Sunday, December 25 at 9:30 PM

Youth Group Progressive Dinner and White Elephant Gift Exchange

Our 6-12th grade youth are invited to join us Wednesday, December 14 at 6:30 PM as we travel from house to house enjoying an appetizer, followed by the main course, and finally desserts and our White Elephant Gift Exchange. It will be a great night of fellowship, food, and fun.

Worship service with Youth and Family Christmas Program

Join us Sunday morning, December 18, at 9:30 AM as we worship together and celebrate Christmas through our intergenerational Christmas Event - Nativity in Action. At this event, we will invite our children, youth, and adults to be a part of the program as we tell the story of Jesus' birth. This will be a wonderful way to see a nativity in action as we act, sing, and celebrate together.

Join us Tuesday, December 20, at 7:00 PM for a service of reflection. The Christmas season is often thought of as a time of joy and dazzling bright lights. Yet the reality is that the holidays may also intensify feelings of loneliness or loss or stress, or pressure. The emotions surrounding the death of a loved one, a lost job, a divorce, or a child moving off to college may also be intensified during the Christmas season. Blue Christmas worship is a time to acknowledge that there may be more to the holiday season than just bright lights and good cheer. It's a time to acknowledge the reality that loss, loneliness, or suffering may be intensified during this season of the year. 

WORSHIP: Join us for worship at 9:30 AM. Our service is a mix of traditional and contemporary in music and style, with communion on the first Sunday of the month.

COFFEE FELLOWSHIP: Each week, we join together following worship in the Fellowship Hall to visit, share a light snack, and connect with old and new friends.

ALL-AGES WORSHIP: After about 10 minutes of coffee fellowship, we will gather in the back of the Fellowship Hall and sanctuary for a short time of worship, where we will sing songs and hear what our children are learning about that week.

SUNDAY SCHOOL: Following All-Ages-Worship, our children from birth through 5th grade are invited to attend our new Rotational Sunday School program. We are wrapping up our first rotation about Creation, and on October 16 will be starting our new rotation about Joseph and his brothers. Each week the children will experience the story through different rotations such as Art, Games, Cooking, Video, and Science.

CHOIR REHEARSAL: The choir is BACK! We invite all singers and wanna-be singers to rehearse with us Sundays at 5 PM. Everyone is welcome to participate and make a joyful noise to the Lord – no talent is required!

SUNDAY MORNING DISCIPLESHIP: Following All-Ages-Worship, everyone else will remain as we learn about the bible and about Methodist theology and practice. Our CONFIRMATION students are expected to attend the Sunday Morning Discipleship program.

Choir - We had our first successful choir practice two weeks ago and already have over ten people involved, with many more planning to join soon. If you have ever wanted to give it a try, this is a great time to check it out. The choir practices on Sundays at 5 PM right here at Beresford Zion UMC. We hope to see you there!

New Sunday Morning Education Format - Beginning in January, we have a number of changes coming to the fellowship and education hour.

Beginning in January, join Randy and Pastor John at Cream & Sugar on the second Thursday of each month at 10 AM as we share a time of fellowship and fun in the cutest new spot in town. Getting a roll is not required, but it is highly recommended.

The UMM will meet Sunday, December 11, at 8:00 AM for a time of food and fellowship. 

The Lighthouse book study meets on Wednesdays at 1:00 PM at the church. The current book is “Anxious for Nothing – Finding Calm in a Chaotic World” by Max Lucado. Contact Janet VonEschen at (605) 763-5412 if you are interested in joining this study. 

Youth Group meets on Wednesdays from 6:30-9:00 PM. Each week we will have a meal at 6:30 followed by programming from 7-8:30 PM and some free time until 9 PM. This will be a great time of fun, fellowship, and growing in faith.

BZUMC is participating in the Angel Tree Gift project which provides gifts for children in the Beresford community that quite possibly wouldn’t otherwise receive one. Your unwrapped gift with the angel tag attached to it needs to be returned to the church by Sunday, December 4

We will be ringing bells again for the Salvation Army on Saturday, Dec. 17 at Fiesta. There is a sign-up sheet in the entry for you to sign up for a one-hour shift between 10 AM and 2 PM. It is a fun and rewarding experience. The bulk of what is collected stays right here in Beresford to help those in need.

The fellowship time following our worship service is a great opportunity to connect visitors with members of our congregation, as well as with each other. We need volunteers willing to start the coffee pot and serve a light snack for this relationship-building ministry. If you are willing to help, please sign up on the sheet at the Hospitality Desk in the entry or email Pastor John at bzionumc@gmail.com

Each Wednesday at 6:30 PM our youth gather for a meal before youth group. This is a great opportunity for them to unwind and enjoy each other's company before a night of activities and faith discussions. You can sign up at our welcome center or by contacting Pastor John

We serve 15-20 people each week and have three options to choose from.

This service makes a big difference for our youth, and we thank you to all those who have provided a meal.

The Zion Cemetery Association is doing a fundraiser to help cover mowing expenses. Avis Blumer and Brenda (Blumer) Hopper are making chocolate truffles. One dozen truffles are nicely packaged in a gold foil box and are appropriate for gift giving. The cost is $12 per box of 12. If you would like truffles for Christmas gift giving, orders need to be placed by Dec. 10. Please call or text Brenda at 612-418-7642. Pickup in Beresford; shipping not offered.

The deadline for articles to be in the newsletter is the 3rd Friday of the month. You may submit them anytime before that date via email to jekahill@bmtc.net or give them to Kathy Hill. Thank you!

If you know of someone in the hospital or is scheduled for a hospital stay, please let Pastor John know at bzionumc@gmail.com or call the church phone at (605) 763-2861

If you would like to do your giving online, please sign up for Vanco E-giving. You can download the free app (GivePlus+) and sign up there, go to our church website (www.beresfordzionumc.org) and click on the “Vanco” icon, or go to our Facebook page and click the donate button. You can give online, on your phone, and even set up recurring gifts, so you don’t have to worry about your giving when you are gone! It takes less than 10 minutes to sign up, and it is such a blessing to the church! 

Check out our new website. Our website address remains unchanged at www.beresfordzionumc.org, but the update comes with a better cell phone interface, new information, and new ways to connect with the ministry of Beresford Zion.