In this new year, you are encouraged to sign up and join a Covenant Life Group. Covenant is designed to be done in three 8-week segments, and we are about to begin segment 2: Living the Covenant.

If you have not been a part of a Life Group, January is the perfect time to start! You can begin the week of January 18 with segment 2, continue in April with segment 3, and pick up segment 1 in the fall.

If you have already been a part of Covenant Bible Study, we encourage you to sign up for the final 2 segments today! We begin again the week of January 18, and we will read before that week for the first week. After registering, you are welcome to pick up your next 2 Covenant guides from the church office or in the lobby on Sunday after you have paid the $20.

Living the Covenant is 8 weeks of discovering how we put the covenant that God has made with us into practice.

Many of the weeks center around this question: How do we live the covenant out in all of our relationships? In other words, how does this covenant that God has

made with us affect our real lives and relationships? This can be a challenge for us to determine, because relationships are hard. As we live the covenant together in our Life Groups, we will help one another learn how God’s covenant enters all of our relationships. The other question we will consider in

living the covenant is this one: How do I make choices when issues are not black and white?

As we journey with Christ, it becomes evident that choices are not as simplistic as they seemed when we were children. There are gray issues, and sometimes we are forced to choose between two seemingly good options. How do we do this? What does the Bible have to say about our decision-making and morality? In Living the Covenant, we will explore what it means to allow God’s covenant with us to shape our discernment and decisions.

Living the Covenant will meet for the weeks of January 18-February 8, pause for one week (Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent), and then meet from February 22-March 15. Trusting the Covenant will meet for 8 weeks straight beginning the week of April 12 and finishing on May 31.

The WellspringFuquay-Varina United Methodist Church

January 2015

Living theCovenantTogether

Register online: fvumc.org/covenant

Starting Point: The Place to Find Out More About FVUMC

Our Starting Point gatherings are an introduction to the church, pastors, staff and leaders of our ministries. We’d love to help you connect with the small groups, ministries,

and activities that resonate with your life and interests. We will also take some time to explore membership at FVUMC. No pressure—just a time for conversation about what it means to join the congregation and to be a United Methodist. The Starting Point gatherings are open to anyone, whether you’re new to FVUMC or have been attending for a while. We meet in room 117 on the Adult Wing from 4:30-6pm. Upcoming gatherings are on January 18 and February 15, 2015. Free childcare is available. If possible, please help us plan ahead by signing up using the link at fvumc.org/starting-point.

Even if you’re not pre-registered, please join us!!

Epiphany – Discovering Extraordinary in the Ordinary Pastor Gene Tyson

Epiphany is commonly known as Three Kings’ Day or the Feast of the Epiphany. It means “manifestation” or “showing forth.” It is also called Theophany (“manifestation of God”).

It commemorates the first two occasions on which Jesus’ divinity, according to Christian belief, was manifested: when the three kings (also known as wise men or Magi) visited infant Jesus in Bethlehem, and when John the Baptist baptized him in the River Jordan.

On Epiphany Sunday, our text is from the Gospel of Matthew 2: 1 – 12 which is the account of Magi from the east who came to worship Jesus bringing gifts suited for a King. We will share in Holy Communion together as we begin the first Sunday of the year breaking the bread and drinking from the cup. What a great way to begin the New Year together!

What does Epiphany mean to us today as we return from a busy Christmas season with family and friends, and hopefully they are one and the same? How does Epiphany make a difference in our busy lives today?

Epiphany for us is about discovering and bearing witness to the extraordinary in the ordinary of life. This is what occurred with these three visitors from the east. They were looking for the “newborn king of the Jews” and discovered the Savior of the world.

It was in the ordinary they discovered the greatness and magnitude of God’s Grace.

So it is with us! Epiphany is not a one-time experience of an “ah ha” moment we may have had with God some years ago or around a campfire. Epiphany is bearing witness to God who is present with us through the “everyday” of this life—whatever season that may be for you.

Epiphany is the recognition of God’s presence with us as we get back to the “realities of life”, checkout lines, bumper-to-bumper traffic, cold and rain, kids with the flu, hospital stays and all of the rest. It is in this ordinary of life God is present with us and we are gloriously surprised to find God there! Now that’s an Epiphany!

See you this Sunday! Pastor Gene

Behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been

born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Matthew 2: 1 - 2

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Congregational Care:

Health Care as a Spiritual Practice

Dear Friends,

As I write this first article of the new year, it’s still the old year, and on my desk, I’m looking at six (yes six!) different containers of baked goods and homemade confections. That’s not to mention the stack of snacks gifted to the whole staff to munch on. Don’t you love December?

However, January does roll around.

The wisemen have returned home to their families. The shepherds have gone back to the business of keeping their flocks out of trouble.

Gabriel surely must be standing in the presence of God awaiting any forthcoming assignment should there be one.

And for us? It’s time to get back to a more discipline life. Good study habits, healthy eating, exercise, you know the drill.

When Pastor Gene and I traveled to the Holy Land three years ago, we hopped on a bus and rode from Capernaum to Bethlehem to Mount Carmel and to the Sea of Galilee.

We rode to Caesarea Philippi, the Jordan River, Jericho, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.

One of the things I kept thinking about was that back in the day,

they didn’t ride a bus. They walked everywhere! One thing for sure, it was healthy for their bodies.

John Wesley was a staunch advocate of developing healthy practices. He even wrote a book on the

subject entitled Primitive Physick. The book was a top seller in his day! Among his recommendations? Allow me to paraphrase!

• Go to bed early (9:00 p.m.) and rise early (4:00 a.m.)

• Exercise

• Drink water as the beverage of choice

• Avoid coffee and tea

• Stay away from salted, pickled, smoked, and highly seasoned foods.

The man was ahead of his time!

The United Methodist Church takes seriously the issue of good health care. It’s part of our Wesleyan theology and spirituality!

For the past several years, all clergy have been encouraged to participate in the wellness program Spirited Life offered by the Duke Clergy Health Initiative and funded by Duke Endowment.

Reportedly, 60% of clergy participated in the program. Through regular monitoring over a three year period, clergy were able to be active participants in regular health screenings. The opportunity was a gift!

As pastor of congregational care, let me encourage all of us to think a little more seriously about taking care of our health in the coming year!

Perhaps you might consider joining our walkers at FVUMC who “Walk the Walk” twice a week! Holy yoga is also available on a weekly basis. Cut back by half on the French fries (ouch!) or the soft drinks.

Follow John Wesley’s advice! We’ll all feel better!

Blessings! Pastor Valerie

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

– 1 Corinthians 6:19

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Serving & Sharing God

Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Pantry

January Requests: Soup, Oatmeal, Grits

No glass jars, please

Welcoming Our Guests: WIHN Week 1/11-18

Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network is coming to FVUMC – Sunday, January 11, 2015 through the morning of Sunday, January 18.

Through this ministry, families who are homeless are provided with shelter, meals, case management and educational services.

We need people who will set up and break down the rooms, provide meals, stay over night, provide meals, and serve as evening hosts who will be available if the families want to talk or play games.

Watch for a sign up board in the lobby with flyers containing details or you may contact Stephen Woods at 919-696-1494 or sr8694@juno.com.

Come and join a team of people who are providing the blessing of Christ’s presence for those going through a season of need.

Your Gifts to WIHN Matched by Stewards Fund

Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network (WIHN) is asking for donations to help support their vision of ending family homelessness in our county.

The WIHN program is based on case management and education, not handouts. Thanks to partnerships throughout Wake County, their success rate is 85% of families who remain in permanent housing a year after leaving the program.

If you make a gift by Feb. 1, 2015, the Stewards Fund will match gifts from those who have not given in the past 18 months or from faithful partners who give an increased amount to WIHN.

Gifts can be made online at wihn.org or by mailing to Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network,

Inc., 903 Method Rd., Raleigh NC 27606.

Human Relations Day

January 18

This Special Sunday offering celebrates the connectional work of United Methodist churches and calls all of our churches to participate in helping all God’s children to realize their potential.

This annual offering supports neighborhood ministries through Community Developers, community advocacy in the United States and Puerto Rico through United Methodist Voluntary Services, and work with at-risk youth through the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program.

Human Relations Day is celebrated on the Sunday before the national observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

Cradle Ministry Saturday Session on Jan. 31

Our Cradle Ministry creates hand-made cradles for grieving families who have suffered the loss of their baby and are struggling with funeral expenses. The finished cradles are given to area hospital chaplains.

The team that lines the cradles with satin cloth is planning a Saturday session on January 31 from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm in Room 117-119. Come with your glue guns, glue sticks and scissors to participate in this wonderful outreach ministry. For questions, contact Margaret Strickland at mrose06@embarqmail.com or 919-820-2979.

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UMW - Circle of Faith Focus on Missions

The United Methodist Women’s Circle of Faith meets on the first Tuesday of each month and invites you to attend the January 6 gathering beginning at 10:00am in room 116. The morning’s program is the Pledge Service To Missions given by Betty Tilley. All ladies are encouraged to attend.

Maternal & Child Health Is Focus for New FVUMC

Missions Partnership with Curamericas

The FVUMC Missions Committee has recently begun a partnership with an international NGO called Curamericas Global, a non-profit which works with underserved communities to make measurable and sustainable improvements in their health and well-being, especially regarding child survival rates.

Dave Heiser, a new member of the FVUMC Missions Committee and an environmental engineer, has traveled with Curamericas to Guatemala on several trips since 2012 to work with the Mayan communities in the Highlands areas of Huehuetenango with their community drinking water systems.

He hopes to lead a team from FVUMC, or join several other interested volunteers, on a trip in 2015 to Guatemala to work with the new Casa Maternas efforts that focus primarily on maternal health and child survival in the highlands of Huehuetenango.

Curamericas’ primary emphasis in Guatemala and five other countries in the world is currently maternal and child health, but also includes work in Liberia and Sierra Leone with the Ebola crisis.

The methodology employed by Curamericas is designed to build partnerships with local communities in need and includes regular visits to every household to monitor the progress of the health initiatives.

Curamericas was founded in 1983 by Henry Perry, MD, PhD, MPH and is headquartered in Raleigh. The organization is currently working in Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Africa. They partner regularly with such institutions as UMCOR, Ronald MacDonald House Charities, USAID and the CDC.

Learn more about Curamericas at curamericas.org/about/mission-and-vision and 919-510-8787; or feel free to contact Dave Heiser at heiserdm@cdmsmith.com or 919-805-2395.

Through your gifts to our Christmas Eve special offering and a matching grant from our Missions Committee, $10,493.81 was raised to support Imagine No Malaria!

The United Methodist Church and its partners are using bed nets, providing access to diagnostic tests and medicine, draining standing water, funding door-to-

door training on malaria prevention, and improving sanitation in the fight to end deaths from this preventable, curable disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

You Are Saving Lives

New Outreach Ministry to Local Schools

The FVUMC Children’s Ministry is spearheading a new outreach to Fuquay-Varina Elementary and Lincoln Heights Elementary schools. Check out the article on page 6 to read more about how you can get involved.

Young Adults in MissionThe United Methodist Church has programs for young adults (age 18-30) to serve God for three months to two years of service in the USA or overseas. Read more in the article on page 9. 5

Children & Family MinistriesGet Plugged In!

The Children & Family Ministries at FVUMC are ready to kick off 2015 with a lot of opportunities for children to love, learn, serve, and share God.

• On Sunday mornings, we offer Sunday school for children from nursery-5th grade at 9:30 and 11:00. Our 9:30 Sunday school also features a class called “Covenant Kids,” which allows children in K-2nd grade to attend part of worship with their families and still participate in a modified Sunday school class. At 11:00, all children begin in the Centrum with their families and are then invited up to the front for a “Children’s Moment” during the service. After the Children’s Moment, children may return to sit with their families for the remainder of the worship service, or they may exit to attend Sunday school.

• On Sunday afternoons, 2nd-3rd graders are invited to attend FaithWeaver Friends and 4th-5th graders are invited to attend Kids for Christ (KFC) from 4:30-6pm for a time of learning, fellowship, and fun. (Life Groups for parents are offered during that time - see pg. 1)

• Kidz NPraise (our Wednesday afternoon music program) is open for registration for the Spring 2015 session. (See page 9 for details.)

Now is the time to get your child plugged into the children’s ministry here at FVUMC! If you would like to volunteer for any of these ministries or if you have questions, contact Amanda Rackley at arackley@fvumc.org or (919)552-4331.

Preschoolers Helped Children Around the World

At Seeds of Faith Preschool, December began with a huge tree given for all the children of the church. Our families collected $312.36 in change for mosquito nets to for Imagine No Malaria and put together 48 bags for the F-V Emergency Food Pantry, filled with food for children who may be hungry in while school is out. The last week of school, we learned about what God wants for Christmas and

watched our children present the story of Christ’s birth.

Congregations for ChildrenCongregations 4 Children (C4C) is an initiative through the North Carolina Conference (of which FVUMC is a part) that encourages churches to partner with local schools in an effort to help improve K-3 literacy rates, meet basic needs, and encourage parental support.

FVUMC is a generous congregation and already provides for our local schools through collection drives, our Clothing Closet, Operation Share, and more. However, this initiative is meant to encourage us to directly partner with certain schools and to have an actual presence in them.

Due to our location, the Children’s Ministry team has decided to partner with Fuquay-Varina Elementary School and Lincoln Heights Elementary School. For this year, we decided that the two ways we wanted to help were by being classroom helpers and by providing a meal for teachers during one of their early release days.

For now, we are looking for volunteers who are interested in helping in classrooms at Fuquay-Varina Elementary by reading to students, listening to students read, and reviewing alphabet letters with K-3rd grade students.

If you are interested, you can sign up online at: fvumc.org/c4c-signup or contact Amanda Rackley at arackley@fvumc.org or (919) 552-4331, ext. 113.

C4C is a joint partnership with the North Carolina Annual Conference and Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church. The initiative was first announced at Annual Conference in 2013, by our Bishop, Hope Morgan Ward, along with the Western North Carolina Conference Bishop, Larry Goodpaster, and United Methodist layperson & NC State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. June Atkinson

They spoke of sharing love with vulnerable children and supporting the work of teachers. The vision is a state-wide effort that will transform the lives of children and our communities and challenges us to partner with schools, teachers, and school children in our neighborhoods.6

The House Is a Mess…The holiday season is quickly fading in the rearview mirror and if you’re anything like me, there were so many things that you wanted to get done, but never had the time. I can usually make myself feel pretty horrible when it comes to my expectations of what I should do and how much I can get done.

When I start going off of the expectations deep-end, I like to turn to a great blog called, “Mothering Spirit.” (motheringspirit.wordpress.com). Although I do not have children yet, I still find so many nuggets of wisdom from this mother of three. I wanted to share one of the prayers with you this month and I hope that it speaks to you as it did to me.

Amanda Rackley, Director of Children & Family Ministries

The House Is a Mess; Come on In by Laura Fanucci

Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof…

Christ, I’d be impressed if you made it past the driveway.

Cracks lined with weeds. Untrimmed hedges. A half-mowed lawn. Plastic children’s toys abandoned to bleach in the sun…

And if you did brave the front door, what would greet you in the entry as you wiped your sandals on the mat?

A towering stack of boxes. Two heaping laundry baskets, unsorted and unwashed. Three abandoned, unmatched shoes. Four weeks’ worth of Sunday papers, unread and unrecycled.

And me, standing sheepishly to the side, always apologizing for what’s undone.

…but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

Help me to breathe into what’s most important – that we who live here care about things like words and soul and healing.

Remind me that I’m called to keep up with Jesus, not the Joneses… That I have a home that will always be messier than a magazine’s.

Help me to see people unfolding and not projects undone. Help me to set aside ego and externals and endless to-do lists. Help me to embrace humility always and hospitality anyway. Help me to make a Christ room in my house and my heart.

Help my work to be full of word and soul and healing. Full of you.

You, Lord, whose home was always full of people interrupting your work (even ripping off your roof to get inside),

who got exasperated with your family at times (and even lost your temper),

who understood how tempting it would always be for the world to seduce (and not the Word to sink in),

help me to seek and find you here. At home…

with dirty dishes in the sink and dog hair on the couch...

Property Matters: Stewardship & LEDs“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” - Confucius

Confucius was correct: not only do I love my job, I love the work serving as your Facilities Manager! First, let me thank the members and staff of FVUMC for welcoming me into the Methodist community.

As you can imagine with a church of this size, the activities are numerous and needs are plentiful. Please inform me or any member of the administrative team of any services or equipment needed to support your ministries and programs.

One of the goals of my job is obtaining the greatest return for dollars spent maintaining the facility. The Trustees recently approved new LED

lighting for the Centrum which will bring much-improved lighting to the room and make night-time programs much easier! The retail cost of the “swap” is $4500. Duke Energy will provide $3440 in the form of a rebate. In addition, the savings in electricity expenses will offset the balance of the initial costs in approximately 24 months. This is an example of a purchase with a value return.

In 2015, other savings will be identified that will allow more monies to be shared with the missions and ministries supported by FVUMC.

Again, thank you for your support, Warren Chesson, Facilities Manager wchesson@fvumc.org or 919-285-8676

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Music MinistriesFVUMC Music Ministries Needs YOU

— Get Involved Today!As the New Year begins, this is the perfect time to consider how God might be calling you to use the gifts and talents He has blessed you with! Do you have a gift to share? Keep in mind that God can take the SMALLEST offering and turn it into something HUGE! Read on to find out how God

could be planning to use your gifts for HIS GLORY. Interested? Is God speaking to you? Get involved TODAY! Not sure which group might be the best fit for your interests and schedule? Feel free to try any of our music groups as a GUEST before making a decision to commit full-time.

Vocalists• The FVUMC Worship Choir leads music

at our 11:00 traditional service, in addition to special services, and is always seeking new members to join the ministry! Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings, 7:15-8:45 pm, with the Spring Session running January 7 – May 27. Previous experience and the ability to read music are not required. Come be a part of a continuing tradition with us!

• The Praise Choir sings each week during the 9:30 am contemporary worship service, and rehearses on Thursday evenings, 7:00 – 8:00 pm. The Praise Choir sings alongside the Praise Band, and the music each week is contemporary and uplifting. This group is open to ALL youth and adults—no previous experience or audition required! Simply show-up for rehearsal on Thursday night and join the fun! Rehearsals are each Thursday with the Spring Session running January 8 – May 28. Note: Only vocalists for the Praise Band are auditioned.

• Vocal ensembles, reJoySing and Awake, lead worship regularly for our 8:00 am Sunday service. These are auditioned groups that are often seeking new members. There are opportunities for those who can sing regularly, as well as those who can make only an occasional commitment. All rehearsals are on Sunday mornings.

Instrumentalists• The FVUMC Instruments of Praise

lead music at our 11:00 traditional service approximately twice a month, in addition to playing for special seasonal events. All adult and youth instrumentalists with at least 2 years playing experience are welcome!. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings, 6:30 – 7:30 pm, with the Spring Session running January 7 – May 27.

• The Praise Band provides music each week for the 9:30 am worship service, and rehearses on Thursday evenings, 7:00 – 9:00 pm. This contemporary ensemble includes vocalists, guitarists, keyboardists, drummers and occasionally other instruments (horns, strings, etc.). Although this is an auditioned group, there are often needs for additional instrumentalists and vocalists—anyone interested in the group should contact the Director of Music Ministries.

For additional information on any of these opportunities to serve, contact Jennifer Harrenstein, Director of Music Ministries, at 552-4331 ext. 105 or jharrenstein@fvumc.org or Ashley Kotz, Director of Traditional Music Ministries, at 552 – 4331 ext. 115 or akotz@fvumc.org.

♩♪♫♬

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Vocal Technique Workshop Open to All!Save the date for a Vocal Technique Workshop sponsored by Music Ministries on the morning of Saturday, January 10!

Join us from 9am-12 noon in the choir room and ring in the new year with a morning of fellowship, vocal techniques & tips, and fun!

Please RSVP at fvumc.org/vocal-workshop-rsvp/

For questions, contact Ashley Kotz, Director of Traditional Music Ministries, at akotz@fvumc.org.

Youth & Children’s MusicThe FVUMC Youth Choir is for current 6th-12th graders and rehearses on Thursday evenings, 6:45 – 8:00 pm. The Youth Choir sings regularly alongside the Praise Choir for the 9:30 am contemporary worship service, in addition to participating in special seasonal opportunities. Previous experience and the ability to read music are not required. The Spring Session runs January 8 – May 28.

The FVUMC Youth Handbell Choir, Rebellations, is for current 6th-12th graders and is looking for new young ringers! We rehearse on Sundays, 6:00 – 6:30 pm. Previous experience and the ability to read music are not required. The Spring Session begins Sunday, January 11 – RSVP your plans to attend as space for participation is limited!

Kidz NPraise is the FVUMC children’s music program! Join us on Wednesday afternoons during the school year at 4:30 pm for singing, instruments, drama, games and more! The program is open to all children three years old through 6th grade, and includes handbells and handchimes for our older kidz! The children will gather each week to learn music for worship as well as to work towards a spring musical production. Kidz NPraise begins Wednesday, January 21. Register TODAY online at fvumc.org/kidznpraise-spring2015.

Seeking Young Adults for Generation Transformation

Wanted: 18-30 year old young adults, to serve God for three months to two years of service in the USA or overseas. Whether you are taking time off before post secondary education or postponing your career, Generational Transformation, part of Young Adult Ministries of the General Board of Global Ministries, offers you a variety of opportunities for mission service.

Global Justice Volunteers (for persons 18-30 years) serve in small teams for 10 weeks each summer, exploring the links between faith and social justice. Volunteers come from all over the world and are assigned to local grassroots organizations all over the world, addressing issues such as poverty, human trafficking, migrant rights and HIV/AIDS. Global Justice Volunteer applications are available on-line.

Hand-book is available as a download and provides information and application time-lines for service during the summer of 2015. For more information about Global Justice Volunteers, email mfrazier@umcmission.org.

Global Mission Fellows sends young adults aged 20-30 for two years of missionary service in a wide variety of placements throughout the world. The goal of the program is to develop strong young leaders who are committed to building just communities and a peaceful world. Core values are: engage with local communities, connect the church in mission, and grow in personal and social holiness

For more information and to access webinars exploring these programs, visit umcmission.org/Get-Involved/Generation-Transformation.

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PrimeTimers’ Meeting on 1/20On Tuesday January 20, PrimeTimers (a group for those in the prime of life!) will have a planning meeting & soup lunch. The meeting will start in the choir room at 10:00am.

Bring your ideas of things you want to do this year. Bring soup, dessert, crackers or bread for lunch. We will also watch a movie, if time permits. Contact Debbie Corr 919-557-7437 with what you are bringing to share.

Please mark your February calendars for the N.C. Master Chorale concert this year on Saturday, February 14.

January Book Club: Knocking on Heaven’s DoorAt their January 16 gathering, the Book Club will discuss Knocking on Heaven’s Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death by Katy Butler.

We, as a society, desperately need to have conversations about better ways of dying. From her own closely-examined personal experience, the author fearlessly poses the difficult questions that sooner or later will face us all.

To join the dinner and discussion on Friday, January 16 at 6:30pm, contact Suzanne Jones at dsjones@nc.rr.com or Matilda Storm at matildastorm@embarqmail.com.

Spring Family Retreat Registration Open Through 1/15This year, the Family Retreat will take place March 13-15 at Teen Valley Ranch (TVR) in the western NC mountains. Families and individuals are encouraged to attend for weekend of fellowship, worship and fun.

Cost includes housing and meals from Friday dinner through Sunday brunch. The cost for individuals (18 or older) is $120, family of 2 $180, family of 3 $220, family of 4 $260. Each additional child (2-18) is $40 (under age 2 are free).

A deposit of $50 is due by Jan. 15. Visit fvumc.org/family-retreat/ for registration forms and a link to the online payment. Final payments are due by Feb. 20. Contact Susan Cole at scole3@nc.rr.com

with any questions.

In Our Thoughts and PrayersWe offer our sympathy and prayers to:

David Kinville & family on the death of his mother

Bob Pavone & family upon the death of Sherry Pavone

Berlain Hatfield & family upon the death of his father

Mark and Ed Bethea & families upon the death of their grandmother

Rob Lee & family on the death of his mother

Wayne Massengill & family on the death of his father

 Nick Powell, Linda Riley, Bill Ervin, Diane Koenig, Glenna Eargle, Ann Hull, Polly Sheets, Bonnie Green, Koyla Knox, Joan Lesher, Doug Jones, Judy Dolan, Dona Stanley, Tom Kelly, Dale Sullivan, Paige Wallace, Cornelia Coble, Vicky Croft, Meredith Kimbro, Tom Myatt, Carol Chambers, Lynn Rosado, David Stuart, Jakob Kish, Rob Matney, Mario Marchese, Caroline James, Cindy Travers, Iris Brown, JoAnn Heiser, Logan Thomas, Tristan Wachter, Dee Chisenhall, Jeff Fox, Emily Ashworth, Craig Judd, Clay King, Jill Zatyko, Sue Simkiss, André Carson, Mary Rose, Bill Young, Bob & Katharine Kinton, Howard Hanmann, Fran Applegarth and PJ Ramsey

Thank YousThe coordinators and participants of the annual Women’s Christmas Tea offer a special thank you to all of the table hostesses, the FVHS Chamber Choir, Amanda Rackley and the many volunteers that helped out. It was a wonderful evening!

Your FVUMC staff is grateful and greatly-FULL from all of your wonderful goodies and well wishes over the holidays. Thank you for your kindnesses!

Visual Media Volunteers NeededWe have an immediate opening on the Visual Media team for an operator to run PowerPoint for the 8 AM service one Sunday per month and would also like to expand our pool of alternates for all three services. If you’re interested or have questions, please contact Ken Tate at kentate@embarqmail.com.10

2014 Budget SummaryTotal Annual Budget $1,451,687.21Received YTD - 12/28/2014 $1,336,270.28Budget needed YTD - 12/28/2014 $1,374,626.58Difference - $38,356.30

YTD Budget Expenditures as of 11/30/2014 $1,168,875.22

Building Committee: Step 1As you may know, at a called Church Conference on November 9, the Building Committee was commissioned. We thank you for the trust that you put in us, and we are not taking our duty lightly.

During the Church Conference, we made a presentation that detailed the nine steps a building committee must follow per the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church. FVUMC is currently at step one of that process.

We also discussed three questions “Where are we now?”, “Where do we hear God calling us?”, and “What decisions/choices do we need to make to get there?” The presentation showed current space needs that have been identified (in no particular order):

• Additional worship space to allow two separate styles of worship

• Children’s and youth ministries: larger age-appropriate spaces

• Gathering space for 40-120 people

• Additional office space and storage

• Covered drop-off area(s)

• Improved facilities for community service and outreach ministries

The presentation also showed the criteria that the

Building Committee will be using to prioritize those needs. The criteria were developed by a process that was followed by the Building Committee, the Strategic Planning team and the Church Council. We will gladly hold additional sessions to develop/prioritize those criteria if you are interested.

The Building Committee’s goals for 2015 are to use the criteria to prioritize the needs and to use the prioritized needs to develop a building plan. It is our hope that we can develop the concept in 2015.

We will be completely transparent to you in all that we do. We will be coming to you to discuss what we are doing and to gather your thoughts during the process.

The Building Committee meets on the 1st Sunday of the month at 5pm at FVUMC. You are more than welcome to attend our meetings. You can also communicate with us via email at building@fvumc.org. As it becomes available, all of our documentation will be online for you at fvumc.org/building or by calling the office. We request that you pray for God to provide us guidance.

Please keep us in your prayers as we all at FVUMC go through this process.

Eric Coates, Building Committee Chair, 919-608-3643

Christmas Eve Services

3:30pm 530 5:30pm 533 7:30pm 53411:00pm 231 Total 1828

Sunday Worship Attendance

Dec 7

Dec 14

Dec 21

Dec 28

Monthly Average

2014

Average 8:00am 80 50 105 66 75 819:30am 458 559 352 281 413 36111:00am 306 514 287 173 320 261Total 844 1123 744 520 808 703

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Youth & Family MinistriesMaking Disciples Who Serve

One of the key convictions of our youth programming here at FVUMC is that youth grow deeper in their love of God as they serve those around them. To that end we try to create space for youth to not only be consumers of our church resources, but to be active contributors to the life and ministry of our church.

• Operation Share last month was one such opportunity. Collecting toys for toddlers to 5th grade, the youth group transformed the classrooms in our adult wing into a Christmas Store for families who needed a little help over Christmas. Helping the youth in this outreach were The Spiritual Spinners, who contributed refurbished bicycles and helmets, and the Women’s Christmas Tea, who surrounded the Chrismon tree with toys to add to the collection. In total, this ministry blessed over 50 families and 130 children!

• DISCOVERY Weekend, which you will hear much more about this month, is another opportunity where we seek to instill the importance of service even to members of our own youth group. This action-packed weekend retreat is for our middle school students, but the entire programming for the event is planned, led,

and taught by our high school students. Older students caring, mentoring, and loving younger members of our youth group makes us stronger as a youth group, even as it teaches leadership and service to our students. Please be in prayer for our adult coordinators, our high school leadership team, and our middle school students who will experience God’s love through this weekend. The weekend will be January 23-25, 2015.

Our Youth Need YOU Support DISCOVERY

Weekend through PrayerOur church will be filled January 23-25 for our 5th DISCOVERY weekend retreat for 65 middle school students which is led by 45 high school students. Please sign up online at fvumc.org/discovery2015-prayer for a 30-minute slot to pray (wherever you may be) between 7pm on Friday, January 23 and 2pm on Sunday, January 25. It’s an awesome thing for our youth to see the commitment of our congregation to bathe them in prayer for 43 hours!

Fuquay-Varina UMCis a Christ-Centered Community that Loves God, Learns God,

Serves God and Shares God.

100 S. Judd Parkway SE Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526919-552-4331 fvumc.org

Office Hours: Monday-Thursday: 8:30-5:00pm, Friday: 8:30-1:00pmLead

Pastor

Gene TysonGTyson@fvumc.org

Pastor of Welcoming & Congregational Care

Valerie TysonVTyson@fvumc.org

Pastor of Christian Formation

Kevin JohnsonKJohnson@fvumc.org12