T h e C h u r c h B e l l

Transformed by Christ, T h e C h u r c h B e l l we will TELL TEACH TOUCH the World. I s s u e 4 0 D e c e m b e r 3, 2 0 1 2 Waiting We live in a fast-paced world, do we not? It seems as though like in my life, this season is a blur of meetings, parties and other kinds of scheduled commitments. There are also the priorities of visitation, worship planning and checking on people for one reason or another. I am not complaining, but making an observation of the busyness of the season. I am not alone. The people I talk with tell me a similar story. There is a certain weariness to the conversation. Making space for space sake appears difficult, if not impossible. Here we are at the beginning of the Advent season for the Church. The very word advent suggests something is about to happen. It is an important event that s about to happen for which preparations need to be made. So what do we do when the time of preparation gets more and more compressed, strained and pushed? I would suggest that we prioritize. Making the Advent season a time of expectant waiting requires we make time and space for the proper preparation. Getting the tree up and decorated is important. But making it an experience of worship would add meaning. Become aware of the symbolism as you add ornaments. The triangular tree represents the Trinity. Real trees are evergreens that remain green year round. God s love for us is eternal. The lights represent the Christ Child as the light of the world. Each ornament has meaning. If not religious symbolism, then they represent relationships we have experienced over the years. As you place each one, remember a significant person and say a silent prayer for them. Placing wreaths in the house becomes an occasion to remember the never-ending nature of God s love for us, as well. While you are decorating or baking or creating gifts, sing hymns of the season. A favorite Advent hymn is Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus. The emphasis is on waiting and preparing. As you buy gifts for loved-ones or even strangers (i.e. angel tree children), focus on the deep meaning behind the relationship. Remember the love shared and the moments cherished. Remember these people as gifts to you from a loving God. Pray for them in the moment you buy the gift. Thank God for their presence in your life. If they are strangers, pray that God will be real for them this season and they will draw closer to God through the gift of Jesus. As we fulfill these tasks, as we prepare, we will find ourselves enjoying the moments rather than just completing tasks to be checked off a list. This is the process of creative waiting and anticipation filled with great expectation. Let us make room for the Christ child as a part of every moment of preparation. Cantata planner Page 3 December Prayer Calendar Page 5 Care packages Page 6 Bethlehem Beginnings Page 7 Baking bash Page 8 www.fumc-maryville.org Grace and Peace,

Adult Ministry News Contact Ginny West Case for more information. As we go through the holiday season there are many of our neighbors who don t have a way to come and enjoy many of the special events here at the church. If you know someone in that situation, offer them a ride so they too can enjoy everything Christmas has to offer. You can also let Ginny West Case know so she can help arrange transportation. In Memory/Honor Of Pam Ferst In Memory/Honor Of Virginia Hermman Barbara Wisecarver Pam Ferst Pam Ferst MEMORIALS/HONORARIUMS Chancel Choir Music Fund Given By Bucky & Susan Colclough Given By Karl & Sherry Miller Karl & Sherry Miller Karl & Sherry Miller Gerry & Lin Reichelt Young Adult News Haunting performance Who doesn t like the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future?charles Dickens enduring lesson on the spirit of Christmas comes to the stage of the Clarence Brown Theater later this month. The Young Adults are planning a trip to see the show on December 16th. They will leave right after church and want YOU to join them. The show begins at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 and you can make your reservation by contacting Asa at rev.asa.lee@gmail.com or Book Club Returns Right before Christmas, the Young Adult women s book club returns with a holiday tale sure to garner great discussion. Why not take a little time out of your busy holiday schedule and curl up with The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. The book club meets on December 19th at 7:00 p.m. Contact Asa for more information. Trivia time While the young adult women are discussing their book, the men will be testing their knowledge at the Smoky Mountain Brewery Trivia night. This fun outing starts at 7:00 p.m. An evening of food and Christmas cheer The folks at the Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge bring you Christmas year round and that includes festive meals at the Partridge & Pear Restaurant. Tuesday, December 11th we will be taking a trip to this eatery for some food, fun and fellowship. After we eat we ll head out to the streets of Sevier County for a look at the Winterfest lights. Thursday nights are Craft Nights at the church 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sunday Commitments for December 9,2012 Prepare for Worship Malachi 3: 1-4 Luke 1:68-79 (UMH 208) Phillipians 1: 3-11 Luke 3: 1-6 Greeters: 8:15 Morning Glory Bookie Reynolds Jerry & Hiliah Corbin 10:30 Sanctuary Barry & Lyn Mathis Bill Wells Jodie Trew 10:30 The Crossing Gerry & Jane Sanders Dennis & Anita Griffith Acolytes: The Cox Family Kids Own Worship Pre-school Eric & Kathy Schrock Elementary Anita Brown Transportation for Shannondale: Steve Daves Staff on call: Please contact Brenda (414-8493) or Larry (414-8494) Parsonage (233-2712) THE CHURCH BELL Page 2

Church Calendar December 9th through December 15th presented by the Chancel Choir with Orchestra, Pipe Organ, Bagpiper and Joy Singers (4th-6th grade) Mr. Terry D. Wilson Mr. Dwain Pesterfield Conductor Organist Saturday, December 15-6:00 pm Concert to be taped by WVLT TV Sunday, December 9, 2012 7:35 AM Morning Glory Chorus rehearsal, 249 8:15 AM Morning Glory Worship, Asbury Hall 9:15 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 10:30 AM The Crossing Christmas Music, Asbury Hall 11:45 AM Inspiration Christmas Party, Wesley Hall 6:00 PM Youth Christmas Party, Asbury Monday, December 10, 2012 10:30 AM Circle 3, Savannah Park Club House 11:30 AM Men s Connection Fellowship, Asbury Bistro 3:00 PM Adult Council, 214 3:15 PM Joy Singers, 249l Tuesday, December 11, 2012 7:45 AM Family Promise Board, 243 3:45 PM High School Girls Bible study, Vienna 6:00 PM Devoted Fitness, Asbury Hall 7:00 PM AA, 128 7:00 PM Orchestra, Sanctuary Wednesday, December 12, 2012 7:00 AM Middle Schoolers to Chick Fil A 12:00 PM Garst Class Party, Wesley Hall 3:45 PM High School Girls Bible Study, Vienna 6:30 PM Advent Study, 215 7:00 PM Middle School Ladies Study, Panera 7:30 PM Chancel Choir, Sanctuary Thursday, December 13, 2012 10:30 AM Circle 1, Frances Hodge s home 10:30 AM Advent Study, 214 5:00 PM Welcome Table, Asbury Hall 5:00 PM Civitan Dance, Wesley Hall 6:00 PM Needle Craft Group, 215 7:00 PM AA, 128 Saturday, December 15, 2012 11:00 AM Joy Singers, Sanctuary 6:00 PM Cantata, Sanctuary and Sunday, December 16 10:30 am and 7:00 pm in the sanctuary 2012 Cantata Television Schedule WVLT and MyVLT Christmas Eve, Dec. 24-12:00 Noon My VLT, Channel 15 Cantata shuttle runs On the morning of December 16th we want to make sure we have parking available for all our guests for the Chancel Choir Cantata. A shuttle will be available for all 1st UMC members and choir members who park BEHIND the Middle School. The shuttle will run continuously from 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and will take you to the Porte Cochere entrance. Parking behind the school will help free up to 70 parking spots. Christmas Eve, Dec. 24-12:35 am WVLT, Channel 8 Christmas Day, Dec. 25-12:00 Noon MyVLT, Channel 15 Christmas Day, Dec. 25-4:00 pm WVLT, Channel 8 Also re-broadcasts of 2011 Cantata: Dec. 22-12:00 Noon - My VLT, Channel 15 Dec. 23-10:00 pm - MyVLT, Channel 15 THE CHURCH BELL Page 3

Christmas is coming to The Crossing. We invite you to this special time of worship featuring contemporary and traditional songs that come together to create a joyful celebration of the birth of Christ! THE CHURCH BELL Page 4

December 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 Marty Cate Ted & Kathy Cate Ben Cearlock 9 Don & Corkey Cochran June Cochran 16 David Compton Hope Compton Lisa Compton 23 Russ & Debbie Covington Betty Cowley 30 Rosemary Cruze Brett & Edna Cunningham Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 I Thes. 3:9-13 3 Minda Cedeno Martha Chaddick Roy Chapman 10 Larry & Diane Cochran John & Jill Coch- 17 Mike, Amy, Anne & Amy Conroy Willie Copeland 24 Arnold Cox & Elaine Graves Sue Cox 31 Jerry & Janis Cunningham Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 1:68-79 Phil. 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6 4 Janie Chasteen John, Melanie & Alex Cherry 11 Ruth Cochran Ray & Susan Colclough 18 Brian & Beth Cook Loraine Cook 25 David & Angie Cox Rachel, David, Matthew & Jacob Zeph. 3:14-20 Isiah 12:2-6 Phil. 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 5 Larry & Hilda Chesney Gladys Church 12 Beth Cole Joseph Cole John Coleman 19 Jerry & Hiliah Corbin Melanie Counts 26 Kenneth Cox David & Nancy Crouch Micah 5:2-5a Luke 1:46b-55 Heb. 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 6 Jack & Pam Church Leandra Church 13 Cheryl Coleman Rachel Coleman Hannah Coleman 20 Brett, Marie, Brad, Brian & Madison Coulter 27 Lynn, Whitney, Madi, Carter & Caroline I Sam. 2:18-20 Psalm 148 Col. 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52 7 John & Jennifer Clark Susan Clark 14 Jane Coleman Jennifer Collake John & Pat Collier 21 Jason, Stephanie, Katelyn & Jacey Cousins 28 Steve, Kristy, Allison & Adam Crandall 1 Leslie & Loretta Cate Lindsey & Ashley 8 Moe & Suzanne Click Logan & Ryan 15 Martha Collins Michael & Alecia Colvin 22 Cole & Heather Covington Conner Covington 29 Mike & Cookie Crowson Sara Crum

Mission plans moving forward Just a few weeks after announcing plans to return to Latvia leaders say the mission trip is taking shape. Members of 1st UMC along with Norris, Singing Springs, and Wears Valley United Methodist Churches plan on leaving for Kuldiga, Latvia on June 14th of next year. During the trip the team will build picnic tables at Camp Wesley, near Leipija, Latvia, begin construction of a kitchen in the Kuldiga Methodist Church, hold a Vacation Bible School for youth in the area, and lead a leadership training class for church members. The trip is expected to cost $2,000 per person and will include airfare, accommodations, food and sightseeing. The group will fly in and out of Riga, Latvia, the capital of the country. If God is urging you to be a part of an enriching Christian experience, please indicate to your minister and Jim Hayes that you would like to learn more about the trip. We will need to know of your interest by January 14, 2013 when a $1,000 deposit is required. Several meetings will be held after that date to prepare team members for the trip. Jim Hayes can be reached at 865-494-7502 or by email at jrhayes46@bellsouth.net. First college ministry Thanks for sharing and caring This year as part of our emerging college ministry program we sent 15 care packages to students of 1st UMC. Inside each one were lots and lots of goodies from candy bars and gum, to crackers and an encouraging note from our youth. Claudia Parker took this picture of her care package saying on Facebook My church is awesome!! Charley Hurley said It is always such a joy to receive little notes/packages from home! Food and fellowship All men are invited to join The Men s Connection at Asbury Place Bistro (in the Clubhouse) on December 10th at 11:30 for good food, sharing, and fellowship. Please contact Ron Werker at 414-8912 if you plan on attending. A time for reflection The days leading up to Christmas give us a time to prepare for the coming of Christ. Advent is a special time in the church. As we approach one of the holiest of days of the year we invite you to prepare in a number of ways. Advent studies meet on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. We also have a guide to Advent Scriptures available if you are interested. They were included in the December 2nd bulletin for The Crossing. Also, on our Facebook page we will be posting these scriptures each day. All decked out It takes a lot of work to deck the halls of a church as big as 1st UMC Maryville. In the days leading up to the first Sunday of Advent volunteers spent hours at the church working to get things ready. Wesley Hall was all aglow in the light of a tree decorated by the children. Asbury Hall is now adorned with a new tree and giant wreaths. And, the United Methodist Women (with a little help from Paul) made sure everything was just right on the Chrismon tree. Other volunteers concentrated on the wreaths, garland and candles in the windows of the Sanctuary. Pictures of the decorating frenzies are available on Facebook. 1ST UMC MARYVILLE INFORMATION Website: www.fumc-maryville.org. Telephone: 865-982-1273 Office hours: M-F 8:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m. THE CHURCH BELL Page 6

Help for the Heifer Project It shouldn t take much longer for the children of the church to meet their goal of buying two of each animal to fill their Arks for Heifer International. This is the third year the children have participated in Heifer Project, an international organization which works with individual communities to help end poverty and hunger. Angel wishes fulfilled The stage is set for a great Christmas. Thanks to your generosity and a few volunteers the wishes of a hundred area children will be coming true. The Angel Tree gifts were picked up by the Salvation Army on Tuesday. Workers there will sort through the gifts and get them to the children in time for Christmas. Bikes appeared to be one of the most popular wishes this year along with MP3 players and dolls. Marriage Matters Do you need a date night with your spouse? We ve got an idea, one that would make a great Christmas gift. Jay & Laura Laffoon return to East Tennessee in January for an extended marriage enrichment experience filled with comedy and tools to help you and your spouse strengthen the bond between you. Spread the word about this fun filled event brought to you by 1st UMC, Maryville and 106.7 The Light. Prepare to Laugh! Prepare to Connect! Ultimate Date Night: The Weekend Experience With Jay & Laura Laffoon Friday, January 25th 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, January 26th 9:00 a.m. to Noon Hilton Hotel Alcoa Tickets are $75 a couple Chidren s Corner A night in Bethlehem Did you know that the word Bethlehem means House of Bread? If not, that s just one of the lessons you might have learned at this year s Bethlehem Town Square. This new event transformed Asbury Hall into a living history lesson centered around the Christmas story. Children could browse through about a dozen shops to learn more about weaving, baking, woodworking, rope making, perfume making and many other traditions and trades of the time and place where Jesus was born. As you entered Bethlehem you were given a coin so you would be prepared to pay taxes when the Roman soldiers came your way. Toward the end of the evening, the angels appeared and the Christmas story came to life with everyone eventually making their way to the courtyard where Mary, Joseph and the Christ child were there to greet them. A special thanks to Pat Blankenship and Clara Ousley for spearheading the organization of this event and the dozens of volunteers who built the shops, manned them and made sure everything was in place for this big night. THE CHURCH BELL Page 7

Maryville First United Methodist Church 804 Montvale Station Road Maryville, Tennessee 37803 Phone: 865-982-1273 / Fax: 865-983-5408 www.fumc-maryville.org New Website Coming Soon!