1 3266 Lakeview Drive Suamico, WI 54173 Office phone: (920) 434-1168 Email: [email protected]Website: www.suamicoumc.org and find us on Facebook SUMC Pastor Jerry Cho Mon., Tue., Wed., and Fri.: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Cell phone: (920) 373-3081 Email: [email protected]SUMC Administrative Assistant ~ Tina Johnson Tue., Wed., and Thur: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Dear Church members and friends, Season’s Greetings! In the midst of a cold and dark winter’s night shone, the star from above. Jesus came to shine a divine light on a human world full of hatred, violence, and war. Jesus was born in Bethlehem as a Jewish boy. He lived among Jewish people who were oppressed by the Roman invaders. He witnessed that his fellow Jews were abused and controlled by Jewish religious leaders. Jesus declared, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Jesus taught God’s truth that would set us free from the shackles of ignorance, legalism, and sin. Jesus had the vision of the kingdom of God, where people would worship God as the ultimate authority and people would live in peace and love. Jesus showed God’s love by forgiving sinners, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, touching the untouchables, washing his disciples’ feet, and serving the marginalized in the world. His life, his teaching, his death for humanity and his resurrection in the hearts of his followers are the reason for this joyous season of Christmas. As we celebrate the birth of the prince of peace, let us remember Jesus’s advice for his followers: “If you love me, keep my commandment. My commandment is this: Love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus, the divine light of the world, is telling us, his followers, to be the light of the cold and dark world. May the joy and peace of Christmas be with you and your loved ones! Pastor Jerry
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3266 Lakeview Drive Suamico, WI 54173
Office phone: (920) 434-1168
Email: [email protected] Website: www.suamicoumc.org and find us on Facebook
A handful of your favorite brands are offering $5 and $10 gift cards. They are perfect as holiday gifts for
children, teachers, mail carriers, and other people who may deserve a ‘special treat’. These gift are
available while supplies last – so shop today!
$5.00 gift cards $10.00 gift cards the Scrip ladies can order
A & W Amazon Los Banditos Subway Kohl’s Barnes & Noble Applebee’s Noodles & Co Zesty’s Kwik Trip Blimpie Darden restaurants Jimmy John’s Breadsmith Walmart Coldstone IHOP Papa Murphy’s CVS Target Lindeman’s Panera Outback Steakhouse Pizza Ranch Fleet Farm Meijer Starbucks Julie’s Cafe Red Lobster Gippers Regal Cinema Taco Bell La Java Smart Cow Home Depot Safeway Lighthouse Christian Books Thornberry Cottage
December’s LARGE BULK order will go in on December 9th Scrip helps bring a percentage back to the church debt retirement fund, with NO extra cost to you
when you purchase your retail cards from us.
New Members Information: Do you have questions about the United Methodist Church, or are you considering becoming a member here at Suamico UMC? Please call the church office (920) 434-1168 or Pastor Jerry (920) 373-3081 to set up a time to come in and talk.
Christmas Potluck
All women and friends of SUMC are invited to the annual candlelight
potluck in Fellowship Hall, on Tues., Dec. 10th at 5:30pm.
Please bring a dish to share and a story if you like!
RSVP deadline is December 8th – call the office 434-1168
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The Media Team needs clickers for the following worship services:
Dec. 8 at 10:30 Christmas Eve at 5:00 pm Jan. 5 at 10:30
If you are able to help us out, please contact the front office
Education News Faith Finders Sunday school classes start at 9:15 on Sunday mornings
The Faith Finder children’s Christmas program will be a telling of the Christmas story with the help of the
carol, "The Friendly Beasts" during the 10:30 worship service on December 8.
Faith Finders meets at 9:15 on Sunday morning. Children are welcome to join us and take part in the
Christmas program.
Faith Finders will not meet on Sun. Dec. 22 or Dec. 29 for the Christmas and New Year break.
Nursery Volunteers Please add your contact info in the Sign-Up Binder during worship, if you can take a turn helping in the
nursery (once a month or so), from 10:15 a.m. to 11:40.
The SUMC nursery has two people in the nursery each Sunday, one is a staff attendant. A list of ‘on
call’ volunteers: parents, aunts, uncles, youth and church family will be wonderful to have on hand.
If you have questions, please contact the church office
The BOOKS & PUZZLES sale is back in Fellowship Hall!
Prices are posted on the table, so you can shop and stock up for those long wintery afternoons.
Sale continues through May. Any book or puzzle to donate can be left on the table.
All proceeds go to
“Friends of Patricia”
SUMC hasn’t had a photo directory since 2011 and with so many new faces in the church family, it is time again to have a new photo directory printed, in ADDITION to the paper directory that comes out each year.
Preliminary photography/suppliers for a photo directory:
-Northwood Studio - Philip Lang
-Mortell Studio in Oconto Falls
-Lifetouch (part of Shutterfly and parent of Olan Mills) on-line
(Harlee Photo does not do church directories)
In order to proceed with a new photo directory, 1 or 2 volunteers are needed to “head-up” the project (as well as a team of volunteers to help). If you are interested in working on this project, please add your name to the Sign-Up Binder in worship, or contact the church office 920-434-1168.
If the Sunday morning winter weather
looks “questionable”, please use your
best judgement in regards to attending
worship services and check WBAY
(antenna tv on channel 2) for church
closing announcements.
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FINANCE COMMITTEE report for DECEMBER 2019 from SUMC Finance Committee Chair
November is a busy time for the Finance Committee. In addition to following our monthly income, expenses
and account balances, we completed our Stewardship Campaign for 2020 and worked with the other
committees of SUMC to establish and present a budget for 2020 to Council.
Financially, October was a down month. Poor contributions may be attributed to lower than average
attendance. All bills were paid, however SUMC only made a $500 apportionment payment. A strong financial
November and December are needed to catchup on apportionments.
The Stewardship Campaign concluded November 3rd. Approximately 45 units responded to establish a pledged
income for the 2020 budget. A hand-written thank you note will be sent to members that pledged for 2020.
Committees requested budget items for next year and the Finance Committee assembled a 2020 Budget. The
Finance Committee will present a budget to council on November 21st. Income values may change slightly if more
pledges are received prior to the Council meeting.
Youth Group Wednesday nights throughout the school year
6:00 bible study 6:30 - 8pm youth group meeting
Youth Group, mark these fun December dates on your calendars!
December 4 : Youth-led worship service at 6:30. This worship service is open to 6th graders through
JOY Groupers for a Christmas-themed worship service in the old sanctuary.
December 11 : Caroling throughout the local Suamico neighborhood, handing out treats and ending with a
hot chocolate and cookie gathering.
December 18 : Christmas Party!! Bring a small $5 gift and wear your ugly Christmas sweater for a fun-filled
party.
December 25 : No Youth Group…Enjoy Christmas with your families
* * * * Winter Retreat at Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya, date has not yet been finalized, so there will be more details to follow!!
Youth group is open to all in 7th-12th grade from any school ~ please encourage the youth in your life to join us.
The next youth-led worship service is Dec. 4 at 6:30 in the old sanctuary.
Worship service is open to 6th graders through JOY Groupers
(Just Older Youth)
Check Facebook for the date of our Holiday break. J.O.Y. is open to anyone 18-24 who would like to gather, talk about life, get advice, study scripture and continue walking a Christian journey
First UMC Women's Advent Tea Service Ladies, are invited to attend on Tuesday, December 3 at 6:30 PM in the First UMC sanctuary. The service of Scripture, music and prayer will focus on “What’s on Your Heart: Giving with a generous heart, Receiving with an open heart and Carrying it Forward with a Thankful Heart”. There will also be a short presentation by Executive Director of EPH.
Refreshments will be served following the service ~ bring a friend! Free nursery care will be. First UMC is located at 501 Howe Street in Green Bay (reservations are NOT needed)
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SEASONED SENIORS In November, the group honored veterans in celebration with “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”
Our December 12th gathering will be based on the song “White Christmas”.
Menu for Dec. 12: Swedish Meatballs, noodles, green beans, edamame salad, cranberries, and sweet breads.
February 13th - "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" March 12th - "Daisy-Daisy"
Gather in the Fellowship Hall for 11 a.m, with lunch served at 11:45-ish.
If you wish to bring a dessert to share, you are welcome to do so.
a cheerful heart has a continual feast ~ Proverbs 15:15
SUMC manages and maintains half of the Barnabas House duplex in Green Bay, with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Flintville
managing the other half.
EPH wish list of new or gently used items.
Donations for EPH should be labeled as such and placed by the shelves by the church office. Bath & hand towels in neutral colors Mattress pads both full & twin sizes Bed blankets both full & twin sizes Plastic food storage containers in various sizes Fabric softener sheets, unscented
Paper towels Facial tissues Children's toothbrushes First-Aid kits Brooms
SUMC has been involved with EPH (Ecumenical Partnership Housing) for 10+ years, and the present SUMC coordinators have been taking care of the SUMC “home” for the past eight of those years. There are many volunteers within the congregation who help with cleaning, projects, setting the home up for new incoming family and keeping up with maintenance. However, after faithfully serving, the present coordinators need new volunteers to step up, and take over their role. SUMC would like to keep this relationship with the EPH going, but if new coordinators do not come forward, SUMC will pass the keys to the current Barnabas Home (which SUMC manages on Green Bay’s west side) back into the hands of the EPH program.
If you are interested in finding out more about the coordinator’s role, please contact the church office
Those who being sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. ~ Sir James Barrie
Book Club: will meet on Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m. "Have a Little Faith" by Mitch Albom is a quick read for the
December discussion. Many copies are available at the library.
New readers are always welcome! A little food, a little friendship, a little book talk makes for a cozy winter evening.
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Merry Christmas, if you’re like me it’s a very exciting time of the year. A time of saying goodbye to our troubles, struggles and heartbreak of this year and welcoming a new year and the birth of our Savoir Jesus! Sometimes I struggle with the commercialization of Christmas. One of the things that used to bug me was when people called Christmas, Xmas. Some people don't think it's correct to call Christmas 'Xmas' as that takes the 'Christ' (Jesus) out of Christmas. (As Christmas comes from Christ-Mass, the Church service that celebrated the birth of Jesus.)
But that is not quite right! In the Greek language and alphabet, the letter that looks like an X is the Greek letter chi / Χ (pronounced 'kye' - it rhymes with 'eye') which is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Christos. The early church used the first two letters of Christos in the Greek alphabet 'chi' and 'rho' to create a
monogram (symbol) to represent the name of Jesus. This looks like an X with a small p on the top: ☧ The symbol of a fish is sometimes used by Christians (you might see a fish sticker on a car or someone wearing a little fish badge). This comes from the time when the first Christians had to meet in secret, as the Romans wanted to kill them (before Emperor Constantine became a Christian). Jesus had said that he wanted to make his followers 'Fishers of Men', so people started to use that symbol.
When two Christians met, one person drew half a basic fish shape (often using their foot in the dust on the ground) and the other person drew the other half of the fish. The Greek word for fish is 'Ikthus' or 'Ichthys'. There are five Greek letters in the word. It can also make up a sentence of Christian beliefs 'Ie-sous Christos Theou Huios So-te-r' which in English means "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior". The second letter of these five letter is X or Christos! So Xmas can also mean Christmas; but it should also be pronounced 'Christmas' rather than 'ex-mas'!
So as you go through this Christmas season, wish everyone you see a Merry Christmas! Keep Christ and his birth at the center of the season. Celebrate all your gifts from God and enjoy the new beginning in Jesus. "
Adult Fellowship gathers monthly and all adults are welcome to join the Fellowship and Friendship.
Next dinner night:
December 16 River's Bend
Gather at 6:00 pm, sit-to-eat at 6:30.
For more information, or to be included
in the email list, contact the church
office
Stewardship Service Hours Please record volunteer service hours to church &
community on the green slips during worship. Our October & November hours were 927, bringing
our total to 6,322!!!
The snow removal sign-up is making the rounds in The Binder!
Please sign up. If you take 1 week, it will be a
tremendous help! A plow truck does the parking lots – so sign up is for the
walkways. Contact the office 434-1168 with questions.
Something to
think about… from SUMC Lay Leader
our goal for 2019 was 6,000
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Living God’s word beyond the doors
DONATIONS ARE COLLECTED IN BINS BY CHURCH OFFICES AND THE CHURCH NARTHEX
Please join us for the annual Christmas Potluck ~ all women and friends of SUMC are invited
for a candlelight dinner in Fellowship Hall on December 10 at 5:30 pm. Please bring a dish to share and you can also bring a favorite Christmas story if you’d like.
There will be friendship, food and fun. Please RSVP to the office.
(there will not be a UMW meeting in December)
If you’d like Scrip gift cards for retailers that are not usually on hand with the Scrip
ladies; card orders will be going in on Dec. 9. Stop at the Scrip table in the church
narthex and place those “Christmas gift card” orders early, so cards will be here in
time for Christmas gift giving.
FRIENDS OF PATRICIA Thank you so much to all who helped to set up (and take down) the recent
Sanctuary display for Friends of Patricia.
On the first Tuesday, December 3, our objective will be to separate the quilts into stacks
for delivery to specific destinations.
Anyone who would like to join us is welcome. Our group welcomes all hands. We are
open to all. Men feel free to join us. Bring your fabric shears and sewing machine. Also, a
dish to pass. We have a wonderful potluck luncheon.
I would like to add, if you are creating projects of your own, please feel free to bring them, work on them
and join us. We welcome guests.
Many thanks for contributing toward the November Mission of the Month: Pulaski Pantry
Between the NOISY CAN collection on November 24th and the Thanksgving Service free will
offering, a total of $132.37 was collected December’s “Mission of the Month” : SUMC Caring Ministry
The SUMC Caring Ministry is present in many ways:
Fellowship Time: supplying paper products
Visiting: stopping in to visit with people in their homes or hospitals as needed/requested
Offering a ride: providing rides to church, medical appointments to those who need a ride
Meals: providing a meal when someone is on the mend or in need of a little help
Greeting Cards: sending out cards for birthdays and well wishes
Prayer Shawls: prayer shawls made by members and friends are in a bin in the narthex entryway.
You can take one to give to a person who could use it. Knitters and crocheters of shawls are
always needed. Please sign shawls out in the book provided.
Emotional Support Group: meets once a month to support those grieving any type of loss or
going through difficult time
Hygiene Collection of sample sized hotel items are collected on the shelves by the church offices
and donated to Golden House (in Green Bay) where they help victims of domestic abuse.
Pulaski Pantry needs for the months of December and January:
Cans of hearty soups/stews and boxes of macaroni & cheese
Pay attention to those in need in our community. Jesus was born in a humble place, among those in
great want and need. Look for the humble places and seek ways to make the love of God known.
Feed the hungry, house the homeless, comfort the afflicted, offer healing to the sick and
welcome a stranger.
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Music Ministry The Advent and Christmas season is a special time for music in our church community. Our music volunteers are already hard at work on music of the season to lead and inspire us in worship.
Sunday, December 22nd, will be the morning our ensembles present a festival of special Christmas music during worship. You'll hear from Choir, Praise Band, and Bell Choir at BOTH services that morning. Bring your friends,
family, and a heart for worship as we celebrate our Savior's birth. It's going to be a marvelous day.
After December 22nd, our volunteer musicians take a well-deserved break over the holiday and New Year's. If you are interested in offering special music during our winter break (just like some do during the summer months at SUMC), contact the church office. This can be as frequent or infrequent as you like. If you need help finding music, SUMC has resources to check-out for all kinds of ensembles.
Remaining dates for special music sign-up:
Tuesday, Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve Services at 5:00pm and 9:00pm
