1. family and parenting
2. children

THE COLUMNS
Our Mission: Mayfield First UMC exists
to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Our Vision: Bring in. Build up. Send out.
214 S. 8th St., Mayfield, KY 42066
mayfieldfirst.com
270-247-5678
[email protected]
Thank you, good and faithful servant!
Many of you know that Ruth
Criswell has worked as an unpaid servant in the church's financial ministry
for 12 years, during which time she has
provided not only faithful and dependable service to the Kingdom of God,
but exemplary and critically important
assistance to the church. She's retiring
from this particular service to God at
the first of the year, and we just want
to say a very special "Thank You" to
Ruth. We appreciate you very much!!
We are pleased to welcome our newest members!
Joining our church family on December 7, 2014 were:
Charles & Terri Anderson, Nicole Brand, Bill &
Anne Clemmons, Nate Cox, Jim & Harolyne
Hudson, and Jimmie & Pat Prince. This past Sunday, December 14th, Kay Bailey joined us.
OPPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG AT HEARTS
Guy Penrod will be at the Carson Center on Sunday, May 17, 2015.
Tickets are $15 each. If interested, tickets must be purchased soon.
Please call Khadra Turley at 270-247-8807 by January 11th if you plan to
go. Note: you will need to pay for ticket at that time.
Born in Abilene, Texas, the son of a preacher,
Guy Penrod grew up in church. His parents stood
him up in a folding chair as a 3-year old for his debut
solo of Fill My Cup, Lord. From there, the powerful
voice grew into one of the most recognizable in
Southern Gospel music and country music. Mr. Penrod performed for 14 years as part of Bill Gaither’s
celebrated Gaither Vocal Band. Since leaving the
band in recent years, he has recorded and performed as a solo artist.
Dr. Ben Carson will also be at the Carson Center on Friday, March 6.
Tickets aren’t on sale yet but please contact Khadra if you’re interested in
hearing him speak.
An American author and retired neurosurgeon, he is credited with
being the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at
the head. In 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
by President George W. Bush. After delivering a widely publicized
speech at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, he became a popular conservative figure in political media for his views on social and political
issues, spurring talk of his becoming a Republican candidate for the 2016
presidential election.
God loves you and we do too!
FIRST ANNUAL
“Ugly Sock” Sunday
Dig in your sock drawer and
pull out your UGLY SOCKS!
The Seekers Class invites
you Sunday, January 11 to
their first annual “Ugly Sock”
Sunday. Prizes? Maybe!
Laughs for sure!! Please join
us!
The class meets on the first
Floor in the Ruth Bost Parlor.
Received through
December 15, 2014:
The Mary Martha Circle would like to thank all who participated in our “Feed the Lamb” mission for Reelfoot Rural Ministries. Deliveries were made December 2nd consisting of
canned and boxed foods, household cleansers, toiletries and
Adult and Infant articles. Kim Brand’s, Kindergarten-1st grade
Sunday School class made a cottonball lamb designed by Vicki
Smith, named “Sally Pizza”. We put wooden toys inside and
she was a big hit! Special thanks to Mitchell Simpson, Joe
David Smith, Stan Hack and Claudia Earles for loading articles
for the trek. Those on board were: Pastor Joe, Maxine Easley,
Mary Wright, and Kent Hunt. To those who remembered, “it
is more blessed to give than receive”. Many thanks!!
To God Be the Glory!
Thanks a million for your generosity and support of the
Reelfoot Rural Ministries project. Mayfield First UMC donated
$1,314 for bicycles for older children/teens and increased their
average distribution of ‘big’ bikes from 13 to 30 in 2014! You
truly showed loving, caring hearts and a faithful witness of
Christ’s love. Hint: early next year, the thrift store needs donations of men’s clothing, towels, and bed linens—new or gently
used!
I would like to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers
during my recent treatment of prostate cancer. I have completed all the required treatments and am felling fine. I will
have to be watched for some time to make sure they got rid of
the cancer. The Lord is good and he has watched over me during this time and I am so grateful. Again, thanks to all and have
a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Charles Magness
If someone should be added to or removed from our
prayer list, please contact the church office. Prayer concerns are lifted up daily in our prayer room and we invite
you to leave your requests on a card anytime.
Ongoing Concern
Ruby Bennett
Carolyn Canter Frances Garland
Homebound Members
Sue Byars
Elouise Hicks
Bobby Canter
James Gay
Home Pace
Anna Wright
Jean Hamlin
Dorothy Williamson A.G. Wolfe
Friends & Family
Joann Mason
Spencer Byrn
Laura Green
Garrett Burgess
Lorene Lawson
Kim Phillips
Doug & Verna Flanary Dorothy Moreland Lloyd Green
Cynthia Flannery
Chris Morris
Kelly Raisch
Carl & Norma Hansen Jimmie Powers
David Morrill
Martha Anderson
Joyce Salsbury Danielle Allison
SQUARE
Memory of Raymond Burnett
By: Tommy & LaVerne Waldrop
Stan & Debra Hack
Memory of George Pickens
By: Kathy Freeman Kirk
Louise Saxon
Tommy & LaVerne Waldrop
James & Wanda Gay
Hoot & Marietta Gibson
Bob & Alice Byars
Stan & Debra Hack
Richard & Kay Chapman
Rick & Carol Boggess
Dwight & Ann Hale Mills
Olin & Carol Covington
Memory of Roberta “Lee” Parham
By: Charles Baugh Class
Louise Saxon
Robert & Janie Ivy
Pedro & Betty Reyes
Wesley Greer
Memory of Jeff Flood
By: Kent & Peggy Isbell
Bob & Alice Byars
Pedro & Betty Reyes
Donald & Carole Dowdy
Olin & Carol Covington
Honor of Joe & Liz Hansen
By: Jim & Shann Moore
Stan & Debra Hack
PRAYER
T
hank you for sending the care package!
It is always such a sweet surprise getting one in the mail. MFUMC shows
so much love and support to Tyler and me,
and I’m so thankful to have such an amazing
church family! I’ll be seeing you all soon!
Erin (Schorr) Haley
Thank you to everyone who made the care
package possible. Thank ya’ll so much.
God Bless, Tyler Nance
NO SEWING SKILLS REQUIRED!
The Sewing Ministry will begin the new year by working on
the Christmas stockings that will be sent to Jamaica with
the Mission Team. There are 25
stockings made so far with 35 to go.
We will need those that can sew or
iron. We’ll meet Tuesday, January 6
on the 3rd floor from 10:00-12
Noon, then 1:00-3:00 p.m. All ladies are invited! One does NOT
have to be a member of a UMW
circle to participate. Only requirements are a love for children and mission work. Contact Joyce McClain (270-3288686) or Vicki Smith (270-345-3161) for more information.
Our Gifts of Presence and Finances for Christ’s Kingdom
Nov. 23 Nov. 30
Attendance: SS
104
87
Worship
257
198
Offerings
10,006.86 5,790.10
Capital Campaign 1,614.00 1,319.00
Food Pantry
60.00
Legacy of Lakeshore
Memorials
510.00
225.00
Dec. 7
121
271
8,482.88
1,478.00
147.26
90.00
Dec. 14
105
262
8,430.25
2,458.00
20.00
40.00
I
F YOU KNOW SOMEONE BATTLING CANCER or a
loved one of someone diagnosed with cancer, please share
this about the American Cancer Society. ACS mans a 24/7
information hotline (1-800-227-2345) that can answer
questions, connect to local
support and resources, and
provide a person to talk to at
any time, day or night. The
Paducah ACS office (3140
Parisa Dr.) also has information on cancers and resources
to help patients such as a free
wig room and connection to
local Look Good Feel Better
program at Baptist Health
Paducah.
elay For Life of Mayfield & Graves County will be
held Friday, June 12, at Graves County High School
from 6 p.m.-midnight. If interested in joining the
team, contact Eric Walker at (270) 444-0743. For
more information, visit www.relayforlife.org/gravesky or
www.cancer.org.
R
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
MFUMC 127 SHOEBOXES
Grateful Thanks to everyone who packed a
shoebox at Mayfield First Church, a total of 127
will be delivered to children at locations in Africa,
South America and Eurasia! A map is on the bulletin board showing the exact countries. And to
those who gave monetary donations for supplies
or shipping, we thank you!
The Relay Center was overwhelmed, and was
so blessed with the 34 volunteers who helped in the
center and delivered cartons of shoeboxes to the
Collection Center in Paducah, giving a total of 205
hours to the Relay Center
OCC work. There were
1410 shoeboxes packed
into 86 cartons, which were delivered to Paducah.
It goes without saying, “We couldn’t have done it
without each one of you!” You are a real blessing
to this special Christmas time project.
A record 16,400 shoebox gifts were transported
from the Paducah Collection Center to the Boone,
NC, Processing Center. We know these simple
shoebox gifts will bless children with Good News
and Great Joy.
Thanks again to every person who participated
in any way. May you all have a Blessed Christmas.
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these…And he
took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and
blessed them.” - Mark 10:14, 16
♦Access your Church Records
(review contributions, make change requests, add/correct
dates such as birth, anniversary, baptism, add your picture)
♦Online Directory
(includes name, address, phone numbers)
PLEASE NOTE—this does not put your name, address
and phone number into anything except a directory for
church members. Names are in our database before
they’re able to register/sign-in. Think of it as a paper copy
of a pictorial directory that we do every few years (there
are pictures of the family with addresses and phone numbers in the back).
♦Receive Important Text Messages
(receive meeting reminders, prayer requests, etc. via text
message—NOTE you must “opt in” to receive)
♦Online Giving
Don’t want to write a check every week or month?
Going on vacation and want to remember your offering?
You choose what’s best for you, weekly, monthly,
the amount, etc. (set up your regular contributions plus
Capital Campaign pledges)
F
irst things first…..go to our church’s website which
is: www.mayfieldfirst.com
Click on logo that looks like this:
Under the green box, you’ll see “Need a log in? Click Here” which
you must click on; type your email address and name then click on
“find me”. An email will be sent to you to create your username and
password. That will be your permanent log in.
After you’ve done the above step, received your email
and created username and password, you can download
the free “Church Life” app on your smartphone. Put
in your username/password, and check “remember me”
if you don’t want to sign in each time. With the app,
you can look up a members’ phone number and/or address and make contributions from your phone.
To receive TEXT MESSAGES such as meeting reminders, prayer
requests, etc. you must “opt-in”. Either click the “button” on our
church website or simply go to your profile, click the pencil icon
next to your correct number or if it’s not there, click “add” which is to
the right. You’ll need to check the box
next to “receive text messages”, then select your carrier in the drop down box,
and click “submit”.
For ONLINE GIVING, log in to your record, go to “my giving
summary”, click on the “give now” button and follow the instructions. You can also give online through the main menu of the Church
Life app.
Please review your records and update things you see need updating/
changing (use the pencil icon
next to what you wish to
change and be sure to click “submit” so we’ll receive your
change request).
Listen to the sounds
of
Mayfield First UMC
on WYMC Radio!
Christmas Eve Worship
Wednesday, Dec. 24
Come & Go Communion,
4:00-4:40pm & 10:15-10:45pm
Worship at 5pm & 11pm
We’d love to celebrate God’s precious gift
to all of us with YOU this Christmas!
On both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at
9:00 am, you’ll be able to listen to a special musical presentation by our church family on 93.9 FM
or 1430 AM, WYMC radio. You can also listen
on the web at www.mywymc.com or download
the app to your smart phone and listen in the car!
Praying you’ll be blessed!
Sunday School 9:30 am / Worship 10:30 am
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U S POSTAGE PAID
MAYFIELD, KY
PERMIT NO. 124
Live on WYMC Radio - 1430 AM / 93.9 FM
Contact the Church
[email protected]
270-247-5678
mayfieldfirst.com
Program Staff
Joe Hansen, Pastor
(270) 705-0554
[email protected]
Anthony Schaeffer, Associate Pastor
Angie Mason, Director of Children’s Ministries
Jessica Schaeffer, Director of Youth Ministries
Carol Barnes, Director of Music Ministries
Kathy O’Nan, Children’s Choir Director
Liz Hansen, Office Assistant
Tammy Isbell, Administrative Assistant
Dave & Jen Bell, Missionaries to Kenya
Return Service Requested
214 S. 8th St., Mayfield, KY 42066
Our own Claudia Earles has been
named Employee of the Year at Jackson
Purchase Medical Center. She is a Registered Nurse and serves as the Night
Supervisor of Nursing. Daughter of
Kent Hunt, Claudia is married to John,
and they have four children, Michael
Earles, Anthony Earles, Greg Earles,
and Amy Robertson. Congratulations
Claudia, we’re proud of you!
2015
Join us this Sunday as the
Chancel Choir presents
“The First Noel”
during morning worship,
10:30 a.m.
Offering Envelopes will be
available in the
Fellowship
Hall this Sunday, Dec. 21st.
Please pick up yours!
A couple of requests…..1) please do not use them until January and; 2) please use them as often as possible. They have your own personal assigned
number which helps tremendously with bookkeeping procedures. If you do not find your
name/envelopes and desire to have a box,
please let the church office know.
Jamaica Mission Team 2015
* Team Meeting, January 6, 2015 at 6 PM (Baugh Rm)
* Sunday, January 11—Join us for aSoup/Chili Cook-Off
after worship.
* Each Tuesday in February, eat at Arby’s in Mayfield 5-8
PM. A percentage of all receipts goes to Jamaica Team!
Madison Crooks will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Nursing from the University of Kentucky on Friday,
December 19, 2014. Madison is
Vice-President of her nursing
class and will soon be starting her
new job in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Madison’s new
address in January will be: 4390
Clearwater Way #1904, Lexington, KY 40515. She is the daughter of Kenneth & Deborah
Crooks. CONGRATULATIONS!
This
Advent
and
Christmas
season
we’vr
examining
Mary’s
remarkable
legacy of faith and devotion, looking at
Luke 1 and 2. We’ve
learned 1. that though
she was Troubled,
she remained True, 2.
that she was Connected & Confident, and 3. that her
Soul Glorified the Lord. As the series concludes we
will see 4. that her faithful life Gave Birth to Miracle,
5. that she and others who know God’s blessings Count
their Treasures and 6. that with God’s help we can all
See Forward into futures bright with God’s promises.
Invite others to join you on Sunday mornings, AND for
our Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship at 5 and 11.
Each service is preceded by “Come and Go” Communion (4:00—4:40 p.m. and 10:15—10:45 p.m.).
It’s a ministry that provides a weekly meal, a teaching
and worship time, small groups (where individuals may
or may not share) and conversation over coffee and tea,
to help people deal with life’s hurts, hangups and habits!
We all have some! Here’s what we mean:
A hurt, habit or hang-up is something in you or your life
that hinders your relationship with God and others.
The feeling of being hurt is an emotional reaction to another person’s behavior or to a disturbing situation. (Abuse, abandonment, codependency,
divorce, relationship issues, etc.)
A habit is an addiction to someone or something. (Alcoholism, drugs, food, gambling, sex, shopping, smoking, etc.)
Hang-ups are negative mental attitudes that are
used to cope with people or adversity.
(Anger, depression, fear, unforgiveness, etc.)
Traci Biggs recently portrayed in worship someone who
carried around a lot of unhelpful baggage! She hauled a
huge sack into the chancel area and “took out the trash”
one item at a time! That skit was a very helpful illustration of the fact that CR is for everyone.
Every person needs recovery because we all live in a
fallen world. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s
glory. There is a tremendous need for this Christ-based
wholeness ministry in Mayfield and Graves County!
Some of us have attended several different CR meetings
in our area to see how it’s done. We believe that God is
equipping us to offer this ministry, but we know that we
will need the help of almost everyone in the congregation
at one time or another, from helping to prepare meals, to
serving as a greeter, to keeping the leaders and participants in your prayers.
Our new worship series for Epiphany (the season of the
church year when we celebrate that the Light of God is
ON in the person of Jesus) is called Power Surge. Week
by week we’ll look at the marks of discipleship. What is
it that disciples do that helps them to receive, live by
and transmit God’s mighty power?
*Pray daily (Jan. 4)
*Worship weekly (Jan. 11)
*Read the Bible daily (Jan. 18)
*Serve at MFUMC and beyond (Jan. 25)
*Be in relationships to encourage our own spiritual
growth and the spiritual growth of others (Feb. 1)
*Give of my time, talents and resources (Feb. 8)
Be in worship each week! We will experience the
transforming power of God Almighty together!
Beginning in January we’ll continue to plan and pray on
Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. Each week we’ll do an abbreviated format during which we’ll experience ALL that CR does at each
session. So not only will all who come be helping to prepare
our launch, we’ll also get to see how it works! Will you
please join us on one or more or every Tuesday?
Get to know what your church is doing. Determine
with God’s help what your role is!
Unless the Lord builds the house, those that
build it labor in vain.—Psalm 127:1
The Vision Team has new information based on a recent
meeting with our architect, Lee Sims, who has investigated
costs for our proposed new facility alongside pledges received for our Forever First: a Lasting Legacy campaign.
On Sunday, January 4, immediately following worship, an
informational meeting will be held in the sanctuary to present a proposed direction for how to proceed in a way that
helps us to meet the priority needs we believe God helped
us to form and adopt. No vote will be taken, as this is only
an informational session. The input of each person who
loves this church is welcomed and needed.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We are wrapping up one year and ramping up for the next!
… it is said, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then,
how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are
evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:14-17
Dear Friends,
Paul quoted a poet or songwriter in Ephesians 5; I want to quote one, too! Chris Rice may have
been thinking of Paul’s words AND the words of Psalm 90:12 when he wrote:
Teach us to count the days. Teach us to make the days count.
Lead us in better ways. Somehow our souls forgot: Life means so much.
And toward the end of the song, Life Means So Much, he sings, over and over and over again (but in
a good way!), Every day is a gift you've been given,
Make the most of the time every minute you're living.
Paul challenged us to understand what the Lord’s will is. Lots of times we are tempted to make
God’s will more difficult than it needs to be. Sometimes it’s as simple as listening to scripture and
doing what it says!! Make the most of every opportunity. Make the days you’ve been given count
for the Kingdom. Live connected to God and the people of God. I guarantee you this: if your spirit
IS to try to do these simple commands, you’ll find yourself in the center of God’s will for your life.
2015 will bring remarkable opportunities for each of us to make our days count. We are going to be
guided by the marks of discipleship Michael Foss elaborates on in his book, Power Surge, which
many of our church leaders read in 2014. Our weekly prayer and scripture guides will be based
around the truth of God’s Word: the very same power God exerted when he raised Jesus from the
dead is available in our lives (Ephesians 1). It’s a SURGE from which we need no protection!
Rather, it is a surge to purse!
Like membership vows (of prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness) for those who have committed to church membership, the marks of discipleship are standard, stock and trade, for any
committed disciple of Jesus. We want to stress them and challenge all who claim the name of
Christ in our church family to walk with God in such a way that your life of discipleship will lead
you as you fulfill Jesus’ command and MAKE disciples! Although we cannot and have no desire to
“police” participation, we do want to live in a culture of high expectation that our church family
members are passionately dedicated to the mission of the church and their own personal mission.
These are the marks that identify disciples of Jesus Christ. They pray and read the Bible daily.
They worship weekly. They serve within the MFUMC family and in church and personal ministries
outside the church. They are in relationships to encourage their own spiritual growth as well as the
spiritual growth of others. And, finally, they give of time, talents and resources for the sake of the
Kingdom’s work through the church. (We give and offer ourselves TO God THROUGH the church,
not TO the church for God … there’s an emphasis/priority difference which is very significant!).
The mission of the Mayfield First United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Our vision for how we will accomplish this is by Bringing people In, Building them Up, and Sending
them Out. Friends, the Rock on which we stand is solid! God is going to give us amazing opportunities to make our days count. Even as the church’s Vision Team continues to move us toward facility growth and ministry priority accomplishment, each one of us is tasked with staying in close contact with God and one another, giving of ourselves in a variety of ways, and serving for the sake of
Jesus. It is an exciting time to be part of God’s Church in the world. The challenges we face are tremendous, but “greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)”!
Liz and I thank God for the staff and people of this church. We thank God for you!