last Year 87 171 23 Our Presents Deadline for inclusion in the bulletin insert is Sunday, December 18th Income Total Total Income Expenses November $26,426.72 $36,188.88 -$9,762.16 Year to Date $358,296.70 $395,403.80 -$37,107.10 Month Because of the difficulty of maintaining fresh poinsettias during the entire season of Advent and Christmas, this year we will be using silk poinsettias. As in the past you may purchase a poinsettia In Memory or In Honor of loved ones. An information form will be in the bulletin. Over/ (Under) Our Deepest Sympathy to The family of Wayne Wightman Gwyn Fenton, on the loss of her brother, John Carwile, Jr.
Page 3 Youth News by Matthew Potter Just a reminder that there will be no MYF on December 21st and 28th. Everyone have a Merry Christmas! Matthew Children s Corner by Chandra Sorrells Merry Christmas! The children have spent this month learning about Advent. I think we are all super excited for the arrival of Baby Jesus. We will be having a Happy Birthday Jesus party during Sunday School on the 18th. There will not be Children s Sunday School on the 25th. That means everyone should have plenty of time to get to church Christmas morning to worship and praise together. Looking ahead to January we will be studying Zacchaeus in Sunday School. Wonderful Wednesday will resume Jan 4th. Merry Christmas! Chandra College Scholarship applications are now available on the table outside the church office. If you have graduated from high school, are continuing your college education, and are a member of FUMC, please stop by and pick up an application. The deadline for submission is Monday, 5:00 p.m., January 3, 2017. If you have questions or need additional information, please call Carol in the church office at 903-843-2610. Saturday, December 24 Candlelight and Communion Service 6:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary Sunday, December 25 Carols and Devotional Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. and Worship at 10:00 a.m.
Page 4 A Christmas Tradition LIGHT-A-LIGHT CELEBRATION As part of our Advent celebration in preparation for Christmas, lights will be added to an unadorned, undecorated Light-a-Light tree in the sanctuary in honor of or in memory of loved ones. You can also add a thinking of you light or a light as a birthday present to Jesus. The lights will vary in price as follows: Gold $50 Green $25 Blue $10 Red $2 (given by children under 18 only) Your gift will be listed in the December bulletin insert. In addition, a gift notification card can be mailed if the honoree will not see our bulletin insert. Yes, I would like to light a light on the Christmas tree to celebrate Jesus birthday! Note: Complete a separate designation for each light. Use additional forms, if needed. Light #1: Gold Green Blue Red In memory of in honor of thinking of you birthday present to Jesus Person s name as you want it listed in the bulletin: Please mail a gift card to: No gift card needs to be mailed. Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Light #2: Gold Green Blue Red In memory of in honor of thinking of you birthday present to Jesus Person s name as you want it listed in the bulletin: Please mail a gift card to: No gift card needs to be mailed. Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Print your name as you want it printed in the bulletin and on gift card, if applicable: Amount attached: Watch Our Tree Glow as it Grows with Gifts of Love Deadline for inclusion in the bulletin insert is Sunday, December 18th www.gilmer-fumc.com
Page 5 Music Notes by Lora Robison Merry Christmas! Our service for December 18, focuses upon scripture from Matthew 1:18-25. With Mary as our main character for the day, Reverend Laster s sermon topic is Miracle of Biblical Proportions. The opening hymn is O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The second hymn is a Congregation s Choice of Christmas Carols from The United Methodist Hymnal. Our closing hymn is It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. The offertory will be played by Bill Marshall and the anthem by the Chancel Choir will be Almost There arranged by Sorenson. Sunday evening s service will be JOY TO THE WORLD, a medley of fourteen carols arranged by John Rutter presented by the Chancel Choir and soloists including Brent Heatherington, Cori Beasley, Darren Richardson, Annette Breazeale, Hannah Rosser, Molly Sullivan, Matthew Faggione, Steve Nye, Randy Monk, and Buzzy Green. The orchestral ensemble is from the Longview Symphony featuring Bill Marshall on piano. You will not want to miss this wonderful night of Christmas music! Our Blue Christmas service will be held on Wednesday, December 21, at 6:00 p.m. This beautiful service of Wholeness and Healing is held on the longest night of the year. This is a wonderful time to draw away from the hustle and bustle of Christmas activities to reflect on Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and King. Christmas Eve service, Saturday, December 24, will be our Christmas Communion service. Raymond Sorrells will sing our Call to Worship Of the Father s Love Begotten. Hymns include Joy to the World as well as a Christmas medley of carols. There will be a special time as master story-teller, Susan Laster, reads about Christmas to not only our children but to adults as well! The offertory will be a piano/organ duet offered by Annette Breazeale and Bill Marshall. The soloist, Cori Beasley will sing O Holy Night by Adam. After communion our service will end in our traditional candle-lighting with Silent Night. What a perfect time to spend with family and friends on Christmas Eve! Christmas morning service, December 25, will be a modified service of carols, scripture, and devotional led by Reverend Laster. What better place to be at 10:00 a.m. on Christmas morning! We wish you all the joy of the season and hope that your new year is filled with the light of Jesus Christ! In Christ s love, Lora Blue Christmas - A Service of Wholeness and Healing - Longest Night of the Year On Wednesday, December 21 at 6 p.m. in our sanctuary we will again offer our Blue Christmas service. If you or friends are looking for comfort, hope, wholeness, and renewal, join us for a time of quiet reflection and meaningful words and music and communion. All shared in the good news of God with us: Immanuel! The suffering people who looked for the longawaited Messiah were given a hope-filled image of God in the writings of Isaiah expressing a belief that no matter what happens to us, God will be there to comfort and support us. Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, says our God. Since Christmas can be a time for many who are in need of reassurance and comfort; grieving over the loss of a loved one, struggling with illness, or have experienced the loss of a job or having personal difficulties, this is a time to know the comfort of God as we wonder how we can get through the holidays. IT TAKES A BAND OF ANGELS The beauty of our sanctuary is truly the work of a band of angels. Thanks to Roy, Matt, Esther, and Matthew items were moved from storage, and then the angels appeared - the worship committee and many members of the congregation met to decorate not only the sanctuary but the fellowship hall and entrances to celebrate the season. Thanks to all for your presence and your help. We did enjoy a bit of fellowship and soup afterward. Thanks beyond words! Annette Breazeale, Worship Chair
Page 6 Puppets continued from page 8 Candles help me focus on God through my senses. I see the light. I feel the heat. I smell the wax. Candlelight slows me down. If I hurry around lit candles, the flames flicker and some are extinguished. I find in candlelight God's presence and love. I love Christmas Eve candlelight services and prayer vigils in which we hold candles, sing and pray. I experience God if I slow down and focus on listening to God and feeling His presence. It's easy to run the race our world sets before us. But if we go through life as if we carried a candle, we remember to slow down so that our busyness does not extinguish the flame. Slow down: Light a candle and experience the presence of God, who lights up the darkness. For it is God who said in 2 Corinthians 4:6, "Let the light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Light Up the World! Pastor s letter continued from page 1 As we all recognize Christmas is the signature event of our Christian faith. It is where specifically we Christians began. Our contemporary extended preparation and celebration, even beginning as far back as late September, highlights the importance of the season. May we always remember the old thought that Jesus is the reason for the season!! My prayer for all of you is that during your time of decoration, coming and going, procuring Christmas gifts for family and friends, in your participation in times of reflection and worship, and in whatever else the season places before you, that you and yours do indeed have a spiritually significant, blessed and holy Christmas leading to a wonderful and prosperous New Year 2017. All for now... See you Sunday, if not before... Regards and God Bless... Richard Merry Christmas and many Blessings, Babs Mission Opportunity: Would you be interested in serving lunch at the Newgate Mission in Longview? Our church serves on the 1st Friday of every month and on the 5th Thursdays. Servers need to arrive at Newgate at 11:15 and serving begins at 11:30. We are usually completed by 12:30. No cooking or clean-up is required, only serving the meal. We need three to four servers for each meal. A sign-up sheet will be located in the church foyer during the month of December. If you are interested in serving, please sign up for a date or dates. If you are hesitant on making a commitment for a particular date, then consider signing up as a substitute. If you have any questions, please give me a call at 903-762-1002. You will find the people at Newgate warm, kind and appreciative. Not only will you be a blessing, but you will find you have been blessed as well. Thank you for your consideration. Barbara Smith www.gilmer-fumc.com
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P age 8 Page 8 Page 8 Flowers for December 4 December 11 December 18 December 25 Rob and Lora Robison Melvin and Jo Reynolds Craig and Ashley Ball James and Kathy McClain Greeters Tommy and Peggy Bledsoe Lay Readers Fred and Jennifer Anderson Ushers Janvan and Sandy Jenkins, Gary and Barbara Smith The Sanctuary Flowers for December 4 were given by by Rob and Lora Robison in honor of Bill Marshall, Organist and in honor of Annette Breazeale, Pianist. December 11 were given by Melvin and Jo Reynolds In memory of Jerry Phelps and in honor of the Phelps family. Deadline for Newsletter Articles January 9, Noon Puppets for Jesus by Babs Crombie Once again, the year has gone by so quickly I can hardly believe it's time again to send out cards, shop for gifts, and prepare for end of the year activities. As I get older, it seems that time goes by faster and it is sometimes more difficult to keep up with everything. The puppet team has had a good year, full of events and memories to cherish and we hope that the same is true for all of you, too. The puppet team had its annual Christmas performance on December 4th to a full house in the Christian Life Center. "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was this year's show which reflected the stable animals perspective view of the birth of Jesus that night so long ago in the city of Bethlehem. Children from the church also joined us this year performing as the Angel Choir and Mary and Joseph. It was a magical night and I am so very proud of ALL the cast members. "Thank You" to the wonderful Angel Choir: Sam Sorrells, Zack Sorrells, Seth Ball, JT Robison, Ken Jenkins, and Kendall Ingram. Bre Reynolds who performed as Mary, and Hagen Hagler who performed as Joseph completed the program. MANY "Thanks" to the Puppet Team: Tessa Betterton, Nick Sorrells, Ceci Crombie, Mimi Ross, Jeff Sorrells, Ray Sorrells, Adam Fenlaw, and Ben Fenlaw. Our performance this year was dedicated to our team member Joseph Fenlaw who is out on a medical leave. We wish him a speedy recovery and miss him. I also appreciated the invaluable assistance of Lamon Geddie, Chandra Sorrells, Dolly Robison, Tammy Orms, Louise Stracener, Carol Craddock, Fred & Jennifer Anderson, and Penny Taylor. You all helped make the evening a success. The puppet team made an appearance at the Yule Fest Christmas activities on December 3rd during the Silver Alley Breakfast with Santa event. We did a completely different Christmas show to a full house audience. It was a whirlwind weekend, but everyone had a great time! The Children's Church performance and our team's Christmas party marked the end of the 2016 year. They will have a couple of weeks off to enjoy the rest of the holidays and a little time off to rest. We will meet again on Sunday, January 8th, 2017 at our regular meeting time of 2:00. Anyone that would like to try their hand at being a puppeteer is more than welcome to join us then. Thank you to all for your attendance and support of our ministry for this year. We appreciate you ALL! In closing, I share with you this final thought. Long before the first light bulb was invented, there was candlelight. A single flame emitted light in a dark world. Powerful fire, reduced to a small flame, gave us heat and light for many years. Candlelight is present at the high moments in life: birthdays, Advent, Christmas, Easter, Worship services, dinner dates, and weddings. Please see Puppets, page 6 Li k e u s o n F acebook - Fir st Unit e d M ethodi st Ch urch o f Gi lme r