UPCOMING EVENTS 

A DESIRE TO SPEAK ENGLISH! We often encounter these amazing people at restaurants, while shopping, at school, and in other places of business. They tend our lawns, clean our homes, and tend to our elderly, in a thousand different ways? Many of them possess a desire to learn the English language and that’s where your ability can meet a human need. Our English As A Second Language class (18 students) is proving to be a tremendous outreach ministry to our community. Further, there are 10 additional students waiting patiently to begin a week-night class! The key is identifying those who will serve as team teachers for this ministry. Amazingly, you do not need to know how to speak Spanish in order to successfully teach the class. (The students are learning English. They already know how to speak Spanish!) Enrique and Laura Hernandez, both United Methodist pastors oversee the ministry. All materials are provided. This is a wonderful way to invest in the lives of others and in our community! For more information contact Director of Discipleship, Robert Weatherall at 731-885-3573 or e-mail him at [email protected]

Book Club

January meeting has been postponed to Thursday the 16th, at 1:15 pm. at Sherilyn Brown’s home (1501 Honey Suckle Drive). Please contact Pat Capps for more information. 731 587-6384.

NURTURING MINISTRIES: COME, BE NURTURED. Our new director of Discipleship wants to meet with all the Chairpersons/Co- Chairpersons of our church’s Nurturing Ministries during the month of January. Please call the church office, 885-3573, to schedule your

30-minute appointment with him. You can also reach him on his cell phone at 352-428-8677 for more information. A more detailed article will be included in the January 14th issue of The Chimes.

December Is A Month Full of Mission!

Your church is in the very early planning stages for a new Photo Directory and you may want to be involved in this project. Please call the church office 885-3573 and add your name, phone number, and email address to the list of those wanting to assist with this important project. Someone from the church will notify you of the organizing meeting and then SNAP! we’ll begin. country. A complete list of items needed is posted at the Mission Niche’.

GET THEM WHILE THEY LAST! FUMC COOKBOOKS! $10.00 each or 2 for $15.00! They make wonderful presents for all occasions, especially belated Christmas gifts! Available at the Guest Services Desk on Sundays, and in the Church Office. Proceeds benefit the Missions Fund.

• JANUARY MISSION OF THE MONTH IS THE MAGI PROJECT!

Making A Godly Impact in the lives of children in places like Honduras, Zambia, and Mexico is the mission of this project. It is a box filled with a simple message of God’s love. The MAGI program allows people to experience the blessing of partnering together with local churches in developing countries to enhance opportunities in their communities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Working through Healing Hands International we plan to send sixty gift boxes to the children of the families we’ve worked with in Honduras. A list of items needed for each box is posted at the Mission Niche’. Please place the items there. If you have questions, contact Kris Dunn at 796-7293. Also continue to bring food items for local food pantries, and devotional materials for Reelfoot Rural Ministries in the designated container(s) at the Mission Niche’ outside the Margaret Carter Class.

• A WATER LEAK THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS in First Friends is requiring extensive renovation and repairs. To that end, First Friends will be using the fellowship hall and gymnasium each day until the work is completed. This also means regularly scheduled programming (including WednesdayNightTogether) will be delayed in resuming. Be watching for more details!

• ONE OF THE WAYS OUR CONGREGATION reaches out to our

community is by providing space each week for English As A Second Language classes. Each Tuesday morning from 9:00 am to 11:00 am both a beginning and advanced class are held. There are currently 18 students enrolled in the classes. Enrique and Laura Hernandez, both United Methodist pastors oversee the ministry and are joined each week by individuals from churches in Fulton, Kentucky to teach the classes. We’ve recently learned there is great need in beginning a week-night class and that there are 10 individuals waiting patiently for that to happen. The key is identifying two people to serve as team teachers for this ministry. Amazingly, you do not need to know how to speak Spanish in order to successfully teach the class. (The students are learning English. They already know how to speak Spanish!) All materials are provided for you. This is a wonderful way to invest in the lives of others and in our community! For more information contact Director of Discipleship, Robert Weatherall at [email protected] or 731-885-3573.

• CONGRATUALATIONS ARE IN ORDER! We rejoice that God has enabled us to give a tithe 10% of our operating income to the broader mission of the United Methodist Church. It is imporant to know that out of each dollor, 85 cents is used to meet the needs of local churches, 6 cents is considered “second mile” giving, 2 cents goes to general apportionment needs (globally), and 7 cents goes to jurisdiction, annual conference, and district needs.

Living The Generous Life

Funding the 2020 Vision, Mission, and Ministry

First United Methodist Church, Union City, Tennessee

By now you have received information regarding our 2020 Financial Stewardship effort Living the Generous Life. Great effort was given to keeping the 2020 budget in line with the current budget of 2019. Still, there are increases in some fixed expenditures that were not budgeted in 2019. The 2020 total of $786,761 represents a 4.4% increase over 2019, the bulk of which is increased building maintenance and maintenance personnel; both of which were not included in the 2019 budget. Your responses will be received through November 10, 2019.