At a called meeting Monday, December 28, the Council on Ministries acted on the recommendation of the Committee on Finance and authorized the expenditure of $56,800 for a "ceiling to floor" refurbishing of the Sanctuary.  The scope of the project also includes the foyers of the south and north entrances. The work will start in January with some painting and patching of walls in certain areas that will not impact Sunday worship services. Starting sometime in mid-February, the major overhead work on the ceiling in the sanctuary will require the installation of scaffolding from floor to ceiling which will stay in place until the project is near completion. During that time ( for several weeks), worship services will be held in the Family Life Center.

The recommendation from the Committee on Finance includes no new debt for the church. The completion schedule is such that we will resume worship services in the sanctuary by Easter Sunday. The prime contractor is David Russell Construction Co.  A Sanctuary Refurbishing Committee was appointed by the Council to act as liaison between the contractor and the church.  Committee members are as follows: Becky Cliett, Lynn Gray, Cathy Mackey, Tony Marley, Jamie Siddons. Questions and comments should be addressed to members of the committee. 

This project is something we have anticipated for years.  While there will be some inconvenience during construction, we all look forward to the time when we will worship in the refurbished sanctuary

On a cold, windy, and snowy Christmas Eve, a much larger than expected crowd of people came to celebrate the coming of the Christ Child with fellowship, music, worship, prayer, and Communion.  All of this was followed with the singing of Silent Night and the traditional candle lighting service. It was a time to remember that we are all part of God’s family through Jesus Christ.   

It is almost Christmastime and New Year’s is right around the corner.  You know what that means, don’t you?  Time to make a New Year’s resolution that you won’t break on January 2nd!!  How about your New Year’s resolution for 2010 being attending a new women’s bible study group that will be starting Sunday evening, January 10, 2010?  The first meeting will be at the home of Candy Horton at 1406 Alford at 6:00 p.m.  The title of the study is from the Sisters Bible Study for Women and is “Finding Balance: Loving God with Heart and Soul, Mind and Strength.”  It is a video-based series with workbooks, daily readings, discussion, thought writings and weekly group meetings.  The study was written by Becca Stevens who is an Episcopal priest at St. Augustine’s Chapel on the Vanderbilt University campus.  She is also the founder of Magdalene, a residential community for women with a criminal history of prostitution and drug abuse.  Her Introduction states: “I come from a tradition that celebrates the possbility of finding new meaning in old stories each time that story is engaged.  The Scripture is a living word, and in quiet reflection God is revealed anew in our daily lives.”  Please come and join us as Becca Stevens helps us consider the question of balance in our lives - between service and worship, duty and devotion, doing and being.  She does this by examining narratives of New Testament women such as Mary and Martha, Lydia, Mary the mother of Jesus, the Canaanite women, and Mary Magdalene.  Finding Balance will help us weigh and resolve some of the conflicting impulses in our lives as we seek to follow Jesus Christ.  Come and be a participating part of this very important study for women today.

The youth would like to thank everyone for making Cooking Wonderland a great success this year. All told, the youth made right at $1,400! We would like to thank everyone who came and bought cookies from us, everyone who spent their time baking cookies for us, and everyone who helped us make the event wonderful. We would specifically like to thank: Carolyn Gray for doing a wonderful job decorating for the event, Sandra Gage for teaching us how to run Cookie Wonderland, Debra Dezendorf for helping to pull it all off, and Mr. Jamie Dunn for the loan of the scale.

The youth will have their annual Christmas Party Sunday, January 3 at David and Mandi’s house. Please bring a $10 gift (non gender specific) to exchange.

I get these generic letters at Christmas like you do telling about people families and their plans for Christmas. I thought I might share this one with you.

Greetings during Christmas.

Well it’s that time of the year to get ready for Christmas. I am late buying my Christmas presents. You might say my goose is cooked. Uncle Tom is coming in tomorrow. He’s such a turkey. Your cousin Leroy is doing well as an astronaut. Unfortunately he developed mistletoe.

Aunt Ruth will bring us the annual Christmas program. She’s such a ham. But we love her traditional rendition of The Night Before Christmas. It’s as American as mom and apple pie. We do relish our time together.

Of course nephew Clem is still in his Popeye stage. It gets a little tiresome hearing him say, “I yam what I yam.” Ma has been busy stuffing the stockings with care. She can be such a tease. Olive her sister will bring the cranberry garland. We just hope that she isn’t sauced.

I gotta go. I have to plan the meal and I don’t have an glue what to serve.

Candy and her honey Bob Cane.

I liked that one.

Have a merry Christmas. Truly, Peace and grace. Reed.

P.s. I  won’t e writing another Reed’s Ramblings until next. year. Actually, I am taking off the week between Christmas and New Year. So I also hope you have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

The following is a note from Carolyn Gray concerning the ongoing “risk taking mission and service” of our church youth group at work in Hillsboro:

The Junior High Sunday Class went "Ihopping" (the name the class recently chose for this mission  work) after the early service this past Sunday.  For two weeks during Sunday School, they made and decorated cookies for "Cookie Wonderland."  They took some of the cookies to the fire station where they had their picture made with the resident dog.  Some cookies were taken to the Hill County emergency responders also.  Next, the class went to both nursing homes to give cookies to each of the nurses stations to thank the aides and nurses for caring for the residents. 

While visiting at Town Hall, the youth visited with a Mrs. Cavett.  She told them very interesting things about her life and said to them to never get angry but always be kind and loving.  She was thrilled that they had come to see and visit with her and said they had made her day.  In talking with Mrs. Cavett, she said her first name was Pollyanna.  It was then that I realized that she had been at the Valentine Banquet last year where the youth were the servers.  I told her that one of the class members had served her at the banquet and that the reason they were out doing "mission work" today was because of the proceeds from the banquet.  The class then went to visit with Martha Vaughan, who was also thrilled to see them and she too had been at the Valentine Banquet.  Her roommate asked if they could sing a Christmas song.  Since they knew "Lord, Prepare me to be a Sanctuary", they sang that.  Martha sang every word with the youth.  She, too, said they had made her day by coming to see her. What a blessing they were to both these women who had been served by them at the banquet. 

Then they went to IHOP to eat.  The youth usually select a family and pay for their meal, but yesterday they bought Christmas presents for three children in foster care.  The waitress was also given a plate of cookies and a very generous tip from the class.  At Wal-Mart, the class was divided into three groups to purchase clothes and toys for the three children for Christmas.  They bought for a two-year old girl, a four-year old girl and a three-year old boy.  The gifts were all taken back to the church and the youth wrapped all the presents.  The money for all this–the ingredients for the cookies, the meal and tip at IHOP, the clothes and toys for the children in foster care–was provided by your “extravagant generosity” from the Valentine Banquet.   Thank you for your generosity and for being a part of this “mission work.”  Time spent with this fun, neat group of youth and seeing others blessed by them—“Priceless!!!”

What wonderful worship services we had this past week. If you missed them, it was a shame.

The special sung by Living Proof in the early service was outstanding. The choir sang the best cantata ever. The play and program that evening was funny and wonderful. We would leave someone out if we tried to name all involved. From the cast and readers, to the leaders and directors, to the musicians and singers, God bless and thank you for a wonderful week-end of worship.

For one and all: Thank you for all your hard work, worry and ministry.

We have good news and a great joy. WE PAID OUT ALL OF OUR APPORTIONMENTS!! What a great gift here at Christmas time to announce that. We want to thank everyone for your generosity and giving. This means that we have met our commitment to the United Methodist Church here in Texas, America and throughout the world 100%. Schools are supported, missionaries are sent, hospitals are able to care for those in need.

God bless everyone for your giving.

Oh and by the way, we need to give a special offering to the scholorship funds so that our students, and currently we wave two, can get financial support. We will take up a special offering this week but if you need to drop off a gift you can do so at the church office.

Rules for Christmas.

For the women: Go on vacation when the husbands/father gets out the Christmas lights.

For the men: Go on vacation when the wife/mother says “Let’s go shopping.”

When in doubt on what to give someone might I suggest Spam.

Whenever you start preparing for Christmas, it’s too late. It doesn’t matter if you begin on Jan. 1st. You will still not have enough time to get it all done.

If you get a parking space near the front door of a store, just leave your car there until July. You will never get that close again.

If you buy clothes for someone, it will be the wrong size.

If you have children you do not have enough money. If you have any money, just give it to them because they will get it all any way.

When buying toys, by two. The husband/father will play with them if you buy only one and will not want to share them.

If it has more than one part, parts will be lost. Look in the mouth of your youngest child in the family. It will be there. Plus you will find the cars keys you lost last March as well as other lost items.

Finally. remember to have a very very Merry Christmas. It is supposed to be a time of joy and laughter. It is when we all receive the greatest of all gifts. It is when we all celebrate the gift of Jesus our Savior.

Peace and grace. Reed.