First Presbyterian Church Sweetwater, Texas

December 2018

The mission of our church is to make disciples for Jesus Christ

Our vision is to be an oasis of God’s love.

To my friends and beloved church family at FPC, I offer

my sincere gratitude for your prayerful support of me

and my family as we journeyed through my surgery and

extended health concerns. Your cards with such

comforting words of support, your prayers, and acts of

kindness kept me confident of God’s healing mercies

even in the most difficult of days. As always you

exemplify all that Christ is calling us to be as community

for one another and I cherish you.

With heartfelt thanks,

Rev. Marie Mickey

Dates to Remember

2 First Sunday of Advent

Hoyt Place Worship ~ 9:00am-9:30am

Sunday School~ 9:45am

Worship~ 10:45am Reverse Offering

Communion Class of 2019~ Rev. Cathy Reed.

Gil Cherry will preach.

Christmas Program Practice

Kids through 6th grade~ 5:00pm-6:00pm

Older Youth~ 5:30pm-6:00pm

3 Christmas On The Square After the Parade 6:30pm

6 Over the Hill Bunch~11:30am~ Great Wall

Choir Practice~ 5:30pm

9 Second Sunday of Advent

Sunday School ~ 9:45am

Worship ~ 10:45am~Terrell Thompson

Christmas Program Practice

Kids through 6th grade~ 5:00pm-6:00pm

Older Youth~ 5:30pm-6:00pm

10 TSTC Nursing Pinning Ceremony~ 10:30am

13 Over the Hill Bunch~11:30am~ Golden Chick

Choir Practice~ 5:30pm

16 Third Sunday of Advent

Program Dress Rehearsal~ 9:30am

Sunday School~ 9:45am

Worship~ 10:45am

Children’s Christmas Program

Christmas Caroling~ 5:15pm~ Meet at Church

20 Over the Hill Bunch~11:30am~ Bigg’s

Choir Practice~ 5:30pm

23 Fourth Sunday of Advent

Sunday School~9:45am

Worship~ 10:45~ Alan Carmichael

24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service~6:00pm

Christmas Joy Offering

Church Office Closed

25 Merry Christmas~ Church Office Closed

27 Over the Hill Bunch~11:30am~ Dairy Queen

30 Sunday School~9:45am

Worship~ 10:45am~ Noisy Offering

The meal has been postponed to January.

Presbyterian Women and plarning have been

cancelled for December.

Advent Candle Lighting Dec. 2 – Sherie and Buddy Alldredge Dec. 9- Karen and Gary Brown Dec. 16- DeeAnne McFarland & Evalyn Bates Dec. 23- Doug Richards and Kallen Moody Dec. 24- Boo Nemir, Hilary Brennan, Caroline Brennan

1311 McCaulley Office hours: M ~ F, 9:00 am ~12:00pm website: www.fpcsweetwater.org

P. O. Box 956, Sweetwater, Texas 79556 325-235-5491 email: secfpc@att.net

Pastor: Rev. Marie Mickey 979-574-6348 email: mmickey290@gmail.com

Clerk of Session: Paula Carmichael Elder of the Month: Doug Richards

Applause Christmas Concert

Wayland Baptist University Choirs and band will present our APPLAUSE Series Christmas Special concert Sat Dec 1 at 7:30 PM, Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium. Student Art Show will be opened in the Henderson Gallery afterwards.

We will have a cookie and candy table at Christmas on the Square following the Christmas Parade on Monday, December 3rd.

We will need cookies or candy to hand out. If anyone would like to contribute, please deliver to the church by Sunday, December 2.

Anyone that would like to help at the table and give Merry Christmas wishes, please be at our table on the Square following the Christmas Parade which begins at 6:30 PM on December 3rd.

Christmas Caroling on December 16:

We need you! We need our choir, our children, and

other members of our congregation to join together

to Christmas carol to Hoyt Place and to other houses

who would like to hear us. Last year, we went to

Dorothy Richards and the Aycock’s. We will meet at

the church at 5:15 and head to Hoyt Place first. We

hope you can all join us.

2 Lou Ann Cumbie and Dennis Cumbie

9 Karen Brown and Gary Brown

16 DeeAnne McFarland and Doug Richards

23 Patty Gesin and Richard Gesin

30 Doug Richards and Donella Parker

3 Richard Smola

4 Max Nemir

6 Michelle Maxwell

Betty Staton

7 Anissa McCollom

8 Caroline Brennan

9 Justin Wilburn

12 Jessica Bond

20 Kristen Shirley Peters

22 Mason Bennett

25 James Parker

26 Robert Whitteker

Christmas Joy Offering

Christmas Eve Service

Monday Dec. 24 6:00pm

Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we turn our eyes to Bethlehem and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. By giving to the Christmas Joy Offering, you honor this gift by providing assistance to current and retired church workers in their time of need and developing our future leaders at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. Special Christmas Joy Offering envelopes will be located in the pews Christmas Eve and collected during the service.

Hoyt Place

We are excited to lead worship every

first Sunday of the month at Hoyt Place,

from 9:00-9:30 a.m. We will sing, and

hear the Word of God.

Come join us in this wonderful

Ministry of fellowship.

Stewardship - The Joy of Giving

2 Corinthians 9:7

Each man should give what he has in his heart to

give, not reluctantly decided or under compul-

sion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Giving to the causes of God’s Kingdom is always a

matter of the heart and is between the believer and

God. God desires a right attitude, not for us to feel co-

erced into giving.

Paul demonstrates two principles of giving in this

verse. First, what a person gives should be deliberate,

a matter of thought and planning. Second, we should

give cheerfully, being glad we have the ability and an

opportunity to give.

We are objects of God’s divine love and his unmerited

favor. We will never lose by doing that which pleases

God. The love and favor of God is better than anything

– even life itself.

Our Christmas program practices are

well underway! We are looking forward to a

great program on December 16 during worship.

Not only will we have the program this year, but

we have other special music planned for this

day. We are looking forward to performing for

our congregation.

December 2: Christmas program practice 5:00 - 6:00 All kids through 6th grade will practice from 5:00 - 6:00, with the older kids joining us 5:30-6:00.

December 9: Christmas program practice 5:00 - 6:00 All kids through 6th grade will practice from 5:00 - 6:00, with the older kids joining us 5:30-6:00.

December 16: 9:30 am Meet upstairs to get your costume on (parents please help with this), then head to the sanctuary for the Christmas Program Dress Rehearsal 10:45 Christmas program 5:15 pm Christmas caroling with our congregation and church choir to Hoyt Place and to anyone else who would like to enjoy some Christmas cheer.

First Presbyterian Church Financial Report

2018 Budget $145,830.67 Needed Monthly $ 12,152.55

Month Plate & Pledge Expenses January $ 7,455.00 $11,463.36 February $ 7,677.00 $ 8,304.63 March $ 8,853.00 $ 7,696.69 April $17,450.00 $10,222.84 May $15,845.00 $ 8,299.26 June $17,201.00 $ 7,016.94 July $ 8,692.00 $11,951.80 August $ 7,328.00 $ 7,813.04 September $13,262.75 $ 9,246.60 October $13,572.02 $ 9,593.43

Received Year to Date $117,335.77 Over (Under) Budget $ (4,184.23)

Noisy Offering Designated toward the Ministerial

Alliance Received Year to Date $ 1030.30 -----------------------------------------------

Food Pantry Designated to Nolan County Food Pantry Received Year to Date $1009.00

November Activities

Rev. Cathy Ludlum Reed performed baptism of

Alice Zoe Dawn, daughter of

Dorian and Amy Westacott.

Worship Sunday November 18

Sarah and Tony Lara

Preparing for Christmas Program

Fellowship Hall Renovation is complete!