101 E. Barbour Street

P. O. Box 72

Eufaula, AL 36072

(334) 687-8227

(334) 687-8285 FAX

fumc@eufaula.rr.com

www.fumceufaula.org

VOLUME XXXIII

NUMBER 45

November 15, 2017

Pastor

Dr. Alan Cassady

Youth/Missions Director

Britt Martin

Music Director

Billy Wilbourne

Office Staff

Jodi Stockberger

Pam Hunter

First United Methodist ChurchFirst United Methodist Church

Kanz for Kids needs a Chairperson Margaret Baugh has faithfully served as the chair

for our Kanz for Kids project for several years.

She is giving up this responsibility at the end of

2017, and a new chair is needed. If you are in-

terested in serving in this way, please contact

the church office. Thank you, Margaret, for

handling this so graciously and efficiently for so

long. And please remember, your donations of

food items and/or cash are always welcomed!

Free the Girls

3rd Annual

October 29 - November 19

Our Bra Bowl allows you to donate

new or gently used bras and/or cash

to Free the Girls, an organization

assisting women who have escaped

human trafficking. Be sure to spec-

ify Auburn or Alabama when donat-

ing! The winning team will be an-

nounced at the end of the competi-

tion. 3rd quarter score:

Auburn 81 / Alabama 47

Flower Calendar If you would like to

place flowers in the

sanctuary during

2018, please sign the

calendar in the parlor.

You’re Invited . . . . . . to attend the Community

Thanksgiving Service, sponsored by

the Eufaula/Georgetown Area Min-

isterial Association, on Sunday, No-

vember 19th, at 6:00 p.m. The

service will be held this year at

Christian Life Church.

Deck the Halls will be a fun-filled

day at FUMC! Everyone is invited

to wear casual clothes and bring

soup & sandwiches to enjoy after

the 11 a.m. service. Then we’ll

join together to help transform

the church for Advent! Adults will

decorate the Chrismon tree and

hang the greens in the sanctuary

as the children decorate cookies

and make ornaments. It will be a

joyful day with work divided by

many friendly hands! After all the

work is done, our families will as-

semble Advent wreaths for their

homes. If you would like to order

a wreath kit, please call or email

Jodi in the church office.

Santa for Seniors The Southern Alabama Regional

Council on Aging (SARCOA) is re-

questing help with its “Santa for

Seniors” project. Caseworkers

have identified needs of elderly

people in Barbour County, and

groups or individuals can sign up

to sponsor one (or more!) of these

individuals. FUMC’s Missions Cove-

nant Team asks that you please

consider this project for your

Christmas charitable giving. Visit

the web site www.sarcoa.org/site/

needs to see the opportunities

available.

People are not asking for luxuries

— they are requesting basic neces-

sities like laundry detergent,

cleaning supplies, and clothing.

The stories are heart-breaking, the

needs are critical, and the seniors

are right here in our own back

yard. Please consider sponsoring

someone through this project.

Calendar of Events

►Sunday, November 19

Worship 8:30

Sunday School 9:45

Worship 11:00

Elevate (Scavenger Hunt) 5:30

►Tuesday, November 21

Worship Team 9:00

CARE Team 4:30

►Wednesday, November 22

No Recharge activities

Church office closed

►Thursday, November 23

Thanksgiving Day

November 19 Volunteers

►Acolytes

11:00 —Harris & Rhodes Bennett

►Sacristy Prayer Leaders

8:30 — Bob Powers

11:00 — Caty Richardson

►Ushers

8:30 — Bob Powers, Mike Killian

11:00 — James Mize

Marian Bargewell

Bruce & Mary Ellen Mathias

Leckie Mattox

►Lay Readers

8:30 —Cindi Hall

11:00 — Jenny Abbott

►Greeters

8:30 — Buck Earnest

11:00 — Charlie & Anne Schaeffer

►Children’s Church

11:00 — Carly Wilbourne

►Elevate Meal

6:10 — Catherine Thomas

Margaret Baugh

Hey FUMC Family —

Check out this week's Elevate Top 5!

1) This past week at Elevate we finished up our

WOKE Series. We really dove off in the deep end

on Sunday talking about Ephesians 1:10. I'm no

Greek scholar by any means, but with the help of

some books and some folks smarter than me we

were able to learn an awesome Greek word that Paul uses in this verse

(the only time its used in the entire Bible). I'll share the word with you

only because of the shear gravity it carries. The word is

Anakephalaiossathai. Right?? You could DOMINATE your friends in scrabble

with that word! This word means to sum up, bring together, or bring to a

head. Paul uses this word in the context of telling the church at Ephesus

that God is bringing together, bringing to a head EVERYTHING through

Christ! Because of Jesus, what is broken can now be healed. Because of

Jesus, what's dead can now be alive. Because of Jesus, God is retelling the

story of history! How incredible is that?! So, if you're looking for a super

awesome Christian tattoo to get, maybe get the word

Anakephalaiossathai.....or maybe not!

2) November 19 is our annual Canned Food

Scavenger Hunt! Prepare your cupboards to

be raided. We'll divide into groups (based on

life groups) and hit the neighborhoods asking

for canned goods to bless our local food pantry

during the holiday season. We'll get started at

our regular time (5:30) and be done by 7:30.

3) IMPACT Weekend registration IS OPEN! You can register for this great

weekend by going to www.fumceufaula.org/impact. Be sure to register

early to take advantage o the Early Bird Registration rate of $85. This is

sure to be one of the best weekend of the year! We don't want ANYONE to

miss out on it! Let's tell EVERYONE about this great weekend!

4) During the month of December we've got a LOT of holiday fun! On De-

cember 3 we're having a Christmas Movie Night in the youth room! We'll

provide the hot cocoa and you provide your favorite movie snack! We're

voting on which movie to watch THIS WEEK at Elevate, so be sure to come

let your voice be heard! On December 10 we're saying THANK YOU to our

volunteers with a volunteer appreciation night, and on the 17th we'll do

our Progressive Dinner Christmas Party! That's a full month of Holiday

Cheer that you can be a part of!

5) Are you staying in the loop for all things youth ministry here at FUMC?

There are SO many ways you can do so! You can follow us on social media.

Our Facebook page is called FUMC Eufaula Youth Ministry. Our Instagram

page is called ElevateEufaula. Our Snap chat is also called Elevate Eufaula.

You can also sign up to receive text updates by texting "@elevate88" to

81010. We send out 2 or 3 text messages weekly to remind about upcom-

ing events for youth. Lastly, we do a weekly email newsletter that goes

out on Thursdays. If you don't receive this email but would like to, you can

send me your email address and we'll add you to the list!

That's all for now. God looks good on you — Britt

Missing! A silver tray used at the reception

for the Bishop has been misplaced.

If you find a tray with Mary Gray’s

name on the back, please contact

her! Thank you!

Prayer List

► New concerns:

Laurel Blackwell

► Continue to pray for:

Dave Allen

Herbie Weaver

*Jane Pody

Alison Haas

Jim Roberts

George Williams

*Louise Trammell

Mary Sellers

Linda Dudewicz

Cruz Rios

*Mel Stephenson

*John Hagood

*Louise Britt

*Betty Searcy

Walter Harmer

*John Jenkins

Bobby Gray

Kathy Armstrong

*Taylor Washington

*Jeff Richards

*Brian Devlin-Meagher

Mary Lindsey Hannahan

*Richard Boyette

► Prayer list guidelines:

If you would like to place someone’s

name on the list, please ask that

person’s permission before calling

the office. Names remain for 4

weeks unless requested to remain.

* denotes church members.

The Pastor’s Page

A Look at November 12 Sunday School .................. 85

8:30 Worship ................... 26

11:00 Worship ................. 157

Total Worship ................. 185

Offering received ......... $4,730

YTD received ........... $387,778

BTT balance ............ $330,437

The Treasure of My Abilities

God has given us such incredible talents and abilities, and we are

expected to use them for the kingdom of God.

We know the truth of that statement, but we seldom think about what it

means practically. I think it means the following, at the very least:

► Since our abilities and gifts come from God, we are responsible to God

for how we use them.

► We are responsible for developing our talents and gifts through study,

practice, and discipline.

► We are responsible for leveraging our abilities and gifts for Kingdom

purposes in addition to any benefit we might receive from them.

These principles hold true whether we are talking about playing a musical

instrument, baking cakes, giving legal counsel or teaching. We honor God

by using our gifts for God's glory, but also by doing whatever we do with

excellence.

As we look at the Time and Talent survey we will receive this Sunday,

please use your abilities and gifts to enhance and build the kingdom of

God in this place. When we do so, we will hear, "Well done, good and

faithful servant" (Matt 25:21).

Pastor Alan

Dear FUMC,

Before I go any farther, I would like to thank all of the members of the Handbell choir and

the Joyful Singers Choir as well as their directors for the beautiful musical offerings that

you made to God this past Sunday morning. The music was certainly a blessing to all of us.

I thank the parents/families of the Joyful Singers choir for making sure that the children

were at rehearsals. Without you, the choir wouldn’t exist. So thanks all for your hard work.

And folks, without all of you, our music program would not exist. I appreciate all you say

and do to further the music ministry of this church. From your kind comments that many of

you make on a regular basis to the financial support that you give the program, I thank you.

In my words on Sunday morning, many of you may remember that I said that I feel that all music offered in our

church is an offering to God. It is not to entertain the congregation although I pray that you do receive a blessing

from the offerings. Of course, this is why I personally would rather that there be no applause for our older groups

such as Chancel Choir and Handbell choir. I will say that I feel that applause is good for the younger folks. The

Genesis Choir and the Joyful Singers both need that affirmation from you to know that their job was well done.

In the hymn, “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross,” which we sang this past Sunday, the fourth verse says, “Were

the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul,

my life, my all.” The Chancel Choir will follow this with an anthem based on this hymn in two weeks. And why?

Because it is simply a declaration of commitment. At this time of year when we talk about stewardship, some of

us may get a little uneasy. And yet, if we remember the amazing grace and mercy of God, we really should not

be. I think the writer of this hymn put it correctly. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my

all.” And I think that means that perhaps we should take a second look at how we are using God’s gifts to us; be

they in the form of ability or finances.

I know that God loves both you and me — no matter what. And that means that whatever our choice toward the

call of stewardship, He will love us unconditionally. So obviously, we are not trying to pay God for His love and

mercy. That would be ludicrous. We could never do it and I am glad we don’t have to try. But we do offer back

to him a part of what is already His; whatever that may be. Just like our wonderful children who offered their

talent on Sunday. I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday. God bless — Billy

The mission of First United Methodist Church is

to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the

transformation of our church, community and world.

Birthdays

Saturday, November 18

► Josh Jones

Monday, November 20

► Logan Mitchell

Tuesday, November 21

► Tara Bennett

James Mize

Wednesday, November 22

► Zoey Campbell

Anna Murph

Thursday, November 23

► Mary Leigh Richards

Contact

Us

Alan Cassady:

alan@fumceufaula.org

850-418-3303

Britt Martin:

britt@fumceufaula.org

678-953-4602