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Advent is here and if your house is

like mine, your ears are being filled with the sound of Christmas carols while mounds of cookies surround you. For many this is a joyous time when we decorate our homes, visit with family, shop for gifts and maybe even savor a candy cane. I personally love this time of year, as the traditions we celebrate are part of the fabric of our faith. Perhaps I enjoy the Christmas season because activities that we often engage in during this time of year are centered on offering good cheer and building relationships. There is something to be said about taking the time to sit down with friends, family and even new acquaintances to share food and swap stories. There is no doubt that our lives are enriched as we build relationships with one another. As Christians, this is supposed to be part of our identity. After all, our God has sought us out and invited us into relationship through our Savior Jesus Christ. It would only stand to reason that we would be inviting one another into deeper relationships and taking the time to really get to know one another. It is in this spirit that we have filled the calendar for this Advent season with opportunities for fellowship and fun. From having a euchre and family game night to a time for going caroling through the Valley, Three Crosses is inviting our members and surrounding community to come together to celebrate the season. Through these fellowship activities we can proclaim our faith in the one whose birthday we celebrate on the 25th. I invite you to join us for the various events that have been planned and help create new memories and friendships that will help in strengthening the practicing of our faith. My wife and I would especially invite you to join us at the parsonage after church on December 10th from 11-2p.m for cookies and snacks. We would love to open our doors for you to see our home which has quite a history in our village of Butler. I know that many of you have memories of Sunday School classes and youth group meeting which were held in it before it became the pastor’s home. All are welcome. We wish you a Merry Christmas! -Pastor Brandon

VOL.11, ISSUE 10 December 2017

Three Crosses Sanctuary Choir will

be performing a Christmas Cantata

Sunday, December 17 during the 9:30 a.m.

service. Invite your friends

and family to join us! !

December 9 at 6:00p.m.

Pizza will be served

Bring a snack to share

Board Games

The Keck Family Invites you to join them for the Parsonage

Christmas Open House! December 10, 2017 11:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m.

Join us for Fellowship and Christmas treats!

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Birthdays: Dec. 3 Quinn Vermillion Dec 4 Samantha Logue Dec. 7 Guy Ousley Dec. 7 Bryar Ousley Dec 9 Les Hauenstein Dec. 9 Bert Ousley Dec. 10 Dan Entner Dec. 10 Desarae Salkovick Dec. 12 Dave Huge Dec. 12 Gretchen Curtiss Dec. 12 Elliot Spoon Dec. 14 Jennifer Klaus Dec. 19 Don Sprague Dec. 27 Chris Taylor Dec. 28 Mindy Sansom Dec. 30 Joseph Pritchard Dec. 31 Claire Proto

Anniversaries: Dec 2 Shawn & Katie Wilson(11) Dec 6 Harry & Linda Bryant(9) Dec 7 Jim & Jamie Stewart(15) Dec 11 Don & Chris Taylor(2) Dec 18 Jerry & Audra Pritchard(15) Dec 23 Ken & Nancy Barr(65) Dec 31 Clint & Carrie Knight(9)

From the Mailbox: Three Crosses, Thank you for your support of the Butler Apple Fest by providing the comfort station. Blessing to All, Butler Apple Fest Committee

Three Crosses, This card of appreciation is long overdue! please know your donation to Bellville Elementary School is greatly appreciated! It has been put to good use. Thank you for your generosity. God Bless, Kirsten DeVito, Principal

Three Crosses, We appreciate the Gideon Bible donation in Dad’s name. He would like that, that was thoughtful. Thank you, Welch and Mary Beth Sprague and Carl and Judy Gonzalez

Three Crosses, Thanks for the caring thoughts, prayers and cards for my back surgery and recovery. I am on the mend and hoping to return to work in late December. A special thanks for the wonderful cheer basket that was delivered. We both enjoyed the goodies! ~Don and Sue Thomas

Three Crosses, Thank you to everyone who has helped with funeral luncheons over the past year. If you would like to help with this ministry and be added to the list of people I contact for food donations, helping set up, serving and clean up. Please see me or email me at sthomatlake@ecr.net ~Sue Thomas

Three Crosses, Thank you for the cheer basket for our family. Your love and thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated. We are so blessed to have a wonderful church family. Love, Mark, Sarah, Jared, Drew & Nate Lind

Three Crosses, Thank you for the Cheer Basket Molly Reeder Dear Three Crosses Church, Thank you! Thank you! So nice of you to think of me. I needed everything on that plate! What a sweet surprise. Love to all of you, Cathy Farst

Anniversaries Jan 4 David & Bonnie McCune(15) Jan 18 Jim & Jayne Moser Miller(33)

Birthdays Jan. 2 Lenora Belcher Jan 3 Amelia Smith Jan. 5 Julia Swank Jan. 9 Claire Stewart Jan 10 Brandon Keck Jan. 13 Roger Morgan Jan. 14 Marla Bowman Jan. 15 Joretta Hanson Jan. 15 Ryan Vermillion Jan 19 Peggy Hohman Jan. 23 Terry Hitchman Jan. 24 Mike Blake Jan. 24 Gary Mathes Jan. 25 Abby Klaus Jan. 26 Steve Jones Jan. 27 Doug Crill Jan. 29 Suzanne Mathes

Café Team Meeting December 11th

6:00 p.m. in the Café

If you are interested in getting involved in the Café

Ministry, please plan on attending! We would

love to see you there!

There will be no newsletter for the month of January! Look for your next

newsletter in February!

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There are so many ways we have been "Jesus hands and feet" this past year. The Outreach Committee only receives funds from the “Loose Coin Offering” plus any designated giving to Outreach. So without the efforts of the Clothes Closet, we would not be able to serve the people we do. Sue Thomas heads up the efforts at the Clothes Closet with the good help of Pam Swank. There are a lot of people who benefit from the funds that are collected from the selling of used clothing items. The following list is a few of what the monies go for: * Clear Fork Nutrition Program (includes Meals on Wheels) * Holiday Happiness, *Clear Fork Christian Preschool, *Supplies for the Comfort Station/ plus the fee to have this service at the Bellville Fair in September, *UMCOR (hurricane relief), * Youth to Annual Conference and * Haiti Christmas Project items. The Outreach had two successful “Fun Day’s” this summer for the children of the area. All paid for by Outreach. We paid for mailing pill bottles to Haiti …cost of over $300 for 2 different mailings. We help those who may need rent money or money for utilities. This year we sent money to *Heifer International to purchase animals for families in third world countries. Last but not least we provide a dinner to all the Veterans in the area. We served 65 Veterans and their families this past November. Linda Bryant heads up the Mission’s. We have monthly reports in Worship on what is happening. Take time to ask one of the Outreach Committee members about the things we have been doing! Thank You to all who have made this a successful year! God Bless this ministry and may it continue to find new ways of serving others.

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to our church family! Nila Thewlis, Chair Outreach Committee

Join us for Worship Christmas Eve

December 24, 2017 6:00 p.m. Traditional Service

8:30-9:00 p.m. Communion & Prayer Service

November 2017 $83.04

Three Crosses Café

Open every Wednesday 10:30 am to 1:30 pm

On December 6th, the café will be serving Ham & Bean Soup,

Cornbread, Jell-O Salad & Dessert on We will closed the

remainder of December and will reopen in January! Come and join us for food and fellowship.

**All food is homemade, with love and care.

Free or donations**

Join us for the Three Crosses Fish Fry

When: Thursday, January 18 Time: 5:00-7:30

Where: Three Crosses Fellowship Hall

Bring a side dish to share and your favorite fish story and picture!

Let’s Go Caroling! !

Sunday, December 17 at 6:00 p.m. Meet at Three Crosses at 5:45 p.m. Hot Chocolate and goodies served

afterwards. Come help us spread Christmas Cheer! !

Thank you Harry Bryant for donating his scaffolding to

the church. Your thoughtfulness is greatly

appreciated!

The “donation table” in the Café has raised $127.00 towards the

building fund! Thank you to those who have donated items and those that have “shopped” our table and

left a donation!

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A ‘draft’ plain-paper copy of the directory is available in the Café. 3Crosses Members and Friends are

requested to review their personal info and/or photo for needed updates. Make comments and corrections on the draft. If you have any questions contact Gary Mathes at gmathes@neo.rr.com or the church office at 419-883-3121

The Clothes Closet is in need of brown paper bags with

handles. They can be left in the mailroom at the church or dropped off at the Clothes

Closet Thursdays 11-3

We have been asked to please SAVE our cards we receive this Christmas!! They will

be repurposed! There will be a collection box in the foyer of the church after Christmas!!

We have had such a great 2017 here at CFCP&LC! This school year is flying by and we are having a fantastic time… November was a very busy month. We want to send a thank you to the Butler Lions Club for coming and having the vision clinic with our students. We appreciate this service to our Preschool families! During our dinosaur week, we had a pajama/movie day and got to watch The Good Dinosaur in our pjs while eating popcorn and sweet snacks! Then, during our Thanksgiving week we showed our preschoolers how to make homemade butter! Our after-school students started the season of giving by filling 26 shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. They had such a great time filling hygiene items, school supplies and toys in the shoeboxes to send around the world to those children in need. We are looking forward to the month of December where we will learn all about the Christmas season and Jesus’ birthday. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for our preschool and after school program. We look forward to sharing the New Year with you!

Moriah Daugherty Director, Clear Fork Christian Preschool

& Learning Center (419) 565-2309

www.CFCPreschool.org ~ www.facebook.com/CFCh

ristianPreschool

Spread Christmas cheer to your church family, all while saving a little money! Bring your Christmas cards to church with you and put them in the Christmas Card Box, located in the church foyer. Be sure to regularly check the box for any cards addressed to

you! The box will be available from December 1 through January 1.

**Please do not use this box for shut-ins, as we are unable to mail

those cards for you. Also, any cards that are not picked up by Jan 1st, will not be sent. So if you see that a friend or Neighbor has

some cards, feel free to help out and deliver them!**

Please continue to remember the following Missionaries that Three Crosses supports:

Jeff Robertson – Bellville/Butler Area The Andersons – Indian missions in Phoenix, AZ

The Browns – Bolivia, South America Barbara Pinkly – Kenya, Africa

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Three Crosses: A United Methodist Fellowship 12 Cleveland St., Butler, OH 44822

419.883.3121 church.3crosses@gmail.com

www.threecrossesumf.org

Brandon Keck, Lead Pastor pastor3crosses@gmail.com

Clint Knight, Junction Worship Ldr.

Worship Services 8:15 a.m. Contemporary Worship 9:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

10:30 a.m. Sunday School for all ages

Three Crosses Video Album http://vimeo.com/album/1790346

PrayerMinistry

Ifyoufeelledtobepartofourprayer

chainministry,pleasecontact:

Telephoneprayerchain VirginiaGreer419-883-2316

Emailprayerchain MarianBowmanmlb49@aol.com

Annex Ministries: 115 Main Street, Butler

Clear Fork Christian Preschool & Learning Center 419-565-2309

Open Thursdays, 11:00a – 3:00p

Contact the church office at church.3crosses@gmail.com if you prefer to receive your newsletter via email, or if you wish to be taken off the distribution list.

But the Angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12

Dec 3 – Advent Begins Dec 9 – Euchre/Pizza Night 6:00 p.m. Dec 10 - Parsonage Open House 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Dec 17 – Cantata during the 9:30 a.m. service Dec 17 – Caroling 6:00 pm. (meet at the church at 5:45 p.m.) Dec 24 –Traditional Christmas Eve Service 6:00 p.m. Dec 24 – Communion & Prayer Christmas Eve Service 8:30-9:00 p.m. Jan 18- Three Crosses Fish Fry 5:00-7:30 (bring a side dish to share)