Happy Thanksgiving! This holiday weekend leads us to the first Sunday of Advent. This Sunday, we’ll be lighting the first candle on our Advent wreath and joining together at the Communion Table. Our Advent worship series is called, “On the Way to Bethlehem.” Each week, we’ll stop at a location made famous in the Christmas story. This week, we’ll stop in Rome, the place where decrees were made that reached halfway around the world to touch a pregnant teenage girl and her betrothed.

Below, you'll read about our new app. We are quite curious for feedback from our early adopters. You can email me cgwartney@fumcstw.org, or Garett Reding greding@fumcstw.org, with your input. This Sunday, we'll have a photographer taking pictures for the roll out of our new website. Expect the full launch of our app and our new website very soon.
 
Advent blessings,
Pastor Charla

Each year, the Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) asks for your generous support of our staff Christmas gift. As a token of our appreciation, we bless each of our staff with a financial gift the week prior to Christmas through your generosity. We will begin collecting gifts December 1 and will continue to be present at all three services through December 15.

You can find members of the SPRC around our building holding a Christmas box. Additionally, if you would like to give online, you may do so by going to the giving section on our app and designate your gift, “Church Staff Christmas.” Thank you for blessing the staff during this special time of year. Wishing you the gift of faith, the blessing of hope, and the peace of His love at Christmas and always. 

On behalf of the Momentum Youth, we would like to express our gratitude to YOU for the love and support we’ve received over the past two weeks!

First... we want to give you a big "THANKS FOR GIVING!"  We appreciate all who joined us on the 17th for our annual "thank you" meal and fundraiser.  We hope you had as much fun as we did, and you know just how much your support means. Your love, encouragement and generosity will be felt all year as it helps us say "YES" when we are called to serve, study, mission, worship, camp, lead, and fellowship.  Thank you to auctioneer Lincoln Lewis, who led our dessert auction, and to all the dessert and ingredient donors who helped lessen our financial load! Also, thanks to our parents who worked tirelessly for days to make our wonderful meal happen!

Second... HANGING OF THE GREENS! Last Sunday, we decorated the sanctuary and shared the origin and meaning behind each item placed. Thank you, Momentum Youth, for your joyful, servant hearts in leading us in this special service!  Thank you, Keegan, Dana, and the Revelation Youth Choir, for filling the service with such beautiful music!  And thank YOU, our church family, for joining us for the occasion and making it an act of worship. The Sanctuary is prepared for the Advent season in anticipation of the celebration of Christ’s birth! Now it’s time for each of us to prepare our hearts as well, in remembrance of His birth and in anticipation of His return.

In His Love and ours,
Janelda and Gabe 

Congratulations to scout, Trace Rouser, who was recognized and celebrated for his attainment of Eagle Scout at his Eagle Scout Court of Honor held at First United Methodist Church (First UMC) on Saturday, November 23, 2024!  Trace is a member of Scouts BSA Troop #818, which meets at First UMC.  The Eagle Scout rank represents the highest level of achievement within the Scouts BSA program.  It is a symbol of a Scout’s dedication, leadership skills, and commitment to serving their community.  Eagle Scout includes earning a minimum of 21 merit badges, but is also about character development, leadership, and making a positive impact on society.  Only 4% of Scouts earn the Eagle Scout rank.  Trace is one of many from Troop #818 to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.  Troop #18 (now Troop #818) was the first Boy Scout troop in Stillwater, begun in 1920.  The troop was brought to FUMC in 1962.  We are told that this is the oldest troop in the Cimarron Council under continuous sponsorship by the same organization.  Way to go, Trace! 

If you would like to participate in the hospitality of Second Sunday Snacks it's not too late!  December 8th is our next "Snack" Sunday and we still have a need.  Text or email Alice Fowler if you would like to help with snacks.  Alice: 405-612-4269 or ajcfowler@gmail.com 

We are so excited to share that we are finally ready to have the soft launch of our new church app! What does "soft launch" mean? It means that not all of the features are available yet, as we hope to hear your feedback on the core features first! So what can this app do? Great question! In our church app you can create a profile to check-in, give online, access our sermon library and watch or download sermons any time, read along with the scriptures in our services with a built in Bible, see all of our upcoming events and add them to your calendar, read the E-News, and so much more! We will keep you updated when we roll out new features, so make sure to keep an eye on the E-News for those! One of the upcoming features we are excited about, and we are sure you will be as well, is being able to also watch our Livestream live from the app as well as child check-in for Sunday mornings!

If you are having any issues with the app, or have questions about it, please feel free to reach out to Garett Reding via email at greding@fumcstw.org

To download the new app, click one of the links below
For Android Users - CLICK HERE
For iPhone Users - CLICK HERE

Bishop Medardo of the Methodist Church in Bolivia has invited us to come in May of 2025 to share in the fellowship of our South American brothers and sisters. This mission team will again be a combination of medical, construction and children’s ministries. We can schedule dates for after our schools are dismissed for the summer which would possibly allow for more younger people to be available including students and teachers.

The Methodist church in Bolivia, the IEMB, maintains a number of health clinics and hospitals throughout the country. They have been so successful that over the years several have been turned over to the government to serve the citizens in remote areas.

When this has happened, the church establishes another clinic. One of these expansion clinics is the one in Capayque that FUMC Stillwater helped to build, and to which we have returned several times to provide free health care to thousands of rural residents.

We are organizing our next mission team for 2025 and will likely travel to a new site this time. Several of our veteran (older) mission team members feel that their health no longer will permit them to participate, primarily due to the high altitudes we experience. We are actively seeking additional medical and dental personnel who are interested in this mission. Our medical team is bare bones right now, so if you have a Medical Doctor, Physician’s Assistant, Registered Nurse or other medical professional in your acquaintance please pass on information about what an important and fulfilling mission this is.

No commitment is necessary at this time, we are just seeking interested persons. For more information contact Doug Valley at doug.dvllc@gmail.com

Momentum Youth will be sending Christmas cards to college students again this year! If you have a student you’d like to include, send their name and mailing address to Janelda Lane at jlane@fumcstw.org or (405) 762-9551, by December 1st.  Cards will be mailed on December 3rd wishing them a Merry Christmas and letting them know we are thinking of them during finals!

We are so excited that the season of Advent is nearly here! Pictured above we have some great upcoming events for our community and beyond. Be sure to download our Church App to stay up to date on any other fun events that may pop up as well! If you would like a physical calendar to have or to put on your refrigerator, they will be available at any Welcome Station at the church.