10:50 a.m.
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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12-24-20 FUMC Update MERRY CHRISTMAS
PLEASE RE-JOIN THE PRAYER CHAIN: the church has moved from a land-line to a cell phone and in the process of merging our REMIND prayer chain text, I ran into some complications that will require everyone to rejoin the group. For the next week, I will send both emails and texts until we can transition fully back to our NEW text messaging. I apologize for this inconvenience but after Christmas, I will send you all a text message that you can accept to re-join the group or IGNORE that text if you do not or cannot receive text messages. 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 … (instructions click here)
Blessing Box $400
Community Resource Center $400
Backpack Food Ministry $1000
Grace and peace,
Pastor Debbie
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12-18-20 FUMC Devotional … the Bethlehem Star
Christmas is only 1 week away and it will be good to return to in-person worship this Sunday, 12/20, and, of course, on Christmas Eve! With all the difficult news we’re hearing, I was so excited when I heard about this unusual cosmic occurrence happening on Monday night … if you’d rather watch the devotional, CLICK HERE to watch on YouTube or CLICK HERE for Facebook.
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The planets Jupiter and Saturn are projected to align so closely (cosmically speaking) on December 21 that they will appear to the naked eye as one bright star. This news has caused some people to consider whether the Bethlehem Star, seen and followed by the Magi, might have been something similar! This event in the sky TONIGHT gives us a chance to think about the meaning of the star in the birth narrative of Jesus, and of how God calls us to Him.
Patrick Hartigan, a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University said “Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to one another.”
“Exceptionally rare” is an understatement … the last time this happened was in 1623, and before that in 1226, and neither of those was in December. This near alignment won’t occur again, astronomers say, until March of 2080!
And here’s the good news – to see the alignment of the two planets, you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night … NASA says to look for them low in the southwest in the hour after sunset!!
I wonder if God used this unique alignment of planets to lead the Magi to the baby Jesus? Many Bible readers and others have long speculated that such might be the case. Modern astronomers have suggested all sorts of explanations for the event, but attempts to attribute the Bethlehem Star to a natural occurrence, cannot explain the behavior of the star described in Matthew 2 …
The Gospel tells us THAT star remained stationary while the wise men were in Jerusalem then led them not only to Bethlehem but to the precise location of Jesus, where it “stopped over the place where the child was” (Matthew 2:9). Matthew is clearly describing a miraculous phenomenon directed behind the scenes by God, and as difficult as 2020 has been, whether December 21st will be a miracle or merely astrophysics, it DOES shed light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
Regardless of whether the Bethlehem Star was a natural occurrence or a miraculous intervention of God into the workings of the cosmos, the effect of the star on the Magi was of God beckoning, calling to them!! They dropped everything and left to find the Christ Child!
The star is also a reminder that many of us began our journey toward God because, in some way, God wooed us, drew us toward him through means that we did not immediately recognize as spiritual or divine.
While God does not force us toward him, He will NEVER stop offering us subtle invitations, droplets of grace, to look for him.
This is the grace of God that comes to us before we even go looking for it – it’s His tap on our shoulder when our attention is focused on anything but him, but which becomes the beginning of our deliverance!
I love how the translation from Isaiah 65 in the MESSAGE shares God word to us:
“I’ve made myself available to those who haven’t bothered to ask. I’m here, ready to be found by those who haven’t bothered to look. I kept saying ‘I’m here, I’m right here’ to a nation that ignored me. I reached out day after day to a people who turned their backs on me, People who make wrong turns, who insist on doing things their own way. Isaiah 65:1-2
This verse is not suggesting that God waits passively for us to discover him, but rather that God opens the paths that run toward him BEFORE we start looking for him. This grace is the beginning of bringing us from spiritual blindness to a full relationship with Jesus Christ … we just have to make the slightest move toward him!!
And guess what, our “great alignment” occurs when we are aligned with the call and will of God!!
What we will see on December 21st isn’t the Christmas Star but that doesn’t matter! What matters is if our eyes are open to the wonder and wondering of God! What matters is that we’re looking at the universe and remembering that as John 1, verse 5 tells us … the light that shines in the darkness IS the Light of the Messiah!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Pastor Debbie
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12-14-20 FUMC Updates
What a strange 9 months it has been! Since we closed the church the first time on March 15th we have all done our best to protect ourselves and protect others from what we have learned is an insidious, harmful virus. I told one of my daughters this morning that some people probably think I’m “obnoxious” about my diligence and she replied, “You ARE obnoxious, Mom!” … my other daughter gave me lapel buttons that say, SIX FEET PLEASE … she said it was a joke (but there was some good-natured kidding in that gift!)
Likely today, we will probably cross the grim milestone of more than 300,000 deaths in the United States alone. There have been almost 17 million people who have been infected.
Today, I have become part of that statistic … today I received a positive test result for COVID-19.
I have THANKED GOD I have not had trouble breathing like so many people have, and since my mild symptoms began last Wednesday night with a sore throat and cough (and lasted LESS than 48 hours), my isolation period will be over this Saturday, December 19th.
I decided to go to the CVS in Winnsboro to be tested last Thursday when I woke up coughing with a mild sore throat because I am so rarely sick, and I didn’t want to risk being infected or infecting anyone else with so much going on. I even spoke to Brother Henry to see if he could be on standby in case my symptoms got worse, but by Friday night I no longer had a sore throat OR a cough so I assumed I had a good ol’ common cold. Even so, in these last 4 days, so as not to take any chances, I did my best to remain masked and even MORE distant from people than I normally even would have.
Last night, I was looking forward to a delicious dinner that someone dropped off for me and I wondered why it had NO TASTE AT ALL … when I couldn’t smell my beautiful balsam Christmas candle and my coffee tasted like water this morning … then I knew …
I realize some people think this virus is a “hoax” – I heard people say it would be over after the election – I know some people do not agree that a mask can protect them or anyone they are with – someone even asked me why I kept asking for prayers for people with COVID and I told them I would ask for prayers for people even if they wanted prayers for a cold.
I also know that many others see things very differently … I think you all know that I am one of these people. Please … let us not bully each other about our decisions and agree to make the best decisions we can for ourselves and agree to disagree with those who feel differently.
Our Church buildings WILL be open this Sunday, December 20th, and we will continue to be diligent about keeping those who do choose to come SAFE! We will continue disinfecting hands in and out, sitting a minimum of 6′ apart from each other, and, until the infection numbers begin to go down again, everyone will be required to wear a mask while in the buildings. Believe me, I dislike this as much as EVERYONE but I encourage those of you who feel safer not coming, or who refuse to wear a mask while in the buildings to continue to worship with us online. And please know, I will completely support your decisions to stay home OR to come!
THIS TOO SHALL PASS!! Our loving God walks us THROUGH the valley of darkness, He doesn’t leave us there! The vaccines are shipping out all across our country as I write and treatment for those who ARE suffering has improved tremendously! Our Great Physician has been hard at work and the Spirit of HOPE is strong so let’s continue to pray, diligently, together for this virus to be GONE! We WILL look back and see all the droplets of grace falling all around us … keep your eyes, ears, and hearts open!
THANKS FOR GIVING TO THE BACKPACK FOOD MINISTRY: I will announce the total this Sunday so you still have time if you want to go on our website or drop an envelope in the mail slot. Your generosity is DELIGHTFUL! And by the way – sadly, the Community Resource Center is shut down because a volunteer tested positive for coronavirus so all volunteers are in quarantine. The Blessing Box, however, is still providing food to those in need, another AMAZING organization! Pray for all these selfless volunteers!
THE PURPOSE OF CHRISTMAS ZOOM BIBLE STUDY: Wednesday, December 16th, 10 AM …the evening group will be joining the morning group this week as we dive into the joy of RECONCILIATION! It’s really easy to join … I’ll open the class link at 9:30 am so you have plenty of time to join early and give it a try! CLICK HERE
CHRISTMAS EVE, DECEMBER 24th, 5 PM … the church will be open for Christmas Eve service and, if you will be watching from home, please plan to have your candles ready!
I look forward to “SEEING” you all, from a distance or virtually, this Sunday!
Christmas blessings,
Pastor Debbie
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