Wesley United Methodist Church 2200 Phoenix, Fort Smith, AR 72901 www.Wesleyumcfs.org December 2019 Newsletter
From Pastor Zeke Page 1 From the Desk of Pastor Zek "Faithful" What does it mean to be faithful? Not the kind of faith that George Michael sings about but the kind of faith that our relationship with God calls us to. We know that “God’s faithfulness endures to all generations” (Psalm 119:90) and that God’s “faithfulness surrounds us” (Psalms 89:8). Faithfulness gets to the essence of the character of God. God’s faithfulness speaks to the Divine qualities of truth, devotion, fidelity, constancy, stability, and dependability. These characteristics are vital to our belief in who God is and how we live in relation with God. Faithfulness is imperative in the Divine-human relationship. Jesus modeled that faithfulness for us. The Gospels proclaim the faithfulness of Christ, not only in relationship with God, but also in relationship with humanity. Jesus’ love for us is steadfast and never wavers. His faithfulness shouts out the love of God for humanity. Jesus’ faithfulness was unwavering even to the cross and then beyond the grave into life beyond life. It was through the faithfulness of Jesus all the way to the cross that we experience the salvific grace of God. So what does it look like to be faithful in our lives? Did Jesus model faithfulness in a way that is far beyond our reach? Is faithfulness possible in a flawed and broken world and humanity? For me, I believe we all must strive toward faithful lives. This means, first and foremost, strive to live faithfully in light of our relationship to God through Jesus Christ. This is no easy fare however. It takes a lifelong journey alongside Jesus as our guide, the Holy Spirit as our catalyst, and a vigilant eye on the Father. It is not something we can just do on our own. Faithfulness is yet another gift from God and only through the grace of God may we ever live into it. In addition, we called to live faithfully in relationship with one another. I so desire to have a life and character that bears the marks of faithfulness- of truth, devotion, fidelity, constancy, stability, and dependability. I can’t help but imagine how much better our lives and our world would be if we all were faithful. I know it is a tall order but I believe, with God’s help and one another it is achievable. I am mindful of Jesus’ words: “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful in much” (Luke 16:10). May faithfulness be a mark of our lives and our church. - Keep the Faith Strong, Zeke Wesley UMC Newsletter December 2019
UMW News, Facility Use, Staff Tree Page 2 United Methodist Women FAITH · HOPE · LOVE IN ACTION NEWS & ACTIVITIES The Morning Glories will meet on Tuesday, December 17, in the Rock House at 10:00 a.m. It will be our Christmas Meeting with a time for revealing the name of the Sister to whom we have sent communications through the year. We will also have an exchange of Christmas Ornaments. Following the exchange of gifts and ornaments we will enjoy a Christmas Dinner with chicken and dressing, vegetables, salads, desserts and all of the other items for a delicious meal. If you are interested in being a member of the Morning Glory group, we encourage to join us (as our guestdo not bring a dish; we'll have plenty for extras) for a time of fellowship and fun. God bless each of you during this Advent season! Evening Stars Christmas party is Monday, December 9th at 6:30pm in the Rock House. It will be potluck so bring your favorite dish or dessert. All women of the church are welcome to join us in a wonderful time of fellowship. Save-the-Date: NW District UMW Local Officer training & updates will be held on Saturday, January 4th at Springdale FUMC. Please bring hats, gloves, scarves, & socks for the fence. We would love to see it full! Wesley UMC Newsletter December 2019 Trustees Note A reminder of our Building Use Policy: In order to keep track of what’s going on in our facilities it is important to contact the church office to reserve and schedule the date, time of meetings and events. If something comes up at the last minute so to speak, that the use of the building is needed, please notify Harley, Francis or Zeke. The staff Christmas tree is up in the narthex. If you would like to give the staff a little extra ‘Thank You’ this holiday season you can place your gift in one of the envelopes hanging on the tree.
Music Ministry Page 3 Greetings!!! Greetings Wesley UMC Family! Well, we are full on into the Advent and Christmas season. Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I love Christmas music and carols. I love the day after thanksgiving when I can break out my Classic Christmas playlist and enjoy the music of the season. Since we just celebrated Thanksgiving, I want to share my thanks for a couple of folks who have been a blessing over the last couple of months. The first of these is Lois Wade, who created wonderful black covers for our bell pads in the choir room. The pads by themselves were such an eyesore. The black is wonderful, and just adds a touch a class. I have included a picture of them (pardon the sloppy folders and such!) Thank you, Lois, for doing this for the bells. You are truly a blessing! Another person whom I would love to thank is our pianist, Deborah Cotton. I hope everyone has been enjoying her musicianship and creativity since she joined us this summer. I have sprung a few pieces of music on Deborah in the past couple of weeks, and she always handles these moments with grace and creativity. You may not notice, but she does a great job of improvising and adding depth to our hymns and singing. Thank you, Deborah, for being adaptable and creative. You are truly a blessing! I hope everyone is looking forward to our Christmas music season. We have a wonderful cantata this year, and both the Chancel Choir and Bell Choir hope that you can join us for our cantata presentation on Sunday, December 15 at 6:00. We also have a very interesting Advent Lessons and Carols service planned for that morning service, in which we celebrate and remember several key prophecies concerning Christ's birth. We will celebrate the fulfillment of these prophecies at our Christmas Eve service on December 24. Please be sure to mark your calendar and bring a friend to these wonderful services! Yours in Christ, Shane Sanderson Wesley UMC Newsletter December 2019
Hannah House Page 4 Hannah House Christmas Each year during Advent Wesley takes on a special missions project. Last year we collected 500 non-perishable food items to donate to The Community Services Clearinghouse. This year we have decided to provide Christmas for 2 of the young ladies at Hannah House. For those that do not know what Hannah House does, it houses young women ages 13-29 who are experiencing crisis situations in their lives, providing a place that empowers young women, allowing them to have a chance to stabilize their lives and prepare them for a better future. A board will be up in the narthex with items the girl’s have requested. Pull as many items as you fill called to pull. If you would like to make a monetary donation you can give the money to either Zeke, Carrie, or place it in the offering plate with it designated for Hannah House. Items we will be collecting: Julianna Body Spray XL Hoodies Breanna Perfume Flat iron XL tights & tunic tops Athletic wear Coat Scarfs Socks - sz 10 Underwear - sz 10-12 Sports bra - XL Pantie liners Eyeliner Joggers - Sz 14 American Eagle outfit American Eagle skinny jeans - sz 14 petite Paint, paint brushes, & Canvas Makeup remover wipes Socks - sz 6-7 Scrunchies Makeup brushes Wesley UMC Newsletter December 2019
Hanging of the Greens, The Poinsettia Story Page 5 Thank you to everyone who came and helped decorate the Sanctuary in preparation for the Advent season. It looks The Poinsettia Story By: Lois Stearns John Poinsett was U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in 1824. When he attended Christmas services at the small churches in Mexico he greatly admired the beautiful red flowers that adorned the altars. Poinsett took seedlings of the flowers back to his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina where he cultivated them and grew new plants in his greenhouse. He then proceeded to present the floral plants to Charleston churches. Soon the red blooms became associated with Christmas celebrations throughout the United States and were called “poinsettias” in honor of John Poinsett. The red of the plant has become a symbol of the blood Jesus shed on the cross while the green stands for the promise of eternal life offered to us through that sacrifice. During this Holy Christmas season, remember all that Jesus has done for us and praise His Holy Name! Wesley UMC Newsletter December 2019
Cub Scouts Page 6 Greetings from Pack 19. November was another fun filled month for our Pack. We started the month with an awards ceremony. Scouters received recognition for the advancements earned over the last several months. The meeting concluded with our annual pie-in-the-face event. Scouts who sell a certain dollar amount in Trailsend Popcorn get to put a cream pie in the face of the leader of their choice. November 9th was the annual Veterans Day Parade at Chaffee Crossing. On November 12th we met at Home Depot for a craft night. Scouts were able to complete a wooden eagle using hand tools and following written instructions as well as helping each other. November 19ths meeting was absolutely cold blooded. Jeremy Sloan, local reptile enthusiast with 30 years experience brought some of his crawling friends to share with us. We had a corn snake, a copperhead, a timber rattler and an alligator. He demonstrated his safe handling techniques, told of the importance each animal has in the ecosystem and even some history of snake symbolism in American history. Yours in Scouting’s Best, Justin Cates Wesley UMC Newsletter December 2019
UPCOMING EVENTS December Birthdays Dec 4 Wed. Bible Study, 6:00pm, Cavanaugh Hand Bells, 6:00, Chancel Choir, 6:30 Dec 5 Thurs. SPRC, 5:30pm One Council, 6:30pm, Gleaners Room Dec 9 Mon. Evening Stars, 6:30pm, Rock House Dec 11 Wed. Bible Study, 6:00pm, Cavanaugh Hand Bells, 6:00, Chancel Choir, 6:30 Dec 15 Sun. Lessons & Carols, 9:30am Christmas Cantata, 6:00pm Dec 17 Tues. Morning Glories, 10:00am, Rock House Dec 18 Wed. Bible Study, 6:00pm, Cavanaugh Hand Bells, 6:15, Chancel Choir, 7:00 10 - Jordan Smith 11 - Lois Wade 11 - Andrea Stark 12 - Wanda Blaylock 16 - Patsy Hendrickson 16 - Terry Hendrickson 20 - Luke Patterson 24 - Andrea Allen 24 - Dean Pendergrass 31 - Doug Pendergrass Anniversaries 18 - Wes & Rachel Arnold 27 - James & Martha Watson 30 - Huey & Wanda Clark Wesley UMC Newsletter December 2019
1 Publizr