NOVEMBER 15, 2018

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Bishop McKee was at Wesley Sunday evening to meet with our East District Churches. Wesley, we did an amazing ministry hosting, with approximately 25 people volunteering to greet, usher, provide refreshments and serve Communion. A particular word of thanks to our Board Chair Pete Haayen for rallying everyone and ensuring Christian Hospitality was extended to all. Our staff team did an amazing job: Thank you to Judy London (Visual Media) for working out several last minute changes, to Natalie Pegg for creating effective signage to guide people and helping Judy. Thank you to Brock Johnson for leading worship. Chris Bullock and Al Cope did an amazing job providing worshipful music.

A component of Bishop McKee’s address served as a word of encouragement and caution. He told the story of a person who was on a soul journey and one day stumbled upon a stream of clear, crisp Living Water. It was so good he decided to build a house right next to it. As others came to the living water and enjoyed the house, they decided to build a fence around it to protect it. Once a fence was built, in short order they put in a gate. If you have a gate, well you have to have a gatekeeper to regulate who comes in and who stays out. Next thing you know, the living water dried up, but the well regulated house, fence and gate (with gatekeeper) became an institution unto itself… this was not at all what our pilgrim was seeking or seeking to have happen, so he walked on, looking for living water again. Our pilgrim again finds a stream of living water. He builds a house to welcome people so they too may have the living water. These folks decide to build a fence to protect the house. Then they install a gate and as we all know, a gate must have a gatekeeper. Once again the pilgrim saw the living water dry up but the late comers, so enamored with the house, fence and who was going to control the gate simply, institutionalized the whole lot ignoring why it was built in the first place. Again the pilgrim sets to the road in search of more living water. He finds a stream of ____ _______, and decides to build a ______. Others come and decide to protect the house so they build a _______. Every fence needs a _____. Every gate needs a __________ to decide who goes in and out… I hope you see the pattern.

The encouragement of our Bishop was for us to never stop searching for living water. When we find the living water, it is good to build a house nearby. But the day we decide to “protect” our house, to keep people away from the living water- once we establish a gatekeeping system which keeps even the thirstiest and most needy at bay-somehow the Living Water of God stops flowing. Our job as the faithful church, placed here to offer the living water we have been given, is not to protect what we have. It is to freely give Living Water, trusting God to provide more as needed without fear of running out or danger of who may come.

Our mission is to Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.

A Thanksgiving PrayerGod who loves us, who deserves our gratitude for so much that is good,

We offer our prayers of thanksgiving to you:

For the beauty of the earth — bright orange leaves mixed with green, a gentle rain, a spider’s delicate web.

For friends, for family, even acquaintances who offer us kindness, who bring us laughter, who hold us to a higher standard.

Lord of all that is good and nourishing to our well being, we give you thanks.

How we must try your patience with our pettiness!

All of life is a wonder. The very breath we take, the ability to rouse ourselves each new day, a single blade of grass that holds such miracles of symmetry, a tiny distant star whose real size boggles our minds.

We take our lives for granted — as if it were our right, and not our gift.

We take our days and our loves and our passions for granted — as if tomorrow will verify their importance and our present moments have other things to occupy us.

Gracious God, who lavishes goodness upon us even in some of our darkest moments, help us to see your goodness, remind us to have grateful hearts, give us receptive minds, and grant us ever-gracious ways of living in harmony with each other.

And in our gratitude, make us to be instruments of your peace. Amen.

Rev. Linda McDermott, First UMC Fort Worth

CANDLELIGHT CONCERT Join the JOY group for dinner and music. Thursday, November 29th. Dinner at Luigi’s followed by Christmas Candlelight Concert at TAMUC featuring Dr. Brock Johnson. Bus leaves at approx 4:45pm. Order from limited menu ($10-20 per person). Return time around 9-9:30pm. Sign up at the church office.

HUNT COUNTY CLOTHE-A-CHILD Thank you for the support of the Hunt County Clothe-A-Child. Shopping days with the children are scheduled for December 4th & 5th at Walmart. For volunteering information, please contact Phyllis Lytle 903.456.2803.

MESSIAH SING-A-LONG Celebrate the First Sunday of Advent with Dr. Brock Johnson and special guests soloists and instrumentalists for the Messiah Community Sing-A-Long. Bring your friends and neighbors to enjoy this timeless treasure of Christmas. Program starts at 2pm with holiday refreshments after.

GOD’S MOB Jeff and the Youth are super excited for this years God’s MOB (Mission In Our Backyard). This chosen weekend (December 14 - 16) is packed full of community outreach with the families of Carver Elementary. A Christmas party with food, gingerbread house making and a visit from Santa are a few of the events planned.

WESLEY WORKOUT Keep wellness a priority. Join us for our workout program. Stretch and Tone classes are Monday & Wednesdays at 9:30am. Chair Yoga on Fridays at 9:30am. All classes meet in mtg rooms 1 & 2 with a class fee of $1. WW schedule for the remainder of 2018: No class the weeks of November 19 & 26. Regular class schedule the weeks of December 3 &10. Christmas break December 17 through January 4. Classes resume January 7.

FINANCIALS Income as of 11/13 - $28,220.75 Attendance: 10/28:344, 11/4: 377, 11/11:318 Capital Campaign: Received $720,506.05 (87%)

GAME DAY Who knows what the weather will bring outside so come on up for game day! Bridge group meets in meeting rooms 1 & 2. Mexican Train Dominoes and Mahjong groups meet in meeting room 4. Upcoming Game Days: Thursday, Nov 15th: Mahjong @ 12:30pm Tuesday, Nov 20th: Bridge @ 12:30pm and Dominoes @ 1pm

KNIT & CROCHET GROUP Join the group to work on your yarn project in the company of other crafters. Susan Wilson is available for instructions. Mondays 1-3pm, Tuesdays 6-8pm and Fridays 10am-3pm.

WAYS TO TITHE In addition to traditional ways to tithing, at Wesley you can Tithe by Text (send amout to 903-201-1549) or through SecureGive at the kiosk in the narthex.

SHARE THE WARMTH COAT DRIVE Coat Drive for the children of Carver Elementary. Donations appreciated of new and gently used coats, boys and girls styles, all sizes. Collection bins located in the Welcome Centers.

CHRISTMAS MARKET The first Wesley Christmas Market is almost here. Christmas volunteering is the ultimate way to give back and hark the true spirit of the holiday. Volunteers needed for set up, during and tear down of the Christmas Market. Sign up this weekend in the narthex or contact Kevin Banks 407.716.8339 for more information.

JOY LUNCH BUNCH With the hustle of the holidays, Lunch Bunch will resume in January. Watch for information on exciting outings in 2019 and a few yet in 2018!

SAVE THE DATE Mark your calendar! In addition to our weekly scheduled events, there is alot going on! November 18: Membership Sunday November 25: Hanging of the Greens November 29: Dinner & Music Outing November 30: Wesley Christmas Market December 1: Wesley Christmas Market December 2: Messiah Sing Along December 9: Unwrapping Advent December 11: Supremes December 14: God’s MOB Weekend December 15: Follow the Star Rehearsal/Party December 16: Follow the Star Children’s December 20: Christmas Caroling December 23: Chancel Cantata December 24: Christmas Eve Children’s December 24: Christmas Eve Candlelight December 30: One Wesley & Blessing of the Toys

We honor

and

remember...

Gifted to the JOY Group In honor of Forrest Kennedy by Forrest & Pat Kennedy In honor of Chuck Allen by Forrest & Pat Kennedy

Gifted to the General Operating Fund In memory of Wendall Crom by Ann Pippen In memory of Peggy Rucker by Ann Pippen

Gifted to the Youth Fund In honor of Forrest Kennedy by John Martyn In honor of Jeff Cullen by Bill & Chiquita Weideman

Gifted to Hunt County Clothe-A-Child In memory of Marilyn DeCeasar by the Horizon Class

It’s Beginning to Look alot like Christmas

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