The Shepherd - December 1, 2015

THE SHEPHERD THE NEWSLETTER OF NEWNAN FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

CONTENTS

Page 2 Music & Church-wide

Page 3 Church-wide

Page 4 Advent Calendar

33 Greenville Street | Newnan, GA 30263 | P 770.253.7400 F 770.253.7404 | NewnanFUMC.org

Worship: 8:30 & 11 A.M. Traditional | 11 A.M. Contemporary Office Hours: M-F 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

INVITE. INCLUDE. INVOLVE. Newnan First United Methodist

Church exists to invite, include, and involve all people in knowing Christ

and making Christ known.

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

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Photos

Reporting & Church-wide

2-week Calendar

Preschool

Find us on:

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 | 10:00am SANCTUARY

No Sunday School this day.

CHRISTMAS CHOIR WORSHIP SERVICE

& PROGRAM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 & MONDAY, DECEMBER 14

6:00PM | SANCTUARY

Join us for a special program of Christmas music presented by all of the church’s

choirs! Arrive early to get a good seat!

The Shepherd Newsletter December 1, 2015

JOY TREES

All cards have been picked up!

Thank you so much!

Gifts should be returned by

December 6 at the latest to the 2nd floor of the Annex Building. They can also be left

in the Gathering Room.

Preferred drop-off times are: 12/4 from 9a-4p; 12/5 from 10-noon; 12/6

from 9a-1p.

Make sure the card with the child’s name and number is attached to or

inside the bag.

SPECIAL MUSIC SERVICE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 8:30 & 10:55 TRADITIONAL

SERVICES

Join us at one of these services for some special Christmas music

provided by our Chancel and Carol Choirs & orchestra!

MUSIC NOTES YOUTH CHOIR The fruit truck will be here at 8am this Saturday, December 5. Please be here to help unload the truck, sort, and deliver your fruit!

JOYBELLS Please meet at Piedmont Newnan Hospital at 6:30pm on Thursday, December 3 as we set up to ring at 7:30pm

CHERUB CHOIR You have a special rehearsal in the Sanctuary on Sat., Dec. 12 @ 9am. You will be finished by 9:45am.

CHANCEL CHOIR You have a special rehearsal in the Sanctuary on Sat., Dec. 12 from 10-12. The Carol Choir will join us at 11:30am.

-David Kinrade

The Shepherd Newsletter December 1, 2015 ADVENT CALENDAR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1 Men’s Prayer Breakfast: 7:00am WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2 Mid-week Communion: 5:00pm (C) Wednesday Night Supper: 5:15-6:30pm (PH) December Birthdays Recognized THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 “Fear This For Life” Teen Driver’s Training: 5:30-8:30pm (C) Fun ‘n Frolic: Best Christmas Pageant Ever: 6:30 Joybells play for Piedmont Newnan Tree Lighting: 7:30pm FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 Preschool: 4s & Ks sing @ Barnes & Noble: 11:00am Children’s Christmas Pageant Rehearsal: 4- 5:30pm (S) Khevreh SS Class Christmas Party: 6:30pm (Harlan’s Home) Christians Seeking Christ SS Class Christmas Party: 6:30pm (Daniell’s Home) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 Fruit Day: 8:00am (PH) Agape SS Class Christmas Party: 6:30pm (Tamplin’s Home) UTH Christmas Party: 7-10pm (YL) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 (2nd Sunday of Advent) Worship Services: 8:30 & 10:55 (S) & 11 (PH) Children’s Christmas Pageant: 10am (S) Enjoy this pageant as our children present the Christmas story through music and narration. This will be in place of Sunday School for everyone. MasterWorks Chorale Concert: 3pm (Centre for Performing Arts) GLOW Run: 6pm (Ashley Park) Come support Bridging the Gap at their annual 5K & 1 mile Fun Run! TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8 Job Networking: 6pm (PH) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 Mid-week Communion: 5pm (C) Wednesday Night Supper: 5:15-6:30pm (PH) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 Martha Fuller SS Class Outing: 4-9pm A Service of Comfort & Healing: 7pm (S)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 (continued) Cherub Choir Rehearsal: 9am (S) Chancel Choir Rehearsal: 10am (S) Seekers SS Christmas Party: TBA Newnan Christmas Parade: 6pm If you come to the parade, be sure to stop

by the Parish Hall lobby and join us for hot chocolate, cookies, restroom needs, and a chance to warm up!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 (3rd Sunday of Advent) Next Steps: 9:45-10:30 (PH) New members and interested guests are

invited to learn more about the church and all available ministries. RSVP by calling the church office or online by clicking the banner.

Worship Services: 8:30 & 10:55 (S) & 11 (PH) At our Traditional services, special music will

be presented by our Carol and Chancel choirs along with orchestra.

O Holy Night: 6pm (S) MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 O Holy Night: 6pm (S) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15 Swingin’ Singin’ Seniors Christmas Party: 11am (Sides’ Home) Henry Kitchens SS Class Christmas Party: 6pm (Wesley Woods)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16 UTH: Last day to sign up for Ski Retreat Christmas in Coweta Distribution: 9am (PH) Chancel Choir Christmas Party: 6pm (Tom & Katie Garrett’s Home) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 Martha Fuller SS Class Christmas Party: 6pm (Wesley Woods) Stephen Ministry Christmas Dinner: 6:30pm SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 (4th Sunday of Advent) Worship Services: 8:30 & 10:55 (S) & 11 (PH) Birthday Party for Jesus: 9:45-10:30am (PH) This will be for children grades 2-5. Polly Crowley SS Class Christmas Party: 3pm MONDAY, DECEMBER 21 Church-wide Night of Caroling: 6-8ish (PH) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24 (Christmas Eve) Christmas Eve Worship: 4, 7, & 11 in the

Sanctuary | 5:30 in the Parish Hall. Childcare Offered at 4, 5:30, & 7. (Preaching: Stuart @ 4 & 7; JoAn @ 5:30; Maria @ 11)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27 No Sunday School | One Combined Service @ 11


CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND YEAR END: WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU, THE CHURCH, AND THE IRS

Contributors must deliver checks on or by December 31st, 2015 in order to claim a charitable contribution deduction for 2015. Checks that are placed in the church offering during the first worship service in 2016 will not qualify for a charitable contribution deduction in 2015, even if the check is predated to 2015 or was actually written in 2015. However, checks that are written, mailed, and postmarked in 2015 will be deductible in 2015 though they are not received by the church until 2016. The deadline for contributions received in the mail postmarked December 31, 2015 is January 5, 2016. Any contributions received after this date will be applied to 2016. To ensure the deductibility of your church contributions, please do not file your 2015 income tax return until you have received your year-end contribution statement from the church. Under IRS rules, you may lose your deduction for some or all of your contributions if you file your tax return before receiving a written acknowledgement of your 2015 contributions from the church. Year-end contribution statements will be mailed and postmarked no later than January 31, 2016. If you are donating stock, please allow at least four weeks for the funds to be transferred to the church by December 31st or you may miss all of the above deadlines! If the deadlines are missed, your stock contribution will be applied to 2016. -Thank you, The Finance Office

COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS

A donation box is located in the Gathering room to help keep the pantry shelves filled to

serve our local families in need. Common items needed include: peanut butter, rice,

soup, canned vegetables, spaghettis sauce, canned fruit, diapers, hygiene items, etc.

Items will be transferred to One Roof/Community Pantry. No expired items,

please!

BTG CHRISTMAS GIFT DISTRIBUTION

Bridging the Gap needs 8-10 people to help distribute the Christmas gifts BTG collects for

local families to 50 families in the Parish Hall on Wednesday, December 16 beginning at 9 a.m. The families will be coming here…no deliveries.

Also, we will need refreshments while the families wait their turns. If you are interested in

helping, contact Brenda Hall: 770.252.3096

WEDNESDAY MENU

DECEMBER 2 Swiss chicken & rice

DECEMBER 9 Ham, sweet potatoes, & peas

(Note: This will be the last WNS until Jan. 6)

CHRISTMAS CAROLING

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21 | 6-8ish Meet in the Parish Hall @ 6pm

The group will travel to some homes and sing some traditional & some “fun” Christmas songs for our homebound church members who can’t

get out to enjoy the Christmas season. ALL ages are welcome! We will travel by bus or

carpool.

Rain or shine! Dress appropriately for the weather. Bring a small flashlight or booklight if needed for song sheets. Cider, hot chocolate, &

cookies after we sing!


(top/left) Preschool Thanksgiving Feast; (below) Women’s Evening

Gala (feat. Kim Gravel from Kim of Queens)


Friendship Committee Merilyn Mortensen

110 Edgeworth Rd. | Apt. 1400 Newnan, GA 30263

770.251.5939

Baptism Hudson Mattox Harrison—son of Henry &

Courtney Cole and Chad & Erica Harrison—was baptized on Sunday, November 29.

Birthday (90+) Mary Williams – December 7

November 29th Reporting Attendance

Worship Services Total 525 (8:30—121; 10:55—292; Connect—112) Sunday School 321 Church Membership 2280

Year-to-Date Financial Report Week Ending: 11/14/2015 Week #45 Total Tithes & Income $ 1,216,639 Total Expenses $ 1,315,120 Over/(Under) $ (98,481) Annual Budget $ 1,624,565 Capital Budget $ --------- Total Church Budget $ 1,624,565 DECEMBER 6TH

Official Greeters: All Church Members Head Ushers: Kim Duncan (8:30) Byron Keene (10:55) Acolytes: Lilly Arnall, Robin Frances Rice (8:30) Ava Elder, Nolen Huey (10:55) Crucifer: Grayson Porras (10:55) Sunday School Greeters: Life in the Spirit Sunday School Class Sound Technicians: Jeff Williams, Thomas Coursey

DECEMBER 13TH Official Greeters: All Church Members Head Ushers: Kim Duncan (8:30) Byron Keene (10:55) Acolytes: Ella Stanford, Josephine Hinely (8:30) Madeline Elliott, Wyatt Welden (10:55) Crucifer: Mason Dewberry (10:55) Sunday School Greeters: Life in the Spirit Sunday School Class Sound Technicians: Jeff Williams, Thomas Coursey IN MEMORIAM

Don Denney 3/21/1939 – 11/25/2015

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” -Psalm 23:6

IN MEMORIAM

Lane Holstun 12/12/1938 – 11/27/2015

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” -Psalm 23:6

THANK YOU! Thank you from the Grove!! A heartfelt thanks to

everyone who had anything to do with the Women’s Gala. To the men who served the ladies.

We sooooo appreciate the ladies being able to enjoy their meals with your kind souls helping out.

To all the ladies who provided that table full of delicious desserts. Wow! There was such a

wonderful selection. Many women came away with 4-5 desserts on their plates! Couldn't pick just one!

To the ladies who stayed in the kitchen cooking, cleaning, serving. It was fun, but a lot of work! To

the ladies who decorated the tables. The decorations were incredible and beautiful. Hard to beat that next year! AND to all of the ladies who attended the event. The ticket sales has provided

the Grove Ministry with a nice cushion of money to help out others when in need. You will never know how much your attendance at such an event will affect someone in need. Kim Gravel delivered a

wonderful message with lots of laughter. It was a fabulous evening! Thank you to ALL. We were

blessed!


SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 8:30am Traditional Worship Service (S) 10:00am Children’s Christmas Pageant (S) 10:55am Traditional Worship Service (S) 11:00am Connect Worship Service (PH) 5:00pm Youth Choir Rehearsal (CR)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7 4:30pm Joybells Rehearsal (BR) 5:45pm Inspirations Rehearsal (CR) 6:45pm MasterWorks Rehearsal (CR)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8

9:30pm Swingin’ Singin’ Seniors (CR) 2:30pm Parkinson’s Support Group (GR) 6:00pm Job Networking (PH) 6:15pm DivorceCare (Annex) 6:30pm Spiritual Formation Team Mtg (201)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 4:15pm GROW (207/209) Cherub Choir (203) Wesley Choir (CR) Young Ringers (BR) 5:00pm Mid-week Communion (C) 5:15pm Carol Choir (CR) Wednesday Night Supper (PH) 5:45pm Parish Choir (CR) 6:30pm Study: Let’s Talk (203) 6:45pm Chancel Choir (CR)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 6:00pm Chrysalis Board Meeting (GR) 7:00pm Connect Band Rehearsal (PH) Service of Prayer & Healing (S)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11

LAST DAY OF PRESCHOOL for 2015

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 9:00am Cherub Choir Rehearsal (S) 10:00am Chancel Choir Rehearsal (S) 6:00pm Newnan Christmas Parade

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 8:30am Traditional Worship Service (S) 9:45am Sunday School Next Steps (PH) 10:55am Traditional Worship Service (S) 11:00am Connect Worship Service (PH) 6:00pm O Holy Night (S)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 6:00pm O Holy Night (S)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15 7:00pm Men’s Prayer Breakfast (GR) 9:30am Prayer Shawl Ministry (GR) 11:00am Swingin’ Singin’ Seniors Christmas Party (John & Claudette Sides’)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16 6:45pm Chancel Choir Party (CR)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 6:30pm Stephen Ministry Supervision (203) 7:00pm Connect Band Rehearsal (PH)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19

SERVICE OF COMFORT & HEALING

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 7:00PM | SANCTUARY

- a quiet service of hope -

We acknowledge that the Advent and Christmas season can be a difficult, lonely, and less-than-joyful time for people who have lost a loved one, are suffering from illness, stress,

or despair. You are invited to worship and pray; to be strengthened and encouraged.

NEWNAN FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 33 Greenville St. Newnan, GA 30263 770.253.7400 | NewnanFUMC.org

TO:


PRESCHOOL NEWS Our 4 & 5-year-old children participated in a Thanksgiving feast with their families on

Friday, November 20 (pictures on p.5). The children sang songs and enjoyed a symbolic feast with their families. Dr. Stuart Greene led the reading of the first Thanksgiving

Proclamation written by William Bradford in 1623. Everyone had a great time!

Thank you to Sprayberry’s for donating the turkeys for our feast and to all the parents who donated the other items. A BIG thank you to the Parent Council and other parent

volunteers who prepared and served the food!

As we enter the Christmas season, our focus turns to God’s gift to us: Jesus. Our 4 & 5-year-old children have been invited to sing some Christmas carols at Barnes & Noble on

Friday, December 4.

Thank you for your support of this ministry of our church. May you and your family have a safe and merry Christmas!

Blessings,

-Nancy Martin

Documents

The Shepherd - December 1, 2015