A publication of :

First United Methodist Church

With Campuses at Caddo and Durant

5400 W. Main , Durant, OK 74701 580-924-4670

firstumc@durantumc.org

www.durantumc.org

Rev. John Breon—Senior Pastor

Kim Vincent — Director of Children’s Ministries

Nancy Breon—Director of Music

Dhon Bowen—Worship Technology Director

Janice Balkenbush– Administrative Assistant

Since July, we’ve been talking about The Unstuck Church process. I’ve promised that I would share the vision for First UMC with you. Now, here it is. This vision/5-year plan was developed at our initial meeting with a dozen FUMC members and the consultant from the Unstuck Group. It was refined and then presented to the Administrative Council who approved it unanimously. Then it was further refined at a follow-up meeting with our consultant. We want this vision to give us direction and to be the filter that we make decisions through. We seek God’s help in living it out.

Make a significant spiritual impact in our community.

Over the next 5 years we will become a community of over 300 people who gather weekly to share the love of Christ with others. We’ll see 100 people choose to follow Christ for the very first time, many coming from our mission field.

Why? Jesus gave us the mission to make disciples of all peoples in Matthew 28:18-20. People need a relationship with Christ and they need what the church has to offer. Research tells us that more than 14,000 people in the Durant-Caddo area claim no church affiliation.

Put the next generation first.

Over the next 5 years we’ll see our “can’t miss” kids environments reach their full ministry potential as more than 80 kids gather weekly in our safe, fun, and Jesus focused kids ministry.

Why? Many of the thousands of people who don’t attend church are kids and students in our communities. The majority of people make a decision to follow Jesus as children or youth.

Over the next 5 years we will impact over 100 Durant households through our ongoing service projects that bring joy, health, and a better quality of life to the areas of greatest need.

Why? Jesus gives us the great commandment to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40). There are people in desperate situations that we can help. There is opportunity to minister to people in life crisis.

Grow disciples through life-changing relationships.

Over the next 5 years we will help many take a critical next discipleship step by developing a vibrant smaller group ministry with 20 new groups and over 100 people connected.

Why? People are lonely and growing more disconnected. We have compassion for people who hurt. God wants to transform lives and growth in discipleship happening in smaller groups is a key way God works.

As we’re also involved in “The Generosity Challenge” this month, we realize that we give (and serve and pray and participate) so this vision for the church can be fulfilled.

God bless,

Pastor John

Sunday Happenings

9am Sunday School

10am Worship

11am Worship Caddo

Fall Fest November 10th from 3-5 in the church Pavilion! Over a dozen games and activities to choose from!

Hay ride, pumpkin painting, hot dogs, cupcake walk and much more!! The fun starts at 3:00. If you would like to

help set up, clean up or run a game please see Kim.

Annual All Church

Thanksgiving Dinner

Plan to join your Church Family for

our Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday,

November 17th immediately after our

Combined Worship/Commitment

Celebration at 10:00 am. The Dinner

will follow at approximately 11:15.

Meats will be provided but please

bring a side dish to share (Salad,

vegetable or desserts.) There are

signup sheets at the church or just

bring your dish when you come to SS

(9:00) or worship and the Fellowship

Committee will have it ready at serving

time.

All Saints Sunday is November 3rd. We recognize those church members that have passed away over the past year. The Worship Committee invites you to join us in honoring those who have died at any time in the past by writing their names on pieces of ribbon which can be tied to a cross in front of the Communion rail before the worship service begins. We suggest pieces of colored ribbon 18 inches in length so that they can be tied easily. We will have extra ribbon and markers available on Sunday should anyone need them.

As part of the Great Thanksgiving during Communion, we will speak the names of church members who have died in the past year. It’s a day and time to remember all those who have gone through death to join the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1).

2nd—Michael Dixon, Bentley Shattuck

4th—Chris Sturch, Emma Hamblin,

Gordon Eggleton

5th— Kasen Hamilton

6th—Haley Morgan

7th— Caleb Anthony

8th—Scarlet Sturch, Nancy Willman

11th—Rozlyn Marcy

12th—Misty Gordon, Alvie Nelson, Jack Jones,

Bristol Mealor

14th—Eddie Booth, Connie Taylor

15th —Molly Martens

16th —Patty Dixon, Haley Hamblin

18th—Mandee McKinney, Ellen Wright

19th—Peggy Shepard

20th—Jackie Nichols,

Christopher Sumner

22nd—Keaton Shattuck

23rd—Sara Shaffer

26th—Brandon Sumner,

Pris Washington

Tai Chi meets every

Tuesday and Thursday

morning at 10am in the

Worship Center at the

Durant Campus.

In observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday,

the church office will be closed Thursday,

November 28th. The office will be open

Wednesday, November

27th from 9:00—12:00pm.

The next Care Team meeting is November 20th.

Betty Carner

David and LeAnne Dowell

Josh and Jennifer Mussett, Kinsley and Caden

Our heartfelt

sympathies go

out to JoAnn

Howard and her

family. Carter

Lake , her great-

great grandson,

passed away on

September 30th

at 44 days old.

There are many ways to

give to the church. You can

drop cash or a check in the

offering plate as it gets

passed on Sunday morning.

You can text FUMCDURANT

to 73256. There is also a link under the

Online Giving tab at durantumc.org.

Thank you for supporting our church.

FUMC First Kids News

Join us Friday November 8th at pm for an OCC shoebox packing party! There will be pizza, cookie decorating, ornament decorating and loads of shoebox packing. This

event is open to the entire church, not just our kiddos, so if you would like to get in on the packing fun now is your chance. But to help make this event possible we need supplies to

pack into the shoe boxes. So start stocking up on small toys, stuffed animals, dolls, school supplies and coloring books, playdoh, cars, Legos and personal hygiene items, anything that

can fit inside of a shoe box. We were able to pack and ship 105 boxes last year, let’s try to beat that amount this year! Please no candy, toothpaste, guns, army men or liquids as those items cannot be shipped. Remember along with these toys, the shoeboxes come with a Bible and

curriculum for the children to learn about Jesus and his wonderful gift of Love for each of them.

Operation Christmas Child Packing Party

Come have some fun at the church annual Fall Fest November 10th from 3-5 in the church Pavilion! Over a dozen games and

activities to choose from! There will also be a hay ride, hot dogs and bounce house. The fun starts at 3. If you would like to help

set up, clean up or run a game please see Kim.

Children’s Worship Service each Sunday from 10:00-11:00 in the theater room. Ages Pre-K to 6th grade welcome!

On December 11th we will end our JAM Time schedule with Carols and Cocoa, a time for the whole family. Join us as we carol

to some of our church elders and shut-ins, then return to the church for some pizza, cocoa and cookies. Vans pull out at 6pm!

Mark your calendar for the annual Children’s Christmas Pageant and Party on December 8th at 6pm. You do not want to miss out on this great program put on by our children. Don’t forget to bring your favorite holiday treat to share at the party. And if your kiddos would like to join, it’s not too

late. Practices will be November 10th at 6pm after the fall fest and November 17th and 24th and December 1st from 3-5pm in the choir room.

Sundays: Sunday school @ 9am, Worship @ 10:00 / Wednesdays: JAM @ 6pm Kimber ly Vincent-- 580-380-5458-- childrendirector@dumc.org

Youth had a

great time at

the Trinity

Youth

Retreat at

Crosspoint.

Thank you for

all of your

support.

Durant-Caddo is part of the Lakeview Missional

Area (a subgroup of the Lake Country District).

Other churches in this group are Calera, Colbert,

Kingston, Lighthouse, Madill, Mannsville, Pontotoc,

and Tishomingo. One activity of a missional area is

to hold Charge Conference together. Charge

Conference is an annual meeting to report on

ministry, set priorities, approve nominations, and

approve pastors' compensation. Most of this work

was already done by our Administrative Council; the

Charge Conference will give final approval.

Our Charge Conference this year will be at 5:00 on

November 10 at Lighthouse UMC. Administrative

Council members are encouraged to attend, but any

member of the church is welcome. We'll hear from

our District Superintendent, Larry Bauman, and we'll

give final approval to reports on our church's

ministry.

November

3rd—UMY—5-7om

10th—Fall Fest—3pm—5pm

17th—UMY—5—7pm

24th—UMY 5-7pm

One in 28 American children lives with the shame of a parent’s incarceration; that’s one

boy or girl in every classroom. But together with Angel Tree, you can help these children feel loved and valued—unlocking

their potential for a brighter future.

Angels will be available for pickup during the Thanksgiving / Commitment

Dinner on November 17th. The gifts will be due back at the church by the

end of November. Please consider providing a gift to bless these children.

November Sermons

3 “Grounded in Gratitude” (Luke 17:11-19)

10 “Revealed Through Prayer” (Luke 11:1-13)

11 17 Commitment Sunday “Sealed by Faith” (2 Corinthians 8:3-5)

24 “Grace, Gifts, Gratitude” (Colossians 3:15-17)

Sermons can be heard at durantumc.org. We welcome you to our services— Durant 10am and Caddo 11:00am.

FUMC Statistics October Average Worship Attendance: 147 2018 Total Income: $600,364.42 2018 Total Expense: $593,791.97 2019 Budget (expected income): $618,128.26 This includes the annual debt service on the building of $128,170.24.

If you would like to donate non-perishables to be distributed to those in need, just drop them in the box in the Library. We give out food regularly in the office and we’re thankful we have it to give. Thank you for making it possible!

We will be using Poinsettias to decorate the sanctuary for Christmas.

We invite you to give in honor or memory of loved ones. The cost is

$11 each. They will be kept in the Worship area during Advent and

may be picked up after the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Orders

should be turned into the church office no later than Nov. 24th.

Please keep our Soldiers in your Prayers.

Tim Hanson-Germany

Micah Hanson-S. Korea

Isaiah Hanson- N Guard

Travis Dill– Stateside

David Dill– Stateside

Jebraun Abello-Ft. Bragg

Camaron Smith-Stateside

Trey Hill– Stateside

Mark Long– Ft. Huachuca

Aaron McKinney– Tinker AFB

We extend our condolences to Eric Lee and his family on the passing of

his father, Lucien George Lee, III. Mr. Lee passed away September 20, 2019.

The Christmas cantata this year is "A Ceremony of Lessons and Carols." It will be presented on a Sunday in December. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear this wonderful program. Rehearsals are Wednesdays, at 6:30. Anyone who would like to sing in the cantata is welcome to come to practice.

Regular choir practice begins each Wednesday at 6:00. Cantata practice 6:30 and Bell Choir practice is at 7:15. Contact Nancy Breon (nancymillerbreon@yahoo.com)

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First United Methodist Church

PO Box 518

Durant, Oklahoma 74702

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

Durant, Oklahoma Permit No. 151

Volume 23 November 2019 No. 11

Remember In Prayer Military Personnel Jebraun Abello– Ft. Bragg

Camaron Smith-Stateside

Trey Hill– home

Tim Hanson-Germany

Micah Hanson –S. Korea

Isaiah Hanson–

Oklahoma N. Guard

Mark Long– Ft. Huachuca

Travis Dill-stateside

David Dill –stateside

Aaron McKinney–

Tinker AFB

Special Needs

Katy Eggleton

Sue Morris

Larry Marcy

Steve Kirven

Special Needs

Peggy Shepard

Agnes Easterling

Irene Michael

Jo Ann Howard

Nursing Care Jim Jones Myra Lester Mahala Wright

Robert Rhoden

Assisted Living Janet Tompkins Ann Endebrock Esther Breon

Home Bound Christine Tillett Jack & Johnnye McBee

TOWER DELIVERY

This publication is available in electronic format. Please notify the church office if you would like to get your Tower in an e-mail. Send an e-mail request to the church office: firstumc@durantumc.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Please notify the church office of any

additions or changes to the prayer list.

580 924-4670 / firstumc@durantumc.org.