The Notes - January 2, 2020

Volume 49

Issue 50

January 2, 2020

Livin' On A Prayer
The new year is here and 2020 will be A Year of Prayer for our church. It should come as no surprise that our first sermon series of 2020 will be, "Living on a Prayer." This four-week series will help us explore some of the most important questions about prayer. We'll discover together the why, the what, and the how of prayer. We will even tackle that problematic question of what to do when God says no to our prayers. Join us this Sunday, January 5, as we start this new series and start living on a prayer together.

Prayer 2020 Is Here
January is the kick-off month for a yearlong focus on prayer where we will seek to grow closer to God both personally and as a congregation.

·Be sure to pick up your Prayer Guide for January in the church office or online so that you can begin our church-wide prayer plan for January.

·Join in our first Fast and Prayer Day using John Wesley's model where we will fast from Tuesday evening January 7, until 5:00 pm on Wednesday, January 8. We will break our fast with a short Holy Communion service from 5:00-5:15 pm in the Rutland Chapel. Drop-in Communion will also be available in the Chapel until 6:00 pm.

·Come to the Rutland Chapel anytime between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm on Wednesday, January 8, to pray for the church. Each Wednesday in January we will highlight different ministries so that each area will be prayed for as we enter a new year.

·Attend the Prayer Kickoff in the Fellowship Hall on January 8 at 6:00 pm. This is for all ages and led by Family Ministries with crafts and activities to launch the Year of Prayer!

Disciple Fast Track 2
Don't miss the next step in the Disciple Bible Study series, starting in January and running for 12 weeks. Classes are forming now, so please let us know the day/time that works for your schedule, as together we study the books of Genesis and Exodus.

Disciple provides an excellent way to dig deeper into Bible study and be equipped with a greater knowledge of God's Word. If you have questions or need further information, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136).

Christmas Day Lunch Celebration
For many years VHUMC has provided a Christmas Day lunch for people who are single, or have family out of town. It takes many people behind the scenes to make this event happen and we appreciate all of the volunteers. But, this year we had a very special helper. Rod Pollard works at Core Life where many of our staff have been attending to lose weight. Because of our members, Rod has been visiting VHUMC for about four weeks and decided to help with our Christmas Day dinner. He said, "There are just so many of you attending Core Life that I thought I ought to see what is going on at your church."

Rod showed up on Christmas Day and said, "put me to work," and we did. He greeted, helped get ice, carried plates of food, and then stayed after the meal to help clean up. What a great example to all of us that someone who is not even a member of VHUMC is willing to give of his time on Christmas Day to help others. If you would like to help next year please contact Jim Frazier (769-0126 / [email protected]).

New Women's Small Groups
Don't miss these exciting new small groups for women as we learn how God is working in and through our lives individually and collectively. Growing in community and love has always been the call for the church as we share our stories and live our lives together. Please register to let us know the day and time you can attend these weekly meetings. For further information, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136).

College Scholarship Opportunity
The Dick Kelly Scholarship Fund is one of our Foundation Funds with the purpose of "providing college scholarships for church members." This year the fund can distribute up to $5,000. If you are a student or have a student already attending college or entering college next fall, we invite you to apply. Applications are available through the link and completed applications should be sent or given to John Sweeney ([email protected]). Awards will be based on both merit and need. The deadline for applications is January 10. Donations are also welcome to continue replenishing the fund.

Welcome New Members

Please welcome newest membersto VHUMC:

-BeauKeel, whose wife Ashleigh (Dibble)has been amember for a while. Their new baby, Henry, was recentlybaptized as well.

-Jim & Ashley Harms, who have visited for a while and just joined and werebaptized as a family, with

their2daughters: Alex (5) and Dani (10months).

Let's give these new members a warm greeting and welcome into the VHUMC family!

Join the VHUMC Family

We will hold an Informal Joining Service on Sunday, January 12, in the Chapel, after the 11:00 worship services end. If you're interested in joining the church in a more intimate setting, with a small group of people, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136). This service is brief and will conclude with lunch together.

Passing On the Tradition of Helping Others
For over 15 years, a team from VHUMC has delivered goodie bags to workers at Brookwood Hospital on Christmas Eve. We want to show our appreciation for those people serving others who are sick on this special evening. Among many who have helped, Randy, Judy, David, and Laura Smith have faithfully helped us every year! Randy used to be on our staff at VHUMC and his family have been members at Bluff Park UMC for several years.

This year their son, David, could not help locally because he was assigned to work on Christmas Eve as a new nurse at a hospital in Nashville. Knowing David's situation, the Smith family decided to make 50 extra goodie bags and sent them to David to distribute to his co-workers on Christmas Eve at the Nashville hospital. It is always exciting and rewarding to see how lives are changed when you start serving others!

You are invited to join this great outreach next year. If you cannot join us, please follow the Smith family's lead and find new and different ways to serve others in 2020.

Save the Date
Our annual Soup and Stories with Dolores Hydock is coming up on Sunday, January 26 at 12:30 pm. Tickets will be sold in the church office. Come join us for Charlie's delicious soup and delightful stories by Dolores Hydock. Please bring cans of soup for our church pantry.

Mother and Son Date Night
Come be a part of our Mother and Son Date Night as we head down to Vestavia Bowl for an evening of fun on Sunday, January 26, at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $15 per person and includes bowling plus a snack supper. This is an event for 5k through 5th grade boys and their mothers. If you have any questions, contact Anne Strozier ([email protected]). Register online by visiting the link below. The deadline to register is January 19.

Daddy Daughter Dance
The Daddy Daughter Dance will be Sunday, February 23 from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Lighthouse gym. The cost is $15 per person (additional daughters are $10). This is an event for 4K-5th grade girls and their father, or grandfather, or favorite uncle! If you have any questions contact Anne Strozier ([email protected]).

Ballroom Dance Classes
Make ballroom dancing one of your New Year's resolutions. Add some exercise to your week, learn a new skill, and improve your social life with our new ballroom dance classes, every Tuesday starting on January 7. Our 6:30 pm class is designed for new dancers and will concentrate on the basics of each dance style. The 7:30 pm class is for intermediate dancers, giving you a chance to learn more varied and stylized moves. Both couples and singles of all ages are welcome. Each class will focus on a different dance each month and the price is only $5 per person for each hour.

Curt and Wendy Johnson, who have been teaching together for over 40 years, will lead us with fun and light-hearted sessions to help you gain confidence on the dance floor. Janet Harden, a member of our congregation, will be assisting. There will also be opportunities for the class to go out dancing socially, to be able to really use what you have learned.

To register through the Mindbody app or stop by the Lighthouse desk. For questions, contact Alli McGill ([email protected]).

Vinyasa Yoga Class in January
We will begin a new round of Vinyasa Yoga classes on Thursday evenings starting January 9. This new class is called Vinyasa Flow, and will fire up your strength and core as you practice proper posture alignments, mindfully flow through sequences, and build heat from within by connecting breath with movement. Please join us each Thursday evening from 5:45-6:30 in the Lighthouse. Classes are only $10 with your Lighthouse membership. Register using the Mindbody app or at the Lighthouse desk. Saturday 8:30 am yoga classes will continue as usual in December.

Upward Soccer Registration

Upward Soccer Registration is open! This league is for K4-4th Grade Boys and Girls looking to learn the soccer basics, teamwork, and have fun through the fellowship of VHUMC and our neighbors. The season will start with Evaluations at the Lighthouse Gym on February 17/18 from 6:00-7:30 pm. Practices will start the week of February 24 and games will end on May 2.

You can register in person at the VHUMC Lighthouse or online by following the link. Contact Miles Erbe ( [email protected] / 769-0134) with any questions.

Collect Items for MLK Day
Our annual MLK Service Day is one of our first mission projects for 2020. You can help us get ready by collecting items that we will distribute to needy people in the community. We need unused make-up and cosmetics, used eyeglasses, gently used or new books, and old towels and linens.

If you have any of these items, please deliver them to the appropriate box in the Missions office by January 16. This is a great opportunity for those who may not be able to be here on MLK Day, but would like to be a part of service for our church and community.

Thank You for Sharing God's Love

A special thank you to all the volunteers who have served in missionsat VHUMC this year. There are a lot of moving parts in the missions' office, and the work that is done could not be done without the hundreds of volunteers that participate each and every year. So if you coordinated a mission project this year, made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, served on one of our many ministry teams, donated a car, donated a pair of socks, a gift card, diapers, a gift for the angel tree, or packed a meal for Rise Against Hunger, donated a canned good for the food pantry, prayed for our mission teams overseas, hammered a nail, or one of the many things that I have not even mentioned, I want to personally thank you for sharing God's love. It only takes one act of kindness through a smile, a hug, or just saying yes when God puts something on your heart to show people God. Thousands of people were touched this year through VHUMC because of the wonderful volunteers that serve, so thank you!

Rachael Hayes, Missions Coordinator

Wednesday Night Supper Reservations

You are always welcome to join us for Wednesday Night Suppers, which start again on January 8 from 5:00-6:00 pm, whether you have a reservation or not. However, registrations really help us estimate how many meals to prepare. Please make your reservations with Margaret Flowers ( [email protected] / 769-0112) by Monday night of each week. You can also have a standing reservation for each Wednesday.

Confirmation 2020

Parents of 6th grade students, don't forget to register your student for the Confirmation 2020 retreat! This year's retreat will cost $165 and includes transportation, housing, meals for both the retreat and Sunday night meetings, and supplies for the semester. In addition to our VHUMC Waivers and Medical forms, Shocco Springs also requires a Waiver and Release form. Contact Alice Bell Baker for these forms or the 2020 Confirmation schedule ( [email protected] / 769-0137).

If you were unable to make the Confirmation Parent meeting and would like to find out more about the Confirmation process or have any questions at all, please contact Jeremiah Stone ( [email protected] / 769-0131).

High School Ski Trip 2020

We are returning to Lake Junaluska over the Presidents Day Weekend (February 14-17) for great skiing, times of worship, and messages from Rev. Andy Lambert. The trip is $485 and includes transportation, 3 nights lodging, 2 days of skiing, and all meals (except on travel days). Register through the link and use these codes if they apply: "deposit" if you would like to pay half now and the balance later. "siblingdiscount" in order to receive half off of the registration for your second student. All final balances must be paid by January 30.

We are excited about this fun and life-changing event for our students and adults! In addition to the 2019-2020 VHUMC Student Ministry Medical forms you will also need to fill out the Cataloochee Ski form. For information or questions please contact Alice Bell Baker ( [email protected] / 769-0137).

January Memory Verse

Our 1st - 5th graders are taught a different verse each month, and have the opportunity to recite the verse before or after Sunday School in the sensory room next door to the elementary office for a sweet treat and chance to win a grand prize at the end of the school year. We hope that these verses help to guide them throughout their lives. January's memory verse is: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." ~Galatians 5:22-23

Serve and Skate

We invite 4th and 5th graders to join us on Monday, January 20th for Serve and Skate! We will meet at 10:00 am in rooms 219/221 on the elementary floor to do various projects benefiting multiple organizations. We will move to the Lighthouse at 11:00 am for pizza, skating and games! Pick up is at 12:00 from the Lighthouse. Please register through the link by January 16.

How Successful People Think Leadership Course

Please join us for "How Successful People Think," offered on Monday nights, from 6:00-7:00 pm, beginning January 13 and running for 13 weeks. Don Simmons and Chad Mize will co-facilitate this course with video lessons by world-renowned speaker, coach, and best-selling author John Maxwell. We will discuss principles using interactive application notes. The course is open to the community. For questions, please contact

Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136).

Ongoing Outreach

What's Ahead in 2020

Be on the lookout for ways to support or be involved in VHUMC's Orphan and Foster Care Ministry. There are currently over 6,000 children in DHR custody in out-of-home placement in Alabama. Over 300 of these children have had parental rights terminated, but no adoptive family has been identified. According to UNICEF, there are 153 million orphans worldwide. Our prayer is to support these children, their adoptive and foster families, and organizations whose mission it is to help care for these children. For more information, contact Kristin Mizerany ([email protected]).

Food Pantry

Thank you to Vestavia Day School for all of the many food items they recently brought us. We certainly enjoyed having them down for a tour of the pantry. Thank you to everyone for your continued support for our 500 families during this Christmas season. It has been a very busy month.

Urban Ministry Kids

Urban Ministry Kids needs gently used coats, jackets, and shoes for their after-school children (ages 4 to 13). Please put them in the three wooden bins around the church. Circle One members will deliver them. Thank you.

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Mission needs extra-large adult coats and jackets, blankets, winter wear and small heaters. No summer items, toys, or Christmas decorations at this time.