Newsletter / Bulletin

Please be patient as we figure out how to turn our Publisher newsletter into a format suitable for web publishing.
Download our PowerPoint slideshow from the Charge Conference meeting.
Newsworthy notes from the newsletter:

17 new members so far in 2002!
Increasing worship attendance
Possibility of partnership with St. Alphonsus to use the Collister Cottage for patients.
New hymnals
Collister United Methodist Women celebrated and learned about Thanksgiving on Nov. 20^th. Next meeting is Dec. 18^th.
There are many singles events this month. Please contact Karen Delisio, Singles Ministries Director, at 343-7511 ext 503.
Please save your good, gently used furnishings to help out with Collister Cottage.
Our Fall Bazaar and Voting Day fundraisers raised nearly $2500! While this is great news, please keep stewardship in your prayers and deliberations this season. We still need to make our apportionments, to better serve the needy in this world.
Are you relatively new? If so, please ask Mary Kim Allen for a name tag so we can get to know you better.
Thanks to John Brown, Brian Allen & Bill Dawson for work done to improve our parking lot.
Thanks to John Olsen and his brother, John Brown & Brian Allen for their great fall clean-up!
We have a new changing table to accommodate some of our new young families.

Advent signals the start of a new Christian church year. It is a season filled with longing and hope. Try using these ways to help children differentiate between Christmas and Advent, and to help yourself get ready to welcome the Christ Child into your life this year:

Dec 1 (Advent 1) light one candle and think about waiting in hope for Jesus. Ask each person what he or she hopes for this Advent.
Dec 8 (Advent 2) light two candles and think about peace. Invite each person to name one or more places for where you would like to pray for peace, not just the absence of war, but the presence of justice.
Dec 15 (Advent 3) light two purple candles and one rose candle, thinking about joy. Share your memories of joy, and pray for people whom you hope will find real joy this Christmas.
Dec. 22 (Advent 4) light four candles and think about love. Each person shares something he or she loves about each person present, including himself! Remember others whom you love.
Christmas Day light four Advent candles and the Christ candle in the center. Have each person name a favorite Christmas carol or hymn and sing the first verse. Close by saying “Happy Birthday, Jesus!”

Please remember the following in your prayers: Collister Cottage, Church Apportionments, Our Elderly Members and Guests, the BSU UMC Students. If you have a special request you would like printed, please let Rev. Deanna or Mary Kim Allen know prior to the 20^th of each month.