PrimeTimers – Prime Timer’s Coffee Break is every Tuesday from 9:30 to 11 am.

Shepherds will meet on Tuesday, January 12th at 10:00 am.

Stephen Ministers will meet Thursday, January 21 at 6:00 pm in Room 117. If you are interested in providing one-on-

one Christ-centered care to people experiencing difficulties in life, please consider Stephen Ministry.

Groups Meeting This Month

Finance meeting is Wednesday, January 27th at

7:15 pm. Trustees will meet January 25th at 6:30 pm in the

Connections January 2016

Salado United

Methodist Church To continue the journey of Seeking, Serving, and

Staff meets every Wednesday at 10:00 am in the Library.

Choir and Handbells Schedule

Choir: Wednesdays 7:00-8:30 pm in Chapel

Youth Praise Band: Sundays at 3:00 pm in YAC.

Handbells: Will resume on January 13th at 6:00 pm.

Weekly Meetings

United Methodist Women will meet on January 18th at 5:45 pm.

Men’s Emmaus Group meets at Johnny’s every Wednesday at 7:00 am.

Women’s Emmaus Group meets at the Salado Patio every Monday and Thursday at 7:30 am, and Tuesdays at

noon at McCain’s.

Salado UMC Young Adults Study Group meets Thursdays at 7:30 pm in the YAC.

Monday Morning Bible Study meets every Monday morning at 10:15 am in Room 117. If you are interested in

participating, please contact Trenaise Engleking or Diane Morgan for more information.

Responding to the Gift In my experience, the beginning of a New Year is always a dynamic time. It is full of hope and promise, yet it also challenges me. It asks something of me. It asks to me respond to the gift that I have received, the advent of a new day, a new year, a renewed awareness of the Messiah whose very birth I have just celebrated. In other words, the New Year asks much more of me than being awake when the ball drops in Time Square, making resolutions to exercise more or finally organize my closet and keep it that way! No, the New Year prompts me to examine things far more sig-nificant. How am I doing in my commitments to Christ? Do my priorities align with my stated beliefs? Am I investing my time, my resources, my energy in ways that glorify God? Basically, how am I responding to the gift of God’s love? I think these may be questions that are vital for all of us to examine periodi-cally. That is why in worship on January 3 we will have a special opportunity. We will be blessed by the presence of Dr. David Mosser of FUMC Arlington, and I look forward to hearing him deliver the sermon. David is a friend and I know you might think that skews my perspective, but trust me when I tell you he is a gifted orator

and teacher. During worship we will also share in communion and have the oppor-tunity to reaffirm our baptismal vows and remember our own baptisms. Finally, we will participate in renewing our covenant with Christ and his church as we live into the dawn of a New Year and respond to the question of what we are do-ing with the gift of the Messiah. Please contact me if you have never been baptized and would like to consider doing so in worship on January 3. I also want to invite you to share in special time in the Franklin family. Nor-mally we celebrate baptisms during worship within the context of a church family. However, because Travis and I serve different churches this poses a problem on two fronts: who leaves worship in their church on Sunday morning and, perhaps more importantly, whose congregation gets to be the church that loves and affirms on be-half of the Church universal? Travis and I have decided to celebrate our 2nd wed-ding anniversary (Jan. 4) by presenting Erin for the sacrament of baptism on Sunday, January 3. We will gather at 3 p.m. in the chapel with our families and anyone from both of our beloved congregations welcome. Our dear friend David will administer the sacrament, just as he officiated at our wedding and we will get to enjoy simply being mom and dad. It is our way of beginning to answer the question of how we are

rresponding to God’s gift. May it only be the beginning of living more aware in the months to come. Peace and grace, Pastor Lara

Baptism Erin Ann Franklin

of

January 3rd, 2016 ~ 3:00 p.m. Historic Chapel

Salado United Methodist Church

Salado United Methodist Church

650 Royal St./ PO Box 771

Salado, TX 76571

254-947-5482

Website: www.saladoumc.org

Facebook.com/saladoumc

Sunday Mornings

9:00 am Worship (Traditional)

In the Worship Center

10:00 am Sunday School

11:15 am Worship (Contemporary)

In the Historic Chapel

Communion is served the first Sunday

of every month. All are welcomed.

Wednesday Evenings

5:15-6:30 pm Fellowship Meal

(RSVP due by Monday 9 am)

6:00-7:15 pm Children’s Programs

6:00-7:30 pm Jr & Sr High Youth

6:00-7:00 pm Handbell

6:00 pm Texas Ramp Project

SUMC Garden Guild will meet Thursday, January 7th at 9:00 am.

Monday Club will meet Monday, January 4th at 2:00 pm. For further information, contact Karin Berg at 947-8768.

Greeters

January 3: 9:00 am: Cheryl Powell, Lyn Alley

January 10: 9:00 am: Wesley & Joyce Pershall

January 17: 9:00 am: Jodee & Reese Preston

January 24: 9:00 am: John & Sandra Perry

January 31: 9:00 am: Miriam Jordan, Helen Hays

Ushers

January 3: 9:00 am: Jim & Sherry Sewell, Dave & Ann Gardner;

11:15 am: Jay & Linda Crowley

January 10: 9:00 am: Jack & Weeta Evans, Chuck & Eileen Whitacre;

11:15 am: Steve & Shirley Meler

January 17: 9:00 am: Paul & Shirley Cox, Earl & Amy Stearns;

11:15 am: Dana Haas, Sean Foster

January 24: 9:00 am: Ken Horak, Brianna Lane, Lyn Alley, Joyce

Barker; 11:15 am: Howton Family

January 31: 9:00 am: Tommy & Robin Hale; 11:15 am: Don & Lucy

January

M&M Kids

Wednesdays from 6:00-7:15 pm M&M Kids is for children grades K-6

Music from 6:00-6:20 pm in the Theater Room, Bible

Study from 6:25-7:15 pm (rooms vary by age)

M&M Mini– for ages 2-5 (PreK) meets in the nursery at

6:00 pm

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

SUNDAY SCHOOL—

Sunday Mornings from10:00 to 11:00 am

Deep Blue Kids

PreK-Grade 1: Start in Theater room and move to room 124

Grades 2-3: Start in Theater room and move to room 122

Grapple Preteen

Grades 4-6 Room 119

Salado Food Pantry– Thank you to everyone who has volunteered at the Salado Food

Pantry or has donated food this year. This local outreach program has helped so many

in our community. We are currently in need of canned corn, peas, mixed vegetables,

canned meat, canned fruit, spaghetti, rice, dry pinto beans and soups. Salado UMC’s

work day is the 3rd Wednesday of every month (January 20th) from 1:00-3:00 pm at

First Baptist Church. If you are interested in volunteering with SUMC, contact Andrea in

the Church office at 947-5482. If you are interested in helping with the distribution of

Musical Notes

A very special thank you to Sallie Spradlin Jett and Tiffany Schreiner Humphrey for their work on the smashing success of Wrapping All the Way!

What an amazing Advent we had, with the exciting musical, beautiful choral cantata, and the always special Christmas Eve services. Way to go everyone!

Announcements & Upcoming Events

Confirmation Class The

2016 Confirmation Class

will begin meeting in

February. In the United

Methodist Church, Middle

School/Jr. High-aged kids are offered

the opportunity to participate in Con-

firmation. Confirmation is a rite

through which young Christians

affirm the faith of the church, renew

the vows of baptism, and commit to

lives of discipleship as members of

the church. If you have questions

about Confirmation, please contact

Salina Brown, at 947-5482 or

Upcoming Winter & Spring Notes for Children’s Ministry

February 10– Ash Wednesday– No M&M Kids

February 14 (Sunday)- M&M Lunch and Trip to

Nursing home

March 16– Spring Break, No M&M Kids

March 26 (Saturday)- Community Easter Egg Hunt

May 25– End of Year M&M Kids Party

Brown Hearing Center will be providing Free Hearing Evaluations at Salado United Methodist Church on Friday, January 22nd from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Please call 1-855-905-7652 or log on to www.brownhearingcenters.com to schedule your appointment. Your appointment will include a free hearing evaluation ($75.00), Otoscopic inspection of the ear canal, product demonstration, and cleaning and inspection of your current hear-ing aids for better performance– a

Family Promise will be here the week of January 3-10. If you are interesting in being a part of this local outreach

mission, please sign up in the atrium or contact Rolly Correa at 947-5482. We are in need of volunteers for the follow-

ing: to provide evening meals; to drive to and from Temple in the mornings and evenings; to provide evening entertain-

ment; and to stay overnight at the church. We will have many more opportunities throughout the year to participate in

this ministry.

Sager Brown 2016: It’s not too early to start thinking about the United Methodist Committee on Relief mission

opportunity. We will be taking a team in November to Baldwin, Louisiana to the UMCOR Depot. This is a wonderful

experience that reaches those in need both nationally and internationally.

Our Belize Missionaries, Jamie & Lisa Williams, will be here to visit our church in February. It’s an exciting

opportunity to meet them and to learn more about the ongoing mission in Belize. More specific information will follow.

Local Outreach needs never stop. If you are interested in being involved, contact Todd Perrin in reference to the

Salado Ramp Project, Andrea Heater in reference to the Salado Food Pantry, or you can donate to the local outreach

funds that help those less fortunate in our community. Contact Rolly Correa at 947-5482 for all outreach opportunities.

Happy New Year!!