Page 1 The Calling December8, 8,2017 2017 VOL 22 ISSUE 23 December SEMI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ARDMORE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Church Events December 10 Glorious Sounds of Christmas Traditional Service December 13 Youth Ugly Christmas Sweater Party 5:30pm Youth Room December 15 Preschool Santa House 8:30-11:30am Fellowship Hall & Friendly Neighbors 10:30am-1:00pm Colvert Ministry Center December 17 United Methodist Men 6:00pm Colvert Ministry Center December 18-22 Preschool Christmas Break December 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight & Communion Services 9:00am Traditional 4:00pm EPIC 6:00pm Traditional December 25-26 Church Closed December 27-29 Church Closing at Noon January 1 Church Closed In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:1-7 NIV I still remember my dad and I heading out, at the end of November or the beginning of December, to find and cut down our Christmas tree. My mother would be saying to us as we left, Make sure that it isn't too big. I couldn't tell you that my dad and I looked at each other and winked, but I can now. We would drive out and find our tree. We would admire it and then break out the saw. We would tie down the tree and head home. When we pulled up, mom would usually meet us out in the garage and begin to express to us how beautiful the tree was but that it was too big. It usually was too big. We would have to cut here and cut there, to be able to get it in the back door or sliding glass door to the living room. After we had trimmed the tree and begun the decorating, mom would place some of the leftover branches on the piano. Our house would smell so good for so long. Then there would be the banana bread and the cranberry bread that she would make. Man, hot out of the oven, and then with some cold milk. That was the best treat on a cold winter day. The house was always warm in the winter and cold in the summer. My home was a peaceful home most of the time. It was always good to pull up after being away at school, and when I moved away to start my own life and create my own home. As we move closer and closer to Christmas, I pray that you and your family take time to be with each other in a place that is warm and one of God's peace. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, sometimes we can lose perspective on what the season is truly meant to be for you and for me. Attending worship and Sunday school is the primary way to stay focused on the Lord, and doing something nice for someone who least expects it, would be a great way to enjoy this Advent season. Maybe buy the people's meal or drink that are behind you in the drive thru! Or, go and buy a gift for a neighbor just because. It's amazing what happens when we do something kind for someone else. Continued to Page 3
Page 2 The Calling December 8, 2017 CCDC Church Services Jail Ministry News Dear Church Family, I want you to know why, in less than one year, over 150 women in the state penal system know of the love and grace of FUMC Ardmore. What began as Sunday morning church in the Carter County Jail, has spread to 4 different state facilities. Women write for Bibles and journals. They pray for us and thank us for caring and ask us for study material. A card and a copy of the Sunday morning jail lesson is a very affordable way to share Christ. We have also assisted with clothing, Bibles, hygiene, prenatal vitamins, and the funds necessary to help them obtain birth certificates for work release. Because of the special contributions of some, we are assisting two young women with college expenses. We are also reaching out to extended family members, who are now responsible for raising children while the mom is incarcerated. This kind of connection brings them into community and encourages them to accept the grace of Jesus Christ in their own lives. I have hundreds of letters that chronicle the journey from broken to restored and I hope to find a way to share them in the future. Funding is always a need. Your contributions to the Jail Ministry and to Faith Promise allow us to facilitate the work of the Holy Spirit, Grow Community. This ministry is also an option with Alternative Christmas this year. Other needs include prayer warriors and some who have time to visit the Clothes Closet when necessary. There is a place for all of us in growing community. If you feel led, please contact me either through the church office, by phone 580-504-7943, or email: motherof82011@yahoo.com. Isaiah 42:7 Jesus the light, came to open the eyes of the blind; free the captives from prison, and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. God s blessings on you. Kim Hunt UPDATE: Food and Resource Center Thanks so much to all the people who help every time and all the folks who were there for the first time, at the food pantry, for the week of November 27th. I hope it was a positive experience for you all and you will consider being a regular volunteer when our twomonth rotation comes around again. Of course, if you are really committed, we can use you anytime during any week, you choose as often as you can come. It s a fun way to get another blessing that you don t have to work very hard for. God s blessings, LaVonne Discovery 2018 is January 5-7 We are excited to announce that Discovery Weekend is coming up! Discovery will begin Friday evening, 1/5/2017 at the Ardmore FUMC Colvert Ministry Center and end after Sunday morning worship services on 1/7/2017. Discovery is a spiritual weekend for junior high students to come and experience God's love. The junior high youth are served by the senior high youth during this weekend. Our goal is for the senior high youth to learn more about being a servant for God while being mentored throughout the weekend by adult leaders. Activities include small groups, worship, speakers, prayer, fellowship and recreation (Saturday afternoon at Urban Air). Families from all across our church serve as host homes for our students, along with adult sponsors. Register online on our website s youth page or directly at fumcardmore.churchcenter.com. Cost will increase by $25 after December 17. 2017 Report from Finance (Through the month of October) Budgeted Actual Offering/Tithes/Giving Received: $1,255,633.20 $1,283,966.95 Expenses: $1,265,674.74 $1,247,826.78 % of Apportionments paid: 83% 85% The Finance Committee, Committee Chairs, Pastors, and Staff appreciate the support of the congregation, and ask everyone to prayerfully reflect on their giving and support of the ministries of the Church. PLEDGE CARDS - If you have not turned in your pledge card (your planned tithing/giving) for 2018, you can drop them by the Church Office, drop it in the offering plate, or mail them to 501 W. Main, Ardmore, OK 73401. Thank you!
Page 3 The Calling December 8, 2017 Continuation from Page 1 God knows what's going in your life today. He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to be a sacrifice for our sins, so that we could truly have peace on earth and peace in our hearts. May we receive the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords into our hearts and lives today! Merry Christmas, Pastor David L. Daniel New All-Church Study Every New Year, most of us take the time to reflect on our life and refocus on what matters. We have a chance to start fresh and, by God's grace, sometimes even start over. This New Year, your pastors would like to lead our church family in a renewed commitment to the Word of God. We want every member of our church to be immersed in the truth and hope of the Gospel found in Scripture, and to experience the freedom of living their life in Christ! Starting Sunday, January 7, we will begin a church-wide study of the book of Ephesians! Every class, every sermon, every Sunday -- and we want you to be a part! Fill out a Connection Card this Sunday to get plugged into a class, and join our journey through the riches of Ephesians! guide for Advent worship in the home that includes things to do or think about each day leading up to Christmas. A Nativity set featuring a coconut stable or shelter and figures hand-made from clay, purchased during JoAnn Hall s first mission trip to Haiti. Keeping the Holiday Season Holy Most of us strive to keep Christ in Christmas, but the busyness has a way of encroaching upon our joy and worship. There s still time to focus on what s most important at this time of year. We might benefit from deciding to make time for some important activities as we get ready for Christmas. Worship and devotion Worship with your church. Your congregation will probably hold some special services throughout the Christmas season. In addition to Sunday worship during Advent and Candlelight Christmas Eve services, plan to attend the children s Christmas pageant, the choir concert, and the Longest Night/Blue Christmas services. Worship with your family. Purchase or make an Advent wreath and hold a small service each Sunday night to help everyone in the family get ready for Jesus birth. Pockets, a devotional from Upper Room Ministries, has a kid-friendly plan for family devotions around the Advent wreath. Worship privately. Spending time alone with God can be a great way to draw closer. Upper Room Ministries publishes devotions every day of the year that offer a scripture reading, a devotional thought, and a prayer. Discipleship Ministries has produced a Decorating and baking Pray through your decorating. Many of our Christmas decorations have religious significance. The wreath is round, reminding us of the constancy of God. The Christmas tree is an evergreen, a reminder that God s promises never fail. Even the lights can serve as reminders that Jesus is the light of world! Not to mention the nativity scene on the coffee table and the angels on the special Christmas party napkins. Whether decorating yourself or enjoying others displays, let the images spur you to prayers of gratitude. Bake some extra. When baking for guests, the cookie swap, or to give as gifts, take a few extra moments and make one more batch to give away. Then visit the local homeless shelter, food bank, first responders, or others with whom you want to share. Set up a Jesse Tree. A Jesse Tree can be used as different kind of Advent calendar. Each day an ornament is added to the tree. The ornaments are reminders of the story of our faith from creation to the birth of Jesus. As the tree fills, we are moving closer and closer to Christmas Day. Fairhope (Alabama) United Methodist Church has some wonderful instructions. Remember. These preparations are sometimes filled with memories - ornaments from our childhood Christmas tree, recipes your first learned from your grandmother, and more. Take the time to savor the memories and give thanks for the saints who have lived before you. A UMC.org Feature by Joe Iovino* Find more o this article and ideas, visit the United Methodist Conference online at http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe.
Page 4 The Calling December 8, 2017 How St. Nick Became Santa Claus Bishop Nicholas was a compassionate bishop, who believed literally Christ s injunction that when we give, we should do so in secret, sacrificially in Christ s name and not our own. It wasn t until after his death that the world learned the numerous stories of the generosity of this bishop of the early Church, Saint Nicholas. The ministry of Bishop Nicholas extended beyond giving gifts. Throughout his ministry, Bishop Nicholas selflessly poured out his life and his fortune as he served the people in and around his home. The story of our modern Santa Claus begins with this same Nicholas, who was born during the third century in Patara, a village in what is now Demre, Turkey. His wealthy parents raised him as a Christian. But they died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young, and he was left with their fortune. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his inheritance to assist the suffering, the sick, and the poor. During the persecution of Christians by Roman Emperor Diocletian, Bishop Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned along with thousands of other Christians. Nicholas survived this persecution and was eventually released. After returning to his post as bishop, Nicholas was called upon to defend Christianity against the heresy of Arianism. Arius taught that God the Father and God the Son did not exist together eternally. Arius also taught that the preincarnate Jesus was a divine being created by (and possibly inferior to) the Father at some point, before which the Son did not exist. Tradition tells us that Nicholas vigorously fought Arianism and boldly defended the doctrine of the Trinity. He was listed as a participant in the First Council of Nicaea. This important gathering was convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325 A.D. This was the first ecumenical council of the early Christian Church, and it produced the first uniform Christian doctrine -- the Nicene Creed. It is also believed that Nicholas participated in the destruction of several pagan temples, among them the temple of Artemis. Because the celebration of the goddess Diana's birth is on December 6th, some have speculated that this date was deliberately chosen for Nicholas's feast day to overshadow or replace the pagan celebrations. But December 6th is also listed as the date of Nicholas's death, which is more likely the reason the feast is celebrated on this day. Through the centuries, St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians -- and he is honored by Protestant Christians. By his example of generosity to those in need, St. Nicholas is a model of Christ's call to selfless giving. Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, kept alive the stories of his generosity and kindness. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops and begged alms for the poor. In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift -giving rounds. In the Netherlands, candies are thrown in the door, along with chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for St. Nick's horse, hoping it will be exchanged for gifts. Simple gift-giving on St. Nicholas Day helps to preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child. The story of St. Nicholas was almost forgotten during the 16th century as Protestants downplayed the veneration of the saints. Because the common people loved St. Nicholas, he survived on the European continent as people continued to place nuts, apples, and sweets in shoes left beside beds, on windowsills, or before the hearth. The first Europeans to arrive in the New World brought the story of St. Nicholas with them. The Vikings dedicated their cathedral to him in Greenland. On his first voyage, Columbus named a Haitian port for St. Nicholas on December 6, 1492. In Florida, Spaniards named an early settlement St. Nicholas Ferry, now known as Jacksonville. According to the Saint Nicholas Center Web site, after the American Revolution, New Yorkers were looking to break with British tradition, and they remembered with pride the colony's nearly-forgotten Dutch roots. John Pintard, an influential patriot who founded the New York Historical Society in 1804, promoted St. Nicholas as the patron saint of both the society and the city. In January 1809, Washington Irving published the satirical Knickerbocker's History of New York, which made numerous references to a jolly St. Nicholas character. This was not a saintly European bishop, but rather a Dutch burgher with a clay pipe. The jolly elf image received a big boost in 1823 from a poem destined to become immensely popular, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," -- now better known as "The Night Before Christmas." In North America, the popular name Santa Claus was taken from the Dutch Sinterklaas, which originated with a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas (Saint Nicholas). The "Mall Santa" that we are all familiar with (sporting a red suit with white cuffs and collar, and black leather belt) became the popular image in the U.S. because of the "Merry Old Santa Claus" images created by political cartoonist Thomas Nast. Beginning in 1863, Nast began a series of annual drawings in Harper's Weekly that were inspired by the descriptions found in Washington Irving's work. These drawings established a rotund Santa with flowing beard, fur garments, and a clay pipe. Nast drew his Santa until 1886. In the mid-20th Century, a series of Coca-Cola advertisements featuring a rotund and jovial Santa Claus, drawn by artist Haddon Sundblom and further popularized Nast's depiction. There are controversial aspects of the American Santa Claus fiction. Some Christians believe he takes the focus of Christmas away from Jesus Christ, placing it on a fictional character with little redemptive value. Others insist that it is unhealthy for parents to lie to their children to enforce their belief in Santa Claus. And others say that Santa Claus is a symbol of the commercialization and consumerism that has seized the Christmas holiday in the West. But beneath all the symbolism and tradition, he can hearken back to a simple Christian bishop who loved God and loved people. Bishop Nicholas displayed his love through the giving of gifts, just as our Heavenly Father gave the gift of His Son to us that first Christmas morning 2000 years ago. In this season, we celebrate how God gave His Son, Jesus, to bring hope to the world. May each of us prayerfully consider how we, like Nicholas, can give of ourselves to help restore hope to those that God brings into our lives. There is no greater love than to lay down one s life for one s friends. (John 15:13, NLT) ~ http://www1.cbn.com/churchandministry/how-st-nick-became-santa-claus
Page 5 The Calling December 8, 2017 Alternative Christmas Alternative Christmas catalogs were mailed the week of Thanksgiving. If you did not receive yours, extra catalogs are available in the Welcome Center. This year s ministries are: Impact Ardmore - Home Discipleship Impact Ardmore - Employment Ministry Carter County Detention Center Women s Ministry Celebrate Recovery & The Landing Cross Point Camp and Retreat Center Cross Point Emmaus Scholarship Fund SYMPATHY Our thoughts and prayers are with Blake and Toni Roberts, with the passing of Toni s mother, Shirley Ann Remondino, on November 14. Her memorial service will be held Saturday, December 16 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary s Catholic Church. Kagen Wallis Army Christian Joy - Air Force (Fairchild AFB) Jerry Bright - Navy (Little Creek, VA) David Seals - Army Seth Haynes - Air Force (Aviano, Italy) Paxton Killblane - Army (Fort Bragg, NC) Neil Melton - Air Force (Kuwait) Wesley Patzkowsky - Army (Pilot, Deployed) If you have a loved one serving in the Armed Forces, please contact the church office. We want to acknowledge and be in prayer for each of our service men and women. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Betty Cope, with her passing on Novem-ber 21. Her services were November 25 at the Chapel of Harvey-Douglas Funeral Home. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sherman Williams and family, with the passing of Betty Jo Smith, on November 24. Her services are Wednesday, November 29, at 1:00pm in our Sanctuary. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cindy Speake-Williams with the passing of her niece, Kara Crews. There will be a private burial at Milo Cemetery. MEMORIAL In memory of Lillian and Clayton Cude, a contribution was received from The Cude Family for the Bereavement Dinner Fund. In memory of Paula Jean Jackson, a contribution has been received from Harry Spring for the Memorial Fund. Impact Ardmore was awarded a $2,400 grant from DOT Foods in November.
Page First United 6 Methodist Church David The Daniel, Calling Senior Pastor December 8, 2017 501 W Main Brad Dery, Pastor Ardmore, OK 73401 Sam Donica, Pastor Sunday Services 9:00 am Traditional 10:00 am Sunday School 11:05 am EPIC Prayer Chain Lenny Frank 580-465-7515 frank.lennylisa@yahoo.com Wadell & Sheila Altom 580-223-7272 Call or email us: (580) 223-5390 info@fumcardmore.com Televised at 11:00am on CableOne, Channel 56, Broadcast at 9:00am on KVSO AM www.fumcardmore.com Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Ardmore, OK Permit No. 183 Celebrate Recovery DivorceCare Stephen Ministry Prayer Groups Bible Studies Impact Ardmore Stephen Ministers have been trained to care for those who are suffering. Please call Louise Daniels at 580-465-5958 or the church office at 580-223-5390.