1st United Methodist Church – 610 E 4

th Ave – Miller, SD 57362

December 2019

But Agrippa did answer: “Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!”

Acts 26:28

We are now officially in the holiday season, and that can mean that for many of us, road trips will be coming soon. If you travel (or have travelled) with children, you know that at some point on the trip you will be asked, “Are we almost there?” If you have a long drive ahead of you that can be a dreaded question, but as we go through Advent this year, it is one we are going to be asking ourselves in regards to our discipleship…are we almost a Christian, or are we altogether a Christian?

In 1741 John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote a sermon entitled the Almost Christian where he explored this idea. He wrote how many of us are almost Christians – we are good people, who try to do good things, we go to church, pray, all the things one would expect a Christian to do. So what makes one who does all of this an “Almost” Christian? We move from being an “almost” Christian to an “altogether” Christian by completely surrendering to God – to God’s will, to God’s commands, to God’s call for us.

We live in a time and a culture where surrender is thought to be a bad thing. We are “supposed” to be strong, independent individuals. But if we are strong and independent, if we are relying on our own strength, our own smarts, our own ideas, then we have not surrendered fully to God.

Surrender is a part of being an “altogether” Christian. But so is having total hope and faith in the power of Christ to see us through. Surrender is not meant to strike fear into our lives from relinquishing control. Instead, we are meant to have peace with our surrender, knowing that God is good, God wants good for us, and God can and will save us. It is the knowledge of our salvation that gives us the freedom to surrender fully to God.

As we go through Advent we will be discussing the idea of “almost” versus “altogether” in a quest to become (or reinforce us as) altogether Christians as we look for altogether peace, altogether hope, altogether love, and altogether joy.

Our life of faith and our growth as disciples of Jesus Christ is not that different from those holiday road trips. Are we there yet? Almost. We just have to keep moving forward, keep journeying on. Keep relying on Christ. Even if today we are “almost” there, we can, with God’s help get it “altogether’.

Advent Blessings to you all!

Pastor Teresa

Please Join us Sunday mornings:

Coffee Fellowship – 9:00 a.m.

Choir Practice – 9:00 a.m.

Sunday School – 9:30 a.m. (grades Pre/K through 4th)

Small Group Study – 9:30 a.m. (Library)

Worship – 10:30 a.m.

Wednesdays Youth Group – 6:00 p.m. (grades 5-12)

All are welcome

Come praise the Lord!

Open Communion - 1st Sunday of the month

Potluck after church – 2nd Sunday of the month

Christmas Eve Worship Service begins at 5:00pm December 24, 2019

December’s Adult Bible Study

Join us on Sunday at 9:30am or 6:30pm

Our church e-mail address is: millerumc@midconetwork.com

Be sure to check out our web page at: http://millermethodistchurch.weebly.com

for news updates plus an audio of Pastor’s “Message of the Week”

'One Thing'

DECEMBER 2019

THE MITTEN TREE

Hats, Scarves, Gloves for

all ages

Miller UMC Care List

Ida Moser – LaVerne Phillips - Gerald & LaVerta Palmer (Huron) / Violet Moncur (CV) / Virginia Burgher – Don & Eleanor Steptoe (MGSC) / Dorothy Fawcett - Cec Miller

(Plaza) / Helen Dalton (TX) Others: Hazel Apley – Marla & Eric Bertsch - Norma Carr - Rita & Aaron Ellsworth – Arlette Heitzman - Terri Henson –

Truman Patrick Howard – Del & Doris Jury – Jim Keeter, Sr. - Wilber Lerew – Gene & Ila Norton – Lloyd Schwartz – Doug

Testerman – Amber VanDerWerff – Del VanZee

If you wish Pastor Teresa to visit a relative or friend, or, know of someone who should be on

the Care List –

PLEASE contact the church @ 605-853-3656 or e-mail @

millerumc@midconetwork.com

Or call/text Pastor’s Cell @ 605-203-3011 or send an email to

pastorteresw@gmail.com

Remember, Current HIPAA regulations prevent medical facilities from disclosing patient information to non-family members.

Or, use the Prayer Cards in the pews, place in offering plate or turn in at the office.

On November 24, 2019, the United Methodist Women [UMW] – Miller Unit presented Pastor Teresa Whetsel with a Special Recognition Pin in honor of all she does for this church and

community

UMW – Miller Unit invite you to our monthly meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 2pm at the Ranch Cafe

Thank You – The UMW Members – Marsha Howard, Bev Cain, Karen Steptoe, and Gloria Porter –

Unit Officers

Miller UMC In 2020 we are doing something NEW

Monthly Service Opportunities We are asking every household to sign up to be Sunday Morning Assistants for one or two months of the year. We are asking families/individuals to choose at least one month through the year in which they would be willing to serve on Sunday mornings. This initial sign-up is

simply to choose which month of the year would be most convenient for you and your family to serve.

As your designated month approaches, another sign-up URL will be sent to you where you can choose the areas (Usher/Greet/Coffee/Communion) you are able to serve.

Here is the initial sign-up URL for choosing the month(s) in which you can serve. The individual week sign-up will come out a few weeks prior to your month of service:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4BA5AA29AAF85-monthly

if you do not have computer access, contact Pastor Teresa or Judith and they will assist you.

Your offering on December 01, 2019, empowers United Methodist students to pursue a future that is currently out of reach.

On United Methodist Student Day, we come alongside students by supporting a scholarship fund. Together, we invest in the leaders of tomorrow.

As a denomination, we have been intentionally investing in our students for more than 100 years. We started with a fund in 1866 that invested in both advanced and ministerial careers for qualifying students.

Today, along with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, we are still investing in students. Right now, there are United Methodist students who can’t afford an education, or can’t afford to attend their school of choice. When you give today, you are helping change the trajectory of a life.

Together, we will empower the education of future environmental engineers, psychologists, business men and women, inventors, scientists, doctors, teachers, writers … and so many more. Their future is brighter with the education they deserve. Will you consider giving as generously as you can today?

TOGETHER, WE DO MORE - A SPECIAL SUNDAY - GIVE NOW

December Special Days

01 Jordan Speirs 02 Gerry Hunter 04 Diane Moncur 06 Jordyn Lynn Deuter 08 Spencer Fernholz 09 Heath Smith 15 Virginia Burgher 16 Stefan Jones Gene Norton 19 Sandie Aymar Aaron Ellsworth Arlette Heitzman Greg Palmer 20 Cassadee Deuter 21 Mary Shaw Nehemia Volquardsen 23 Danielle Grogan 24 Ginger Van Zee 27 Dana Ruhnke 30 Janice Wilbur 31 Sandy (Sam) Greenough Janice Moncur

01 Larry Carolyn Hall 10 Gary Bobbi Larson 11 Maxon Linda Conkey 15 Merle Glenda Bertsch 16 Fred Bev Hubbard 19 Dana Tania Ruhnke 21 Donald Eleanor Steptoe 26 Bryan Mary Breitling 30 Aaron Rita Ellsworth Heath Hillary Smith

December Ushers & Greeters

01 – Mike Shelley Erin & Margaret Moncur 08 – Grogan, Fernholz, Danburg, Ruhnke 15 - Mike Shelley Erin & Margaret Moncur 22 - ???? 24 – Dennis Fawcett family / Marla Bertsch 29 - ?? December Coffee Café - Dec 01, 08, 15, 22, 29 – are open - Coffee & Juice will be provided

December Communion Stewards - Dec 01 is open – call Pastor Teresa to volunteer

Current Events 01 - Choir Practice & Coffee @ 9a; ABS &

SS @ 9:30a; Worship @ 10:30a w/Communion & UM Student Sunday Special Offering

02 / 03 – Kitchen/Fellowship Hall Reserved 04 - T2G @ 5:30p; Youth Group @ 6p 08 - Choir Practice & Coffee @ 9a; ABS &

SS @ 9:30a; Worship @ 10:30a 09 – Hymn Sing @ 6:30p at PGSC 10 – UMW meets @ 2p at Ranch Cafe 11 – Head Start 12:30-3pm; T2G @ 5:30p;

Youth Group @ 6p 12 – FSD Food Truck Set-up @ 10:30a /

Serve @ 11:30a; Finance & Ad Council joint meeting @ 7:30p

15 - Choir Practice & Coffee @ 9a; ABS & SS @ 9:30a; Worship @ 10:30a

16 - 20 – Meals on Wheels 18 – Senior Boxes arrive; No Youth Group

or T2G 20 – January 2020 Newsletter articles due 20& 21 – Church Reserved for Wedding 22 - Choir Practice & Coffee @ 9a; ABS &

SS @ 9:30a; Worship @ 10:30a

24 – Christmas Eve Service @ 5pm 25 – Christmas Day – office closed 29 – Spare Change Sunday - Coffee @

9a; ABS @ 9:30a; Worship @ 10:30a