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Visit us at gcumc3.org or Find us on Facebook: “Gibson City UMC”

Pastors—John Tennyson Church Phone 217-784-5452 Church Email gcumc@sbcglobal.net

Saturday • 5:30pm—Casual Worship Sunday • 8:45am—Traditional Worship

Sunday • 11:00am—Contemporary Worship

Sunday School—10:00am

Special Services in November Special Services in November Special Services in November Special Services in November November 4th and November 5th November 4th and November 5th November 4th and November 5th November 4th and November 5th All Saints’ DayAll Saints’ DayAll Saints’ DayAll Saints’ Day

Saturday & Sunday, November 4th and 5th, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day, a day that has been traditionally set aside by the church to remember the faithful who have died and now are living in the presence of our Lord, Jesus Christ. During the worship

services we will be lighting a candle to remember the lives of those who have passed during the past year. November 10th & 11thNovember 10th & 11thNovember 10th & 11thNovember 10th & 11th Veterans’ DayVeterans’ DayVeterans’ DayVeterans’ Day A patriotic theme will prevail with a slideshow of veterans in our congregation or connected to those in our congregation. November 18th & 19thNovember 18th & 19thNovember 18th & 19thNovember 18th & 19th Harvest SundayHarvest SundayHarvest SundayHarvest Sunday

For Harvest Sunday, please bring items for the Food Pantry. Current needs are: • Canned meat • Breakfast Cereal • Canned pasta • Condiments • Cleaning products • Hygiene products

Office HoursOffice HoursOffice HoursOffice Hours The office will be closed on November 23rd and 24th in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Hanging of the Hanging of the Hanging of the Hanging of the GreensGreensGreensGreens Our Worship Committee will be hanging the greens prior to the first Sunday in Advent, which is December 3rd. Please look for more information on future weekly bulletins

PoinsettiasPoinsettiasPoinsettiasPoinsettias Due to the flowers fading if set out too early, we will be displaying Memorial/Honorarium Poinsettias in the sanctuary starting on Sunday, December 17th. They will be displayed for the following two weeks with the memorial and honorarium list to be printed in the December 17th bulletin. The can be taken home following the December 25th service. Please watch in upcoming bulletins for information on where and how to order your poinsettias.

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Each year our pastor provides a report to our conference on the life and activities of our church. Below you will find the report that Pastor John wrote for 2016.

WORSHIP: Gibson City United Methodist Church (GCUMC) celebrates our 3 diverse worship services: our Saturday Night Live (SNL) 5:30 pm - Piano & Hymns; Sunday 8:45 am – Organ, Hymns & Sanctuary Choir; and Sunday 11:00 am - Praise Songs and Team. We frequently receive positive reports from those listening to our Radio Ministry on WGCY, both from members and from the community at large. This broadcast can also be accessed on the Internet. Our 8:45 am service is enhanced by both our Sanctuary Choir and our Chime Choir. Each August we host the annual Hymn Sing Festival, and in the Advent Season we have singers participating in the community Handel’s Messiah concert. Monthly communion services and quarterly worship services are held at the two local nursing homes and Villas of Hollybrook senior living facility. Ecumenically, we join four other churches in the community to provide Lenten worship services. We further celebrate two special music services led by Jake’s Boys. Finally, we added an element of worship thru art by Advent Coloring posters. EDUCATION: GCUMC celebrates two major weekly opportunities for spiritual growth and education. We provide Sunday School for all ages, and classes for pre-school thru high school on Wednesday nights. In addition, we have provided adult short-term classes including Mere Christianity Screw Tape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Armor of God Study by Priscilla Shirer, “Christianity and World Religions: Wrestling with Questions People Ask; and Women of Easter. For a VBS type opportunity, we held four education and fun activity events called Watery Wednesdays - June 28th, July 12th, 26th, and August 11th (Friday Night Pool Party). Also successful was our first Blessing of the Backpacks, which was held in all our worship services.

OUTREACH: GCUMC celebrates numerous outreach events. Poured Out Church is a six- church outreach, combining an ½ hour worship service with working together on community projects including home repairs, collection of paper goods and baby supplies from every neighborhood in Gibson City, singing in the nursing homes and at the Villas, prayers for schools and community needs, cookie plate outreach, bagging groceries, washing car windows, and a card making project. Monthly we receive an offering called Mission

Socks, providing funds to MMDC, GC House Rehab Foundation; CAPs (GCMS after school program); Hanley School supplies; Annual Conference Offerings of John Kofi Asmah School in Liberia, Wiley College, and Ordinand Trip; Nepal children’s home; our local needs Contingency Fund; Heritage Health Nursing Home Pie Night; Telecare; Giving Tree; PACT (Parents & Children/Community Together); Shepherd’s Closet food and clothing pantry, and our youth mission trip - 11 adults and youth to Woonsocket, RI thru Group ministries. GCUMC also celebrates supporting and participation in the Friedreich’s Ataxia (FARA) bike ride; including Bike to Church Awareness Sunday. We support and participate in the two food pantries in Gibson City. GCUMC help financially support four missionaries. Our Mother’s Day offering helped financially support Cunningham Children’s Home and the GC Food Pantry at Shepherd’s Closet. Our Father’s Day offering supported our Handy Man Fund. Our Men’s Group provided an annual Chili & Oyster Supper honoring the fire fighters, police, and EMTs serving the Gibson City area. We had a work team travel twice to Midwest Mission Distribution Center. Our Christmas outreach included both our Giving Tree Christmas gifts to needy families and support for Handles of Hope ministry helping mothers in need. We participated in the UMC #Giving Tuesday. We held a Potato Bake mission fund raiser for community needs, and finally want to include celebrating the Sunday School Heifer Project. Our Wednesdays Nights include a community meal. As pastor, I want to thank the leadership and all of our volunteers, work teams, and committees in their sacrifice of time and energy, and their love for Jesus Christ and His Church.

PPPPASTORASTORASTORASTOR’’’’SSSS ANNUALANNUALANNUALANNUAL REPORTREPORTREPORTREPORT

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Giving Tree 2017Giving Tree 2017Giving Tree 2017Giving Tree 2017

Our church i s again sponsoring a Giving Tree for needy children in our area. Each tag on the tree represents a child and will have their sizes and list some needs and wants. Tags will be available

by Sunday, December 3rd. We only put one tag per child on the tree, so you may want to buy several items for this child, such as clothing and a toy. Also, school supplies and personal items are great to include in the box as well.

Please follow these guidelines:

• Sign out all tags on the sign-out sheets. • Return gifts to the church by December 17th • All gifts for a child should be placed into one box,

wrapped and decorated any way you wish. Attach the tag from the tree to the top of the box.

Same as last year, we will also be collecting winter hats and gloves. As you take a tag from the tree, if you could replace it with a hat or pair of gloves, it will keep the tree decorated. The hats and gloves will be donated to the local police and also the crossing guards. Gifts will be picked up by families on Thursday, December 20, between 8am and noon.

If you are unable to do the shopping yourself, please consider sponsoring a tag. You can select your tag from the tree and donate a monetary amount that can be used by our secret shoppers to shop for the child (suggested amount is $50 per child). If you have any questions, please contact the church office. Mission SocksMission SocksMission SocksMission Socks November’s Mission Socks will go to help with our Giving Tree Ministry.

Wesleyana CircleWesleyana CircleWesleyana CircleWesleyana Circle Wesleyana Circle will meet on November 14th at 1:30 at the Villas of Holly Brook.

Handel’s Handel’s Handel’s Handel’s MessiahMessiahMessiahMessiah

Singers of high-school age and above are invited to be part of Gibson Area Music Foundation’s annual

presentation of Handel’s Messiah.

Rehearsals will begin October 23. Rehearsals will be held each Monday evening at the First Presbyterian Church in Gibson City, beginning promptly at 7 p.m. The final dress rehearsal will be December 2.

This year’s performance is being directed by Dr. Janet McCumber of Villa Grove. The performance will be dedicated to the late Willie Summerville, who directed the event for the past 10 years.

Participants are encouraged but not required to attend all of the rehearsals. Music scores will be provided.

High school-age singers are especially encouraged to participate. Participation makes students highly eligible for scholarships given each year by GAMF.

The public performance by choir and musicians will be at 3 p.m. on December 3 at the Gibson City Bible Church. Bill Ogg and Beverly Hilmer will serve as pianists.

For further information, contact Galen Litwiller at 898-3946 or Val Hunt at 784-4742. Sunday School Christmas CelebrationSunday School Christmas CelebrationSunday School Christmas CelebrationSunday School Christmas Celebration On Sunday December 17th from 10 to 1045 am, everyone is invited to attend (and even participate in!) our first ever Sunday School Christmas Celebration! There will be music, skits, and more all in Celebration of Jesus" birthday! Sunday school classes of all ages are encouraged to participate. Individual acts are also welcone. If you would like to be a part please contact Cathy Steidinger (784-4752 or cathy12345627@yahoo.com) The Celebration will be held in the Sanctuary and there are plenty of pews, so invite your friends and family!

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Blythe Borton 1 Aiden Boundy 1 Sherrie Knerr 2 Frank McCullough 2 Jim Hood 3 Betty Leffler 3 Pam Romshek 3 Kim Elliott 5 Jeff Young 5 Sarah Swidergol 6 Collins McCullough 7 Sidney Hawthorne 8 Gary Nettleton 8 John Schertz 8 Nancy Davis 9

Chloe Lupton 9 Colin Kristensen 9 Kate Kristensen 9 Beverly Nelson 10 Ken Seneca 10 Terry Bell 11 Morgan Steinman 11 Pam Gee 12 Ralph Jones 12 Mark Pool 12 Krista McCallister 13 Norma Patterson 14 Brandon Zumwalt 14 Sara Zumwalt 14 Kara Royal 15

Mark Overman 17 Shannon Spangler 17 Jane Tankersley 17 Kyra Kietzman 20 Kathy Reum 20 Jenna Vogel 21 Denny Tongate 21 Carter Endsley 21 Lane Elder 21 Bonnie Clark 22 Michael Young 22 Henry Hansen 23 Cameron Richardson

23 Larry Littlefield 25 Deonna Sauer 26 Jeffrey Eckhoff 28 Tammy Seneca 28 Steven Hester 29 Brenley Hawthorne29 Marilyn Rutledge 29 Carla Jones 30

Nursing Home Residents

Manor Ruth Fisher Judy Peters Jane Hill Phil Lutz Annex Mary Rosebraugh Sonny Boundy Doug Hager Paxton Health Care Michael Morano Bill Dueringer

Health Concerns Delmar Bedel Cathy Breeden Dusty & Nancy Davis Ruth Fisher Doris Gerber Doug Hager Phil Lutz Mike & Judy Morano Barb Murrell Servicemen and women SGT Colton Young AB Cody McCoy PFC Glenn Mehl III

Weekend Sat 5:30

Sun 8:45

Sun 11:00

Sept 23rd & 24th 9 111 24

Sept 30 & Oct 1 114 112 33

Oct 7th & 8th 11 95 26

Oct 14th & 15th 17 159 39

Oct 21st & 22nd 16 95 32

PPPPRAYERSRAYERSRAYERSRAYERS, B, B, B, BIRTHDAYSIRTHDAYSIRTHDAYSIRTHDAYS, A, A, A, ANNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIES

Jan—Sept 2017 Offering for Budget $228,460.40

Jan—Sept 2017 Operating Expenses $240,773.39

Day Years Joe & Zach Wier 6 Phil & Megan Whitehouse 10 10 Wayne & Terri Snyder 18 45 James & Linda Lindelof 19 50 Howard & Marilyn Rutledge 21 55 Don & Janet Jensen 22 68 Delmar & Sharon Heavilin 25 56 Michael & Kim Elliott 27 18 Michael & Ann Young 27 Delmar & Joan Bedel 30 16

Bible StudyBible StudyBible StudyBible Study There will be a new bible study beginning Tuesday, October 31st for 6 weeks from 9-10am at Holly Brook. The name of the study is “The Christmas Experience” and will be led by Mike Utterback.

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

2017/2018 Wednesday Night Fellowship 5:30-6:30 Fellowship Meal 6:30-7:30 Growing in God (Pre-K - 5th) 6:30-7:30 Middle School Youth Group 6:30-7:30 High School Youth Group 7:30-8:30 Sanctuary Choir

1 Wednesday Night Fellowship 1:00 PM Connection Team

2 3 4 Communion All Saint’s Recognition 5:30 PM Saturday Night Light Worship

5 Communion All Saint’s Sunday 7:00AM Men’s Breakfast 8:45 AM Traditional Worship 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Contemporary Worship

6 9:00 AM Prayers 7:00 PM Trustees

7 9:00am Bible Study—Holly Brook 1:00 PM Communion Manor/Annex 5:00 PM Praise Team

8 Wednesday Night Fellowship 7:00 PM Pie Night/Manor

9 10 11 Veterans’ Celebration 5:30 PM Saturday Night Light Worship

12 Veteran’s Celebration Bible Sunday 8:45 AM Traditional Worship 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Contemporary Worship

13 9:00 AM Prayers 5:30 PM SPRC 7:00 PM Covenant Council

14 Newsletter Articles Due 9:00 AM Bible Study—Holly Brook 1:30 PM Wesleyana Circle 5:00 PM Praise Team

15 Wednesday Night Fellowship

16 17 18 Harvest Sunday Mission Socks 5:30 PM Saturday Night Light Worship

19 Harvest Sunday Mission Socks 8:45 AM Traditional Worship 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Contemporary Worship

20 9:00 AM Prayers

21 9:00 AM Bible Study—Holly Brook 5:00 PM Praise Team

22 NO WEDNESDAY NIGHT FELLOWSHIP 9:00 AM Newsletter Prep

23 OFFICE CLOSED

24 OFFICE CLOSED

25 5:30 PM Saturday Night Light Worship

26 8:45 AM Traditional Worship 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Contemporary Worship

27 9:00 AM Prayers

28 10:00 AM Communion/Hollybrook 5:00 PM Praise Team

29 Wednesday Night Fellowship

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Liturgist Greeters

(West, South, North) Acolytes

Sound Room (8:45)

Projector (8:45)

Projector (11:00)

Nov 5 Doug

Eckerty

Mick & Mary Jo Kingley Link & Angie Woodward

Kent & Jean Bielfeldt Maddox Lindelof Jon Clark

Dani Eckerty

Katie Quinley

Nov 12 Kathy

Eagleson

Shirley Jackson & Jane Tankersley Jim & Amy Hood Joe & Zach Wier

Gace Steidinger Lonnie Engel

Connor Engel

Mitchel Quinley

Nov 19 Tom Borton Shirley Jackson & Jane Tankersley

Jim & Amy Hood Joe & Zach Wier

Addison Farmer Steve

Hawthorne Zander Wier

Rachel Quinley

Nov 26 Angie

Woodward

Tom & Sandy Fairchild Rick & Becky Young

Kenny & Candice Hawthoren Maci Lindelof Jon Clark

Erin Arsenault

Katie Steidinger

Head Usher for November is Kent Bielfeldt

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO 13 Gibson City, IL 60936

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Gibson City United Methodist Church 206 East 10th Street Gibson City, IL 60936

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Pastor—John Tennyson cell 217-249-5453 email: pastorgcumc@sbcglobal.net Director Education/Missions—Barb Horsch cell 217-781-8048 email: mgf@leapstream.net Administrative Assistant—April Rotramel office 217-784-5452 email: gcumc@sbcglobal.net

Church Custodian—Jeremy Rotramel Organist—Beverly Nagle Choir Director—Ruth Davis

Nursery Attendants—Melissa Jamison Susan Schultz, Volunteer Jessica Schultz, Volunteer

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