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Soon 2016 will be ending and a new year will begin. Life is full of endings and beginnings. As with gradua-tions and birthdays, so much of life is marked by stops and starts.

REFLECTION allows us to consider what we need to stop doing and what we need to start (or continue to pursue). I don’t remember where I read it, but I love this line, “An un-reflected life is not worth living.”

The only way to truly reflect is to pause long enough to breathe deeply and to con-sider not only what we are doing but what benefit or loss we suffer because of it.

I believe the Bible is full of encouragement to SLOW down, to think, meditate, pray and look to God for guidance, answers and lead-ership.

Be STILL and know that I am God is a verse that comes to mind. God speaks in the still-ness and in a still small voice.

We can get so busy and life can get so LOUD that we are distracted and pulled away from a life with God by the simplest of things.

We can do all the good in the world, but if we don’t seek God with all we are, that good will only wear us out.

Firs

T Living water FLOWS. It is the movement of the Spirit of God that refreshes us. We should seek ways and places and times for the Holy Spirit to MOVE us in new ways.

In 2017 I invite us to be open to the leading of the Spirit. Believe and join with God in NEW and fresh ways of being His child.

Soon it will be the beginning of a brand new year.

We don’t have to take yes-terday or yesteryear’s aches, pains, problems, grumbles into the new year. LEAVE them behind. Let’s make an end of them as we give them over to God. That is brushing the dust off of your feet and moving on, moving forward.

AND with the NEW year, let it be NEW. Gain a fresh awareness of God’s love and peace. SEEK first God’s path and direction. KNOCK on the doors of Heaven and pray with increasing faith. Let’s not be afraid to ASK God about all things. Don’t just go through the mo-tions. Start in prayer. Walk in faith. See the windows of Heaven open wide with new blessings. Let God make this a great year in your life!

See you at the “new begin-nings” place! ~jimd.

EENDINGSNDINGS ANDAND BBEGINNINGSEGINNINGS

X10 TX10 TEAMSEAMS FORFOR STOSTO We are looking for twelve persons who would each be willing to form a team for the purposes of multi-plying $100 ten fold. We would give each team $100 with the challenge to take three months and multiply the money. All of the income would go for Strong Tower Orphanage (STO) in Haiti as we are anticipating expansion of the number of children coming into care in the next few years. It would be a great blessing to get your Sunday School class or small group to take up the challenge and it will be a lot of fun, too!

Start.

We all need one. There

is an art to starting for

the first time or starting

over again. A NEW

year brings with it a

fresh start with God.

Join us in worship this

weekend.

HEARTBEATS

Chainsaw Sculpture New Sunday School Class

Kelly Davis is new at sculpting with a chainsaw. She is an amazing art-ist and she has made the above artpiece for our congregation. It is presently sitting on top of the cor-nerstone from First Church, Down-town. Stop by and see this beautiful depiction of the holy family. God bless you Kelly and kids for your thoughtfulness.

YYEAREAR EENDND TTAXAX DDEDUCTIONSEDUCTIONS All donations postmarked by De-cember 31st (or turned in at Sat-urday Night Service on December 31st) are eligible to be considered for tax deductions as charitable gifts for 2016. Any received after that date must be counted for 2017 (Keep in mind that the church office will be closed during the holidays.) Thank you for all of your generous support of this ministry throughout the past year!

The Church Office will be closed on Friday, December 30, and Mon-day, January 2nd.

CCELLELL PHONESPHONES FORFOR SOLDIERSSOLDIERS If you get a new cell phone for Christmas and you’d like to donate your old phone for cell phones for soldiers, please bring it to the box in the lobby labeled “Cell Phones for Soldiers.”

$25 Key Fobs for the Fu-sion Wellness Room are available for sale at the Wel-come Center only between service times. For more infor-mation, email: fusion-room@firstsayyes.com. Come to Sunday evenings’ Youth Group for a fun time of learning and fellowship. Youth MPact (6th-12th Grade) is held every Sunday from 4:30—6 pm. (In recess Jan. 1, 2017)For confidential, spiritual, and emotional support in a 1-on-1, caring relationship, con-tact a Stephen Minister at 620-4484.If you have brought food donations for Funeral Din-ners, Service Cookies, etc., please be sure you have picked up your containers from the Youth Room and/or Main Kitchen. We have quite a large accumulation.

A new Adult Sunday School Class will be available during the 9:45 a.m. Sunday School Time beginning January 8, 2017. Cara Barth-Fagan will direct the new Salt and Light Class. This is a class that’s for Gen-eration X (roughly born from mid-60’s to early 80’s) and adults who want to grow their relationships with God, their spouses, and family. The class will be a faith-filled, family-filled talk about how God’s purpose can be woven into every part of our lives: family, work, art, charity, edu-cation, government, recreation and all creation. The class will explore many different book/video Bible studies over the year. The class will be led using a collaborative effort among its participants. Come join us!

UMW MUMW MEETINGEETING

The United Methodist Women will meet January 10 at 1:15 p.m. in The First Family Room at the Celebra-tion Center. Judy Reed and Patsy Harrison are hostesses. Pat Kelley will have the program and Mary Lou Waldrep will have the Prayer Calen-dar. All women are welcome. If you have questions, call 827-0193.

WOW is held on the first Wednes-day of every month. It begins with a Carry-In Dinner (meat provided) from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Ministry Groups will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. WOW is for ALL AGES. Our next WOW will be held on Wednesday, January 4, 2017. Join us!

W.onderful o.n W.ednesdays

YEsToday Bookstore Hours:

Sat. 4-7 pm Sun. 8-11am

If you received today’s newsletter by regular mail and prefer to re-ceive it by e-mail (let us know your e-mail address) or on-line (www.firstsayyes.com under “resources”), or you do not want to receive it at all, please call the church office at 827-2993.

Jan. 1 Rose Boone, Bryce Privitt, Kena Jeffrey Jan. 2 Derek Jackson, Tracy Harrison, Ray Pollard Jan. 3 David Lambirth, Wilma Woolery, James Whitsitt, Lucas Meyer Jan. 4 Travis Reid, McKenna Clippert, Donnie Meloy, David Schroeder Jan. 5 Pat Gillman, Richard Brownlee, Ilene Thompson, Carole Grimes Jan. 6 Ryan Monroe Jan. 7 Kelly McMurphy, Kevin Webb, Krista Cor-bett, Kara Pilliard Jan. 8 Jesse Alverson, Emma Meek, David Jefferis, Claire Privitt Jan. 9 Jordan Williams, Samuel Price, Lavera Schmidtt, Rosie Bunch, Terry Potts, Jessica Iuchs Jan. 10 Judith Mathieu, Dennis McCullough, Ethan Henson, Jacob Howe, Kenny Davis, Scott Davis, Gavin Mills Jan. 11 Angela Boone, Jonetta Haley, Tom White Jan. 12 Cody Meyer, Todd Griffin, Dencil Bailey, Chris Steger, Pat Rabourn, Cheyanne Zinck, Peyton Triplett, Heather Chambers Jan. 13 Rob Hicks, Haley Pollitt, Kirk Martin, Rodger Marlatt, Jerry Coerver, Alberta Miller Jan. 14 Jackie (Birdsong) Gerken, Deanna Gleason, Angela O’Shea, Sophia Eichler, Rusty Smith, Gideon Hanson L

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FIRST STEPS

Dec. 17-18, 2016 Sunday School 54

Worship 313

Dec. 24-25, 2016 Sunday School (in recess) 0

Worship 1591

Our Family

Our Prayers for: Betty Rose Thompson, Steve Emory, Darlene & Virgil Burgess, Kenneth Burgess, Sue Coleman, Jacob Gerken, Annabell Hackman, Clifford Smith, Jennie Cheffey, Glenda Horne, Kristina Johns, Sandy Smith, Steve Gold-smith, Mary Matz, Cansata Arnold, Jim Richwine, David Miller, Tower Haiti Orphan-age, and our covenant churches in Mozambique.

OOURUR SSYMPATHYYMPATHY

TOTO:: ~the family and friends of Jevan Neale, who passed away December 15, ~Sandy Goff, Mason & Taylor Goff and family in the death of their mother/grandmother on December 22, ~Roger Vogler and family in the death of his father, Marvin Vogler, on Decem-ber 24, and to ~Freida Ingram and Mike Ingram and family in the death of their husband/father, Jean Ingram, on De-cember 24, 2016.

WWEE CCELEBRATEELEBRATE THETHE DDAYAY YOUYOU WWEREERE BBORNORN If your birthday is not listed, please let us know so it can be added!

SSITIT ‘N F‘N FITIT 20172017 Sit ‘n Fit (a low impact aerobics group which meets Tuesdays and Thurs-days from 8:30—9:30 a.m. in the Friendship Hall) will be in recess on Janu-ary 3rd and 5th. The class will resume on Tuesday, January 10th. If you are looking for a new way to get/stay in shape for 2017, come be a part of the group. The class is led by Linda Morris (221-1636).

2017 O2017 OFFERINGFFERING EENVELOPESNVELOPES Thanks to everyone who so generously supported this ministry in 2016. For those of you who use Offering Envelopes for giving records, assigned Offer-ing Envelopes for 2017 will be mailed out this week, or individual envelopes are available from the office for your convenience throughout the year. Please throw all unused 2016 and prior year envelopes away as they have assigned numbers on them and can cause confusion. God bless you for your thoughtful and generous giving to this ministry.

PPRAYRAY FFIRSTIRST 20172017

Pray First is a ministry effort to lead each one of us into a deeper relationship with Christ through a lifestyle of prayer. Everyone is invited to come for a personal time of prayer and worship January 2-5 (Monday—Thursday) at 6 am and 6 pm in the sanctuary. This month’s focus is praying through the Tabernacle.

CCONGRATULATIONSONGRATULATIONS TOTO:: ~Leland William Bauers, born November 12, 2016 to Brooke Alexis & Alex-ander David Bauers, was baptized on December 25, 2016. Stacey & Charles Turner are the maternal grandparents, and Janice & Steve Young are the maternal great grandparents, and to ~David Clippert and Renee Davlin who were united in marriage on Decem-ber 23, 2016. and Janice & Steve Young are the maternal great grandpar-ents.

TTHANKHANK YYOUOU:: (On display at Welcome Center Bulletin Board) We received a thank you from: Washington Elementary School

We report

finances monthly.

Celebration Center, 1701 W. 32nd St Worship //Saturday 5:30pm //Sunday 8:35am 9:45am // 11:00am // & 12:30pm Listen on the Radio at 1490AM Sundays 10:05am or on our Website at www.firstsayyes.com (messages) Email us at email@firstsayyes.com Phone // 660.827.2993

First United Methodist Church Office: 1701 West 32nd Street

Sedalia, MO 65301

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The Church Office will be closed Friday, December 30, and Monday, January 2nd.

Have a Happy New Year!

PPRAYINGRAYING ANDAND BBELIEVINGELIEVING: 7:07 P: 7:07 PRAYERRAYER IINITIATIVENITIATIVE

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

First Church is launching The Breakthrough Prayer Initiative this new year. We will embrace Matthew 7:7 and ask God to do what only He can do in and through First Church. Everyone is invited to participate by setting aside 7:07 am and 7:07 pm every day to pray a short prayer (aloud if possible.) Prayer cards will be available at all services and at the Welcome Center beginning Jan. 7-8. God loves it when we pray BIG and is honored when we believe Him for it.