A Time of Renewal and Revitalization

You have probably heard me say that the Advent and Christmas seasons are my favorite seasons of the year. Much of the joy of Christmas is in the anticipation. We get to anticipate the birth of Christ for the four Sundays of Advent with decorations, singing, worship, and special services of worship throughout the month. This year we are following the theme “A Thrill of Hope” which gives us an opportunity to talk about all the ways that we share in God’s hope in this and every season. After we conclude the Advent and Christmas Seasons I will be take a “Renewal Leave” in the month of January. Every four years United Methodist clergy are eligible to apply to the District Superintendent and the Board of Ordained Ministry for up to a month of Renewal Leave in consultation with the church’s SPRC. This is an opportunity for pastors to recharge their physical and spiritual batteries. For those of you in academia, you might think of it as a mini-sabbatical. This will be the first time I have ever applied for Renewal Leave in my ministry! Our Bishop Laurie Haller has been encouraging pastors to take Renewal Leave, when eligible, since she became our Bishop because she has found such leaves have greatly strengthened her ministry. Renewal leave is not vacation. I was required to submit a plan for what I would be doing during the month which had to be approved by our DS and the Board of Ordained Ministry. During that month I will be spending a week in spiritual retreat and prayer at the Benedictine Center in Schuyler, Nebraska. I will spend time doing theological and devotional reading and reflection that I never seem to have time to do. I will be attending a Pastor’s conference at Duke Divinity School. (Pastor Brian’s alma mater), as well as a few days of unscheduled time. During the month Renewal Leave, Pastor Brian will be in charge of the pastoral ministry of First UMC. During the month of January we will make sure that you have contact information for Pastor Brian so that any needs that come up during that time for pastor or staff can be addressed. While I will not be checking my office email during my leave, the church staff will have contact information for me in case of a serious emergency. I want to thank our SPRC for supporting me in taking this time of renewal for the coming year. When I am back in February I know I will have renewed energy and focus for all the exciting things I believe that God has in store for First Church in 2020! In Christ’s Love, Pastor Tim

This Month in Worship: December 1st- First Sunday of Advent The Anticipation of Hope Luke 21:25-36 Pastor Tim Bonney December 8th- Second Sunday of Advent The Way of Hope Luke 3:1-6 Pastor Tim Bonney December 12th- “Blue” Christmas Service Advent: A Thrill of Hope 5:30 p.m. in the Hospitality Room *December 15th- Third Sunday of Advent The Generosity of Hope Luke 3:7-18 Pastor Tim Bonney *Children’s Christmas Program @ 9:45 December 22nd- Fourth Sunday of Advent (One service only @ 10:00 a.m.) The Promise of Hope Luke 1:39-55 Pastor Brian Williams December 24th- Christmas Eve Services @ 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. December 29th- Darkness Always Opposes Light Matthew 2:13-23 Pastor Tim Bonney

3-Week Advent Study

In a world that feels weary and

uncertain at times, A Thrill of Hope offers us

a powerful understanding of God’s

promised hope in the person of Jesus. Join

Pastor Tim and Pastor Brian this Advent for

a 3-week study that will invite us to pause,

breathe deeply, and wait for the new and

glorious morning revealed to us in Christ.

December 4th, 11th, and 18th

@ 6:30 p.m. in Rm.219.

“Blue” Christmas Service

The holidays can be a painful time for some.

It may be the first Christmas without a

loved one, or it may be a time that has al-

ways been difficult. Take time to

acknowledge the sadness and know that

you are not alone. Join us for a “Blue

Christmas” Service on Thursday,

December 12th

@ 5:30 p.m. in the

Hospitality Room. Bus transportation is

available: call Bob Burkhart at

515-238-9028.

Advent

You're invited to a new Advent Sunday

School class led by Kathy Moore in Room

216. Based on her Advent book containing

devotions for the season . You are welcome

to join the class each Sunday or just for one

of the studies.

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You may be asking, “What’s a Family Worship Day?”

At First UMC we are committed to connecting together

through worship. Family Worship Sunday's provide us that

opportunity. These special Sunday's allow us to be together in

worship and community. These services are intentionally

formatted to provide engaging songs, messages, and

activities for all ages. On Family Worship Sundays, we do not

have pre-k through 12th grade Sunday School classes. We

encourage families to experience the wonder of Christ's love

Christmas Eve Services

All are welcome as we celebrate the advent of Christ's birth and the hope he brings. Join us on December 24th for our Christmas Eve Candlelight services. Pastor Tim Bonney offers his Christmas Eve message "The Arrival of Hope".

3 p.m. - Contemporary worship with carols and praise music led by First UMC's Celebration Band. Special music featuring our FUSE Youth Groups. *5 p.m. - Traditional worship with carols led by Jean Park on the First UMC's majestic pipe organ. Special music featuring the Chapel Bells. 7 p.m. - Traditional worship with carols led by Jean Park on First UMC's majestic pipe

organ. Special music featuring the Chancel Choir.

*Bus transportation is available: for the 5 p.m. service...call Bob Burkhart at 515-238-9028.

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- We want every student to trust in Jesus in a way that transforms how they love God, themselves, and the world around them. We want them to make wiser decision, build stronger relationships, and develop a deeper faith. Through weekly small groups, worship, teaching, and games our FUSE youth ministry is

anchoring students to the Gospel of Jesus through the power of community and connection. FUSE Groups meet in the FUSE Room

Middle School FUSE Grades 6-8 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

High School FUSE Grades 9-12 7:45 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

Bibletown Pre-K - 5th grade 6:30 – 7:30 pm Students will have the opportunity to build friendships and learn about the Bible through songs, games, crafts, video clips, and much more! PreK-1st Lavender Room 104 2nd-3rd Red Room 106 4th-5th Blue Room 105 UPCOMING THEME NIGHTS:

Dec. 4th: Mustache night! Dec. 11th: Program practice, no theme :) Dec. 18th: Pancake party!

Indianola First UMC

Children’s Christmas Program

Dec. 15th at 9:45 a.m. We will rehearse on Wednesday evenings for the 4 & 5th graders, and on Sunday

mornings with our K-3rd graders. We are so

excited to journey through the story of Christmas together! Dress rehearsal will be Wed.

Dec. 11th from 5:30-7:30pm. (PIZZA PARTY)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Dec. 18th - FUSE Christmas Party - MS: Please bring a $5 gift card or gift.

HS: Please bring a $5-$10 gift (NOT white elephant)

Dec. 25th, Jan. 1st, Jan. 8th - No FUSE - Merry Christmas!

Jan. 8th - ELF movie night for HS FUSE

Jan. 9th - FINALS WEEK lunch in the FUSE Room

These awesome Middle School FUSE kids packaged 25,000 meals at Meals from the Heartland on November 1st.

The Iowa Annual Conference 2019 Mission Ingathering (formerly known as The Bishop's Ingathering and then Thanksgiving Ingathering) was held statewide on Saturday, November 2. United Methodist Women delivered 10 hygiene kits and 92 school kits to our location site in Greenfield. The Conference values the kits at $948.00. The UMW members donated all the supplies and postage in addition to their individual financial pledge to missions. At the Greenfiled UMC, youth volunteers greeted us with chocolate chip cookies and unloaded our boxes for us. All kits are immediately repackaged in uniform boxes and loaded on a truck. The hygiene kits will travel to UMCOR's distribution center in Louisiana and the school kits to the Midwest Distribution Center in Pawnee IL.

The words thank you don’t seem quite big enough to express United Methodist Women’s appreciation for your support of our fall bake sale. We raised $1,045.00 that Sunday morning! Whether you baked or bought or baked and bought, you’ve made a difference. A difference in the lives of women, youth and children locally and around the world. THANK YOU!

There are no UMW meetings in December, but put these dates on your calendar for January 2020: Monday, January 6, 7:00 p.m. UMW Executive Meeting Saturday, January 11, 9:30 a.m. UMW Unit Meeting The January Messenger will have circle meeting dates.

United Methodist Men (UMM) meet on the second Saturday/month @ 8:00 am. UMM offers an opportunity for men of faith to connect with each other, to grow spiritually and to engage in working together on projects for missions, the local church and community projects. Join this faith, fellow-ship and service ministry for coffee and donuts. Their next meeting is Dec. 14th @ 8:00 a.m. in Parish Hall. Questions? Call Gordon Blacksmith @ 515-782-3033 or 515-419-0990 or email grblacksmith@yahoo.com.

Thursday Book Club

December 5th -

Herzog by Saul

Bellow

January - No book

discussion this month

Thursday Book club meets on the

1st Thursday of each month at

1:00 PM in the FUSE room and is

open to all readers.

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Need a ride to church? Or do you know someone who does?

Rides are available to and from

worship services each week.

Please contact Bob Burkhart to

coordinate a bus pick-up from your

residence.

Bob’s phone #: 515-238-9028

Lost and Found

Missing something? The Lost and

Found is located near the north

entrance, across from the FUSE

Room. Questions? Contact Joyce at

joyce@indfumc.org or call her at

961-5317 ext. 226.

Church Library News for

December 2019

Hey, Kids, there is still time to complete the fall Reading

Program. There are many books to select from in the

church library.

Faith, A Journey for All by Jimmy Carter

was given in memory of Louis Kenney by

Ruth Circle.

Your library has a large collection of fiction and non-

fiction Christmas books. Plus, many Christmas story

books for children. Check it out!

Merry Christmas from your library volunteers! We look

forward to serving you in 2020!

Want to spread some Christmas joy? Do it before Wednesday, December 4th!

Every December, Bidwell Riverside hosts a toy drive for hundreds of families

who need toys and stocking stuffers for their children. Last year, over 1,500

children were positively impacted by this program and they hope to serve more

this year. They are in need of new toys for all ages and gift cards for the older

kids. Donate a new toy by placing it in a marked box at church by the nursery,

the office door, or the Narthex. Or donate a gift card by placing it in the offering

plate or in one of the boxes. Donations are due by Wednesday, December

4th. Questions? Contact Stacie at 515-229-8522.

December 14th DMVAE Concert Christmas with the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble

Join us on Saturday, December 14th at 7pm in First UMC’s sanctuary for a special

holiday concert. The Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Timothy

McMillin will share their “Christmas with Vocal Arts” program. Come celebrate the

expectation and beauty of the season with songs and carols from composers throughout

history. Ticket information can be found at dmvae.org. Further info about special ticket

offers for First UMC members will be coming soon!

Listening Ladies Life Group collected items to donate to HEAL House this holiday season.

Team of the Month – Altar Guild

Over the next several months we will be featuring articles about the various “teams” in our church—committees, groups, and everything in between. This is a great way to get to know the

who and the how of your church!

The Altar Guild is a group of folks who decorate our church altar for special occasions and holidays throughout the year. Members of the guild volunteer to take a month to provide flowers/plants/decorations for the altar each Sunday of that month. All members help with the decorating for Christmas, Easter, and Harvest Time. Besides holidays, special occasions may include; birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, or the remembrance of a special person. These are events that individuals can coordinate with the Guild to provide flowers for the altar. The Altar Guild is a great way to use one’s creativity in beautifying our church and glorifying God. The Guild does not meet formally for monthly meetings but may meet informally through-out the year to plan as necessary. The group is always looking for new folks to share their creativity, no expertise necessary. Ideas are always welcome. An opportunity to help and learn more will be on Friday Dec. 20th at 2pm when the Guild will be laying out our Poinsettia decorations. Come join us as we create the altar for the coming of the Christ Child! Members include: Keri Comfort, Michelle Bonney, Aimee Luhrs, Darla Kickbush, Peg Mikulanec, Val Diehl, Jill Rossiter, Deb Tierney, Shelly Priebe, and Ardene Downing, Contact Darla Kickbush, dkkick40@gmail.com or 515-707-5456 for more information on working with the Altar Guild.

Worship Attendance

11/3/2019- 349

11/10/2019- 270

11/17/2019- 336

11/24/2019- 334

Prayer is a positive act of peace and love. As Christians in the United Methodist Church, we hold each other, and our neighbors, in prayer. It is part of who we are, and who we have pledged to be in Jesus' name.

Prayers of sympathy for the family of Don Hewitt, who passed away on November 6th.

Prayers of sympathy for the family of Bette Graham, who passed away on November 20th.

Prayers for those with recent health concerns: Rich Bough, Roberta Kerr, John Monroe , Kelley Bonnes

Prayers of celebration for our baptisms this month: Maya Anne Bohlender, Elijah and William Damman.

Thank you to everyone who worked, donated food, helped serve and clean-up the UMMen Soup Supper.

Through your generous support, we are able to donate $700 to the Matthew 25 Fund. Again, a big thank you to

all.

Church Staff :

Ellen Wadding, Christian Ed. Director, ellen@indfumc.org 961-5317 ext. 213

Jeremy Brinning, Communications Director, jeremy@indfumc.org 961-5317 ext. 216

Zach Rohlwing, Worship Arts Director, zach@indfumc.org 961-5317 ext. 219

Joyce Lepley, Maintenance Custodian, joyce@indfumc.org 961-5317 ext. 226

Michael Boston, Finance Coordinator, michael@indfumc.org 961-5317 ext. 217

Merrilee Blosser, Office Manager, merrilee@indfumc.org 961-5317 ext. 210

PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL SUMMARY THROUGH NOVEMBER 2019

Difference

Actual Budget Actual vs.

Budget

Revenues

Pledge receipts $508,628 $545,400 ($36,772)

Non-pledge receipts $60,504 $67,900 ($7,396)

Other revenue $28,989 $29,380 ($391)

Total revenues $598,121 $642,680 ($44,559)

Total expenses $693,723 $695,016 $1,293

Net income (loss) ($95,602) ($52,336) ($43,266)

307 West Ashland Avenue P.O. Box 258 Indianola, IA 50125

First United Methodist Church

Phone: 515-961-5317 E-mail: fumc@indfumc.org Web: indfumc.org

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postal

PAID Indianola, IA Permit No. 49

8:30 a.m. REJOICE! Service

9:45 a.m. Celebration Service

9:45 a.m. Sunday School

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Coffee and Fellowship in the Hospitality Room

11:00 a.m. Traditional Service

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515) 380-1599

The Messenger Monthly Newsletter of Indianola First UMC

December 2019