Maranatha Sisters and Brothers,

Just a few short weeks ago, we launched

a brand new Break Through Prayer

initiative here at Rolling Plains based on

Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of

the world, a town built on a hill cannot be

hidden.” The purpose of this prayer is to

get our congregation praying in unity

together a single prayer that cries out to

God for His Spirit to bring the next

season of His fruitfulness in and through

us. Our Break Through prayer is:

God, Awaken the people of Rolling Plains

Church to breakthrough into a new

season of fruitfulness. Forgive us of our sins and fill us with a hunger for Your Word. Give us the courage to

step out of the darkness of fear and let Your light shine. Show us the favor of Your great light, so that Your Glory

would shine through us as a beacon of love and hope to a broken and hurting world. In Jesus name, Amen!

Think about the impact this prayer will have, as God’s people cry out in unison for Him to shine His great light

through us, out into our community and world. I can’t wait to see the new thing of what God does when His heart

is moved by our prayers. Come on God! As a result of this season of focused prayer in the light of God, our

Advent sermon series will focus on the light of Christ.

What is Christmas without lights? We decorate our houses inside and out. We decorate trees, our cars, our pets,

even ourselves with lights. We drive long distances to see that light display. We do all this, because Jesus came

as the light of the world. The birth of Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, that the people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light. Jesus quotes this prophecy at the beginning of His public ministry to make a point. It’s

Me! I am the fulfillment of this! I am the light of the world.

Of all the great gift-giving that happens around Christmas time, no gift is greater than the gift of the light of

salvation, the light of hope, the light of grace, the light of peace, and the light of joy that comes with the birth of

our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Praise be to God! In fact, there is a verse of Scripture that will carry our

Advent sermon series as we reflect on the wise men, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, the manger scene, and all that

surrounded that wonderful delivery. It is James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down

from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Christmas is the celebration of the Father of the heavenly lights, gifting us with the light of the world. This is a

light that is trustworthy, pure, steadfast, and powerful for all the generations to come. It is light that will always

shine and never dim. It is a light that does not require an additional power source. It is powered by the love of

the God of the universe who holds all things in His hands. This great gift of light is for you and me. For unto us

a child is born. Jesus is referred to as the Son of Man, because He has been born for us. God’s great desire is for

Jesus’ light to shine in us so that God would shine through us.

This Christmas we are going to let it shine. We are going be reminded of the great light that covers over us and

fills us in Christ; and we are going to be reminded that, just as Jesus is the light of the world, so He calls us to be

the same. We are the light of the world and we are believing that God is going to conquer our fears of letting His

Rolling Plains Church 3350 Moxahala Park Rd Zanesville, OH 43701 rollingplainsumc.com Return Service Requested

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Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus

on Christmas Eve, December 24th…

Christmas Eve Candlelight Services

5:00 PM Family Service

Children's Moment, Nursery provided

6:00 Dinner

7:00 PM Family Service

Children's Moment, Nursery provided

11:00 PM Traditional Service

No Nursery will be provided

RPUMC NEWSLETTER December, 2019

Crossworks Mission in Europe

December 2019

light shine. We are going take the bushel off and let our light shine. As a church, we are going to be His city on

a hill, as a beacon of hope for all to see in this dark world. As our Break Through prayer cries out for God to

shine through us in this new season of life and ministry, we are going to let it shine. So bring your family and

friends to experience God’s presence through this sermon series and many of the other programs and events we

have planned for December. What a time we will have together, reflecting on the great Light of the World that

came in the birth of Jesus! I look forward to worshiping with you.

Come on God!

Pastor John

Rolling Plains Church Cares

At Rolling Plains, we are blessed by several care ministries that prove our caring heart. We have Road to

Recovery, led by Michele Dobbins who supports anyone suffering from an addiction, by using strength found in

God. Our Prayer Team, led by Kelly Lee, provides prayer support for the many concerns that are raised by the

prayer cards shared during each service, calls to the office, and numerous other ways. Pastor Dick Newlon is our

Pastor of Congregational Care. Dick and his Congregational Care Team strive to visit our area homebound

patients, as well as nursing home and other care facility residents.

We ask that you reach out to any of our care teams, to let us know about anyone in our church family who would

appreciate a visit, prayers, or communion. We are blessed to reach out to them, and you may be the only one who

knows of their need. We can be the hands and feet of Rolling Plains Church, but only with your help. You are

welcome to call Dick on his cell phone at 740-607-1491 or call the church office at 740-453-4192. We WILL

get back to you or the Rolling Plains family member you refer us to.

Bethel Community Center

A Local Missional Outpost 126 Ontario Street | Zanesville

Receiving and Giving

At Christmas time, the kids at Bethel certainly look forward to our December 14 Annual Family Christmas Celebration with Santa, gifts, fun, and food. They will receive the gifts from Santa and his helper with excitement, but we are also so proud that these kids are learning the joy of giving. The local VFW, our Putnam neighbor just across the street, often supports Bethel with their presence and donations. To show their appreciation for this support and for their service to our country, the Bethel kids recently presented the veterans with a poster of appreciation. The poster with the children’s hands also illustrates how we are working to instill the core value of generosity and giving.

Merry Christmas from Bethel

As 2019 comes to an end, the Bethel Board of

Directors, children, and youth send our

appreciation to all those who have volunteered

and donated food, supplies, and funds, so that

we can open our doors to serve the Putnam

neighborhood. We do believe it “takes a village”

to raise a child. We look forward to 2020 with

hope and the expectation that we will continue

to be a welcoming community center.

Kay Miller, Board Member

Inclement Weather Policy

As winter has finally caught up to us here in Ohio, we'd like to remind everyone that Rolling Plains will continue to hold

Sunday services as scheduled during inclement weather, unless Muskingum County is under a Level Three Snow

Emergency.

We encourage you to take precaution and use your best judgement when deciding to venture out to church in bad

weather. The Lord knows your will and your heart, but also your limitations.

Monday Night Prayer Each Monday evening @ 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Needle Crafters for Christ Each Monday evening @ 6:00

Road to Recovery Each Friday evening @ 6:30 PM

RP Youth Fresh Start Each Thursday, 6:45 – 7:15 AM @ Tim Hortons

Grief Share Each Wednesday @ 5:00 PM (Begins on the 4th)

Fusion Each Thursday @ 6:30 PM (Except for the 31st)

12/1 ~ KidStufFX @ 9:45 AM, Children’s Chapel

12/1 ~ UMM Mtg/Breakfast 7:00 AM, Embers Room

12/4 ~ Nursery Play Date 6:00 PM, Embers Room

12/7 ~ Youth Caroling at The Oaks

12/8 ~ RP Choir Christmas Musical, 6:00 PM

12/15 ~ Family Ministry Christmas Program 6:00 PM

12/17 ~ UMW Meeting 1:00 – 3:00 PM Embers Room

12/20 ~ Family Ministry Movie Night, 6:00 PM

12/24~ Christmas Eve Services All services will be candlelight services

5:00 PM (Nursery and Children's message) 6:00 PM Dinner

7:00 PM (Nursery and Children's message) 11:00PM (No Nursery or Children's message)

Office closed on Christmas Day

Birthdays

1 Brian Smith

2 Mathew Browning

Anniversaries

1 Terry & Sheila Weaver

7 Brian & Sheila Smith 24 Larry Jones & Pat Wiseman-Jones

John & Linda Kirkbride

28 Rod & Amy McDaniel

29 Steve & Shelly Dodge

30 Roger & Carla Samson

Greetings Brothers in Christ!

We are hoping you're getting ready for the upcoming holiday season, and that you didn't overdo it on

Thanksgiving. We will be having our regular meeting on the first Sunday in December (12-1-19) at

7:00 AM in the Embers room. We hope to see you then!

In His service,

Tim Collins, UMM Secretary

Thoughts from the Prayer Team

T’is the season for Presents

But the angel reassured them. ”Don’t be afraid!” he said. ”I bring you good news that will bring

great joy to all people. Luke 2:10

This was the announcement of the greatest present given to all of us. God gave us the

present of salvation through Christ Jesus. This season, give as God gave to us. Give a listening ear, volunteer, give to a charity or a food bank, help a neighbor, or give to your church. Shine

your Light for others to see.

What kind of Present will you be?

Christmas Blessings Cathy Collins

“Once there was searching,

desperate and aimless.

Lost in confusion, wisdom had failed.

Into the chaos, the answer God gave us;

His name is Jesus.

Now all is well!”

December

Prayers needed for: • ECM International Leaders Consortium in Sinsheim,

Germany, November 30 – December 4, 2019 • Vision / Leadership Structure Meeting – Belfast,

Northern Ireland – December 10 – 14, 2019 • Safe travels to US and time home with family and

friends during Christmas Holidays.

November Praises & Highlights: • Praising God for Spain’s decision to allow me to live here for

5 more years. Soon, I will be the proud owner of a Five year/Permanent Residence Card. I just need to give my fingerprints and submit some final paperwork. Yay!

• Love serving with this group of missionaries here in Spain. (Picture to the left) On Nov. 7-10 our ECM Spain field met for our annual Prayer Days. This retreat was especially important as we voted to change our leadership structure to a 3-man team instead of a single director. I am excited for the future possibilities.

DONATE: ECMI-USA, PO Box 2217 Monument, CO 80132. (Sharon Graves # 4060)

http://www.ecmi-usa.org/get-involved/give/

Advent Conspiracy was founded on the radical idea that we can celebrate Christmas

humbly, beautifully, and generously. Advent is the story of a wondrous moment when

God entered our world to make things right. It is the greatest story ever told and it

changes everything—including the way we celebrate Christmas.

Advent Conspiracy reminds us that Christmas is a time to spend less on us and generously give to God’s people in

need. It is a period to give more relationally to one another, as God gave His Son to us at Christmas. Following are

the projects chosen for Rolling Plains to support this year. We encourage you to read about each one, pray about

how God wants you to participate, and give generously.

•Chickens –$40: A gift of chickens for a family in poverty ensures that a child will have a steady source of protein and plenty of eggs to sell in the market. By providing a gift of live chickens, you give families the opportunity to sell the eggs and also hatch more chickens to sell to generate income.

•Goats – $100: A gift of goats means a family can have milk, which they can both consume and sell to earn money for other necessities. By providing a gift of live goats, you give families the opportunity to breed more goats, increase the size of their herd, and sell the additional goats and goats’ milk to generate income.

•Pigs – $200: When a family receives a gift of pigs, there is very little upkeep or need for a large plot of land. Pigs reproduce quickly and can be sold for a profit. By providing a gift of live pigs, you empower families to increase the size of their herd and sell the additional pigs to generate income.

•Cows – $450: The gift of a cow brings sustainable nutrition, farming productivity, and cash flow to a child and his or her family. By providing a gift of a cow, you give families the opportunity to have good milk to drink and sell. Additionally, families will have a work animal to help fertilize crops. Eventually the livestock will produce offspring, and the families will have income when they sell calves.

NORTH KATANGA PROJECT

The North Katanga Conference has over 850,000 members. Their model of ministry integrates personal piety and social holiness, resulting in congregations providing health care, education, food, and clean water along with faith formation. In the midst of this vital witness of faith, the average salary for clergy is less than $30 per month, with many receiving no cash salary. Bishop Mande has made clergy wellness a priority in his conference. One area of focus within clergy wellness is raising the monthly salary of clergy to $100, or $1,200 per year. If they were able to institute a minimum salary for their clergy, families would be able to send their children to school and provide healthcare for their families. In the DR Congo, education is not free – resulting in low literacy rates, especially among girls. The government charges tuition for primary and secondary school. The average yearly tuition for primary school is $200, and $400 for secondary school.

Despite having no guaranteed minimum salary, the clergy of North Katanga continue to serve with joy, impacting the lives of people and whole villages. Imagine the gift of hope and joy you can provide by supporting this critical initiative! The lives of pastors and their children will never be the same. •Your gift of $100.00 would provide a family the ability to send their children to school and provide necessities of life.

CASA MITSPA PROJECT

Casa Mitspa is a missional outreach in Romania that is supported by ECMI - the organization that our Missionary to Spain, Sharon Graves, works with throughout Europe. Last December, Sharon's missionary work took her into Romania where she saw first-hand the abject poverty exacerbated by a very shame based culture. In Romania, nearly 1/3 of every pregnancy ends in abortion. Many young women become in desperate situations with their families putting pressure on them to have abortions. Choosing life for their baby oftentimes leaves the young mother homeless and on the streets. Over 1/2 of the children in foster care go into the program before they're 3 years old. Casa Mitspa provides safety, housing, mentoring, spiritual care and hope for young mothers as they bond with their children and become better able to care for them. Mothers and their children can stay in this residential facility for as long as they need.

What an awesome way to help God’s glory shine through us as a beacon of love and hope to a broken and hurting world! •Your contribution of $100.00 to Casa Mitspa will go directly towards providing a safe haven, medical care, and food for these young women and their children.

COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

This Christmas, Rolling Plains will once again be joining with Orange and Compassion International to provide kids and families financial security through the gift of chickens, goats, pigs, and cows! Every child who receives aid, spends significant time each week with a leader who knows their name, family circumstances, future dreams, and immediate needs!

We invite you to share some Christmas JOY, which we define as finding a way to be happy, even when things don’t go your way. Many kids around the world are choosing joy even though they don’t have enough food to eat, a safe place to live, or a way to go to school! That’s where Compassion International comes in. In addition to directly sponsoring kids, Compassion provides animals to many of their families to create a stable source of income through the sale of eggs, milk, and meat. We’re inviting your family to join with us to create an animal gift bonanza for these families!

3

The third week of Advent is a time of Joy, a

time of thankfulness for all that has been

given—the promise of the Savior who has come,

who is present, and who promises a return.

Each Sunday of Advent a candle is lit. The

Candle for Joy is often pink. The center candle

is always white (the Christ Candle), and is

traditionally lit during Christmas Eve Services.

Perhaps you, too, have become suspicious of

your GPS. You’re following the directions to a

destination where you have never been and then

you’re directed to make a turn that doesn’t feel

right. You’re in an area of the city that doesn’t

look right. The directions keep coming, but they

don’t seem to be on the right path.

Source: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/are-we-there-yet

In any journey of length, there will come times

when questions arise. A question such as, “Are

we there yet?” is only one possibility. Other

questions such as, “Should we turn around?” or

“Do we really want to make this journey?” or

even “Are we making progress?” may occur.

Journeys begin with a choice – Shall I go or

not? Shall I go or not? Shall I stay and embrace

the known and the comfortable; or shall I go

and maybe find something wonderful, or

maybe be unsettled, upset, or uncertain?

The Beginning of the Christian Year Discipleship Pathways – December 2019

Journey through Advent

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Journey through Advent An Online Discipleship Pathway Study

Sunday, December 1, 2019 begins the church’s liturgical

calendar with the season of Advent. Advent is a time of

joy, color, light, and anticipation, and it is a time of

worship. This is a season that calls us to fall to our knees

in worship of the awesome God.

Advent is the season where we remember that God chose to put on flesh and dwell among us. God

reached down from heaven to touch the life we live. God chose to be born in the humblest of ways, in a

manger, in a barn, or a cave, or on the side of the road. As we reflect upon The Creator God Almighty

crying in the prickly hay, there is no proper response, other than worship.

At the same time, Advent is a reminder that there is more to come – that we are on a journey toward a new

reality, a new way of being. It is less a remembrance of the first coming of Christ and more an

anticipation of the completion of the promised kingdom. Yet, the seeds of the return and reign of Christ

were planted in the first coming, which is why the power of Christmas is so strong. Our constant struggle

is to pay attention and to anticipate the return of Christ and the fulfillment of the promised kingdom, even

when our culture would rather us focus on the commercialization of Christmas.

So, how do we live in the balance? How do we anticipate what is to come, even as

we celebrate the familiar traditions and the excitement and the wonder that is

Christmas?

Join Pastor Alethea on a Weekly Online Journey throughout the Season of

Advent as she weaves through the Gospel and the Hebrew Scriptures exploring the places of Peace, Hope,

Joy, and Trust that our hearts long for. We will not be on this journey alone; many have been on this

journey and longing for these destinations since the beginning of people following God. All those who

have journeyed this way before will be our partners and companions as we travel.

http://www.rollingplainsumc.com/online-classes

As we travel together, some may find themselves more anxious than others. Some may prefer to stay where they are. Others may become so hopeful they may outrun and even overwhelm the rest of us! Some will just want the journey to be over. Others will be content to enjoy the ride. Journeys impact us in different ways, I simply pray that you will journey along with us.

Connect Online Sunday Evenings during the Season of Advent for study, reflection, and prayer for God to break into our reality and bring us the glorious fulfillment of His Promise! May our Hope remain steadfast that God is in charge, despite the conditions of the roads that we travel. May every event on this journey be a call to work and to worship in this season of Light.

December 1-24, 2019

Source: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/are-we-there-yet