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“In GOD we trust!”
Grace Notes
Office: 904-829-8272 Fax 904-829-8201
8 Carrera Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: gracestaugustine.org
Our Mission Statement:
“Help people find life in Jesus Christ.”
DECEMBER 2015 STAFF:
Revs. David & Carolyn Williamson, Co-Lead Pastors Rev. James Walker, Associate Pastor
Peggy Namie, Office Administrator Nataliya Birmingham, Church Treasurer
Mike Sanflippo, Music Director Robert Meade, Organist
Mackenzie Taylor, Choral Intern Rebecca Woods, Choral Intern
Jason Forrest, Contemporary Music Director
Zach Grant, Youth Minister Martha Yamnitz, Children’s Director
Amanda Richter, Nursery Attendant Supervisor
Theresa Braxton, Nursery Attendant Jessica Newell, Nursery Attendant
Brian Bowman, Custodian Barbara McColskey, Deaf Interpreter
Mildred Thomas, Audiovisual Tech—Volunteer Lanny Linn, Head Usher—Volunteer
Grace United Methodist Church
8 Carrera Street
St. Augustine, FL 32084
OUR DECEMBER MISSION OFFERING — UNITED METHODIST VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION
*Please use your mission envelope when giving.
Printed copies of Grace Notes & the monthly calendar are available at the church
or via mail (upon request). You may also view the newsletter at gracestaugustine.org .
TWELVE REASONS I LOVE GRACE CHURCH
Pastor Dave Williamson
It’s the twelfth month! So here’s twelve reasons I love Grace Church. It was hard to just
pick twelve! Maybe this will inspire you to make your own list.
I love that groups of people gather to sing hymns together with folks who are in the nursing
home, rehab center or unable to leave home.
I love that people pray through the sanctuary for the people who will gather there prior to wor-
ship on Sunday morning.
I love that friends with special needs are not only welcome at Grace, but are the reason some
folks have experienced God and have chosen to make Grace Church their home.
I love that all the prayer concerns shared in worship get prayed over on Tuesday mornings and
cards get sent out to those being prayed for when possible.
I love that my daughter has so many wonderful “spiritual grandparents,” great examples of Je-
sus followers, as well as friends in faith her age.
I love that Grace church has opened his doors and wallet to support the beginnings of a United
Methodist Campus ministry at Flagler College.
I love that someone who is homeless feels welcome to worship at Grace.
I love that a homemade meal is made every third Friday and the homeless are welcomed to eat
it.
I love that the children’s ministry is growing and that children are leading the church with their
gifts of joy, presence and inspiring generosity (17 llamas for Heifer Project!).
I love that you can come to worship and meet the Lord using both traditional and modern ele-
ments.
I love that the first woman ordained in the Florida Conference United Methodist Church grew
up and was supported by Grace Church.
I love that I get to be one of the pastors of such a great church that wants to help people
meet, follow and live like Jesus!
THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH
The purpose of the church is to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world. Grace UMC
is a place where this is happening! Children and youth are being discipled, the least and the lost are be-
ing fed and cared for, the sick are being prayed for, new people are finding a home at Grace, and all are
offered a place to worship, grow and serve. A way you can continue to help make this happen is through
your end of the year giving. There are a number of ways to accomplish our need to give, especially at
year-end, when many people are carefully planning their giving in light of tax law and government pro-
grams. Here are the “nuts and bolts” of a few of them.
Gifts of cash
If you made a pledge for calendar year 2015 and your economic situation allows, please consider paying
your pledge in full by the end of the year. No matter your income level, if you itemize deductions on
your tax return, you will receive a tax deduction for your gift.
You may also consider pre-paying all or a portion of your 2016 pledge before the end of 2015, depend-
ing on your own cash flow and deduction situation. Consult with your financial or tax advisor to deter-
mine what’s best for you.
Gifts of appreciated securities
Gifts of appreciated securities (shares of individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds) are very attractive tax-
wise. If you give appreciated securities to your church, not only do you receive an income tax deduction
for the full value of your gift, but you also avoid the capital gains tax were you to have sold the securi-
ties yourself. When you give stock to the church, the church sells it tax-free and receives the full value
of the gift. If you own stock that has gone down in value you may be able to sell the stock, make a gift
from the cash proceeds to your church and apply the realized loss on your 2015 tax return. Again,
check with your financial advisor before making any securities gifts or transactions to see which strate-
gies are best.
Gifts from your IRA
Congress has yet to act on the current IRA Charitable Rollover provision, and given the political climate
in Washington, it is unclear whether legislators will do so in 2015. In past years, legislation was passed
very late in the year, but made retroactive to Jan. 1.
If Congress does act, here’s how the provision is expected to work: if you are 70 and a half or older and
must take an annual minimum required distribution from your traditional IRA, you may roll over up to
$100,000 to your church without recognizing the rollover as income, effectively making it a tax-free
charitable transfer. In order to qualify, the funds must not pass through your hands. Instead, your IRA
trustee must send the funds directly to your church or other qualified charity.
We appreciate your gifts to Grace to help make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world!
From the GUMC Staff
REPORTING FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER -
DINING WITH DIGNITY OCTOBER — Served 91
General Fund
Needed through October $ 572,201
Received through October $ 547,754
Mission Offerings:
Children’s Home $ 3,760
Cuba $ 2,944
Imagine No Malaria $ 2,096
Transportation $ 1,481
The Florida Conference $ 1,113
STOP Hunger Now $ 1,462
VBS Llama $ 2,550
Children’s Special Events $ 295
Alpha Omega Home/
St. Gerard house
$ 1,090
Council on Aging $ 1,031
CCW $ 910
St. Francis House $ 807
Capital Fund
Needed through October $ 32,121
Received through October $ 21,184
PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW FOR...
FACILITY/ROOM USAGE:
Please check in with the church office/Peggy
when planning an event or meeting so that it
can be placed on the “Church Calendar” and
to make sure that there are no conflicts. That
also enables arrangements for parking to be
made in advance.
KITCHEN USAGE: For all groups that plan to
use the kitchen, you need to check in with
the church office/Peggy before hand. You
will need to meet with her prior to using
kitchen equipment/appliances to make sure
that you are familiar with the proper usage of
each. This will help to avoid mishaps and
prolong the life of the kitchen equipment.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated!
“IN NEED OF REPAIR” SHEET
This is located on the bulletin board in the
Breezeway...
The purpose of this sheet is to
enable you to report anything
that needs fixing that you might
come across while you are at the
church.
OFFICE HOURS:
The office hours for Grace United Methodist Church are:
Main Office: Monday—Friday, 9am—3:00pm/ Peggy Namie—Office Administrator
Finance Office: Tuesday & Thursday, 9am—2pm/ Nataliya Birmingham—Church Treasurer
SUNDAYS ARE THEIR DAYS TO WORSHIP!
ALL GUMC OFFICES will be CLOSED on Friday, December 25th & Monday, December 28th.
DEADLINES FOR CHURCH PUBLICATIONS:
→WEEKLY BULLETIN SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY 2PM THE WEDNESDAY PRIOR TO THE
BULLETIN THAT THE INFORMATION IS TO BE INCLUDED IN:
DECEMBER 6th bulletin—submissions due by DECEMBER 2nd, 2pm
DECEMBER 13th bulletin—submissions due by DECEMBER 9th, 2pm
DECEMBER 20th bulletin—submissions due by DECEMBER 16th, 2pm
DECEMBER 27thbulletin—submissions due by DECEMBER 22nd, 2pm (Note change)
JANUARY 3rd bulletin—submissions due by DECEMBER 30th, 2pm
Have you tried using the weekly GPS [Grow, Pray, Study] Guide? This is something we are doing to help you grow, pray and study on your own during the week and maybe with a friend or group of friends. You’ll no-tice there is space for you to make notes on the sermon. And there is a different reading from the Bible, reflection questions and prayer for every day during the week. We realize that some of you may already
have a “grow, pray and study” plan you are using. That’s great. But you might appreciate this resource to help you do this. We hope it will do two things: • It will help you engage more deeply the Scripture theme from worship during the week. • It will strengthen our sense of unity and community as many of us read and pray together these same scriptures during the week. And by the way, you can find copies of the GPS on the church website as well as an audio recording of the sermon. Go to www.gracestaugustine.org and click the media page.
BUSY FINGERS
Busy Fingers meets on Thursdays, 1pm—3pm in the Wesley Room (except for the second Thursday of
each month when UMW meets).
Grace United Methodist Church presents
by
Annual Christmas Cantata Special Service
Sunday, December 6th at 11:15 am
Featuring the Grace Chancel Choir and guests
retelling the Christmas Story through readings,
and new and traditional carols
USHERS NEEDED
Two ushers are needed for the 8am worship services, three ushers are needed for the 9am worship ser-
vices, and seven ushers are needed for the 11am worship services (one for the 4th Sunday of the
month and six for 5th Sundays).
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
1 Naomi Menser
2 Dan Rieder
4 Lilla Reyes, Richard MacMullen, David Parlin
6 Steve James, Jim Reeher, Peggy Getsinger
7 Jason Forrest
8 Linda Caldwell
9 Gen Kennedy C. Bullard, Pam Lowe
10 Carolyn Little, Cheron Sanders
11 Mel Harvey, Karen Mathis
12 Peter Paul, George Von Bretzel
13 Lucy Norton-Ponder, Harry Ruhsam
15 Lovie Fox, Donna Ruhsam
17 Lauris Evans
18 Barbara Crookshank
19 Bonnie Altman, Dee Deyloff
21 Randy Altman
22 Linda Beall
27 Jean Backlund
30 Tom Power, Don Rix, Dylan Sanchez
31 Dianne Cook, Kayleigh Gades
DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
8 Steve & Debbie Herbert
22 Dan & Libby Shorb
MEETINGS THIS MONTH:
FINANCE Committee, Tuesday, December 8th -
11am
ADMINSTRATIVE BOARD, Tuesday, December
15th—6:30pm
INTERESTED IN HAVING THE CHURCH
DIRECTORY ON YOUR SMART PHONE?
You can view the GUMC Directory from an
iPhone, iPad, Android or Kindle Fire by download-
ing the free Instant Church Directory Members
App.
Search for “Instant Church Directory” in the Apple
App Store, Google Play, or Amazon Appstore, or
email them this link:
http://www.instantchurchdirectory.com/app
CIRCLE OF CONCERN
Please lift up in prayer: all unspoken prayer requests, Grace United Methodist Church, Paytn Nowak,
Phyllis Reed Adzima, Elwyn Kinney, Betty Fleming, Carlos Avilles, Cindy Amy, Isabel Garner,
Francessca Bellavista, Mark Hunt, Norm Allmen, Claudia Johns, Jason Morehead, Haleigh McKee
Allegro: Fred Grubb
Bayview: Elaine Frenzke
Bayview—The Pavilion: Don Allen
Brookdale: Lovie Fox, Maria Schineller
Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans’ Nursing Home: Jim Donnelly
Moultrie Rehab: Agnes Jurgens
St. Augustine Health & Rehab: Lila Reyes, Erich Geyer
Westminster Woods: Midge Berger
In the Military: Joel Prevatt, US Air Force, Maj. Will Bermeo, Lt Jg. Christopher Bordino, Jacob Bradley,
M Sgt. Kat Brumfield-US Air force, Brandon Burnette-US Army, Nicholas Callahan, Brandon W. Clark,
SPFC Aaron Conkey, Capt. Mallory Conlon, USAF, Capt. Jimmy Harris, ISC Ray LeMieux, SSgt Miles
Massey/USAF-OSI, Sgt. Donald Newman-US Army, Brian Riggenbach, MAC Albert J. Spiess, Master Sgt.
Justin Smarr, CTR Mark Spurling, Jr., Jason Strohmetz, Thessalomica Vila-Navy, Tom Wetmore,
John Young, Jr.
ANGEL TREE
Please stop by “The Angel Tree” located in the Breezeway Hallway to select your angel,
sign the sheet, and take a plastic bag to place the items in. When you have completed
your purchases (please purchase the gift that the child requests) and return the gift/s
unwrapped in the plastic bag. Take your receipt stub for tax purposes and place the
lower section in the bag. Return to the church no later than Sunday December 20th.
Thank you for your support!
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION CLASS
There will be a New Member Orientation Class on Sunday, December 13th, noon—2pm in the Wesley
Room (lunch will be provided). Please RSVP if you are interested in attending 904-829-8272 or
The Miracle of Jesus
takes families
(adults, youth, and children)
on a sensory-rich Christmas adventure
that fills them with more joy than you could
pack in a million stockings.
Families will see, hear, taste, touch, and
smell the Bible-times
town of Bethlehem.
Through hands-on activities, games, stories, and more,
they’ll experience firsthand the amazing impact of the
miracles of Jesus’ birth—and life. Join us on
December 24, 2015
4:30pm - 6pm
to travel back in time.
This event will conclude with a candle-light service (glow sticks for children) in the sanctuary.
DONATIONS ARE NEEDED FOR THE MIRACLE OF JESUS CHRISTMAS EVENT FOR FAMILIES
In the breezeway hallway there are “sheep” with an item on it that we ask to be donated or borrowed for
the upcoming Christmas Eve Family Event. Please turn in your donation/borrowed item/s on or before
Sunday, December 20th. There will be a collection bin located in the Breezeway hallway. Thank you for
your support!
MISSION OF THE MONTH FOR DECEMBER: UNITED METHODIST VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, SEJ is the short-term mission sending agency of the Southeast-
ern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. UMVIM exists to promote, encourage, and enable
Christians to exemplify “Christian Love in Action” through short-term mission service at home and
abroad. We will have a team go to Cuba in the first quarter of 2016, we are in need of funds for sup-
plies and possibly to subsidize travel expenses.
A RECOVERING AMERICAN SOLDIER
If you would like to send a Christmas card to A RECOVERING AMERICAN SOLDIER...here is the address:
A RECOVERING AMERICAN SOLDIER
C/O Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue
NW Washington, DC 20307-5001
CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICES
Traditional
7pm in the Sanctuary
The Miracle of Jesus -
A Christmas Event for Families
ending with a candlelight service in the sanctuary
4:30pm—6pm
SPECIAL REQUEST FROM THE UPPER
ROOM PRAYER CIRCLE. . .
DEAR ONES
On behalf of the prayer Circle here at the church, I would like to ask all of you who in a
prayer request card, to give us much possible. We take these very seri-
ously and each week we enter a sentence prayer on a 3x5 card and when card is filled with
these specific and personal prayers, we mail them to each recipient. you prefer to have the
prayer cards sent to you, please let us know and include address, either for the person we
are praying for or yourselves. We have provided with spaces for all kinds of so it
would be very much appreciated and if we could have enough to mail out our cards. is
such a joy to receive these even if there is no request, we pray for all the unspoken
prayers that lie deep in
Incidentally, if any of you have a desire to come, see and perhaps join our Upper
Prayer Circle, we certainly invite you to come to the church at 10 o'clock each morning
in the church parlor to observe what we do to see if this is something that be meaningful
to you. is never our desire to be exclusive but inclusive if this is in heart.
With Gods Blessings, The Upper Room Prayer
KIDS OF GRACE
Every Wednesday, 5—6:30pm
Will not meet on December 23rd.
BIBLE TALES FOR TOTS
Every Wednesday, 10am, Room #6
Will not meet on December 23rd.
CHILDREN’S NEWS
Children’s Sunday School classes continue to meet every week from 9am -10am during the Contempo-
rary worship service and also during our 11am worship service. If anyone is interested in helping with
the Children’s Ministry programs at Grace Church, please contact Martha Yamnitz at 904-501-9043 or
All children ages 3 thru 5th
grades are encouraged to join us at KIDS OF GRACE every Wednesday from 5pm – 6:30pm.
Join us each week:
December 2: Christmas Dinner Theater
December 9: Never Too Late for Redemption
December 16: Jesus’ Birthday Party at SWING Park
GRACE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN—GUMW
The GUMW’s Christmas Luncheon will be held at the Marsh Creek County Club on
December 10th at 11:30am.
Please turn in your entrée selection no later than December 2nd.