Wesley United Methodist Church
December 2021
We are getting ready for Christ's birth
Christmas Eve Service 12-24 @ 5:30
Blue Christmas Worship Service
On December 5, 2021 @ 4:00 CST we will be having a Blue Christmas worship service at Wesley UMC followed by a free dinner in the fellowship hall (church basement).
This service is to recognize and minister to those who are facing difficulties or grieving this Christmas season. It is also a time to remember those we are missing at Christmas. Everyone is invited, and please invite any friends or family that you know who could especially use a time of ministry acknowledging their grief this Christmas. We know grief is not limited to just one year after a loved one passes, so please feel free to come no matter where you are on your journey through loss.
During this service, we would like to remember the people we've lost and things that we are grieving. If you would like to send a picture of someone or something (lost loved one, lost job, lost pet, lost opportunities, etc.) you are missing this year at Christmas, you can text it or email it to Pastor Manuel at wumc1700pastor@outlook.com. We will have a slide show presentation honoring those people and other lost things we are missing during this Christmas season. Please submit any photos and provide a description for the photo (If you wish us to know who or what it is). Please submit all pictures and descriptions via email to Pastor Manuel by Tuesday, November 30.
Year-end Giving
December Anniversaries
1 Randy & Jolene Garner
4 William & Kathleen Storevik
23 Howard & Beverly Baartman
23 Bill & Paula Middagh
Our Members and Friends in Care Facilities or Under Home Care
Edgewood Vista: Jackie Dreyer
Good Sam / Hill: Linda Varud,
Luther Manor: Faye Pigott
Leisure Living in Hartford: Nona Robinson
Southridge: Guy Varud; Cleova Frahm;
VA in Luverne: Bob Morrison
2204 E. 11th: Deb Stoakes
December Birthdays
01 Travis Borman
07 Dorothy Maize
07 Jeff Anderson
10 Carter Roberts
11 Corey Bird
11 Jeffery Kolhoff
11 Arely Garcia
14 Aiyana Stricker
17 David Brua
19 Paula Middagh
20 Julie Hansen
20 Kevin Roberts
21 Camryn Bird
22 Dawn Armstrong
26 Robert Whiting
28 Mark Meier
30 Kolby Bohmbach
Friends to hold up and remember:
We pray for those named and those named in our hearts
We pray for all impacted by Covid
Marg Gross - Bernie McCabe's sister at Avera after falling
Guy and Linda Varud - both are struggling and in need of prayers
Lynn Margeson's sister Marti Swearingen recovering from heart transplant surgery on 11-3
Judy K - prayers for continued healing
Bill Williams’ girlfriend -Danielle recovering from surgery for breast cancer and is suspending chemo for her pregnancy.
Angie Griner – her sister Abby had emergency c section and baby is only 33 weeks
Carmen Britt - Brother-in-law Dave recovering from cancer surgery
Trish Garcia - In Rehab, continued prayers
Kolby Bohmbach – Continued prayers for good test results
Felsheim Family – working to keep Bennett safe
Karen Renken- continued prayers for healing
Bob Whiting’s daughter Robyn – needs a kidney transplant
Nila & Karen’s sister-in-law Karen - continued prayers
José Garcia’s mom, Maria Herrera - breast cancer
Judy's daughter-in-law Sara Martin Tulio- they didn’t get all the cancer and she starts another eight rounds of chemo
Judy and Mary’s friend Phil- another round of chemo for brain cancer
*
Confirmation is FUN!
Christmas Shoe Boxes
We Have Fun at WOW!
HyVee Cards
Don’t forget to order HyVee gift cards from Doug and Marcy Bird (605-336-8828). They make great Christmas gifts. You also make a gift to the church when you buy them because the church receives 5% of the proceeds from each sale.
United Methodist Women
This is an open letter to my dear UMW Sisters,
I must admit I miss our gathering together whether on Zoom or in person. While I am trying to communicate with all of you through the President’s letter and through the newsletter, it just isn’t the same. So, here is what I propose. Is anyone interested in going to dinner or lunch the third Thursday in December? It will give us an opportunity to gather as a United Methodist Women group again and to share what is happening in our lives and in the life of United Methodist Women in general. Please contact me either by phone or email.
Duties in December
Gospel Mission Love Gift - Dorcas
December 24 – Christmas Eve service
December 25 – Christmas Day
Duties in January
Gospel Mission Love Gift – Susannah
Pledges Month – Contact Marcy Bird to let her know what you want to pledge to Wesley UMW
January 26 – help serve WOW meal. Contact Dawn if you can help
Dawn Armstrong, President
605-988-7023
General Budget update @ November 30, 2021
Income 11 months 2021------ $160,630.76
Expense 11 months 2021----- $177,357.80
Expenses exceed income ----$ 16,727.04
Don Armstrong, Treasurer
Building and Grounds @ November30, 2021
Previous Balance ---------$21,995.14
Donations October/November------------ $1,510.00
Interest earned: $.36
Balance 11/30/2021 ---$24,665.68
Donna Wallin, Treasurer
From the Parish Nurse
I’m sure many of you get tired of hearing me harp on the benefits of exercise but here is another one. Exercise protects the declining brain.
It’s not unusual for some cognitive decline to occur as you age, and it’s nothing to worry about. But if you have more difficulty with judgement, language, or memory than is expected for your age, a doctor may diagnose you with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition that raises your risk of progressing to dementia. However, in a Korean study of nearly 250,000 people with MCI, participants who exercised more than once a week were 18% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Physical activity may protect us by increasing blood flow to the brain or by aiding the production of the molecules that help neurons grow.
Exercise doesn’t need to be strenuous to be beneficial for your health. In fact, the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Guidelines recommend older people aged over 65 do 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity each day.
So, strap on those walking shoes and get going. Not only will you feel better, you’ll think better as well.
Dawn Armstrong, Parish Nurse
Two Bible Studies!
Baptism Sunday
Pledge Cards
Christmas Giving Tree
Hello From Kidz Count!
It has been a busy couple of months! In October we had careers month and had several different people stop by to talk about their vocations. We had a nurse, a teacher, a lawyer and officers from the SFPD and firefighters from the fire department, station #2. They talked about what they do at their jobs, what kind of education you need and the children asked several questions of each person. They had a lot of fun and learned about each profession.
The Washington Pavilion has been bringing different historical time periods including ancient Greece and this past month Ancient Rome. We made mosaics with different shapes and learned different concepts in creating art.
For the month of December, we are studying different holidays around the world. One of the groups will be learning about different countries and getting their “Passport” stamped for each country they learn about. The other two groups will be learning about each other’s family traditions and what their culture or country would celebrate. We will also be making Christmas ornaments for parents or families as gifts and also letting the kids pick out presents for their parents.
If you are interested in giving to the kids, there are Spirit Trees around Sioux Falls at Lewis Drugs that have names on them for several different VOA programs including Kidz Count. We are still interested in having volunteers come in and do activities or special programming with our kids. If you would like to help out, please call Saundra at 605-906-2736.
As always, we really appreciate and thank you for your continued support of Kidz Count at Wesley. This program that serves the underserved in this community would not exist without this collaboration! Have a Merry Christmas and enjoy the blessings of this season!