Weekly Reminders

In December of 1223, on his return from the Holy Land, a monk named Francis encouraged his fellow monks to do something different for Christmas. He wanted the people of his town of Greccio, Italy, to do more than just hear the story of the birth of Jesus; he wanted them to have an experience of it. The other monks agreed, a location was found, a cow and donkey were borrowed, and a wood carver made a life-size baby. Then, on Christmas Eve, when everyone came to the chapel for services, Francis met them at the steps and led a procession out of town. They went up the slope of a nearby mountain to where a cave had been prepared. It was lit by candles, and when the villagers got close enough to see, they could see that within, there was a cow, a donkey, and a manger. Then Francis of Assisi and his fellow monks, dressed in costumes, began to tell and act out the story of the birth of Jesus. This was the first known live nativity remembrance in history. We are looking at the nativity again this week, Luke 2:1-20, meditating again on all the things that God put in place for the original Christmas Eve. Hope to see you all Sunday, December 22.


Blessings,
Pastor John

Called Administrative Board Meeting
This Sunday at 10 a.m., we will have an Administrative Council Meeting in the Crossroads Connection Center to review and vote on the 2025 Budget. If you serve on the Administrative Council, you should have already received a copy of the proposed budget by email. If you are not on the Administrative Council and would like an early look at the budget, copies are available in the church office, or you can email the office to request a copy.

Community Christmas Musical
This Sunday, December 22, the choirs of First Methodist Church and First Baptist Church along with singers from other churches will perform “God With Us, Emmanuel” at 6pm in the First Baptist Church Sanctuary.

December 29 - One Service & Musical Encore
Next Sunday, we will only have one morning service, meeting at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary. We will be blessed to enjoy an encore performance of “God with us, Emmanuel,” a community Christmas Musical. Following the service, please join us in the Fellowship Hall for a soup and cornbread lunch! Participants are asked to bring a pot of their favorite soup, and the church will provide sweet tea, cornbread, and crackers!

If you plan on joining us for the mail, please click the button below to let us know you are coming.

A reverent and meaningful way to prepare for Christmas is to attend the annual Christmas Eve Service. We will hear the message of the birth of our Lord and sing again the wonderful carols. We will enjoy special singers, including Henry Heydinger and Jaukeem Fortson, and Holy Communion. It is one of the most meaningful services of the year. Please note that Communion will not be prior to the service this year; we will take Communion towards the end of the service.

• Thank You!
  Speaking for the staff of Elberton First Methodist, we are very thankful for the generous Christmas bonuses, and most of all, we are thankful to have such a wonderful place to work and serve God.

     - Pastor John

• To everyone for your generous donations to the Salvation Army. We were able to fill up almost all the boxes that will be given away with the flour, sugar, and peanut butter!
• To those who rang the bell for the Salvation Army on Dec 17th- Bryce Keely, Chuck Riley, Tom Hodges, Martin Daniel, PJo Phelps, Don and Mary Jo Dye, Charles Cecchini, Mike and Sherry Webb. You are a blessing. So far, the kettle drive has brought in more than $10,000, all of which will be utilized in local ministry.

Looking for a way to serve?
If you are interested in volunteering as a Greeter in the 9 AM service or as an Usher or Liturgist in the 11 AM service, please let the church office know so we can add you to the schedule.

Prayer Team
Do you believe that God answers prayers? Do you feel called to pray for other people? The pastor is organizing a prayer team to meet monthly, with time and day to still be determined. If you would like to be part of the EFMC prayer team, please contact John at 706-421-6339.

Baby smiles and giggles galore; Scarlett and Mason Whaling are adding one more! Big sister Ava and Big brother Mark have plenty to share. It's just a sprinkle to show we care! Not much is needed; just the basics will do, like diapers, wipes, and gift cards, too!!

Please RSVP to Harriet Rider at (706) 308-5645 or just come!

Capital Fund Campaign
In the struggles over the last year, many church projects and needed repairs and improvements were put on hold. It is time to move forward again! Please consider making a special donation to our Capital Fund Campaign (CFC). Funds will be used for long overdue church repairs, planned maintenance and the pay for the balance of the cost for the new playground. As we are able, let’s all participate, so that we are building up the church together! Just mark in the memo section of your check, “CFC.” Thank you all for your generous and sacrificial giving!

Sunday, December 15
9:00 am - Contemporary Worship Service
10:00 am - Sunday School
11:00 am - Traditional Worship Service
6:00 pm - Community Christmas Musical (FBC Sanctuary)

Tuesday, December 24
6:00 pm - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Wednesday, December 25
Merry Christmas!

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