CROWLEY FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

MISSION CENTRAL CHRONICLE

LOVING GOD <> LOVING OTHERS <> SERVING THE WORLD

A RED-LETTER YEAR, IT’S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!

Dear Church Family and Friends,

The season of Advent has arrived . . . and it’s time to get ready to celebrate the birth and receive the gift of the Christ Child like we never have before! Getting ready for anything important always takes a lot of ded-icated, focused effort. That’s why the Advent season is 4 weeks long. It takes time to get ready. That’s our focus. That’s our goal . . . BEING READY!

The season of Advent is also a time for many wonder-ful activities and opportunities that help to bring us closer to Christ, and closer to each other. Please carefully review the following Advent season events, and check our church website, www.crowleyumc.com, for more information and updates. Dec. 3 UMMen’s Craft Show from 9AM – 3PM

Dec. 4 Turn in Building Campaign pledge cards &

Confirmation Sunday

Dec. 8 Crowley Chamber of Commerce

Chriistmas Luncheon

Dec. 8 Golden Eagles, meet at the church no lat

er than 6:30 pm to ride the church bus to see the performance of the Littlest Wise man presented by the Dorothy Shaw Bell Choir in FW Dec. 9 Cub Scout Christmas Party

Dec. 11 Choir Christmas Cantata at the 10:45AM

service

Dec. 11 Friendship Sunday school class outing~ meet at the church to ride the bus at 1:30 pm for the matinee performance of “Christmas at Birchman”, we will be going to dinner afterwards (Dutch Treat). RSVP Bill Haynie at 817-326-5196

Dec. 15 Crowley United Methodist Preschool

Christmas program

Dec. 15 Golden Eagles, 10:30 am gathering for an ornament exchange done in a Chinese

Christmas fashion. Bring a side dish

to go with ham for a festive lunch! All

are welcome!

Dec. 18 Spirit Moves in worship & Parsonage

Open House & Children’s Christmas

party

Dec. 19 UMMen’s Staff Appreciation Dinner

Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight services

at 6 & 11PM

Dec. 25 Christmas Morning worship service at

10AM (no Sunday School hour)

Our special Advent Study continues on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM and on Tuesday evenings at 7PM. Please come to one or all of the remain-ing sessions.

Our Advent prayer stations are ready for your use. They are located in the Sanctuary, Prayer Room and in the Welcome Center. Please visit one or all of these prayer stations every time you are here at our Mission Central Campus in December.

And . . . don’t forget our special Advent Mission projects . . . collecting teddy bears and stuffed animals in the Sanctuary, our “sock drive” for our Mission Tree in the Welcome Center, and the Spirit Moves “stocking stuffer” drive. All of the items collected will be received by the Presbyterian Night Shelter ministry in Fort Worth.

We are doing a good thing this Advent Season! I look forward to see you all!

Pastor Rick ><>

DECEMBER 2016

SACRED PATHS….

SACRED PATHS….

As we enter this season of waiting and expectation may

we remember with grace those among us whose holiday is

reshaped by grief. While this has been a year of great for-

ward, momentum, it has also been a year marked for

many by great loss. It is for you that I share this bless-

ing….

Keep Awake.

—Matthew 24.42

As Advent has approached once again, I have had vigils

on my mind. Three years ago, as Advent began, we were

nearing the end of the vigil we had kept for my husband

following his fateful surgery. Gary died on the second day

of Advent, forever altering the way I enter into this season

of expectation.

When we have had an experience of waiting that ended in

devastation instead of joy, when we have kept a vigil that

drew us into grief instead of celebration, it can be difficult

to know just how to navigate the call that lies at the heart

of Advent: to wait, to watch, to awaken.

This year, as Advent begins and I wonder about what it

means to wait, I cannot shake the sense that there is a

vigil being kept for me: that I am being waited for, that I am

being watched over, that there is one who lingers at the

edge of my awareness, breathing with me and blessing

me as I move through these days.

Advent asks us to keep vigil for the Christ who comes to

us anew in this season. It invites us to keep our face

turned toward the horizon in hope. But Advent asks us

also to open our hearts to the Christ who keeps vigil for us,

the Christ who stands not on some distant horizon but,

instead, is already with us, waiting for us to open our eyes

to his presence that stays with us always.

As Advent begins, may you be blessed in your vigil: the

one you keep, the one being kept for you. In that vigil, may

you find your deepest welcome and know yourself at

home. Peace.

Blessing the House of the Heart

If you could see

how this blessing

shimmers inside you,

shimmers inside you,

you would never wonder

whether there will be

light enough,

time enough,

room enough for you.

If you could see

the way this blessing

has inscribed itself

on every wall

of your heart,

writing its shining line

across every doorway,

tracing the edge

of every window

and table

and hall—

if you could see this,

you would never question

where home is

or whether it has

a welcome for you.

This blessing wishes

to give you

a glimpse.

It will not tell you

it has been waiting.

It will not tell you

it has been keeping watch.

It would not

want you to know

just how long

it has been holding

this quiet vigil

for you.

It simply wants you

to see what it sees,

wants you to know

what it knows—

how this blessing

already blazes in you,

illuminating every corner

of your broken

and beautiful heart. —Jan Richardson

The Annual Crowley United Methodist Preschool Book Fair will be held December 5-8 (Monday-Thursday) and December 11(Sunday morning). The Book Fair will have a variety of books available for purchase. Books are awesome Christmas gifts for people of all ages. Come browse and shop for Christmas!

The Spirit is Moving

December 3 Spirit Moves will be making

sandwiches for the Presbyterian Night Shelter from

8:00 ~ 10:00 AM. At 4:00 PM we will leave via the

church BUS for Waxahachie to see “Bethlehem Re-

visited”.

December 17 we will be delivering stocking stuffers

and blankets to the shelter at 9:00 AM, that night we

will have a sleepover in the Youth Room!

Our Christmas performance of “The

Christmas Story” is on December 18

at the 10:45 Worship service.

Thank you for all your generosity and

support!

Spirit Moves

AN INVITATION FROM THE FRIENDSHIP SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

December 11 you will find us leaving the church parking lot at 1:30 PM to attend the 3:00 PM matinee of

Christmas at Birchman!

There is no cost to attend the play however, a love offering will be collected. After the performance we will be going to

dinner, Dutch Treat. Please RSVP to Bill Haynie at

817-326-5196 if you plan to attend.

ALL ABOUT FLOWERS!

Thank you to everyone who provided flowers for the sanctuary for this year. It adds such beauty for all worshipers as well as your personal enjoyment. As we look forward to a new year, let’s review how to or-der flowers:

There will be a new flower calendar in the narthex where you can sign up, however, please also notify Jeanette Burns (817-980-4936) or the office as well when you sign up. The basic arrangements are $45.00 which includes using the church’s vases, or special arrangements may be designed to your needs and upward price range. You may return the vases by placing them in the chancel

area for Jeanette or to the office. In order for your arrangement to be in the Sunday bulletin, notification must be received by Wednesday prior to Sunday. Our church receives a wonderful price and product from the local Kroger florist, and she works very hard for us. Jeanette orders and picks up the arrangements and will ask for your design preferences for each occasion and order. Thank you, and enjoy!

YOU’RE INVITED!

December 8 Golden Eagles is meeting at the church no

later than 6:30 PM to ride the bus to see “The Littlest

Wiseman” presented by the Dorothy Shaw Bell Choir at the Ft. Worth community Arts

Center. Jenna will be chauffeuring us on the bus. No one has to drive at night! Thank you

Jenna!

December 15~ Christmas Party, All are Welcome! We’re exchanging Christmas deco-

rations during a Chinese gift exchange. Bring a side to go with ham for a festive lunch.

See you in the Welcome Center!

OCTOBER WEEKLY

WORSHIP

STATS

Date Attendance Offering

10/30/16 101 5647

11/6/16 177 16709

11/13/16 134 15280

11/20/16 95 6325

11/27/16 114 7212

Please remember our midweek day of prayer on

Wednesday. We meet in the prayer room at 7 AM,

12 PM, & 6 PM. True you can pray anywhere, but

there is something special about praying with a

group of your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you

can’t join us, text me at 817-909-5691 to give us

your requests, or to let us know you are with us.

~ George Horton

The youth are looking forward to the Advent season as we enter into a time of study and reflection prepar-ing our hearts for Jesus’ birth.

Mid-winter registration is open. If you are interested in attending Mid-winter please

December 4~ 4 PM, Mandatory Costa Rica Mission trip December 7~ House of Hope Share the Love stuffing of stockings December 17~ Youth Christmas Party December 21, 25, 28~ NO YOUTH

Costa Rica Mission Trip

Our church will be going on an intergenerational mission trip to Costa Rica! Save the date~ June 18th,

2017. This mission trip is open to all ages, if you are interested and want to know how we will be in

mission while there please contact Jenna Reinke at jenna@crowleyumc.com. We are expecting 20 to 30

folks to join us on this life changing trip as we partner with Strong Missions to help with local building

projects, as well as provide a program for the school children! This will be a time of missional service,

growth, and love shared as we open ourselves to who God has called us to be in the world as disciples of

Jesus Christ!

YOUTH HAPPENINGS!

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN’S CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER

December 4, 4:30 PM~ Planning meeting, Corner Gathering Room

December 6, 5:30 PM, UCC ACT III Christmas Party. Bethlehem United Community Center.

Carpool from Linda Hutchings home at 4:30 PM.

December 7, 9:00 AM, Prepare for the Crowley Chamber Luncheon on Thursday the 8th.

December 8, 9:00 AM, Serve Crowley Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Come at 9 Am to help.

Lunch is served at 12:00 PM. Or come at 1 PM to help clean up.

December 14, 9:30 AM, Cookies for the Troops, we will be making 50 dozen cookies!

December 17, 11:30 AM, UMW President’s Luncheon, Linda Hutching’s home, 10913 Deer

Creek Dr. in Garden Acres. All are welcome.

December 19, Deliver cookies to Arlington Heights UMC

December 24, 6:00 PM & 11:00 PM, Hospitality Hostesses for Christmas Eve Services. Cookies

are also needed.

Please contact Linda Hutchings at 817-293-3393 for information on any of these events.

WELCOME NEW

MEMBERS!

Kate and Branden Cory joined our

congregation on November 17,

2016!

Welcome to Crowley FUMC, we’re

glad you’re here!

THANK YOU CROWLEY FUMC

For your love and support~

The Richardson family

For your donations made to Crowley

House of Hope!~ Billy Hutchings

To Apportionments

In memory of Marlene Richardson M & M Bill Haynie

To the Budget

In honor of James & Betty Garner’s 60th Anniversary Gladys & Debbie Celey

In honor of Tommy Richardson Elizabeth Williams

In memory of Maedelle Lasater M & M Joe Lasater

In memory of Marlene Richardson Gladys & Debbie Celey

M & M Billy Hutchings

M & M Rick Mixon

Elizabeth Williams

To the Building Principal Fund

In memory of Karen Johnigan Louise Mixon

M & M Weyland Rapp

In memory of Marlene Richardson M & M Charles Atkinson

Rev. Mary Gean Cope

M & M Joe Corthay

Delinda Driver

M & M Steve Fox

M & M James Garner

M & M Weyland Rapp

Tommy Richardson

To the Choir Fund

In memory of Marlene Richardson Pat Reister

Memorials and Honorariums

CROWLEY FIRST UNITED METHODIST

509 W Peach St

Crowley, Texas 76036

817-297-4530 www.crowleyumc.com

Loving God <> Loving Others <> Serving the World

Office Hours

Monday through Thursday

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Office closed Fridays