First Methodist Church Winnsboro

How is it possible that Christmas is only 15 days away?  Two weeks of Advent have gone by and we only have two Sundays left before Christmas!  I suppose this is what’s so very exciting about the ANTICIPATION of the birth of Christ and I hope you are finding some time to BE STILL, and know that God is God!  If you’ll recall, last year our church was closed up until 1 week before Christmas so we had more people worshipping on Facebook than we had in the sanctuary!  This year, it will be so great to have more and more people together again so start thinking about who God be putting in YOUR path who might be looking for a place to belong this season. Invite them!  Tell them you’ll meet them and sit with them!  We’ll have PLENTY of candles for everyone so bring your family and friends!

As you know, we have planned our CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE for Friday, December 24^th, at 5 PM because all studies show that the BEST attended services are between 1:00 and 5:00 PM on Christmas Eve.  But do you think people in the community would be interested in attending an 11 PM service if it were available?  Would your family and friends prefer a late service?  It might not be too late – please let me know your thoughts!

ORDER FROM RADA AND SUPPORT UMW and LOCAL MISSIONS! Try RADA here! Rada has amazing knives and kitchen tools and you can browse the catalog and ship anywhere in the country HERE on the UMW website page! Janat Erwin may have, ON HAND the perfect gift you need to contact her too … 2erwins@suddenlink.net

BROTHER HENRY’S MONTHLY STUDY, Tuesday, 12/14, 10 AM, Wesley Hall, Family Ties Classroom … Prophecies, The Right Time, Bethlehem, MA.1:18-2:23 … attached are the questions and everyone is welcome!      

ONE MORE ADVENT BIBLE STUDY: Wednesday, December 15,  6:45 pm after dinner … we’re looking at “fingerprint” evidence that affirms our belief in the birth of Christ!

GIVING TREES FOR THE BACKPACK FOOD MINISTRY … clip a check or a few dollars onto the trees in the lobbies or designate a special offering … you CAN make a difference!

YEAR-END GIVING TO GOD or to the GOVERNMENT? Please talk to your accountant (or IRS.gov) about year-end tax savings that come from your generosity through non-profit giving. The COVID 2020 relief plan on paying your Required Minimum Distribution last year does NOT apply this year so if you have investments that require you to make an RMD, would you rather give that money to GOD or back to the GOVERNMENT?  

SONGS OF CHRISTMAS continue on Sundays this Advent … last week we talked about the father of John the Baptist, ZECHARIAH, and how his unbelief made him MUTE, and by God’s grace his speech was restored and he sang a song of JOY! This week his wife, Elizabeth, sings a song of JOY when she recognizes that her cousin Mary is carrying not just an ordinary baby in her womb, but the long-awaited Messiah!  It’s a story that brings plenty of WONDERS!!

Happy Advent!

Pastor Debbie

Thanksgiving is such an important and wonderful family holiday, and it seems to get lost in the rush to move on to CHRISTMAS!  I get it … I’m excited to move on to Christmas too but growing up we always waited until AFTER Thanksgiving to put up our decorations so I’ve followed that tradition!  BUT … if you already started decorating for Christmas, research in the Journal of Environmental Psychology finds people who put up their Christmas decorations early tend to be happier and friendlier!  Psychologists say Christmas decorations are nostalgic and bring people back to simpler and happier times and they say it also helps boost dopamine, the pleasure neurotransmitter in the brain.  Psychologist Deborah Serani said: “I think anything that takes us out of our normal habituation, the normal day in, day out … signals our senses, and then our senses measure if it’s pleasing or not.”  In any case, I wish you all a very happy THANKSGIVING with your families and friends next week … and I plan to put on MY Christmas decorations this weekend!

NO WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEAL NEXT WEEK, 11/24 … but are you looking forward to all those yummy CHRISTMAS dinners and desserts in December?  As Bettye Gilbert said, the first place everyone goes when they come for Wednesday night meals is the DESSERT TABLE and it will be so very sad if you come one night and there aren’t enough desserts.  We need your help to make just ONE dessert, ONCE a month!  YUP … just make ONE dessert, ONCE a month!  Won’t you please call or email Bettye and say, “This is my church, I’ll do it!” I know no one will complain if there aren’t enough desserts, but we don’t want anyone to be unhappy when all you have to do to help is bring ONE dessert, ONCE a month!  Bettye: 903-850-9417, bjhh@suddenlink.net

HANGING OF THE GREENS: Sunday, 12/21, after church …fa la la la la, la la la la!  Tis’ the season to deck the halls and get ready for the Christmas season to begin!  Advent, the 4 weeks of preparation for Christmas, starts on November 28th so we want to be ready so please stay a few minutes after church, and help us get the sanctuary decorated for Christmas!  Many hands will make this light work so please carry in a box or hang some garland and we’ll be done in NO TIME … we’ll take a headcount of who wants to stay for PIZZA when we’re done so don’t worry … you won’t go home hungry!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK A SUCCESS!  So many people made crafts, helped with the quilt, baked, transported things to and from the Civic Center, cooked and served lunch, worked the tables at the Festival, and many of you shopped!  Not including the United Methodist Women, we raised about $3500 and we’ve already started sending that money out to the community!  The Crafters met Tuesday and decided to give $500 to the FUMC General Fund, $400 to the Winnsboro Community Resource Center (Food Pantry), $350 to Methodist Children’s Home, $100 to the Blessing Box, and $100 to the Winnsboro Volunteer Fire Department.  MANY THANKS TO YOU ALL!

EAST DISTRICT ZOOM CHARGE CONFERENCE, Monday, 11/29, 6 pm …to discuss the “notice of hearing to consider Chapter 11 plan of reorganization for Boy Scouts of America.” Although we no longer act as the charter organization for a Boy Scout Troop, we have had a troop in the past we are included in the vote.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR YOUR ADVENT?

ADVENT BIBLE STUDY: A Case for Christmas, Wednesdays, December 1, 8 & 15,  6:45 pm after dinner … Have you ever wondered WHY we believe all the scriptures about the birth of Jesus? Why entire religions have been founded on the story of a baby, born to poor parents in a manger, actually was the long-awaited Messiah of all times? Join me for this interactive conversation, and together, we’ll be investigative reporters to celebrate the conclusion of the investigation! The author, LEE STROBEL, unpacks some puzzling questions with some powerful answers, and I’d love for you to join us! Home-cooked DINNER is at 6 PM in the Family Life Center, and love offerings are accepted; then, we’ll dig down into the facts that are the foundation of our faith at 6:45 PM in Wesley Hall! Everyone is welcome!

ADVENT DEVOTIONALS …  the 4 week season of preparation before Christmas starts November 28^th it’s a great time to take a few minutes to read a devotional or do something to recognize the amazing gift we have been given … the gift of forgiveness and eternal life!  The North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church has some great tools for YOU!

CLICK HERE to receive a daily email devotional.

See the Christmas page, https://www.fumcwinnsboro.com/christmas/, for the “Intentional Acts of Kindness”… we’ve often heard the phrase “random acts of kindness.” What if, in this Advent season, we were intentional about doing something for a stranger, a neighbor, or our world on a daily basis?  We might call this Intentional Acts of Kindness.  As we move day by day closer to Christmas, perhaps our giving spirit cultivated by these thoughtful gestures toward others can help us “prepare him room” as Jesus is born to us this Christmas.  Here are 28 suggestions – pick one a day to carry you through Advent or write your own in the space provided!

GRACE AND PEACE!

Pastor Debbie