RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR

I love a new year. It’s like a breath of crisp, cold air. It’s time to turn a page and start fresh. It’s time to leave the past behind and hope for a better tomorrow. Of course, January 1 is not always a clean break with the past. We bring the baggage with us of what has gone before. The consequences of our mistakes, bad choices and sins follow us. Neither can we wait until the New Year to start the new year. I started making plans for 2018 months ago, from ministry initiatives to family vacations. As I was experiencing the end of 2017, my mind was already thinking about 2018. Nevertheless, the changing of the year is a time to turn a corner, to reflect on the year past, and to plan for a year ahead.  It’s a good time to change habits that have become destructive and to start practices that will make your life better. The famous (or infamous) New Year’s resolutions are usually futile attempts. The diet lasts three weeks; the exercise machine becomes a place to hang clothes; and the daily prayer time becomes weekly, then monthly, then “Where did I put that Upper Room?” Most resolutions have been abandoned by Valentine’s Day. The gym is packed in January, only to be back to normal in March. Any attempt we make at self-improvement is good, but it is doomed to failure if all we depend on is our own self. Partnering with other people for accountability is a strong deterrent to backsliding. Partnering with God plugs into the ultimate strength for positive change. Real change in our lives—to our waistline, our muscle tone, our relationships, or our spiritual life—requires three things: COMMITMENT.  No surprise here. If you want to change, you have to want to change. You can’t change because someone else tells you to. Real change never comes easily nor happens quickly. There has to be a deep desire in the heart to propel us to action. Commitment is not a popular concept in our current self-indulgent culture, but it is a constant with those who excel. COVENANT.  In the old Disciple Bible Study series, Dr. David Lowes Watson defined “covenant” as “an agreement made in a moment of strength so that in a moment of weakness it cannot be undone.” The story of human failure is a story of broken covenants; the hope of the human future lies in covenants kept. God, as the strong partner, made covenants with God’s people and never abandoned them. Marriage vows are made in a moment of strong love so that the troubles and tragedies of life should not undo them. The New Year is a moment of strength as we gaze out across the landscape of 2018. Our attempts at change will be much more likely to succeed if we covenant with a strong partner or a strong God to make a necessary change. COMMISSION. Commission is a combination of commandment and call. The greatest commission ever was the command of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19-20) Implicit in the commandment was a call to the disciples who had been with Jesus to commit their lives to this mission. Big change—in churches, schools, communities, nations, and the world—can happen if we believe we are commissioned. God calls us to tell the truth, to seek justice, to promote peace, to make disciples. With God’s help, we can apply ourselves to the task, believing we have been commissioned to do so. I believe we are going to have a great 2018 at Fort Smith FUMC! Coming up is a new sermon series on making a fresh start; Wednesday Night Life cranks back up in a few days; and at the end of January, we have the Encounter 2.0 spiritual growth weekend. Then we will be having a major capital campaign to update the Family Life Center and to enhance our Foundation. I hope you get involved in everything, because I believe with all my heart this is where God is leading us.   Let’s make the commitment, enter the covenant and respond to the commission to make 2018 the best year ever for our ministry! Happy New Year!

Rev. Bud Reeves Senior Pastor breeves@fsfumc.org

MISSION SPOTLIGHT: LAST SUNDAY BREAKFAST

Each month, we’ll feature a short article on one of the many mission ministries of our church. We hope to let our church family know of the ongoing missions and the ways in which they can support this great work.

In 1998, the Chapel Class began the Last Sunday Breakfast, which serves a hot breakfast on the last Sunday of the month to church members. It began as a mission to raise funds for the Clearinghouse Backpack Program. The Chapel Class purchases food, cooks the food, and offers it to the church as well as the community. Church members are encouraged to give donations as they are able for the Clearinghouse Backpack. On average each month brings about $400-$600 for the Clearinghouse Backpacks that provide food for local school children who need food over the weekend.   Around 2008, the breakfast crew began to intentionally invite and feed our neighborhood. Since then, each month gathers neighborhood families, homeless, and church members to eat bacon, eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage, french toast, fruit, coffee, milk, and juice. For many homeless and food insecure, this provides a high-protein meal on a day when many feeding ministries downtown are not open. At the breakfast, medical services, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and medical advice are offered by medical professionals in our church that offer their services. If you would like to be part of this ministry: → Show up to eat breakfast the last Sunday of the month → If you’d like to cook or serve please contact a member of the Chapel Class or Jane Stauffer

A NEW YEAR OF LIFE AND MINISTRY

Two-Thousand-And-Eighteen! I write to you this month as we wrap up our holiday celebrations and prepare for a new year of life and ministry. On this occasion, I like to share with you two main thoughts - First, I want to thank you for a fantastic year of shared ministry at FSFUMC in 2017. In my time here, this was by far our strongest and most fun year. I am deeply humbled to be one of your pastors and to work alongside this historic congregation and staff in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with our community, region, and even the world. This year we experienced many moments of strength and celebration including a large and active Confirmation class, growing youth ministry, ongoing local and international missions, countless bible studies and small groups, and new efforts in outreach like supporting “Ghouls on Garrison” and the Creekmore Park Train ride. We also organized special events including a visit from Bishop Ken Carter as well as our 175th celebration with Dr. Len Sweet. At a pastoral and executive level we gave much consideration to the shape of our church’s ministry as it relates to the growth and changes across the entire region of Fort Smith. We also welcomed a new director of our Child Enrichment Center, Ms. Roshondra Graham, who is doing a great job. It’s sometimes hard to see past the week-to-week tasks, but the end of the year invites us to consider what a wonderful and blessed year this has been. I am overcome with joy for our ministry!  Second, I am just as excited for the future! 2018 is going to be a great year. I hope you sense what a unique challenge and opportunity we face. We are holding tight our strong past and our great resources while leaning into an unknown and exceedingly different future. We are being called to be creative, resourceful, and imaginative as we seek to reach new people unfamiliar with our verbiage and tradition. We continue to be called to deepen the lives of faith of those already, regularly present. We are juggling a lot of plates here! To this end, we will continue to offer outstanding discipleship opportunities like Wednesday Night Life (begins Jan. 10) and Encounter 2.0 (Jan. 26-28) as well as experiment with new outreach efforts like off-campus Young Adult gatherings. We are seeking to be the sort of church that reaches and serves many types of people but with the same message - Jesus Christ is Lord. The message does not change, but the medium needs to be creative, genuine, and relevant. And we have the resources, energy, creativity, and God’s blessing for this calling. Lean in to church and our shared ministry this year as we continue to grow and reshape ourselves according to God’s will and purposes. I am already looking forward to January of 2019 when we will recount all that God did through and with us in 2018!

Rev. Dane Womack Executive Associate Pastor dwomack@fsfumc.org

RESOLUTIONS, CHANGE, AND RECREATING

One of my favorite modern pastoral theologians, Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, tweets this yearly reminder: “There’s no resolution that, if kept, will make me more worthy of love.” A stark reminder at the beginning of a new calendar year that as we toss old calendars into the recycling bin and peel the plastic off our newly-acquired-Christmas-gifted shiny calendars with a fresh twelve pages of hope and possibility, that perhaps all is not as glossy as we’d like it to be. So we write the resolutions: Take Vitamins Daily, Floss, Read More, Exercise More, Drink More Water, Eat Less Sugar, Begin Each Day with Prayer, Make our Bed Each Morning These sound like our old Christmas lists that we forgot to mail to the North Pole. Wishful things we want and perhaps a new digit in the calendar will be all the motivation we need to get there. We’ll make this a brand new year with our brand new selves…or maybe we won’t keep the habit past January 15th. The good news is that despite our failed attempts at resolutions, change, and recreating ourselves, God does not change. And there’s hope still that beyond our behaviors and patterns, God will still and does still love us fiercely and abundantly. As you make those resolutions and try to keep them, remember that there is no resolution that we could compose that will make us more loved by God. God’s love is here for us in 2018, as it was in 2017, and will be into 2019 and beyond. This is our hope and joy.

Rev. Sara Bayles Associate Pastor sbayles@fsfumc.org

WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIFE

WNL Dates: begins on Wednesday, January 10th and will meet for 9 weeks, ending Wednesday, March 14th with a local mission project. Sign Ups: You can sign up online at  http://fsfumc.org/discipleship/nightlife/, or by calling the church office. Meals (5:45pm - 6:30pm): As we fellowship together over dinner, all are welcome to attend. Dinner is $5.00 per person, with a $15.00 limit for families. If the cost is a concern for anyone, please speak with a minister. This will be a brief, simple meal as we quickly transition to 6:30 LIFE Groups.

Regina has been a custodian at FUMC for almost 7 years. When she was younger she loved to skate and run track. These days, she loves to sew blue jean quilts. She also likes to watch the Dallas Cowboys. She was born in El Centro, California. An interesting fact about Regina is that she was born in a car while in route to the hospital. I guess she was in a hurry!      Before coming to work at FUMC, Regina had an unusual and fun job making fiberglass doors. Regina really enjoys working at FUMC because of the friendly people. You can find Regina here most Sundays taking care of everyone. When you see her, let her know what a great job she’s doing!

5:30 pm Christmas Eve Service in the Sanctuary

Pacesetters Meet in the Fireside Room at 10:00 a.m. on the following dates:

·  Jan 5 - Our program: James Kimbrough, Director of Philanthropy at Methodist Village/Senior Living Center. CEC children will visit & sing. $5 Lunch menu: Chicken Cacciatore, wild rice & vegs, dessert. ·  Jan 19 - Our program: A video & demonstration of towel folding by Pam O’Kelley & Mardell. We will have a face cloth for each. $5 Lunch menu: Tomato & tortellini soup, grilled cheese sandwich, & birthday cake. *Reception for Mardell following the meeting.   Call (479)782-5068 if you need a ride. Everyone is welcome to attend. Invite a friend!

FIRST KIDS

Dear FUMC Family,  Thank you for the over whelming response to our Angel Tree. The children in the foster care system shouldn’t be forgotten during the Christmas season. The Weekday School and a couple of adult Sunday school classes each took on more expensive items. So many families took an ornament or two or three, from our Trees. The DHS case workers are always so grateful because they know they can count on us to fulfill each of the 55 children’s lists we receive. It took 6 truck loads to deliver all these toys to “Santa’s Workshop” to ready them for delivery to the Foster families.   -Leigh Norton, Kelly DeSoto, Sally Ware and all the other Christmas Elves   SURVIVOR 2.0   Wednesday Night Life begins January 10 th . The children of WNL participated in ‘Survivor’ and it was an awesome semester. So we are back for “Survivor 2.0”. There will be NEW TEAMS, NEW GAMES & NEW CHALLENGES! The children had so much fun while still learning about the Bible and Prayer. Children, who had never said a prayer out loud, gained the confidence to lead the group in prayer. The children formed bonds within their teams and learned to rely on each other. New friendships were made and fun was had by all. The kids all said ‘they can’t wait for the next semester to begin.’ The class will be lead by Sally Ware, Kelly Jacimore and Karen Wyatt.

Sally Ware Director of Children's Ministries sware@fsfumc.org

RECENT MEMORIALS

Recent Memorials in Memory of:   ·  Ernest Bartlett by Kristy & Bill Hanson, Bill & Toka Beall, Jimmie & Floyd Sagely, Janice & Bob Powell, Jane C. Williams, Judy & Bob Dawson, Sherry & Bob Scudder, Claude & Jessica Koontz, Jack & Louanna Green, Rebecca Phillips, Mont & Ann Echols, Ted & Ginger Taylor, Sue Cooley, Rebecca & Keith Long, Larry & Sandra Clark, Mr. & Mrs. Mac Stringfellow, George & Carole Beattie, Kay & Richard Aclin, Discussion Class, Richard & Jaunice Griffin, Morgan & Margaret Bryant, Larry & Sharon Weir ·  Jerry Glen Carter, Jr. by Nancy Baker, Larry & Sandra Clark ·  Johnnie Dickey by Amanda Turner, Gary, Tracy, & Joy Keifer, Ron Garner, Brenda Partin, Kathleen & Donald Dickey, Henry & Melissa Udouj, Norma Vaughn, Myrna Sue Lough, Glenda Brown, Lawrence, Schluterman & Schwartz, Ltd., Nancy Baker, Aimee Crochet, Colby, Courtney, Caroline & Ben Beland, Daisy Benham Eilers & Ralph Eilers, Jean Green, Agnes Davis, George & Carole Beattie ·  Bernie Forsgren-Houser by Tony & Lynnell Leraris, Gretchen Hill, Myrna Sue Lough, Leanne & David McClanahan, Glenda Brown, Bill & Toka Beall, George & Carole Beattie, Linda & Marvin Mumme ·  David Hardin by Mr. & Mrs. Doug Parker, Sr., Larry & Sharon Weir ·  Bernard Freeland by Kimberly & Phil White ·  Betty Anne Garrison by Colby, Courtney, Caroline, & Ben Beland ·  Jennifer Jesson Karber by Ann Smith, Janice & Bob Powell, Dwight & Lynn Curry, Ted & Ginger Taylor, Richard & Jaunice Griffin, Discussion Class, Fran Bateman, Larry & Sharon Weir, Tony & Lynnell Leraris ·  Dr. Bob Janes by Morgan & Margaret Bryant ·  Donna West by Floyd, Jimmie, Cindy, & Floyd Gene Sagely, Larry & Jan Nelson, Floyd & Judy Bradberry, David & Joy Armbruster, David & Ann Edwards, Gerald & Lahoma Edwards, Lunkers & Liars, Doris, Lance, Lawrence, & Marian Beaty, The Rohena Caperton Family, Bill & Paul Williams, Friends of Nine of Diamonds Colony ·  Jane Wilson by Richard & Kay Aclin   Recent Memorials in Honor of:   ·  Ann Woods by Sondra Wiggins Family ·  Mary Prewitt by Sondra Wiggins Family ·  Albert & Janna Newton by Sondra Wiggins Family ·  Dixie Spears by Sondra Wiggins Family ·  Janie Weber by Sondra Wiggins Family ·  Jeri Moffett by Sondra Wiggins Family ·  Rev. Bud Reeves, Nancy Vernon, & Linda Dickson by The Glidewell & Carriger Families ·  David & Connie Adrion by Linda & Marvin Mumme ·  Larry Nelson by Ann Appleton ·  Jason Mumme by Linda & Marvin Mumme ·  Joe Irwin by Ann Appleton

THIS SUNDAY - January 7

8:30 am - Roebuck Chapel - Rev. Bud Reeves Offertory “Come to Me” Remington and Sophie Grace Weiler, Soloists Nancy W. Vernon, Organist   11:00 am - Sanctuary - Rev. Bud Reeves Offertory “Baptized in Jordan” Communion Anthem “Christ, When For Us You Were Baptized” Chancel Choir Gaye McClure, Chancel Choir Director Nancy W. Vernon, Organist   11:00 am - Connexion FLC - Rev. Dane Womack “ Awake My Soul, Tomlin”  “All Things New” “I Surrender, All Sons & Daughters”  “Washed by the Water” “Take My Life and Let It Be”

WEEKLY CALENDAR

Sunday, January 7 8:30am Classic Worship, Roebuck Chapel 8:45am Holy Grounds, Narthex 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Classic Worship, Sanctuary 11:00am Contemporary Worship, Family Life Center 2:00pm Vivian Apple Piano Recital, Sanctuary 5:00pm Youth, Loft   Monday, January 8 2:00pm Staff Meeting, Conference Room 6:30pm Boy Scouts, 3rd Floor   Tuesday, January 9 10:00am Circle: Ruth, FLC 101 10:00am Circle: Deborah, Narthex 1:30pm Circle: Hannah/Elizabeth, Friends Class   Wednesday, January 10 9:15am Women’s Bible Study, Fireside Room 10:00am Prayer Group, Prayer Room, 2nd Floor 3:30pm Children’s Choir 5:30pm Holy Communion, Roebuck Chapel 5:45pm Shared Dinner, FLC 6:30pm Wednesday Night Life, Various Rooms 7:00pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal   Thursday, January 11 10:00am Knitters & Knotters, Narthex 12:00pm UMM Bible Study/Lunch, Fireside Room   Friday, January 12 6:30am UMM Bible Study Breakfast, Fireside Room

In Our Prayers

We mourn with Bob & Nadine Miller, Janett Nicholson, Michael Hardin, and Lori Hardin in the loss of their son, friend, father, and brother David Hardin.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST NEWS published weekly except the last week of the year by First United Methodist Church 200 North 15th Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901.

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