This will be the last edition of First Things Online for 2025. We will take a Christmas break next week and will resume the weekly e-newsletter on January 2, 2026. | | |
We don’t like to admit it, but many of us struggle during the holidays, wrestling with feelings of grief, sadness, loneliness, depression, and more. It can be challenging to find a way to acknowledge these feelings while at the same time hoping to celebrate the joys of the season.
First Church will be offering a service that honors the challenges of the season while also reminding us of the gift of the promise that Christ breathes light into the darkness of our lives. This Sunday, December 21, at 4:00 p.m. in the Chapel, we will be worshipping together with honesty and hope. The Longest Night Service centers around scripture, song, and reflection to remind us that God is with us, even when we are surrounded by darkness. Come, find renewed hope in this quiet, honest service. If you know anyone who is struggling for any reason, please invite them to join you.
For more information about this service, please call the church office (865-483-4357) or email Josh Sumter (jsumter@fumcor.org).
| | Christmas Shoppe Serves Many | | |
On Saturday, December 13, FUMCOR held the annual Christmas Shoppe for families in need here in our community. Not only did we get to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but we also got to be Santa’s elves, making Christmas magic come to life for more families than ever before.
We served 58 families with 141 children this year – a 28% jump from last year’s 110. This was possible thanks to the generosity of this church family.
Many of you sponsored gifts for children so they will have something to open on Christmas morning. That is the foundation of the Shoppe and the thing that we highlight every year. But on top of every child getting gifts, we served a hot breakfast to everyone who came through our doors. Every child got to visit with Santa, get a photo, and tell him what they want for Christmas. Every family left with a basket of food to have a holiday dinner of lasagna, salad, garlic bread, fruit, and cheesecake. They got blankets, pet supplies, pantry spices, and hygiene products.
It was a beautiful morning of showing up and showing the love of Christ – and we can’t wait to do it again next year.
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“Infrequent prayer teaches a church that God is needed only in special situations–under certain circumstances but not all. It teaches a church that God’s help is intermittently necessary, not consistently so. It leads a church to believe that there are plenty of things we can do without God’s help, and we need to bother God only when we run into especially difficult situations.” -John Onwuchekwa
Do you want to be part of a group that prays for First Church daily and meets to pray together weekly? If so, please contact either Pastor Ken (ksauer@fumcor.org) or Pastor Clair (csauer@fumcor.org). We will blanket this church in prayer beginning in January 2026, and we need you to be part of it.
Then, in February, we will participate in a church-wide 28-day prayer experiment using the book Dynamite Prayer by Rosario Picardo and Sue Nilson Kibbey. This emphasis on prayer will, then, continue throughout the year and into the future as we seek to discern God’s will for First United Methodist Church, developing a strategic plan and then a mission and vision that are embodied by every member of the church.
We are going to learn to listen to God and hear God. We are going to experience great adventures for God’s Kingdom. We hope you will plan to be part. Contact Ken or Clair if you have questions or would like more information.
| | Holiday Closures and Year-End Gifts | | |
Please remember that except for Christmas Eve Services, the church offices and building will be closed from December 24 to 26 and December 31 to January 1.
Additionally, the following meetings or activities are cancelled for the next two weeks and will resume the week of January 5.
-Coffee in the Community
-Prayer Walk
-Wednesday Bible Studies
If you would like to make a year-end gift for 2025 in person, the church office will be open December 22, 23, 29, & 30 until 4:30 p.m. All gifts postmarked by December 31 will count toward your 2025 giving. Thank you for your faithful stewardship of First Church!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
| | Still Shopping for the Perfect Gift? | | |
If you're still looking for the perfect gift for your favorite FUMCOR family member, consider a First Church t-shirt. We can wear shirts to Coffee in the Community, on a prayer hike, serving at Community Meals, and all around town. T-shirts are available for a nominal price of $12.
| | Help with Food for Kids in 2026 | |
December Special Missions Offering -
Clean Water for the Home
| | The monthly Special Offering for December will go to support Clean Water for the Home. Since 2010, Clean Water for the Home has been providing potable water filters for families in Honduras. Water-borne diseases remain the leading cause of illness in third-world countries and the leading cause of death for children ages five and under in Honduras. A $50 donation provides a family with a Sawyer PointONE filter, the expense for delivery, water classes, and follow-up visits. The families who receive these filters are those with the most need! They are very appreciative. To support Clean Water for the Home and give to the December Special Offering, mail a check to the church with "Clean Water for the Home" in the memo line, or follow the link below. | |
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Worship for December 21
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Scripture Readings:
Romans 1: 1-7
Luke 1: 46-55
John 1: 1-5, 9-14
8:45 & 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship - Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship - Multipurpose Room
Preaching: Rev. Ken Sauer, Rev. Clair Sauer
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In Sympathy
We offer prayers for the families and friends of:
Charlene Reynolds, who joined FUMC on April 15, 1955, and died on December 17, 2025. Service arrangements are incomplete at this time.
Jolene Blair, who joined FUMC on June 18, 2023, and died on December 5, 2025. A service for Jolene will be held at Sharp Funeral Home in Oliver Springs at 7:07 this evening, December 19.
In the Hospital
None that we are aware of at this time.
Dismissed
Dee Crum
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Offering 12-8-2025 through 12-14-2025: $24,126
2025 YTD Offering: $1,336,414
2024 YTD Offering: $1,266,665
December Special Offering (Clean Water): $1,815
Thank you to all of you who mailed in your financial gifts or continued to give online.
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