NEWS ARCHIVES - SEP-DEC 2004
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For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) |
Three 4-week Advent Studies were held this Advent:
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Congratulations to Rod Wagner upon his retirement after 30 years as Director of the Midland/Gladwin County Chapters of the American Red Cross.
A Celebration of Service was held at the church on Saturday, December 11.
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A special thanks to all who have made Christmas more meaningful this year.
Thanks to the Chancel Choir for their special pageant on December 12.
Thanks to all who contributed to the Christmas Eve services.
Thanks also to those who have had a part in decorating the church for the season.
Thanks to all who purchased poinsettias to help decorate our sanctuary during the Christmas season.
Thanks to all who who contributed to the Christmas Card Fund to help needy with heating bills.
Thanks to all who who brought gifts for the Sharing Tree Project to see that needy individuals in the community had a Christmas gift.
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The Chancel Choir sang at the
The Dow Gardens Annual Christmas Walk on Friday December 3.
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Our annual Advent Celebration was Sunday, November 28.
We had a Hanging of the Greens service and a light lunch after the regular worship.
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Again this year, Aldersgate was one of the sponsors of the
Community Thanksgiving Food Baskets program.
The program provides thanksgiving meals for some of our county's neediest families.
Our church was a busy place on November 21-23 as the goods were collected, sorted, and distributed.
With the help of many other churches, over 700 bags of groceries, 450 dozen cookies, and other necessities were collected, sorted, and distributed at Aldersgate to 380 needy families.
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The new pictorial directory should be out shortly. Pictures will be taken October 28-30 and November 8-10.
Thanks to all who help and to all who were willing to have their pictures taken. A special thanks to
Addie Maxwell and Pat Simmons for coordinating the effort.
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Our custodian, Jackie Scribner, and her family give a warm thanks to all who made special donations to help them move into a new house.
Thanks also to those who physically helped in the move.
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Our Missionary Extra Mile Program raised an extra $2,270 to help the work of Chris Hena, Kelly and Dan Harman, and the Mutare, Zimbabwe hospital. Thanks to all who give generously. For our missions efforts, Aldersgate has again been awarded a Certificate of Partnership in the Covenent Relationship Program for 2004.
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This year's stewardship theme was Building on Our Foundation of Faith.
Through our giving, we make a difference.
Commitments of time, talents, and resources to the work of our church were made at the November 21 service.
If you were unable to attend, please mail them to the church office.
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A
7-week Bible Readers Series Hebrews: Looking Forward in Faith was held
on Wednesday noons and on Thursday evenings this fall.
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Congratulations to our retired visiting pastor, Dr. Orville McKay, recently endorsed by Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary as President Emeritus.
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Thanks to the youth who led us in the worship service on October 31. It was awesome.
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Thanks to all who helped
in the preparation and cleanup of a dinner for the local chapter of the American Association of Retired People on Tuesday, October 26.
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We welcomed 10 new members into our congregation on Sunday, October 24 at the first service.
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The Friendship Christ Care group had a Car Rally and dinner on Saturday afternoon, October 23 .
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The UMW fall rummage sale was October 14-15. Thanks to all who helped. Our net profit was about $2,200.
Money raised will be used to support local charities. Items not sold were donated to the Salvation Army.
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The Youth went on a retreat at Judson Collins camp on the weekend of October 15-17.
The theme was FEARLESS! Living Life in God. A high ropes course was part of the weekend.
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Thanks to all who walked in, helped with, and contributed to
the annual Crop Walk to raise money to stop hunger at the Midland Center For The Arts on Sunday, October 3.
Aldersgate's pledges totaled $1,171.
Midland has the 65th largest crop walk in the U. S.
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About a dozen Aldersgate
painters helped Aldersgate members Rod and Linda Wagner give their house a new coat of paint.
Thanks to all who helped.
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September 12th was the first day of Sunday School for kids and teens.
Kids 4 years old through 5th grade are using a new curriculum called Power Express.
The first unit is called Dig Into the Bible.
Each Sunday the kids attend a different center:
Art Cookery Games Music Science Story Video
6th-8th graders meet on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Sundays of the month.
On 1st Sundays, they worship together.
They follow a Faith in Motion curriculum called Changing Your World and Everybody Else's.
9th-12th graders worship together from 9:30-10:30a and meet for Sunday School from 10:30-11:30a.
The look at World Religion Through Christ's Eyes.
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The seniors group,
55 and the 3F's had
Jeri Smith of GlaxoSmithKline give
a program on Prescription Medicines at their September meeting.
The
October meeting had
Gary Skory of the Midland County Historical Society
as speaker. He spoke on the history of main street Midland.
"Just 4 Jazz, a group of 40 students from Central Intermediate School, entertained at the November meeting.
The December meeting had Major Byron Medlock of the Salvation Army as the speaker.
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Youth and adults of Aldersgate went to see the Detroit Tigers take on the Minnesota Twins
on September 11.
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On Sept 1, Dr. Jonathan Keaton became Bishop of the Michigan Area (Detroit and West Michigan annual conferences)
of the United Methodist Church. He moves
from the Ohio East Conference where he has served since 1996.
He was formerly installed at University United Methodist Church, East Lansing, on October 17th.
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Our Director of Christian Education, Lyn Frazier, is on her first year as a full time seminary student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.
She attends classes from Monday to Thursday and will be at the church on Friday and over the weekend.
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http://www.gmgm-umc.org/AldersgateUMCMI/news.html 1/07/05
JIM