December 2021 Issue

Please find attached to this newsletter email a printable version of the calendar of events for December.

Present & Pliable.....

Revive, Renew, & Reach

Hey Friends!  It is exciting to begin the Advent season with the St. Paul’s family.  Amy and I pray for you all to have an amazing Christmas holiday.  Instead of our normal Pastor’s letter to the congregation, I thought I should share the content of the Pastor’s Report I wrote for our upcoming Church Conference on December 5 2021 at 2:00 pm.  This is an open meeting and I welcome you to join us in the Sanctuary.  We will host Harper and Barnett Chapel UMC’s. 

I was introduced as the Sr. Pastor at St. Paul’s UMC in March and my first week in the pulpit was June 27, 2021.  We had planned for a time of quiet prayer in the sanctuary the following morning to listen for God.  We continue to meet monthly for Mid-Week Prayer. Prayer with God will set the tone and mission of this congregation. I believe God will guide us.

The challenges of COVID-19 continue to demonstrate our need follow God’s guidance to “love thy neighbor,” communicate and be flexible.  We began “listening meetings” in the Fellowship Hall in July.  I learned about where we have been, more of character of this congregation, and the hope for the future.  We also had committed discussions about how to move forward in ministry with the neighborhood and beyond.  We continue these discussions monthly during, “Coffee with the Pastor.”

I immediately set out to meet with ministry leaders and staff, one-on-one.  I wanted to hear their point of view and where God calls them in ministry.  We made some slow and intentional changes to the order of worship and some improvements to the audio / visual aspects of the service for those participating from outside the church.  Within 2 months, we had ordered new headsets for those who are in need within the sanctuary. 

This congregation was already serving the community at the Dietert Center, Christian Assistance Ministries, and Hill Country Youth Ranch.  We have also created volunteer or donor relationships with charities listed above, we have been volunteering at Light in the Hill, the Doyle Center, and the Hill Country Crisis Center.  Our entire Christmas Eve offering will be donated to 4 community charities. 

A challenge for our church has been staffing the open program director position.  After listening to the needs of the congregation, the SPRC decided to reassess the position in the middle of 2022.  For the time being, we have essentially outsourced the position to the local charities we serve, allowing them to do the organizing.  We also asked our education committee to become more active in researching curriculum and equipping small group facilitators.  We believe these steps will help us to “right size” our staff for the future needs of our congregation.  In the past few months, we have expanded the offerings for Sunday school and started a mid-week Bible study, all led by laity. 

Our congregation has an amazing music program which we will feature during the season of advent.  It is amazing how our music team comes together to allow our congregation to experience God in worship.  We have also restarted our Care Team, doing awesome ministry with the home bound or those in nursing homes.  They deliver communion, cards of support, devotionals, a CD of the past weeks service, and flowers from the chancel to ~10 people each week. Pastoral care has also been amazing as I have continued to involve laity, whenever I meet with elderly or injured members to take them communion.

In 2022, we hope to offer something unique to the community, “Spring Break VBS.”  In partnership with the Doyle Center and Barnett Chapel UMC, we seek God’s guidance for this ministry and believe we will be able to serve ~60 children.  In vision casting for the future, I have adopted the idea of “Revive, Renew, & Reach” with our congregation.  To involve the congregation in the process and in ministry.  To turn this loving congregation loose to serve the Kingdom of God.  

Grace & Peace – Pastor Glenn     

The Charge Conference will be held this Sunday, December 5 at 2:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.
Everyone is welcome to attend!

Please join us Sunday,
December 5 to hear the
 Chancel Bell Choir
perform during the service.
 

This year's Christmas Cantata performed by St. Paul's Chancel Choir is "The Seven Noels, Songs to Light the World" by Pepper Choplin.

Be sure to join us for the music filled worship service.

When: Sunday, December 12th at 10:30 am
Where: St. Paul's UMC Sanctuary

Also on Livestream.

Coffee With The Pastor

Monthly on the third Wednesday at 10:00 in the parlor. Next meeting is on December 15.  There is no agenda, just a time of welcome and hospitality.
Open to the congregation & would love for those who are new or returning
to come and enjoy.

 Dawn and Denny Menck have been busy visiting and making beautiful bouquets for the home bound. 
We are so glad to have them back!    
Also joining the Care Givers team is Lynette Wedig.  She will be sending handwritten letters to the home bound.  Thank you to the entire
Care Giver Team for your weekly visits and flower deliveries!

DECEMBER ALTAR RAIL MISSION EMPHASIS   

      Founded in 1890, Methodist Children’s Home serves children and youth through residential programs on the Waco campus and MCH Boys Ranch, and through transition services, foster care and a variety of community based programs throughout Texas and New Mexico. We fulfill our mission through the generosity and support of benefactors, not through church apportionment.

Thank you for supporting this important mission!

                          Mustard Seed Ministries

In partnership with Kerrville FUMC, St. Paul’s has been a part of the Mustard Seed ministries helping to provide food for low-income Kerrville and Ingram residents. We would love to have you join us on Mondays at 9:30 am for “Power Hour.”

On the last Monday of each month at 9:00 am, we volunteer for “Mega Food” where families receive about 100 pounds of fresh, dry, & canned goods. St. Paul’s volunteers gather at Light on the Hill (Mt. Wesley). If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please contact the church office: 830-895-2212.

The HILL COUNTRY CHORALE will greet the Christmas season early with their concert of pop and classical, secular and sacred music SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4^TH, 4 P.M. at the Kroc Center, 201 Holdsworth Drive.  The program will include a cello solo of “O, Holy Night” by Mark Nugent, a vocal duet by Kierin Johnson and LouAnne Smith, “Child of the Poor,” and Clarinetist Diane Roberts will play “Sing We Now of Christmas/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”  Tickets are $15 at the door.  Children 12 and under are free.

 Our Christmas Eve Service will be Friday, December 24, at 5:30pm. 
Please join us as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!

 

Merry Christmas!

I find myself continually saying THANK YOU to Skipper Lister for stepping up when I cannot be there! If is wasn't for his willingness to step in, we might not have the A/V technology you see on Sunday in the Sanctuary and online.

With that being said, please let Skipper or myself know if you know of anyone who would be interested in helping out on certain Sundays so I can be absent for illness, emergency or vacations.  They will be compensated. Ideally, I would like to have an A/V team put together that could rotate through on Sundays, but we are just looking for 1-2 people willing to learn. Please pray about this opportunity and let us know if you (or someone you know) is interested in learning.

Again, thank you Skipper! You have been a true blessing to come in out of your comfort zone to help me out.

I am still working on the website restore! I know not everything is back to 100% but I am working on it. Please let me know if you see anything I have missed.

Equipment updates: 
I am currently reviewing proposals for updating our streaming equipment, new projectors for the sanctuary and a couple of new office computers. I hope to have new computers in place by the first of the year and hope to at least have us on installation appointment lists for upgrades for projectors and streaming equipment before the end of the year. 

Advent is a busy season for everyone and I hope to see everyone each week!!!

Be Blessed!
Judy Phillips
Technology Coordinator

Online Giving!

This is a fast, easy and secure way to make contributions to the church. The website is partnered with PayPal to provide a secure checkout process and protect your information.
The link to the Giving Online form is found on the Home page of our website.  We are charged a small processing fee which you have the option to help us cover with your contribution. This is completely optional, however, please be aware if you choose not to help cover the processing fee, the amount that the church receives your contribution less the amount of the processing fees.
Example: a $20 contribution has a $0.91 processing fee. If you choose not to cover this, then what the church will receive is $19.09.

          Doug & Sandy Wilbourn        12/20
       Doc & Carol Pope                  12/21
       Justin & Kelly Bridgeman       12/21

  VISIT YOUR LIBRARY

By: Rosalie Pinson

With this special season of Advent, remember to prepare to receive
the Christ Child into our busy and weary lives.
Jesus is indeed the Reason for the Season!

Your St. Paul's Library has these books and DVDs in our Christmas collection to help you slow down and reflect.

Books:

The Star of Bethlehem - Jeanne K. Hanson

The Reader's Digest Book of Christmas

The Drama of Christmas - Morton Kelsey

One Incredible Moment - Max Lucado

The Nativity Collection - Robert J. Morgan

The Journey - Adam Hamilton

Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmas Time - Judy Christie

The Power of Christmas Prayer - Stormie Omartian

A Homecoming Christmas - Bill and Gloria Gaither

Trees of Christmas - National Wildlife Federation

Christmas Stories From Around the World - J. Laurence Driskill

Magi - Daniel L. Gilbert

Shepherds Abiding - Jan Karon

DVDs:

Nativity: The Art and Spirit of the Créche

The Miracle on 34th Street

The Nativity Story

Jesus of Nazareth

It's a Wonderful Life

Merry Christmas, and remember, it's "Happy Birthday, Jesus!"

St. Paul's Library is staffed Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. until noon, and is open on Sunday mornings.
If it is locked, please ask someone in the church office to open it for you.

Local Ministries We Support Year-Round

Christian Assistance Ministries (C.A.M.)
We are currently in need of jackets & blankets. Men's outdoor clothing & shoes,
plus kids & young peoples clothes are needed. Sorry we cannot accept homemade items. 
You may drop these off in the CAM box in the Fellowship Hall.

For more information found in this newsletter or on our
calendar of events please visit our website at www.spumctx.org
You can also find links to to upcoming Sunday Live Streams and much more!Find us on Facebook! @StPaulsUMCKerrville