Dear Members and Friends of Waterville United Methodist Church,
Our adult Advent Bible Study, “A Savior Is Born,” kicked off last week with 24 in attendance. If you missed it, please feel free to join us this week for a video and some discussion. We meet at 9:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room. Childcare is provided.
Our mission emphasis for the month of December will be Imagine No Malaria. Malaria is a disease of poverty that strikes hardest at the most vulnerable members of society: pregnant women and children under the age of five. A child dies every minute from this preventable disease. Five dollars provides a lifesaving course of medication, and ten dollars protects an entire family with a bed net. Our Christmas Offering will also be given to Imagine No Malaria. In response to Christ’s saving grace, how many lives will you help save this month?
Worship Service for Sunday, December 6
Prelude - Handbell Choir playing Carol of the Bells in the balcony
Hymns - Angels from the Realms of Glory and O Come, All Ye Faithful
Sanctuary Choir anthem - A Father’s Love, A Perfect Rose with a solo by Ted Myers
Olga’s selections -
Offertory: Angels We Have Heard on High
Postlude: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Scripture - Mark 10:13-27
Pastor Mike’s Sermon - Entering the Kingdom of God
Stewardship Update - Tom Wiggins
Celebration of Holy Communion - served by intinction
Liturgist – Tom Quinn
Inside each bulletin this Sunday, you will find an invitation to attend one of our Christmas Eve services on December 24. Our 7:00 pm service will be the traditional candle light service with carols and readings. The 11:00 pm service will begin with a mini-concert by Olga and will be followed by carols, readings and communion. Please take these cards and share them with a neighbor, a family member, or a friend.
Please join us for light refreshments following the worship service in our Fellowship Hall. Nancy O. Stafford will be your host for the month of December.
Our church will be ringing the bell at the Salvation Army Kettle at the Waterville Kroger Store on Saturday, December 12. We have one hour time slots available beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m. There is a signup sheet on the bulletin board in the main hallway. If you have any questions about this project, please contact Karen Wiggins.
If you would like to order a poinsettia for Christmas Eve, you will find ordering envelopes in the rack with the offering envelopes in each pew or on the table in the entryway. The deadline for orders will be Sunday, December 13. The cost remains at $7.00 per plant. Donations to the church’s new building fund will also be accepted on these forms. Your name and your dedications will be listed in the Christmas Eve bulletins.
If you have not had the opportunity to submit your Estimate of Giving Cards, we will gladly accept them at any time. You may place them in the offering, send them via the mail, or send an email to Tom Wiggins at financialsec@watervilleumc.org. If needed, additional Estimate of Giving Cards are located on the hallway shelf outside the Church Office marked as “2016 Stewardship Campaign.”
Your 2016 Giving Envelopes are now available on the hallway shelf outside the Church Office. Please make every effort to pick them us, as it is quite expensive to mail them. In addition, the Counting Team appreciates your using these envelopes for your contributions as they help streamline the processing of the weekly offerings.
The children continue to practice for their annual Sunday School Christmas Program. It will be presented on Sunday, December 13th during the worship service. Following the program, we will be having a special Fellowship Time which will include lots of yummy Christmas cookies. If you would like to provide a plate of cookies, please place your name and phone number on the signup sheet in the main hallway.
Please bring your family and friends to our Caravan Christmas Caroling event! We will meet at the church on Sunday, December 13 and depart at 6:30 p.m. Our members that are unable to get to church, or have difficulty doing so, love to have us bring His glory to their doorstep at this time of the year. Children may bring bells to rind as we sing “Jingle Bells.” We will conclude the evening with hot chocolate and cookies in Fellowship Hall. If you enjoy baking this time of year, extra cookies are welcome!!!
The Friendly Center serves 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. Our Women’s Ministry will deliver them to the Friendly Center in mid-January.
The Church Mouse reports that the boiler heating system in the Education Wing has been fixed and everything is nice and warm again. Be a Blessing,