Volume 49
Issue 46
November 14, 2019
              
Magical Marketplace is Here
Don't miss Magical Marketplace tomorrow with great selections from over 80 vendors - some of your favorites from years past and several new vendors! This is a wonderful time to come shop for all of your Christmas gifts from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, in both Tyson and Fellowship Halls. Get your Christmas shopping done early while helping support one of our mission partners. This year's proceeds will benefit Unless U.

We will also feature a wonderful bake sale and we would love to have your specialty items to sell. If you are able to help us by baking cakes, cookies, pies, or any other specialty goody, we would love to benefit from your skills and tasty creations. If you would like to volunteer for the day, please contact Melinda Burnett (mburnett@vhumc.org).
Angel Trees
This Sunday, November 17, our Angel Trees will be up in Tyson Hall and the Sanctuary Narthex. Please participate by grabbing an angel off of one of the trees and following the directions. All donations need to be returned to the main church office or missions office no later than, Sunday, December 8. This program is a long-standing tradition of VHUMC. We will partner with six different organizations in the community to brighten a child's Christmas holiday. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Scottie Vickery (scottie.vickery@gmail.com) or Hazel Eddins (hreddins@gmail.com).
Experiential Gratitude
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and many of us will share the Thanksgiving table with family and friends as we count our blessings together. That is a wonderful way to express our gratitude for the good things in our lives, but gratitude cannot be limited to just one day a year. In fact, practicing gratitude can help you make friends, improve your physical health, increase your sense of well-being and happiness, help you will sleep longer and better, and better equip you to overcome trauma and highly stressful situations. So, how you learn to practice gratitude and experience these benefits? Join Sherry Harris next Wednesday, November 20, at 6:00 pm, in room 202, as we learn, practice, and experience gratitude exercises and activities together.
Magic City Nutcracker
Please join us for our 7th season of The Magic City Nutcracker the weekend of December 6-8. We are Birmingham's only community Nutcracker performance with 19 dance studios represented. Performances will be at the historic Virginia Samford Theatre and tickets can be purchased by using the link below.

Welcome New Members
Let's all welcome our newest member to VHUMC, Cordette Camino, who attends the 11:00 worship service in Tyson Hall. Her daughter, Carson, is a 6th grader, and will be going through confirmation this year. If you see Cordette or Carson, please give them a warm welcome.
Make Your Commitment Today
The main mission of this church is to be a place where everyone can experience a Christ-centered life of purpose. We cannot provide this experience without the generous gifts from this wonderful community. That is why we want to ask that you prayerfully consider making a financial commitment to VHUMC for the 2020 calendar year. Your pledge helps us ensure support for what God is doing in your areas of ministry, and throughout our wonderful church.

This year, we are also asking you consider giving online. Through very simple steps, you can set your gift to be withdrawn in the fashion that best suits your household. You are able to set every detail of your giving (amount, frequency, dates, etc.). Scheduled giving allows us to truly steward each gift to its maximum potential. Your willingness to join us in this effort is deeply appreciated. To schedule your gift, simply visit the link below. For assistance with setting up your online gift, please contact John Sweeney (jsweeney@vhumc.org / 769-0101), Director of Stewardship Development.

Fall Musical
From the same songwriting team that brought you Fiddler on the Roof comes She Loves Me, an elegant romantic comedy about Maraczek's parfumerie and the people who work there. Adapted from the 1937 play that inspired You've Got Mail, The Shop Around the Corner, and In the Good Old Summertime, She Loves Me is a delightful exploration of friendship, anonymity, and, of course, love. Come experience this wonderful musical November 22-24 in Tyson Hall. Tickets are $15.

Join the VHUMC Family
We would love for you to officially join us during our next Informal Joining Service on Sunday, November 24 in the chapel at 12:15 after worship. This service is great for those who have been visiting yet don't want to walk up front during worship. We will gather with pastors and church leaders for you to recite the membership vows before adjourning for lunch together. If this sounds like something you're interested in, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell (sstrammell@vhumc.org / 769-0136). She will get you all the information needed for you to join the community and fellowship of VHUMC.

Family Advent Workshop
We invite families with children ages 3k - 5th grade to join us Wednesday, December 4, from 6:00-7:00 pm, in Tyson Hall for our Family Advent Workshop. Each family will be making their own Advent calendar. It will be exciting to open the drawers each day of Advent to find scripture and a treat for the day! Supplies are limited, so don't wait to register! The cost is $15 per family for this event. Contact Anne Strozier (astrozier@vhumc.org) for more information.

November Hilltoppers Meeting
Our next meeting is Tuesday, November 19, at 10:30 am in the Fellowship Hall. The Harmony Belles will be performing for us. For information or to make a lunch reservation ($6.00) contact Harriette Woodring (822-9318) or Margaret Flowers (mflowers@vhumc.org / 769-0112) no later than 11:00 am on Friday, November 15. Please note the price. If possible, have correct change or an extra dollar bill.

Vestavia Hilltoppers is a VHUMC-sponsored organization for persons of retirement age, which meets each month for lunch and a program. They also sponsor trips and other activities that are publicized at meetings. Guests and new members are welcome.
Come Share A Bear
All children are invited to bring a new Teddy Bear on "Share A Bear Sunday" for our Fall Mission Project. Please bring the new Teddy Bear to the 8:30 or 11:00 Worship Service on November 24. Our bears will be blessed during the Children's Moment and then given to the children at Children's Harbor. Please contact Anne Strozier (astrozier@vhumc.org) with any questions.
5th Annual Madrigal Dinner
Don't miss our feasting and hilarity, our music and our revelry, at our 5th Annual VHUMC Madrigal Dinner. Our New Life Singers Student Choir will be in full costume and full of clever comedy as we visit a 16th century castle for food, fun, and frolicking. The jester will once again attempt to cause royal mischief and confound the audience with his starring role in "May the Farce Be With You." The dinner will be on Sunday, December 1, at 6:30 pm, in Tyson Hall. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased by November 25. For more information, please contact Quint Harris (qharris@vhumc.org / 769-0114).

Women's Story Teller Groups
We all have a different story, but we also have a part in the larger story of God's love for each one of us. Learning to tell your story allows you to see the many ways God has moved or is moving in your life. But your story should not be told in isolation because hearing it will allow other women to experience God in fresh new ways.

If you are a woman of any age or stage, looking for a small group where you can be vulnerable and authentic, join us starting the week of January 12. Please complete the online form to indicate what day/time works best for you (for childcare choose Sunday or Wednesday night). Books are available as we interact with others' stories on the journey to articulate our own.

Disciple Fast Track 2
Don't miss the 2nd in the Disciple Fast Track series. Spring 2020 will focus on going deep into Genesis and Exodus. Participants will purchase a study manual with suggested readings of about 30 minutes/day. Groups will meet weekly for 75 minutes, listening to a video and discussing the material. The daily reading assignments are shorter than in Fast Track 1 allowing more time to practice the spiritual disciplines highlighted in each session.

Please specify days of the week that work best for you to meet in a small group. We will be putting together leaders and participants, based on these preferences. Books are $16 and can be picked up in the church office prior to your class starting. Classes will be the weeks of January 12 - April 26.

Upcoming VHUMC Trips
Two great trips are being planned for VHUMC. We will be going to Ireland November 2 -11, 2020 and on an Australia / New Zealand cruise in February of 2021. We will have a meeting about the trips on Sunday, November 17, at 3:00 pm, in room 316. Please plan on attending if you are interested in either of these trips. For more information, contact Jim Frazier (jfrazier@vhumc.org / 769-0126).

November Memory Verse
Our 1st - 5th graders are taught a different Bible verse each month, and have the opportunity to recite the verse before or after Sunday School in the sensory room for a sweet treat, and a chance to win a grand prize at the end of the school year! November's memory verse is: "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24. If you have any questions please contact Jamie Meeks (jmeeks@vhumc.org).
Inclement Weather Plans
Any time that Vestavia Hills Schools close, our Vestavia Day School, Vestavia Dance, Lighthouse, and Conservatory of the Arts will also close. The Kitchen will also close for breakfast meetings (although lunches and dinners may still be served). In some instances, these church departments may close when schools are still open. If so, all parents will be notified. School closures do not necessarily mean that church services or meetings are cancelled or that the offices are closed. Look for notices of closure by email, on our website, social media, or on local TV stations (ABC, CBS, and NBC). Always use caution and common sense going to and from church. Our Vestavia "Hills" become dangerous quickly with moisture and freezing temperatures.
Ongoing Outreach
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.

Food Pantry
The Food Pantry is distributing 550 turkeys this month to our families thanks to your generosity. Thanks also to those of you who took food to the Vestavia Library in lieu of fines.

Oak Mountain Mission
Oak Mountain Mission needs pots and pans, small working appliances, sofas, chairs, and working washers and dryers. For pick-up, please call Roddy (685-5757).
Wednesday Nights at VHUMC

Classes/Programs starting at 6:00 pm
  • Men's Bible Study: Through November 20 - Room 204
  • Disciple Bible Study: Through November 20 - Various locations
  • Experiential Gratitude: November 20 - Room 202
  • Thanksgiving: November 27 - No dinner or programming
  • Family Advent Workshop: December 4
  • Children's Concert: December 11
  • Dinner, Caroling, and The Polar Express: December 18 
Menus
  • November 20 - Egg Casserole or Boiled Eggs, Bacon or Country Ham, Cheese Grits, Biscuits, Salad, Fruit, Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: French Toast Sticks 
Worship This Sunday
 
8:30 am Traditional  Service |  Sanctuary
Malachi 3:8-12
"Now, What Was the Rule?"
Bill Brunson
 
9:45 am Service of Word and Table |  Sanctuary 
Malachi 3:8-12
"Now, What Was the Rule?"
Butch Williams
 
11:00 am Traditional Service |  Sanctuary
Malachi 3:8-12
"Now, What Was the Rule?"
Bill Brunson
 
11:00 am Contemporary Service |  Tyson Hall 
Malachi 3:8-12
"Now, What Was the Rule?"
Kipp McClurg
 
5:00 pm  Sunday Evening Worship
Luke 17:11-19
"Say Thank You"
Butch Williams

Attendance for last week: 716
General Fund Fiscal Year 2020
 
 
Donations this past week
 
July - September 2019
Donations
Other Income
Total Income 
Actual
$ 116,805
 
 
$679,770
$37,966
$717,736
Targeted  
+$38,066 
 
 
-$111,023
+$2,937
-$108,086
 
(+) Better or (-) worse for the church than our target
Care and Support
Congratulations, hospitalizations, and sympathies

Prayer Requests
Please be in prayer for the following persons: