Waterville UMC Ambassador

December 2021

Dear Church Family,

As we enter the season of Advent let us each consider that this is the time to get in the habit of attending worship together. One of the special aspects this year is children being involved in worship each week. Let us gather to give God the Glory for being with us always.

The season of Advent is a great time of preparation and anticipation as we celebrate of the birth of our Savior, Jesus. During Advent we are reminded of God preparing the way for the birth our savior, Jesus.

God prepared the way by sending Gabriel to announce to Zechariah that Elizabeth would have a child who was to be named John. Even though they were old this promise was fulfilled. John the Baptist, their son prepared the people for Jesus as he proclaimed the message of repentance in advance of Jesus ministry.

Gabriel announced to Mary that she had found favor with God and would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a son.

The angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the fields nearby. When the shepherds went looking for this new born baby they found him in a manger just as they had been told and they were amazed.

God is still preparing the way for us to fully experience the hope, peace, joy and love that have been promised. During this season of Advent let us all seek to discover where God is at work in our lives and then join God there as one of the ways we prepare for our Christmas celebration.

In all the activity around Christmas the real message can very easily get lost; the message that God sent His son into the world that we may experience eternal life. With all the parties, gift buying, traveling to family gatherings and the extra activities with our children and grandchildren it is easy to forget that we are celebrating Jesus birthday, the beginning of the greatest gift every given, the gift of life in Christ.

How might this Christmas be different if we took a little extra time each day to look for where God is at work in our lives? To pause and purposely seek the direction of the Holy Spirit in everything circumstance.

May this Advent Season be a great blessing.

Pastor Mike

Our Vision – Share, Celebrate, and Teach God’s Love

Our Mission – Serve. Connect. Love. Give.

10:30 AM

Opportunities to worship and praise the Lord with WUMC:

In Sanctuary

In Courtyard - Please bring your own chair.

Park in car near the church and tune to FM 90.5.

Live Stream via You Tube at www.watervilleumc.org.

Watch the recording of the worship service on-line when available at www.watervilleumc.org.

Praises to the Lord!

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MOC Luncheon

Thursday 11/4

We served 16 of our brothers in Christ!

Would you like to volunteer to help serve lunch? Contact Barb Crandall to sign up!

Ministry of Construction Report

November saw much progress in the new building and lots of activity for the Ministry of Construction. Meals were served Nov. 4 and 18, thank you Becky Allison, Barb Crandall, and M & M Bible Study women. December 2 is still available for a meal along with dates in January, February, and March. Weekly hospitality continues with snacks and beverages. Contact Barb Crandall and she will get you all signed up for either one. Weekly sweeping crew is going along very well. Even if no one has signed up at church, people come forward during the week and each weekend has been covered. More miraculously, the times chosen by the workers has fit into our schedule perfectly. God is good!! If interested in helping the cleaning crew, which only takes an hour each week, contact Paul and Cherl Matla at 419-341-9431 and leave a message or sign up on the bulletin board at church. Prayers and WAN bags continue as an outreach to the construction workers as a way to show them God's love.

As the construction continues, please pray for more workers and that supplies will arrive on time. Much is done, but much needs to progress as we give thanks this month for all those involved in the construction. As we enter December and Advent, prepare yourself for the coming of our Lord Jesus and continue to support our building project with your prayers, gifts, and service.

Paul and Cherl Matla, MOC Directors

New Beginnings Ministry of Construction Teams! We have opportunities to serve and make a difference in the lives of those building our New Beginnings Building. See the worship bulletin and the bulletin board for details! Sign up sheets are on the bulletin boards.

The Sale of 102 North Fifth Street

We continue to have interested groups tour our

present building. To entice some more interest

we have reduced the price from $455,000 down to $445,000.

Please continue to spread the word about our

building being up for sale.

Your Team in charge for the sale includes:

Christina Wielgopolski

Steve Crandell

Penn Pritchett

Jim Page

Spread the Word!!

Please pray for the Lord's guidance as we move through this process.

Independent Bible Study and Activities

CLICK HERE FOR THE DECEMBER BIBLE READING

There are also apps through Bible Gateway and You Version to help guide you through this experience. Choose the one that works for you!

The December HomeTouch is another source of reading the Bible. Start today! There are also fun word games that we share in the weekly blast.

Click on HomeTouch picture to open. OR...check the bulletin board, we post copies each month...OR if you know someone who may enjoy receiving the monthly HomeTouch in the mail, we do have a mailing list we can add them to.

The prayer team is asking for the support of the rest of the congregation to join them in praying specifically for the the Prayer focus of the month.

December's Theme - Jesus comes with The Gifts of Peace, Joy, Love, Hope

December 5^th: The Gift of Hope

December 12^th: The Gift of Peace

December 19^th: The Gift of Joy

December 26 ^th : The Gift of Love

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRAYER FOCUS

Click for Youth Alive Schedule

“The Special Offerings, which are collected on Thanksgiving and Christmas, are designated for the WUMC Building Fund. There are special envelopes for these that are separate from any General Fund giving. Thank you for your generosity! From the Missions Team”

Missions Committee Focus for December 2021

Susie's Coats for Kids provides new coats, hats, scarves, gloves/mittens, blankets, and other warm apparel to needy children in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Susan Perry, the founder, believes when children are warm, they feel safe and more hopeful about their future.

The need is very great. Recently, they had requests for 400 coats from two organizations in the area. Monetary donations are also needed to purchase items.

In the past, we haven't focused on infant and toddler sizes. There is a GREAT need for those items!

Thanks in advance for all you do!

Please hang your items on the coat rack or place in the box underneath.

"Teacher's Toolbox is a new outreach ministry that has developed in our partnership with Waterville Primary School. Three times during the school year, notecards with a list of school supplies will be dropped off to the teachers at Waterville Primary. The teachers will be able to itemize the list in regards to what supplies they may need for their classroom or individual student needs. The list of supplies needed will be returned to our Project with a Purpose team here at the church and the supply orders will be fulfilled for the teachers. This will be an ongoing ministry so any school supply donations are welcome throughout the year. Please contact Bobbie Westfall or Stephanie Shelton if you have questions about this new ministry. Thank you for your support!"

At the end of first quarter, we had 15 teachers turn in their Teacher Toolbox request form for supplies. Our Waterville Primary Ministry is working on fulfilling the requests with the donated supplies! We also received some prayer requests from the teachers which the team will be praying for. Thank you for the support of this new ministry.

Missions Committee Update

OCC Boxes for 2021

WUMC 223

Boxes collected at Drop Off Site 1356

Cartons loaded 94

Number of volunteers 17

Volunteer hours. 96.5

Thank you again to all who packed and donated shoeboxes, built a box online, made a monetary donation, prayed for the children that will receive these Gospel Opportunities, set up the collection site and tore it down, manned the collection site, loaded and delivered the boxes! And a huge thank you to John Spilker of Waterville bodyworks who brought employees with him to load the 94 cartons in his trailer and deliver them to our relay center on Laskey Rd.

NOVEMBER ATTENDANCE

November 7: 140

November 14: 161

November 21: 139

November 28: 99

November Card Ministry Liaison

Amy Hankins

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Please reach out to her at ahank0530@gmail.com if you know of someone who needs an encouraging words through a card. Words of love can change a moment and often a life's direction.

With the holidays fast approaching, SPRC wanted to send out a reminder to remember our staff this holiday season. If you wish to give a gift here is a list of our current staff:

Pastor -- Mike Denman

Youth -- Adam and Stephanie Shelton

Office -- Kourtney Hanenkratt

Pianist -- Olga Topuzova-Meade

Custodian -- Art Meade

Nursery -- Jenni Bollinger and Sara Shoemaker

Worship Leader -- Andrea Kaufhold