2015 December Newsletter - First United Methodist Church

The
Pillar
First United Methodist Church
Dec. 2015 Salina, Ks
pg. 2
Christmas
at the movies
Children’s advent activity
UMW
Christmas
Cantata
It’s time for a taste of
Christmas
pg. 4
FUMC Staff
Rev. Eric D. Rook
eric@salinafirst.com
Pastor
Scott Jagodzinske
scottj@salinafirst.com
Youth, Young Adults & Missions
Barbara Balser
barbarab@salinafirst.com
Children’s Ministries
Susan Winston
susanw@salinafirst.com
Children/Adult A. & Parish Care
J.D. Garber
jd@salinafirst.com
Communications Director
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time
when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely,
for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
And he will be our peace…” Micah 5:2-5a (my emphasis)
W
hat are we supposed to Jesus came to rule in our hearts
do?
and minds with the peace that
Reports of bombings in surpasses all understanding.
Paris flooded the media outlets
As you prepare for Christmas,
last week.
read these verses from Micah
Today we have news of Turkey regularly. Let them remind you
taking out two Russian fighter of who Jesus is and why God sent
jets.
His One and Only son.
In case those
Instead of
events don’t
letting Christmas
Instead of letting
cause enough
stress you out
stress, now
this year, let the
Christmas stress you out
it’s time to
Christmas Child
this year, let the Christmas
go Christmas
Child give you peace. Thank give you peace.
shopping!
Thank you,
you,
God,
for
the
first
and
These are
God, for the first
still the best Christmas gift
precarious
and still the best
ever given.
times!
In
Christmas
gift
case you are
ever given!
wondering,
we live in a fallen world!
May you have a Peaceful
There are many uncertainties Christmas and Powerful 2016,
in life and things we just cannot
control.
Is responding in fear inevitable? Pastor Eric
Micah, in troubled times,
proclaimed the opposite! The
prophet foretold the Messiah
who would “shepherd his flock in
the strength of the Lord.” Micah
prophesied of living “securely”
because “…he (Messiah) will be
our peace.”
Christmas is our reminder
of the peace and reign of the
King of kings and Lord of lords.
“
”
The Pillar
Nov. 2015
pg.3
Sandy Arcayan
Sandy@salinafirst.com
Businesss Administrator
Steve Griffin
Kingdom’s Call
Lyric Cairns
Bell Choir
Children’s Choir Accomp.
Larry Johnson
Custodian
Tyler Breneman
Organist
Dennis Toews
Sanctuary Choir
Stacy Jagodzinske
Children’s Choir
Childcare Givers
Emeryld Wills
Beth Wolsieffer
Childcare Assistants
Madeline Harris
Anlyn Arb
Diana Geist
Kyah Arcayan
Lauren Eitel
Great Plains Conf. Bishop
Bishop Scott Jones
District Superintendent
Rev. Delores Williamston
About First Church
Worship Services are Sundays
at 8:25 a.m. Traditional &
11 a.m. Contemporary service.
Sunday school for all ages
begins at 9:40 a.m.
Christmas & New Year Holiday December
24-28 & Dec. 30-Jan. 1 Church Office Closed
Taste of Christmas
Feature
UMW
Circle Meetings
Circle #1
Monday, Dec. 8
1:30 p.m. at First Church
Circle #2
Wednesday, Dec. 2
6 p.m. at First Church
Circle #3
Thursday, Dec. 10
9:30 a.m. at First Church
Circle #4
Thursday, Dec. 10
2 p.m. at Salina CC
Circle #5
Thursday, Dec. 10
2 p.m. at Presbyterian Manor
Circle #6
Thursday, Dec. 10
7 p.m. at Joy Gawiths
Christmas Dinner
Circle #7
Thursday, Dec. 17
7 p.m. at Janet Fishers
It’s time for a Taste of Christmas
Who: Taste of Christmas is decorate their own cookies for a
sponsored by the United Meth- small donation.
odist Women. Everyone is invited to attend and enjoy.
When: From 4- 7 p.m. on Dec. 4
Where: Fellowship hall
Santa at 6 p.m.
How Much: Soup for adults
What: Come enjoy a warm will be $5 in advance, $6 at the
bowl of chicken noodle soup or door. Refills will be $1.
Chili.
Children ages 5-10 are $3 in
Cookies will be for sale - $6 advance, $4 at the door.
per pound.
Santa will show up to read a
story and take photos.
Speciality Christmas Goodies
for sale as well.
Children will also be able to
our
Support
Missions!
Facebook Thankful
During Worship on Nov. 22 some members participated in
showing thanks for loved ones or our FUMC Congregation check out some of their posts below:
The Pillar Prayer
pg.5
inour
Prayers
Our Prayer Ministry: We
believe in the power of
prayer.
We would like to be
teaching you to pray or
praying for you.
Prayer List: The Family of Glen Eaton,
The Family of Frank McBride, Susan
Winston, Richard Geist, Jon Isin, Dianne
Cairns, Norma Wilson, JoAnn McKee,
Arvin Trent, Mel McIntire, Betty Carter,
Velta Sloan, Evelyn Amend, Gretchen
Morgenstern, Robert Leiker, Lavonne
Rupert, Deanne Lull, Bill Harris, Eleanor
Banker, Verla Cott, Bill Dreese, Janet
Dyck, Nathalie Harvey, Shirley Isin, June
Jennison, Lyle Johnson, Gene & Sara Ann
Johnson, Lucille Lightner, Bob Lindsley,
Loren Marler, Frank Mitchell, Mary
Olson, Jack O’Neal, Shirley Peterson,
Danielle Pickens, Sarah Raman, Joann
Stubby, Ronald Sutton, Lavonne Sutton,
Eleanor Switzer, Pat Young, Earlene
Zimmerman
Christmas Eve Services
time change - join us Dec. 24 at
5 p.m. & 9 p.m. (Candlelight service)
Contact the church office or email
susanw@salinafirst.com.
Prayer Group has moved to
1 p.m. on Wednesdays in the
Prayer Room.
Nov. 2015
pg.6
The Pillar
SHINE
Hey 4th and 5th Graders!
We have a fellowship time just for you to get
together for mission, fun, and fellowship! It’s
called “Shine,” and will meet once a month.
Stacy Jagodzinske and Bea Janzen will be your
group leaders.
Invite your friends and come let your light shine!
Questions? Call Susan Winston at the church
office 785-825-0228
“Let your light shine before people, so they can see
the good things your do and praise your Father who
is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Dec. 20
Sign up by reply Card –located
in by youth room, in main office
or sign up online
Youth Christmas
Skating Party
ICE
A day of fun, skating, eating, sharing white elephant gifts, food and
more! Sign up and join in!
Cost: $25 . Sign up by
December 15th.
What’s this?
Your chance
to be a part of
helping to feed
hungry Children
Signup to help with
the MobilePack
event here http://
bit.ly/1kALr50.
Order your
Poinsettias
Now
$10 each
A great way to remember a
loved one.
QuarterMania for Feed My Starving Children
Orders due
& will arrive
Dec. 11
An opportunity for all generations
to get involved this Christmas:
Living Nativity Scene Dec. 5
Sign up in church office or Online @
http://bit.ly/1Qr3qHG.
We invite you to join us in being a part
of the hunger solution through this Feed
My Starving Children MobilePack.
This is an opportunity to learn about
hunger related issues, pray for those in
need, raise funds to cover the cost of
meals and pack meals for the hungry.
Through this powerful event, we can
impact the lives of thousands of children.
QuarterMania is your opportunity to
help provide the funds needed to reach
the MobilePack goal that has been set for
January 18, 2016 at Kansas Wesleyan.
QuarterMania M&M tubes are available in the Circle Drive lobby, look for
the Feed My Starving Children giving
tree.
Feed My Starving Children is a nonprofit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in
body and spirit. The approach is simple:
children and adults hand-pack meals
specifically formulated for malnourished children, and we ship the meals
to nearly 70 countries around the world.
Great Job with Operation
Christmas Child!
We sent 265 boxes this
Christmas. 25 more than
last year!
The Thread (Sundays 9:40
am)
We are in a year-long study
that is going to change the
way we look at the Bible. It’s
called The Thread, and it’s
designed to accomplish two
things.
First, we will learn the bigpicture story of Scripture. So
many of us simply don’t have
a grasp of the narrative of the
Bible. Key characters. Key
events. Few of us understand
how these elements fit into
the story of God and His
people. The Thread aims to
change this.
Second, we will learn what
the Gospel is, and how it
literally courses through the
narrative of the Bible. Not
only will we learn the story
of the Bible, but they will see
that it is a story of unfailing
love, as God seeks from the
beginning of Creation to
draw humankind to Him
through the grace of the
Gospel. The Thread will
teach us God’s story. And
it will teach us about how
God wove His thread of love
through every page of it.
I am extremely excited to
be taking our students on
this journey. Pray for our
teenagers and the others
walking through this Bible
study.
The Pillar Youth
& Kids
Wednesday Nights
at MS MYF
J
Saturday December 12 10-11:30 Children’s Christmas Program Rehearsal
11:30 Lunch
12:00-2:00 Children’s Activities – Children will participate in a
hand’s on experiencing Bethlehem the day after
Children’s Advent Event “Come to Bethlehem and See…”
esus’ life, constantly reminds
us of the unconditional and
sacrificial love of God. I love
the old Russian proverb that
says, “He who has this disease
called Jesus Christ will never
be cured.”
I am convinced that if you
seriously study the life of Jesus
you will never be the same. An
encounter with Jesus Christ
always makes our lives different. Sometimes it makes us
uncomfortable- revealing to
us a life-style grown stagnantand other times it inspires us
or gives us hope.
Christmas Musical Update
The weeks are quickly passing
and Dec.13th will be here before
we know it! Please plan for K-5th
children to be in Rm 300 ready
to sing each Sunday morning
by 9:40AM. They are working so
hard.
This year our Musical is called,
“Shepherds, Sheep and a Savior.”
On a hill just outside of Bethlehem, lowly shepherds were
tending their sheep at night.
They didn’t get much company
out there. They may have been at
the bottom of the social ladder,
but God chose shepherds to be
the first ones to see the Savior!
Super important dates:
Wed. Dec. 9th 6-7 PM in
Sanctuary
Sat. Dec. 12th 10-11:30 AM in
Sanctuary
December Birthdays & Anniversaries
12/6 Diane Anderson
12/7 Karen Strait, Doug Jarvis & Holly Rook
12/8 Richard Walters
12/9
Steve & Agnes Wilderman 1988
Pearson, Lisa Sankey, Jordan
12/14 Juliana
12/24 Betty Glatt & Jackson Scott
Drane & Dakota Skalinder
Doug & Roxann Church
O’Neal, Janie Hicks &
12/15 Jack
Kaitlyn Giest
Baughan, Helen Graves &
12/16 Jim
Macey Reid
Alt, Jerry Gutierrez,
12/17 Doug
Leighton LaPierre & Elijah
Winters
12/18 Mike Hickel & Bobbie Thomas
12/19 Hudson Burger
Bradley & Gracia Matlack 2009
12/10 Vernon Olson & Angela Fairbanks
12/11 Susan Stateham
Fehr, Ted Harder, Dona
12/12 Alice
Irwin, Travis Swolensky & Macie
12/20 Baylee Potts
12/13 Mason May
12/22 Brianna Grandy
Geiger, Jeanne Swisher
12/23 Larry
& Joslyn Peterson
Taddiken
12/21
Marshall & Janice Stanton 1956
Althea Rice & Gary Cassel
Eric & Kelly Moore 1996
Cooper & Tamara
12/25 Dean
Harris,
Burchfield, Sophia Harris &
12/26 Adam
Jonathan May
12/27 Mike Tremblay & Amy Kraus
12/28
David & Debbie Sellers 2006
12/29 Roberta Dreese & Sing Carter
Eric & Holly Rook 2007
Huiett, Dennis Gilberg,
12/30 Tom
Carolyn Purdue & Matt Winkel,
12/31
Drew Fields
Joy Hart, Bradley Robinson,
Ashleigh Wilderman, Charleigh
Vaughan & Hank Morgan
James & Sally Thorp 1961
Jessica & Coty Harris 2010
connect
12/1 Sarah Raman
Rhea, Stephanie Kuhlman & Tyler
12/2 Kenneth
Winters
Morris II, Barb Balser, Dirk Speed &
12/3 Jack
Conner Tillman