The last day to order your poinsettia is Monday, December 10. The poinsettias are used to decorate the Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall during Advent. You can order online or in the printed bulletin.
Tuesday Nights Under the Bridges - Join us under the bridges of Atlanta with the 7 Bridges Ministry. Next dates is December 18. We depart Mt. Bethel at 4pm sharp. We eat a burger at US Café then meet our guides at The Garden. There is time for a quick tour for first timers. From The Garden, we head out under the bridges. WE GO RAIN OR SHINE! Dress according to weather & wear comfortable shoes. If led, bring stocking caps, gloves, scarves, etc. To sign up go to www.openingourdoors.com. See the tab, Tuesday Under The Bridges. Select, click to volunteer. Questions, please contact: Ben Hornsby at 678-333-1871, or ben.hornsby@mtbethel.org.
The Pecans are in! The Music Ministry is selling pecans again this year. Purchase fresh or candied pecans from a table in the Connector. All varieties are $10 and sales continue through Christmas. Call Sandra Chapman at 770-971-2730 to pre-order or ask questions.
Carols for Christmas: " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" | 4:30 & 7:00pm | Sunday, December 9, in the Sanctuary - Providing a thought-provoking twist on the theme, "The Night Before Christmas," the concert's music and drama will focus on what individuals' lives are like before Christ is born in their hearts - the night before Christmas for each of us. A cast of 400 singers, instrumentalists, dancers, and storytellers will entertain and inspire audience members with beautiful Christmas music including familiar carols, rousing choruses, and sweet lullabies. Guest soloists including lyric soprano Indra Thomas, bass-baritone Adam Cannedy, and tenor Robert McMichael.
I'm honored to extend to each of you a personal invitation to this year's Carols For Christmas Celebration at Mt. Bethel. For those who have never been, or haven't been in a while; for those who are young or have been young a long time - COME!! Receive and share Mt Bethel Music's gift to you and this community December 9th. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" will be an experience that you'll not soon forget and serves as a nice, spiritual "tuneup" as we journey into this incredible season of Advent!
Bell and Orchestra Concert | Wednesday, December 12 | 6:30pm Sanctuary
Please come and hear our Adult Handbells and Orchestra as they share a variety of lovely Christmas and Advent music. A congregational sing-a-long of familiar carols will be included accompanied by handbells and handchimes.
Prime Rib Dinner | Wednesday, December 19 | 4:30-7pm | Fellowship Hall - Tickets are on sale in the Bookstore or on our website through December 17.
Live Nativity - Wednesday, December 19, from 6:00-7:30pm in the Sanctuary.
Families are invited to participate as the characters; Mary, Joseph, Wisemen, Shepherds, Angels and the star of Bethlehem to stand in the stable as we present the Christmas story that changed the world. We will have 4 rotations(6:00, 6:20, 6:40 and 7:00) with at least 3 families in each rotation beginning at 6:00pm. Children's Ministry will provide the costumes and direct the characters into the stable while the story is read and songs are sung. Please call Dianne Hylton to sign up at 770-971-5074 or email dianne.hylton@mtbethel.org
Christmas Eve "Eve" Services | Sunday, December 23 | 5:00pm
A special Communion and Candlelight service for everyone serving or hosting visitors on December 24. We are inviting our special guests to join us on December 24. The December 23 service is especially for those giving up their seats on the 24th. The bottom line, let's all invite those "outside the church" to celebrate with us inside!
Christmas Eve Services | Monday, December 24
3:00pm | Candlelight | Sanctuary
5:00pm | Candlelight | Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall
11:00pm | Candlelight & Communion | Sanctuary
Families within our own congregation and community are suffering in these tough economic days. The Mike Sappington Helping Hand Fund assists them, in the name of Jesus Christ, with financial aid. Gift cards are available in the Bookstore for any amount to be given in honor or memory of loved ones. May Compassion into Action begin with our own Mt. Bethel family this Christmas!
An Invitation to Prayer Coaching: Would you like to "get off the bench" and on to the "praying" field? Then mark Sunday, December 30, 9:15am on your calendars. This is when the Living and Learning in Faith Sunday School class will "kick off" their 14-week study of Prayer Coach, by James L. Nicodem. Prayer Coach offers practical "game plans" to advance people's prayer lives "from T-ball to the big leagues." Living and Learning in Faith is a small class, singles and couples, ages 55+. We invite you to share in our fun, highly interactive discussions. You'll find us in F322, Christian Academy Bldg. Of course, you're welcome to visit sooner than December 30! Our current study is Where Heaven Touches Earth, an Advent book by Rob Weber. For more information, you may contact our class president, Sam Smith, at 770-565-8233 or samcatfish@bellsouth.net.
The Career Ministry of Mt. Bethel UMC will meet on Tuesday, December 11 at the Mt. Bethel Community Center (4608 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA 30068). Resume reviews begin at 6:30pm with the Presentation at 7:30pm. The topic for the evening is "How to Interview & Negotiate Pay." Most job seekers find dealing with pay issues to be one of the most challenging components of their job search. How do you address the dreaded questions "what is your current pay" and "what pay do you expect"? Compensation is perceived by most employees and job seekers as a "black box" because compensation management principles, systems, and rates of pay are not openly communicated to either employees or job seekers. This session will focus on preparing you to answer the two dreaded questions as well as open up the "black box" to provide you with the inside information that you need to be prepared to manage all aspects of the pay component of your job search. But before you discuss pay with a prospective employer, it is essential that you prepare for the interview and interview well. During our session we will also review interviewing best practices, resources that can help increase your chances of success, and finally techniques that improve the quality of your phone, video, and in person interviewing.
For more information visit http://mtbethel.org/careerministry or contact Kibbie Jones at 678-560-7230 /kibbie.jones@mtbethel.org.
Help MUST Make Christmas Merrier - Help children of all ages this Christmas, especially the "tweens" and teens by donating new and unwrapped clothes, sporting goods, personal care items, handheld games, etc. to the MUST Toy Shop. Special collection bins will be placed throughout the church 12/21. For additional information contact Dave Erwin @dterwin@bellsouth.net.
Atlanta Center for Self-Sufficiency (ACSS) is having their annual Christmas dinner
for their homeless clients. ACSS appreciates your donations in past years and
humbly asks Mt. Bethel members if they would make a donation this year selecting
the items listed below for the homeless gift bags that will be given to our homeless
friends at their Christmas dinner. Note: an ACSS "Christmas box" will be located at Mt. Bethel receptionist's desk for your donations - and will be available to drop them off (unwrapped) through Sunday, December 9. Gift bag items needed are:
Men:
* Gloves (warm work gloves - mostly large, some medium)
* Underwear (briefs or boxers -large 36-38; some extra large (40-42)
* Caps (knit, fits any size)
Women:
* Gloves - (warm; large and extra large)
* Underwear - (large and extra large)
* Cap/Hats - knit
For more information, please contact Sam Smith at 770-565-8233 or samcatfish@bellsouth.net.
Nursery, Preschool & Children's Ministries
Mt. Bethel Day Care Center is now enrolling:
Children for the Pre-K class. For prices and tour information, please call Dee Stolz at 678-560-8005.
Special Needs Ministry
Georgia Special Olympics Winter Games | January 25-27 - Venues all over Cobb County. This is a great way to serve as a family! Come volunteer and support the amazing athletes. Contact Kim McGarr for volunteers forms and questions.
Women's Ministry
The Diane Mickler Circle will meet Monday, December 10, at 11:30am. We will meet behind the H House to carpool to Diane Mickler's home for our covered dish Christmas luncheon. If you would like more information, please contact Louise Hansen at 770-394-9225. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas.
The Lynn Smith Circle will go to the Atlanta Country Club for our Christmas Luncheon on Wednesday, December 12, at 11:30am. If you would like information about our circle, please contact either Barbara Benton at 770-973-2449 or Gayle Hollinger at 770-953-9633. We would love to have you come and fellowship with our members as a guest or new member.
The Dorothy Summerour Circle will hold its annual Christmas Luncheon at 11:00am on Wednesday, December 12, at the home of Tina Thomas, 3622 Sope Creek Farm, Marietta, GA. Everyone is welcome. If you would like more information, please phone Saundra Taylor at 770-952-8521or Bonnie Andrews at 770-988-0177.
College and Young Adult Ministry
The College and Young Adult Ministry is hosting a retreat at Mt. Bethel December 20 & 21. The retreat is more of an old school lock-in that many of us attended in middle school. This is one reason it is called REVERSE, because we are taking a step back into our past. We will begin REVERSE with a PURSUIT at 7pm on December 20. After PURSUIT, we will take a step back into our younger days. We will eat, play games, have fun, stay up late and sleep at Mt. Bethel. The good part is there is no waking up early as we will get to sleep in late (late for most) and wake up to a pancake brunch. We will continue games and fun until around 2pm. We will go to Chick-fil-A for a late lunch. After our lunch we will load up the buses and head to downtown Atlanta to have a cookout with our friends at SafeHouse. We will serve dinner and share Christmas, music, food, and gift bags for all who come.
On December 21, we will have a Christmas cookout at SafeHouse Outreach Ministries in downtown Atlanta. We are going to have dinner and share community with the homeless. We are also going to give a gift bag to each person that comes that will include socks, gloves, hand warmers, a mini flashlight and a hat. A night full of community and fun, not for service, but to lovingly spend time with our friends downtown. All are welcome to join us at SafeHouse. It will begin at 6 and end when the last person leaves. If you will not be able to attend, we would love for you to be a part by making a donation of the five items in the yellow barrels placed inside the doors at the CAC and in B207.
We will be having Winter PURSUITS December 13 & 20. The on one 20th will begin REVERSE but you don't have to attend REVERSE if you are only able to make PURSUIT. PURSUIT will begin at 7pm in the Upper Room. If you have any questions, please contact Taylor Pair or Gaylyn Kelly.
Recreation Ministry
2013 Spring Sports: Registration is underway. Register online or in the CAC for:
* Boys baseball, grades K - 3
* Boys and girls soccer, grades Pre-K thru 6 (Pre-K must be 4 years old by March 1, 2013)
* Boys flag football, grades 1 - 7
* Girls Volleyball, grades 4 - 8
* Co-ed T-Ball, Pre-K (must be 4 years old by March 1, 2013)
2013 High School Co-Ed Volleyball: Registration has begun in the CAC. Games begin February 11. Get your team together and register or contact Melissa at melissa.sneed@mtbethel.org or 678-560-7438 for more information. Registration forms available to print online.
2012/13 Youth Winter Basketball: Opening weekend was a success! A big thank you to all the teams for their gift card donations! The children's homes around the area are truly grateful for your help in making sure their children have a gift to open on Christmas!
Picture week is scheduled for December 10-15. Wear your uniforms!
Chair Massage: Wednesdays from 8:30-12:00 in the CAC. Will Graham of "Unseen Touch" is giving relaxing chair massages for $1 per minute - no limit. Stop by or call 770-971-5280 to schedule your time.
Recreation Facebook: Join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MtBethelRec. We have posted Fall Sports pictures.
Fitness: Join us for one of our many fitness classes. Now offering Barre Class ($6/class). Go to www.mtbethel.org/fitness for complete schedule and pricing.
Active Senior Adults
Christmas at the Tate House | Saturday, December 8 | 9:30- 4pm | $17 per person - The Tate house is a beautiful 19,000 square foot pink marble mansion built in 1926. Decorated with 37 Christmas trees and decorations throughout, the "Pink Place" as the house is known on the National Register of Historic Places will be a tour to remember this Christmas. Light refreshments will be served, and we will stop for lunch on the way back to Mt. Bethel. RSVP to Kim McGarr by Friday, December 7 at 770-652-9913 or kim.mcgarr@mtbethel.org.
Here are the plans of the Special Project Committee for December:
We meet on Wednesdays at 11:30am in B116. Please join us.
December 12 - Hope Center & Christmas Party/Covered Dish
December 19 - No Meeting
December 26 - No Meeting
Aloha to Aging
Growing Through Grief: Monday, December 10, at 2:30pm. Creating new holiday memories: Come experience an uplifting and interactive approach game show style. Join Sandra Karem of Crossroads Hospice as she shares an engaging program focused on strategies for growing through the grief of losing a spouse or elder loved one. Whether your grief is new or experienced, this program is for you. Please RSVP to 678-439-1177. Meeting held at Aloha To Aging, Inc. 4608 Lower Roswell Rd., Marietta, GA 30068.
Our Faithfulness
Offerings Received last week -- $292,088 Worship Attendance - 3,013
Offerings this fiscal year - - $2,956,604
Budget Offerings Needed to date - - $3,854,711
