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About a year ago, I preached an Epiphany message entitled, “Wise people pray”. Of course, I was using the story of the Magi coming to see the Christ Child and their need to pray before, during and after that arduous journey from their homeland in Persia to Bethlehem and back. And so, during this season of epiph-anies and resolutions, maybe we should revisit the spiritual discipline of prayer. Do we do it enough? Do we do it rightly? What do we expect to come from it? Well, I ran across this piece and wanted to share it with all of you. Sandra and I wish all of you a very happy and blessed New Year. This will be a year of transition for all of us. Let us do it prayerfully and with thanksgiving. May we be a people of prayer. With you, in Christ’s service, Gary Sam Wells from his book called God's Companions. "Prayer means petition: explicitly looking to God to transform all in life that does not reflect his glory, and specifically requesting him to meet needs, heal bodies, and change hearts. Prayer means wonder: being taken out of the mundane and routine and being astonished and dazzled by the breadth and detail of creation and the depth and passion of redemption. Prayer means recognition of error: painful admission of purposeful sin and partici-pation in widespread evil, and resolve to be done with such ways of thinking and saying and doing, and to begin again the new life made possible in Christ. Prayer means gratitude: receiving all the contours of life as the gifts of a gracious God, rennervating the events of each day as a letter of love from God to oneself, and expressing love and joyful thanks in return. Prayer means silence: humble meditation, the simple offering of time, the stillness that attests to the fundamental priority of God's activity, the simple opening of the ears of the heart. Prayer means reading the Bible, in the sense that the disciple seeks that the words of Scripture enrich and shape our understanding of the awesome good-ness and grace of God and the mysteriously yet invariably inhibited character of human response. Prayer is an end in itself: it is an experience of God's ultimate purpose that his people should worship him and be his friends. It is not a means. References to the power of prayer are properly a way of referring to the power of God. Prayer is a gift to the church in the patterns of life the Church must adopt if its people seek to become people of prayer."

The Mocks Messenger Mocks United Methodist Church

Church Staff: Pastor: Gary L. Elrod

Director of Music Ministries: Greg Allen Administrative Assistant: Bonnie Russell mocksumc@yadtel.net

Organist: Greg Allen Messenger Desktop Publisher: Bonnie Russell Website: Mocksumc.org

Church Office

Hours Monday–Wednesday

8:00 am – 12 Noon

Jan.21st

January 2020

1

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Missions

For 2019, Missions distributed approx. $ 17,000.00 to various needs including RAH, UMCOR, School Supplies, Mission Trip, Community needs, etc. through donations, memorials, and budget. And this doesn’t include what the UMM and UMW do throughout the year. Thank you for your help as we help others! *************************************************************************************************************************************

1/1 Bill Rummage 1/12 Rosalie Allen 1/31 Mitzi Carter 1/11 Matthew Pennington 1/14 Suzanne Doub 1/31 Tim Phelps 1/25 Jackie Mock

Happy New Year!!!! Your United Methodist Women THANK YOU for your help with filling up Salvation Army Stockings and helping children in our community! We carried 27 stockings to Chik-Fil-A on Monday, December 9th!! Way to go!!! Thank you for your support! The UMW will meet Sunday, January 5th at 2:00 in the Church Basement (note the time change and location change). We have lots going on at our first few meetings in 2020, so be sure to come join us!

Submitted by Nicole Martin

Mocks United Methodist

Women

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The Jolly Sixties were busy during 2019. We not only had fun eating out and playing Bingo, we contributed to Easter Meals and Thanksgiving Meals. We also donated money to UMCOR, Rise Against Hunger, Summer Book Bag Project, and to the church for use of paper products. We bought new candles for the church sanctuary for use during the Christmas Season. Our Christmas project to purchase children's gifts for Storehouse was successful as we provided three children with Christmas gifts. We have a wonderful time at our regular meetings and would encourage others to join us. We meet the second Tuesday of each month at 11:00 AM; our next meeting is Tuesday, January 14th. We are thankful for a fruitful year but mourn the loss of one of our dear members, Jerry Stroud. The Jolly Sixties wish each of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR with many blessings in 2020. Submitted by Anna Hancock

Submitted by Pat Jones

Prayer Concerns Angela Johnson, Anne Williams, Becky Riggins, Bob Collett, Bob & Maxine Bailey, Collins Brown, Connie Boyle, Cora Tew, Eddie Darnell, Ethan Moore, Everett Turpin, Gordan Van Etten, Jane Pruitt, Johnny & Rosalie Allen, Joyce Butner, Julia Nickles, Kenny Jordan, Mark Henddricks, Mary Anne Elliott, Parker Bailey, Roger & Carol Mock, Ryan Davis, Sue Johnson, Tammy Clodjo, Vernon Jones, William Carter. Beyond Us: Peace on Earth, goodwill toward all people

Twisted Sisters Book Club December 4.0 Stars

In November, Twisted Sisters Book Club read We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. This book is based on the real life story of Georgia’s Polish-Jewish grandfather and his family, who all survived the Holocaust. There are a lot of characters in the book; the parents, five adult children and one grandchild. Which makes it all the more remarkable that the entire family survived and was reunited. The story unfolds on a personal level told through each char-acter’s survival through World War II and their determination to reunite their lives afterward—in Poland, Paris, Siberia, Palestine, Argentina and the United States. We all really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to everyone. Bring a tissue, you might need it! We would give this one 4 star! We will meet at Panera in Clemmons at 9:00 on January 4th to discuss the current book we are reading, Jacob’s Bell by local author, John Snyder. Continue to bring your suggestions to our next meeting! It’s here….time to pick new books for 2020!

Submitted by Nicole Martin

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Storehouse for Jesus

Items needed for January:

Cereal, Oatmeal, Grits, Pancake Mix (complete) & Syrup, Toilet Paper

And

4th Sunday of Each Month

We will continue to collect personal hygiene items (ex. toothbrushes & paste, deodorant, shampoo, lotions, soap, razors, feminine hygiene and baby products, etc.) for Storehouse for

Jesus the 4th Sunday in every month throughout the year. Please help support this ministry!!!

Next Collection: Sunday, January 26th!

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Please Note:

- I will be working on the Directory for 2020. If any of your information has changed, please

Contact the office by January 15, 2020 to have it updated in the booklet.

- If your group has meetings scheduled, please contact the office to have them included in

the bulletin and newsletter.

- When locking the church doors, pull tightly and check to be sure latch is caught.

- For security, the basement door is locked during Worship service.

Office: 336-998-5518 or mocksumc@yadtel.net

Mocks United Methodist Men

The UMM will meet Sunday, January 5th at 8:30 am. And, mark your calendar for the next breakfast on Sat. January 11, 2020!

See below, the things we were able to do in 2019. Thank you for your continued support!

Mocks UMM Donations for 2019

MOCKS CHURCH 20% FOR BREAKFAST $ 1,714.00

FEED FIVE THOUSAND $ 200.00

GCUMM ANNUAL DUES $ 85.00

DONATION TO UMW $ 926.69

FUND RAISER/LAURA BASHAM $ 200.00

NEW FLAGS $ 155.57

FLOWERS/ELI CARTER $ 53.38

ELI CARTER MARKER FUND $ 575.00

MOCKS MISSION TRIP $ 300.00

PLYMOUTH ROOF DONATION $ 1,003.00

LAWN MAINTENANCE $ 1,500.00

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Alexander Eaton $ 500.00

Grant Eaton $ 500.00

Kennedy Larrimore $ 500.00

Kristen Seats $ 500.00

TOTAL $ 8,712.64

Submitted by Jack McCoy, UMM Treasurer

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4

Sunday Services: 9:30a Sunday School 10:50a Worship

Happy New Year! (office closed) NO Choir Practice

9a Book Club @ Panera

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

8:30a UMM 2-4p Baby Shower for Ashley Byerly 2p UMW – basement classroom

6:30p SPRT Mtg

7p Choir Practice

6:30p Finance Mtg.

6:30-10a UMM Breakfast 12-6p Scrap Booking

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

. 5p Trustees Mtg. 6p Church Council

11a Jolly 60s 2p Advance Garden Club Mtg.

7p Choir Practice

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

2p Worship Comm. - fellowship hall

9:45 am Sunday School

10:50 am Worship

MLK Holiday (Office closed)

7p Choir Practice

26 27 28 29 30 31 Feb. 1

7p Choir Practice

9a Book Club @ Panera

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

8:30a UMM 3p UMW

7p Choir Practice

6:30-10a UMM Breakfast 12-6p Scrap Booking

Mocks United Methodist Church Corner of Mocks Church & Beauchamp Roads

Office: 336.998-5518

PO Box 2122, Advance NC 27006 Emergencies: 336.416-7915

Sunday Worship @ 10:50 am MocksUMC@yadtel.net

Sunday School @ 9:45 am Website: Mocksumc.org

The Mocks Messenger

January 2020