Psalm 95
(verses 1, 2 and 7)

 O come, let us sing to the Lord;

Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For he is our God,

And we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

Let us give thanks indeed, for we are God’s people.  God watches over us like a shepherd.  He looks for us when we wander away.  He brings us home time and time again.  He cries when we are lost and rejoices when we are found.  Just as a shepherd knows the name of his sheep, so God knows our names and loves us.  God leads us and tends to us.  God is with us in wilderness and in the oasis, in the valley and on the mountain top.  God is with us in the day and in the night.  God is with us. 

What better reason to give thanks?

May you have a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving,

Pastor Donna

November 11th is Consecration Sunday. On that day only, there will be a different schedule for services and Sunday School.

 Sunday School will be at 9:30 am instead of 10:00 am.

There will be only one service that day at 10:30 am.

There will be a catered Celebration Luncheon in the Family Life Center starting at 11:30 am.

We encourage everyone to attend services on Consecration Sunday.

Our annual stewardship Sunday is coming November 11 during our one combined service at 10:30 am.  As we prepare for that important spiritual decision, each of us will be reflecting on the question, “What is God calling me to give as a percentage of my income?”

I share these insights on stewardship from New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program:

Christian stewardship is the faithful management of all that God gives, so that God can use our gifts to transform us spiritually and to reach out to others with Christ’s transforming love.  Jesus summed up the spiritual connection between money and God this way:  “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke12:34).  Each of us makes one of two choices in life.  We either become emotionally attached to our money, or we become emotionally attached to the God who gives us our money.  Our hearts are one place or the other, it cannot serve both.  Financial stewardship is treasure management that helps us to escape the trap of selfishness by keeping ourselves spiritually focused on God.  That is what John Wesley meant when he said that if people were more alive to God, they would be more generous. 

What motivates people to give to their church?

1.       They feel gratitude to God.

2.       They see giving as part of their spiritual relationship with God.

3.       They feel privileged to serve.

4.       They fell that God asks for an appropriate percentage of their income.

5.       They like to help other people.

We are asking each of you to prayerfully consider what God is calling you to give to the church this year.  Perhaps you cannot give 10% of your income … could you give 5%?  Perhaps you are giving 10% of your income … could you give 11%?  Perhaps you are currently giving $5 a week to the church … could you grow one step this year and give $10 a week?

Listen for God to guide you as you ask yourselves, “What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?”

In Christ,
Pastor Donna

November 11th is Consecration Sunday. On that day only, there will be a different schedule for services and Sunday School.

 Sunday School will be at 9:30 am instead of 10:00 am.

There will be only one service that day at 10:30 am.

There will be a catered luncheon in the Family Life Center starting at 11:30 am.

We encourage everyone to attend services on Consecration Sunday.

October 13th came and went and so did October 14th with no pumpkins arriving.  However, I received a call on October 14th at noon which stated that the pumpkins got loaded in the truck late Saturday night and will be on their way to us come Monday morning the 15th!!  He will be arriving sometime during the day but the pumpkins are scheduled to be unloaded at 4:00 p.m.  We will need every available hand to come help unload this 18-wheeler full of pumpkins for the Patch!!  We would appreciate your help!!

What’s your favorite image or name of Jesus?  I have a cross in my office which has a variety of names for Jesus stamped on it, and I’m sure there are even more.  Some of the names on my cross are as follows:

 Savior  Friend  Deliverer  Bread of Life  the Way  Emmanuel

 the Truth  the Light  Messiah  Redeemer  Bright Morning Star

There are other names on the cross as well, including Good Shepherd, which happens to be my favorite   image of Jesus.  I can’t tell you how many times when feeling stressed or distressed I have looked at a stained-glass image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and immediately found comfort, care and love by reminding myself that Jesus is indeed my shepherd.  Jesus cares about me; Jesus loves me; Jesus watches over me.  No matter what the world (including the church) is telling me about who I am; I know I can look to Jesus and find my worth and value.  I also know when I have strayed off course, he comes looking for me and carries me back to where I need to be.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows my name and calls me to follow him.  If I am still and listening, I hear him and come to him.

My grandmother’s may have been Friend and Savior.  Whenever I hear “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”  I think of her.  My mother’s favorite name or image of Jesus may have been Helper, especially after my  father died.  The verse that got her through many a hard time is, “I can do all things through him (Christ) who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

So which name or image of Jesus gives you a sense of hope or comfort or love or strength? 

Blessings to all,

Pastor Donna   

First United Methodist’s annual Pumpkin Patch will be open from October 13th through Halloween Night. The Pumpkin Patch is located adjacent to the parking lot and the playground at 315 E. Elm Street in Hillsboro, TX.

Hours are 10 am -6 pm Monday through Saturday, 1 pm-6 pm on Sundays.  There will be all kinds of pumpkins available - big ones, little ones, with all colors & shapes available.  Even some baby pumpkins and gourds. Sometimes there will be fall flowers, usually Mums available for sale as well. Sales of the pumpkins go to benefit the different missions of the Church.

Every year hundreds of schoolkids visit the pumpkin patch to listen to the Story Hour, check out the pumpkins and enjoy a little snack. If you would like your children to visit the pumpkin patch for Story Hour, please call Nanette Wyatt at 254/221-5620 to schedule a time for their visit. And the sooner you call, the better. We have TONS of kids coming through the patch!

If your children are not already scheduled to attend with their class at school or are homeschooled, they are still welcome to visit. Just call Nanette and find out when an open time slot for the Story Hour is available.

Of course, you may always just drop by to see the pumpkins without an appointment.

Here is a flyer to view… harvest-festival-flyer.pdf

It’s ALMOST that time of year again!

The First United Methodist Church of Hillsboro (315 E. Elm St., Hillsboro, TX, 254/582-2342) is gearing up for their annual pumpkin patch which begins October 13th and runs through Halloween.

There will be all kinds of pumpkins, in a variety of colors and sizes, from tiny sugar pumpkins and gourds up to the really BIG ones. Prices are determined by size.

They also host school groups for a story hour in the patch, so all teachers are invited to call the Church and schedule a time for their students to visit.  Parents, if your kids are interested in visiting the patch and story hour but are not yet in school, they may still join in the fun. Please call the church at 254/582-2342 or Nanette Wyatt at 254-221-5620 to find out when there will be an open time that they might visit.

Church members are invited to volunteer time as “pumpkin sitters” to help man the Pumpkin Patch and to assist with the children’s activities. There are sign up sheets in the vestibule of the Church for picking times. Volunteers will also be needed at 8 am on Saturday, October 13th to help unload the pumpkins when they are delivered.

This year’s Vacation Bible School will be held in the evening Sunday, August 5th through Wednesday, August 8th from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.This year’s theme is “OPERATION OVERBOARD - go DEEP with GOD!”

FUMC’s VBS is open to any children in the community, aged 4-11 (beginning Pre-K in the fall and finishing 5th grade).  There is no cost to the families and children will be given a light meal as part of the program.

Registration is OPEN now but seats are limited!  Please pick up a registration form in the church office or outside the Sanctuary on Sundays.  For more information, please call the church office at 582-2342.

In all of the coverage of the Aurora, Colorado shootings, I was most impressed by one of the surviving shooting victims.  He was being interviewed from his hospital bed.  He described how a bullet had gone through his arm and shattered his humorous bone.  Fortunately, that shattered bone probably saved his life; otherwise the bullet would have gone into his chest.

The interviewer asked him about the shooter and the why of it all.  The young man simply stated that there is evil in the world and that he sensed a real darkness when the shooter came near him.  He also said, though, that he wasn’t personally angry at the shooter.  When asked how that could be, he simply replied that he knows there is a light greater than the darkness and the darkness will be overcome by the light.

I don’t know for certain, but it sounds like this young man is a believer in God, perhaps even a Christian.  We, too, know there is darkness in this world.  We know sometimes we even prefer the darkness.  But we also know that the darkness cannot extinguish the light.

In Isaiah 9 we read:  “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined. … For a child has been born for us, a son given to us.” That child of course is Jesus Christ who said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Of course Jesus also calls us to be the light.  In The Message version of the Bible it says, “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. … Shine!”  Light illuminates.  Light attracts.  Light dispels the darkness.

In the old children’s song, “This Little Light of Mine,” we sing:  “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”  Another verse says, “Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m going to let it shine!”  We could change that to “won’t let darkness put it out” and we would have the same meaning, wouldn’t we?  Jesus calls us to let his light shine through us even in the midst of darkness so that the darkness will be dispelled and the light will not be overcome.

Let’s all let our light shine! Especially when it seems darkest.

Pastor Donna