INDEX

P. 1 Index P. 8 Outreach Ministries P. 2 From the Pastor P. 9-10 Witness Ministries P. 3 Prayers – Presence – Gifts P. 10 McCamey Thanksgiving Service P. 4-7 Nurture Ministries P. 11 Events in December

P. 4 Worship in December P. 12 Thank You Notes

P. 5 UMW & UMM P. 13-14 Christmas Letter from Jesus P. 6 Fellowship News

FIRST UMC – Iraan P.O. Box 816 (401 S. Harte St.)

Iraan, Texas 79744 iraanumc@gmail.com

www.fumc-iraan.blogspot.com (432) 639-2333

FIRST UMC – McCamey P.O. Box 964 (1601 S. Burleson)

McCamey, Texas 79752 mccameyumc@gmail.com

www.fumc-mccamey.blogspot.com (432) 652-8824

Pastor’s Cell # (432) 208-8201

Parsonage Phone # (432) 652-3476

The Pastor’s Page (a paraphrase of a rather famous letter)

Is There A Messiah?

I take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of the First UMC in Iraan and the First UMC in McCamey: Dear Pastor - I am 8 years old. Some of my friends say there is no Jesus. Papa says, "If you see it in the church newsletter, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is Jesus real? - Virginia

Virginia, your friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be adult's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, humans are mere insects, ants, in our intellect as compared with the boundless world about us, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, Jesus is real. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Jesus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Jesus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody alive has seen Jesus, but that is no sign that there is no Son of God. The most real things in the world are those that people cannot see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Jesus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of people everywhere.

Every blessing, Pastor Charles

“As members of this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your “prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness?” The United Methodist Book of Worship, p. 93

PRESENCE Average Weekly

Worship Attendance Iraan: 19 McCamey: 35 Convalescent Center: 19

Badgers for Christ: 45

Average Weekly Faith Formation Attendance

Iraan: 8 McCamey: 10

PRAYERS

RECENT PRAYER CONCERNS: Leslie Adams, Al Alexander, Cleatus Brooks, Lewis Blackburn, Tommy Dale King Bullard, Jonnie Dempsey, Donnie Feagan, Mary Garcia, Peggy Garner, Robert Gill, Greg Haggard, Linda Harrison, Tom Hill, Giselle Holland, Evea Huffaker, Jordan Jernigan, Elmer Jones, Payton Kennedy, Rod Kephart, Kade Kothman, Jim & Teresa Lovingood, Billie McKenzie, Lois Ann McKenzie, Shane McKenzie, Kathy Pearce, family of Rosemary Rogers, Geraldo Salazar, Doug Smith, Diane Sykes, Albert Lee Teal, Brittany Templeton, the Turk family, Teresa Valenzuela, Jean Vandigriff (Pastor Charles’ mother), Eva Venegas’ family, 1LT Bradley Ward, LouAnn Watson and Henry White.

Recent Prayer Joys: The sound of children in church; the joy of the church conference sessions; The Message New Testaments given to Badgers for Christ participants; Community Thanksgiving services; the response to the Advent devotional; church guests; Ronnie Ward is going to be a grandfather again; Coy & Joan Coe are going to be great-grand-parents again!

Please pray for those living on S. Kniveton Street & E. 2nd Street in Iraan and for those living on N. Monroe Avenue and W. 8th Street in McCamey. Please lift up the ministries of the Rev. Tim Brewer and the congregation of the First UMC in Del Rio, Texas.

GIFTS:

The following letter (along with a plaque) was received by both congregations in recognition of becoming Welcoming Congregations!

UMC Quick Quiz (answers are on page nine)

1. What was the Christmas Conference and why is it important in the history of Methodism?

2. How many hymns are in the Advent section of the hymnal? How many in the Christmas section?

3. Who was Christina Georgina Rossetti?

December

SCRIPTURE LESSON

SERMON

Second Sunday of Advent

5th

Matthew 3:1-12

“What John said”

Third Sunday of Advent

12th

Luke 1:46b-55

“What Mary said”

Fourth Sunday of Advent

19th

“Christmas Pageant in-a-Bag” @ FUMC – Iraan

Service of Lessons & Carols @ FUMC - McCamey

Christmas Eve

24th

“Christmas Pageant in-a-Bag” @ FUMC – McCamey

First Sunday after Christmas

26th

Matthew 2:13-23

“Did you get what you wanted?”

Nurture – Outreach – Witness

The Ministries of the

United Methodist Churches

in Iraan and McCamey

“Christmas Pageant in-a-Bag”

We are in for a treat this Advent season! The first-ever production of a “Christmas pageant in-a-bag” will be offered at both churches – in Iraan on December 19th and in McCamey on Christmas Eve. You won’t want to miss this unique telling of the Christmas message!

“Did you get what you wanted?”

Bring a gift that you received this Christmas to worship on the 26th. We’ll see if Pastor Charles can weave each of the gifts brought that morning into his sermon!

The United Methodist Women @

FUMC – McCamey … Next meeting: December 13th @ 7:00 p.m.

The November meeting of the United Methodist Women took place at the home of Louise Carll with nine present. Jean Myrick presented the program which considered our need to give thanks and the ways we do that. We read scripture and poems and Cytha Peters accompanied us on the piano as we sang of “Now Thank We All Our God.” Louise served up a delicious pumpkin pie desert to the members and guests.

The November gathering of the UMM took place on the 6th with six in attendance. Thanks to Glen Smart for the wonderful breakfast casserole he made for us! We discussed several ideas for a mission focus for the group. Stay tuned for some exciting developments from this group.

The UMM will be meeting for breakfast on December 4th at 7:30 a.m.

Jim Witcher will be preparing breakfast for us!

Thanks to the wonderful cooks who made our November lunch (following the church conference) so delicious! We also had a potluck breakfast on November 28th! God is blessing us with some mighty-fine fellowship opportunities!

First UMC on the Town You’re invited to join other United Methodists at Elena’s in McCamey on Friday, December 10th at 6:00 p.m. for a “Dutch Treat” meal. No muss – no fuss – no program. Just some United Methodists enjoying each other’s company.

December’s fellowship

breakfast potluck will be

on the 26th.

There are some great books which have been added to the church library and to the music library (in the choir room). Check out these titles: 52 Hymn Story Devotions by Lucy Neeley Adams Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories by Kenneth Osbeck 101 Hymn Stories and 101 More Hymn Stories by Kenneth Osbeck Then Sings My Soul (book 1) and Then Sings My Soul (book 2) by Robert Morgan Grace Cross: In the Shadow of the Cross by Ann Jorgensen The Purpose Driven Life: What on earth am I here for? by Rick Warren

Our Children’s education and nursery is taking off and we are thrilled at the results that have been seen already!

Our nursery worker is _____ and she is doing a fantastic job.

New to the children’s library are these DVD’s from the creative people at VeggieTales:

Jonah: A VeggieTales movie

Lyle: The Kingly Viking

Gideon: Tuba Warrior

It’s a Meaningful Life

The Wonderful World of Ha’s

The Toy That Saved Christmas

The Star of Christmas

A copy of My First Message: A devotional Bible for kids is also available in the children’s class room.

UMC QUIZ ANSWERS (from page three)

1. The Christmas Conference was the historic founding conference of the newly independent Methodists within the United States held just after the American Revolution at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore, Maryland in 1784.

2. There are twenty-one Advent hymns and thirty-eight Christmas hymns. 3. Christina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet perhaps best known to us as the

author of the poem, “In the Bleak Mid-Winter” (#221 in the United Methodist Hymnal).

The next Badgers for Christ will be on January 19th.

(top left & bottom right):

Maggie Rogers, from the Methodist Children’s Home in Waco, speaks at the November Badgers for Christ lunch.

The FUMC – McCamey presented each of the students a copy of The Message (New Testament).

Pizza was on the

menu in November!

McCamey Ministerial Alliance (MMA) News 2010 Angel Tree * Names of children must be submitted by December 3rd *The Angel Tree will be set-up in the lobby of Security Bank from November 29th through December 17th. *Gifts must be delivered to the drop-off locations by December 17th.

*Gifts may be dropped off at the following locations: First Assembly of God Church: Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. First Baptist Church: Tuesday & Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – Noon First United Methodist Church: Wednesdays (Dec. 1, 8 & 15), 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

The gifts will be sorted at the First Assembly of God Church (406 E. 7th St.) on Sunday, December 19th starting at 2:00 p.m.

The BLOGS of FUMC - Iraan &

FUMC - McCamey:

www.fumc-mccamey.blogspot.com or

www.fumc-iraan.blogspot.com

(Be sure to sign up as a follower!)

The membership in our Facebook groups is

growing! Come be a part of this e-ministry!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this year’s devotional. Thirty-seven people answered the appeal for submissions to the project. 145 copies of the devotional booklet were made and have been shared in our two communities and with members and friends of the two congregations around the state and beyond. Don’t forget to look for devotional entries each day on the church blogs during December and all the way to Epiphany (January 6th).

The McCamey Community Thanksgiving Service

The community Thanksgiving service (sponsored by the McCamey Ministerial Alliance) took

place on Sunday, November 21 at the First UMC in McCamey. Pastor Murray Sauders

(Eastside Baptist Church), Tandy Adams (First Baptist Church) and Dr. Charles Alkula

(FUMC) participated in the service. In addition to the offering taken during the service (in

support ministries of the Ministerial Alliance), a canned goods offering was received in

support of the food pantry located now at the First Baptist Church in McCamey.

Thanks to Cytha Peters for playing the prelude and postlude on the organ. A special thanks

for the musical offering that was shared by the hand bell choir from the FUMC. This service

was the group’s inaugural offering and was very warmly received. Following the service a

wonderful dessert potluck was shared by the community – if you missed it, you really missed

out!

Top left: Sara Hill leads the FUMC bells

in their rehearsal before the service.

Bottom left: Judge Bill Eyler looks over

the dessert selections.

Top Right: the dessert potluck was a real

hit!

Bottom right: The food pantry offering

First UMC – Iraan

Each Sunday –

Fellowship Time @ 9:00 a.m.

Worship @ 9:30 a.m.

Church School @ 10:30 a.m.

Other events:

San Angelo District Office Open

House – Dec. 9, 4:00-6:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve @ McCamey

Convalescent Center, 4:00 p.m.

Pastor Charles in Iraan –

December 1, 8 & 15

First UMC – McCamey

Each Sunday –

Fellowship Time @ 9:30 a.m.

Church School @ 10:00 a.m.

Worship @ 11:00 a.m.

Convalescent Center @ 1:00 p.m.

Each Wednesday –

Choir @ 7:00pm

Bells @ 8:00 pm

Each Thursday – Coffee @

Convalescent Center, 10:00 a.m.

Other events:

UMM – Dec. 4 @ 7:30 a.m.

San Angelo District Office Open

House – Dec. 9, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

UMC Night Out @ Elena’s Kitchen

Dec. 10 @ 6:00 p.m.

UMW – Dec.13 @ 7:00 p.m.

Ministerial Alliance –

Dec. 14 , 10:00 a.m. @ SHCC

Christmas Eve @ McCamey

Convalescent Center, 4:00 p.m.

Christmas Eve Service, 7:00 p.m.

Christmas Eve at the McCamey Convalescent

Center

Please join with the residents of the MCC in

celebrating the birth of the King of Kings!

December 24th

at 4:00 p.m.

Iraan: **Thanks to Marie Richardson for surprising her church family with delicious home-made Mormon bread on Sunday on November 21st. It was delicious! **Thanks to Wanda Carpenter who cooked the "Methodist Turkey" as our church's culinary offering to the community thanksgiving dinner after the worship service on Sunday night, November 21st. **Thanks to everyone who contributed to the parish advent devotional book! **Thanks to everyone who helped make the TWO potlucks in November such a joy! McCamey:

**What a joy to be with all of you and celebrate your church conference and your ministries in McCamey. Your community connection is inspiring and your faith-filled open hearts shine. I look forward to seeing you again soon. In His Love, Gini Christian **Thanks to Sara Hill for her leadership as the director of the hand bell choir (members are: Jennifer Aguilar, Belinda Alkula, Louise Carll, Bobbie Lester, Jean Myrick, Cytha Peters, Sherry Phillips and) Marilyn Whitaker) in sharing their musical gift at the Thanksgiving service. **Thanks to Bill Lester and Belinda Alkula for replacing overhead light bulbs in the sanctuary. **Thanks to everyone who contributed to the parish advent devotional book! **Thanks to Glen Smart for cooking for the UMM breakfast meeting on November 6th. **Thanks for the folks who helped with the November "Badgers for Christ" gathering! **Thanks to Belinda Alkula, Bobbie and Bill Lester for attending the San Angelo District's Celebration/Training Seminar in San Angelo on November 13th. **Thanks to Cytha Peters for faithfully helping with the worship services at the convalescent center each week. Her music adds so much to the residents' worship experience. Thanks to Belinda Alkula, Bobbie and Bill Lester for their faithful service as well. (Note: All are welcome to join us there at 1:00 p.m. each Sunday.) **Thanks to all who joined in the fun at the Methodist Dinner Table at Benoit’s on Friday, November 19th! We had so much fun! **Thanks to Roy Kephart and Randy Brown for setting up the Nativity display and to Gary Elliott for donating the hay bales. **Thanks to all the folks who baked delicious desserts for the "dessert potluck" after the community thanksgiving worship service on November 21st. It was all so yummy! **Dear Charles, thank you very much for taking the time to make career presentations during the recent McCamey High School Career Day. This gave our students information to help them make informed decisions about their future plans. I appreciate your help in making this event a success. Sincerely, Luann Elliott, School Counselor **Dear Charles & Belinda, It has been about one year since you were introduced to Iraan and McCamey. You are a blessing to us. You have brought us hope and happiness. We love you and we want you to stay and grow old with us. Thank you for all that you do. Love, the McCamey congregation **Dear Pastor Charles: Thank you for presenting the holiday GriefShare recently. Sixteen years after the fatal auto accident we continue to need help during the holidays. Our dear son, Justin, would have been 35 years old now. Love, Bobbie & Bill Lester

Thank You Notes

(A Letter from Jesus Christ by Tim Eason at Church Media):

Dear children, It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth just, GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa's and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be so many of them all around town. Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can and may remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of your tasks was. If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing Barrack complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came

to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local Hot-Line: they talk with people like that every day.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name. You may already know someone like that.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you don't) buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Marines, the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

P.S. Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember,

I love you, Jesus