FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH “LOVING GOD, SERVING OUR NEIGHBORS”

Phone: 419-447-6748 Email: office@tiffinfaith.org Website: tiffinfaith.org

December Worship

Dec 2 Sermon An Advent Attitude

Scriptures Luke 21:25-36

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Dec 9 Christmas Cantata 10:15 Service

Return to Bethlehem

Dec 16 Children’s Program 10:15 Service

T’was the Night Before…

Dec 23 Sermon Leaping Babies

Scriptures Luke 1:39-45

Dec 30 Sermon A Thin Christmas

Scriptures Colossians 3:12-17;

Micah 5:2-5a

Sharing Kitchen

December is Faith’s month to help with the local

Sharing Kitchen. The kitchen is located at St.

Paul’s UMC, 46 Madison St. in Tiffin.

The dates are Dec. 3rd

and 6th

. The hours are

from 8:30am to 1pm. For more information please

contact: Joanne Kimmel, 419-448-0789

December 24th

4:00 pm Family Worship Service

Our earliest worship service on Christmas Eve will

be a celebratory worship service designed

particularly for families, and children will be invited

to participate throughout our time together.

6:30pm – Special Music and Carols

Come join in festive music with Carols and Organ

& harp music setting the tone for our grand

Candlelight service to follow.

7pm – Traditional Candlelight Service

Come and help us celebrate the Birth of our Lord in

this special service. The Choir will be sharing

special music in this time of glorious worship.

11pm – Candlelight Service of Carols

and Communion

This will be a reverent time of ushering in the birth

of our Lord as we hear the Christmas Story and sing

familiar carols and share in Holy Communion.

A gift to the Faith Endowment Fund is

a gift that will give forever

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Dear Friends,

Have you noticed that God’s timing is always

stunning?!? As we approach the end of the year, it

is important to reflect on how God has been at work

in our lives, and that causes us to rejoice in the

impeccable timing of our Lord. Why are we so

amazed at that? After all, when it was exactly the

right moment for Jesus to be born – all of the world

cooperated. The Emperor Augustus issued an

order, and everyone had to go their ancestral home.

Luke 2 tells us that this was the first registration to

be commanded when Quirinius was governor of

Syria. Whether this means that other enrollments

were levied later on we are not told, but this one

made history - not because of its intention to

number the extent of the Roman Empire, or to

record the names of Rome’s conquerees, for

taxation purposes, but because the titles of those

rulers are now forever associated with the

Messiah’s birth.

And think about it, you too were born, at exactly the

right time. Have you ever found yourself in a place

to which you went for an unrelated reason and then

discovered you were there for quite another

purpose.

God planned all your gifts and calculated at what

point in history your presence would be pivotal.

How we adore the All knowing One for his

incredible timing. .

Join us this Holy Season as we explore how we

might adequately praise our Great Designer God,

who made a way for us to be born when we could

best serve our King of Kings and Lord of Lords

through worship, service and witness here at Faith

U.M.C.

Leaning into the Future with Hope,

Rev. Donna

“Return to Bethlehem”

A Christmas Cantata on December 9

th

during the 10:15 worship service

Thousands of years ago, the celebration of

Christmas began with the music of angels. Come,

“Return to Bethlehem” to recall the wonder of the

Virgin Birth.

♫ Notes from the Choir Loft

The chancel choir is planning to offer a Christmas

Choral Celebration/Cantata on Sunday, Dec. 9.

“Return to Bethlehem” will be presented during the

10:15 morning worship. The format of the program

is a montage of some favorite Christmas anthems

the choir has enjoyed singing in past years.

Regular choir rehearsals Thursday, November 29th

and Thursday, December 6 will concentrate on

practice for the program. Additionally, an extra

rehearsal is scheduled at 10am on Saturday, Dec 8.

As always, any person, of any age, who would like

to sing with the choir for this program or anytime

throughout the year is sincerely invited and

welcome.

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Christmas Caroling

December 9th

at 3pm

Young and old and in between –All are

invited to come caroling with us. We will

be stopping at some of our shut-ins and the

nursing homes and then coming back to the

Church for chili and a light meal before our

Praise Service. If you are willing to make

some chili, please sign up on the bulletin

insert.

Christmas Card Exchange

Tables in Lower Hallway In order to accommodate the numbers of Christmas

Cards, we have moved the tables into the lower

hallway, please take your cards downstairs, and also

periodically pick yours up during December.

Thanks!

Staff Christmas Gifts Dec. 9

th

Once again, the SPRC is inviting

you to be a part of expressing our

appreciation to the staff of the

church through a love offering that

will be shared equally between the

support staff of the church. Those

employees are: Chris & Jane

Arnold, Custodians; Jan Banks, Secretary; Nancy

Ferguson and Jan Foy, Organists; Bonnie Scherger,

Finance Secretary; Woody Plank, Treasurer.

Thanks for helping affirm their work for our church

Help spread the Word!

The Youth will once again have car magnets for

sale in the Narthex. Just $5!

Make great stocking stuffers!

Mary's Shower

Gifts of

diapers

and

wipes,

new

clothes for babies and toddlers. These items will be

collected in a play-pen at the church and will then

be given to "Heartbeat" - a local charitable

organization that will give the collected items to

young, unwed mothers in our community who need

help.

Christmas Offering

This year’s Special Christmas

Eve Offering will be divided between FISH Food

Pantry and Patchwork’s House. Money placed in

the Christmas Envelopes will go to these mission

projects, and money that is loose in the plate or in

regular church envelopes will go toward the

operating funds of the church.

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Dear Friends,

If you have read this blog before, than you already

know this, but if you haven't I will tell you. I am

going to India! I am not going there for vacation or

just to see the world but I am going there to show

the people of this country God's love.

We will stay in Kalkuta the entire 10 weeks. We

will be serving in Mother Teresa Homes, helping

the elderly, taking care of the hungry, playing with

the children. At first we thought we would only stay

in Kalkuta for 5 weeks and then we would move,

but through prayer we really heard God telling us

that building relationships with the people is a main

focus of our outreach and that we need more time

for. So we will be there loving these people through

God's love.

My heart is exploding with excitement right now.

We started to learn some Bengali (the language in

Kalkuta) and some cultural things this weekend and

I just KNOW that this is what God has for me right

now. The people of India have really been on my

mind and in my heart for a long time and now I

have the opportunity to GO!! AHH! (scream with

excitement with me)

To make this trip possible

everyone on my team needs

$3,000. I have total faith that God

will provide, but I know he will

use lots of people to do that. I

prayed about it and I prayed with

other people about it and we all

really heard that the money will

come from really weird places,

places I did not expect.

So I just want to say thanks for all of your support!

Love, Meredith

Megan Briggs to Share

in Worship December

23rd

– both services Megan is the daughter of Brian & Rachel Briggs, and granddaughter of John & Judy

Munn. In June, Megan will be volunteering at an orphanage in Africa. She will be traveling with International Volunteer; an organization formed in early 2007 with the aim of making volunteering possible for everyone through affordable, safe, high quality projects in developing countries. Make sure you are in worship to hear more about Megan’s trip and plans for the Peace Corp as well. Vision team votes to give Megan Briggs and

Meredith Glover each $1,000 from the Spackey

Mission Fund. Upon hearing this, and being asked

the cost of her trip, Megan responded with:

"As for the cost of my trip, with everything

included (i.e. flight, visa, vaccinations, insurance) it

will be around $2,300. Again, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for this $1,000 it will help out a ton! Have a great day!!"

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Backroom Bible Discussion @

Bailiwicks Coffee Company

Starting January 9th

, a new Bible Discussion will be

held in the backroom at Bailiwicks Coffee at 62

South Washington Street. Rev. Donna along with

the Program Director, Marti Ariello of St. Francis

Spirituality Center will be leading each Wednesday

morning. Our theme for January is “Fresh Starts”.

We hope you will join us on this new adventure for

the New Year.

!

Be Red Cross

Ready Free Disaster

Preparedness Training Event. No registration required.

Wednesday Dec. 11, 6pm at the Seneca County

American Red Cross Office in the Tiffin Mall.

See Bulletin board for additional details.

The Choirs of Heidelberg University, a Chamber

Orchestra and Guest Soloists will present George

Frederic Handel’s Messiah on Sunday, December 9,

at 3pm in the Ritz Theatre, 30 S. Washington St.,

Tiffin.

The Messiah will be part of a production entitled

A Heidelberg Christmas. The first half of the

concert will consist of holiday music from the

choirs and our chamber winds, followed by a

holiday sing-a-long, and then portions of Messiah,

featuring four professional solosits.

Tickets are available from the Ritz Box Office

(419-448-8544) or the Music Office (419-448-

2073).

Members of your choir and congregaton are invited

to sing in this presentation. Rehearsal are

Tues. Nov. 27 6:30pm at Brenneman Music Hall

Tues. Dec. 4 6:30pm at the Ritz Theatre

Wed. Dec. 5 6:30pm at the Ritz Theatre

Sat. Dec. 8 9:00am at the Ritz Theatre

Individuals or choirs who wish to participate should

notify the music office by Dec. 1 to reserve stage

seating. Seating is limited.

Our Savior is born!

Experience the Christmas

Story from the comfort of

your car. As you drive a lit

path taking you from the

census decree past Mary and

Joseph on their trip tobethlehem. You will see

shepherds watching their sheep and a host of angels

proclaiming Jesus’ birth. See the inn where there

was no room for the young expecting couple and

the Wisemen traveling to the stable where Our

Savior was born. This is a live presentaton

including animals and is free for all to enjoy.

Drive Thru Chrismas Story Saturday, Dec. 8 5:30 to 8:00pm

Arcadia United Methodist Church

19397 CR 216 (Brown Road), Arcadia, Ohio.

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Traunero Funeral Home and

Crematory

Annual All-Faith Holiday

Memorial Program

Traunero Funeral Home and Crematory

invites you to the 16th

Annual Holiday Memorial

Program. Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 1:00pm at

the funeral home, 214 S Monroe St., Tiffn. Rev.

Katie Treadway and Rev. Frank Murd will speak on

“Hope for the Holidays.” There will be a Tree of

Remembrance and a candlelight ceremony to

commemorate our deceased community members.

If you have lost a loved one in the past year, call

419-447-3113 before November 26, to make

reservations

During the month of December,

The Serve Team missions will include

"Salvation Army Adopt a Family"

We will be adopting three families through

Salvation Army with needed food and clothes. What

better way to celebrate Jesus' birth than reaching out

to others in need. Thank you for your support now

and all through this past year.

The Serve Team would also like to

thank everyone who participated in

the Operation Christmas Child,

ShoeBox Ministry during the

month of September. Whether it

was by prayers, filling boxes, donating to the

shipping costs or cash donations for purchasing

items to fill or supplement boxes.

On Thursday, November 15th

, we delivered 116

boxes to the Donation Center. 106 of those boxes

were donated by Faith UMC members. (We

surpassed last year by 16 boxes.) 10 were donated

from outside our church. We also collected $468.00

toward shipping costs and $615.00 was donated to

purchase items. We are so blessed to have such a

generous congregation. We look forward to next

year!

Sunday, December 2nd

6:30pm – 8pm

St. Francis Campus

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We will have a

play pen set up

for disposable

diapers, baby

clothes, and

blankets etc.

for our local

"Heart Beat of

Tiffin". These

items are

distributed

through Heart

Beat to help

struggling

young mothers

provide for

their infants.

Sun

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1

Habitat

Lunch

7:45a Men’s Group

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11:30 Pilgrims

Luncheon

1:30p Chimes

practice

6:30p Praise Service

8:30a

Sharing

Kitchen at

St. Paul’s

6:30 Dartball

7P Advent

Bible Study

6:30p “The

Landing”

8a TOPS

8:30a

Sharing

Kitchen at

St. Paul’s

7p Choir Practice

7:45a Men’s

Group

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Christmas

Cantata

1:30p Chimes

practice

6:30p Praise

Service

6:30p Trustees at WSUMC Bldg. 6:30 Dartball

7P Advent

Bible Study

6:30p “The

Landing”

8a TOPS

7:45a Men’s

Group

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Children’s

Christmas

Program

1:30p Chimes

practice

3p Christmas

Caroling

6:30p Praise Service

6:30 Dartball 7P Advent

Bible Study

6:30p “The

Landing”

8a TOPS

7p Choir

Practice

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 1:30p Chimes practice

6:30p Praise Service

Christmas Eve Services 4, 7, and 11pm

Merry Christmas !

6:30p “The

Landing”

8a TOPS

7p Choir Practice

7:45a Men’s

Group

30 31

6:30p Praise

Service

B’day & Anniv. Table by Sharon Richey

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FAITH UMC

75 N. Sandusky St.

Tiffin, OH 44883

LITURGISTS

8:00am Sandy Yarbrough 10:15 Jacke Renninger

READERS

Dec 2 Marilee Ladd Karl Kortlandt

Dec 9 Wayne Kirby Jane Arnold

Dec 13 Tim Everhart Chris Arnold

Dec 23 Jane Schubert Jane Arnold

Dec 30 Bonnie Scherger Carson Mellott

ACOLYTES

Dec 2 Ryan Depinet Cassi Traunero

Dec 9 Hannah & Noah Borer Evan & Larry Messer

Dec 13 Josh Briggs Mallory Rife & Abby Glover

Dec 23 Kevin & Davdi Dietrich Ethan Gerding

Dec 24 11pm Josh Briggs

Dec 30 Josh Briggs, Ryan Depinet Hannah & Hoah Borer

A/V Operators

Dec 2 Brian & Josh Briggs Greg Glover

Dec 9 Eric & Ryan Depinet Greg Glover

Dec 13 Kevin & Jonathan O’Millian Greg Glover

Dec 23Tim Everhart, Jonathon O’Millian Greg Glover

Dec 30Brian & Josh Briggs Greg Glover

GREETERS AND USHERS

David, Linda, Eric & Ryan Depinet Susan Young, Ella Mae Watts

NON-PROFIT ORG

US Postal Permit #287

Tiffin, OH 44883