The Methodist A Publication of The Seward United Methodist Church

1400 North 5th Street Seward, NE 68434

Church Office: (402) 643-4156

Wed Dec 2 Witness Comm 5:30PM - Parlor

Sun Dec 6 Caring Ministry 6:30PM - Parlor

Mon Dec 7 Nurture Comm 7:00PM - Parlor

Wed Dec 14 Bldg Impr Comm 7:00PM - Parlor

Tues Dec 15 BBCDC Board 6:00PM - Parlor

Tues Dec 15 Worship Comm 7:00PM - Library

Tues Dec 15 M&O Comm 7:00PM - FH

Thur Dec 17 Finance Comm 7:00PM - Library

Tues Dec 22 Trustees Comm 7:00PM - Parlor The Methodist Mailbox

Please join us for

fellowship following

both services.

MESSAGE FROM FINANCIAL SECRETARY

The auditors of our 2014 church accounts and the IRS made it clear that donors MUST DELIVER OR POSTMARK contributions by December 31 to claim a charitable deduction for the 2015 calendar year.

To facilitate closing the 2015 fiscal year in a timely fashion, please make your final contribution to the church by Sunday, December 27th.

Mailed checks must be postmarked in 2015 to be deductible for this year. Contributions mailed after December 31, even if dated in 2015, do not qualify as contributions for 2015.

Statements of giving in 2015 of $250 or more will be sent to contributors. Persons with giving below $250 for the year may request statements.

- Cliff Lowell

Watch us on Cable 13

at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday

and/or

10:00 a.m. Thursday mornings.

In Christ’s service,

Pastor Dale Lambert

Dear friends,

While visiting my brother in Montreal, Quebec some years ago we ate out most of the time. My brother doesn’t do much cooking. The wonderful thing about his neighborhood is that there are more types of restaurants within walking distance than one can possibly try in a month.

Here in Nebraska we aren’t very willing to wait very long for a meal. If the line for a table is more than 15 or 20 minutes we go somewhere else. Also, if the food is too slow in coming, we get antsy.

In Montreal dining out is an all evening affair. Servers do not get in too much of a hurry, because to be in a hurry would seem rude to their guests. Drinks are served and a short while later menus are brought to the table.

After a while the orders are taken and there is a delay between every item served. Salads come, and twenty minutes pass before the main course comes. After the main course is served there is quite a pause before the server asks about deserts.

In Montreal dinner is an event. Waiting seems to be part of the meal. As one waits for the next part, anticipation builds. Diners have an opportunity to have a real, unhurried conversation.

In this part of the country many of us are impatient. We have gotten so accustomed to instant everything that waiting for anything is often an annoyance.

However, I hope the wait for Christmas during Advent is full of anticipation. I hope that while we wait we can find some time for real conversation with God, whose son’s birth we celebrate at Christmas. I hope the anticipation of time with family and friends enhances our celebration of the birth of Jesus. I hope the preparation will not become a time of drudgery, but a time of anticipation for food, music, family, and spiritually awakening music during our celebrations.

During December our church will be actively waiting for the birth of Christ among us again. We will have various activities to help us prepare.

The children will have a Christmas program. The Scriptures and sermons will point toward the birth of Jesus. Various groups will provide a special music to help us get ready for celebrating Jesus’ birth. Various groups will have a variety of Christmas-related activities.

The Hebrew people waited for a very long time for the coming of the Messiah. They waited more than a few weeks. They waited more than a few years, or even decades. They waited for centuries.

Now we begin our short wait for the birth of the Messiah among us again. We do not have to wait centuries, but only four weeks.

Our physical preparations may have become automatic by now. Even so, our spiritual preparation for Christmas is more important than our physical preparations.

As you hang the decorations, bake goodies, and do all sorts of physical preparations, remember to prepare with prayer and worship also. Then Christ will be born among us again this Christmas.

The Methodist Mailbox

The Methodist Mailbox

December 6 8:30 a.m. Adult Bell Choir

10:30 a.m. Adult Bell Choir

Communion served at both services

December 13 8:30 a.m. Children’s Christmas Program

10:30 a.m. Children’s Christmas program

December 20 8:30 a.m. All Music Groups Christmas Service

10:30 a.m. All Music Groups Christmas Service

December 24 (Thursday) 5:00 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

9:00 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

November 29th, 2015

8:30 Aaron, Julie Abbie and Sydney Christensen

10:30 Jerry, Mary and Meghan Meyer

December 6th, 2015

8:30 Eric, Jeanna and Alex Sick

10:30 Stacy, Brenden and Lindsay Flesner

December 13th, 2015

8:30 Dennis, Jennifer, Brynlie and Nolan Robbins

10:30 Mike, Peggy, Sarah and Zach Brown

December 20th, 2015

8:30 David, Liz, Lucas and Danny Purdham

10:30 Chad, Kiersten and Cooper Hill

The church office will be closed starting at noon on December 24th through Monday, December 28th for Christmas and will also be closed January 1st for New Year's Day.

Monday Nights - Bible Study

@ 7:30 p.m. Library Cliff Lowell - Leader

Thursday Mornings - Bible Study

@9:30 a.m. Parlor Pastor Dale - Leader

Thursday Evening - Bible Study

@6:45 p.m. Parlor Disciple Fast Track

LaQuita McKibbin - Leader

Sunday Mornings - Sunday School @ 9:30 a.m. - Library "The Case for Faith" Cliff Lowell - Leader

Sunday Mornings - Sunday School

@9:30 a.m. - Parlor "Facing Your Giants"

Dana Galusha - Leader

the greeter there for a wheel

an usher to

In order to accomplish the above policy, there will now be a greeter at the east door

The Methodist Mailbox

The new January/February copies of the Upper Room and Alive

Now are available in the rack by the west

entrance. Also available in large print.

HELP YOURSELF

FAMILY GAME NIGHT

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20TH

5:00 PM

Please come and enjoy some fresh rolls and support our youth group. Rolls will be available after both services. Also purchase rolls to go - up to six

Free Will Offering -

Senior High School

Christmas Cookie Walk

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Do you need help with your Christmas baking? Let the High School youth make your

cookies for you. Come and choose from the wonderful variety of delicious holiday

treats. Cookies will be available following both services.

If you would also like to donate some homemade (from scratch) cookies, it would be

greatly appreciated. Please have them to the church before the 8:30 service.

Proceeds from the Cookie Walk will go towards Senior High Mission Trip.

If you have questions, please call Karen Yelden at 402-643-2317.

Thanks again for your continued support.

Worship Schedule

8:30 a.m. Blended Worship 9:30 a.m. Adult Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Youth Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Praise Worship

Sunday, January 17th

Monthly Budget: $30,134

October 2015

Donations: $26,782

Expenses: $28,477

Donations: General Operating & Mission Shares

Expenses: Budgeted Items Only

The Methodist Mailbox

As you may have noticed, we have new

concrete in our fire lane and walkways.

PLEASE NO ice or snowmelt of any kind is to

be placed on any of the concrete at our Church until after November 2016. Use of

any ice or snowmelt will void our new

concrete warranty. If needed, we are to use sand for ice or snowmelt purposes. Thank

you. - Your SUMC Trustees.

We Need Your Help!!!!!!

OUR CHURCH DATABASE NEEDS UPDATED BADLY.

We are asking EVERYONE to complete the member information

sheet on the next page. If you have college students that are no

longer living at home, please complete a separate sheet for them.

You may have recently been asked to give us updated

information but would appreciate if you would complete the sheet

and return it to the church office by the end of January. You can

mail it, email it or just drop it in the box on the door.

DECEMBER

RICE

PANTRY COLLECTION

STILL LOOKING FOR A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WILLING TO BE ON THE SNOW TEAMS.

The Reason for the Season

This number will be used for our One Call System)

E-Mail:

CHILDREN:

Legal Name: first, middle, last Gender:

M -- F

M -- F

M -- F

M -- F

M -- F

M -- F

***Please estimate year of graduation for children for Sunday school placement

***PLEASE COMPLETE A SEPARATE SHEET FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION

Date of

Birth:

Date of

Baptism:

Graduation

Year(Preferred fi rs t

Name)

1400 N. 5th St

P: 402.643.4156 -- F: 402.643.4159 email: umcseward@gmail.com

Work Phone:

Please note below if any above information should NOT be listed on Church Directory's.

1-

2-

3-

4-

5-

6-

UMC Status: PM-Professing Member TM-Transfer from UMC NM-Trasnfer from Non-UMC

UMC Status: PM-Professing Member TM-Transfer from UMC NM-Trasnfer from Non-UMC

Marriage Date:

Cell Phone: Work Phone:

HEAD OF HOUSE INFORMATION:

Name:

Curent Church Membership:

Date of Birth Date of Baptism:

Name:

E-Mail:

Name on Nametag: Gender: M - F

Name on Nametag: Gender: M - F

Date of Birth Date of Baptism:

SPOUSE INFORMATION:

Current Church Membership:

Cell Phone:

Seward, NE 68434

Home/Main Phone:Address:

Name(s) on Mailing Label:

How would you like to receive our Monthly Newsletter? -Mail or -E-Mail

HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION:

City: ZIP Code:

Family E-Mail Address:

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

SEWARD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

POINSETTIAS

If you would like to provide a poinsettia in memory or honor of a loved one for

Christmas, please bring them to the church any time after December 13th. Please pro-vide information to the church office regarding who it is in honor/memory of, and who has provided it. Forms also available at the Welcome Desk or church office.

POINSETTIAS

The time is here to start thinking about Christmas Poinsettias. Please

turn this form into the office by Monday, December 14th, 2015. You

can send this form to our office at 1400 North 5th. Poinsettias need

to be in the kitchen by noon, Saturday, December 19th.

Name________________________________________________

Number of Poinsettias___________________________________

In Memory of__________________________________________

In Honor of___________________________________________

PRAYERS AND CONCERNS

Please remember those who were lifted up in prayer for on-going health concerns.

Prayers For:

Greg Canning who is in Madonna for rehabilitation

Lynn McAulay who is recovering after surgery

Jean Algya who is recovering from surgery

Roger Anderson who is recovering after back surgery

Bell Ringers

We’re asking for one hour of your time on Dec. 5th to ring bells outside Walmart.

Sign up at the welcome center.

The Methodist Mailbox

The Methodist Mailbox

Our Annual Church Bazaar was a SUCCESS !!!

Thanks to all of you who worked to make this year’s bazaar so

successful:

All the crafters who contributed items for sale

All of the volunteers who worked before, during and after the

exciting event

All of the members of our church who talked to their friends and

neighbors about our bazaar AND ALL OF THE SHOPPERS !

Thanks to all who helped to raise a total of $4,700.44. This amount

will be used by UMW towards meeting future needs of our church

UMW Bazaar Planning Committee

Special thanks to Sally Viets, Gail Brand, Karen Yelden and Lynette Broderick for their help in the Kountry Kitchen at the Bazaar. Thanks also to those who donated and made purchases in the Kountry Kitchen.

You made all of it work and I could not have done it without you!

Thanks again!

- Holly Matzke

Thank you Thank

you Thank you

Thank you

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you Thank you

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you Thank you

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Thank

you Thank you

The Methodist Mailbox

Bright Beginnings Child Development Center

What a great fall we are having here at BBCDC. The children love the new outdoor classroom area. We still have a ways to go to get it completed. It’s a work in progress!

We had 9 Concordia students come and volunteer for us on 11/13. They painted the Infant 1 room and helped haul sand to our new play area. The new paint makes the Infant room look so clean. Thank you to Matt Kristalyn for helping with the window treatment insulation.

On a sad note Nikki has decided to pursue a new vocation and will be leaving BBCDC. Her last day will be November 25th. We hate to see her go but wish her the best in her new adventures.

We have also decided to make some changes in our room arrangements. We will be splitting our Toddler class up. We will have a Pre-Toddler room and a Toddler room. This should help a lot with behaviors and toilet training. Cynthia Mick will become the head Toddler teacher. She will be in the Toddler room and we will be hiring for the Pre-Toddler room. The Pre-Toddler room will be moved to the Yellow room. Until we have a full time teacher hired we will have a couple of our Concordia students cover this room. Our Preschool and Pre K classes will combine daily at 3:45 pm and the School Age students will be in the Preschool room after school each day.

December 2nd our Preschool and Pre K classes will be singing for the United Methodist Women’s luncheon. They have been presenting for this luncheon for the past several years and the women really enjoy having our students sing for them.

Sunday December 13th at 4 pm will be our Annual BBCDC Christmas Program followed by a Soup Supper. Please feel free to invite family and friends. This is a great time to fellowship with other BBCDC families. We will have a special guest attending whom we will be taking pictures with this special “jolly” guest. We look forward to having all our families attend.

Starting in 2016 we will be hosting a staff/parent training on the Pyramid Model: Promoting Social Emotional Competence Series. There will be four 1 hour trainings. All BBCDC staff will be starting their training in these in December. This is a great way for staff and parents to “be on the same page” when it comes to behavior management for all our students.

Every family will be receiving a new Parent’s Handbook for BBCDC. We have made some changes from the existing one. If you do not receive one prior to the first of the year please let Kerry know.

Starting in January we will also have a new Assistant Director. This position will be a great addition to BBCDC and will help with the communication between parents and the director.

We will have security cameras installed this month for the protection of our children and staff. The cameras will be in the hall ways and one outside. This will also help to monitor the activities here at BBCDC.

During this Thanksgiving Season we here at BBCDC wish to THANK all our volunteers, board members and others who have been a part of our wonderful mission to “Provide a loving, caring Christian environment that fosters individual & educational growth for each stage of a child’s development.

Check us out on our FaceBook page.

Bbcdc.seward@gmail.com Lots of pictures of the kids and activities!

Bright Beginnings Phone#

402-643-2141

~DECEMBER~ MAILBOX

DEADLINE

Wednesday, December 16th

Submit News by NOON

Drop off your article at the office,

call Sandy at the church office OR

e-mail articles to umcseward@gmail.com

Connie Kamprath

402-643-4718

Marty Bender

402-643-4718

Church Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. M-F

Phone: 402-643-4156

Fax: 402-643-4159

Email: umcseward@gmail.com

Website: www.sewardumc.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sewardunitedmethodist BBCDC: 402-643-2141

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage Paid

Seward, NE

Permit No. 62

Seward United Methodist Church 1400 North 5th Street Seward, Nebraska 68434

Label

DECEMBER Issue

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

UMW Local Church Activities Chair persons for DECEMBER are: