Blessings of Love

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A Trinity of Love This has been the strangest year - and as it draws to a close, I am overwhelmed by the love and support I feel in this community. On the heels of such a difficult, painful year, I am preparing to spend my first Christmas with my extended family in South Carolina (Dec. 16-Jan. 5) in more than 20 years. Of course we are anxious about Covid and traveling, and will be taking all precautions and quarantining! But while recording the sermons and services ahead of time, singing the songs, seeing a few faces and making important phone calls, I have never felt so joyful! Thank you for this gift of sacrificial love. You are the angels standing alongside me and our church's leaders in our community. As Paula Allard's painting shows above, we are never alone - not Mary, or Elizabeth, and not you and me today. Reach out to someone today and say "I love you!" - With traveling mercies and blessings of love for you, Pastor Emily      Fourth Advent Worship  Unexpected Angels: Love Sunday 12/20/2020 10:30AM Warm-Up (for the Kids) begins at 10:15AM Donate Now Feeling overwhelmed or sad this season? Enjoy this Blue Christmas Worship Service on long nights. Virtual Events this week  Women's Bible Study:  Thursdays 5:30 PM Adult Sunday School:  Sundays 9:00 AM Weekly online Worship: Sundays 10:30 AM Virtual Fellowship Time: Sundays 11:30 AM Women's Bible Study: Tuesdays 12:30PM   Love kids, or stories? Sharon Hinton is pre-recording short Worship Warm-Up videos for the kids each week, which go live at 10:15AM Sundays. Would you like to share a craft, story or brief message? How are your angels looking, kids? Finance Committee Report: On behalf of the FUMC Finance Committee, we want to thank you for your faithful financial support this past year that will take us to the end of 2020. It appears to be a year ending under the anticipated budgeted expenses and in the black with $188,000 in revenue and expenses! In addition to your personal gifts of giving, we received $2000 in technology grants that assisted in the sanctuary sound & recording renovations to make our online church services possible. We also received approximately $1000 in grocery rebate revenue from King Soopers and Safeway, so thanks for your giving while shopping! We also want to thank you for the continued gifts of both time &finances for the many special projects and missions of our church this past year. At the December Finance meeting we approved a balanced budget for 2021 with anticipated revenue of $195,000 equal to the planned expenses for 2021. Included in this revenue are the funds received from the Payroll Protection Program grant of $28K received in 2020 which will carry over into 2021. Thank you to the 32 families that provided a giving pledge for 2021 totaling $106K. We hope to see you on the Walnut Street Christmas Eve walk - and back in our sanctuary sometime in January! May your Season of Christmas be blessed! Ruth Ann Roberts, FUMC Finance Chair Christmas Offerings  It has been our tradition to use our Christmas Eve offering for Missions. We hope to continue, even in the absence of our normal services. If you can give a special Christmas offering for Missions this year, please give here: www.firstumcwindsor.com/donate or mail or drop-off a check to the church, noting Missions/Christmas. All monies will be used to support our monthly projects which will not have normal fundraising events due to Covid-19. Thank You! Warren Wilson is organizing our hot cider booth and giving away sleigh bells on Christmas Eve if you'd like to join him and help spread some Christmas cheer!   Cookie Walk turned Auction We love the mission of Habitat for Humanity and have supported their Cookie Walk fundraiser in past years. Of course this year, the Cookie Walk will not take place. Instead, Habitat is doing an online Arts and Crafts Auction. There are some great gift items. Check it out! Drop-Off winds down Today until 3PM is the last day to drop-off donations for Toys for Tots. This Friday 10AM-3PM is the final day to bring well-rinsed, label-free plastic jugs for our Christmas Eve luminaries. Donations for the Guadalupe Center (new clothing and individually wrapped snacks) continue all winter. And our wagon for Food Pantry donations continues all year. Please call or knock for financial donations (inside). Mission Updates Thank you for your generosity this Christmas! We will continue ALL WINTER LONG collecting new adult clothing (gloves, underwear, men's jeans), hygiene items (deodorant, foot powder), backpacks, snacks for the Guadalupe Center and Cold Weather Shelter. Or volunteer to serve a meal. We also invite you to make a special Christmas Eve offering for Missions. Thanks!  Celebrations this week Happy Birthday to Emily Flemming (12/19), Lori Warmbrod (12/20), Nanci Cunningham Baca (12/22), and Casey Hill (12/23).  Anniversaries: Francy and Paul Henderson (21 years on 12/19).  Click the image to share your special dates with us. Prayer Requests For those receiving and awaiting the vaccine; grief (Harris/Reeds); those ill or recovering (Chris DeBey, Vera Chipman, Betty & Larry Schleiger, Mary Mumby, Tony Park, Joyce Johnson, Julie's father, Cindy's parents); young people (Patty's grandson, Cam, Debbie's niece); for Marc & Kat's pregnancy; Sgt. Lizzie Przygoda; shut-ins Bob K., Bud H., Ann G., Judy C., Eileen F., Don T., and Nancy S.  Click the image to add your request! Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Rev. Emily Flemming, cell: 720-445-1905, revemilyf@gmail.com Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.