News & Events
Printable Newsletter and Calendar
Our printable newsletter and calendar is in PDF format, which requires the free Adobe Reader to view and print. If you don't have it already (many computers will), it can be downloaded here: (http://get.adobe.com/reader/).
October 2009 Newsletter and Calendar
December 2009 Newsletter and Calendar
Sparks E-News
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News & Events - December
Jimmy's Jots (Pastor's Monthly Newsletter Article)
Click the link above to read our Pastor's monthly newsletter article.
The Month at a Glance (More information about special events in the articles below...)
December 13 - Christmas Cantata-Lunch to follow.
December 13 – Youth are invited to Lakeview UMC for a
combined youth Christmas party. Bring a snack food.
December 15 – Pastor’s Lay Support Committee – 7:00 p.m.
December 20 – Enchanted Tree
December 20 - Pastor Jimmy and Shannon will be hosting an
open house at the parsonage from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m..
December 22 – Pastor’s Lay Support Committee – 7:00 p.m.
December 24 – Christmas Eve Service - 5:30 p.m.
Hand Bell Choir practice – Sundays at 4:00 p.m.
Piece Makers Quilting Ministry – Thursdays at 6:00 p.m.
Bible Study – Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
1st and 3rd Sundays - bring cans of food and boxes of food for Caritas
Mission Project: Food Drive for Caritas, First and Third Sunday of Each Month
The missions committee decided to continue collecting food for Caritas. The children will collect your food during children’s time every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. Caritas is currently in need of pastas, rice, boxed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and other items. Please help support our local area mission by providing food for needy families.
An Easy Way to Help Area Schools
Here’s an easy way for you to help area schools. There are several school employees who are members of our church. Each school takes advantage of corporate-sponsored fundraisers.
Campbell’s Soup Labels For Education. Save the UPC code from Campbell’s, Pepperidge Farms, and Swanson products. For more information, go to: http://www.labelsforeducation.com
General Mills Box Tops for Education. Save the box tops from General Mill products. For more information, go to: http://www.boxtops4education.com
Empties4Cash. Save used computer ink cartridges and old cell phones. For more information, go to: http://www.empties4cash.com
Place all the items in the tub in the missions area in the narthex. Our school employees will divide the items for their participating schools.
Choir Practice, Every Wednesday Evening
Choir practice is each Wednesday beginning at 7:00 p.m.. If you are interested in joining the choir, please see Jan Ferguson.
Quilting/Sewing Ministry
A total of 33 handmade quilts were dedicated on August 31 by the Piecemakers Quilters. They will be donated to Quilts For Kids, an organization which gives quilts to needy and displaced area children. Quilters will meet each Thursday night at 6:30. Please join us so that we can continue this ministry.
Congratulations
Elizabeth Abagail Nims was born on October 14, 2009. She weighed seven pounds, eleven ounces and was nineteen and a half inches long. Her parents are Chris and
Mindy Nims of Coppell Texas, and her grandparents are Jack and Pat Nims.
Mya Kate PenaDeLa was born on October 10, 2009 at 10:39 a.m. She weighed eight pounds, two ounces, and was twenty-one inches long. Her parents are Logan
PenaDeLa and MaryAnne Tayloe of Lufkin, Texas. She is the granddaughter of Janet Winkelmann and James PenaDeLa and the great-granddaughter of Carolyn Winkelmann.
Food Drive for Caritas Continues
The missions committee decided to continue collecting food for Caritas. The children will collect your food during children’s time every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. Caritas is currently in need of pastas, rice, boxed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and other items. Please help support our local area mission by providing food for needy families.
Thank You
We want to thank everyone who baked cookies for the Jubilee. We greatly appreciate all you did and they were very much enjoyed during our fellowship time. We also want to thank those who served as ushers and greeters during the event to help make it a success.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Jennifer Proctor and Justin Rich who were joined in marriage during a beautiful ceremony at the church on October 31, 2009. We wish you much joy and happiness.
Christmas Open House at the Parsonage
Pastor Jimmy and Shannon will host an open house at the parsonage on Sunday, December 20. Join us for a come-and-go holiday fellowship from 3:00-5:00.
Prayer Ministry
We have started a prayer ministry. One aspect we lack at Sparks Memorial UMC is a deep and meaningful prayer ministry. This does not mean that you have to pray out loud or lead the prayer. We get together on Wednesday’s at 10:00, begin with a study of prayer using different scriptures to guide us, then gather together in the sanctuary and lift up in
prayer each other, the church, our church representatives, those that are in the hospital or are homebound, our joys and our concerns, or any other matter that we want to lift up to God and then retreat to a place on our own where we can dialogue with God on our own. God answers prayers and wants us to lift them up to Him. Please join Pastor Jimmy and
others if you would be willing to participate in this ministry.
Matthew 18.20: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’
Need to have an article published in the newsletter?
If you would like to have an article published in the newsletter, please submit the information at least a week before the 1st of the month so we can mail out the newsletter prior to the beginning of the month. Information may be given to Kim Riendfliesch or Jimmy Sansom. If you’d prefer, you may e-mail your information to: kpursche80@aol.com
Ruff Skin Cream
by Carolyn Riendfliesch
You can get all these ingredients at a Dollar General Store.
1 15-16 oz. Bottle of Baby Lotion
1 7.5 oz. Jar of Petroleum Jelly
2 8 oz. Jars of Vitamin E Cream
Mix all ingredients together gently.
Makes 1 ¼ qts.
Handbell Choir
Our new handbell choir will practice at 4:00 p.m. on November 30, December 7, and Decembe13. We will be performing on December 13 and 20. If you would like to join, please talk to Sarah Blair.
I Hear the Prophet Callin’
Please join us for our Christmas Cantata given by the choir on December 13, at 10:45 a.m.
Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
During 1857 and 1858 revival broke out in Philadelphia, PA. A young preacher, Dudley Tyng, one day preached to 5000 men using Exodus 10:11 as his text: “Go now ye that are men and serve the Lord.” About 1000 responded to his invitation that evening. On the following Wednesday he was out checking his corn-shelling machine when his arm accidentally got pulled into the machine and was severed off. The doctors did not believe he would live. While Tyng lay in great pain, he entreated his doctor to accept Christ. With a
room filled with other preachers he asked them to “Sing, sing, Can you not sing.” His last admonition to his friends was to “Tell the people to stand up for Jesus.” George Duffield witnessed his friend’s death that day and heard his dying words. That week he wrote the words to our hymn, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.”
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss;
From victory unto victory His army shall he lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day;
“Ye that are men now serve Him” against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own;
Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next, the victor’s song;
To Him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory shall reign eternally
“May THE GOD OF HOPE fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow wth hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13.
Love and Blessings,
Jan
