|
|
First United Methodist Church of Longview
|
|
The Voice
December 13, 2017
|
|
Christmas is almost here!
|
|
Christmas is quickly approaching. The weather has turned colder. Decorations are out. Plans are being made for travel or the arrival of company. We are making lots of preparations here at FUMC. Yet, the most important preparations have everything to do with our Advent/Christmas theme,
Guess Who’s Coming for Christmas. Are we living with expectancy that God is doing something of significance, even life-changing, this season? Are we only living in remembrance of an arrival of a baby in a manger in a far off place long ago or are we living also with an expectancy that God is doing something important right here and now as we await a climactic arrival ahead?
If that isn’t enough to contemplate, do we realize that as we expect something great from God during this season, God is also calling us to invite and welcome others to join us in what God is doing among us? How are you sharing Christ with others as the best gift that we can offer? I see many exciting things that God is doing in and through the people of FUMC. Let’s share that freely and abundantly as we witness what God has in store for us this Christmas.
We are offering wonderful opportunities for you to experience God’s gift of grace in Jesus Christ in the days ahead. On Sunday, December 17
th, we will experience God’s grace through the Choir Cantata at both Sanctuary Services at 8:30 and 10:45 AM. We will also offer alternative Contemporary Services in the Faith Center at the same times. That evening at 5:30 PM we will offer a contemplative Blue Christmas Service in Nicholson Chapel for folks that are struggling with various challenges as Christmas approaches. On Christmas Eve we will gather for one 10 AM service in the Sanctuary followed by a series of opportunities that evening. A Family/Children Centered Service will be held in the Sanctuary at 4 PM with storytelling and glow sticks. We offer Come and Go Communion in Nicholson Chapel from 5-6 PM for folks wanting a quiet opportunity individually or as families to receive the Sacrament. At 7PM we will be back in the Sanctuary for our Traditional Candlelighting and Communion Service. We are also offering an 11 PM Communion and Candlelighting Service in Nicholson Chapel for those of you who want to enter in Christmas with us at midnight.
I hope that you will come and join us at FUMC for our many opportunities to welcome Jesus Christ into our lives in a new and exciting way.
|
|
Christmas Eve Services
On Christmas Eve morning, which is also the fourth Sunday of Advent, we will have one combined, traditional worship service at
10 a.m. in the Sanctuary
(no Sunday school). That evening we will have multiple opportunities,in different worship venues, for you and your loved ones to come and celebrate Christmas!
4 p.m. Children's Service
Sanctuary
5-6 p.m. Come and Go Communion
Chapel
7 p.m. Candlelight Service
Sanctuary
Childcare Provided l Communion
11 p.m. Candlelight Service
Please enter through the Whaley Street entrance
Chapel
Communion l No Childcare Provided
|
|
Advent Worship Schedule
Our Advent worship schedule is different than our normal worship times for one specific reason- to help us be A Beacon of Hope For All. We have intentionally scheduled our worship to help people who are not used to the way we "have always done it" be able to easily join us in worship this Advent and Christmas season.
Sundays in Advent
During the other Sundays in Advent we will have our four worship services at slightly new times. We will have Faith Matters (contemporary) and Sanctuary service (traditional) at
8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
Putting these two different services at the same times will make it easy for all of us to invite people to worship! Just tell them to be at the church at 8:30 or 10:45 to find an excellent worship service that feels like home to them!
Blue Christmas Service
This
Sunday, December 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Nicholson Chapel we will have a special Blue Christmas service. For many of us the holiday season can be difficult as we grieve the loss of those who have passed away or struggle with illness. This is a service of hope and healing to acknowledge our grief and the reality of our struggles but to also turn with joy and hopeful expectation to the Messiah.
New Year's Eve Service
Join us for a combined contemporary worship service on
Sunday, December 31 at 10 a.m. in the Faith Center! There will not be any Sunday school this morning.
|
|
Las Posadas
Thank you to everyone who came out to our Las Posadas service last Wednesday! It was a blessed evening as we heard a re-imagining of the story of Mary and Joseph and asked ourselves what it means to have open hearts and open doors for Christ. A special thank you to our youth and children who made the service so special and to Nathan Firmin, Rachel Geist, Janice Crane, Jake Hall, and Linda Cunningham for all their hard work making it happen. And also thank you to Chef Deb and our awesome kitchen crew for some yummy food!
|
|
 |
Youth Christmas Party: Wednesday, December 20 in the Faith Center
Please join us from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for basketball, volleyball, 9 square, Christmas movie and games, and LOUD music. Bring your gift for our family Christmas Drive and your favorite Party Food. Parents we will need extra chaperones and would love you to celebrate with us. You are welcome to invite friends. Please enter through the Faith Matters doors.
|
Want a family devotional for Advent? How about some awesome games?
You can get all of that and more in this month's children's ministry newsletter!
|
|
|
|
Genesis Sunday School Class
Sock Tree
Each Christmas the Genesis Sunday School Class sponsors the Sock Tree in the Church Office. Your gifts of socks, underwear, gloves, mittens, etc. for preschool and school age children are distributed between Asbury House (children 3-5 years) and The Methodist Home in Waco (children 12-18 years). Please bring your donations to the Church Office and place under the Christmas Tree in the office through December 25
th. Thank you for your support and gifts,
~ Genesis Sunday School Class
|
|
|
|
In 2018 we 're starting something new!
The Beacon Sunday school class will officially start January 7th and will meet in the Heritage Room. The class is designed for couples and singles who desire to grow in their faith and reconnect with a small group. The name Beacon was chosen because it fits with our vision of growing, serving, and leading. The light in a beacon will only grow if it is tended, just as the light of Christ within us will only grow brighter if we grow in our faith. As that light grows, it has a purpose and that is to serve, just as we are called to serve as part of our faith. A beacon also leads and points the way with the light, just as we are called to lead and point others to the light of Christ. We're excited to start this new opportunity to grow, make new friends, serve, laugh, and cry together, and we look forward to where the light of Christ will lead. For more information contact Hollie Gannon 903-746-7646, Angie Guest 903-738-1794, or Romnie Scott 903-235-4009.
|
|
Life Together at FUMC Longview
|
|
I am in awe of this church family at Longview FUMC! LeAnn and I have been so warmly welcomed into this church family and feel amazingly blessed to be here. I am sure that Becca and Steven feel similarly. Over these first (almost) six months, we have felt the warmth of your love and support in countless ways. I have also witnessed the faithfulness of this congregation and feel the powerful presence of God in our journey together. The Holy Spirit is breathing afresh on FUMC! Do you feel it? I sure do.
As we prepare to close out this calendar year, we still have some unfinished business to attend to together. We entered into November with almost $150,000 in expenses over giving despite efforts on the staff and leaders to hold expenses to a minimum while offering faithful and impactful ministry. We also have discovered that our beautiful facility requires some much needed restoration next year due to deterioration of our mortar throughout a significant portion of our facility, especially around the sanctuary, bell tower, and old education building. This has been estimated to run close to one million dollars. Yet, once this has been identified the trustees, finance committee, and administrative council have unanimously endorsed complete restoration in 2018. This was also unanimously approved at our recent church conference. Amazingly, we have already received gifts or commitments to cover nearly half of this cost through several families’ gracious gifts and the support of the Johnson Foundation. For that, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and thanksgiving!
This leads me to share this important call upon each of us as we close out an amazing year of transition and blessed ministry at FUMC. We need to step up and do all that we can to finish 2017 strong in fully funding our ministry and giving us a strong starting point for next year. To demonstrate my commitment, I am foregoing my Christmas Bonus and making a year-end Christmas gift totaling the equivalent of an additional one-month tithe to support our ministry. Others have already made gifts above their pledged giving to support our ministry. I hope and pray that each you will consider how you can support our ministry in a special way as Christmas approaches.
Our current plan for the mortar restoration is to use whatever funds that we have donated to defray the costs for as long as possible during the restoration process. After those funds are exhausted, we will utilize a low-interest loan to cover the additional costs. After we have an opportunity to evaluate facility needs to further our ministry together, we will develop a proposal and plan for a future capital campaign to pay off any indebtedness incurred from the mortar restoration, along with these future capital improvements to further our ministry to be
A Beacon of Hope for All.
I welcome your prayers, your faithful attendance, your financial support, and your selfless service as we move forward in this endeavor. I am personally happy to answer questions or discuss possibilities, as are any of our leaders, in the days ahead.
Blessings,
Jay
|
|
Kidz Connect Choir Musical
This Wednesday, Dec 13
5 p.m.
Faith Center
Come hear a special musical message performed by our kids!
.
|
|
You are invited to the Pioneer Fellowship and Luncheon
Thursday, December 14
11 a.m.
Come and enjoy the School for Little Children kindergarten and four year old students under the direction of Claire Bates as they entertain us with songs of Christmas. You will be blessed!
Luncheon Menu
Garden Salad, Baked Potato Croquettes, Zucchini Squash Casserole, Roll
Christmas Trifle for Dessert
Cost: $5
|
|
|
|
As we prepare for our candlelight Christmas Eve services, we need your help to get everything ready! The candles for these services need to be placed in their holders. We expecting hundreds of people...and that's a lot of candles! Can you help?
Come by the church office Tues, Dec 19, Wed, Dec 20, or Thurs, Dec 21 any time from 1:30-5 p.m. and put some candles together! Whether you've got 15 minutes or 3 hours any bit you can do helps!
|
|
|
Our United Methodist Women met for their annual Christmas Brunch and celebrated their new officers for 2018!
These amazing women host studies, provide monthly meals to the Wesley Foundation, participate in mission work, and do so much more throughout the year. If you'd like to find out more information on the UMW or how you can be involved you can contact Eleanor Kirk at
eck1947@yahoo.com
Officers for 2018 are:
President, Eleanor Kirk
Vice President, Vicki Cox
Recording Secretary, Bettye Craddock
Yearbook Secretary, Bettye Craddock
Treasurer, Jean Moore
MISSION COORDINATORS:
Spiritual Growth, Shirley Kibbe
Education and Interpretation, Lucy Peacock with Jana Friedel assisting
Membership Nurture and Outreach, Karen Ward
Program Resources, Anita Neeley
Social Action, Patty McLeroy
NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE:
Renee´ Crump, 2018
Patsy Henderson, 2018
Christy Triece, 2018
Susan Gardner, 2019
Karen Ward, 2019
|
|
We know that small groups, Bible studies, and Sunday school classes are having some awesome Christmas parties! Share how you are celebrating the season with your church family by going to our Facebook page-
LongviewFUMC
- and sharing stories or pictures!
|
|
|
December 13
Kidz Connect Christmas Musical
5 p.m.
Faith Center
December 17
Christmas Cantata
10:45 a.m. Traditional Worship Service
Blue Christmas Service
5:30 p.m.
Nicholson Chapel
December 20
Youth Christmas Party
5:30 p.m.
Faith Center
December 22
Church Office Closed
|
|
|
|
December 24
Combined Worship Service
10 a.m.
Sanctuary
(No Sunday School)
Children's Christmas Service
4 p.m.
Sanctuary
Come and Go Communion
5-6 p.m.
Chapel
Candlelight and Communion Service
7 p.m.
Sanctuary
Candlelight and Communion Service
11 p.m.
Chapel
Enter at Whaley Street
December 25
Church Office Closed
December 31
Combined Worship Service
10 a.m.
Faith Matters
(No Sunday School)
|
|
|
|
First United Methodist Church of Longview
400 N. Fredonia St. Longview, Texas 75601
Tel-(903) 753.4463
Fax-(903) 236.7608
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
