Welcome to First United Methodist Church Winnsboro, where all people are welcome all the time!
NEED INFO ON COVID 19?
– Please continue to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY that we can stop the spread of the COVID-19 and eradicate this vicious virus!
1-21-21 COVID Vaccine Info
As you know, the COVID cases in our community are rising rapidly and expected to continue to rise as this new, more infectious strain starts to spread. (NET Health updates.) Net Health has a page that explains who is ELIGIBLE to get the vaccine and you can also get on a vaccine waiting list there also … CLICK HERE. We are fortunate to have a public health agency that serves our county!
Looking for where to find the COVID vaccine? The Texas Division of Emergency Management updates a vaccine map daily indicating exactly where vaccines have been distributed and which vaccines they have. As you can imagine, the vaccines are being used in QUICK-TIME so be ready to go and be diligent in continuing to check the map. Click the OK button in the lower right corner to get to the map. To access the availability map, CLICK HERE.
Pastor Debbie
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1-18-21 FUMC Updates
Today is MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY and with so many other things going on this seems to have “fallen through the cracks”! I did my devotional this morning with King in mind because as Christians, how DO we respond to senseless violence? On this Martin Luther King Day, we need a reminder of the power of NON-VIOLENT expression of ideas more than ever before! We ALSO need to remember that the LORD IS OUR SHEPHERD! You can watch it on FACEBOOK or on YOUTUBE, also attached (CLICK HERE).
TODAY: Monday, 1/18, 11 am – 2 PM … Please support HYPE (Helping Young People Excel) at MLK Park today from 11 – 2 and pick up some CHILI to go in the drive-thru, and make a generous love offering! Let’s show our love and unity as ONE community by supporting this effort!
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE and UPPER ROOMS in the RED BIN by the church office door… I wrote my article for this month’s Community Chronicle on the 23rd Psalm because of the many funerals we have had in the last few weeks. I realized that, while no one had ever asked me to focus my message on this beautiful text until Daniel Davis’ service, it is printed often on memorial bulletins because it offers such comfort … oh, is that important! If you haven’t been coming to church, please come by and pick up your Upper Room devotionals too!
PRAY WITH US ON TUESDAYS, 9 am – 10:30 am: Take a few minutes on Tuesday mornings and come PRAY safely in the sanctuary – our souls need prayer, our country needs prayer, our church needs prayer we ALL need prayer … come and go for a minute or an hour …
BIBLE TALK, WEDNESDAYS on ZOOM, 10 AM: We had a great kick-off to our ZOOM Bible Talk last week as we’re moving into what I refer to as part 4 of the Bible, the growth of the church. This week we’re digging into Acts 2 and we’ll meet SAUL who became PAUL, and we’ll see how God used him to change the world! Sign-in instructions on the website calendar as always.
CHILDREN’S CHURCH PAUSED: With COVID cases increasing so fast we have decided to put our Children’s Church on PAUSE for a few weeks … this is temporary because we DO have a ½ CHILDREN’S MINISTER position budgeted for this spring so we’re looking forward to things getting BETTER! Until then, I’ll be doing a Children’s Moment at the beginning of our worship so the kids can tune in for at least a few minutes with you on Sundays!
MARK REFLECTION QUESTIONS ATTACHED (CLICK HERE): we had a great conversation on Mark 1:14-28 yesterday so take some time and think about what we talked about, (YouTube here if you missed it.) This Sunday we’ll be moving into the 1st part of Chapter 3 so please read chapters 2 and 3 in preparation for this week’s message.
GRACE & PEACE,
Pastor Debbie
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1-11-21 FUMC Updates
Speaking of COVID, I’m sure you all heard the joy in my voice during Sunday’s worship when I reported that quite a few of you have already received your 1st of 2-part vaccine for coronavirus – I hope this means that as more and more people are safe from the virus we’ll start SLOWLY seeing more and more people come back to church! BUT … as my attached devotional addresses (you can watch it on YouTube HERE), HOPE often comes with PATIENCE!
JAMES CLARK’S GRAVESIDE SERVICE: Thursday, January 14, 2 pm, Maple Springs Cemetery in Leesburg. James’ son, Jim, has been extremely sad that we can not all gather the way we WANT to gather to remember and celebrate the people we love, but they are very COVID conscious and want to be sure everyone is safe. Jim has written a beautiful obituary (CLICK HERE to read it) and asks that anyone attending the graveside service wear masks and remain socially distant. To send a note to the family:
Jim and Shana Clark – 2215 Owens Blvd – Richardson, TX. 75082
COME PRAY IN THE SANCTUARY, Tuesday mornings, 9 – 10:30 AM … come to find solace in a safe, sacred space to pray! There will be prayer guides, if you want some help getting started, in the front pew in front of the pulpit (please take them home with you). There is MUCH to pray about!
ZOOM BIBLE STUDY STARTS BACK WEDNESDAY, 1/13 at 10 am! We’re diving into the Book of Acts, chapter 1 this week and everyone is welcome! Want to give ZOOM a try … CLICK THIS “TEST” LINK and try it!! Before joining a Zoom meeting on a computer, tablet, or mobile device, you can download the Zoom app from the Download Center HERE. Otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click a join link … get the link to join on the website calendar HERE.
HAVE YOU TAKEN THE CORE VALUES SURVEY YET? Your Church Leadership Team will meet this month to begin strategizing this unusual new year and we need your help! Please take this survey which lists 30 CORE VALUES that would typically be associated with churches – we want to find out what our folks see as OUR Core Values! For each value, you’ll mark whether you think we are CONSISTENT in that value, INCONSISTENT in that value, or if you feel it’s a value we SHOULD ASPIRE TO and work MORE toward! You’ll be asked for your email address so everyone can only answer once but your answers are anonymous. When you are finished, you’ll see the current results. Thanks so much for your input!
CAN YOU FIND 1 ½ HOURS, 1 DAY EVERY OTHER MONTH TO SERVE OTHERS? Pat St. MiKlossy is reorganizing our commitment to MEALS ON WHEELS and people in OUR COMMUNITY need your help … just 1 Tuesday every OTHER month from about 11 am to 12:30 … yes, you can make a BIG difference to people who might go hungry without the drivers who deliver the meals. Grab a friend or your spouse and help out – you’ll pick up the meals at Pine Street and deliveries are all local! CONTACT PAT ST. MIKLOSSY if you are willing to serve.
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN MEETING on Thursday, 1/14 CANCELLED … they hope to resume in February as the COVID numbers decrease!
MARK WORSHIP SERIES CONTINUES … the reflection questions from 1/10 are attached (CLICK HERE) … this Sunday we’ll look at the second half of chapter 1. INVITE A FRIEND to join us … share the posts on our Facebook or Instagram!
DID CHRISTMAS COME & GO & YOU MISSED A FEW THINGS IN YOUR KITCHEN? You can order from RADA all year long from our website and the United Methodist Women share ALL their fundraising income with the community!! In 2020 the United Methodist Women gave over $1200 to charities! THANK YOU, UMW!! CLICK HERE to go to our website and connect to the catalog – you can browse, shop, pay and ship all online!
ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN STAY CONNECTED: if you use these resources frequently be sure to bookmark them and save them so you can return to them easily. If you have church friends who do not use any of these resources, PLEASE CALL THEM and keep them updated!
– Weekly emails … you can also find them on the bottom of the website HOME PAGE
– Website
… Calendar
… MARK Sunday morning worship series
… BIBLE TALK weekly Bible Study details
… Audios of sermon messages
– Prayer chain (occasionally used for important all church announcements) … to sign up for FUMC Prayer Team notifications, please visit HERE or send THIS MESSAGE: @pray-now to THIS NUMBER: 81010.
– Facebook has all kinds of updates, not to mention Sunday morning sermons LIVE, or you can go back and watch if you miss one.
– YouTube now has the sermons (not the whole worship service) for anyone who doesn’t use Facebook, now you can watch devotionals and sermons, usually posted a day or 2 after they happen.
– Instagram is also NEW for those of you who like the short & sweet visuals.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Debbie
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1-4-21 FUMC Updates
-What makes us different from other churches?
-What is it that attracts people or turns them away?
-Why are you at this church?
-What are people here looking for?
WON’T YOU PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING YOUR CHURCH? We have 3 opportunities for you to serve God in important ways …
- SUNDAY MORNINGS, 10:30 – NOON, CHILDREN’S CHURCH … we always want to have 2 adults working together when our kids are gathering and now that the holidays are over, we hope the kids will come back when we start the NEW YEAR on January 10th. We will provide the Ministry Safe training and background checks and ideally, we need 3-4 adults who could join as “helpers”! (You don’t have to plan or organize, just be present!) Contact me, please!
- SUNDAY MORNINGS, 10:30-NOON, USHERS … we’d like to bolster our hospitality team and get ready for what I know, will be a deep desire for people to come BACK to church when this pandemic is over. Let us know how often YOU’D like to serve, and we’ll try to be flexible! Again, please contact SHIELA HAYNES, Worship Leader, if you are available.
- TUESDAY MORNINGS, 2-3 hours/week, OFFICE HELP … if you are very organized and good at filing, please contact me directly … we only need 1 person.
UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CHAPTERS IN THE BIBLE, Wednesdays starting 1/13, 10 am ZOOM …Bible Talk starts back into the New Testament chapters that focus on what happened AFTER Jesus died. We’ll begin with Acts 1, then the next week, Acts 2 so mark your calendars – the schedule is attached (CLICK HERE). You can always find sign-in info on the website calendar.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Pastor Debbie
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12-28-20 FUMC Updates
I have sensed a continued weariness as we wait just a little bit longer for the COVID vaccines to get distributed and things to return to some normalcy. But please do not let down your guard because this virus is deadly and destructive, and it spreads very quickly. While we were fortunate to get out of the red danger zone in our 7 county area, I was sad to see Net Health reporting our numbers, the week BEFORE Christmas, went up. We know that after holiday gatherings we will likely see those numbers go up even more so please be diligent in staying safe. Our church will remain open with all safety protocols in place, including wearing masks through the service as attendance and cases pick up again. If anything changes, we will update you.
CORONAVIRIS VACCINES … I hope everyone has done your research on the vaccines (CLICK HERE for CDC info). Jimmie Davis has been in contact with Net Health and they will let him know when the vaccines are available in East Texas … right now, Tyler HAS received a shipment for the health care workers first, but soon, they will be available for nursing homes and seniors and Jimmie will keep us updated.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 3rd thru APRIL 4, 10:50 AM … THE GOSPEL OF MARK: this Sunday fasten your seatbelts for a fast-paced, teaching worship series on the Gospel of Mark! This gospel shares a vivid account of Jesus’ ministry, moving quickly from one episode and ministry to another, emphasizing more of what Jesus did than what He said. Mark shares a sense of immediacy, a sense that Jesus’s time on earth was short and that there was much to accomplish in His few years on earth. The forward motion in Mark’s writing keeps us continually looking ahead to the cross and the resurrection! PLEASE SHARE OUR INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK posts on your pages – this is the kind of sermon series that appeals to people differently than a regular series … we’ll be in-person, with masks, and online! Check out the MARK page on the website HERE.
MANY THANKS FOR MY CHRISTMAS EVE SURPRISE: those of you who participated in the Christmas Eve service could probably tell how absolutely shocked I was to receive your generous Christmas THANK-YOU gift! Joanna Horton, the Chair of our Church Council certainly had something to do with that so to any and all of you involved, THANK-YOU!
MANY THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CARES ACTS TAX BREAKS and GIVING BACK TO GOD: it’s not too late to take advantage of this unusual COVID-19 “gift” from the IRS! Many of you are already scheduling regular giving on our website (we pay the fees!) but now, you can also give on FACEBOOK using the DONATE button at the top of the page and there are no fees at all! Check with your accountant for details but here’s the gist of it:
How does the Act impact taxpayers that itemize?
For the first time ever, donors who itemize their deductions can now deduct charitable contributions up to 100% of adjusted gross income (AGI). This change allows donors to maximize donations in a single year and have more control over the impact of contributions on taxable income. Previously, this limit was at 60% of AGI. Giving beyond this 100% limitation may be carried over and used in the next five years.
How does the CARES Act impact those that do not itemize?
Taxpayers who generally do not itemize on their personal return can take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions to qualifying organizations on their personal return. This deduction will be an ‘above the line’ deduction and the maximum is $300 regardless of filing status.
DIRECTORY: The picture directory is available and list of active families in the church (or members) … PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE, it is for you only! If you want a copy, let me know. I have highlighted in YELLOW those names of people who do not get out or are in assisted living so you can drop a note or make a call … as hard as coronavirus has been on US, just imagine how it must be for those who can’t get out. If you want to update your picture or information, please let me know! AND SEND ME YOUR BIRTHDAYS, PLEASE!
WON’T YOU PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING YOUR CHURCH? We have 4 opportunities for you to serve God in important ways …
1) THIS THURSDAY, 12/31, 10-11 AM … please come help us take down the Christmas decorations so we can get ready to begin a new year! We need a handful of people for ONE HOUR and please don’t assume that “someone else will do it”. That someone else could be YOU! Please contact SHIELA HAYNES, Worship Leader, if you are available.
2) SUNDAY MORNINGS, 10:30 – NOON, USHERS … those of you who have been coming to church know that the same servant-hearted people have been greeting, welcoming, and serving our folks as usher and hospitality for many months. We’d like to bolster our hospitality team and get ready for what I know, will be a deep desire for people to come BACK to church when this pandemic is over. We would ideally love to have people rotate Sundays so let us know how often YOU’D like to serve, and we’ll try to be flexible. Again, please contact SHIELA HAYNES, Worship Leader, if you are available.
3) TUESDAY MORNINGS, 2-3 hours/week, OFFICE HELP … as you know, we decided this fall to begin using a CPA for our accounting and that allowed us to free up a budget for an office manager to use for a Social Media Director. Sarah Sparks is now doing so much to help me with Facebook, the website, and our worship slides but I would love to have someone help in the office on Tuesday mornings for a few hours. If you are very organized and good at filing, please contact me directly … we only need 1 person.
4) SUNDAY MORNINGS, 10:30 – NOON, CHILDREN’S CHURCH … we like to have 2 adults working together when our kids are gathering and now that the holidays are over, we hope the kids will come back when we start the NEW YEAR on January 10th. (The children join us for communion on the 1st SUNDAYS so there is no Children’s Church on the 1st Sundays.) We will provide the Ministry Safe training and background checks and ideally, we’d love to have 3-4 adults who could join as “helpers”! (You don’t have to plan or organize, just be present!) Contact me please!
ZOOM BIBLE TALK STARTS BACK WEDNESDAY MORNINGS, 10 – 11 AM, January 13th … this winter we will study, in-depth, the 4th section of the Bible, THE CHURCH … what happened after Jesus ascended and how did the church grow from Jerusalem into all the corners of the world? The sign-in link is always on the website calendar (HERE) and if you still haven’t been willing to try ZOOM, now might be the time – and NO MASKS are required when you’re tuning in from your home! CLICK HERE for simple instructions if you want to join us!
PLEASE RE-JOIN THE PRAYER TEAM … I have sent a REMIND text invitation to everyone who I know was on the prayer team before we updated our text communication, but you will have to accept the invitation to get the texts. Yes, text messaging rates do apply so please feel free to disregard the invitation. Remember, this is ONE WAY COMMUNICATION, you will not be part of everyone all replying to the same text. If you would like to join NOW, it’s easy … as soon as you click this link, you’ll be reconnected … SEE ATTACHED FOR DETAILS …
https://www.remind.com/join/pray-now.
Don’t get text messages but want to get emails?
Go to rmd.at/pray-now on a desktop computer to sign up for email notifications.
I’m extremely excited about our NEW teaching series on the Gospel of Mark this Sunday … since many of you are still watching online, I’m including, again, the info HERE on how you might be able to watch on your TV at home! If you have a SMART TV it’s simple but if not, an HDMI cable might do the trick!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Pastor Debbie
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