December 1, 2013 Volume 7 Issue 12

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Go WEST - Welcome, Equip, Serve, Transform

Worship

8:30 a.m. - Classic

11:00 a.m. - Contemporary

Sunday School 9:45 a.m.

Visit us on the Web www.coutsmethodistchurch.com

802 North Elm

Weatherford, Texas 76086

817-599-8601

Church Office Hours

Monday - Thursday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Fridays

8:00 a.m. - Noon

Sr. Pastor - Ed George

A Service for Children / Youth

and Their Families

7:00 p.m.

December 24th

Christmas Eve ServicesChristmas Eve ServicesChristmas Eve Services Tuesday, December 24Tuesday, December 24Tuesday, December 24

5:00 p.m.

Lessons & Carols

Candlelight/Communion

7:00 p.m.

A Service for

Children/Youth and

their families

5:00 pm

7:00pm

11:00 p.m.

Contemporary Candlelight/ Communion

11:00 pm

Couts’ Pastoral Team

Page 2

A letter from Bishop Mike Low-

ry and Dr. Randy Wild,

Dear Couts Memorial UMC

Members,

Greetings in the name of Christ!

The Central Texas Conference

has a new hope, a new vision,

and a new enthusiasm. That ex-

citement about ministry is conta-

gious. Congratulations on remit-

ting 100% of your connectional

mission giving (CMG) partner-

ship share (apportionments). By

doing so, you have said:

We want to be a significant

part of what Christ is doing

in our midst.

We want to share in the help

that people receive when fac-

ing a natural disaster-whether

it be a flood in the mid-west,

a hurricane that tears up the

Eastern coastline, an earth-

quake in Haiti, or a Tsunami

in Asia.

We will support creative/

innovative local church min-

istries that transform lives for

Christ.

We want to support estab-

lishing “new places for new

people” (new church starts)

wherever those new places

We want to assist in eliminat-

ing killer diseases and poverty

that needlessly inflict suffer-

ing.

We will insure that children

will know “Jesus loves me.”

These are just a few of the many

ministries that your connectional

mission giving dollars have ac-

complished in 2012.

We write this letter to let you

know that your faithful and gen-

erous response as a community of

faith is appreciated and not taken

for granted. We know what it

takes to live out the Christian wit-

ness as a United Methodist pres-

ence in your community, and we

want to thank you for the positive

differences you have made as you

make disciples of Jesus Christ for

the transformation of the world.

Yours in Christ,

Mike Lowry

Resident Bishop CTC

Dr. Randy Wild

Executive Director

Center for Mission Support

Bishop Mike Lowry

Dr. Randy Wild

Pastor Ed George

December 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Rod

Len

Georgia

Rod

Len

HEWLETT-

With Advent and Christmas upon

us, we are excited to be sharing a

Children/Youth-led worship ser-

vice December 15th at 11am (no

early service this day), and also a

Family Christmas Eve service on

December 24th at 7pm. Please

join us as our Children and Youth

share the Good News of Christ! Caption describing picture or graphic.

Kids Care

Our children are teaming up with

other groups in the church to

help families in need. Please

consider donating money to help

these families experience the joy

of Christmas. Child-decorated

envelopes are available.

Volunteers Needed We want to make sure our kids know they

are loved, cared for, and safe within our

church, and so we are asking for adult volun-

teers to come have fun with us, get to know

our kids, and provide extra eyes, ears, hands,

and feet. Volunteers can be any number of

things, including teachers, drivers, listeners,

snack-preparers, game-time referees, behind

the scene prayers, and just extra people!

Please let me know if you are available to

help!

Some volunteer options and times:

Sunday mornings: Teachers, teachers’ helpers, substitutes, nursery volunteers, greeters,

KidCheck helper, snack suppliers, (Helpers during 2nd service), extra help! (mostly 9:30-

10:45 and/or 11:15-12)

Wednesday afternoon: Drivers/riders for after school, Adults to help with gym play and/or

crafts, adults to help with snacks, adults to help watch doors, Substitutes, help with

Wednesday evenings during adult Bible Studies, extra help! (KidZone 3-5, school pick-up

3-3:30, evening 6:30-8ish).

KidZone

Advent

Wed.

December 4th

KidZone

Happy

Birthday

Jesus Party!

Wed.

December 11th

No KidZone 12/18

12/25

1/1

Sunday School Every Sunday!

9:45-10:45

Children/Youth Advent

Service

December 15

@11am

Family Christmas Eve

Service

December 24

@7pm

At a Glance

Worship With Us!

Couts Kidz

COUTS KIDZ December 2013

Page 4

Page 3

Questions? Comments? Need directions to Kansas City? Email Jon at jon@coutsumc.org

December 2013

This Christmas, Couts UMC Youth is spon-

soring a local child. On Sunday, Dec 8, we

will go shopping as a group for gifts. We

are asking each youth to bring $10 for

shopping--and if the money is not feasible,

we will find another way to serve. We will

meet at Couts at 4p and head to Target for

shopping. We will return to Couts around

6p to eat dinner together. Parent pickup is

at 7p at Couts.

This Advent, our Youth Sunday School is doing a 5-week Advent study, "A Differ-ent Kind of Christmas," by Mike Slaugh-ter. Youth Sunday School meets every Sunday morning at 9:45a in the Youth Room across from the Fellowship Hall. We hope to see you there!

In order to raise funds for

CTCYM Summer Mission,

Couts UMC Youth is hosting a

Valentine's Day Dinner. The

dinner will be on Friday, Feb

14. Keep an eye on our news-

letter for more info.

Are you on our email list? Do you want to be? Let Jon

know, or go to the Couts UMC Youth Facebook page to

sign up through Mail Chimp!

Mid-Winter Camp is

Feb 8-9.

Let Jon

know if

you want

to go.

December 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Blood Drive

9am - 1pm

Center of Hope - 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Jr. League

Coaches

7:30 NSBC

Jr. League

Coaches

9 am NSBC

Last Kidzone

Until Jan 8th New Vision SS

Class Party

6:00 p.m.

Fellowship Hall

One Service -

11:00

Children’s &

Youth Advent

Service

Pathfinder’s

Christmas Party

at Ragsdales

Merry

Christmas

Christmas Eve

Services

5 pm

7 pm

11 pm

Christmas Eve Services

5:00 p.m. - Lessons and Carols

(Candlelight Communion)

7:00 p.m. - Service for Children

& their families

11:00 p.m. - Contemporary Christmas

(Candlelight/Communion)

UMW -

Christmas

Lunch at

Dorothy

Reynolds

11:30 a.m.

Page 5

One Service -

11:00

Church Office Closed

Church

Office

Closed

Blue Christmas

Gathering

7:00 p.m.

Parlor

Blue Christmas

Gathering

7:00 p.m.

Parlor

Blue Christmas

Gathering

7:00 p.m.

Parlor

10 am Primetimers

Christmas Party

Couts Center of Hope Week

December 2nd - 5th

As an outreach to our community,

Couts will host the Center of Hope

December 2nd - 5th. We provide

food for each of the four days and

have the privilege of serving the

clients and praying with them if they

desire. If you can provide food for one

of the days or if you would be willing to

help serve, please contact Tonya

Sosebee or Barbara Vanhoozer. Sign up

sheets will be available in the Welcome

Center.

American Red Cross

Blood Drive

Sunday, December 1, 2013

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Children & Youth Advent Service

ONE SERVICE ONLY - December 15th

Come and support our Youth and Children as they lead us in

Worship in a single service on Sunday, December 15th at 11:00.

Sunday School will take place for all ages

at the normal time - 9:45 a.m.

There will be no 8:30 Service.

One Worship Service

Sunday, December 29th / 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School / 9:45 a.m.

Join us for the final Sunday of the Year,

December 29th for a single service and a time

to sing Christmas Carols. It will be an

“Acoustic Sunday” (guitar and keyboard)

On Sunday morning, December 1st,

we will have an opportunity to give

“life” to others by giving blood at the

American Red Cross Blood Drive.

It will take place in the Fellowship

Hall starting at 9:00 a.m. and will last

until 1:00 p.m.

Christmas with the Primetimers

Wednesday Dec. 11th 10am

Join the fun as we share the “ Christmas Story” featuring a Live Nativity.

All Primetimers 50+ are welcome

We will meet in the Fellowship Hall.

White elephant gift for exchange.

Please bring a dish to share.

Page 6

Blue Christmas Gatherings

“It’s the most wonderful time, of the year…” or so goes the holiday classic. For those who have lost a loved one; however, it can

be a challenging time at best and an especially painful or difficult time at worst. While many of your acquaintances and friends

are going home to visit family, or out shopping in all the hustle and bustle, you may see nothing but painful reminders of the

person who is no longer there with you. All is not lost. There are several healing and healthy ways to help comfort and ease the

pain and difficulty during the holiday season. One of the most powerful ways we have available is to give voice to our stories in

a safe and caring settings. I learned some time ago that when another person tells her story and I hear my own story, God be-

gins to heal both of us. Because I know that Christ promises comfort to those who mourn and that more often than not

Christ does that through people, I will be hosting three Blue Christmas Gatherings in the Couts Chapel at 7:00pm on Monday,

December 9, 16, 23. The Gatherings will be conversational in nature, provide you with resources to use on when you leave,

open to the public and FREE.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call at 817-223-8218.

Pastor ED

Jr. League Basketball

For 35 years Couts has been a

part of an ecumenically supported

basketball league where children

can learn how to play a game in a

non-threatening environment

where fellowship and fun is en-

couraged over competition.

Approximately 500 children be-

tween the ages of 6 through 6th

grade will spend their Saturday’s

playing basketball in the gyms of

one of the 5 participating churches.

Pat Noe is the Couts gym monitor

and will oversee all of the aspects

of the league which starts the first

week of January and goes through

the first week in March.

You are welcome to stop by any

Saturday and be a part of this awe-

some church basketball program.

Dear Couts UMC,

On behalf of the Wesley Foundation and the students

of Weatherford College, we’d like to say thank you

from the bottom of our hearts for the gift of the picnic

tables! Thank you for caring about, and giving your

time and hard work to this ministry. We are so

blessed and grateful for hearts like yours. Praise be

to God for the amazing work God has done, and will

continue to do, through the wonderful people of

Couts UMC. Thank You!

The Wesley Foundation

Thank you to James Williams and Bobby Curry for building

two picnic tables for the Wesley Foundation. These tables

were like those that were build this summer on the Mission

Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed in

some way towards the effort on the Philippines. As of

last Sunday, Couts has given over $2,000.00 to this

effort. We are still accepting donations. Please indi-

cate on your check memo line whether your contribu-

tion is going to UMCOR, EOE Ministries or Kids

Against Hunger, Parker County. I appreciate Curtis

Nager, Chairman of our Outreach Mission Team, for

his leadership in this area.

In Christ,

Pastor Ed George

Page 7

Ted and Dovie Barber

Mason Collier

Dana Cowley - liver cancer - Anthony

Whitfield’s cousin

Dan Davis - brain tumor

Claudine Devoll - double knee replacement

Carrie Hays family

Rusty Justice - Radiation and Chemo

Raegan Madoerin

Danice Mainard

Phillip Montgomery - broken leg recovery

Billie Murrell

Raylene Poteet

Phebe Vidaurri - surgery on 10-22-2013

Marie White - rehab at College Park Rehab

Brad Bishop

Billy Burris

Janey Collier

Matt Couch

Warren Crouch

Claudine Devoll

Will Dowd

Kristen Elliot

Derek Geyer

Michael Gilliam

Jeff Johnson

Cory Jones

Blake Hubbard

Mike Hebert

Hunter Hiett - Afghanistan

Kali Yarnell Lussier

Garrett Mitchell

Matthew Mitchell - Afghanistan

Dean Newman

Gary Neal

Matthew Ross

Marion Tolin Family - services

Doug Yarnell

Cody Williams

Go Welcome, Equip, Serve, Transform

W E ’ R E O N T HE W E B - V I S I T U S

W W W . C OU T S M E T HOD I S T C HU R C H . C OM

Prayer Concerns Our Military December Birthdays

December 1

Katie Mitchell

December 3

Renerle Thompson

December 4

Lacy Johnson

December 6

John Coleman

Justin Chism

Cindy Ross

December 7

Gloria Black

December 8

Carrie Bridges

December 10

Pat Holt

December 14

Paul McAdams

December 15

Brandy Hallman

December 16

Sabrina Johnson

Couts Methodist Church

802 North Elm

Weatherford, Texas 76086

Our Homebound Members

Allene Bielss Carrie Bridges

Beulah Clark Mary Ann Cox

Arlene Ford Cloy Holloway

Billie Murrell Arlene Padilla

Evelyn Sullivan Marie White

Page 8

December 17

Dennis Watters

Jenny Garrett

December 19

Janey Collier

Wyatt Worsham

Billie Murrell

December 22

Eliza Utley

Karri Roberts

Kaleigh Parker

December 24

Jan Moore

Julie Laughlin

December 28

Joy Allman

Russell Polvado

December 29

Allen Taylor

Faith Coleman

Paula Pendergrass

December 30

Rodger Johnson