The Disciple
Higgins Memorial UMC
Newsletter   
January 2017        
IN THIS ISSUE
The Wessage
Children's Ministry
Youth News
Advent Take Down
Susanna Wesley Circle
Prayer List
Snacks, etc
Memorials
January Birthday/Anniversaries
Reading Buddies
Ingles Gift Card
Golden Opportunity
Addresses
New Website
Red Cross
Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples..."
Know grow go

Our Mission Statement:   
Know Jesus, Grow in Jesus, Go Share Jesus!

We at Higgins Memorial UMC are a body of believers who practice our faith; not just come together on Sundays to pray and sing together.  We are learning to BE THE CHURCH!  How exciting to serve each other in love through Christ Jesus, both inside and outside the church walls.  

There is plenty of room for you to serve in the body of Higgins, whether it be feeding the hungry, sewing, praying, music, cooking, leading our children/youth, teaching a small group, joining a small group... wherever your interests lie, there is a place for you here.  God bless you.  We are so blessed to serve with you!

        "The Wessage"
                 A Message from Wes

Happy New Year, Higgins Community!
 
"The grass withers and the flower fades but the Word of the Lord endures forever." Isaiah 40:8
 
How will you step into a New Year? How will you make
2017  a year of more deeply listening to the call  of the Holy  One to come follow Him?
 
I will be joining an ever increasing group of Followers of Christ through an online community called Seedbed.  We will start the year off with a 31 Day study of Proverbs.   January has 31 Days in it and Proverb has 31 Days.
 
Come join me and others.  Go to Seedbed.com.   Sign up for  Daily Text a nd early every morning you will receive an email to join right in.  2016 was full of lots of empty words, n ews, politics, rumors, false news and bad news.  Some good research has shown that the up-tick in the constant reporting of news 24-7 is related to the increase of anxiety in our society.  Listening to hour after hour of reporting has led to a large surge in anxiety in our world a nd 2017 promises to be more like that!  I am sorry to be the prophet of bad news, but that is the picture of the world in the soon coming years.   But I don't want lots of bad news!  I want my days to be filled with the Words that are lasting and eternal.  I want to listen to news that is about the world as God works for it to be.  How about you?
 
Let me know that you are joining in with the Daily Texts.  We of the Higgins Fellowship could band together for times of reflection on the call of the Word to become deeper listeners in 2017.  We can gather as online mini groups of 3 to 8.  Daily we can share with our small group online how we are doing as Listeners to the Lasting Word. 
 
After January, Seedbed's Daily text will start a walk through the Book of John.  Some of you are doing John through the Bible Study Fellowship.  I promise that the reflections of Brother Walt will be the Spirit guided words that will shake you and draw you deeper each day.
 
Join me and many others in a growing band of Followers in listening deeply to God's News for the world!  

 
In His Grip Forever,

Pastor Wes  


Kimberly Garland, Director of Children's Ministry
828-682-2835

The 2016 Advent season was very special for the kids and families of Higgins and our larger community.  It began with the making of Advent wreaths.  Each family made not only a wreath, but the candles as well - out of sheets of real beeswax!  The families not only took home the wreath they made, but also a daily devotion storybook, Jotham's Journey, to read together each day of Advent.  Several families told me how meaningful and exciting their Advent devotions were this year because of the book. 

But, the Advent devotions did NOT just occur within our own church family, we also took the tradition to Woodland Apartments.  The families of Woodland made the same Advent wreaths and candles.  Thirteen families or couples or individuals from our Higgins family went to Woodland and read Jotham's Journey each evening to the kids there.  Some of the older kids even began doing the readings.  One of the maintenance men from Woodland said the apartment community was a better place because of our presence.  But we know it was really the presence of Jesus in us that is changing the atmosphere (and changing us.)  Our Advent season at Woodland culminated in a party on the night before Christmas Eve.  Twenty-one people attended the party from the apartments and from the Higgins community.  It was a very special time of lighting the Christ candle and finishing the Advent readings, sharing food and stories (homemade tamales - YUM!), playing games and giving gifts.

Out LIO kids also had a very special Christmas of sharing the gift of music and art with the residents of Mountain Manor Nursing Home.  They had a great time singing and making Christmas cards with the residents and sharing Jesus' birthday cake.
Kids from both Higgins and LIO worked very hard together for a couple of months to bless us with an absolutely beautiful production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  And the Woodland families joined us in the audience for both shows.  All three of our family ministries - Higgins, LIO, and Woodland,  coming together to celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord.
Jesus is on the move in our families and community, and we want to keep that momentum going.  I am suggesting two things to keep us growing:

1.  Purchase a good family devotion book and keep reading.  I would
     suggest any of the following:
     a.  Long Story Short by Marty Machowski
     b.  Old Story New by Marty Machowski
     c.  God's Battle by Sally Michael
     d.  God's Wisdom by Sally Michael
     e.  And for Easter-Amon's Adventure by Arnold Ytreeide 
         (part of the Jotham's Journey series)
2.  Stay connected to the families at Woodland
     a.  Plan to attend or help with one of the summer camps we will 
          have at the apartments
     b.  Share what God tells you to share-your lives, your love and
          your gifts for HIS glory and honor!
Exciting things!!! Listen for more to come!


YOUTH NEWS

The youth are selling t-shirts to raise money for the youth group with Saved Life.  Please contact any youth or youth leader to order yours today!  Short sleeve is $20 and long sleeve is $24.  You can go to www.savedlifestuff.com to learn their story.  
Advent Season
 
We have had a beautiful Advent season but the Greens must come down!  The Taking Down the Greens will take place on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 9:30 a.m.  Remember-many hands make light work!
 Thanks, Mary Nelson

Susanna Wesley Circle
 
The Susanna Wesley Circle will meet on Tuesday, January 10th at 9:30 a.m. in the FLC.  We will be making plans for 2017.  Mary Nelson will serve as hostess.  All ladies are welcome!
Prayer Requests
PRAYER LIST

¨  SHUT-IN'S  John & Sharon 
   Cooke;  Carol Clack,  Mary Gilmour, 
   Pete  Hensley, Marie Myers and
   Jerry  Helsher

¨  David Ford and family in the  
    passing of his mother
¨  Marie Sharpe, Wes' Mom, she is in
    step-down rehab
¨  Stephen Carver, accident     
¨  Susan Rosmus' son-in-law, 
   Christopher Soltys, cancer
¨  LB and December Harris, health 
   issues
¨  Continued prayer for Jennifer
    McCourry's family
¨  Bobby Jack & Shirley McAlister,
    health issues
¨  Renee Wessel, continued prayer for healing
¨  Trudy White, Bevo's Mom who is in  hospice
¨   Ben and Kelly Johnson (Young Life  Staff) 
¨  Tom Alexander, on-going treatments in Chapel Hill
¨   Margaret Hughes, health issues
¨  Grant Dean, colon cancer
¨   Kristen Brooks, terminal cancer  
¨    Rhonda McCall, missionary to
    Ukraine
¨    The Kohman Family, CRU missionaries
¨    Zach Howell, CRU Missionary to Charlotte Metro Team
¨    Pastor Wes and your church staff 
¨   Sam  Howell, US Army
¨  J. P. Tabor, Airforce
¨    FOR OUR NATION/LEADERS.
¨    Our students in college and grad school
¨    For children in foster care and foster parents
¨    Pray for those who don't know Jesus.
¨    Pray for those looking for a job/employment.
¨    Pray for caregivers:  Those caring for the elderly, parents, children, etc.  
 
Prayer on the Square:  
 January 15
, 2017 - Sunday from 4-5 pm across from the Nu Wray Inn.   --If the weather is bad, the prayer time will be held in the Family Life Center at Higgins in the classroom next to the kitchen.  
January Schedules
Snacks Schedule

 

Jan. 1    Donna Banks & Lynn Walker

Jan. 8    Sharon Helsher

Jan. 15   Sharon Honeycutt

Jan. 22   Renee Weeks

Jan. 29   Becca Leadbitter

Greeters Schedule

Jan. 1     Garland & Mary Ann Wampler
Jan. 8     John & Mary Nelson
Jan. 15    Virginia Ray
Jan. 22    Bob Drummond
Jan. 29    Garland & Mary Ann Wampler 

Scripture Readers, Sanctuary Service


Jan. 1     Armin Wessel
Jan. 8     Gabriel Garland
Jan. 15   Teri Beth Darnall
Jan. 22   Erika Tyner
Jan. 29   Wanda Proffitt 

 Youth Dinner


Jan 1.    NO Youth
Jan. 8    Mary Alice Beaver
Jan. 15  Gwen Reynolds
Jan. 22  Taube & Sheila Roy
Jan. 29  Sonya Vess & Judy Riddle 
  

Altar Guild for January:

Phyllis Patterson   682-7862

Virginia Ray            682-7318

 

MEMORIALS

In Memory of Phil Hunsucker 
by:  Mary & John Nelson
by:  Christina Wehmeyer
by:  Jack & Betsy Myers

In Memory of Cliff Jones
by:  Mr. & Mrs. Charles Gillespie
January Birthdays
1/4       Steve Hoyt
1/4       Mack Ray
1/7       Ashley Allen
1/10     Tom Alexander
1/12     Daniel Wahlers
1/15     Carol Clack
1/15     Farrell Wilson
1/18     Shirley Anne McAllister
1/19     Jordan Crain
1/19     Tracy Howell
1/24     Charles Aldridge
1/24     Peirce Bingham
1/25     Bevo Peterson
1/27     Steve Grindstaff
1/27     Kim Young
1/28     Linda Casey
1/31     Billy Garcia

                                   
January Anniversaries

1/01    Ken & Lynn Walker
1/12    Wes & Linda Sharpe
1/16    John & Mary Nelson
1/26    Dennis & Nancy Smith
Reading Buddies

Reading Buddies are being recruited for January.  If interested, please contact Leigh Bennett at leighb713@gmail.com

Ingles Gift Card 

THESE ARE NOT JUST FOR GIFT-GIVING! 

Support Missions-  Buy an Ingles Card!     

Purchase Ingles Cards and 5% of the face value goes directly to Missions.  It doesn't cost you anything extra!   (If you order a $100 card, $5 will go directly to Missions and you still have $100 purchasing power).  It can be used for anything at Ingles including GAS.  See Stewart and Rebecca Leadbitter after Celebration service at the Welcome Desk.  Sanctuary service participants please drop by the Welcome Desk before Sunday School.  Thank you!

 

Golden Opportunity

The Altar Guild would love to have some new members.  You would have the opportunity to prepare the "House of the Lord" for worship on Sunday.  If interested please call the church office (682-2835).  

We would love to have some more volunteers for "greeters" at the 11:00 service.  Please call the office if you are interested.  
ADDRESSES:  

Emily Sigmon
Furman PMB 29396
3300 Poinsett Highway
Greenville, SC  29613

Mat Sigmon
6 Smythe Street, 1st Floor
Brookline MA  02445

Sam & Ethel Nash
3066 Point Clear Drive
Tega Cay, SC 29708

Zach & Cori Howell
10126 Ballyclare Ct.
Charlotte, NC 28213


Ms. Libby Hammond
6500 Gaines Ferry Rd G5
Flowery Branch, GA 30542
678-886-7805


Bev Hunsucker (NEW ADDRESS)
209 Hatfield Drive
Franklin, TN  37064
Cell number:  828 230-1787
 
Online Giving is Here!
 
Higgins is offering online giving through EasyTithe! 
 
Try it now, online or through the mobile app!
 
Please contact the office or send us an email if you have any questions....
The American Red Cross serving Mitchell and Yancey County has volunteer positions open as Blood Donor Ambassadors assisting in the areas of Reception and Hospitality at local blood drives in Spruce Pine and Burnsville. With the need for blood donations increased during the holidays, this is a critical role and meaningful way to serve an urgent need through the Red Cross. Drives are held at the First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine and the Higgins Memorial Methodist Church in Burnsville. Volunteers serving in this role help the Red Cross provide a great blood donation experience for donors - helping to save lives. For more information and to apply go to http://www.redcross.org/volunteer or contact Kimberly Brewster, Volunteer Services Specialist supporting the Mitchell and Yancey area blood drives at kimberly.brewster@redcross.org or 828-333-9809.

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