First, let me say how wonderful it is to be back with you after my month of renewal leave. I am excited for what this next season of our church will look like as we move around the corner to Thanksgiving and Advent.
I want to strongly encourage each of you to take time this holiday season to breathe in Jesus and enjoy your family, friends and most importantly the gift of God’s Son.
We have a lot planned in our church and our community and I would love for you to take advantage of everything you can but I also want to caution you that you can easily become overwhelmed and that is not a good thing.
As we prepare for the many upcoming events you will see listed in this newsletter, the giving opportunities and the many demands on your schedule please be mindful to keep Jesus in the front of your mind.
I am excited to see all of you in worship, our CommunityThanksgiving Service, the Advent Festival, Cookies with Santa, Christmas on the Square, Christmas Eve, etc. So many great events and so much Jesus, how can we go wrong.
Love and Prayers
Pastor Kimberly
Mission News
Thank you to Cindy for making the brochures that are hanging on the bulletin board by the stairs. These brochures tell about the missionaries we support monthly and give you ways to correspond with them. You don’t have to go out of the country to be a missionary. You can be a missionary in your own backyard as those who helped with “Kids for Christ” were. VBS will be coming up in a few months and that’s another great place to get involved.
A new mission experience this year was helping a resident at St. John’s Villa by buying Christmas gifts for her. We bought some clothing, as well as, several items on her “Needs/Wants/Likes” list.
Keep an eye out for the Christmas tree to go up in the glassed in area at Yellow Brick Church. That’s where the Community Christmas Angel Tree tags will go when we get them. All of these children are local and their parents appreciate any help they receive making Christmas a little bit brighter for their children.
One of the activities we’ll be doing at our Advent Festival on Dec. 2nd is to pack gift bags for individuals or families who live at the Urban Mission Shelters in Steubenville. We’re looking for donations of personal hygiene items, small toys, and/or baby items. There are collection boxes at both locations.
Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes are being packed, I hope, as you read this newsletter. Information is set up at both the Bridge and Yellow Brick Church, so grab a brochure and shoebox and decide whether you want to buy for a boy or girl and what age. Mark your label and return your filled shoebox to either location by Nov. 20th. This year the shipping money ($10 a box) is to be mailed in the provided envelope to Samaritan’s Purse or you can pay online and track your box so you know to what country it went. Samaritan’s Purse appreciates our support as they work worldwide to provide physical and spiritual aid to suffering people in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Save the Date: Cookies with Santa! Santa Claus is coming to town! Join us to have cookies with Santa on Friday, December 9 from 5:30-7:30pm at The Yellow Brick Church (253 S. Lisbon St.)
The event is FREE to attend! We are collecting donations for the CARE team: specifically personal hygiene items, fuel cards, and local gift cards for restaurants.
Bring your children and they can take photos with Santa, receive fun goodie bags, eat cookies and drink milk! https://www.carrolltonfirstumc.org/cookieswithsanta
Attention Home Bakers: We need cookies for this event! Seeking 12 dozen chocolate chip cookies and 12 dozen sugar cookies. Please contact the office or sign up on the sheet provided at either location! Cookies due to YBC by 1:00pm on Friday, December 9. Please package in ziplock sandwich bags – 1 cookie per bag - for easy distribution.
A Conversation with Pastor Kimberly and Pastor JP Regarding The UMC and CFUMC We invite you to visit the link below to watch a video message from Pastor Kimberly and Pastor JP. Together they discuss many of the frequently asked questions laid out in the series,"Is The United Methodist Church really…?"by Ask The UMC.
Please use the button below to watch the video and review the"Is The United Methodist Church really…?"document. Feel free to reach out to the church office to schedule a time to speak with our Pastors if you have questions or concerns regarding any of this information.
Trunk or Treat 2022: An Afternoon of Fall Fun! Trunk or Treat was attended by 764 on Saturday, October 29 at the fairgrounds.
Thanks to everyone who donated extra candy for all the kids. We had great trunks and a beautiful afternoon to host Trunk or Treat with the 4-Hers. Also participating with trunks/tables were Golden Age Retreat, Carroll Hills, Jobs and Family Services, Ohio Wildlife Officer and Camp Aldersgate.
Advent Festival: Plan to Join Us! Please join us on Friday, December 2 from 6-8pm at the Yellow Brick Church for our second annual Advent Festival!
This year's theme is “Making a Difference”. We will begin the evening in the Sanctuary at 6pm for a fun Christmas skit then we will move the party downstairs for pizza and snacks! We will then begin our packing party to put bags together for the Urban Mission.
Please RSVP to join us by Wednesday, November 30 at noon. Please fill out the form linked below or call the church office!
This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a church family and fellowship as we kick off the Advent Season!
We are putting together gift bags for individuals/families at the Urban Mission shelter! We are collecting the following items
Personal hygiene items
Small toys
Baby items
We will pack the bags during our Advent Festival on December 2!
Kids for Christ Fall Program Was a Huge Success! Kids for Christ, held at Carrollton Elementary School from September 27 through October 25, was a success! 24 kids attended for five weeks. There were 14 volunteers (men, women, and teens) leading music, snacks, crafts, games, and Bible time. They learned about Kings and Queens of the Bible. Each child received a Bible, Christian music cd and a t-shirt. It was great being with the kids in Carrollton Elementary School. Loved that we had Kids for Christ scarecrows on the Square helping to promote this. Thanks to everyone who made this possible. Be on the watch for spring dates!
Guatemala Mission Trip - Dec. 2022 Eleven individuals (including 8 from Carrollton First UMC) are traveling to Guatemala December 4-10, 2022 to work with UMVIM Missionaries Lulu and Rich.
TEAM MEMBERS from Carrollton First UMC – Lynn Dunlap, Dale & Lisa Baker, Leigh Russell, Doug, Kimberly, Paige and Phillip Arbaugh.
The team is asking for your prayers as we continue to plan. Also, if anyone would like to contribute toward team fees for our Carrollton First members or the project please mark your check accordingly (team fee Guatemala or project cost Guatemala) and drop in the offering plate or stop by the office. All support appreciated. If you have specific questions, please feel free to reach out to a member of the team.
New Church Emails
All Carrollton First UMC office staff has been switched to a new email domain (@carrolltonfirstumc). Please update your contacts accordingly. The new domain makes more sense for us since it encompasses both locations. We apologize for the inconvenience!
