THE MESSENGER - JANUARY 2008

THE MESSENGER

Volume 10, Issue 1                                                    January, 2008

Message from Judith Reedy

Dear Church Family,

Congratulations!!  As a congregation, we pledged to keep Christmas all year long.  We started with keeping Advent all season long!!  Here we are approaching Epiphany on Sunday, January 6^th, and I must say that you have done an excellent job of keeping the Spirit of the season! 

You hung the green; you painted the chancel walls; you mounted new organ speakers; you fed the hungry; you clothed the naked; you proclaimed the gospel through song and instruments; you visited Bethlehem; you prepared candles; you lighted the candles; you healed the sick; you brought gifts for many; you celebrated the birth of Christ! 

Now comes the Christian feast to commemorate the revelation of Jesus to humanity, specifically the visit of the Magi!  I hope you will be there on this joyful Sunday as we experience the Epiphany!  This is truly a time to celebrate! 

I want to remind all of you who are serving on committees and teams that Saturday, January 12, from 10am to 2pm, your presence is requested at our 2008 Planning Retreat in Frisco.  (Please see p. 3)  It is very important that you be present so that we may all share the vision for

2008 at FUMC, The Colony.  The more you are involved in the life of the Church, the more we are able to keep Christmas all year long! 

Many amazing things are happening around this church!  Just look around and you will SEE!  Just listen around and you will HEAR!  Did you SEE the new Information Station in the Narthex?  Did you hear about the Tuesday night Tony Dungy study for men starting January 8?  Did you HEAR the new organ speakers?  Do you SEE what I SEE?

My family and I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a blessed 2008!  May you find myriad opportunities to share the love of Christ with another throughout the year.

Grace and Peace,

Judith

Judithreedy@fumcthecolony.org

GORDON MOTE CONCERT

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17th 6:00pm

Put this date on your

 calendars and start inviting your family and friends.  You won’t want to miss this concert with Gordon Mote’s new music!

Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry is seeking candidates for new Stephen Ministers.  Requirements for candidates include:

· People who love people.

· People who are compassionate and caring.

· People who are willing to commit to 2 years of   service after completing 50 hours of training.

· People who respect confidentiality.

· People who are willing to listen.

· People who are willing to pray.

· People who are dependable.

We would like to send at least two people to Stephen Leader training in 2008.  If you are one of these    people, please contact one of our current Stephen Ministers, or call the church office for a follow-up call.  Our current Stephen Ministers and Leaders are Jerry Graham, Tina Willman, Glenn McGlaun, Belinda Toornburg, Cathy Ruelas and Pat Bock from FUMC and Louise Knuth from Trinity Presbyterian.  

If you are more interested in an Administrative Position in this ministry, please contact one of the people listed above for more information.  HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Catch the Spirit

Need something

a little different

on Sunday

morning?

Come brighten your day and catch the spirit

at 9:45!

Come grow

with

us

FOOD PANTRY

We greatly appreciate the current volunteers for their loving dedication and service.  Starting Thursday, January 3rd, the Food Pantry will be needing volunteers.  The Food   Pantry is open every Thursday, from 9:00am-3:00pm.  Volunteers work a three-hour shift (9:00am-noon and noon-3:00pm).  If this is a ministry you feel called to do, please contact Kathy Witcher at 214-618-1865 or kwitcher@grandecom.net.

NOTES FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Thank you to all that participated in our special musical events during the Christmas season!  We were blessed by many singers and instrumentalists as we celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ!

All of our music ensembles are now rehearsing exciting new music for the spring.  We would love to see some new members become a part of the FUMC Music Ministry in 2008!  If you are interested, please contact Sonja Roebuck at 972-625-1281. Come join us in the new year and discover the blessings of leading the congregation  in worship and song!

MUSIC ENSEMBLE SCHEDULE

Wednesday      

7:00 – 8:30pm   Chancel Choir (adults)

Sunday

During the 11am service after Children’s Church

     Cherub Choir (age 4 – 1^st grade)

12 – 12:45pm Cantate Choir  (grades 2–5)

1:00 – 2:00pm Sanctuary Ringers (adults)

4:00 – 5:00pm Celebration Singers (grds 6–12)

Sonja Roebuck, Music Director

Ladies' Game Night!

Friday, Feb 1^st

7:00 p.m. to ???

Bring your favorite games and

a snack to share.

Come comfy or come in your jammies!  We are having a lock-in for those that would like to stay the night.  Just bring your air mattress and sleeping bag.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP with Tracey at frog2shine@aol.com. More details will come out by email closer to the event so be sure to sign up.  For more info, you can also call Tracey Mostyn at 214-223-3323. 

Prayer for

Christian Unity Vigil

                 Here you go; a chance to practice the discipline of prayer.  Every year the youth sponsor the prayer vigil here at the church for those who want to come in and pray for the church, our nation and individuals and Christian unity.  We are going for a 24-hour vigil beginning at 6 pm on Friday, January 18 and ending at 6 pm on January 19.  We will need people to sign up for one-hour time slots throughout the 24 hours, at least two people for each slot.  It’s not a labor intensive activity but it’s spiritual intensive!  See the bulletin board outside

Rebecca’s office to sign up. 

UNITED METHODIST MEN

The United Methodist Men will have their monthly meeting and breakfast on Saturday, January 12th, at 8:00am.

Our 2008 Church Planning Retreat

for all Administrative Council

and Committee Members

is scheduled for

Saturday, January 12

10:00am - 2:00pm

The Frisco ISD Board Room,

6942 Maple St., Frisco, TX 75034

This is a very important date! 

Lunch will be provided.  

Babysitting will be provided

at the church upon request.

Please RSVP by January 7th

972-625-1281

or

admin@fumcthecolony.org

The United Methodist Women

UMW breakfast and business meeting will be held on January 12, 8:00am to 10:00am.  Voting will be held for        Officers for 2008.

Christian Living News

A reminder to all the committee; the all-church planning retreat is Saturday,  January 12 at 10 am to 2 pm at the Frisco ISD Board Room (see page 3 for details).  We will be looking over our five-year plan and calendaring for the year.

Youth Wednesday Night Bible Study!!!!

            Beginning Wednesday, January 9 at 7 pm, we will begin an “Invitation to the New Testament” Bible study. Invitation is a short-term, in-depth Bible study that takes the beginning of the church, its identity,  mission and theology at its starting point---the story   of Jesus.  At the end of the eight-weeks you will be awarded a certificate of completion during Sunday morning worship.  Facilitator for the study will be Paula Ward.  There is a participant’s book you will need to purchase and you will need a study Bible and  a desire to know the Bible and God.  Oh yeah, it’s fun too.

K.I.C.K. NEWS

Kids in Christ’s Kingdom

(4th & 5th grade youth)

Meetings:  January 13th & 27th

                    5:00-7:00pm

Confirmation 2008 Begins

If you or your child, grade 6 or older, is  interested in Confirmation, an orientation class will be held Sunday, January 6, at  9:45 am in room B7.  This is a new curriculum that uses one-on-one mentoring.  Come learn about the Christian tradition and the workings of this church.  If you have questions, call Rev. Rebecca Grogan, 972-625-1281.

Thank you to all of you who made A Night  In Bethlehem such a great event.  It is our hope to continue to grow in our ministry through such events that bring the whole church family together to enjoy each other’s company and worship in special ways.

STUDENT NOOZ

Wow.  Are you as exhausted from the holidays as me?  Course not, you’re younger!  But it was busy and fun!  Now we are in 2008!  Did you make a New Year’s resolution?  Did it have anything to do with your faith life?  At least one of them should.  You know what John Wesley (founder of the Methodist Church) called resolutions…..an opportunity for discipline….

Yeah, you think of discipline as something that is handed down to you from someone in authority like your parents, teachers, principal, coach….but it is also a way of training yourself.  Yeah, I said training.  I bet if you are on a sports team, are a cheerleader, in the band or orchestra or any other group, you have to be good at what that group does, right?  So you probably work out, practice, read up on new ways to do things, that sort of thing….that’s discipline…and our faith lives take it too.  You want to be a better Christian, have less stress, make better decisions, have peace?  Well, decide on a spiritual discipline.

There are many: prayer, reading the Scripture, Communion, worshipping, caring for others (like volunteer mission work), fasting, singing, that’s all I can think of now, but you get the idea; there’s probably one that works for you.  Give it a shot and see if you can get a handle on a faith-filled life that brings the results that discipline gives.