December 2017 This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord a lasting ordinance. Exodus 12:14 In the Old Testament God commanded the Hebrew people to celebrate certain religious festivals. Today, Christians celebrate religious festivals that are meaningful for us -- especially the birth of our Savior Jesus and His resurrection! Celebrating the birth, life and resurrection of our Lord and Savior is the right thing to do -- it is pleasing to the Lord! Blue Christmas Service Sponsored by the Stark County Ministerial Association Sunday, December 17 4:00 p.m. St. Timothy s Lutheran Church Wyoming, Illinois A non-traditional Christmas service for those who are stressed, lonely, grieving, or hurting this Advent and Christmas season. Our Friends from 1st Congregational Church will be joining us on Christmas Eve December 24th For a Candlelight Communion Service at 7:00 p.m. at our church! Rev. Ron Toliver will be bringing the Christmas Eve Message A Note from the Pastor Celebrate! by Rev. Sidney Davis, Jr. That is why Christmas and Easter are so important to Christians -- they are our religious festivals -- they are our days to commemorate! And for the generations to come we shall celebrate them as festivals to the Lord! We invite you to celebrate with us at Toulon United Methodist Church this Advent and Christmas season. We hope you will join us on December 17 and 24 and help us celebrate our new born King! Jesus is the reason for the season and we will celebrate his coming as our Savior! Invite your neighbors and friends to join us for our... Sunday School Christmas Program December 17th 10:30 a.m. Come and join us for an enjoyable and memorable Christmas Program! Each Sunday School class will share what Christmas means to them through drama, song and the spoken word! The Messenger Toulon United Methodist Church
2 Treasurer s Report (October 2017) Bonnie Schmidt, Church Treasurer General Operating Fund Beginning Balance $ 576.96 Offerings/Income $ 12,408.23 Expenses $ 11,607.73 Ending Balance $ 1,377.46 Apportionments Owed $ 8,330.00 Paid out of Pooled Funds $ 625.00 Christmas Program and Pot-Luck Planned for December 17th Everyone is invited to join us on Sunday, December 17th at 10:30 a.m. for our 2017 Sunday School Christmas Program. This year each Sunday School Class (children and adult) will be adding their own creative element to our program. Classes will share songs, readings, skits and more! We know you will be blessed by the effort of our Sunday School department to make Christmas come alive for you this year! Following the Christmas Program we will have a Christmas Pot-luck dinner for all. Everyone is invited to share a dish or two and enjoy the Christian fellowship! Since December is full of family gatherings, there will be no Lunch Bunch in December. We hope you will join us next time we get together! Watch your monthly newsletter for details! Youth News Youth Director - Elizabeth West E-mail: emm.west17@gmail.com Youth group has recently started an 8 week study session. The kids have chosen the study, God Is from the the YouVersion Bible app. We also plan to celebrate Jesus birthday with re-reading some of our favorite stories and some treats. For our outing this month, we have not discussed what we will do yet, but I believe we are leaning towards going to go see the Christmas comedy The Star, which tells the about the birth of Christ from the animals perspective. Youth Group is for all Jr. & Sr. High age youth. Plans are to meet on Friday evenings at 6:00 p.m.! Hope to see you! Small Groups Men s Accountability Group 7 p.m. Tuesday evening in the Ministry House (108 N. Henderson St.). Mid-Week Bible Study 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at Pat Brown s house (506 W. Main Street) 31 Women s Ministry 6:30 p.m. Every Other Thursday in the chapel (Dec.?? &??) Lost & Found A set of keys was found at the church sometime during Thanksgiving week. If these keys are yours, please contact Pastor Sid at (309) 357-1974.
All Ready for Christmas! We wish to thank all of our volunteers who helped get the sanctuary ready for Advent and Christmas! It looks beautiful! (Pictured: Sarah Stieghorst, Pat Streitmatter, Fran Hackwith, Nancy Wilson, Aggie Parker, Bonnie Schmidt, Sharon Davis, Carolyn McMillen, Jim Bent, and Bob Davis. Photo by Pastor Sid.) Sunday School News Chelsea Streitmatters s Sunday School class fills a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. (l-r: Parker Streitmatter; Chelsea Streitmatter; MaKenna Sparks; Michelle Lane; Keagan Sparks.) The Children s Sunday School department sings with the Adult Choir on All Saints Sunday. (Front row l-r: Sevyn Noard; Jonathan Lane; Hailey Lane; Kenzlie Sparks; and Abbi Hildebrandt. Back row l-r: Michelle Lane; MaKenna Sparks; Lakyn Noard; Keagan Sparks.) Ushers for December David Wilson and helper! 3
The Best Is Yet to Come author unknown 4 There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things in order, she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly.. "What's that?" came the Pastor's reply. "This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. "That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor. The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, "Keep your fork." It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming... like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!" "So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder... "what's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork... the best is yet to come." The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming. At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. 0ver and over, the Pastor heard the question, "what's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. --Shared in memory of Jim Ovall, who always kept a fork in his pocket!!
Operation Christmas Child Thank You! Dear Operation Christmas Child Project Leaders, Pastors and Friends, What a great National Collection Week we have had! Mary and Larry Meaker and their hardworking crew report that the number of shoebox gifts brought to the LaFayette Drop-Off Center this year totals 1228-134 more boxes than last year and our second-highest total ever! These have been taken to the Peoria Collection Center and are headed to the Minneapolis Processing Center. If you used Follow Your Box, be watching your email (and sometimes the Junk folder) over the next couple of weeks for the destination of YOUR boxes. THANK YOU to all of you for your hard work on this important project AND to Joe Orwig of Toulon, who loaned us the use of a bigger trailer to transport boxes to Peoria. If you know of shoeboxes that didn t get turned in, they can be mailed to Samaritan s Purse PO Box 3000 Boone, NC 28607 If you know people who forgot or didn t get around to filling their shoeboxes, they can still go to samaritanspurse.org and select Build a Shoebox Online. Please feel free to spread the word about this amazing project and contact me if I can be of any assistance. I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving with those around your table as we give thanks for all our many blessings. For Operation Christmas Child, Linda Ashby The Positive Side of Life --submitted by Bob Davis Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year. How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on. Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live. Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open. Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them? You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person. Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened. We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors... but they all exist very nicely in the same box. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. Working for God on earth does not pay much, But His Retirement plan is Out of this world! 309-897-8483 from Toulon United Methodist Church 5
6 Weekly Calendar of Events Day Time Weekly Event Sun. 9:15 a.m. - Sunday School. 10:30 a.m. - Worship. Tues. 7:00 p.m. - Men s Group in the Ministry House. Wed. 1:00 p.m. - Bible Study at Pat Brown s house (506 W. Main St.). 6:30 p.m. - Choir Practice. Thurs. 7:00 p.m. - Rachel Circle at Melanie Boudreau s house. Other Events This Month Date Time Event 3-1st Sunday in Advent! 5 7:00 p.m. - Trustees meeting. 7 1:30 p.m. - Communion at nursing home. 9 5-7 p.m. - Toulon Christmas Walk. 11 8:30 a.m. - Clergy Group at Chillicothe. 12 evening - Women s Club using our Fellowship Hall. 14 1:00 p.m. - Stark County Clergy meeting at One Eleven Coffee. 16 morning - Toulon Ministerial Association Christmas Basket Giveaway at 1st Congregational Church. 17 10:30 a.m. - Sunday School Christmas Program at our church. 4:00 p.m. - Blue Christmas Service at St. Timothy s Lutheran Church. 18 7:00 p.m. - Church Council meeting. 23 afternoon - Genealogical Society using the church. 24 7:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service at our church with 1st Cong l Church 25 - Christmas Day! Office closed. Please note: This schedule is subject to change. Birthdays & Anniversaries December Birthdays 1 Shelbie Musselman 3 Jodie Musselman; 4 Philip Loane; Linda Nierynck 6 Lorene Foglesong 7 Nicholas Boudreau 9 Michelle Lane 12 Duane Daum; Marjorie Mowers; Janet West; Frances Hackwith 14 Jennifer Davis 15 Parker Streitmatter 17 Megan Horrie 18 Jeff West 20 Vada Edwards 21 June McMillen; Roger Shults; Don Schmidt 22 George Giesenhagen; Larry Hollis; Ruth Pearson Conn 26 Vicki Moutoux 28 Barb Loane 29 Bill Loane December Anniversaries 2 Bob & Erin Price (2000) 10 David & Donna Campbell ( 16) 26 Chris & Carolyn McMillen ( 65) Please let us know if we missed your birthday or anniversary so we can add you to our list. Thanks!
Remember Our Shut-Ins Toulon Health Care Center 700 E. Main St., Toulon, IL 61483 Laura Schroeder Gert Appenheimer Kewanee Care Nursing Home 144 S Jr Ave, Kewanee IL 61443 Imogene Blair Royal Oaks Care Center 605 E. Church St., Kewanee IL 61443 Lisa Ellis Kewanee Courtyard Village 860 Sunset Dr., Kewanee IL 61443 Bud Blair Apt. 103 Sid & Lois Davis Apt. 204 Bill Jones Apt. 304 Heritage Health Care Center, Normal 509 N. Adelaide St., Normal IL 61761 June McMillen At Home: Ardelle Giesenhagen 309/286-6843 216 E Greenwood, PO Box 85, Toulon Kenny Richardson 309/286-7081 300 E. Clinton, Toulon Marge Mowers 309/286-6361 116 N. Henderson, Toulon Join Us for Sunday School and Worship Sunday School - 9:15 / Worship 10:30 In Our Prayers John Ballentine; Jim Howell; Vicki Moutoux; Bob Ward; Nick Boudreau; Lisa Ellis; Donna Campbell; Joel Jack Stapel; Kathryn Wilkinson; Alice Reynolds; Doug Maberly; Diane Graves; Lois Beeman; all of our shut-ins; and... 2017 Christmas Offering The Church Council selected the following mission projects for our 2017 Christmas Offering: Bob Ward (house fire); Toulon Reaches Out Fund (helps those in need in our church family); Good Samaritan Fund (helps those in need in our community) ; Stark County Pregnancy Resource Center (helps pregnant women and new mothers w/training & supplies); Water for Life (clean water project). If you would like to contribute to one or more of these mission agencies and/or projects, please make out your check to Toulon UMC and on the memo line write: 2017 Christmas offering and indicate how much of your offering you want to go to each agency/project. Any undesignated amounts will go to help Bob Ward recover from his house fire (their insurance had lapsed ten days before the fire). 2018 Church Directories Available for Pick Up 2018 Toulon UMC Directories with the latest addresses, officers, budget & giving information is available for pick up in the church narthex. Don t forget to get your copy this week! 7
Toulon United Methodist Church 229 W. Main St., P.O. Box 538 Toulon, IL 61483 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Toulon, IL Permit #2 (Put Address Label Here!) 8 The Messenger Published by: Toulon United Methodist Church 229 W. Main St., P.O. Box 538 Toulon, IL 61483 Phone: (309) 286-5871 Email: mail@toulonumc.org Website: http://toulonumc.org Published to keep the members and friends of Toulon United Methodist Church informed about its ministry within the world community. Deadline for article submission is the 20th of each month. Please consider "sponsoring" a particular month by covering the mailing cost for that month. Sponsorship is $50 per month. This month s newsletter is sponsored by family who miss him dearly, in loving memory of Todd Smith. (1964-2016)