Dear Members and Friends of Waterville United Methodist Church,
November’s Mission Focus will continue to be Operation Christmas Child. OCC delivers great joy to millions of children around the world through shoeboxes lovingly and prayerfully packed with gifts that will bring delight to a child. In the hands of local churches, every gift-filled shoebox is a powerful tool for evangelism and discipleship—transforming the lives of children and their families around the world through the Good News of Jesus Christ! We will dedicate our shoeboxes at WUMC on Sunday, November 20. Please place your completed boxes on the storage cabinets in the Fireside Room in the church basement. Mission envelopes are available in the pew racks. Have you noticed the bars of soap by the empty OCC boxes in the entryway and on the table in Fellowship Hall? We received them from an organization called “Clean the World.” They are a non-profit organization that collects and recycles soap from the hotel industry and sends the bars of soap that they manufacture all over the world to combat hygiene-related deaths in impoverished countries. You are welcome to help yourself to some of these bars of soap. Please place these bars of soap in a baggie and perhaps include a washcloth in the bag before you add them to your OCC shoeboxes.
The Living Generously small group study begins on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room. Pastor Mike is teaching this class.
The Prayer Time in the sanctuary will begin at 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
Worship Service for Sunday, November 13: Veterans Day observance
Recognition of our Veterans
Pledge of Allegiance
Veterans Day Litany
Prayer for our Veterans
Song of Worship - America the Beautiful
Reflections of a Veteran - by Lt. Colonel, Retired, Steve Letzring, U.S. Army
Children’s Moment - OCC short video about shoeboxes
Olga’s Selections:
Prelude: America the Beautiful with God Bless the USA and Battle Hymn of the Republic
Offertory: Patriotic Medley (in the style of Bach)
Postlude: To God Be the Glory
Sanctuary Choir Anthem - Onward Christian Soldiers
Scripture- John 14:27-29
Sermon - Living More Stress-free Lives - Fourth sermon in the Living Generously series
Closing Hymn - America
Liturgist - Tom Quinn
Parents of Sunday School children - please have your child bring their Greatest Journey folder with them to church. Stephanie Shelton will be keeping the folders at church until January and updating them for 2017.
Dawn Buskey and Barb & Steve Crandall are your Fellowship Hosts for November.
The Operation Christmas Child Packing Party will be held during Fellowship Time this Sunday, November 13 in the Fireside Room. Everyone is invited to help (especially children and their parents) We will be packing shoeboxes with all the items that have been donated throughout the year. Some supervision will be required to assist the kids so items from all categories get into the boxes and that the items are appropriate to one age group.
The Visitation Team will be meeting on Tuesday, November 15 at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.
Theatre for the World will be here before we know it. Brian has placed a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the main hallway for ushers and folks to host the Intermission Cookies/Coffee time. We will also be in need of cookies, brownies, etc. for those times of fellowship. You will find invitations to No Ordinary Christmas Miracle on the shelf in the main hallway. Please share them with your friends, family or neighbors.
Theatre-for-the-World is looking to borrow four 50 to 75-foot grounded extension cords for some of the lighting for the play. It doesn’t matter what color they are. If you have some that the crew could borrow for a couple of weeks, please talk to Tom Wiggins. (Be sure to put your name on your cords.)
Living Generously, a 5-week video series, began on Sunday, October 23 and will be the launch of our Stewardship campaign. It will feature the same cast of characters from our last video series. There will also be small group meetings during the series:
Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room in the church basement
Monday evenings at 7:15 p.m. at the home of Stephanie & Adam Shelton (171 Freedom Lane, Waterville)
Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Tom and Karen Wiggins (1040Farmview Drive, Waterville)
Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room in the church basement
Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room in the church basement
When you decide which one works best for your schedule, please be sure and add your name to the sign-up sheets that are located on the bulletin boards in the main hallway.
Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection begins on Monday. We still need volunteers to staff the collection room during the following times:
Tuesday, November 15 from 5-8:00 p.m. – still need two volunteers
Wednesday, November 16 from 4-7:00 p.m. – still need one volunteer to work with Char Pritchett
Friday, November 18 from 1-4:00 p.m. – still need two volunteers
Sunday, November 20 from 5-8:00 p.m. – still need one volunteer to work with Pam Denman
Monday, November 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. – still need two volunteers
Monday, November 21 – need two volunteers to load boxes and deliver them
We would like to serve Christmas cookies to all who bring Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes to our collection site. If you would be willing to do some baking, please add your name to the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the main hallway.
Please remember Waterville United Methodist’s OCC shoebox collection and dedication will be Sunday, November 20 during the worship service. If you will be out of town for Thanksgiving week, please be sure to get your boxes to the church before you leave! If you bring your box prior to the November 20, please take your shoeboxes downstairs to the shelves in the Fireside Room and we will make sure that they are brought forward on Sunday, November 20 for the dedication.
Here is an update on the Site Development for the property on Waterville-Monclova Road:
WUMC SITE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE - WUMC has contracted with Total Ground Solutions (TGS) to move the donation of dirt by the Browning Masonic Community to our property on Waterville Monclova Road. While TGS was the lowest bidder, they were selected due to their existing reputation with Browning as they are the contractor for their villas phase 1 and 2. Other factors in the selection were their ability to meet our timeline and they offered a do not exceed cost in their quotation. TGS also offered an opportunity to further reduce costs by donating equipment for our congregation to lay the EPA regulated erosion control. We are particularly excited about this as it not only saves us $2,800, but also gives us all an opportunity to participate in the project, enjoy each other’s fellowship, and God’s grace.
The excavation is tentatively set to begin the week of 11/14 and TGS has set the date to lay the erosion control for Saturday, November 19th. We are excited to invite you to participate and celebrate this progress for the future building of WUMC. The event will begin at noon with prayer before beginning work (which should take 2-3 hours). If you can help lay the erosion control, have a mean recipe for chili or a snack, or want to join the prayer at the property as a group, please reach out to Brian McMillan. Call, text or email: btmcmillan@msn.com, 419-490-0779 for more information and to RSVP. All are welcome! Any further updates will be found weekly on the back of your church bulletin and in the Friday E-Blast.
Volunteers needed: WUMC is planning a Parents' Night Out for Saturday, November 19th from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. We are in need of volunteers (ages 14+). Volunteers will be given areas to lead such as games, crafts, dinner, the nursery, etc. There will be a magician performance by Eli Martin. Your time commitment will be from 4:15 to 7:30 pm. Volunteers will receive a "LIVE GENEROUSLY" super-soft t-shirt from Thrivent Financial. Everyone loved their shirts last time! If you want to join the fun, but can only attend for a portion of the evening, please reach out to us & we'll fit you in! Background checks are required for all volunteers. Please contact Cara or Brian McMillan at 419-344-2171 (text or call) or cara.m.mcmillan@gmail.com.
Families: WUMC is planning a Parents' Night Out forSaturday, November 19th from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Treat yourself to a night out, or get an early start on Christmas shopping, while your children are cared for in a fun, safe environment! This is a free child care evening for children ages 6 months to 6th grade. Your children will have a blast with crafts, games, a magician performance by Eli Martin & dinner (pizza, fruit/veggies, & dessert). We would love for you to invite friends and neighbors to experience WUMC via PNO too! Please register by contacting Cara or Brian McMillan at 419-344-2171 (text or call) or cara.m.mcmillan@gmail.com. Registration required, space is limited to 35 children.
Thank you to all who have donated paperback books for the military in the box in the main hallway. There are some new items that have been requested by Operation Paperbook. Those include puzzle books, large print mysteries, books for toddlers, inspirational stories, recent magazines, textbooks of all subjects, DVDs and CDs. The collection box for these items in on the shelf outside the church office.
Volunteers are needed to help with projects for the children’s Christmas Program. Stephanie Shelton is looking for individuals who would like to help with art/craft projects and costumes that will be used in this year’s program. You do not need to be a regular part of the Children’s Ministry team to help with this. If interested, please contact Stephanie at 567-202-5035 or sshelton171@gmail.com
The Christmas poinsettia plants have been ordered for December. Beginning on Sunday, November 13, you will find order envelopes in the racks in the pews and in the attendance pads. The price will remain $7.00 this year. You may order either a red or white plantand have it be in honor of or in memory of someone or make a donation to our Building Fund. All plants will be displayed during our Christmas Eve Worship Service and you will be able to take the plants home following the service. Your name and your flower’s dedication will be printed in the Christmas Eve bulletin. We have ordered 30 red plants and 5 white plants this year.
A date has been set for ringing the bell for the Salvation Army kettle at the Waterville Kroger Store. We will be volunteering on Saturday, December 17 from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Karen Wiggins has placed a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. We are looking for folks to volunteer for one hour slots during the day.
And finally, here’s a great way to celebrate making it through the recent election! The Haskins Community Church, located at 209 West Main Street in Haskins, will be holding their Annual Ham Loaf Dinner on Saturday, November 12th from 4-7 p.m. Delicious homemade ham loaf or turkey, salad, mashed potatoes, green beans or corn, rolls, drink and dessert are on the menu for the evening. Carry-outs are available, the church is handicapped accessible and they will have a Country Store where you may purchase baked goods and crafts. The cost is $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children ages 4-10.