Angel Food Ministries

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BIBLE STUDY RETURNS

The Tuesday morning Bible Study will resume on January 13 at 10:00 am.  We will continue the Mayberry Bible Study.  Please join us as we study God’s word in an entertaining and unique way.  If you have any questions, please contact Sue Root.

CONFIRMATION CLASS

Coming soon will be the opportunity for anyone from the 5th grade through senior high to be part of this year’s Confirmation class.  Pastor Randy and Miss Sally will be leading these class sessions.  Be watching for more information which will be forthcoming in January.

Recently, Alex and Vicki Graham were welcomed into Saint Andrews as Affiliate Members of Saint Andrews UMC.  Some were not aware that the United Methodist Church offered such a provision.  Alex and Vicki desired to keep their membership at Regan United Methodist Church near Lumberton.  The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church states that a person who resides for an extended period at a distance from the member’s home church, may be enrolled as an Affiliate member of a United Methodist Church where they now would be residing.  The Book of Discipline states, “Such membership shall entitle the person to the fellowship of that church, to its pastoral care and oversight, and to participation in its activities, including holding of office.”   In addition, a member of another denomination may become an Associate Member under the same conditions but may not become a voting member of the church council.  If anyone now attending Saint Andrews would like to unite as an “Affiliate” or an “Associate” Member they are encouraged to contact Pastor Randy.

Starting Wednesday, January 7 and continuing each Wednesday evening we will be serving supper.  From 5:45 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. a catered supper will be served in the Fellowship Hall.  There will be no cost for this meal but donations are welcomed.  Babysitting will be provided.  After supper a spiritual growth opportunity will be available.  Be watching the bulletin and “Church Chat” for further details.  Please put these Wednesday evening gatherings on your calendar and plan to come to experience good food and fellowship.

JANUARY 25…You are urged to take part in a special bowling event that will be held Sunday, January 25 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.  This event is similar to what we did last year.  You are requested to obtain a team of five players.  You also are being asked to obtain sponsors for the number of pins you knock down.  For example, if you knock down 300 pins during the course of the afternoon, then 300 pins at a dime a pin would equal $30.  Any amount of sponsorship would be appreciated.  This bowling event will be held at Buffaloe Lanes South, just about a mile from Saint Andrews UMC on U.S. Highway 401 South.  Be watching for a sign-up sheet that will be included in upcoming bulletins.  All proceeds will go toward helping the Power of 7 meet their fundraising goal so a new Habitat For Humanity house can be built in the Garner area.

The United Methodist Youth Fellowship is still collecting used clothing.  Please place your clothing items in a bag and drop your bag in the house that is located just off the parking lot. These clothing items are distributed to third world countries where clothes are in demand.  For each pound of clothing received, the UMYF receives a monetary donation as well..

You are invited to pick up your free copy of The Upper Room and/or Daily Bread devotional books.  These devotional books can be found on one of the tables in the narthex

LOADS OF LOVE will meet on Monday, January 5, 2009 at 10:00 to prepare meals for our shut-ins.  We have a brand new year filled with opportunities to bring joy to some of our church family.  You are invited and encouraged to join Loads of Love and help us share the love of Saint Andrews through this very special ministry.  For more information, please contact Gloria English at ggenglish@nc.rr.com.

JOY CLUB (the fun group) next meeting will be Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at the church at noon.  This will be a planning meeting for 2009 activities, so bring a “brown bag” lunch.   At the November Thanksgiving lunch, the JOY Club made the following donations: $50 to the church library, $50 to the Building Fund, $50 to MERCI, $50 to Meals on Wheels, and $50 to Wake Interfaith.  Turkey was also donated to the Wake Interfaith guests, and to the Loads of Love. 

The JOY Club has collected $347.75 from the Christmas Card Project, which will be forwarded to Garner Area Ministries.  Thanks to you who participated we exceeded our goal of $300.  This represents 1,391 cards, and a postal savings of $236.47

Even though we have tried to personally deliver each card, there are a lot of cards that need to be picked up.  If you come by church during the week, look in the fellowship hall to see if you have a card.  Sunday(weather permitting), the cards will be just outside the front door, so take a look as you come and go to see if you have a card.

The United Methodist Men will be having a special meeting on January 20th- Dave Woodward will be serving his renowned Venison Stew with the men.  We will not be having a regular meeting on the 2nd Wednesday, as the Wednesday night Fellowship Dinners will resume again in January.

Our Thursday morning Bible Study Breakfast meetings will also resume after the holidays.  We will finish the last two topics of the “Following Christ” study.  Please plan on joining us in our fellowship and learning of God's word.

We continue to ask for volunteers for the HOPE ministry at Garner UMC- we are committed to having at least 5 guys from 1:30-4:00 on January 17th.

Richard Stone

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE will meet on Wednesday, January 21st at 10:00 in the Fellowship Hall.  We will be planning our programs and activities for the new year and encourage all to come and be part of our daytime circle.  For more information, please contact Gloria English at ggenglish@nc.rr.com or Lucy Merical at lmerical@nc.rr.com

THE UMW EVENING CIRCLE next meeting will be Tuesday, January 13th at 7:00 pm. This will be a planning meeting, where we will plan out our mission projects for the coming year. Please come with ideas on organizations or projects you would like to see the group support in the coming year. Childcare will be provided. We are grateful to Sarah Cope for her leadership during the past years.  Deborah Johnston will be the new President of the Evening Circle.

MINISTER of MUSIC

As I write this newsletter article, I am still experiencing the "post-cantata high".  I can't tell you how proud I am of these dedicated choir members.  We had 30 singers in all, including eight who are not regular chancel choir members!  I'd like to say a big thank you to all the singers.  Thanks to Serena Matthews and Joel Youngblood for the powerful solos.  Special thanks to our narrators, Jeff Cope, Mary Beth Ormiston, Patti Hendrickson and Brian Wiggs.  They helped to bring the story alive with their spoken words.  I also want to thank my son, Eric, for working sound for us.  He takes his unpaid job very seriously.  (And we hope this experience will lead him to a career in the arts.)  Finally, we could not have done this without Marilyn Aldridge.  She is a truly gifted musician and an exceptional accompanist.  She makes my job so much easier! 

January is a good time to come join us.  We'll be preparing for a Lenten cantata soon.  If you can't commit to a full schedule, consider doing one of the cantatas.  We have a good group of people and always have some fun! 

As we approach 2009, I am looking forward to another year here at SAUMC.  There are times when I come in on Wednesday nights and Sundays, completely exhausted (both physically and mentally), but it doesn't take long for my spirits to be lifted.  I thank each of you for your support.  It means so much to my family and to me. 

Until next month, I wish you
Blessings,
Susan

YOUTH NEWS
 Counselor’s blahba …
 Getting to know our youth:
 (Each month we will be featuring one of our UMYF members so that you can get to know them and love them as much as we do)

Dan Gray is one of our members who was invited to go to Lake Junaluska with one of our church members five years ago.  His friend ended up not being able to go, but Dan went anyway.  He is still with us and is now a member of St. Andrews too.  You have seen Dan in front of the church several times sharing his musical talents.  He sings and plays guitar.   He even has his own band which performs at local clubs.  Dan has been a great addition to our group.  He adds a great sense of humor along with some serious insight.  He loves the closeness of our group.  They spend more time together than just youth meetings.  There is basketball and just hanging at someone’s house.  Last year at Lake Junaluska, Dan served on the Design Team for Youth in Missions week.  We look forward to having him go with us again this year as a camper.  After that we will wish him well in his future journeys as he takes his next step after graduating.  

   Here’s what’s been happening!

Angel Tree Shopping – Very successful trip. Lots of wishes filled.
Youth Christmas Party – Always a great time.  Always entertaining.
Basketball – We have had such a great start this season for both teams.  Games will continue through January.  Please come out and support our teams.  They will make you proud.

Important January Events

• Sunday 4th    No Youth Meeting
  
• Tuesday 6th  6:00-8:00ish    YAC planning meeting at the Reinhard’s
  
• Sunday 11th  5:30 - 7:30    Youth Meeting
  
• Sunday 18th  5:30 – 7:30    Youth Meeting
  
• Saturday 24th 8:30-11:00 Angel Food Distribution  
  
• Sunday 25th  2:00-4:00      Bowling Event
  

Thank you to everyone who purchases luminaries.  All of the proceeds from the sales were donated to Garner Area Ministries.
    Other thanks to all of the parents who brought children for our babysitting day.  We raised $245 which was used to buy gifts for five Angel Tree recipients.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR JANUARY

• January 4   Regular Meeting-5:30-7:30 Supper: Harkness/Hare
  

• January 11 Regular Meeting-5:30-7:30 Supper: Murphy/Reinhard
                          **Parents’ Meeting 4:30**
  
• January 18 Regular Meeting-5:30-7:30 Supper: Gillespy/Saudo.
  
• January 25 Bowling Event 2:00-4:00

Notes from Sally:

The Advent season at St. Andrews was busy, as always, and the children of the church were involved in a number of the church’s Advent ministries.  From Operation Christmas Child to the presentation of our Christmas Pageant, we stayed active throughout the season.Now, we’re looking forward to new opportunities for ministry as we begin a new year. 

We will start back with our regular schedule on January 4th, meeting from 5:30-7:30  On January 11, there will be a PARENTS’ MEETING at 4:30 in the fellowship hall.  All parents are encouraged to attend and to bring new ideas for programming in the coming year. On January 25, we will be participating in the Bowling Event at
Buffaloe Lanes South.

 For those of you not familiar with our Children’s programs, Guppies are children between the ages of 4 and First Grade and Tweens are in Second through Fifth Grade.  We meet on Sunday evenings for fellowship and music, and supper is provided by parent volunteers. 

We look forward to welcoming new members to these groups and hope that children who are in this age range will join us as we work together to
Serve Praise And Grow In Christ!

We continue to covet the prayers of our church family, as these youngest Christians seek to grow in their relationship with Christ through fellowship, service and worship.

May God bless you richly in the coming year.

Peace, in Christ,
Sally

Garrison Keillor on Methodists

We make fun of Methodists for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed, and also for their secret fondness for macaroni and cheese.

But nobody sings like them.  If you were to ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Methodist-less place, to sing along on the chorus of "Michael Row the Boat Ashore", they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear.  But if you do this among Methodists, they'd smile and row that boat ashore and up on the beach!  ....And then down the road!

Many Methodists are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony, a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or tenor or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals by putting your little head against that person's rib cage.

It's natural for Methodists to sing in harmony. We are too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. When you're singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of you, it's an emotionally fulfilling moment. By our joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other.

I do believe this: People, these Methodists, who love to sing in four-part harmony, are the sort of people you can call up when you're in deep distress.

• If you're dying, they will comfort you.
• If you are lonely, they'll talk to you.
  
• And if you are hungry, they'll give you tuna salad.
  
• Methodists believe in prayer, but would practically die if asked to pray out loud.   
  
• Methodists like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with more than four stanzas.   
  
• Methodists believe their pastors will visit them in the hospital, even if they don't notify them that they are there.
• Methodists usually follow the official liturgy and will feel it is their way of suffering for their sins.
  
• Methodists believe in miracles and even expect miracles, especially during their stewardship visitation programs or when passing the plate.
  
• Methodists think that the Bible forbids them from crossing the aisle while passing the peace.
  
• Methodists drink coffee as if it were the Third Sacrament.
  
• Methodists feel guilty for not staying to clean up after their own wedding reception in the Fellowship Hall.
  
• Methodists are willing to pay up to one dollar for a meal at the church.
  
• Methodists still serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color of the season and think that peas in a tuna casserole adds too much color.
  
• Methodists believe that it is OK to poke fun at themselves and never take themselves too seriously.

All this means that, if you are to be counted among their numbers, You will know you are a Methodist when:

• It's 100 degrees, with 90% humidity, and you still have coffee after the service.
• You hear something funny during the sermon and smile as loudly as you can.
• Donuts are a line item in the church budget, just like coffee.
• When you watch a Star Wars movie and they say, "May the Force be with you," and you respond, "and also with you."
• And lastly, you'll know you've been in the presence of a Methodist, if it takes ten minutes to say good-bye!

Thanks to Mark Taylor for this submission

A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE??

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled.  What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

Here is the Answer   

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.  It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maid’s a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,   Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lord’s a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone.

Thanks to Teresa Hunt for this submission