Volume 5, Number 49
December 12, 2012
Catch the Spirit Oh, Christmas time is here!!! I love Christmas! I am in the midst all of my “holiday rituals.” It begins with putting the lights up outside, then eagerly waiting until the last morsel of the Thanksgiving feast is consumed and darkness begins to fall. . . and on they come! No, I’m not Clark Griswall! But the lights signal the beginning, for me, of a very sentimental season. Over the years I have been the subject of frequent eye rolls and “oh dad” comments. But I’m ok with that. You see, I have a ritual of watching Christmas oriented movies that play a very special part of my Christmas celebration. Each one evokes certain memories that are important to me. First there’s “Miracle on 34th Street.” As I watch I remember the years of my life spent watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade with family. . . the one I grew up in, and then my own. Then comes “White Christmas.” This one is strongly connected to my dad. That was his era. He loved that music. As I watch Bing and Danny Kaye sing and dance, I can just see my dad tapping his foot and singing along. He’s been gone for over a dozen years, but the image is still crystal clear. Then there’s the one from the 80’s that is connected to my son Will. This was his favorite when he was growing up. I save this one until he’s home to watch it with me. It’s “Christmas Comes to Willow Creek,” a super cheesy movie featuring those infamous TV brothers Bo and Luke Duke as brothers by another name. They’re on a secret Christmas Mission that changes their lives and many others as well. There are a lot of other newer Christmas movies that are part of the ritual, but they are primarily entertainment, with no specific memories or purpose. But I save one special movie for just the right moment. Get ready to roll your eyes. Yes, “It’s a Wonderful Life” is THE special movie for me. But the reason might surprise you. I watch this movie when I need to be reminded of something extremely important. You see, there are times I really do feel like George Bailey. The road that I have walked has not been exactly like I would have planned it. And there are times when I reflect on my life and sink a little into a melancholy mood where I am questioning whether my life has really mattered. Whether I’ve made a difference in the world. And most importantly, whether I have made a difference for the Kingdom of God. It’s in those moments that God actually uses that old movie to reassure my heart that He has used me in ways that I’ll never know. And I need to hear that. I pray, that in whatever way God chooses, He will speak to your heart this Christmas. And that you will hear Him whisper to you of His deep love, and His purposes that have been accomplished through you, and will be accomplished in the days ahead as you give your heart to Him. Merry Christmas!
Jim Hightower Director of Counseling and Contemporary Worship Music
Christmas Eve Services of Candlelight and Carols Again this year at Central, four services of carols, candles, and Holy Communion are available on Christmas Eve. These special services on Monday, December 24th will be held at 1:00, 3:00, 5:30, and 7:30 p.m. An earlier alternative for Christmas Eve is again available this year, with a casual service held in the Activities Center at 1:00 p.m. All of the familiar elements of our long-standing Christmas Eve services will be presented with a slightly different twist. In the Sanctuary, three identical services of carols, candles, and Holy Communion will be available, just as in years past. Culminate your celebration of Christ’s birth by being part of one of these special services, which have become a Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas tradition.
Christmas Offering This Sunday, we will again receive our annual Christmas offering to help us meet our 2012 budget and ministry goals. We will need some very generous second-mile gifts as our fiscal year draws to a close. You have been faithful in the past. We know we can count on you now. Thanks for remembering your church with a special gift during Christmas! Service of Hope and Healing for Christmas This Sunday, December 16th, at 6:00 p.m., a Service of Hope and Healing for Christmas will be held in Wesley Chapel. This service will include traditional Advent candle lighting, hymns, scriptures, Holy Communion, and prayers for healing. This service is purposefully designed to remind us that the light of Christ can shine in the darkness and bring us hope. Please call the church office at 442-4237 for more information.
Student Ministries Teacher Appreciation This Sunday morning, December 16, beginning at 10:35, in the Student Ministries Building, Rooms 209-210, there will be a drop-in reception honoring all Central Student Ministries Sunday morning teachers, including Confirmation teachers and teachers of 7th-12th graders. Our teachers are the BEST! So, come by and grab some breakfast and a gift, and share some fellowship with other teachers. THANKS for all you do!
Good S.A.M. Christmas Families Ministry Central members have the opportunity to help make Christmas brighter this year for some children and families in need in our community. Working with the Fayetteville Public Schools to find those who need our help, we will provide toys & gifts for children, groceries, clothing, household items, cleaning and hygiene supplies. There are no requirements, you can buy one item or supply everything for an entire family. Unwrapped items should be delivered on Sunday, December 16th, in Wesley 102, from 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. or by special arrangement. Cash gifts should be made payable to Central UMC and marked “Good S.A.M. Christmas Families Ministry.” There is also a need for people to wrap gifts on Tuesday, December 18th, at 9:00 a.m. in Wesley 102. For more information and to sign up to wrap gifts, contact Beth Storey Bryan at
[email protected], or 6847839, or Amy Wales at
[email protected]. Thank you for your help with this Central holiday tradition. Lights of the Ozarks Spread the real meaning of Christmas in a low-key, non-threatening way by distributing candy canes along with a gospel message during the Lights of the Ozarks on the Fayetteville Town Square. The outreach runs until December 22nd and participants serve in two hour blocks on Friday and Saturday evening. Volunteer by signing up in the foyer of the CAC, or contact Pastor Carl Palmer at
[email protected] or 479-442-1806.
Central members may bring mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, and socks to be placed on the Christmas tree in the south lobby of the Activities Center. Items will be distributed to children in area schools following the holidays. Did You Know... ...you can now send your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers invitations to join us at Central for an event, special occasion, or our Sunday Services of Worship. It’s quick and easy, and you can send invitations via email or social media. Just go to www.centraltolife.com/invite and follow the simple steps to invite someone to Central.
Give Blood and Help Save Lives! On Monday, December 17th, from 1:00 - 6:00 p.m., Central will host a blood drive through the Red Cross in the Activities Center siderooms. No appointments are necessary. This Christmas you can “give something that means something.” Christmas Eve Reserved Seating, Great View! Anyone high school age and above is invited to participate in one or more of the Christmas Eve choirs. Visiting guests are also welcome. Besides having reserved seating, choir participants also enjoy the spectacular view of the Sanctuary filling with candlelight. If you are interested in participating in a Christmas Eve choir for the 3:00, 5:30, and/or 7:30 p.m. service, rehearsal will begin promptly an hour before the service in the choir room. There is a place for you! Please contact Marci Milus at
[email protected] or 442-1819 to advise us of your interest and to obtain the music in advance. Did You Know... ...that there are new displays of angels in the Sanctuary narthex and CAC south foyer archive cabinets? Everyone is invited to stop by and enjoy them! Special thanks to Nancy Huddleston and Betty Bradford for arranging the displays, and to Central members for sharing their angels.
End of the Year Giving We are most appreciative of all year-end gifts. Remember that it is very important for any gifts designated for the 2012 budget to be received or postmarked by December 31, in order to be credited as a 2012 contribution. Thanks for your faithfulness!
Remember... Wednesday Night Live will be breaking for the holidays after this Wednesday, December 12th. Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 9th. Each DBS class has its own schedule for the holidays. Contact your class teacher for your specific class meeting dates. Volunteer Opportunities on Christmas Eve at Central Ushers are needed for the Christmas Eve services at 1:00, 3:00, 5:30, and 7:30 p.m. Thirty-three ushers are needed for each service. If you are able to serve as an usher, please call Theresa at 442-1809, or email her at
[email protected]. Help is also needed in preparing and replenishing the communion elements between services on Christmas Eve in the Sanctuary. Please contact Mark McNair at 521-7800 or markm@ mcnairandassociates.com if you can help. Want to help make Christ Central to Life for someone this Christmas season? Consider serving in the nursery during one of our Christmas Eve Candlelight Services. This could also be a great Christmas Eve service opportunity for families! Contact Amber Hutson at 479-442-1826, or
[email protected]. Parking Challenge The church has been informed by officials at the Dickson Street Post Office that we will no longer be allowed to utilize the post office employee parking area on Sunday mornings due to homeland security regulations. This happened with no warning to the church, so we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. We are appealing the decision and will let you know if the decision is reversed. In the meantime, we encourage you to remember the parking deck, Hathcock Building, Auto Zone, and Washington Elementary school as additional auxiliary options for parking.
A Word from Our United Methodist Women... Central’s UMW wrapped up another successful and enjoyable year with a Holiday luncheon, installation of new officers, awards, and an Advent program by Brenda Gullett. Four general meetings were held this year, with the October “Fun-Raiser” Luncheon having a Mission theme. Jody Farrell and others on Central’s mission teams spoke: $2,350.00 was raised for Central’s International Missions. Please consider joining us next year: visit any of our five Fellowship Circles and find out what United Methodist Women are all about! Contact Rev. Carl Palmer at
[email protected] or 4421806 for more information.
CCC Director Hired The Staff-Parish Relations Committee is pleased to announce that Ms. Kimberly Brumley has been hired as the new Director of Central’s Center for Children. She is a current resident of Quapaw City, OK where she has been a public school teacher for the past 22 years. During that time she taught kindergarten (10 years), second grade (4 years), and third grade (3 years). During the past four plus years she has taught Family & Consumer Science utilizing a curriculum that she developed which included topics about child development, parenting, nutrition, and related skills. During her tenure she also served as the Assistant Director and on-site Director, of the 21st Century After School Program. She also developed and implemented the curriculum for this program. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Missouri Southern College. Kimberly and her 16 year old son will be moving to northwest Arkansas within the next few weeks. She will commence work in late December. Infant Baptisms Corey and Sheryl Runnells will present their infant daughter, Natalie Raines Runnells, in Christian Baptism at the 9:40 a.m. worship service in Central’s Activities Center this Sunday December 16, 2012. Brian and Jenny Frazier will present their infant daughter, Harper Lu Frazier, in Christian Baptism at the 11:00 a.m. worship service in the Sanctuary this Sunday, December 16, 2012. Hospitalizations WRMC - Julie Conrow Previously Hospitalized & Released - Dane Nickell Note – Due to privacy laws, our pastors are unable to access hospital admission records as they have in the past. For our pastors to know you are in the hospital, please inform the Church Office or let the hospital admission officials know you are United Methodist. Sympathy to... Paul Pinneo in the death of his mother, Marie Pinneo, of Fayetteville.
2012 Stewardship Countdown to Victory
(Three Weeks Remaining) General Operations Needed for remainder of year Needed each week Received this week Property Maintenance Needed for remainder of year Needed each week Received this week Count Me In Received this week Life-to-Date
12/9/12 $ 620,720 $ 206,907 $ 75,530 $ 91,760 $ 30,587 $ 1,512 $ 58,502 $ 2,171,496
“Bring the full tithes into the storehouse...and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” Malachi 3:10
Check out our website for all the details on what’s happening with Central Student Ministries! www.centraltolife.com/students • Good S.A.M. Christmas Gift Wrap December 16th | 3:30 PM | Wesley Building 1st Floor Every year, Good S.A.M. chooses children and families in need in our community to provide Christmas for. As a way of serving those families chosen, we will be helping wrap the Christmas gifts that church members have provided for them. All students are invited to come help (no wrapping skills required). Meet us on Sunday, December 16th at 3:30 p.m. on the 1st Floor of the Wesley Building to get your wrap on. Dinner will be provided. If you are planning on attending, it would be helpful if you brought a pair of scissors to use. • No studentlife This Sunday, December 16th studentlife is over for the Fall Semester, but feel free to join us for the Good S.A.M. Christmas Gift Wrap this Sunday evening (information above). We will start back up for the Spring on Sunday, January 6th. • Spring Break 2013 We’ve got two fantastic mission opportunities planned for Spring Break 2013 - Denver (8th-12th Grade) | $350 – Urban Ministry in the heart of Colorado (waitlist only) - Mexico (10th-12th Grade) | $1050 – Build a house in Vicente Guerrero, Mexico More information and Online Registration can be found at our website (www.centraltolife.com/students).
Calendar of Events Sunday, December 16 8:00 8:30 9:15 9:40 9:40 9:40 10:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:00 3:30 5:30 6:30
Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room) Traditional Worship Celebration (Sanctuary) Truth Seekers Class (Wesley 307) Sunday School Confirmation Class (CAC Sideroom 3-5) Contemporary Worship Celebration (Great Hall) Third Grade Worship Milestone (Sanctuary) College and Careers Class (Wesley 206) Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room) Traditional Worship Celebration (Sanctuary) Contemporary Worship Celebration (Great Hall) Student Ministries Good SAM Gift Wrap (Wesley 102) Ozark Bronze (Ed Bldg 109) Service of Hope and Healing (Wesley Chapel)
Monday, December 17 12:00 6:00 6:30
Red Cross Blood Drive (CAC Siderooms 3-5) Taking Off Pounds Sensibly - TOPS (Wesley 304) Boy Scouts Troop 102 (CAC Siderooms 1-2)
Tuesday, December 18 6:30 6:30 9:00 9:00
Men’s Bible Study (Wesley 310) Men’s Bible Study - Broyles (3263 N. College) Worship Team Meeting (Wesley 303) Disciple IV - Herriman/Green (Wesley 310)
9:30 10:00 11:30 6:30 6:30 6:30 6:30
Apprentice of Jesus Class - Gullett (Wesley 304) Staff Meeting (Wesley 307) Community Meals (Great Hall) Disciple I - Farrell (Wesley 304) Disciple II - Pendleton (Wesley 306) Apprentice of Jesus Class - Dunagin/Thorn (Wesley 307) The Second Coming Class - Holifield (Wesley 310)
Wednesday, December 19 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:30 7:00
Disciple I - Palmer (Wesley 310) Disciple I - Horlick (Wesley 103) Disciple II - Jones/Useche (Wesley 307) Disciple III - Tucker (Wesley 306) Disciple IV - Johanson (Wesley 102) Apprentice of Jesus Class - Pettus (Wesley 105) Wesleyan Essentials (Wesley 304) Contemporary Worship Team Rehearsal (Great Hall) Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
Thursday, December 20 10:00 11:30 5:30
Community Meals Bible Study (CAC Siderooms 1 & 2) Community Meals (Great Hall) String Coalition (Ed Bldg 2nd Floor)
Lord’s Day Celebration Sunday, December 16, 2012
3rd Sunday of Advent 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Traditional Services - Sanctuary Message
Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? II. An Imperfect Holy Day!
Dr. Steven K. Pulliam
9:40 & 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Services - Great Hall Message
Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? II. An Imperfect Holy Day!
Rev. Carl D. Palmer
To Reach the Pastor on Emergency Call this Weekend, Call 479-799-7473
