Weekly E-news November 21, 2024

Volume 5 Issue 47: November 21, 2024

A Message from Pastor Tom Hallberg

Dear HUMC Family,

This Sunday will mark the last Sunday of the Church Year (Liturgical year) before we begin with Week 1 of Advent next Sunday, December 1. The church structures the scripture readings, colors of the paraments (the cloths on the pulpit and table), and the holidays based upon the Liturgical Calendar - Look at the graphic above to see how the year is structured.

The final Sunday of the Church Year is "Christ the King" Sunday. This is a relatively new observance when compared to the history of the other church holidays like Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and so forth.

Pope Pius XI made this an official observance in the Catholic Church in the early 20th Century, and other denominations soon followed suit. At that time in history, there was a rise in global confrontations that would soon lead to the World Wars. Pope Pius started the official observance of Christ the King Sunday in order to remind the world's Christians that our ultimate allegiance is not to any earthly rulers, powers, or nations, but rather our true allegiance is to Christ, our King!

We in the United States live in a nation that was literally founded in order to NOT have a king, and yet as Christians we acknowledge Jesus as the Universal King. That is a reason the Liturgical Calendar cycles every year. As humans, we need reminders. We need to be reminded that we are indeed God's people. We need to be reminded that despite all that happens in life, God is preparing a world that is better than we can ever imagine.

Join us Sunday as we celebrate the One True King - Jesus Christ!

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

Rev. Tom Hallberg - Pastor Contact Number: 252-414-8737

thallberg@nccumc.org

Church Announcements

Join us this Sunday, November 24th for Sunday School

Come at 8:45 to share coffee and donuts, and our class will begin at 9:00 AM. We will continue discussing Chapter 9 of Liturgy of the Ordinary

Have you seen the new movie release of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever? This movie is based off of a book by Barbara Robinson. I remember this being "THE BOOK" that we looked forward to hearing our elementary school teachers read to us every year at Christmas time.

Beginning on December 1, and for the 4 Sundays of Advent, we will read and discuss this book during Sunday School and see what conversations this helps us have as Christians.

Please join us! Everyone is welcome!

Every year during Advent, we express our gratitude to our wonderful pastor and staff for the hard work of the year with a Christmas Love Offering. This year, we are blessed to have Pastor Tom Hallberg, Susan Christensen, Misty Hallberg, Melissa Smith, and Buddy White making sure all the day-to-day work of the church is done well. Much of this work is unseen by the

congregation, but this team makes it happen!

As most of you know by now, 2024 has not been our best year for congregational giving. Much to Staff Parish’s disappointment, as a result we are unable to properly compensate these amazing staff members with salary increases, despite their great job performances.

This makes our annual Christmas bonuses all the more important to our staff members this year. The Staff Parish Relations Committee has always been thankful for your holiday generosity to our pastor and staff, and we are especially so this year. Thanks for your support of our staff this Christmas!

Outreach Opportunities

Here are some ways you can share God's love

We are waiting on the school to give us information for an Angel Tree. As soon as it is ready, we will inform you.

Soon, the Christmas Tree in the foyer near the office will have tags with a child's Christmas wish list information. You can take a tag, and purchase an item to make that child's Christmas a bit brighter.

Details Coming Soon!!!!

Hertford UMC will have a car in the 2024 Hertford Christmas Parade. We can use this as an opportunity for people to see what HUMC has to offer.

We need your help:

We need candy to distribute! Remember, this is Christmas Time, so everyone will be giving out candy canes...What if we try to "stand out" a bit? We will be accepting donations of individually wrapped "fun sized" candy. Please bring donations to the church office by Tuesday, December 5.
We need a couple people who will walk behind the car. It is policy that candy cannot be thrown from vehicles, so we need a few people who can walk and distribute the candy on the parade route. Please let Pastor Tom or Rich Lodge know if you would be a walker.

Let's take this opportunity to be among our neighbors and bring in the Christmas Season through the parade!

In October CCC assisted 2 families in Perquimans County totaling $1100 in direct assistance. Both clients are elderly and on a fixed income. The elderly man had his water shut off for quite some time however, CCC paid the past due amount and reconnection fee to get his service reconnected. The elderly woman was having mobility issues and needed help covering the security deposit to move into an apartment on the first floor.

OUTREACH IS CONNECTING WITH HERTFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL!

We are thrilled to announce that Hertford Grammar School has invited our church to sponsor the children’s monthly birthday parties for the 2024-25 school year! This is a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with the children and support our local school community.

If you choose to sponsor a month, you’ll need to recruit 2-3 volunteers to help distribute cupcakes and drinks to the children on the day of the party. As the sponsor, you’ll be responsible for picking up and paying for napkins, drinks, and cupcakes. Outreach will handle ordering the cupcakes from Food Lion, so all you need to do is pick them up. The cost for the cupcakes is approximately $35, plus the cost of drinks, cups, and napkins. Please remember that drinks should be low sugar!

All parties will take place on Wednesdays from 2:00 to 2:30 pm, so be sure to arrive early to set up. August will feature a combined party for July and August birthdays, and May will combine May and June birthdays.

This is a great way to engage with the children, support our local schools, and provide valuable community service. The joy on the children’s faces as they celebrate their special day is truly rewarding!

To sign up, please visit the Outreach Team Bulletin Board outside the church sanctuary. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Lynne Raymond at 203-394-7062.

Let’s work together to make these birthday parties special for the kids!

District News

Hertford United Methodist Church Welcomes You! View our website Hertford United Methodist Church

@hertfordumc Check out our worship services on YouTube!

See more upcoming events

Volunteer opportunities

Submit a prayer request

Donate to keep our community thriving

[Phone: 252-426-5467] [humcoffice@hertfordumc.org] [hertfordumc.org]