Namaste Class Brunch scheduled for Sunday, January 1, 2012 in the Activity Room at 9:45 a.m.

Since there will be no Sunday School class on December 25th for members to sign up for a particular dish, class members should plan to bring whatever they choose.

The women's Bible Study will meet again for the spring semester using Priscilla Shirer's study One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land. Priscilla encourages participants to fully engage in the abundant life God has waiting for those who will allow Him to take the lead in daily living. One in a Million is an opportunity for you to experience your deliverance from strongholds, to conquer your wilderness living, and to claim your God-given inheritance. Please join us beginning Wednesday, January 4th at 10:30 in room 108. Contact Amanda Nicholls at Amanda@2amps.com to reserve your workbook. Childcare is provided.

What: AHA, CPR and AED Certification

For Whom: PPUMC Ushers and all those interested

Location: PPUMC, room 108

Date & Time: January 14, 2012, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Presenter: Thomas Mullins through Harris Methodist Hosp. and American Heart Assoc.

Cost: $35 (you will receive your card as you leave)

We will be working on the floor, so dress appropriately. (Think I will bring my gardening knee pad. - Marty)

Reservations or questions: Call or email Marty Graham by January 6 at m.s.graham@mindspring.com

The altar flower sign up notebook that stays on the information table in the Ministries Center is missing. If you might have accidentally picked it up with other items, please check at home.

If you are currently signed up for flowers in 2012, please call Barbara Hamilton at 972-255-4185 or email at bhamilton@ppumc.org.

PPUMC is offering five Candlelight Communion services in celebration of Christmas Eve. A "Christmas Service of Hope and Remembrance" will be held in the sanctuary at 2:30 p.m. The Reverend Dana Norton, associate pastor, will lead this special service designed to minster especially to those who have experienced grief or loss this past year. This “Blue Christmas” service will seek to offer a word of hope and encouragement, and will include communion and special prayers of healing for all those present. Child care provided with 48 hours notice to Cori Bell 972-255-4185/cori@ppumc.org.

At 5:00 p.m., a Children’s Celebration of Christmas will be presented, led by the children of PPUMC. This family-friendly worship service will include readings of scripture, communion, familiar Christmas carols, and a reenactment of the Christmas story as performed by the children of our church. Child care is provided.

A traditional Candlelight Communion service will be offered at 7:00 p.m., officiated by Dr. Bill La Barr, senior pastor. The Chancel Choir and organist Ken Surley will present the music for this service. Child care is provided.

We will also be offering a non-traditional Christmas Communion Service at 9:00 p.m. with music led by Plymouth Park Praise. This service will include old and new carols in a contemporary style, as well as a message from Dr. La Barr. Communion by intinction will be served at the close of the service. Child care provided with 48 hours notice to Cori Bell 972-255-4185/cori@ppumc.org.

Our 11:00 p.m. service will be a Meditative and Reflective Service of Communion with Dr. La Barr preaching. This service will be prayerful in nature, as together we await the arrival of Christmas Day. No Child care provided.

PPUMC offers a range of worship opportunities to help you and your family prepare to welcome again the Christ child into our world. We hope to see you Christmas Eve!

You may not have yet realized that this year, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday!

In lieu or our usual Sunday morning worship schedule, PPUMC will be holding one service of worship in the Sanctuary at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 25th. After opening presents with the kids and enjoying a Christmas feast with the family, come join us for a celebration of worship as we give thanks for our blessings and welcome to our world once again the Christ child. Kids are invited to come in their p.j.'s and bring a toy which we will bless as part of the service. We will sing Christmas Carols and hear Dr. La Barr preach about the shepherds in the field in a sermon entitled "To be a messenger of peace." Let us worship together with a joyous, great, and informal Christmas Day service!

Merry Christmas!

I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas! I hope you are surrounded by friends, family and much love as we celebrate the birth of our King! See you all next year!

Christmas Break

Just a reminder that we'll take the next two weeks off from Student Outreach. We'll resume on January 4, when the kids start back to school. The church office will be closed through January 3. If you need to contact me, you may reach me via cell phone or e-mail.

Sunday School

No Sunday School on December 25. Yes, there will be Sunday School on January 1. It will be a combined class in the big room of the Youth Hall. Second semester classes will begin on Sunday, January 8.

Sunday School Breakfast

The Woodruff family will be providing breakfast next week, January 1.

Click the link for the new breakfast schedule for next semester. Please mark your calendars now!

Confirmation

Don’t forget about Confirmation! Confirmation Class for our middle schoolers will kick off on Sunday, January 29th. The older youth Confirmation Class begins February 5. Both of these classes require the Youth to be pre-registered. You can find registration forms and more details on the youth web page.

See you at the church!

Peg

In anticipating our 7th Annual Ladies' Retreat for Plymouth Park United Methodist Church, we celebrate yet another wonderful opportunity for the ladies of our church and community. We are thrilled to have Linda Douty, former member of PPUMC and Las Colinas Women's Network, who now lives in Memphis, Tennessee. The theme for this retreat is "HOW CAN I KNOW GOD'S WILL: Methods of Discernment & Prayer."

Linda is a teacher, retreat leader, speaker, and writer on topics related to spiritual formation and personal growth for Upper Room, Alive Now and the website explorefaith.org. She attended Memphis State University majoring in English and pursued studies in religion, philosophy, and Bible at both Lambuth University and Southern Methodist University. Linda completed the Academy for Spiritual Formation and serves on their leadership team. She is a graduate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Guidance. She is the mother of two grown sons and has five grandchildren. Linda is the author of four books:

How Can I Let Go If I Don't Know I'm Holding On? – Setting Our Souls Free.
How Can I See the Light When It's So Dark? – Journey to a Thankful Heart
How Did I Get to Be 70 When I'm 35 Inside – Spiritual Surprises of Later Life
Praying in the Messiness of Life – 7 Ways to Renew Your Relationship With God

Upon meeting her, Linda quickly becomes a delightful and inspiring friend who is very gifted at relating to her audience as an everyday woman searching for answers to the very questions of faith that you seek. Her wisdom and depth are as endearing as her charm and humor.

Gather your girlfriends and come and make new friends. Join us for a time or Refreshment, Nurturing and Fun!

Information on attendance and pricing options is available in the Ministries Center on Sunday mornings or by contacting Marty Graham at m.s.graham@mindspring.com.

Christmas Caroling and Party this Wednesday!

We're going Christmas Caroling this week, December 14, during Student Outreach. We'll split into groups and walk around the neighborhood behind the church. We will have pre-assigned routes and each group will hit 3 or 4 houses.

We'll wrap up the evening with refreshments back here at the church.

The forecast for Wednesday is a 50% chance of thunderstorms. Needless to say, if it is raining or the temperatures are in the 40's, we won’t be caroling. My experience is that the kids won't be dressed warmly enough, and they've all got too much going on at school to be sick!

In the case of inclement weather, we'll stay at the church and play "reindeer" games.

Sunday School

This Sunday is already the 4th Sunday in Advent. Our waiting for the Christ Child will soon be over! Please take a moment to slow down and enjoy the season with your children.

Sunday School Breakfast

The Ward family will be providing breakfast this week, December 18.

Confirmation

Confirmation 2012 will kick off on Sunday, January 29th. The class will meet on Sunday afternoons for 12 weeks from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm and include a meal, a lesson taught by Dr. LaBarr, discussion time and an active learning game. Each of the young people will be paired up with an adult mentor to share the experience with them.

Confirmation at Plymouth Park UMC is open to all youth in grades 6, 7, and 8. As young persons reach the age of accountability, they are ready to take more responsibility for their faith. Confirmation is a call to discipleship, a call to claim the name Christian for themselves. Our goal is to provide a process and structure for this to occur.

Confirmation Sunday is May 13, 2012.

If you have a youth in middle school who has not yet gone through Confirmation Class, please encourage to join us as we prepare a new group of young people to make the decision to become an adult in the United Methodist Church.

Older Youth Confirmation

Not all our youth are cradle Methodists who attend PPUMC with their parents. Many of our students begin attending PPUMC at the invitation of a friend. Many have stayed to make this their church home, often bringing parents and younger siblings with them.

We currently have a number of students who don't fit the criteria for our "traditional" Confirmation Class. To bring them fully into the church, we will be holding an Older Youth Confirmation Class for high school youth during the Sunday School hour for four weeks—Feb 5, 12, 26 and March 4. Confirmation Sunday for this class will be on March 25.

Both of these classes require your Youth to be pre-registered. You can download the forms from the Youth home page or please see me for more details.

See you at the church!

Peg

Kid's Club

The menu this week is Frito Pie or Hot Dogs, Salad, Dessert. Please let me know if you are coming.

Children’s and Preteen Choirs Rehearsal

This Wednesday will be the last rehearsal prior to the performance on December 18. It is important for everyone to be present. Please be aware that the Sonshine Chorus (1st-3rd grades) will be singing at the 11am service on December 18. They will be picked up from Sunday school at 10:40 and taken to the sanctuary.

Christmas Program

The Christmas program will be Sunday, December 18 at 6:30pm in Fellowship Hall. All the children, preteen, and chimes choirs will be performing along with a cantata performed by the P3 band and Chapel Choir. Please have your child here by 6pm. Child care will be provided.

Happy Birthday, Jesus Party

We will have a Happy Birthday, Jesus Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 14 from 7-8pm in the Activity Room. We will make crafts from around the world and have a birthday cake for Jesus. Make plans to stay after choir practice and celebrate the birth of Jesus with us.

Sunday School

We will finish up our mission project in preparation to delivering them to Gilbert Elem. on Monday. If you can help please let me know.

Christmas Eve Service

I am so excited about our Christmas Eve program. Remember to plan to stay after the 11am service for pizza, rehearsal, costume selection. I hope to be done in an hour since I know it is a big day for them. Here is our cast:
Mary – Hunter
Joseph – Joey
Angels – Sarah, Lily, Ashley
Star – Anna N.
Shepherds – Ryan and Ryan
Wise Men – Trevor, Braden, and Donovan
Readers – Naomi, Isabella, Timothy, Hope, Simon
Camel – Hannah
Donkey – Macy

Communion Servers – Cori, Jeri – Really need more servers – no experience necessary!

If I have left someone out please let me know. Sometimes people tell me things when I am not in a place to write it down and I forget.

Christmas Day Service

We will not have Sunday school or service on Christmas morning. We will instead have church at 5pm which will include a Blessing of the Toys. Children are invited to bring their favorite toys (no guns or weapons) to be blessed. We will have child care but not Children’s Church.

Acolytes

Caitlin and Trevor for December 18
Naomi and Isabella for December 25

Have a blessed week!

Cori Bell