|
WESLEY MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
A THRILL OF HOPE
December 2022 Monthly Memo
|
|
Advent Week I: Hope
The new year began on November 27th with a wake-up call: Christ is coming soon! We lit the first candle on our advent wreath. The anthem at the 11 o'clock service was Paul Manz’s, E’en so, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come.
| | |
Dec 1
Decorating the Chrismon Trees
5:30 pm
Dec 2
Door Hanger Distribution
3:00 pm
Lighting of the Tree
6:00 pm
| |
| |
Get to know your neighbors...
The outreach and evangelism team will be distributing door hangers this Friday December 2nd at 3pm. The door hangers will help promote the Christmas tree lighting, the Christmas drive through and Christmas Eve services. All are invited to join them as they walk the streets in pairs and get to know the rich diversity of our closest friends. Meet in the front circle parking lot. Questions? Email Pastor Clark at [email protected]
| | |
Decorating of the Chrismon Trees
We will be decorating the Chrismon Trees in the Sanctuary on Thursday, December 1 at 5:30 pm. We need additional volunteers, as well as someone to volunteer to lead this ministry going forward. For additional details, contact Beth Blake at 336.848.4912 or [email protected].
|
|
Lighting of the Tree
Join us on Friday, December 2 at 6pm in the Circle Parking Lot as we gather around the Christmas tree with family and friends singing Christmas carols. Snacks, music and fun provided!
| | |
Poinsettia Delivery Help
The Congregational Care Team would appreciate your help delivering poinsettias to REACH (Restricted or Reduced Mobility, Exceptional Circumstances, Advanced Aging, Convalescing, or Homebound) members of our congregation on Friday, December 2nd from 6:30 to 7:30 immediately following the tree lighting. Please drive through the porte cochere at the side entrance to the narthex where we will load your car. You may request the number of poinsettias you wish to deliver along with specific neighborhoods or specific recipients. Hope to see you!
| | |
Advent Week II: Love
At the heart of our Advent preparation stands John the Baptist, who calls us to repent and make a new beginning. We enter the sanctuary, at the 11 o'clock service on December 4th, seeing lighted Chrismon trees and wreaths. The anthem is a setting by George Guest, Zion, at Thy Shining Gates.
| | |
Dec 4
Angel Tree Gifts Due
Dec 9
Wesley Memorial School's Polar Express
1:00 pm
Dec 10
Children's Nativity Rehearsal
10:00 am
Gingerbread Bash
11:30 am
| |
| |
Angel Tree Gifts
Thank you to all who will be providing gifts to this year’s Angel Tree children. Gratefully, all Angels were selected and now we ask that you return the gifts for your child by this Sunday (12/4). The gifts can be placed under the Angel Tree outside of the service you attend or dropped off at the Church Office anytime during the week. It is preferred that all gifts for each child be wrapped in the same paper for easy identification, that a gift receipt be included inside or out, and that the Angel be attached to the respective gift. Thank you again for your wonderful generosity!
| | |
Polar Express with Santa
All Aboard the Polar Express! Wesley Memorial School would like to invite you to the Polar Express with Santa and Mrs. Clause on December 9th at 1:00 in the Dining Hall. Delight in this Joyful experience as you pretend to travel on the Polar Express to the North Pole. Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus while enjoying cocoa and cookies and have a photo made. Please enter from the back parking lot through the Bridge Café.
|
|
Gingerbread Bash
On December 10th at 11:30am in the Dining Hall, we will build gingerbread nativities, play games, sing songs, hear the Christmas story from the Bible, eat lunch together, and discover that sometimes the best gift comes in the most ordinary box. It’s a truly sweet way for your family to celebrate the birth of Jesus! This is a fun and interactive experience designed for the whole family! All ages welcome. We are always in need of additional volunteers, if you want be a Christmas-y Server or help
Register Here
| | |
Advent Week III: Joy
O come, little children; come one and come all! Our annual children’s nativity is held during the 11am worship service on December 11th, with Mary, Joseph, little sheep, wise-men and shepherds. The chancel handbells will ring the opening voluntary and the chancel choir will sing Robert Wetzler’s setting of the Magnificat entitled, Song of Mary.
| | |
Dec 11
Children's Nativity Sunday
11:00 am
Edge of Adventure Christmas Party
6:30 pm
Dec 14
Community Blood Drive
8:00 am - 7:00 pm
A Very Merry Midweek Motivation
6:00 pm
Dec 15
Senior Adult Christmas Lunch
12:00 pm
Dec 16
Wesley Memorial School's Kindergarten Nativity
10:30 am
| |
| |
Kindergarten Nativity
Wesley Memorial School would like to invite you to the Kindergarten Nativity on December 16th at 10:30am in the sanctuary. It has always been such a very special time to witness the birth of the Baby Jesus reenacted by children. Experience the joy of the season as the greatest story is retold through drama and song. The Inn Keeper points to, “A Stable Warm and Dry”, welcoming Joseph and Mary. The star, animals, angles, and shepherds shout out in a joyful noise delighting in the birth of the baby. The kindergarten children will also share some fun Christmas secular songs and share a special surprise by playing the handbells. Join us afterwards for Christmas cookies and cider.
| | |
Children's Nativity Sunday
Children ages 4 through 5th grade can participate in this beautiful depiction of the birth of Christ on Sunday, December 11th at the 11am service. Roles are assigned according to age and grade. Participating children need to attend at least two music and worship sessions, either on Sunday morning or Wednesday night between November 6th and December 11th to be able participate. Rehearsal will be on Saturday, December 10th at 10am. For more details and to register, please visit wesleymemorial.org/nativity.
| |
Community Blood Drive
Give the gift of life this holiday season by donating blood. Mark your calendars for our community blood drive in the Dining Hall on Wednesday, December 14 from 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. The Red Cross is low on blood donations and they need for you to give the life-saving gift. In about an hour, you can save up to 3 lives. You may make an appointment ahead of time by visiting redcross.org or by downloading the Blood Donor mobile app.
| | |
Advent Week IV: Peace
December 18th's Sanctuary Worship is a Festival Service of Lessons and Carols with readers, chancel choir, chamber orchestra and organ. Carols and anthems by Bach, Darke, Handel, Forrest, Stopford, and Willcocks.
| | |
Dec 18
White Christmas Gifts
A Service of Lessons & Carols
11:00 am
Christmas Drive-Thru
5:00pm - 6:30 pm
YAM (ages 18-25) Christmas Party
7:00 pm
Dec 21
DivorceCare Surviving the Holidays
6:00 pm
| |
| |
Volunteers Needed for Christmas Drive-Thru
Share the hope and joy of the Christmas season as a volunteer at our Christmas Drive-Thru event on December 18th. It takes lots of volunteers to make the Christmas Drive-Thru a success, and we have opportunities for all ages. From the setup of the various stations to acting as a sheep, volunteers make this event truly spectacular! Give back this holiday season by committing to serve as a volunteer. Click here for more details and to sign up or call Pastor Clark at 336-812-4813.
Volunteer Here
| |
White Christmas Gifts
This year’s White Christmas gift collection will take place at all three services on December 18th. These gifts will go to West End Ministries and Leslie’s House to provide essential clothing, food, and supplies to men and women using those facilities. Please consider the purchase of one or more items from the following list. Items should be wrapped in white paper and will be called forward to be deposited at the altar rail/platform during the services. Items specific to men should be marked for West End Ministries and those for women to Leslie’s House. Thank you for your generosity!
| | |
DivorceCare Surviving the Holidays
After separation or divorce, your Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays won’t look the same as they used to. Traditions change. Some family members won’t be there. Social gatherings can feel stressful. But DivorceCare Surviving the Holidays can help! We are offering this 2-hour seminar on December 21st. This short event includes a video, sharing time, and a “Survival Guide” filled with tips and encouragement for managing the holidays after separation and divorce.
Register here
| | |
Christmas Eve Services
Join us this Christmas as we celebrate the true reason for the season. Each service on Christmas Eve will include communion and candlelight.
| | |
4:00 pm
Contemporary Christmas Eve Service
Fellowship Hall
5:00 pm
The 49th Annual LOVEFEAST
Sanctuary
8:00 pm
Traditional Christmas Eve Service
Sanctuary
11:00 pm
Midnight Christmas Eve Service
Sanctuary
| |
| |
Christmas Day Service
December 25th
10:00 am
There will be one service on Christmas morning in the Sanctuary. The Christmas Morning Service will be a blended service with an inspirational message by Dr. Jeff Patterson. Children are encouraged to attend in their pajamas and may bring one (non-noisy) toy.
| | |
December Announcements & Requests | | |
Fairview Backpack Program
Wesley Memorial will feed 33 children from Fairview Elementary School for 6 days during the Christmas break. Currently, we need ALL food items for our food pantry and we would like to ask everyone in the congregation to bring single serving food items to place in backpacks for the students at Fairview for Christmas break.
Ideas for items: individual juice boxes, individual milk boxes (non-perishable), individual cereal boxes/cups, pop tarts, granola bars, muffin packs, fruit packs/cans, individual containers of Chef Boyardee spaghetti, ravioli, beefaroni, small cans of pork and beans, mac and cheese cups, individual pudding cups, individual jello cups, cookies, chips, pretzels, rice krispy treats, goldfish
| | |
Christmas Offering
Your Local Missions and Community Impact team has designated Family Service of the Piedmont and our local Salvation Army as recipients for this year’s Christmas Offering. These organizations provide a source of shelter and essential care for mothers and children in our community that are fleeing dangerous domestic situations and inadequate housing. They are unique from other shelters in that they allow children to remain with their mothers at such a critical time. They also provide services aimed at preventing child abuse and human trafficking. For more information on their programs, email [email protected] or go to salvationarmycarolinas.org. As Wesley Memorial continues to seek ways to step into the lives of families and children facing a variety of challenges, please give prayerful consideration to supporting these two ministries with a generous Christmas offering. Thank you!
| | |
Staff Christmas Bonus
The Administrative Team invites the congregation to bless our staff with a financial gift at Christmas. To participate, please make a check out to WMUMC and mark “Staff Bonus” in the memo line. You may place your check in a Sunday offering plate, mail to the church, OR drop off at the Front Desk. You can also contribute online at wesleymemorial.org/give and select “Staff-Christmas Bonus” from the drop down options under “Fund.” Please make your contribution on or before Sunday, December 11. Thank you for helping us express gratitude to our wonderful staff and for your generous consideration!
| | | |
Wesley 100's Chicken Pies
In preparation for the annual chicken pie sale, the Wesley 100 is looking to borrow an electric/manual dough roller. The roller is needed December 8-9 and will need to be capable of making up to an 11” pie topper. If you or someone you know has access to a dough roller, please reach out to Carroll Brown at 336-689-0056.
Wesley 100 will be making chicken pies on December 8th and December 9th. Call the church office at 336-884-2204 or email [email protected] to order chicken pies. Pick-up will be Sunday, December 11 from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm in the Dining Hall. The cost is $15.00* per pie.
*This price may be adjusted based on cost
| | |
Christmas Memorials - We will Decorate the Entire Church for Christmas
You may order wreaths, poinsettias in honor or memory of your loved one. Because we are bringing back our traditional Lovefeast Service on Christmas Eve, we will offer new this year, Moravian Buns and candles to be used at the Lovefeast for you to purchase in memory or honor of your love ones in lots of $25, $50 or $100. Place your order now by calling Sue Schoch at 336-812-4806. Deadline for ordering is Monday, December 19. Your memorial will be listed in the December 25th bulletin.
| | |
End of Year Giving
The end of the year is fast approaching. At Wesley Memorial, our staff is happy to work with you to help you achieve your 2022 giving goals and intentions. Over and above our regular giving we can make additional financial gifts including gifts of stock and IRA distributions. Below are some options and timelines available to you. There are several ways to direct your generous year-end giving. All year-end giving to the church must be received by Friday, December 30th. Electronic giving must be received by Wednesday, December 28th. Call Beth Rose at 336-812-4801 for assistance with online giving, gifts of stock, or IRA distributions.
· Give at one of the remaining Sunday or Christmas Eve worship services (12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 12/24, 12/25)
· Mail check to 1225 Chestnut Drive, High Point, NC 27262 postmarked by 12/31
· Contribute on line at by clicking here before 12/28
· Use your bank's bill pay system by 12/26
· To gift stock or make an IRA distribution, ask for transfer completion by 12/28
· Bring your gift to the church office by 12/30 at 12 noon
Tax-deductible gifts received by the above deadlines will appear on your 2022 giving statement. Thank you for making a difference in countless lives in this community and around the world.
| | | |
January Sermon Series: Questions Worth Asking
Have a burning question about God, faith and more? Join us for our January sermon series called Questions Worth Asking, and we need your (anonymous) questions. We will incorporate answers to questions in each week of the series. Click the link below to let us hear from you!
Submit Questions Here
| | |
|
Look ahead and check out the
January 2023 calendar here.
| |
|
Steven is on renewal leave until January 8th, 2023. We have two young adult interns that will be the main contact for all student ministry events and programs until Steven's return.
Student Ministry Interns
Riley Phelps
cell: 336-862-0822
Jacob Kohns
cell: 336-816-6811
| | |
|
Call, text, or email anytime! Let us know how we can serve your family and pray for you.
Ann Marie Chilton
April Maines
Join the Wesley Memorial Kids Text List:
Text WMKIDS to 94000
| |
Bring your kids to Sunday Funday each week at 9:45 a.m. | | |
|
|
Wednesday Night Dinner with Wesley Memorial Kids
We all so enjoyed seeing the long table with all the children during their Friendsgiving Dinner on November 16th. Mark your calendar to attend the Wednesday Night Dinner on December 14th to see the kids at the long table again for their Christmas Party!
If you want to help with crafts or serving, please contact Ann Marie.
| | | |
|
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
THE ‘NORMAL’ NIGHT THAT TURNED EXTRAORDINARY
By: Libby Scandale
| |
|
It is a typical lively “Gospel and Games” Wednesday night with the Wesley Memorial kids….until it turns into something almost otherworldly.
On a recent Wednesday evening in the class for 1st - 5th graders, April had a great lesson planned on how we should not put God in a box.
In wise teacher fashion, she had brought in an empty, medium-sized cardboard box and was holding it up as an illustration, with the question presented to the group: “Can God fit in this box?“ :-)
Of course, the ‘right’ answer should have been a resounding shout from the children ‘NO’! And she did receive many no’s to her question.
However, three students raised their hands saying that yes, God could fit in that box. Intrigued, one of the adult helpers asked for each of those children to explain why they felt God could fit into that box.
The first girl who responded, eight years old (CC) said: “God can do anything, and He could make himself small enough to fit inside that box.” Wow…. well yes, God CAN do anything; what a great point!
The next student who spoke, A__, also eight years old said: “If you don’t love God, He’ll get smaller and smaller and smaller and He could then fit in that box.“
Ouch….how could we argue with that chilling truth?
The final response came from IN__, six years old, who said: “God can fit inside our hearts, and so He can fit inside that box.” By this point, the four adult leaders in that room were dumbfounded and almost in tears.
It was a very holy moment as we paused and realized the depth of these young children’s understanding -- not only of Scripture, and not only of expected answers in a church classroom. Their innocent responses touched the very heart of our eternal relationship with God and Christ and the Holy Spirit, and somehow managed to “answer” questions that theology students and PhDs in our highest institutions grapple with!
That evening we saw the literal meaning of Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:3 when He said: “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (ESV)
| |
Thank you for taking the time to read the December Monthly Memo from Wesley Memorial. May God bless you throughout the month and as you celebrate the birth of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. | | |
Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church Wishes You a Very Merry Christmas! | | | | |
