Last Minute Hymn Change

Jenny and I just realized that "Star-Child" may be a new hymn for you and we won't be here Sunday to help you through it. So we're switching it out for "The First Noel." I know that we sang that just last week, but it talks about the magi and on Epiphany our choices are kind of limited.

January Newsletter Available Online

The January edition of The Parish Visitor is available on the Newsletter page of the church's website.

Newsletter Article

From the January 2009 edition of The Parish Visitor:

A View From the Pulpit: a New Year Covenant Prayer
Rev. Jennifer Collins

This week marks the beginning of a new calendar year. And if you’re anything like me, it may take you a few weeks to get used to writing 2009 instead of 2008. As with any new thing, it takes time to get used to it. With the new year and the resolutions that often accompany it, we may find ourselves promising to make changes or resolving to do things differently. And more often than not, we tend to make resolutions to take better care of ourselves, whether that is eating better or exercising more or getting rid of some bad habit. A resolution to take better care of ourselves is one way we can be good stewards of God’s good creation.

In the Christian Year, the new year started just over a month ago with the beginning of Advent. The beginning of the Christian Year begins by celebrating the advent, or the coming of Christ as a baby into the world, and looking forward to Christ’s second coming when all things will be put right in the world. During Advent we remembered Mary and Joseph, ordinary people called by God to do extraordinary things. On Christmas Eve we celebrated that the Light has come into the world and the darkness has not overcome it.

In the midst of all of the New Year celebrations, it is fitting that this Sunday Rev. Jack Gregory will be sharing with you what we call, “A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition.” The Covenant Prayer is a prayer we pray to once again commit ourselves to following Christ. It is a prayer that asks God to use us as God’s servants. It is a prayer to affirm our covenant with God. Along with any other resolutions we make this year, may we resolve once again, or perhaps for the first time, to be servants of God. Whether or not you are at worship this Sunday at First UMC, I invite you to join in praying this Covenant Prayer:

"I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen." (UMH 607)

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols II

Our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols will be different in at least three ways: 1. no mention will be made of the queen; 2. familiar hymns; and 3. the NRSV instead of the KJV.

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

A festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College Chapel in Cambridge, England will be broadcast live today at 9:00 (CST) on 107.5 FM. It is an adapted (perhaps very adapted) version of this service that we will be using this coming Sunday.

Update: You can download a pdf file of the bulletin here.

Link: http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/programs/festival/

The Messy Work of Renewal

There is a good article on the hard, messy work of renewing a congregation available from the Albin Institute. My favorite part of the article is the opening sentence:

"If you've ever remodeled a house while attempting to live in it, you have a sense of the chaos and complexity of congregational renewal. It will take far longer, cost you more, and prove messier than you ever imagined at the start."

Link: www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=6850

Passing the Plate

Ron Sider has a informative review of Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don't Give Away More Money over at Christianity Today. Among other bits of information from the book by Christian Smith, Michael O. Emerson, and Patricia Snell, he shares the findings that 20% of American Christians give nothing to the church and that a mere twenty percent of all Christians give 86.4 percent of the total. I was saddened, but not surprised, at the affirmation of my hunch that higher-income Christians in America give less as a percentage of household income than their poorer counterparts. Near the end of the review, Sider writes:

"A good deal of the problem is that pastors are not leading their congregations to think clearly about this issue. I have often said (without any hard data) that I do not think one American pastor in fifty is talking about God's concern for the poor as much as the Bible does. ... overall, our pastors, seminary professors, and denominational leaders are simply unbiblical in their failure to lead their people into persistent, honest wrestling with faithful Christian stewardship of resources and the way that generosity could advance Christ's kingdom."

I myself am guilty as charged, but thankful for the thankful generosity shown by so many of the members at Coffeyville First. The article in its entirety is well worth the read. and I plan to order the book.

Update: I have the book on order.

Link: www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2008/novdec/5.11.html?start=1

Seminary Student Loans

Today I received official notification that my student loans from seminary have finally been paid off. Happy Day!

Below are pictures of the new baptismal font that Tracy Alban is in the process of making for the sanctuary.

Revised Hymn Schedule (Again)

Below is the further revised Advent—Christmas—Epiphany hymn schedule.

Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 21)
240 Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
215 To A Maid Engaged to Joseph
234 O Come, All Ye Faithful
219 What Child is This

Christmas Eve (December 24)
230 O Little Town of Bethlehem
239 Silent Night
246 Joy to the World

First Sunday after Christmas Day (December 28)
217 Away in a Manger
218 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
224 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
228 He is Born, the Holy Child
229 Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
237 Sing We Now of Christmas
245 The First Noel
227 The Friendly Beasts
240 Hark the Herald Angels Sing
230 O Little Town of Bethlehem

Epiphany (January 4)
254 We Three Kings
251 Go Tell it on the Mountain
2095 Star Child

Early Christmas Present

I just received an message from Rev. Kent Rogers, president of the Conference Board of Trustees, that property and liability insurance coverage will increase by less than 1% in 2009.

Revised Hymn Schedule

Below is the revised Advent—Christmas—Epiphany hymn schedule.

Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 21)
240 Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
215 To A Maid Engaged to Joseph
234 O Come, All Ye Faithful
219 What Child is This

Christmas Eve (December 24)
230 O Little Town of Bethlehem
239 Silent Night
246 Joy to the World

First Sunday of Christmas (December 28)
217 Away in a Manger
218 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
224 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
228 He is Born, the Holy Child
229 Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
237 Sing We Now of Christmas
245 The First Noel
227 The Friendly Beasts

Epiphany (January 4)
254 We Three Kings
251 Go Tell it on the Mountain
2095 Star Child

Voice of the Day: Frederick Buechner

Via Sojourners:

"The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment."

—Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark.

Christmas Baskets: The Numbers

We had 16 people show up to help fill 25 Christmas baskets, designated for 44 adults and 47 children in just under 1 hour. What a night. I got there late, but what I was there for was a great experience.

Coffee Fellowship

Elizabeth Collins and Emma Thompson are signed up to provide snacks for coffee fellowship time this coming Sunday, but all the Sundays after that are open. Please sign up if you would like to help. The sign-up sheet is on the pillar by the table where we put the coffee and the snacks.

Christmas Baskets

Supplies have been set out in the basement in preparation for putting Christmas baskets together tonight. We will be preparing Christmas baskets for 25 families beginning at 6:15 tonight. Come and join us.

Voice of the Day: Advent

Via Sojourners:

"A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes ... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent."

—Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian (1906-1945) who was imprisoned and executed for his participation in an attempt to overthrow Adolf Hitler.

Handicapped Accessibility

The trustees decided several meetings ago that at least one of our thirteen bathrooms needed to be handicapped accessible. The bathroom in the brides room was chosen for alteration. The two small doors on either side have been removed and a new, wider door installed in the front. Other modifications, such as a new toilet, will also be made. Dave Larimore has been hard at work on this project.

Volunteers Needed for Transportation

In talking with the local manager of the Crisis Resource Center, I confirmed that they have folks at the shelter who would like to go to church if transportation could be arranged. So we're looking for volunteers to provide transportation we need either women or couples to volunteer.

Christmas Basket Time

We'll be putting 25 Christmas baskets together on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 (weather permitting) starting at 6:15 pm. Thanks to everyone who donated food.

Advent—Christmas—Epiphany Hymn Schedule

Here's our working Advent—Christmas—Epiphany hymn schedule for 2008-2009:

First Sunday of Advent (November 30)
202 People Look East
203 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed

Second Sunday of Advent (December 7)
211 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
220 Angels from the Realms of Glory
196 Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Third Sunday of Advent (December 14)
221 In the Bleak Midwinter
249 There’s A Song in the Air
238 Angels We Have Heard on High

Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 21)
240 Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
215 To A Maid Engaged to Joseph
234 O Come, All Ye Faithful

Christmas Eve (December 24)
230 O Little Town of Bethlehem
239 Silent Night
246 Joy to the World

First Sunday of Christmas (December 28)
217 Away in a Manger
218 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
219 What Child is This
224 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
228 He is Born, the Holy Child
229 Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
237 Sing We Now of Christmas
245 The First Noel
227 The Friendly Beasts

Epiphany (January 4)
254 We Three Kings
251 Go Tell it on the Mountain
2095 Star Child

Let us know if we missed anything near and dear to you and yours at johnandjenny@revcollins.com.

Sermon this Week: Joseph the Husband of Mary

This Sunday we'll be returning to our Peculiar Treasures sermon series. I'll be preaching on Jospeh the Husband of Mary. The scripture reading will be taken from Matthew 1.18-25.

Your Tithes and Offerings at Work

We'll be giving $500 to the Crisis Resource Center (formerly Safehouse) for Christmas for the women and children in their care. I'm really pleased by the fact that we were able to get this together in less than 24 hours.

Verse of the Day: A Little with Righteousness

Better is a little with righteousness
than large income with injustice.

—Proverbs 16.8 (NRSV)

Church Office Closed

Linda Beever is sick for a second day and so the church office is closed. I'm back in the office after a day off and can be reached by phone, just follow the voice prompts.

Plenty of Green Beans

Jan Hester informs me that we already have plenty of green beans for the Christmas Baskets project. We don't need anymore. However we could put tuna fish and spaghetti (separately) to good use.

Quote of the Day: Head and Heart

One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right if the head is totally wrong. Only through the bringing together of head and heart – intelligence and goodness – shall man rise to a fulfillment of his true nature.

—Martin Luther King Jr.
From Strength to Love, a collection of Dr. King's sermons.

Hymns for Sunday

I understand that there is some concern about hymns for Sunday. We'll be singing Angels from the Realms of Glory, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.

Church Conference and the State of the Church

Jenny and I will be presenting our "State of the Church" report tonight at Church Conference. In case you aren't able to make it the text is below. The entire church conference packet is avaialable at www.coffeyvillefirstumc.org on the Downloads page.

STATE OF THE CHURCH REPORT
2008 Church Conference
Revs. John and Jennifer Collins

In 2007-2009 John and Jenny served consecutive terms as president of the Coffeyville Ministerial Alliance. This year John continues to serve as chair of the LTRO (Long Term Recovery Organization), which is working with the long term flood recovery in Montgomery county.

Jenny took on the role of Registrar of the District Board of Ordained Ministry. To balance this large responsibility, John pulled back on District and Conference responsibilities in order to spend more time addressing the needs of the local congregation.

Although church membership and attendance continues to decline, we have however increased our mission and outreach to the community. This year we had a work team participate in flood recovery and we continue to give financial aid to flood victims and many others in need. We collected flood buckets to observe the anniversary of the 2007 flood and have become a depository for flood buckets in this area. We have distributed much needed lice kits to both Coffeyville Schools and the Crisis Resource Center. Our substantial contribution to the Salvation Army’s back to school backpack program was very much appreciated. In keeping with our focus on children, we have agreed to adopt larger families for the Christmas basket program this year.
The Vision Team continues to work under the rubric of the Bishop’s handbook of “Effective Congregational Evangelism,” Jim Collins’ Good to Great, and Dan R. Dick’s Vital Signs: A Pathway to Congregational Wholeness. Who Stole My Church by Gordon MacDonald has been commended to the congregation.

In May the Church Council approved "Excellence in Children's Ministry" as our BHAG (Big Holy Audacious Goal). This supplements, but does not replace our mission of “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ.” The church continues the process of spreading lay leadership across all generations.

Our youth group, while small in number, is a very dedicated group of young people. This year we have begun doing more youth events at the district and conference levels which has brought excitement into the lives of our youth and inspired them to want to share that with others. The youth have shifted from a fellowship model to a discipleship model. Our work on starting a preschool in the church again has been postponed currently, as we could not find anyone to teach it and because the public school is looking into adding on additional pre-K classes in town. Jenny is currently serving on the Early Childhood task force in town, which is looking at early childhood education and childcare needs in the community. We had a very successful Vacation Bible School this year and we continue to host Movie Events almost monthly.

John regularly visits folks in the hospital. He has also been doing the monthly care home service at Asbury village.

With our new upgrades to our worship spaces with sound and screens, we have folks trained to run both the sound and the slides in both services. With the help of Tony Wood we continue to offer the most comprehensive and functional church website in Coffeyville.

Continuing Education 2008: John attended the Kansas Area Seminar on Professional Ministry. Jenny participated in a Webinar: “Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation” by Carol Howard Merritt. John and Jenny both attended the 2007-08 Sexual Ethics Quadrennial Training, and a workshop on Dismantling Racism by by Dr. Eliezer Valentin-Castanon of the General Commission on Religion and Race.

Continuing Education 2009: Our continuing education in 2009 will depend on what is available. We would like to participate in the “Good$ense Money Management” program. John plans to attend the Kansas Area Seminar on Professional Ministry.

No Taizé Worship Service Tonight

There will be no Taizé Worship Service Tonight because of the visitation for Doreatha Moon.

Voice of the Day: God has no Grandchildren

But at the same time the idea of "family" can take us in the wrong direction. As many preachers have said (I've heard it attributed to Billy Graham, among others), God has no grandchildren.

—N. T. Wright,
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, page 202.