SPECIAL TRAINING COMING UP FASSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTT!!!!
CLC Kitchen training will be held on 07 January at 7 PM.  Training is being conducted by Barbara Umstead.  Barbara can show folks things about being sanitary that they ain't never thought about!!!  So if you want to get the most up to date down low on kitchen training, Monday night at 7 PM in the CLC kitchen is the place to be!!!!  Contact Barbara Umstead to get on her list.....or risk getting on her LIST........


THANKFUL PERSPECTIVE.........
This message below is from Joe Koon to all of you who provided a gift for the HOPE ministries on Christmas day and to all of you who continue to support this ministry the year throughout.  Now here is Joe:
It (Christmas day HOPE ministry meal and present give away) was a great day!  And all the folks involved with HOPE would like to say THANK YOU to everyone that has helped and given and especially gave the gifts for Christmas to the homeless. I mentioned this already, but I wish everyone that gave a present could have been there to see the faces when they found out all the presents under the tree were for them. When they held the present that was theirs. When they opened them up. There were many tears of joy. One man said "this is the best Christmas I've had in 7 years". This touched the hearts of everyone, homeless and not. What a day it was! It all started with everyone joining hands in a huge circle that barely fit in the Fellowship hall to say a prayer of thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ. Recognizing that homeless or not, wealthy or not, regardless of our place in life that we are all brothers and sisters and children of our Father in heaven. For a brief moment in time, we were all family, just spending time together, on a very special day, laughing, talking, taking care of each other, enjoying each other, and praising our Father for all our blessings. THANK YOU again to everyone that helped make this day a even more special day for our friends. Joe Koon.


OK, OK, THE MUSIC MINISTRY
at the church BLEW THE DOORS off the last part of the year and just OUT DID themselves for the Christmas season....NOW WHAT???
Brother Steve Wheltle is here to let us ALL in on what is getting ready to happen with the Music Ministry here at the church:

Music Ministry takes a break and then starts up again!!!

After the Christmas music, the music ministry is taking a much needed but short winter break before starting up for more fun and praising the Lord in January.
Here is a schedule of breaks and start-ups for the various music ministries:
Ensemble   no rehearsals as of  start rehearsals as of


Chancel Choir  12/26/07                 1/9/08


Garner Ringers  12/27/07                1/16/08***


Youth Vocal Team  12/27/07              1/13/08


Made for Praise  12/2/07                1/13/08


So what are the *** all about with the Garner Ringers????

The bells will be sent for servicing and refurbishment in January. As a result, the start date for the Garner Ringers is set but reliant on the timely return of the bells from the handbell technician. Please watch announcements for any date changes.

What about the orchestra????
The Garner Sinfonia will also resume in the New Year; playing once a month at the 11:00 service (keep your eyes out for an upcoming schedule). When they play, the orchestra will accompany the choir at that service. As many of you saw at the Christmas cantata, the Garner Festival Choir served as an expanded choir to sing with the orchestra. You are invited to be part of this endeavor each month as the Sinfonia joins us. It is a great way to add to our growing music ministry and to have a wonderful time singing with one of the finest chamber orchestras in the Triangle! Please see or contact Steve Wheltle for more information!

Child care available during rehearsals
Calling all parents!!!!you can be part of the music ministry! Child care is now available and waiting for your children during both handbells and chancel choir (and also Festival Choir) on Wednesday evening. So come on in and join the fun!


THIS DOES NOT EVEN OPEN
until 04 February, so why are you telling us about it now??????
'Cause, by the time 04 February comes around, space may be full and it may be too late.........So, here goes:  The Preschool will be adding TWO (2) new classes for the 2008-2009 school year.  The first class will have six (6) children in it and to qualify for this class the child HAS TO BE 18 months old by
31 August, 2008.  This class will have children from 18 months to 2 years old.  The second class will be for children 2 years old.  This class will be able to have up to eight (8) children in it.  These classes will both meet on Mondays and Wednesdays.
If you already have a child enrolled in one of our preschool programs then registration for you will open on 07 January!!!!
All those outside of the preschool program, the registration period will start on 04 February.  On your mark.....get set....


ANOTHER GREAT MINISTRY OUTREACH
that your church offers that is really starting to take off is the Track Out Program (TOP) here at the church.  If you are looking for a place where it is fun, educational (don't tell the kids this one....the TOP's staff has them fooled on this one), always going and doing, then get your child into the Track Out Program.  Debbie and Melissa are two of the greatest counselors for this group and for all your male children who feel that Debbie and Melissa can't play basketball, kickball and the like because they are "girls....." better bring their "A" game!!!!!  Either visit the church's website or call the TOP number at 779-7563.  If you hear a co-worker, neighbor or friend wondering what they can do when their child is tracked out, give them this number.......you won't be disappointed.


WHERE'S MY DISH???????
Ya'll are some of the best folks to fix a dish for a bereaved family meal or an after church meal, or a covered dish supper...the absolute best.  But soon ya'll ain't going to be able to bring anything to the church when we make a plea cause most of your dishes are up here at the church!!!  If you are missing one (or maybe even more) of your favorite casserole and other type dishes, look downstairs in the old kitchen and see if you see your dish there.  EVEN IF YOU BROUGHT YOUR DISH FOR AN EVENT IN THE CLC, all cleaned dishes are stored in the old kitchen.


FLOWERS NEEDED FOR TWO DATES
in January!!!  The 13th and the 28th are in need of adopting by someone to put flowers in the sanctuary to the Glory of God!!!!
Any takers??????  Either call or e-mail the church office!!!!!!


SUPER SLEUTHS ACTIVATE!!!!!!!!
Ok, for you folks that like "finding Waldo" type deals, start scouring the local papers for pictures of church members, cutting them out and bringing them to the church.  Put the cut out picture in Kathy's box and we will get them on the board!!!
Let's see how good folks are and see if anyone misses someone's pictures in the paper.  We had rather not have mug shots or pictures depicting church folks that have been arrested or being dragged before a judge.........just as a reminder..HA!!!

"WAIT A MINUTE.....
wasn't there something about van drivers needed for the HOPE ministry??  Doesn't HOPE need folks to prepare meals???  Doesn't HOPE need folks to provide snacks??  Why in the world when I need information about HOPE I can't find it????  The left hand side of the large bulletin board outside of Patricia's office has ALL the info that you would ever want to know about the needs, wants and desires of HOPE ministry.  This is a great program and is ALWAYS in need of folks to come alongside it and bolster it in some way.  Want to know more???  Look at the bulletin board.  Want to know, up to the minute what might be needed???  Contact Joe Koon or Carlene Lucas for more info. 

NEW YEAR STARTS OFF
right where the women of the church ended last year.....in the Scriptures!!!!  Three women's studies to begin.  Here is a capsulated reminder:
**"Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible" study to began on 02 January.  This is a Wednesday evening study.  Contact person on this is Joanne Davis. 
**"Power of a Praying Woman"  begins on 05 January (this coming Sunday night) ends 13 March.  Held every Sunday night while "Made for Praise" children programming is in progress.  Contact Mary Margaret McLeod for more info on this one.
**"A Woman's Heart:  God's Dwelling Place" commences on 08 January.  Contact person on this is Gayle Hines.

PLEADING AGAIN TO HELP
catch us back up in the drink machine business.  And a follow up to last week's article is that I left off a variety, but here is a list of drink varieties we carry and are in need of:
***Mt. Dew
***Diet Mt. Dew
***Pepsi (just PLAIN Pepsi)
***Diet Pepsi (just PLAIN Pepsi)
***Coke (just PLAIN Coke)
***Diet Coke (just PLAIN Diet Coke)
***7-Up, Sierra Mist, Sprite (with this variety we are offering a caffeine free alternative)
***Dr. Pepper
Remember we use only 12 ounce aluminum cans and we thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. 

MAYORAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
to be held here in our fellowship on 10 January starting at 7:30 AM.  Would love to have a few more workers (set up, take down, serve, greet, smile to community guests, clean up, etc.) for this event, but even if you can't help in these areas, PLEASE plan on being in attendance as we as a community are called to prayer for our city and her government leaders. 

GOT'EM!!!!!!!!
Shew!!!!  On Wednesday we received the replacement offering envelopes (to replace the ones I have lost).   If you were planning on taking a box of envelopes as a "Christian prop," (say the way some people only carry a Bible on Sunday morning for a "Christian prop," or may be have a sign of the fish on their car as a Christian prop, etc.) please don't.  We only order 40 boxes (due to the cost of them and due to alot of folks not using the boxed envelopes anymore), so we don't have a bunch for "props."  Just a note:  the church will take your money not in an envelope, in an envelope, in an old cancelled envelope that your power or gas bill came in....in fact, I will go out on a limb here and venture to say that the church will take your check if you put it in an old sock!!!!!!! 

YOUTH!!!  LOOK ALIVE!!!!  HERE'S PATRICIA:
There is a district youth gathering this Sunday at White Plain UMC from 4-7.  Cost is $2 which includes a pizza supper.  We will meet at the church at 3:30 and return about 7:30.  Hope everyone can make it!  Blessings,  Patricia.