12/11/24

A Wonderful Photo of Zach

FUMC Newsletter 12/11/24

WORSHIP

Christmas Cantata
Featuring The Chancel Choir!
Time: 10:00am
Also available on WKSR Radio 100.9 at 10am, YouTube & Facebook Live!

Verse of the Week:

Philippians 4:4

“Rejoice in the Lord always! I say again, rejoice!”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Disciple will not meet for the rest of December. They will resume the first week of January.

This Saturday (or Sunday, depending on the weather) join us at The Table for Pre-Parade activities including a Children’s Nativity Play performance!

This Sunday is the Christmas Cantata and Casual Worship!

FUMC is hosting Ice Skating on the Square on December 17th as a programming fundraiser. WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS

EVENTS

Today

@5:00pm Children’s Christmas Caroling

@5:00pm SPRC Meeting

@6:30pm Chancel Choir Practice

Thursday

@5:00pm Nativity Practice

Disciple Cancelled!

Friday

No Events

Saturday

@5:00pm Pre-Parade Activities at The Table

Sunday

@9:00am Sunday School

@10:00am Christmas Cantata

@12:00pm Bible Beans

@4:00pm Casual Worship and Children’s Nativity Play at The Table

Monday

@8:15am Morning Prayers

@3:30pm Social Talks

Tuesday

@5:00pm-9:00pm FUMC Hosts Ice Skate

@5:00pm-7:00pm Youth Ice Skate

Wednesday

@6:30pm Chancel Choir Practice

Children's Caroling

TONIGHT December 11th at 5:00pm

Meet at the Parking Lot behind the UTS Gault Fine Arts Center

Comfort & Joy

Dec 15 at 11:30am

In The Fellowship Hall

For Kids & Parents

Pizza provided

Will make ornaments

Children will receive devotional

Volunteer for FUMC Ice Skate

December 17th from 4:30-9:30pm

All money from concession sales goes to FUMC programming! Please come out and support us!

Nativity Play

Nativity Play practice Thursday at 5:00pm at The Table. Contact Kevin Garner for details.

What's Growing On?

Turnip Greens are ready to pick!

What's Up With Wesley?

Wesley students’ final exams are this week. Keep them in your prayers as they deal with the stress of this season.

Advent Season Events

Wed, Dec 11th

@ 5:00pm Children’s Christmas Caroling

Thurs, Dec 12th

@ 5:00pm Nativity Play Practice

Fri, Dec 13th

@ 6:00pm Growing Tree Christmas Concert in The Sanctuary

Sat, Dec 14th

@ 5:00pm Pre-Parade Activities & Nativity Play Performance at The Table

Sun, Dec 15th

@ 10:00am Christmas Cantata
@ 11:30am Comfort & Joy Children’s Christmas Event
@ 4:00pm Games, Casual Worship, Nativity Play Performance, & Youth Group at The Table

Tues, Dec 17th

@ 5-7pm Youth Ice Skate on The Square
@ 4:30pm-9:30pm First UMC Hosts Ice Skating on The Square

Thurs, Dec. 19th

@6:30pm Blue Christmas at First Presbyterian Church

Sun, Dec 22nd

@ 5:00pm Youth Group Christmas Party

Tues, Dec 24th

@5:30pm Christmas Eve Service

Theologian of the Month

Our Theologian of the Month for December is none other than St. Nicholas himself. St. Nicholas, the predecessor of our modern Santa Claus, was a Bishop of Myra (located in modern day Turkey). St. Nicholas was orphaned as a teenager and went to live with his uncle who was a priest. This led St. Nick to enter the priesthood himself. Because of his own history of being orphaned, St. Nicholas always had a heart for children, especially the poor and outcast. As a priest, he was always known for his extravagant generosity. At some point in his priesthood, he heard about a man who had three daughters. They had no money, which meant no dowries, which meant the three daughters would never be married. As the legend goes, on three separate occasions, Nicholas secretly tossed a bag of gold into the girls’ stockings hanging by the fire—providing for their dowries. Another legend says once Nicholas became Bishop of Myra, he would, under the cover of night, visit the orphanages and impoverished areas of Myra, and leave toys, candy, and money for the children and families living there. After his death, words of St. Nicholas’s charity and generosity continued to spread. As people remembered the dear saint, they would practice his concept of secretly leaving gifts with others. This practice, as we now know, has taken a life of its own. Santa Claus is real. He is real in the man of St. Nicholas, who not only lives on through the Communion of the Saints, but who lives on as we embody the generosity of Jesus, and giving something of ourselves for others.

Book of the Month

December’s Book of the Month is What’s the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian? by Martin Thielen. The title catches the eye and causes you to scratch your head. Throughout this short read, Pastor Thielen excitedly engages you to ask questions about the necessities of the Christian faith. Pastor Thielen shows how followers of Jesus don’t need to believe in what popular Christianity often proclaims. Christians don’t need to believe that sinners will be left behind, that God causes bad things to happen, or that it’s heresy to believe in evolution. While we must always take the Bible seriously, that doesn’t mean we have to take it literally. Rather, Christians do need to believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ—his teachings, his death and resurrection, and his vision for the world. Throughout the book, Pastor Thielen invites us to think theologically about the big questions of life and how followers of Jesus respond. Questions such as: Where is God? What matters most? Is there hope in the midst of suffering?

2024 (Totally Official) Staff Awards

Mark McGraw - Best Employee

Laura McMasters - Best Photographer

Pastor Zach - Most Resilient

Sherry Hill - Most Creative

Fred Lindsey - Most Knowledgeable

Joe Appleton - Mr. Reliable

Randy Shay - Class Clown

Daniel Roberts - Best Attitude

Becky Johns - Most Tenacious

Rachel Ross - Most Likely to Watch Hot Frosty

Stephanie Garner - Most Likely to Win the Great British Bake-Off

We Would Like to Recognize...

Everyone who is rolling off of committees at the end of this year and, especially, our church leadership:

Our members at large: Cedrick Nkulu, Missy Harper, and Carol Smith

Megan Spivey & Amy Wilson as the heads of The Growing Tree Committee

Paige Major as Young Adult Chair

Roger Fuller as head of Trustees

DeWitt Booth as head of Finance

Phil Reese as head of Church Council

THANK YOU!

Opportunities to Serve

Matthew 25 Thrift Shoppe

Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday 9am-3:15pm

Community RFD

RFD meets every 3rd Wednesday at 5:30pm to pack boxes and the following Saturday at 8am at the Giles County Ag Park to distribute them.

There are so many ways to get involved! Ask us about The Table Praise Band, the Young Adult Team, Youth Events, and more...

RFD Food Collection

RFD (Rural Food Delivery) is collecting donations in The Fellowship Hall. The item of the month is dried beans Please drop off these & other non-perishable food items on the shelf in The Fellowship Hall.

Community RFD is a non-profit organization that provides boxes of food at no cost to struggling families in Giles County.