Join Our List
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Sunday Snacks:
1/6-Sharon Helsher; 1/13-Sharon Honeycutt; 1/20-Renee Weeks; 1/27-Becca Leadbitter
Sunday Greeters:
1/6-Schoen's; 1/13-Claudette Carroll; 1/20-Dellinger's; 1/27-Glenda Cooper
Scripture Readers:
1/6-Teri Darnall; 1/13-Wanda Proffitt; 1/20-Mary Tom Aldridge; 1/27-Russ Darnall
Youth Dinners:
1/6-Alisha Martin; 1/13-Julena McQueen; 1/20-Jeanne Tyner; 1/27-Mary Anne Elliott
1/6-Nancy Smith & Kim Young; 1/13-Sonya Vess & Judy Riddle; 1/20-Sharon & Lynn Walker; 1/27-Barbara Bradley & Julie Spitzer;
Altar Guild - Virginia Ray and Donna Woodie
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Online Giving is
Now Available!
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Higgins is offering online giving through EasyTithe!
Try it now, online or through the mobile app!
Please contact the office or send us an email if you have any questions.
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NEW OFFICE HOURS AT HIGGINS
MONDAY - THURSDAY-8:30-4:00
FRIDAY - 8:00 - 12 noon
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Ingles Gift Cards!
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Purchase Ingles Cards and 5% of the face value goes directly to Missions. It doesn't cost you anything extra! (If you order a $100 card, $5 will go directly to Missions and you still have $100 purchasing power). It can be used for anything at Ingles including GAS. See Stewart and Rebecca Leadbitter after Celebration service at the Welcome Desk. Sanctuary service participants please drop by the Welcome Desk before Sunday School. Thank you!
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The Susanna Wesley Circle
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The Susanna Wesley Circle will meet on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the home of Mary Nelson (306 Robertson St) for our snowed out Christmas Party Luncheon. Thanks to Phyllis Patterson and Mary Nelson for delivering the gifts to the shut-ins. At our meeting we will be making plans for the coming year. All ladies are welcome.
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Addresses
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Some of the Higgins family may have moved, but they are still in our hearts. Send them well wishes!
College
Gabriel Garland
101 Chestnut Street
CPO 697
Berea, KY 40404-0001
Mat Sigmon
6 Smythe Street, 3rd
Floor
Brookline MA 02445
Raelin Reynolds
255 Eagle Rock Lane
Burnsville, NC 28714
Lizzie Bingham
458 Cow Branch Road
Green Mountain, NC 28740
Matthew Bare
NCSSM Box #B357
1219 Broad Street
Durham, NC 27705
Att: 1st Hill, Room 120
Christopher Bare
1 Flycatcher Way - Apt 303
Arden, NC 28704
Mike & Mollie Lawrence
8713 SE Riverfront Terrace
Tequesta, FL 33469
Allen & Bevo Peterson
491 Blackberry Drive
Mineral Bluff, GA 30559
New Address
Bev Hunsucker
870 Oak Meadow Drive
Apt. 3332
Franklin, TN 37064
Cell: 828 230-1787
email: bevbhuns@gmail.com
Sam & Ethel Nash
3066 Point Clear Drive
Tega Cay, SC 29708
J.P. Tabor
332 AEW/ESFS
Unit #61807
APO, AE 09321-1807
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Low-impact Aerobics class on
Monday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for older adults. It is free!!! Contact Teri Darnall at 208-1904 for more info
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Stephen Ministry
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Are you experiencing a challenging time
in your
life?
Stephen Ministry can help! Contact Julie
Spit
zer
at 919-302-0897 or call the
church office.
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Men's Group
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The Thursday Morning Men's Group meets each Thursday morning at the coffee shop on Main Street from 6:30 am to 7:30 am - All men are invited to come and be part of the group. We always have a great time of
fellowship and Bible study.
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Boy Scout Troop 502
The Troop is sponsored by Higgins. They meet each Monday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the white Annex Building behind the Family Life Center. Open to all boys 11 and older. Scoutmaster, Brian Schwock.
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Pastor John
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Jesus Is Calling
John the Baptist was different. He ate locusts and wild honey. He spent a lot of time in the wilderness. One thing we know for sure is that John the Baptist was crystal clear about his calling from God. He was called to be the forerunner for the coming of the Messiah. Luke's gospel describes this way in Luke 3: 3 -6:
He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God's salvation."
The New Year is a great time to spend some extra time in prayer and reading the scriptures to discern God's Will and specific calling for your life. All Christians are called to full time Christian service. All Christians are given gifts of the Holy Spirit for serving the Lord. All Christians have significant roles in the Body of Christ. So how do you follow God's calling?
I personally take time to reread Rick Warren's spiritual classic The Purpose Driven Life. In the beginning of the book he writes:
It's not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness, It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. This is because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, and my dreams for the future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal life's purpose.
Warren's book which is full of scripture, says that the Bible reveals 5 primary purposes for all Christians. This is a great place to begin: What are they:
Purpose #1 You Were Planned For God's Pleasure ( worship )
Purpose # 2 You Were Formed For God's Family ( church )
Purpose # 3 You Were Created to Become Like Christ ( spiritual growth )
Purpose # 4 You Were Shaped For Serving God ( service )
Purpose # 5 You Were Made for a Mission ( evangelism )
I hope this year you will choose to study the scriptures in one our small groups to discern God's calling for your life. This was the genius of early Methodism and it still is true today.
May God bless you, your family, and our church family with a clear sense of God's call for our lives to be a light for Christ to this community and the world!
Grace and Peace
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Children's Ministry
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A Lesson I Learned Last Year
I've heard it said that people are like tea bags - you don't know what's inside until you put them in hot water! It's no secret that the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are stressful, especially if you work in Christian ministry. Stress in a person's life works like hot water to a tea bag - makes what is inside come out. Matthew chapter 15 verses 10-11 and 15-18 records Jesus' words about this topic:
Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "Listen," he said, "and try to understand. It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth."
Then Peter said to Jesus, "Explain to us the parable that says people aren't defiled by what they eat."
"Don't you understand yet?" Jesus asked. "Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart-that's what defiles you.
It isn't that I said anything hurtful during the stress of the holidays - although you should probably ask my family about that. It's more what I did when roadblocks to my plans got thrown up, mainly by the weather, which revealed what was in my heart.
I tend to be very decisive - I usually consider that a virtue, a quality of leadership. However, I learned over the holidays that I am only a good leader when I myself am following the leadership of the Holy Spirit and those that God has placed in authority in my life. For the past two years, snowstorms have gotten in the way of our plans to perform our children's Christmas Play that we have worked so hard on. And the holidays weren't the only times this past year that roadblocks were placed in the way of my plans.
My natural instinct, when a roadblock pops up, is to quickly decide whether to step the left of the right to go around it or to climb over it. I seldom stop to think that maybe a roadblock is put there by God or that He has allowed it for a good reason and that I should just be still and listen to Him. I especially have a hard time doing that when I feel like people are looking to me to lead.
I realized this year, that when I quickly step to the left or right, without waiting on God's guidance, I inevitably step on someone else's plans (and toes). I learned that I cannot be a good leader without listening to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Please accept my heartfelt apologies to those on whose toes I stepped this year. Thankfully, God's not finished with me yet. I hope next year, when I am placed in hot water, what comes out of me is an accurate reflection of the One who lives in me.
Thank you to everyone who helped us have a very blessed Advent season with the kids and families of our community and with the residents of the Yancey House Assisted Living. We started the Advent Season with an "Advent Kick-Off Party" Parents were given 25 Christmas craft kits for each child and an Advent Devotion Book to use during the 25 days of Advent. Next was the Christmas Play and Family Winter Festival and with your help it was very successful. Many families stayed after the Christmas Play to decorate cookies, make sock snowmen and Christmas cards for prison inmates and play games. This year we added a "Gift Store". The kids gained admission to the "store" by making a Christmas card for a prison inmate. In the store they chose gifts for their mom, dad and siblings. Volunteers wrapped the gifts and each child took home a "Santa" bag full of gifts to give to the families on Christmas morning. The store was a big hit! We will definitely be doing it again next year and could use donations of small gifts and Christmas gift bags and boxes. Lastly we took the kids caroling at The Yancey House Assisted Living and then stayed to share goodies and make crafts with the residents. Both the kids and the residents loved it! We actually visit The Yancey House monthly and are building some very strong relationships with the residents that are a blessing to them and the kids. Thank you for all of those who volunteer with Kids Ministry at Higgins! May you be richly blessed in 2019!
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Women's Ministry
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ABIDE Women's Ministry
We had such a good time at Game Night so we are scheduling another Game Night on January 11th at 6:30 pm in the FLC. Please put it on your calendar and join us!
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New Adult Sunday School Class
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Join Us For A New Adult Sunday School Class!
"Invitation to John"
- Jan 6 - Mar 24 (Sundays during Sunday school hour)
- Jan 6 will be an orientation/overview
- Short Term DISCIPLE bible study
- Preparation: Read two chapters of the Gospel of John and workbook review each week
- Short video and discussion during class
- Will meet in the Prayer Room
- Books have been ordered already, but here's a link for more information: https://www.amazon.com/Invitation-John-Participant-Short-Term-DISCIPLE-ebook/dp/B00VF46BTO
- Call Arthur or Dorothy Ley with questions (615/589-9579)
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Prayer Ministry
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| Your prayers are greatly appreciated
You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
- 2 Corinthians 1:11
- SHUT-IN'S: Mary Gilmour, Faye Skiff, Pete Hensley and Jerry Helsher
- Family of Alton Robinson in the death of her mother, Jane
- Jack and Betsy Myers - health issues
- Shelly Headen (daughter of Ron & Lucy Kates) health issues
- William Barnwell, colon cancer (Donna Bank's step-dad)
- Bill Riddle, health issues
- Bobby Jack & Shirley McAllister, health issues
- Rhonda McCall, missionary to Ukraine
- The Kohman Family, CRU missionaries
- Your church staff
- Dr. John Fowler and his wife, Liz
- Jonathan Taylor, US Army in Afghanistan (grandson of Charles & Nancy Williams)
- J. P. Tabor,US Airforce
- Captain John T. Bennett, US Army
- Michael Bingham, US Marine
- Ellis Jackson, US Navy
- FOR OUR NATION/LEADERS.
- Our students in college and grad school
- For children in foster care and foster parents
- Pray for those who don't know Jesus.
- Pray for those looking for a job/employment.
- Pray for caregivers: Those caring for the elderly, parents, children, etc.
Prayer on the Square
January 13, 2019- Sunday from 4-5 pm across from the Nu Wray Inn. --If the weather is bad, the prayer time will be held in the Family Life Center at Higgins in the classroom next to the kitchen.
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Celebrations
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January Birthdays
01/01 Jerry Scarborough
01/01 Skip Wilson, Sr.
01/03 Bill Watkins
01/04 Steve Hoyt
01/04 Mack Ray
01/12 Dan Wahlers
01/13 Barbara Bradley
01/14 Richard Dahl
01/18 Shirley Anne McAllister
01/19 Kimberly Clark
01/19 Jordan Crain
01/19 Tracy Howell
01/21 Peirce Bingham
01/21 Elizabeth Bush
01/22 Charles Aldridge
01/26 Troy Jackson
01/27 Kim Young
01/28 Linda Rote
01/29 Kailey Robertson
01/31 Billy Garcia
January Anniversaries
01/01 Ken & Lynn Walker
01/23 Chris & Glenda Cooper
01/25 John & Pat Terrell
01/26 Dennis & Nancy Smith
01/28 Jerry & A.J. Chestnut
01/28 Linda & Dane Rote
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Library News
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Starting off on a low note for the New Year, I.e., entertainment lite. The Penguin
Lessons fits the bill. In 1975 after graduating college, author Tom Mitchell leaves his home in England for the exotic destination of Argentina. There he will teach in a boarding school for young gentlemen.
Right off the bat while exploring along a nearby coast he sees the terrible tragedy of an oil spill. Thousands of dead penguins have washed up onto the shore. But wait! He sees a bit of movement and yes!, one and only one, is not yet dead. Of all those thousands.
This is the story of his saving of the Penguin and how the two of them find a meaningful relationship. A truly remarkable bird or the natural nature of penguins? A heartwarming memoir of the two of them, the penguin's relationship with the boys and staff and more. It was a time in Argentina when inflation was similar to Venezuela's today.
An erudite book to simply enjoy but also to learn a lot on so many levels. It's good, it's humorous , it's even educational. I've bought copies for my extended family.
Happy New Year!
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Make Your Voice Heard
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WNC Delegation Listening Sessions
The Western North Carolina Conference Delegation to the 2019 Called Session of the General Conference will be available at two sessions in early January for United Methodist clergy and laity to learn more about the upcoming conference and share their perspectives. You will have the opportunity to make your voice heard during directed table conversations and brief presentations. The sessions will be identical. Registration is required. Saturday, January 5 at First UMC in Morganton from 10:00-1:00 ;Sunday, January 6 at First UMC in Salisbury from 3:00-6:00
Information and registration are available:
https://www.wnccumc.org/newsdetail/make-your-voice-heard-delegation-listening-sessions-12483050
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Taking Down the Greens
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Thank you all who helped putting up the decorations for Christmas but now is the time to take down all the decorations. We will be doing this on Monday, January 7th at
 9:30 a.m. We would love to have you help us!!!!!
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Baby Shower for Sam
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Ladies, Please join us at a baby shower honoring Sam Rannazzisi on Saturday, Februa ry 2, 2019 at 2:00 pm, held at the home of Betty Bingham, 67 Highland Hills Drive, Burnsville, NC 28714. Sam is registered at Target & Amazon under her name. Please RSVP by email to Cassie Robinson at cleadbit@gmail.com or call Deena Bingham at 828-208-2377. (Sam is the daughter of Peirce & Deena Bingham)
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Baby Shower for Emilee
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A baby shower for Emilee Willis will be given on Sunday, January 13th from 2-4 pm in the Family Life Center. Emilee is having a boy and is registered at Walmart and Target. (Emilee is the daughter of Charlie & Stephanie Willis)
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Celebrate Recovery
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| Celebrate Recovery at Higgins - We are in the planning stages to bring Celebrate Recovery to our Church. Come join us with this world-wide, Jesus centered recovery program for addiction. Since being launched 25 years ago at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, millions have been able to find real recovery. At present there is no Christian outreach in Yancey County for drug and alcohol addiction. Opioid overdose is now the number 1 cause of death of people under the age of 50. Some of you have been interested in helping either as sponsors, worship support, or attendants for a service. Please reach out to me if you would like to help in any way or would just like more information. Contact Peirce Bingham at peircebingham@gmail.com or call 208-0299. |
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