Dear Members and Friends of Waterville United Methodist Church,
Here is your Friday e-blast and few days early this week. Janet will be in the office for the remainder of the week. The bulletins have been printed for Sunday and the PowerPoint slides are finished and loaded on the balcony computer. We will resume our regular office days and hours next week.
Our January Mission Focusis The Pregnancy Center of Greater Toledo. Their goal is to lovingly share the truth about life, relationships and faith. They help men and women make life-saving, life-changing decisions by sharing information about options, consequences and available services. With the exception of a small amount of grant funding for abstinence education, all funds come from donations. Over 32,000 women have already received help. The Pregnancy Center continues to be a community outreach committed to expressing the compassion of Christ through support and education in pregnancy related issues. We can help keep the doors open! The Mission Moment that was to take place this Sunday will be pushed back to next Sunday, as the video from The Pregnancy Center was delayed in being delivered to the church office. Mission envelopes are available in the pew racks.
Let's start 2017 getting "Unstuck: Moving From the Mundane to the Meaningful" on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. and Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. We will watch the short film clips from "Journey to Jamaa" which uncovers the four themes we will be discussing: Unimaginable, Unsafe, Unwanted and Unstuck. Consider: How can the unimaginable keep us stuck? How can temptation be unsafe where we remain stuck? When we feel unwanted, how does that keep us stuck? Where is Jesus in all of these situations? After seeing the film, what can you being to do to become "unstuck"? Everyone wants to make a difference in someone's lives. We've talked about living and loving generously. Now it's time to get Unstuck and Move from Mundane to Meaningful.
See you on Sunday mornings or Tuesday evenings!
Char and Pastor Mike
The Prayer Group will resume meeting at 9:00 a.m. in the sanctuary this Sunday.
Worship Service for Sunday, January 8:
Call to Worship
Song of Worship - How Great Thou Art
Children’s Moment- Sunday School and Nursery both return this Sunday
Sanctuary Choir Anthem -
Olga’s selections:
Prelude: Christmas Majesty
Offertory: Every time I Feel the Spirit
Postlude: Spirit Song
Financial Update - Tom Wiggins
The Mission Moment will take place next Sunday, as the video from The Pregnancy Center has been delayed.
Scripture- Matthew 3:13-17
Sermon - Receiving the Holy Spirit
Hymn - He Touched Me
Communion will be served at the altar
Choral Benediction -
Liturgist: Tom Quinn
No one has signed up to be Fellowship Hosts for the month of January.
If you ordered a poinsettia for Christmas, please remember to take it home with you. There are clear, plastic sleeves beside the piano to help protect it from the cold weather.
Just a reminder to please pick up your 2017 offering envelopes when you are at church this Sunday. Please pick your set of offering envelopes up to help us save on postage…they will cost close to $5.00 each to mail.
If you receive your statement of giving at the end of the year by email, they will be sent out on Saturday, January 7. If you receive a hard copy, they will be available for you to pick up on the shelf outside the church office on Sunday, January 8.
The Upper Room, a daily devotional book for January and February 2017, is available at both entrances to the sanctuary this Sunday. The cost of each book is $1.00 and may be placed in the offering plate.
The Friendly Centerserves Toledo’s inner city children and is a ministry of The United Methodist Church. During the cold winter months, they have extra need for NEW hats, gloves/mittens and socks. If you would like to support this ministry, there will be a basket in the Fireside room for collecting these items. The final day to donate will be January 15. Our Women’s Ministry will deliver them to the Friendly Center.
For the past few years, the M&M Bible Study has been volunteering at the SeaGate Food Bank the first Wednesday of the month packing food boxes for senior citizens. We start at 10:00 a.m. and work until 11:30/Noon. We would like to open this mission project up to the entire congregation, women, men and children. Lunch afterwards at a local restaurant is included but is optional. The work is not hard and we all have a good time, lots of laughter and fellowship. Throughout the year there are other short projects we help with also. You can carpool from the church or meet us there. If you would like to join us, please contact Penny Greenlese at pgreenlese@yahoo.com or 419-206-1602. We would love to have your help and you will be rewarded with a feeling of helping those less fortunate.
Bill Plassmann has placed DVD copies of the Children’s Christmas Program on the shelf outside the church office. He asks that those taking a DVD make a donation to the Youth Group Mission Trip fund.
The counter by the dishwasher in the kitchen is full of serving trays and Tupperware containers from all the goodies that were brought to the church during the month of December (Theatre for the World and the Children’s Christmas Program). Please take a few minutes to see if any of these dishes belong to you so we can get them back home where they belong.
Art Meade has begun construction/renovation in the restroom just off Fellowship Hall. One of the toilets will be removed and a pedestal sink will be installed along will new floor tiles that will extend partially up the walls. A changing station for babies will be installed and the lighting will also be updated. Please be patient while this project moves forward.
As the year draws to a close, new opportunities for 2017 are just around the corner. New sign-up sheets are posted on the bulletin board in the hallway for Greeters and Fellowship Hosts. Janet is finished with the 2017 Altar Flower calendar. There is also a new Prayer Partner list on the Prayer Table in the sanctuary. Where is God calling you to serve?