This week at First United Methodist Church in Grapevine | December 16, 2015
The Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 20
Dr. Cindy Ryan speaking in the English services
Rev. Armando Alvarado speaking in Bilingual
In this season of Advent we will BEHOLD the presence of God as evidenced in the world... in prophets, in the lowly, in a new creation, in angelic light, and in the Christ Child. We encourage you, in this time of busy-ness, to open your eyes, search for God's light and BEHOLD God's glory... More about worship...

This Week...

Christmas News

Christmas Eve in Grapevine
Join us for worship on Christmas Eve! Childcare is provided for all worship services. Our services will be at:
  • 5 PM - Family-Friendly Worship (Sanctuary)
  • 6:30 PM - Traditional Candlelight Worship (Sanctuary)
  • 8 PM - Traditional Candlelight & Communion (Sanctuary)
  • 8 PM - Bilingual Candlelight & Communion (Founders Chapel)
Ushers, Greeters, and Welcome Center Hosts are needed for Christmas Eve services on December 24. When you have decided which service you are attending (5, 6:30, 8 PM), please consider volunteering to serve! Contact Brian Randolph at randolph@mercantilecenter.com to let him know what you can do to help us show the love of Christ this holiday season.

Christmas Offering
If you would like to give to the Christmas Offering, mark "Christmas" in the memo portion of your check. Special envelopes are available in the pew backs. You may also choose to give online at www.firstmethodistgrapevine.org/give. Our Christmas Offering goes to the following:
  • World Service Fund - The World Service Fund supports the worldwide mission of the United Methodist Church, including missionaries, higher education, discipleship ministries and much more!
  • Kenya Guest House - The purpose of the Guest House is to provide a source of income for the church and to allow visitors a safe place to stay. Although we have worked on the Guest House over the last few years, we are still in need of funds to finish the project.
  • Missionary Support - A portion of our Christmas offering will go to support for Ray and Lidia Zirkel, missionaries to Costa Rica, and to our Kenyan Evangelists.
Upcoming Events...


More Info...
Missions | CompassionAdults | FamiliesYouth | Tweens | Children | Nursery
Opportunities to Serve and Give...
Our top need right now is for Benevolence Funds. We have been low for several weeks, and any funds that have come in have been dispersed immediately. A young homeless family came to us for assistance yesterday and we were unable to help with much. In addition to donations to the Benevolence Fund, we could also use gift cards for Wal-Mart, gas stations, and grocery stores. This is a difficult time of year to be without basic necessities. We appreciate your generosity that will help us help others in their times of crisis. You may give online, or drop checks/cash and gift cards by the church office.

Thanks to your generous response, most of the current furnishing and household needs for our church family that suffered the fire have been met. We are continuing to gather priority items for other families effected by this and other fires, as well as a few other needs in our community. Washers and Dryers (electric) are priority items at this time. Please go to Sign up Genius to see the complete list as it is periodically updated. A donation bin will remain by the church office through this coming Sunday morning for smaller items. Please contact Diane Bishop at dianebishopdbd@gmail.com if you want to assist the Furnishing Hope team. In addition to donations, we need drivers with trucks, helpers to move large items and/or to help gather, organize and deliver smaller items.

Holiday Gift-Giving
Looking for more meaningful gifts for the holidays? Our Holiday Gift-Giving Catalog is now available! View the catalog online at www.firstmethodistgrapevine.org/gifts or pick up a printed copy in the Foyer or Atrium this Sunday!

Our Angel Trees provide opportunities for you to help others through the GRACE Christmas Cottage. Please pick an ornament from one of the trees (atrium, foyer, office) and return your NEW, UNWRAPPED gifts to the Angel Tree or deliver them to the GRACE Christmas Cottage at 815 Main Street in Grapevine by Dec. 17....>

We collected 183 items last week, and 188 items this week! Thanks for your generous donations! It's holiday time, so GRACE has a special list of needs for Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets. The holiday food drive includes needs like coffee, cooking oil, juice, pancake mix, evaporated milk, canned broth, canned fruit, flour, french fried onions, gravy, green beans, stuffing and much more! Click here to view the full list (pdf). Please bring your donations to the God Can bins outside the church office or in the Sanctuary Foyer/Atrium.
 
Note that the Thrift Shop will be closed from December 21 through December 26, reopen December 29, and be closed again December 31-January 2. You may still drop donations in the drop box outside the Thrift Shop during closed hours.
Opportunities to Grow...

During the season of Advent, we have daily devotional readings and thoughts that have been written by our pastors, Family Ministries team and some of the children in our congregation. The devotionals are in both English and Spanish, and take the place of the 15 and 15 readings throughout the season. You can view the daily devotionals on the 15 and 15 blog, or pick up a printed copy in the foyer/atrium.

by Fred Rigdon
I have found prayer to be a central part of my daily spiritual formation routine. Praying to ask God's forgiveness for our sins or to thank Him for the blessings He has given us is very important. I am learning, however, that prayer is a necessary part of forming our Christian character and discerning what God is calling us to do. Keep reading...

Coming in January
There are two new study groups beginning in January: "Simplify" and "A Disciple's Path." See the upcoming events above for more details. Also in January, we will remember our baptism on January 10, and begin a sermon series on "Holy Habits" on January 17. Consider how you may re-commit yourself to spiritual growth in the new year!
Give 150 for the Next 150
It's not too late to commit yourself to prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness in 2016. You may submit your commitment online, place your commitment card in the offering plate, or send/bring it to the church office. Additional cards are available in the pews and in the church office. Read more...»

As for our goals, here's where we stand at this point: 276 pledges, totaling $1,417,531, with 183 step-ups and 109 committed to auto-debit.
 
Caught Caring...

Gift Given
Gifts have been given to the Benevolence Fund in honor of Kenda Diehm's Birthday by Ed and Kim Crater and Mark and Barbara Maness.

A gift has been given to Weekend Food in memory of Geraldine Duff, Susan Quindara's mother, by Mike and Angelia Ozymy.

Parade of Lights Team
Our church participated in the Grapevine Parade last Thursday. What a blessing to see our church represented! It took a team effort of the Bilingual worship congregation, Ted Shaw, Ed Crater and Mark Howe. Thank you to all those "caught caring" to make this possible!

Flor Roberts
The VAST volunteers and kids caught Flor caring! Flor Roberts is the site director for our VAST program. For Christmas, the kids and volunteers created a handprint quilt to honor Flor for all her hard work this semester.

The Middle school girls and Patty Bandy... caught caring at the Youth Mini Mission a few weeks ago, preparing for premie heart and soul hope projects.

Connections Class
The Connections Class has been collecting Jesus Calling books for Sandra Paloucci's mother's assisted living home so they can have their own group study.

The kids at O.C. Taylor Elementary surprised us by having a food drive for Weekend Food. The Student Council kids sponsored and organized the drive. We are so thankful to have their donations and to see kids caught caring... looking out for other kids in their district!

First United Methodist Church | 422 Church Street | Grapevine, TX 76051

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