Children: Our Present – Our Future…
Some people say that children are the church of tomorrow. I say children are the church of today. Since working with our children, I have seen so many wonderful things going on with children. Whether it’s working with crafts, enjoying story time with Miss Dianne, or enjoying the fellowship meal; they are all so connected. They bring joy and happiness. They give love and encouragement. And unlike some adult, they just can’t wait to come again. 
Our Sunday evening meetings will start again in March. In the meantime we are working on an Easter Egg Hunt and Vacation Bible School. Our tentative date for VBS is June 13-17, Monday-Friday from 6:00-8:00. Want a blessing? Set aside some time to attend VBS. Even if you can’t attend every night, volunteer to help as much as you can. Use your talents and help build the church of today and the church of tomorrow.
-Blessings, Ruth Sizemore (Children’s Committee Chair)
Missions Ministries Report 2015
- SPECIAL MISSIONS: (Total $11,731.00) Holston Conference—($7,845 – Donations to ALL 38 Conference ‘Specials”—UMCOR/Int’l Advance/U.S. Advance/Conference Advance); Holston Home for Children ($1,740—sent directly to HHFC, not through Conference); God’s Pit Crew ($1,500—Winnie Lee Lindsay Fund through Trustees); Gideon’s International – (Collected $437); Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Shoebox (S&H Fees $209 – filled 47 shoeboxes)
- LOCAL MISSIONS: (Total $22,119.84) Tri-Area Pregnancy Center (Baby Bottles-$833.44 & Christmas Eve-$945); Operation Heal Our Patriots (BBQ-$1,034); Delp’s Angels (Fire Tragedy-$2,634); Nursery School Sunday ($403); Girl Scout Sunday ($250); God’s Soup Kitchen (Plastic Gloves & Baggies); Hope House of Galax ($2,400); Free Clinic of Twin Counties ($500); FCA Clubs of Galax & Carroll ($400); Prison Ministries-River North Independence ($500); Carroll Co. After-Prom ($50); Health & Welfare ($12,370.40-This is the local assistance we give on Tuesdays.)
- OTHER: KID JUNCTION – Raised $6,161.38 – not including value of bookbags, supplies, coats, and other donated items. BACKPACK BUDDIES—Collected $851.48 (not including any checks made out directly to Backpack Buddies) ANGEL TREE – Supplies for 46 ‘Angels’ POCKET PRAYER SHAWLS TO GOD’S PIT CREW – Several hundred ‘Pocket Prayer Shawls’ have been made by our ladies in the Knitting/Crochet Ministry to be included in “Disaster Buckets”.
Thank you ALL for living up to Hebrews 13:16 in 2014 — Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Pastoral Ponderings
“February – The Double L Month”
February, while the shortest month, is still very important. Two of the events that happen this month that makes it important are symbolized by the letter ‘L’. The first is Valentine’s Day which reminds us of love.
Love is one of those words in English that can have a wide variety of meanings. We use it to express everything from a craving for ice cream, “I love chocolate,” to our support for a favorite sports team, “I love the Redskins,” to our feeling for our spouse, “I love you,” to our relationship with God, “I love the Lord.” Unfortunately a lot of the times we never note the difference between our love for ice cream and our love for Jesus.
This is not true in Greek, the language of the New Testament. There are three words that are translated as love, yet they each have different meanings. The first is eros which means a physical type of love. We get our word erotic from this root. Next there is phileo which means kindly affection or brotherly love, Philadelphia being the “City of Brotherly Love.” Then there is agape of a self-sacrificing, God-like love.
It is because of this agape love that the second L word comes into being. February usually marks the beginning of Lent. The season of Lent is forty days, not counting Sundays, before Easter. Lent is a time when we prepare ourselves to remember that Easter is all about love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16 K.J.V.] And again: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” [John 15:13 K.J.V.] So you see, Lent and love do go hand in hand, making February the ‘Double L” month.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10th this year), which marks a time of repentance and traditionally many people choose to give up something they love as a way of remembering the sacrifice Jesus made. I encourage you to do so.
However, I also challenge you to do more. Rather than just giving up something, why not let your love shine this Lent by doing something positive. Visit more, pray more, study the Bible more, volunteer your time in service to others more than you have been doing. Then, when you say “I love Jesus”, it will really mean something.
-Richard
Life Line Screening
We are pleased to host this Life Line Screening event on 1/28/2016 at Galax FUMC. Do you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure? Have members of your family suffered from these ailments? Do you have a poor diet? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consider being screened for your risk of stroke through the services of Life Line Screening. Life Line Screening uses ultrasound technology to view the plaque build-up in your cartoid arteries, the main arteries that carry blood to the brain. Blockages in these arteries are a leading cause of stroke. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount). All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call 1-888-653-6441 or visit…
Poinsettia Memorial
Poinsettias have been placed round the Altar for the Glory of God, and in loving…..
| Memory Of: | By: |
| Ray DeZern | The DeZern Family |
| Dean Larrowe | Jane, Sam, Katie & Jacob Patton |
| Michael White (Son) | Judy White |
| Jimmy Cockerham | Jackie, Rachel, Emily, Milo |
| (2) David W. Spraker; M/M Rex Davis & M/M Harry Spraker | Rexene, Tim, Rhonda, David & Derek |
| Vass Family (Pete, Faye, Cathy & Sarah) | Danise & Family |
| Dr. & Mrs. Morris Wechsler | C. C. Kurtz, Jr., Janis & Family |
| Daisy & Glenn Cox – Flora Garner | Lona Cox |
| Bruce, Helen & Jim Galyen | Jan & Austin |
| Claude Turner | His Family |
| Rex & Ethel Burris – Rev. Blace & Alma Davis | Eddie & Hazel Davis |
| Arville, Mary & Vickie (Jim’s parents – sister) | Jim & Dianne Marshall |
| D. E. Ward, Jr. | Dianne & Jim Marshall |
| Mary Ella Brannon | Bill Brannon |
| D. E. Ward, Jr. | Doris D. Ward |
| (2) Gene & Eleanor Nuckolls – Patrick Nuckolls | Gail, Clark, Steve & Families |
| Barney Holder | The Clark Nuckolls Family |
| Carolyn Peddy | The Peddy Family |
| Jerry Vaughan | Ralph, Lee & Mark |
| (3) Bob & Hazel Murphy; Bryan & Ruby Livesay; | Bill & Linda Murphy |
| Eliza Murphy & Ella Phipps | Bill & Linda Murphy |
| Roger Burnette | Linda, Michelle, Jerry, Gavin, Emily, Craig, Sarma, Samuel |
| Jessie-Edward Ogburn & Libbie-Earl Kirby | Donnie & Earlene Ogburn |
| Charles Chappell, Sr. & E.E. Chappell Family | Vinnie & Charlie Chappell |
| Elbert Rhoda & Nancy Ferrell | Vinnie & Charlie Chappell |
| Honor of: | By: |
| Paris Catron | Bobby & Gail Catron |
| Rubie Larrowe | Jane, Sam, Katie & Jacob Patton |
| Edith Bullion (mother) | Judy White |
| Adam & Julie Farmer | Richard & Judy Farmer |
| Frank Ceary | Jackie, Rachel, Emily & Milo |
| Rev. & Mrs. C.C. Kurtz, Sr. | C. C. Kurtz, Jr., Janis & Family |
| Sandy Grabman | Sonny & Nancy Westmoreland |
| Boly McMillan (Great-Grandson) | Eddie & Hazel Davis |
| (2) Doris Ward – Cornett Parks | Jim & Dianne Marshall |
| Linda Richardson | Bill Brannon |
| Shirley DeZern | Grant, Keely, Derek DeZern |
| (2) Dianne & Jim Marshall – Phillip & Judy Parks | Doris D. Ward |
| Earlene Ogburn | Donnie |
| Elaine Vater Dillon | Sandy & Larry Grabman |
“When the Man of Principles Becomes a Man of Faith”
Matthew 1:19 reads: “Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately.” [T.E.V.]
Joseph is often the forgotten character in the Christmas story. He was a man of principles. Undoubtedly Joseph was a law-abiding, scripture-reading, synagogue-going man. He may even have been a leader of the mainstream Judaism of his day. Being engaged gave the man all the same rights that a husband had. Even the right to charge his intended with adultery which, by the way, was punishable by stoning. Therefore, when Mary told him she was pregnant Joseph had every right to bring charges against her. Indeed, that was the morally correct and principled thing to do.
We catch a glimpse of Joseph’s character in the verse quoted above. Not wanting Mary to be disgraced publicly implies that Joseph at least cared for Mary. However you would think that if he really loved her Joseph would have gone ahead and married Mary even knowing that the child she carried was not his. Many engaged couples of that day lived together as husband and wife so the birth of before the marriage ceremony was not unusual and therefore would not have caused scandal. But Joseph was a man of principles! And we all know that principles must be stronger than anything else! If a man does not have his principles, he is no man at all!
Yet when we try to follow abstract principles we are most likely to dismiss God’s miracles. We become unable to recognize God’s surprises and often close ourselves off from God’s grace. But isn’t it amazing how sometimes God breaks in and touches our lives? For Joseph it was the angel of the Lord speaking to him in a dream. For you and me it was the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that changes us and allows us to live by faith.
When Joseph awoke he was able to go beyond doing what was “right” according to his principles and be faithful to God’s loving command. Joseph let go of his cold absolute morals and went with the loving God who needed him to carry out God’s purpose in the world. This Christmas season let us move from uncaring principles and begin to live by faith. Maybe God also has a work for you and me to do. Are we faithful enough to do it?
— Richard
Advent Services
If you (and your spouse, family members or a friend) are interested in reading at one of the Advent Services & lighting the candles this year and you attend FUMC Galax, please contact the church office at 276-236-9937.
We are looking for someone or a family for the early service and the 11:00 service on each of the following dates:
November 29, 2015
December 6, 2015
December 13, 2015
December 20, 2016
We also need a someone or a family for the Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Service.
Have a Happy Holiday Season!
Poinsettias
Just a note to remind everyone that we will be taking Poinsettia orders beginning November 1st. The cost this year will be $20.00 – so watch your bulletin. All orders, with payment, must be turned in by NOVEMBER 15th .
