The Methodist Message

Metter United Methodist Church www.metterumc.com December 2017

Coming Home

It is hard to think about Advent and Christmas without thinking about home. Many of us will be traveling

to see family with many going to the homes in which we grew up as children. Others of us will be awaiting

children and grandchildren who are coming home for the holidays. This time of year is truly about home

and family.

We are also reminded during this time that God through Jesus made His home on this earth that first

Christmas in Bethlehem. God, the creator of the universe, chose to take on flesh and make His home among

us. Wow!

Now, when our family is expecting people over to our house, we do all kinds of preparation. The brooms

come out. The vacuum cleaner comes out. We straighten and clean to make sure our home is presentable to

our guests.

Well, as we enter this Advent Season in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus and God “coming home” to us

on earth, we must think about how we need to prepare ourselves for Jesus.

Is there room in your life for Him or are other things cluttering up your calendar pushing Jesus out the

door?

Over the four Sundays of Advent, I will be talking about this idea of “Coming Home.” I hope you will make

time to be with us in worship on Sundays and in the many activities we have planned during December.

This is a great time to “Come Home” and be with your church family if you’ve been a little infrequent or

your life has been a little cluttered. We miss you! So “Come Home”!

“Coming Home”

Advent Sermon Series

December 3 Come Down Home Isaiah 64:1-9

December 10 Home Is Where We Meet Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

December 17 Joy Is Our True Home 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

December 24 God Makes This World a Home

Luke 2:1-7

Rev. Allen Cason

P.S. And along the lines of “Coming Home,” Kristen and I would love to invite you and your family to “Our Home”

on December 20th at 6 pm for Cookies and Hot Chocolate. Our address is 226 Golf Club Drive, Metter, GA. We so

enjoyed our time with you last year and we hope to see you again this year!

Prayer Concerns Charlotte Jameson Tammy Brannen

Corey Carpenter Roger Carter Sandra Chandler Scotty Roessler Brenda Gould David Tinney

Jerry Hiers Susan Vance Chris Webb Stella Akridge Terri Underwood Pam Lee Jody Robertson Judy Johnston Charlotte Coursey Glenn Cardell Polly Porter Tate West Matthew Conner Vickie Howe Randall Jarrell Sandi Dowd Janna Bryant Brenda Brown Carroll Tootle Mike Morgan Dakota Berry Shawn Ziegler Linda Webb Nester Velazquez

Families who have lost loved ones:

Exibee Goodman Family Carl Sego Family

Coy Durden Family

Military: Dan Chicola, Trey Neville, Heath Stuckey Missionaries: Whatleys (Navajo), Nelson (I See Jesus Ministries, Panama), Shafes (Mission: Hope-Congo), Coker/Cook Family (Thumbs UP Mission) Homebound: Annie Will Watson (Azalea Healthcare), Helen Sparks, Joe Minchew, Ben Heaton, Sandi Dowd, Jean Hensley, Betty Bell, Jeannette Peterson

Our Stewardship: Sun., 11/5- Sun., 11/27, 2017

Attendance: 11/5 11/12 11/19 11/26 Sunday School 45 59 30 35 Morning Worship 108 114 85 105 Offering: Sunday School $19 $33 $19 $39 Morning Worship $7092.90 $5554 $5624 $2523 Communion Offering (11/5) $106 Bazaar (11/5) $95 Operation Christmas Child (11/5) $398 Sturdy Spirits Fund Raiser (11/5) $72 Back Pack Buddies (11/12) $99 Operation Christmas Child (11/12) $27 Operation Christmas Child (11/19) $39 Angel Tree Ministry (11/19) $450 Local Missions/Methodist Men/Thanksgiving (11/19) $250 Children’s Ministry (11/19) $40 Methodist Home for Children & Youth (11/26) $216.35

In Memory of Kenny Boyett by Mr. and Mrs. Ray Coursey. In Memory of Cal and Eleanor Rivenbark by Dale and Mary Wheeler Endowment Fund Balance: $ 29,039.61 (as of 6/30/2017) (goal $100,000)

Year to date contributions: $ 246764.42 Year to date expenses: $ 231,615.93 (Amounts reported are through November 27 , 2017)

December Birthdays: David Tinney (12/1), Nancy Wright (12/4), Patsy Mikell (12/5), Carol Smith (12/6), Butch Smith (12/7), Susan Snell (12/8), Charlotte Bowen (12/10), Ellen Hendrix (12/13), Gail Lowe (12/13), Gage Chicola (12/15), Windy Ward (12/18), Cathy Franklin (12/19), Felix Johnston (12/19), Jody Robertson (12/19), Hadden Nease (12/20), Skeet Trapnell (12/20), Laura Lott (12/22), Bradley Smith (12/22), Tom Williams (12/22), Chris Clance (12/26), Faith Coleman Salter (12/27), Ansley Bird Tatum (12/27), Allen Cason (12/28), Janet Lanier (12/30) December Anniversaries: Steve & Jill Powell (12/12), Les & Jean Furr (12/28), Wallace & Nancy Wright (12/28)

Weekly Activities

Sunday Sunday School – 10 AM Morning Worship – 11 AM Young Women’s Bible Study – 5 PM Youth – 5:30 PM

Monday The Bridge – 9 AM-11 AM Bend and Stretch - 4:30-5:30 PM Monday Night Bible Study - 6:30 PM

Tuesday Nursing Home Singers - 2:00-2:45 PM

Wednesday Prayer Shawl Group – 1:00 PM Family Night Supper – 6:00 PM Children/Youth/Adult Classes – 6:30 PM Choir - 6:30 PM

Thursday The Bridge – 9 AM-11 AM

Friday Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study (at JOMAX) – 6:30 AM 2nd Sunday monthly- Methodist Men’s Breakfast 8:00 AM – in the Social Hall (No meeting in December)

YOUTH – Sunday evenings at 5:30 PM Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM

Church Office Hours – The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9 AM until 12:30 PM. The office will be closed on Monday, December 25; Tuesday, December 26; and Monday, January 1, 2018. Family Night Suppers – The final Family Night Supper for 2017 will be Wednesday, December 13. Regular Family Night Suppers will resume on Wednesday, January 10, 2018. Supper begins at 6:00 PM. The cost is $5 per person or $15 for a family. Sign up for standing reservations or make weekly reservations as needed. Please cancel reservations by noon on Monday if you are not going to be able to attend family night supper.

Mark Your Calendar – The March Madness sale will be held March 3, 2018. Price tags are already available in the church office so that you can go ahead and price items as you prepare for the sale. Contact Peggy Rivenbark for more information about this great big indoor garage sale. Your trash is someone else’s treasure!

January Newsletter Deadline – Please submit any news and information for the January 2018 newsletter to Suzanne in the church office by Wednesday, December 27, 2017. You can call the church office, send an email, talk to Suzanne personally, or drop a note into the offering plate. Remember, digital photos are always welcome. Finance Committee – The Finance Committee will meet on Wednesday, December 6 at noon in the social hall to finalize the 2018 budget. Members of the committee are encouraged to bring a sack lunch to the meeting. Administrative Council – There will be a short meeting of the Administrative Council following Morning Worship on Sunday, December 10, 2017. The one item to be addressed is the 2018 budget. Please plan to meet after church to take care of this important business.

Bazaar Ladies Booth – The leftover items from the Ladies’ Bazaar will be on sale at the Lighting of Metter on Friday, December 1. Willing hands are needed to set up for this event. Those who can help are asked to meet at the church at 4:15 PM to pack up items and set them up in town. The Lighting of Metter begins at 5:30 PM with the Christmas parade. Proceeds from the sale of Bazaar items go to local missions. Local Missions Offering – There will be a special offering for “local missions” on Sunday, December 3, during Morning Worship. Please come prepared to give generously. Youth Worship Service – The youth are hosting an evening worship service on Sunday, December 3, 2017, at 6:00 PM. There will be music and preaching with youth as the primary audience; however, everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. Prior to the service, all youth are invited to meet in the social hall for supper at 5:30 PM. Annual Christmas Dinner – Tickets have already been purchased for the Christmas dinner will be held on Monday, December 4, 2017, beginning at 6:30 PM. We look forward to a night of delicious food and delightful entertainment. The youth will be providing childcare for young children and pizza and a movie for the older children. Please contact Peggy Rivenbark if a ride is needed. 2018 Budget Requests – Those responsible for various ministry areas are reminded that budget requests for 2018 need to be submitted no later than Tuesday, December 5, 2017. The Finance Committee will finalize the budget on Wednesday, December 6 in their noon meeting, and Administrative Council will meet to pass the budget on Sunday, December 10. For more information about the budget, contact Kathy Martin. Children’s Nativity – The children of MUMC will present a living nativity during Morning Worship on Sunday, December 10. All children are invited to participate. For your child to be a part of this touching display, please have them at MUMC at 10 AM for costuming and rehearsal. Contact Paige Jones for more information. Poinsettia Sunday – The sanctuary will be adorned with beautiful red poinsettias on Sunday, December 17th. The deadline for ordering a flower in honor or in memory of someone is Wednesday, December 13, 2017. The cost is $12 per poinsettia. Flowers will be displayed through Sunday, December 24th. MUMPS Christmas Presentation – The children of our church preschool will perform Christmas songs during morning worship on Sunday, December 17. Come see and hear what a wonderful group of youngsters are being taught at the Metter United Methodist Pre-School.

Happy Birthday, Jesus! Party – Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, so let’s have cake! The children of MUMC will have a birthday party for Jesus on Sunday, December 10, during Morning Worship. Complete with cake and other birthday fun, the kids will celebrate together after the MUMPS presentation. Adult volunteers are needed to assist in this very special time with the children. Mary, Did You Know? – The 2017 cantata/drama will be based on the modern classic Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know?” The presentation of music and drama will be held on Sunday, December 17, 2017, at 6:30 PM. Afterwards, there will be a reception in the church social hall. Everyone is asked to bring finger foods for the reception. Encourage members and friends to attend this touching celebration of the Christmas season. Church Helpers – The listing of church helpers for 2018 is currently being updated. The jobs that are a part of this list are Acolytes, Children’s Sermon, Children’s Church, and Ushers. To have a name added or removed from the 2018 schedule or for more information, please contact the church office. The next training for acolytes will be held in January. Prayer Shawl Ministry – MUMC has a Prayer Shawl ministry to provide prayer shawls to those who are experience difficulties, especially health issues. Each shawl is crafted by hand and is knitted or crocheted with love. If you would like to be a part of this very special ministry of our church, contact Mary Ann Young or Lin Royea, or you can let us know in the church office. Undecorating the Church – As much fun as it is to decorate the church during Hanging of the Greens, there comes a time to take down the decorations and put them away for the next year. The church will be “undecorated” on Wednesday, January 3, 2018. At 6:00 PM, gather in the social hall for a covered dish supper (the church will NOT provide the chicken). Afterwards, all decorations will need to be removed and packed up. Those who helped in each area during Hanging of the Greens need to be on hand so that the decorations will be placed in the correct boxes and area for storage. For more information, contact Miriam Edenfield.

To our church family, Thank you for the love offering gift to help us with our expenses of surgery. Your generosity has overwhelmed us. We are so humbled by the way our church family has surrounded us with their love. We are truly blessed to be a part of Metter UMC.

Love, Glenn & Sandra Cardell

Dear All, My family and I would like to thank everyone for their many prayers while I am going through this time of recovery. We thank all who have brought dinner, stayed with me, taken me to the doctor and who have sent flowers. We are so thankful to be a part of this church family and so blessed to have each and every one of you. I am doing better each day. Please continue to pray for us. This will be a long journey, but with God, my family and all of you, we will come through this stronger. Again thank you so much.

Terri Underwood

MUMC Welcomes

Mia Lou Quinones

Mia is the daughter of

Louie & Andrea

Quinones. She was born

November 8, 2017, at

8:36 AM. She weighed 7

lbs. 6 oz. and was 19 ½

inches long. Mia’s sister

is Bella Grace Quinones.

Operation Christmas Child Packing

Party

On November 5, 2017, MUMC hosted a

packing party for Operation Christmas

Child. Throughout the year, items were

collected. At the party, boxes were packed

with school supplies, hygiene items, toys,

and other goodies to be sent to children

throughout the world. The 2017 goal for

MUMC was 130 boxes. At the packing

party, 143 boxes were packed! Great job,

MUMC!

Youth Thanksgiving

Dinner

On Saturday, November

11, 2017, the youth

gathered for a

“Friendsgiving”

celebration. They brought

covered dishes and had a

feast including turkey and

ham. During the meal,

each person present told

what he or she was most

thankful for in 2017.

Thanksgiving Dinner Deliveries

Each year, the United Methodist Men raise

money to provide turkey dinners to needy

families during the Thanksgiving season. This

year the men purchased 16 meals. The meals

were delivered by members of UMM along with

some of the children and youth of the church.

First Deer Hunting Trip – Matthew

and Carter Gainous recently went

hunting together. Carter got his first

ever deer! Congratulations, Carter!

December 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Family

Night

Menus:

Dec. 6-

Covered Dish Dec. 13-

Meatloaf,

Cheesy noodles, peas & dessert

There will be no Family Night Supper on Dec. 20 and 27.

1 6:30 AM – Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study – JOMAX

5:30 PM - Bazaar Booth at Lighting of Metter - DOWNTOWN

2 6 PM – Emmaus Gathering at MUMC

3 Communion

5:00 – Young Women’s Group

5:30 – Youth supper

6:00 – Youth Worship Service

4 9-11 – The Bridge

4:30 – Yoga

6:30 – Annual Christmas Dinner

5 2:00 – Nursing Home Singers

6 Noon – Finance Committee Meeting

1:00 – Prayer Shawl

6:00 – Family Night Supper

6:30 – Classes for children, youth & adults

6:30 – Cantata Practice

7 9-11 – The Bridge

8 6:30 AM – Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study – JOMAX

9

10 11 AM – Children’s Nativity

12:30 – Administrative Council

5:00 – Young Women’s Group

5:30 – Youth

11 9-11 – The Bridge

4:30 – Yoga

6:30 – Evening Bible Study

12 2:00 – Nursing Home Singers

13 Poinsettia order

deadline 1:00 – Prayer Shawl

6:00 – Family Night Supper

6:30 – Classes for children, youth & adults

6:30 – Choir Practice

14 9-11 – The Bridge

15 6:30 AM – Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study – JOMAX

6 PM – Adult Bible Class Christmas Party

16

17 Poinsettia Sunday

Morning Worship – MUMPS presentation & Happy Birthday, Jesus! Party

6:30 PM - Christmas Cantata with reception to follow

18 9-11 – The Bridge

4:30 – Yoga

6:30 – Evening Bible Study

19 2:00 – Nursing Home Singers

20 NO Family Night Activities

6:00 – Cookies & Hot Chocolate at the Parsonage

NO Choir Practice

21 Winter Solstice 9-11 – The Bridge

22 6:30 AM – Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study – JOMAX

23

24

5-7 PM – Drop In Communion

25 Christmas

Church Office Closed

26 2:00 – Nursing Home Singers

Church Office Closed

27 January Newsletter Deadline

NO Family Night Activities

NO Choir Practice

28 9-11 – The Bridge

29 6:30 AM – Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study – JOMAX

30

31

Don’t forget our drop-in communion on Christmas Eve (December 24) from 5 until 7 PM. Come with family, friends or on your own and share in this special moment of celebrating Christmas.

Acolytes Children’s Sermon Children’s Church 12/3 Cace West & Dallas Jones Communion 12/10 Arleigh & Cheslee Monroe Matthew Gainous Autumn & Thomas Chicola 12/17 Carter Gainous & Atticus Lanier Laura Lott Louisa Hensley & Sandra Cardell 12/24 Hadden Nease & TBA Jason Jones TBA 12/31 Emma & Carter Gainous Broni Gainous Tammie Strickland & Logan Nease Ushers Flowers Greeters (Classes) 12/3 Felix Johnston, Greg Strickland, Wiley Tyson, Jonathan Ward Communion Sunshine 12/10 Tietgen Edenfield, Jason Jones, Luke Lanier, Wayne Rivenbark Susannah Lanier & Monica West New Adventure & Older Adults Wayne Rivenbark 12/17 Steve Burton, Jeremy Nease, Steven Snell, Chris West Poinsettias Sturdy Spirits 12/24 Larry Bowen, Charles Chandler, Al Edenfield, Tom Williams Ellen Durden Children & Youth 12/31 Ed Boyd, Frank Franklin, Charlie Hendricks, Wallace Wright Ann Trapnell & Jean Furr Sunshine

Metter UMC Non Profit 30 W. Lillian Street Organization PO Box 595 US Postage Paid Metter, GA 30439 Permit 106 Metter, GA 30439

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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Church Staff & Connection

Allen Cason, Pastor Suzanne J. Tyson, Administrative Assistant Kathy Martin, Treasurer Miriam Edenfield, Director of Worship Tripp Anderson, Youth Director Paige Jones, Children’s Coordinator Dan Henderson, Sound Technician Allen Lanier, Technology Cheryl Williams, Pianist / Terri Bland, Organist Erin Glanton & Heather Nease, Preschool Angie Henderson, Nursery Caregiver Andrea Quinones, Nursery Caregiver Tina Davidson, Custodian Jerry Lott, Retired Pastor Chris Ramsey, District Superintendent Robert Lawson Bryan, Resident Bishop

If you would like to be removed from

this mailing list, please contact

MUMC at 912-685-2777 or

info@metterumc.com.

Rev. Cason’s Contact Information

Home: (912) 685-5261

Cell: (478) 290-8197

Email: casonpreach@gmail.com

Metter United Methodist Church

Office Hours:

Monday - Friday 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

Phone: (912) 685-2777

Email: info@metterumc.com

All Are Welcome!

Sunday School @ 10:00 AM

Morning Worship @ 11:00 AM