New Year’s Eve is perceived as a time of seeing out the “old” year and ushering in the New Year. There is a general time of celebration and consummation of food, beverage and merriment with family and friends. In the midst of it all may also be a feeling of nostalgia and remembrances of the past.
One tradition of United Methodists has been the Watch Night Vigil on New Year’s Eve. This service includes prayers of praise, joy and thanks. General themes may stem from the Advent Wreath or acknowledging the 12 days of Christmas as it relates to a new year. Another similar service is a Covenant Renewal for our personal renewal between us, God and the church. Perhaps you already embrace this renewal in your own prayer life?
As I think back on the year 2011, I remember our weddings, baptisms, graduations, confirmations, commissioning and funerals - how we embrace Christ in our season. I ponder how the Holy Spirit has worked in us to truly open our hearts, minds and doors to all through the experience of the youth mission trip to Nashville, TN; the ecumenical Good Friday service, the birth of Christ’s Community Table, SLAM JAM and the Fall Family Fun Fest.
God continues to bless us with fruitful ways to support this church because of our stewardship efforts by tithing and healthy, steady giving. We are therefore empowered to excel in our mission by funding through a variety of means such as euchre tournaments, book sale, cookie walk, Saturday suppers, and many more. The latest
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Monthly
Scriptures
January 1 – Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Psalm 148
Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:22-40
January 8 – Genesis 1:1-5, Psalm 29,
Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11
January 15 – I Samuel 3:1-10, 11-20, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
I Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51
January 22 – Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Psalm 62:5-12
I Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1: 14-20
January 29 – Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 111
I Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28
ABC Shoe Ministry
Since August 24 our ABC Shoe and Boot Ministry has purchased and donated 47 pairs of boots and 70 pairs of shoes to local families.
Our next euchre tournament will be Saturday, January 21 at 7:00 pm. Please come and help support this very important need in our community.
Thank you for your continued support.
─Mary A Roth
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Items for the Personal Product Pantry are delivered to St. Teresa’s the second Monday of each month. So get your items to the church by January 8.
Thank you for making us feel so welcome. It meant so much!
-Jennifer, Persephonie, Crysta, Jade and Lucas Martin
Happy New Year! The best way to enter into the gift of a new year is to worship the Author of time and eternity.
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Pastor’s Blog, continued from page (1).
craze from our youth this year was “flocking,” in addition to their pop can pickup, rummage sale, Jam Session and dessert auction, to name a few.
As much as I long to reminisce about the past and marvel at the creativity, volunteers and leadership who have helped to make these things happen, I am excited about 2012 and the great things that God is going to bless us to do in Manton and around the world. Thank you, leaders and volunteers! The invitation and blessing to you and me is to personally attend to the “Watch Night” idea by giving praise, joy and thanks to God regularly. Recognize and lift up the positive ways that you see God at work in your life and in each other. Let’s practice kindness to everyone we meet as we celebrate the presence of God in this New Year!
Anybody out there?
We are in need of someone to volunteer to cook and head the monthly Swiss steak dinners beginning in March.
If no one volunteers to take this over, the dinners will not start up again.
Christian Symbols
“Ecce Agnus Dei”
Latin for “Behold, the Lamb of God,” this is the phrase John the Baptist used twice to point out Jesus to others (John 1:29, 36). It marks Jesus’ Epiphany (manifestation, revelation) as the Anointed One (Christ, Messiah).
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Six ladies joined together for United Methodist Women on December 6, 2011. I presented a program on Advent. The story I read explained that Advent is about two waitings: waiting for Christmas Day and the birth of Jesus and also the waiting of Christ to come back again as promised in the Bible(book of Revelation).
Then I heard this idea, have you ever eaten a Tootsie Roll Pop? The kind you lick and lick and lick and lick until you get to the center and taste the Tootsie Roll? Well, Advent is the same way. We can’t just wait around and see if eventually we will see Christ, we must be doing stuff to come closer to Christ just as if we’re licking the lollipop to get closer to the center. For Christians this “center” is Christ and it takes the little things to keep moving towards Christ, like reading Scripture, listening to songs that tell of Christ’s life, going to worship, talking with fellow Christians and reading the Bible. May your Advent be filled with many “licks” that move you closer to Christ as you anticipate the birth of Christ and his second coming.
We discussed our Pledge to Mission for 2012. Sally made a motion to set our 2012 Pledge to Mission at $200. Seconded by Shirley. Motion passed.
Our church UMW will plan to host a drive-in Mission Day on August 14, 2012. Beryl will send greeting cards and Christmas cards. Our next meeting is planned for January 3, 2012. Bring ideas for programs, projects, field trips, speakers, fun nights as we plan for 2012.
Secretary, Linda Wallender
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Less is more
That if we took our lengthy lists of changes we want to make in the new year and narrowed them down — way down? Rather than making a half dozen or more commitments that we’re unlikely to keep, how about zeroing in on a single word that captures the essence of what we want to achieve or become?
North Carolina pastor Mike Ashcraft encouraged church members to each find one word that described a characteristic or vision they wanted to achieve in the year ahead. The experiment turned into a movement, with ideas and testimonials available at myoneword.org.
What would your one-word resolution be?
New mercies
Everyone seems to have at least one resolution that seems impossible to keep. And that can become very discouraging.
The prophet Jeremiah, who had his own reasons to feel down, wrote, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23, NRSV).
God refuses to give up on us. When we lose hope, when we fail and fall short, his mercy never runs out. Tomorrow is full of promise and our Lord’s unceasing love.
