December 2019 / January 2020 Clinch Mountain Clinch Mountain District News District News Inside this issue: District Office OPEN HOUSE! 2 Bristol Hub UMCs Advent Luncheon Series 3 Elk Garden School: How YOU can help! 4 PASTORS IMPORTANT INFO 5 New 2020 District Askings Worksheet 6 Winter Office Hours & Office Closed Dates 7 See Back Page for the District Calendar! Every time I go through security in an airport, I wonder what I have packed this time that isn’t allowed. When I went to Australia over the summer, I took a big bag of GUM in my backpack, that somehow mysteriously looked like dynamite on the x-ray scanner and I got pulled aside and all the things I was carrying were searched. It was just gum. Rhonda VanDyke, a pastor in the Virginia Conference of the UMC, recently posted a beautiful article on Facebook about holiday travels, airport security, and candles. She had purchased and was carrying small, cube-shaped candles that she believed would fit perfectly in her plans for Advent. And TSA wasn’t sure what to do with them, or for that matter, what they even were. She says, “I supposed I should have seized the moment. We could have shared some concourse catechesis… I could have waxed eloquent about darkness and light and the twilight between, about Isaiah’s prophecy… About one life born during darkness and eventually raised before dawn. I could have shared from my own experience about how excruciating waiting for the light is… how it tarries and teases and torments… but by faith I know it will come. I could have offered him my pastoral promise that when dark- ness is ominous, ubiquitous, unrelenting, even a little light changes everything, I promise. The light is coming, beloved… I mean Mr. TSA… I mean beloved.” The light of Jesus Christ is more explosive than the potential dynamite of the gum I tried to take to Australia. The light of Jesus Christ comes into the world to illumine the darkness of our lives, and to bring life no matter what our current circumstances might be. My hope is that this Advent season we can share the light, we can be the light, we can point to the eternal light that reminds us of what God has done, is doing, and will do in Christ Jesus. Image courtesy Truth Immutable A Christmas Word from Jane
Transcript
December 2019 / January 2020
Clinch Mountain Clinch Mountain District NewsDistrict News
Inside this issue:
District Office OPEN HOUSE!
2
Bristol Hub UMCs Advent Luncheon Series
3
Elk Garden School: How YOU can help!
4
PASTORS IMPORTANT INFO
5
New 2020 District Askings Worksheet
6
Winter Office Hours & Office Closed Dates
7
See Back Page
for the District
Calendar!
Every time I go through security in an airport, I wonder what I have packed this time that isn’t allowed. When I went to Australia over the summer, I took a big bag of GUM in my backpack, that somehow mysteriously looked like dynamite on the x-ray scanner and I got pulled aside and all the things I was carrying were searched. It was just gum. Rhonda VanDyke, a pastor in the Virginia Conference of the UMC, recently posted a beautiful article on Facebook about holiday travels, airport security, and candles. She had purchased and was carrying small, cube-shaped candles that she believed would fit perfectly in her plans for Advent. And TSA wasn’t sure what to do with them, or for that matter, what they even were. She says, “I supposed I should have seized the moment. We could have shared some concourse catechesis… I could have waxed eloquent about darkness and light and the twilight between, about Isaiah’s prophecy… About one life born during darkness and eventually raised before dawn. I could have shared from my own experience about how excruciating waiting for the light is… how it tarries and teases and torments… but by faith I know it will come. I could have offered him my pastoral promise that when dark-ness is ominous, ubiquitous, unrelenting, even a little light changes everything, I promise. The light is coming, beloved… I mean Mr. TSA… I mean beloved.” The light of Jesus Christ is more explosive than the potential dynamite of the gum I tried to take to Australia. The light of Jesus Christ comes into the world to illumine the darkness of our lives, and to bring life no matter what our current circumstances might be. My hope is that this Advent season we can share the light, we can be the light, we can point to the eternal light that reminds us of what God has done, is doing, and will do in Christ Jesus.
Image courtesy Truth Immutable
A Christmas Word from Jane
Page 2 Clinch Mountain District News
The Clinch Mountain District Office
of the United Methodist Church Welcomes You to Our
Christmas Open House Thursday
December 12th, 2019 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
at the 966 West Main Street Suite A
Abingdon, Virginia 24210
Page 3 Clinch Mountain District News
The Bristol Lectionary Group meets weekly at Reynolds Memorial UMC on Mondays at 11;00 am. If you are looking for a lectionary group, now is the time to start with the Revised Common Lectionary beginning year A! POC: Caroline Hawthorne, [email protected] or 423-963-9703.
Page 4 Clinch Mountain District News
Kingdom Builders Move Mountains - Rev. Jane Taylor, District Superintendent
Clinch Mountain District Clergy Meeting Dates for 2020
January 11, 2020, Saturday - Epiphany Gathering
Pleasant View UMC, Abingdon, VA
March 10, Tuesday Trinity UMC, Bristol, VA
May 12, Tuesday
Honaker First UMC, Honaker, VA
End-of-Year Reports Are Here for Pick up! Can be picked up when you come to the Open House
Page 5 Clinch Mountain District News
Elk Garden School Community Ministry has some upcoming needs ~
from Deaconess Brooke Atchley, Church & Community Worker:
1. We would love to have Clinch Mountain Churches sponsor a food drive. It would be great if we could have a church {or hub?} do one each month. Folks can contact me at [email protected] or 276-988-4891 to arrange a particular month.
2. Our immediate needs are:
Pasta Sauce Peanut Butter
Ravioli Toilet Paper
And we would like to collect at least 150 cans of chicken
before January to hand out with soup mixes.
3. We are also looking for churches/UMW groups to provide a meal on Tuesdays.
Thank you!
And a special thank you to all Pastors, staff and volunteers who worked so hard to complete your charge conference forms!
Page 6 Clinch Mountain District News
2020 Clinch Mountain District Askings Worksheet Please begin using January 2020
(Will send out Excel spreadsheet when ready)
Page 7 Clinch Mountain District News
Winter Hours for the Clinch Mountain District Office:
Monday through Thursday: 8:30 am – 4 pm
Friday: 8:30 am – 12 noon
If you need access to office staff outside of these hours, please call and arrangements will be made!
Office Closed: December 5-6, 2019
December 23, 2019 - January 3, 2020
If you need to reach the District Superintendent in this time, you may reach Rev. Jane Taylor at
423-929-3137 Tree courtesy of ClipartLook:
http://clipartlook.com/img-151596.html
Shady Grove – Meadowview UMCs 2019 Advent/Christmas Events
Poinsettia Sale @ Meadowview - $15:00/ea. Due soon. Meadowview Community Christmas The Meadowview Community is having a singing and tree lighting event in Town Square on Thursday Dec 5th. Food (chili and mac & cheese; adults $10, kids $5) from 5:00-8:00; singing and tree lighting @ 5:30. Proceeds go to Meadowview UMC’s Mary’s Lunchbox Program (that provides weekend food to students at Meadowview Elementary). "The First Gift" program for children / Gift pick up (Meadowview) Friday, Dec. 13th from 6-8 p.m. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and needed in many areas: Food prep and serving, nursery, child buddies, helping to carry gifts and many other service opportunities. There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. We will have a brief volunteer meeting on Wed. Dec.11th at 7 p.m. Please plan to attend to learn more about the night. Please contact Becky with any questions or more information. Christmas Cantata - Combined Shady Grove & Mead-owview) December 15th @ 4:30 pm at Shady Grove. Refreshments to follow (punch & cookies).
CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE Pastor Barbara is hosting a Christmas Open House for the members/attendees of Shady Grove UMC and Meadowview UMC. Please try to drop by to join her for a time of fellowship and food!! Where: At her home, the parsonage : 335 Gillespie Drive, Abingdon When: Sunday, December 22, 3:00 - 6:00 pm.
December 24th @ Meadowview Christmas Eve 5:00 pm Holy Communion and Silent Night concluding the service. December 24th @ Shady Grove Christmas Eve: 6:30 pm Candlelight service with Holy Communion. Silent Night concluding the service. December 29th Joint worship at Meadowview 11:00 am - Combined Choir. 5th Sunday Fellow-ship meal to follow.
Start the New Year off right! Stay close to God ~ Take care of yourself and your family ~ Practice Sabbath ~
Make Disciples for the Transformation of the World ~ Answer email and return requested information in a timely manner ~ Stay in touch with the District Office ~ Attend meetings
and events ~ Support District & Conference ministries ~ Be on time for meetings and appointments
Adapted from Expectations of Clinch Mountain District Pastors
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