Dec 1
Visit southlyonfirstumc.org 
for more information
Worship
Sundays at 11:00am

  • Livestream Worship at 11AM on YouTube*
http://bit.ly/3k7Z3Eu
  • In-person in the Sanctuary

FACEMASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR WORSHIP
Months ago our Worship Team scheduled a Blue Christmas Service for December 1 at 7PM. A service for those who are struggling during the holidays. A place to name the sadness, fear, and anxieties that the holidays can bring. A place for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. A place to acknowledge the weariness of being in a pandemic, and the frustration of the injustices in our world. Now we add prayers for the Oxford Community. All are welcome tonight to come, to be where you are, to cry out, to light a candle, to draw close to God, and to find some hope and be reminded that we are not alone; the light of Christ is in the world. When we light the outdoor memorial tree after the service, for me, it will have an even deeper meaning, and a reminder that the Light of Christ is a beacon of hope for our world.
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Our Advent theme this year is Close to Home….what happened yesterday brings a whole different understanding to the theme, because this feels so close to home.
 
As I was eating lunch yesterday I learned of the school shooting in Oxford, Michigan. 
Three students are dead.
Eight more are injured.
A fifteen-year-old boy was taken into custody.
A town is forever changed by the trauma they experienced. 
For a long time all I could do was just just take deep breaths, then the tears flowed, and the anger started to rise. 

Why do things like this happen? These kinds of things are preventable. When will we treat one another better? When will we respond in love when we see brokenness instead of looking the other way? Prayers for the parents racing towards their children, tears for the families who would not be taking their children home. When will this stop? Is there hope for us?

I realized I was staring at my manager, looking at the scene…..then it happened...I heard God whispering in my heart through the ancient scriptures and the manager scene. The angel saying, “Fear not,” “The Lord is with you,” and then the reminder as I picked up the tiny baby Jesus, that Emmanuel, God with us, came into this world fully human and fully divine so that we would know of the great love that God has for all humanity. The world was broken and filled with violence then and it is today, but God still loved us enough to walk among us. God still loves us. If God will not give up on us being able to love and care for one another then I will not give up either. 

Breathe in, breathe out, allow the Holy Spirit to give you comfort during these days, but also allow Jesus to guide you. May Jesus guide us all to be better human beings, to look out into our world and to make a difference, to reach out to those who are hurting, and to help be part of young people's villages so that they know that they are not alone, and to remind them that they are a child of God, beautifully and wonderfully made. 

I truly love you all, Mary
HOLIDAY GRIEF SUPPORT
Grief is difficult and special days and holidays always seem to make it harder.

  • HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS on Dec 1st from 5:30-6:45PM is a discussion for those who have suffered a loss to help navigate the upcoming holiday season

  • BLUE CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SERVICE on Dec 1 at 7PM is a worship service for those for whom the Christmas season is a reminder of loss and difficult times. This service will be in-person in the sanctuary and online on YouTube. The Memorial Tree will be lit at the end of this service.
CAROLS AND COCOA DEC 4 at 4PM
Come and enjoy Carols and Cocoa on Dec 4 at 4PM. We will begin caroling at 4PM and end in time for the South Lyon Holiday Spectacular parade line up. Free Hot Cocoa will be served by Mrs. Claus and her helpers. Carols and Cocoa will take place in the front church parking lot, so please park in the back. Feel free to bring a chair if you are more comfortable sitting while singing. Bring a friend and spread the joy of the season!
If you wish to help, please click on the sign-up link or talk to Jen Denny.
BELL RINGING
Please sign up to ring to help Salvation Army on 12/4 or 12/11 at Kroger on 10 Mile Rd. Please go to this link to sign up:

MEMORIAL TREE LIGHTING DEC 1
Please consider donating to the South Lyon First Memorial Tree to honor the memory of your loved ones. Your loved one will be honored by name on Christmas Eve
and your loved one’s memory
will brighten the outside of the church.
To donate, please use the donation form
on the church website or pick up a form on the kiosk in the parlor.
MISSION OF THE MONTH
Our November Mission of the Month supports 2 organizations that fight human trafficking, The Sparrow Freedom Project (local) & Kingdom Home (Africa)
MEN'S FIRST SATURDAY BREAKFAST
On Dec 4th, attendees will have the option of in-person breakfast and program beginning at 7:30AM or the virtual program via Zoom beginning at 8AM. This “hybrid” approach allows you to choose whichever option best meets your needs of the day. In-person breakfast will be in the Friendship Room, accessed from door #6 at the back of the building. Contact the church office if you need Zoom joining instructions. We will continue with the “Where Are They Now?” series with a presentation by Chris Poiner who will share how he is living out his faith in awesome ways through campus ministry.
BOOK CLUB WITH REV MARY
DECEMBER 7 7PM
This book will be released in late October, the perfect time to read this book during November as the weather starts to change and we prepare for the holidays. This book is described as, “When Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist whose job is all sunshine and seventy-two-degree days, is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight or renegotiate its contract, the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is the very place Sonny’s been avoiding since the day she left for college—her northern Michigan hometown.
To distract herself from the memories she's spent her life trying to outrun, Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But with someone trying to undermine her efforts to rebuild her career, Sonny must make peace with who she used to be and allow her heart to thaw if she’s ever going to find a place she can truly call home.” We will meet to discuss this book on December 7th. Happy Reading!
YOGA MONDAYS at 6PM
In-person yoga has moved back to the chapel. Join us at 6PM on Mondays. Contact the church office or Ronda Barnes for details.
VISIT THE CHURCH LIBRARY
Did you know the church library has books for you to take home & read?

Currently, there are
*Christmas themed fiction,
*Daily devotions,
*”Left behind” series,
*Nonfiction,
and many others.

These books are on a double sided book rack parked in the library.

There are also puzzles on the shelves for you to take and enjoy over the holidays.
HELP WANTED FOR DRAMA & DRAMATIC READINGS
If you are interested and would be willing to participate in a drama or dramatic reading in 2022, please contact Kendi.
MINISTRY CENTER UPGRADES AT GCCP
How can a $100 gift be quadrupled overnight? Read on to find out! Many of us have had our lives changed while doing mission work with our partners at God’s Country Cooperative Parish.  This winter they are requesting donations from “friends of the parish” to help fund the build-out of the kitchen/dining room space and provide heating at their ministry center in Newberry. The kitchen will primarily be used by mission teams like ours who are working in the community and staying at the center. The on-demand heating of key rooms will allow the clothes and furniture closet ministries to operate year-round.

Total budget for the combined projects is $135,000 and two members of the parish have committed to funding half of that total with matching funds! But it doesn’t stop there. One of our South Lyon First families has offered to also match every dollar donated to this cause by families in our congregation. That’s how a $100 gift becomes $400 overnight! If you feel led to help with these projects, simply make a check out to our church in whatever amount you choose and write “God’s Country Kitchen” on the memo line. Drop the check in the offering or at the church office. We plan to receive all donations by Dec. 30th and mail the matched amount to GCCP at year-end. Questions may be directed to Dave Smith.
Please also keep our prayer partners in your devotions:  
Bethlehem Temple UMC – our sister church in Liberia
Helen Roberts-Evans – our covenant missionary in Liberia
Local Ministry Partners – Capernaum Health Clinic & Active Faith
The United Methodist Church
GENEROSITY COMMITMENT FORMS
It is not too late to turn in your Generosity Commitment Form! We are asking that you read the form, pray over it and faithfully respond as to how God is asking you to up to Step Up in 2022 with your prayers, your presence, your service, your witness and your gifts. Hopefully you received a form in the mail. If not, it can be found on our website in Calendar & Events>Forms. You can return your commitment form via mail, email to Lindy Juergens, at the church office or at the dropbox at door #4.

GIVING OPTIONS

  • Visit our website https://www.southlyonfirstumc.org/giving
  • Use our giving app on your phone, Vanco Faith Engagement
  • Use our text-to-give option by texting to 855-947-0586 with the dollar amount in the message
  • Call Vanco at 1-800-675-7430 to make a credit card donation over the phone
  • Drop off a check in our drop-box at door #4 at the church. 
  • Mail a check to SLFUMC, 640 S. Lafayette St., South Lyon, MI 48178

Office Hours
  • Mondays 9am - 3:00pm
  • Tuesdays - Thursdays 9am - noon
Check out our website or our live calendar
for more information about our church or any of these programs!

Do you prefer a printed copy of our Midweek Messenger? Hard copies are available in the tote outside the main doors to the church.