December 2020
Strengthening children and families so that all may know God better.
C onnection W instead
For unto us a child is born,
His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
2 The Winstead Connection
Pastor’s Message “How long, Lord? Will you forget me
forever? How long will you hide your
face from me? How long must I wres-
tle with my thoughts and day after day
have sorrow in my heart?”
(Psalm 13: 1-2)
The Psalmist begins his lament
with an agonizing cry to God to break
into his sadness, weariness, and des-
pair, and bring an end to his long and
painful ordeal. We can empathize. Af-
ter eight months of what has often felt
like a plague, we too have cried out
“How long, Lord? When will this end?
When can we return to life as normal?”
And in the course of his prayer, in
the very act of baring his fearful and
aching soul before God, he hears
God’s response.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salva-
tion. I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
(Psalm 13: 5-6)
God was there all along, through
the Psalmist’s long period of suffering,
even though God’s face had seemed to
be “hidden” by his fearful thoughts and
the sorrow in his heart. And salvation
comes, and his heart rejoices, when
he trusts in God’s unfailing love.
Our time of suffering will end. Our
day-to-day lives and our life together
as a community of faith will return to
familiar patterns. We are becoming
more and more hopeful that this will
be sooner rather than later. But before
we rush back and try to reconstruct
Pastor George Loveland
540-493-0656
what we remember as “life as normal,”
let’s take a few minutes to consider what
we have learned by trusting in God’s un-
failing love, even in a time of suffering.
The most fundamental thing we have
learned is that the church is not a build-
ing! And the church not only continues,
but thrives outside the walls of the build-
ing!
We have been concerned that we
might become lazy and lackadaisical
about church by worshiping at home. But
many of us have come to feel the pres-
ence of God’s love and grace in our
homes in new and profound ways, and
felt our faith revitalized by worshiping in
small, close circles of family and close
friends. And God has shown us new and
creative forms of worship and praise.
“Stay at home” orders have chal-
lenged our ability to witness to the love
and grace of Jesus Christ, and the com-
ing of His kingdom, through acts of mer-
cy. But God called us into a monthly Drive
-in-Food Drive, a Books for Vick out-
reach, and an online Dementia Caregiv-
ers Support ministry.
But maybe the most important thing
we have learned through trusting in
God’s unfailing love at this time is the
power of sacrificial love. By sacrificing
our in-person gatherings out of care and
concern for the most vulnerable, we
have developed and deepened networks
of constant and consistent care for one
another.
When Jesus gave himself up to death
on the cross, his followers longed to re-
(Continued on page 3)
December 2020 3
Youth By Marty Johnson
Winstead's Echo Youth (MYF)
Winstead's youth group meets on
Sunday evening in Hood Hall at 5:00 p.m. .
to 7:00 p.m. We will meet the first Sunday
in December and then be off until the sec-
ond Sunday of January. Come join us and
invite a friend or two!
Third Grade Bibles Presented
On Sunday, December 6, after our 10
a.m. online service, we will move into the
churchyard where Chase Ferrell and
Tessa Kirby will be presented with Pro-
motion Bibles. Family and friends are
invited to gather on the lawn to see the
presentation.
Online Worship Sunday morning worship will be
online only through the month of Decem-
ber. The service will be live-streamed
through Facebook at 10 a.m. and you will
also receive a link, via email, to access a
recording of the service. The Regathering
Task Force will meet early in the new
year to evaluate the situation, taking into
account COVID infection rates and state
health department guidelines for indoor
gathering. Let us hold the Task Force and
Worship Team in our prayers, and thank
God for their willingness to make difficult
and painful decisions, and for their faith in
trusting that God is guiding us through
this time..
Connect
turn to “life as normal,” the life they re-
membered before their Savior suffered
and was crucified before their very eyes.
But God had a different plan. God inter-
vened in the suffering and created life
eternal! It’s the same for us. Our life as a
community of faith may never again be
the “normal” we remember. It will be bet-
ter, transformed by all we have learned
through trusting in God’s unfailing love.
(Continued from page 2)
Pastor George
Small Groups By Marty Johnson
The Monday Men’s Small Group and
the Tuesday Bible study will meet De-
cember 7 and 8, and 14 and 15, respective-
ly. They will then resume meeting the
week of January 10.
Communion After the worship service on Decem-
ber 6, we will have an opportunity
for drive-up communion. At 11:15 com-
munion assistants (masked) will bring
the bread (served with tongs) and juice
(in small, individual glasses) to your car
window.
4 The Winstead Connection
Women of Winstead By Sanda Hight
Women of Winstead (WOW) met at the
home of Karen Rowley on Saturday, No-
vember 21, 2020, at 10:00 with seven
members present. The meeting was
opened with prayer.
The meeting was called to order by
Karen Rowley, President. Minutes of the
October meeting were read by Sanda
Hight and approved by the group. Denise
Lamm, Treasurer, reported that the WOW
account stands at $1,962.88. The sub-
scription to the Upper Room has been
paid. WOW recently made a $100 dona-
tion for “Books for Vick.” Also, WOW pre-
sented Pastor George Loveland with an
Amazon gift card in observance of Pastor
Appreciation Month. Karen Rowley read
(Continued on page 5)
Hand in Hand By Sanda Hight
“BOOKS FOR VICK” ARE HERE! The 276
books have been wrapped, and will be
delivered to Vick Elementary School on
December 1. The Vick staff will distribute
books to each classroom before the
Christmas vacation, and each student
will receive his or her own book to read at
home and share with other children.
Thanks to the love and generosity of our
church family, the Hand in Hand Commit-
tee was able to complete a dream of pre-
senting each Vick student with a book.
With these books we hope to contribute
to each student’s education and to let
each child know that our church and
community love and care for them. A
bookplate with the following message
has been placed in each book: “From your
friends at Winstead United Methodist
Church.” The books were blessed at the
worship service on November 22, and we
present these books to share God’s love
and grace with all the children at Vick.
Again, thank you for your contribution to
“Books for Vick,” and for your interest in
the children in our partner school.
Serve Prayer Partner cards for November
have been signed and delivered to Vick.
Since we will not be having in-person
worship during December, the Hand in
Hand Committee will sign cards to repre-
sent our congregation and deliver them
in December.
The Hand in Hand Committee will pre-
sent the Vick staff with a small gift of ap-
preciation for Christmas.
The Hand in Hand Committee will meet
by Zoom on Tuesday, December 1 at 3:00.
Please pray for the health and safety
of the students and staff at Vick for their
academic success.
December 2020 5
Connect
a note of thanks from Pastor George.
Denise Lamm read a note of thanks from
the family of Corrine Logan following the
church’s expression of sympathy and
kindness after Corrine’s death.
Ann Baker, Sunshine Chair, reported
that she has sent a number of cards to
members who are sick or confined to
home.
The group made the decision not to
meet in December 2020 or January 2021
as a caution to the rise in Covid-19 cases.
WOW will resume meetings in February
2021 to prepare Valentine boxes for our
homebound members.
Women of Winstead (Continued from page 4)
Sanctuary Poinsettias
In Memory Given By Mildred Murphy Peggy Wilson & Gale Barnes
Daniel Baucom Fred & Sanda Hight
Roxie & Wiley Harrell Ray & Debbie Williams
Carolyn & Gordon Williams Ray & Debbie Williams
Leslie & Irelene Raper Jeff & Kathy Creech
Ivey & Doris Creech Jeff & Kathy Creech
In Honor Given By My Family Linda Lane
Shane, Morgan, & Penelope Bass Gary & MaryEllen Bass
Chris Fulghum & Family Jeff & Kathy Creech
Stacy & David Forrest & Family Jeff & Kathy Creech
Ange & Hutch Hutchins & Family Jeff & Kathy Creech
Bill & Sophia Wolfe Jake & Joyce Wolfe
Dave & Katharine Wolfe Jake & Joyce Wolfe
A schedule for meeting dates for the
first half of 2021, along with hostesses
and programs for 2021 was set.
Following the business session, Joyce
Wolfe presented a program based on the
story of Jesus’ walking on water and urg-
ing the disciples not to be afraid. Follow-
ing was a discussion on our present situ-
ation when many people are afraid during
the Covid-19 pandemic and how we can
rely on God to calm our fears.
Following a time of refreshments,
sharing, and fellowship, the meeting was
closed with prayer.
6 The Winstead Connection
December Birthdays Chad Ferrell ............................................... 11
Mary Walston ........................................... 17
Bing Enriquez ............................................. 19
Marty Johnson ........................................... 19
Griffin Parker ............................................ 19
Mary Smith ................................................. 19
Diane Watts-Barker ................................. 20
Beatrice Boykin .......................................... 21
Trey Hansen ............................................... 28
Clint Evans ................................................. 29
Allison Ellis ................................................. 30
December Anniversaries Ryan and Helen Kirby................................ 8
Andrew and LaMarr Preston .................. 21
Sandy and Denise Lamm ......................... 30
During our time of social distancing, Pastor George is available by phone or email.
Email: [email protected]
Cell phone: 540-493-0656
Outreach News by MaryEllen Bass
Thank you Winstead family for the
outpouring of love with your donations
for our Drive-in Food Drive for Veterans
on November 1, as food insecurity
becomes increasingly prevalent. The
food collected was donated to Wilson
Veterans Residential Services. Thank
you to the members of the choir for
hosting the drive.
We will resume our monthly Drive-in
Food Drives on the second Sunday each
month beginning on January 10, 2021.
Look for more information on plans to
connect our evangelistic outreach more
deeply with our food drives. Merry
Christmas everyone from your Outreach
Team!
Winstead News
Ways to Give • Give online through the North Carolina
Conference. Go to https://nccumc.org/
giving/church/. We are in the Capital
District.
• Mail your check to Winstead UMC, 1407
Tarboro St., SW, Wilson, NC 27893
• Set up a recurring payment through
your bank’s bill pay system.
Contact Information Because we are not gathering togeth-
er each week, you may have forgotten to
let the office know about changes to your
contact information, Did you move, drop
your land line, change email, or get a new
cell phone number? Call Gretchen in the
office to update your info.
mailto:[email protected]
December 2020 7
December at Winstead Tuesday, December 1
11:00 am Bible Study 3:00 pm Hand in Hand on Zoom
(pg. 4)
Wednesday, December 2
12:00 pm Wednesday Prayer on Zoom 6:00 pm Evangelism in Mission Team
Thursday, December 3
6:30 pm Nominations
Sunday, December 6
Second Sunday in Advent
9:00 am Sunday School on Zoom 10:00 am Worship Online (pg. 3) 11:00 am Bible Presentations (pg. 3) 11:15 am Drive Up Communion (pg. 3) 5:00 pm ECHO Youth
Monday, December 7
6:00 pm Men’s Small Group 7:00 pm Scouts
Tuesday, December 8
11:00 am Bible Study 6:00 pm Grace Notes at Evergreen
Memorial Gardens (pg. 8) 6:30 pm Finance Committee
Wednesday, December 9
12:00 pm Wednesday Prayer on Zoom 6:00 pm Evangelism in Mission Team
Sunday, December 13
Third Sunday in Advent
9:00 am Sunday School on Zoom 10:00 am Worship Online
Monday, December 14
6:00 pm Men’s Small Group 7:00 pm Dementia Caregiver Support
Group 7:00 pm Scouts
Tuesday, December 15
11:00 am Bible Study
Wednesday, December 16
12:00 pm Wednesday Prayer on Zoom
Sunday, December 20
Fourth Sunday in Advent
9:00 am Sunday School on Zoom 10:00 am Worship Online
Monday, December 21
7:00 pm Scouts
Wednesday, December 23
12:00 pm Wednesday Prayer on Zoom
Thursday, December 24
Office Closed
Merry Christmas Friday, December 25
Office Closed
Newsletter Deadline
Sunday, December 27
9:00 am Sunday School on Zoom 10:00 am Worship Online
Monday, December 28
7:00 pm Scouts
Wednesday, December 30
12:00 pm Wednesday Prayer on Zoom
On the Calendar
Remember to let the office know about
committee or group meetings so they are
reflected accurately on the calendar.
1407 Tarboro Street
Wilson, NC 27893
Published monthly by:
Winstead United Methodist Church
1407 Tarboro Street
Wilson, NC 27893
252-237-3709
See the online calendar for current
office hours.
www.WinsteadUMC.org
Sunday Schedule
Online worship videos are posted on
our website.
Pastor : Rev. George Loveland
Email: [email protected]
The Winstead Connection
Pastor
Rev. George Loveland
Director of Youth Ministries
Marty Johnson
Minister of Music
Sandy Pittman
Handbell Choir Director
Joyce Wolfe
Church Musician
Faye Jones
Office Administrator
Gretchen Hunt
Lay Leader
Jeff Creech
Grace Notes Quartet at Evergreen Memorial Gardens By Joyce Wolfe
A quartet of Grace Notes ringers, masked and physically dis-
tanced, will be ringing favorite Christmas carols on Tuesday, De-
cember 8, 6:00-7:00 pm, at Evergreen Memorial Gardens while
cars drive through the streets lined with luminaries. Everyone is
invited to join the procession and enjoy carols of the season.
