The “BIG” Gift! Recently I asked of my friends to share one of their favorite Christmas memories. Some were

funny, some touching, and some sad. The emphasis of this season seems to make memories have a bit more sticking power. My Christmas memory went back many years to the time I was ten years old. We woke up that morning to celebrate with our family before heading off to see other family members. We always had family Christmas. There were aunts and uncles and cousins and we were always glad to see one another. However, this morning was our personal family early on Christmas morning, and the first thing my brother and I wanted to see was all the presents under our tree. This particular year there was one present that was significantly larger than all the others. We eyed it with great passion hoping that it would have our name on it. But to our surprise, there was not a name. The anticipation lasted up until it was time to pass the presents out. As it turned out, the gift was for me! I couldn’t believe it. I am not sure that it would have mattered what was underneath the wrapping paper. I got the “Big” one. I can almost remember the full measure of the joy I felt when my name was called. It was a good memory.

As Christmas approaches and we are busy giving and receiving gifts of all kinds, I think there is

something very important to remember. The “Big” gift belongs to each of us. Of all the things that we can put on our list there is one wonderful thing that is given to all. God loved each of us so much that He sent His Son into the world. I know it’s Christmas and I am supposed to say that, but think about it. Because of this gift we have eternal life guaranteed. Because of this gift we have access to God anytime and anywhere. Because of this gift we have power to overcome anything that this broken world throws at us. Because of this gift we have access to a Joy that in unexplainable. What other gift could be this good? Trust me when I say that we received the “Big” gift!

I hope and pray that you get as excited by this “Big” gift as I did about mine many years ago. It

is so wonderful that I now get to celebrate the “Biggest” gift each and every Christmas. So, I wish you all Christmas joy as you celebrate this Holy season. Oh, by the way, I don’t even remember what the gift was but it was the biggest that year. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Pastor Tommy

The Newsletter of Inman United Methodist Church Fayetteville, GA 30215 December 2017

The Inman Informer

Please invite your friends and family to join us for our Christmas Cantata at 10:00 a.m. Sunday,

December 10th. All are welcome to join us as we

celebrate the reason for the season.

A reception will follow immediately after the service in the Fellowship Hall, hosted by the Membership Care Committee.

Christmas Eve Services

Please join us on Sunday, December 24th for our Christmas Eve Services. The service times are as follows: Morning service: 10:00 a.m.

Evening services: 5:00 & 9:00 p.m.

Joy & Sharing and Primetimers

Joy & Sharing and Primetimers will meet jointly during the month December. Please see either Gloria Reid or Jean McChargue if you would like more information. In December, they will meet on Tuesday, December 12th at 11:30 a.m.

at Hanna Bro’s Café at Pinewood Studios.

We hope to see you there!.

Landing Get-Togethers

Each Sunday, following the 8:45 a.m. service and again between Sunday School and the 11:00 a.m. service, a group in our church will sponsor a brief time of hospitality on the stair landing. During the month of December, the Outreach Committee will be promoting our Christmas VBS. Stop by to see how you can get involved. The Outreach Committee has planned for the followings groups to host the Landing Get-Togethers for the coming year.

December Outreach Promote Christmas VBS January Sunday Schools – Pathfinders and TBA February Sunday Schools – Youth and Children March ASP April Special Needs May Outreach Committee to promote Missions June VBS Sign up

Invite your friends and family to join us on Saturday, December 9th

for the United Methodist Women’s annual

Christmas Craft Bazaar from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Breakfast will be served beginning at 8:00 a.m. (provided by the United Methodist Men)

The breakfast will be a full country style meal complete with eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, and all the trimmings. The Craft Bazaar will have unique, handmade crafts, canned goods, baked goods, etc.

that are perfect for Christmas gifts. All of the funds raised by the UMW and the UMM help fund our mission programs and provide resources for our church programs.

For more information and to volunteer your help, contact Joni Janssen or Ed Roehm.

United Methodist Women

Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes: Thanks to your generosity, you will spread the joy of Christmas and share the love of Jesus with 100 children around the world! Poinsettias: The United Methodist Women’s Circle, Love and Fellowship, will be accepting orders for Poinsettias and/or a donation in honor or memory of your loved ones. The cost of the poinsettias is $10.00 each. Proceeds of poinsettias and donations will be going to help with missions in the coming year. Please leave poinsettias in the sanctuary till after the Christmas Eve Services to help beautify it for the holiday. At that time, you may take your flowers home. Please make checks payable to “LAF Circle” and reference poinsettias or donations. Payment must be included with your order form. Forms may be turned in to any Love and Fellowship Circle member or placed in the offering no later than December 14th.

The UMW will meet on Saturday, January 13th at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We hope you will join us as we plan our activities for the year at this meeting.

Blessing, Joni Janssen, President

It’s nearly time for our new church directory! Our directory will showcase our members and families,

provide contact information, and become a useful resource to keep us connected.

By participating, you will receive a printed and electronic version of the new directory, as well as an 8x10 photo,

all at no cost to you. Additional photos may be purchased.

Sign up soon for your professional photography session.

Photography sessions will be December 12th through the 14th at the church.

There are several ways to sign up: 1. Schedule your appointment online at our website:

https://booknow-lifetouch.appointment-plus.com/y7xrcht4/

2. See Caroline Akeman on Sundays and Wednesdays to sign up.

3. Or call the church secretary at 770-461-2123 for assistance.

Our directory won’t be complete without you. Sign up today!

Trustees Your Trustees wish to thank all of the men and women of our Church who participated in the workdays held on November 3rd and 4th. We accomplished a lot thanks to everyone's efforts. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous, healthy, and joyous New Year.

Christmas Vacation Bible School Inman United Methodist Church invites all children ages 2 and up to join them

for Christmas Vacation Bible School,

“The Christmas Shop”

Sunday, December 17th through Tuesday, 19th

from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by arts and crafts, music, and Bible study! Parents and

family are invited to attend a performance by the children

followed by a Birthday Celebration for Jesus on

Tuesday, December 19th at 7:30 p.m.

Registration is required; please register your child no later than Friday, December 15th by calling

the church office at 770-461-2123 or see Caroline Akeman on

Sundays and Wednesdays. We look forward to seeing you!

All Inman youth are encouraged to participate. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer,

please contact Caroline Akeman.

Our Prayer List

For healing from health concerns Jayne Akeman Carlos Allen (Gloria Reid’s brother) Wanda Anderick (Nancy Allgood) Anna Anderson (Angus Anderson) Sara Ballard Ray Barday (Charles Cox) Liz Beardon (Judy Becco’s sister) Judy Becco Charlotte Booth (Martha Kozisek) DeLois Casebier, kidney disease Jess Cash (Kathy Stower’s sister) Brad Cook Brenda Durkee Arlys Ferrell, surgery Cheryl Gibbs, aneurysm (Tommy Peacock) Junior Hale, stroke Joyce Hayes (Jean Allen’s sister) Nicole Henry, colitis Paula Hicks Jean Hilten (Claire Starkey’s aunt) Jerry Mask Agnes McChargue (Jean McChargue’s cousin) Tiny Peeples Jack Price Miriam Schmidt Thelma Shackleford Claire Starkey Sharon Stephens (Harriett Parham) John Stevens Ursala Strickland (Linda DeLisle’s mother and

Eve’s grandmother) Katy Swanger Anne Tallent (Caroline Akeman’s grandmother) Lee Wagner (Brad Wagner’s father) Jeff Wedge Rhonda Wheeler (Daughter-in-law of George

& Lynn Wheeler) Don Whiteside

For healing from cancer Terri Adams (Virginia Adams’ daughter) Shannan Archer (Arlys Ferrell) Ben Akeman Brandon Brown (Claire Starkey) Pat Cooper (Jane St. Amour) Nancy Cox (Cox’s sister-in-law) Walter Delia (Martha Kozisek) Berta Folds (John & Patty Rigby) Mary Lee Giddings Gina Henderliter (step-daughter of Carolyn

Kramlich) Donna Hilton (Claire Starkey) Paige Kent (Harriet Parham) Matt Kirkindall Marvin Markham Harry Martin (George & Lynn Wheeler) Kim Moss (Arlys Ferrell) James Rideout, bone marrow transplant Mike Sams Katie Schmidt (Brenda Schachle) Louise Woods (Ann Hembree) Other Concerns For the children and youth programs of Inman Unspoken prayers of the congregation

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

3 Noisy Buckets 12:15 p.m. Movie & Lunch

4 5 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts

6 5:00 p.m. Youth Ensemble 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Evening Supper 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 6:30 p.m. TeamKID

7 3:00 p.m. Girl Scout Meeting

8 9 UMW Christmas Craft Bazaar and Country Breakfast

10 10:00 a.m. Christmas Cantata

11 12 LifeTouch Directory Picture Appointments 11:30 a.m. Primetimers and

Joy & Sharing 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts

13 LifeTouch Directory Picture Appointments 5:00 p.m. Youth Ensemble 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Evening Supper 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 6:30 p.m. TeamKID

14 LifeTouch Directory Picture Appointments

15 6:00 p.m. Youth Lock

In

16

17 12:15 p.m. Children/Youth

Council 5:30 p.m. Christmas VBS

18 5:30 p.m. Christmas VBS

19 5:30 p.m. Christmas VBS 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts

20 No Supper or Kids' Activities 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice

21 22 23

24 10:00 a.m. Morning Service 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service 9:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service

25 Church Office

Closed

26 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts

27 No Supper or Kids' Activities

28 29 30

31 12:15 p.m. 5th Sunday Dinner

1 Church Office

Closed

DECEMBER 2017

Erika Bishop 12/3 Myra Jean McChargue 12/3 Michael Little 12/5 Emily Wagner 12/8 Judy Roehm 12/12 Barbara Ponzio 12/17

If you see that a birthday is missing, please notify the church office so that we can make the correction in our database.

Inman Staff

Rev. Tommy Ross, Pastor (706) 473-3141 (cell) pastor@inmanmethodist.org Anna Baker, Church Secretary (770) 461-2123 secretary@inmanmethodist.org Carolyn Kramlich, Pianist 770-315-4128 pianist@inmanmethodist.org Jolynn Stevens, Director of Music music@inmanmethodist.org

The Informer is a publication of Inman United Methodist Church 151 Hills Bridge Road Fayetteville, GA 30215 (770) 461-2123 www.inmanmethodist.org

Christmas Post Office The United Methodist Women are

sponsoring the Christmas Card Post Office this year. For just 10 cents per card, you can place your Christmas cards for church members in the mail-

boxes just outside the Secretary’s office. Place your money in the locked box on the wall next to the

mailboxes. This is a fundraiser so please bring your cards to church instead of mailing them.

Be sure to check the mailbox regularly for any cards you may have received!

Church Office Holiday Hours

The church office will be closed on Monday, December 25th and Monday, January 1st.