Saturday, December 1 - 9 a.m. – Noon
Let’s get together from 9 – Noon to help decorate our church. The more hands the less work for everyone. There will be refreshments, Christmas carols to listen to, and lot of love and laughter. Try to be a part of this.

Sunday, December 9th - 6:00 p.m.
This Sunday eve we are offering an informal gathering at our church to celebrate the Christmas season. It will last about an hour and we will worship, sing carols together, and listen to others share about “Special Christmases” or “What Christmas means to me”. Let’s take time, in this busy season, to worship on this special Sunday evening.

Sunday, December 16 – 4:00 p.m.
The children and the youth of our church will be offering us a glimpse of Christmas at this special Children’s Christmas Program. Parents, Grandparents, friends, and all church members will want to come to remember the “childlikeness” that Jesus calls us to in this season.

Sunday, December 23 - 9:00 a.m. Worship
On this Sunday we will be having a special presentation by our music department during our regular Sunday morning worship time. It will be a musical presentation called “Miracles” with singing by our full choir and special narration. This will prove to be an inspiring event you won’t want to miss.

Monday, December 24 - 6:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve
Our Christmas Eve service will again be a service that will end in candlelight. The main message will be on how Jesus truly is a “light in the darkness” of our lives and our world. This is always a favorite. Come and enjoy this worship and fellowship.

Mark your calendars!

The Sunday School Christmas Program will be held on Sunday, December 16th at 4:00 p.m. followed by refreshments in fellowship hall. (We will have one practice during the Sunday School hour on the 16th.)

If at all possible please make it a priority to attend Sunday School during this Christmas season. We look forward to having everyone come and celebrate with the children!

The mission team will help Independence Area Children have a gift for Christmas. The “Giving Tree” will be located in Wesley room starting Sunday, November 25th.

Gift tags with a boy or girl and their ages will be on the tree for you to take and purchase a gift for. We have 90 children to purchase gifts for this year. Please take a gift tag off the tree and write your name on the list provided beside the code number that matches your gift tag. This will help us to know who took the card in case you would have questions or misplace your card. Then return your gift with the gift card taped on the outside by Sunday December 16th, so the gifts can be delivered before Christmas to the appropriate families.

Thank you for your help this holiday season.

Each year during the Christmas season, we have a special offering to help those in need in our community. We are asking you to consider, as a part of the congregation of First United Methodist Church, giving to the “Christmas Offering”. The offering money will be divided 50/50 between the “One Another” fund that serves the many needs in our community and our own “Human Needs Fund” to use in our discretion to those in need throughout the year - mainly persons in our own congregation that are in financial hardship. These two funds help people who have had critical financial setbacks with food, utility bills, medication needs, clothing, etc. The list goes on. If you are one who has been blessed by God this is one way you can serve God in a very real way. An offering envelope has been included with this newsletter or just mark your gift - “Christmas Offering”.

Thank you.

We will have a special Christmas Fellowship Service Sunday, December 9 at 6 p.m. at First UMC.

We will share Christmas traditions, sing seasonal songs, remember the real meaning of Christmas and pray for any type of healing for those in need or their family members.

We welcome you and your friends - spread the word, it’s just a “special” time to prepare our hearts for Christmas and what Jesus birth means for us today.

Please join us for a special UMW Christmas Celebration in Fellowship Hall, on Thursday, December 6 at 12:30.

We’ll enjoy a salad luncheon with a special dessert. Following this, Pastor Bailey will install officers. We’ll wear Christmas colors, bring items for the food pantry and have a great time. Don’t miss our Celebration!

Attention: Priscilla circle members - our Christmas potluck will be on MONDAY, December 10 at 6 pm in Wesley Room. Bring a friend and canned item for the food pantry.

The book club will not meet in December. Amy will receive our next set of books after Christmas. You will then get a call after those books come in to pick one up in the office. Our next book club time to meet will be January 24th at 4:30 p.m. in Wesley room. Please bring your ideas to read for the next book club meeting so we can choose the following book. See you in January!

This is the 10th year that our church has used the “Consecration Sunday Program” to help in the setting and financing of our church’s budget. This program emphasizes a biblical approach to giving as an act of faith between the giver and God. God has used this emphasis each year to help us educate, inspire, and invite our church family to stretch themselves and their faith in God’s overwhelming love.

This year, even with the many changes in our congregation, we have been able to see an increase of 4% over last year’s giving. The finance committee will be looking at the possibility to increase the budget and ministry opportunities of our church in the amount of $7,000 over last year’s budget. That means that we will be able to retain our staff positions, look at the rising costs of ministry needs in our church, and look at further reaching out to others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is because of the faithfulness of our members, who have stepped up their giving, seeking to become tithers, that this is coming about for another year. Let’s give God all the glory for His faithfulness to our congregation and His stretching our faith in His love and care. May God bless you for your commitment to Him.

On behalf of the Jr. High Youth Group Girls, Abby Lake, Abby McGraw, Megan Lang, Paige Davis, Emily Barker, Lizzy Jacobson, and Chantele Thompson, we would like to thank the church and those who helped support us on our retreat to the Revolve Tour in Minneapolis, November 9th & 10th. The money given helped with our tickets and transportation. We really appreciated your help. Thank You!

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Thank you to the Mission committee and the church for paying for the Revolve tickets and bus fare. I had fun at the Revolve Tour and hope to go there next year. Plus going to the Mall of America was fun, also. Thanks again, Abby McGraw

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A special thank you to the church for helping with the tickets to the Revolve tour. It was well worth the trip for the adults as well as the girls. We sincerely appreciate it. Becki Davis

12-02-07 “Keeping Watch ” Matthew 24:36-44
This scripture is a wonderful way to begin the Advent season. A scripture where Jesus speaks about the necessity of living a Christian life that is always keeping alert. We are called to be alert to our own soul’s progress and to be ready to meet Jesus when He comes again and even when He comes anew in the Advent season.

12-09-07 “Turning Around” Matthew 3:1-10
John the Baptist was hailed by Jesus to be the greatest human to have ever walked this earth. What was his message?? “Turn around”.. “repent”.. and find your way back to God. What do we need to repent of in our lives??

12-16-07 “Mary’s Song” Luke 1:46-50
Mary sang with joy as she met with Elizabeth and was filled with the Holy Spirit. What was her song? It was a song of praise that God has been merciful and has sent a Savior. She had to wonder at this, but she was filled with certainty of God faithfulness and responded in turn. What has God sent you, in Jesus, as a Savior? And have you responded as Mary did?

12-23-07 “Miracles”
Scripture and Music through the Choir Cantata

12-27-07 “The Light of the World” Christmas Eve
Scriptures John 1:1-5 and John 8:12 help us understand that there is no darkness that the light of Jesus cannot penetrate. Let’s come and share in the beautiful candlelight service.

12-30-07 “What Gift Can I Bring?” Matthew 2:7-12
Even though gift giving and Christmas has been this past week did we give a gift to Jesus. The Magi actually visited Jesus at least a year (or two) after his birth. Their first response was to give gifts to the King. We also can give a gift….. of our hearts, our minds, and our lives. What would that look like?

Pray: Since this is the season we as Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, pray that as believers we celebrate Christmas thinking about what it really means. Help us spend time in activities that increase our faith and love for God and others.

Pray: For families to have wonderful fellowship during the season. Many have need of restoration of love and forgiveness. May God richly bless, change hearts where needed and make this a time to remember one another with gratefulness and hope for the future.

Pray: For 1st UMC advent services, 2nd Sunday night fellowship service, Christmas cantata and Children’s program. Let us truly prepare our hearts for the King.

Pray: For all the Loving/Gift Tree Children (90 of them this year) to have a “Secret Santa” to provide a gift for them. These go to Volunteer Co-op families who greatly appreciate UMC’s generosity.

Thank you for your pledges for consecration Sunday and for all the prayers regarding giving. You are the Best!

Love, Mary Ellen Earles

Just to let you know that the Prayer line will be going through some changes. Lee Greenley, Verna Nielsen, and I met to revamp the Prayer Line List. The prayer lines have been busy for about 30 years here at First Church. These calls are made only when requested by someone. You who are on the list will be receiving a schedule and may get a chance to call someone different than before. Prayer is not only a blessing for those who have needs but a special blessing for those who do the praying. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful ministry. It can make such a difference in all our lives.

The children’s Christmas program will be December 16th at 4:00 p.m. Come join the children and youth as they celebrate Jesus Birth. Cookies and drinks will be served in Fellowship Hall afterwards.

Please pray for our Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, and the children and youth of our church family. Pray that the Holy Spirit will touch their lives and bring meaning to each and everyone.

A new nursery schedule will be coming out this month for Sr. & Jr. High youth who help out. Thank you all for your faithfulness in helping with this ministry.

Also with 2008 being a new year...Maybe you would like to try your talent at “sharing time” with the children during the service. Children’s sermon sounds really scary so just think of it as a time to share with the kids. I bet many of you have stories just like Ron Melick. Pray about it and let me know if you would like to share in this way.

December 2007 Jr. High Youth Schedule:
12/9-- Following Sunday school (pizza party) then cookie baking in the church kitchen from 1-4 p.m.
January-- (TBA)
2/15-- Waterloo Blackhawks Hockey game

December 2007 Sunday Helpers Schedule:

December 2007 Acolytes: Cole Thompson & Ryan Peterson
January 2008 Acolytes: Josh Barske & Matthew Beebe

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