I love the movie, It's a Wonderful Life. If there were to be a trivia contest with questions about the movie, I am confident that I would win.  I know all about the Baileys, the Building and Loan, Mr. Potter, Clarence the Angel, Bert the cop, Ernie the cab driver, and the other people of Bedford Falls. I have a Christmas village that we put up every year. The village is Bedford Falls.  In my village, there is the Bailey’s house, the Building and Loan, the movie theater, the train station, and the pond where Harry Bailey nearly drowned if it were not for his big brother saving his life. 

When I was a kid, I would watch the movie, flip the channel to find it on another network, and watch it again. I love the simple messages that the movie brings. Two that stand out are these: Life is worth living. No one is a failure who has friends. 

This year during the season of Advent, we are going to go to Bedford Falls.  As an added bonus, the stage area at our Crossroads service (9:00 a.m.) will have sets and scenes from the movie. It will be as if we are in Bedford falls ourselves. 

There will be four sermons in this series. As a reminder, the third Sunday of Advent (December 14th) will feature our choir cantata at the 11:00 a.m. service. So, there won’t be a sermon at that service. Instead, enjoy the wonderful music. The cantata’s name is This Is Christmas. The sermon will be preached at our 9:00 a.m. service and all of the sermons in the series will be available on our webpage, www.fumcmh.org/live. 

I hope you will join me in Bedford Falls this Advent season. We are going to look at four scenes in the movie. Here is the plan with sermon titles and scriptures to help us prepare for the services. 

November 30th 
Philippians 4:4-7 
An Answer to Prayer

December 7th 
Matthew 1:18-25
A Derailed Dream

December 14th 
Mark 1:1-8 
I Want to Live Again

December 21st 
Acts 4:32-35 
When an Angel Gets His Wings 

Stewards:
Jill Chandler
Ruth Greer
Vicki Kauth
Sherri Patton
Jana Todd
Jo Wolf

9:00 Crossroads servers:
Tim & Kristi Nelson
Kathy Bauer

11:00 Traditional servers:
Sharon Williams
Mark & Cindy Burgess

Christmas Eve servers:
5:00   Charleen, Kynlee & Raeleigh Ahrenstorff
11:00 Greg & Michele Elders

We will begin assembling our float for the Christmas parade on November 30th at 3:00pm as well as 3:00pm Monday and Tuesday. We need your help!  Additional work days will be Thursday and Friday if needed. If you are able to help, we will be working in the shop up on the hill behind the church. 

If you would like to order a poinsettia to honor or memorialize a special person in your life, fill out a form at the office or Hospitality Desk and attach your payment or call the church office to order. You can also order online using the button below. The price is $20.00. The deadline for orders is Monday, December 8th. The poinsettias will adorn the main sanctuary beginning on Friday, December 12th for the first performance of the Cantata and will be split between the Contemporary Worship Center and the sanctuary for the remainder of Advent. 

Every Christmas, we celebrate the birth of a Child. With this breathtaking work, legendary composer Mary McDonald invites us to truly remember what is at the heart of Christmas: this Child, this King, this Savior who was sent to earth to redeem the world. THIS is Christmas.

This cantata tells the story of Christmas through familiar carols, inspired original melodies, and thoughtful narration. This year, may we all take a few moments to reflect on the reason we celebrate, for this is great news: This Is Christmas!

There are two opportunities to experience This is Christmas so mark your calendars!
Friday, December 12th at 7:00pm
Sunday, December 14th at 11:00am

Our Christmas Fellowship Meal and Baby Jesus Shower will be Wednesday, December 17th at 5:15pm in the CWC. The children will perform their program, Kids Sing Christmas at 6:00pm followed by The Baby Jesus Shower with cookies, cupcakes and hot chocolate. So that we can be sure to have enough food, please RSVP by Thursday, December 11th by calling the church office, by signing up at the Welcome Desk or by using the button below. Please contact Hollye at the church office if you have any questions.

Mark your calendars!  Our kiddos have been practicing our songs since October and are so excited about this year's Christmas program, Kid's Sing Christmas!

After the Christmas Fellowship Meal on December 17th, we will have our annual Baby Jesus Shower complete with Ms. Shirley Poynter cupcakes, cookies and hot cocoa! Please bring an unwrapped gift suitable for a baby boy or girl. These gifts will be distributed to babies in need in our local community. 

Choose an angel from the Angel Trees in the Narthex.  These are names of our homebound brothers and sisters as well as those in nursing homes.  Be a blessing to them this Christmas by sending a card, gift or just calling or visiting them over the holidays. A huge thank you to Susan Podsiadlik for our beautiful crochet angels this year!

Donate hats and/or mittens of all sizes for children in need by placing them on the Mitten Tree in the Narthex.  The items will be distributed after Christmas to children in need in our local community.

One of the most beautiful and reverent traditions in this church is our Christmas Eve service. Filled with familiar Christmas carols, special Christmas soloists, a special Christmas anthem by the Chancel Choir, and a special musical piece by one of the handbell choirs, it’s quite spectacular!  The service will end with candlelight as we sing "Silent Night” to commemorate the light coming out of the darkness.

We are offering a second option for Christmas Eve worship again this year at 11:00pm. This will be a more intimate service but will be just as powerful. We will conclude the late service with candlelight as well. Pastor John said it like this: "Imagine how powerful it will be when we walk out of here and it's Christmas morning."

Please join us at one of these powerful services as we celebrate the birth of the Christ-child, The Light of the World, our Savior, Emanuel, God With Us!

On December 28th we will have one service at 11:00 in the sanctuary. There will be no Sunday School that day but we will have a time of fellowship beginning at 10:00 in the Contemporary Worship Center.  Bring your favorite cookies to share and join us before worship!

We recently completed our stewardship sermon series. The basis of the sermon came from Rev. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. In a sermon he preached in 1760, Rev. Wesley gave this advice to the people called Methodists.  Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can. If you would like to go back and view the sermons we preached based on those three pieces of advice, go to our website, www.fumcmh.org/live. 

On Sunday, November 16^th, we held our Commitment Sunday for pledges. I loved to see families and individuals coming to the altar with their commitment cards in hand. These commitments include all five of the promises we make when we join the church (prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness). We are still receiving commitment cards, but thus far we have received 96 of them. We will soon report the totals, separating out the building fund and general fund commitments.

As your pastor, I wanted to say thank-you for every gift that you have given in 2025 and the ones you will make in 2026. God’s Spirit is blowing through our hallways, our worship spaces, our classrooms, and gathering spaces. God’s Spirit is leading us to make a difference in our community. 

If you have not had the opportunity to complete a pledge card, we hope that you will take the chance to do so. If you need one mailed to you, please let us know.

John Fleming
Senior Pastor

Recently the church received an unexpected gift from the estate of Robert Walker, a long-time member of our church. The Trustees looked at needed projects around the church and proposed to the Finance Committee and the Church Council, that we replace the carpet in the Narthex leading up to the fire doors that come near the church offices and the kitchen. No doubt you have seen how beautiful the new flooring looks! Phase one of the project was funded by the gift received from the Walker estate. 

Let us offer an appeal. We would like to bring the new flooring down the halls so that all the carpet is replaced. The problem of the carpet buckling continues in our hallways and choir room. We are securing a quote for the second phase of the project (the hallways) and the third phase (the choir room). Here is how you can participate. We invite you to make a donation for phases two and three. Perhaps you could buy a box of flooring. The vinyl planks are $175 per box. The tiles are $225 per box.

We would love to complete this project in all three phases. The Trustees believe that the flooring has become a safety issue. We want to remedy that with new flooring. We hope you will participate.

On Thursday, January 8th  we will begin an 8 week study of  “Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible” by Liz Curtis Higgs.  Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel were mostly good girls, but had their flaws (don’t we all)!  Books are $10 if ordered through class, and chapter 1 needs to be read before the first class.

Thursday Morning Joy meets Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 AM in the Seeker’s Classroom, #213.  New members are always welcome -  come anytime, listen and try us out.  We have bible study along with fun, fellowship, prayer, and coffee!  It’s a great way to spend a Thursday morning!  Call or text Sandra Bainbridge at 870-656-3950 for more information or to order a book. 

Hello Families!

Advent is here which means it's officially the Christmas season!  I love Christmas!  It's my favorite time of year.  Once again this year, I am sharing the Family Advent Guide from Lifeway. It's a great way to make sure your children understand the true meaning of Christmas. You can access this guide using the button below.

This year's Christmas parade is Friday, December 5th and we need children & youth to ride the float as well as adults to walk and hand out candy. This year's theme is Whoville .  If you plan on riding the float or handing out candy, please wear Christmas pajamas.  Obviously, if it's cold, wear layers and/or appropriate outdoor accessories to stay warm. We are beginning the float assembly on Sunday, November 30th at 3:00pm and can use all the help we can get!

The Kids have been working hard on this year's Christmas program, Kids Sing Christmas. Please be sure they have practiced their lines so they are ready to go on December 17th! The program will be after the Christmas Fellowship Meal on December 17th at 6:00pm! Please make plans to stay for dinner that day.  You can RSVP for the meal using the link in this newsletter.  After the Children's Program we will be having our annual Baby Jesus Shower.  Please bring an unwrapped gift for a baby boy or baby girl.  The gifts will be to children in need in our local community. We will have Ms. Shirley Poynter cupcakes and hot cocoa too! That will be our final Wednesday ministry day until January.  Our first Wednesday back will be Wednesday, January 7th.

God Bless & Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Love you all!

Laura Pedigo

605 Students, Families, and Friends, 
 
Can you believe that November has come to an end already! It feels like we were just celebrating Halloween, preparing for Thanksgiving, and enjoying the changing colors of the leaves. 
Our students were so busy this month with bowling practices, marching band shows and competitions, football games, life group, donkey basketball games, going on a retreat, veteran’s day programs, Christmas shopping, preparing food for those in need, and sooo much more. We also had a blast celebrating this amazing time of year with our Progressive dinner; THANK YOU so much to our gracious hosts. We could not do what we do without you. 
 
The month of December is going to bring so much more fun as we enter into the Christmas Season and celebrate Advent and the year coming to a close. While this season is full and so exciting with all of the things happening during the coming weeks I also want to remind you of the joy and gift that this season is truly about; the gift of Jesus coming to us as a baby and all that this gift symbolizes. 
 
Our students have been learning about how Jesus was the best and most unexpected gift to come for the people of His time and our world. We have been learning about the very first Christmas and what that means to all of us. We are looking Jesus’ parents and to how through Jesus we can believe and know that God does so much more than we could ever hope or ask for. We hope that your students will join us in December to continue to learn about the first Christmas. 
 
Here are a few highlights and the full December calendar for 605 Students we hope to see your families and students at our events and that this is a time that you can connect with others and fully embrace what this December has to offer you! 
 
Christmas Parade- FUMC will have a float in this year’s Christmas Parade. Students and parents are invited to come help us work on the float Nov. 30th, Dec 1st, & Dec 2nd all at 3:00PM. We will be working in the shop out behind the church by the playground- we could use your help. We then will meet at 5:15PM on December 5th to load up and head to walk the parade. Students and their families are invited to join us to both walk with the float or ride! If you are joining us wear your Christmas Pj’s and layers to help you stay warm.  
 
Veritas Registration- We are headed back to Fort Smith for Veritas 2026! This year we will be studying “Imago Dei” and how we are made in the image of God. This retreat will be February 27th-March 1st. Registration paperwork and payment are due to Kyra by Monday December 15th. The trip will be $75 per student with scholarships available. Keep an eye out in your email, on social media, and the website for more information about the trip.
 
This or That Christmas Party- Students and Families mark your Calendars for Sunday December 21st from 5:00-8:00PM. We are having a family Christmas Party where the activities are decided by YOU! We will share in food, fun, games, fellowship, and we will end the evening by traveling around town to see some of the Christmas Lights. We cannot wait to celebrate this season with you and hope to see all of our families that night. 
 
December 24th- We hope you will join us for one or both of our Christmas Eve Services Wednesday December 24th. We will have service at 5:00PM and 11:00PM! Come as you are and worship with us. P.S. there is no youth this night 
 
December 31st- NO YOUTH! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
 
Full December Calendar: 
 
December 1st- Lunch at Pinkston 
December 1st- 3:00PM Float Work Day 
December 2nd- 3:00PM Float Work Day 
December 3rd- Youth Group 
December 5th- Christmas Parade (Meet at 5:15PM) 
December 7th- Life Group at 10:00AM 
December 8th- Lunch at High School 
December 10th- Youth Group 
December 11th- Lunch at High School 
December 14th- Life Group at 10:00AM 
December 15th- Veritas Registration Due 
December 17th- Game Night and Baby Jesus Shower 
December 20th- Dig Deeper @ 9:00AM Location: TBD
December 21st- This or That Christmas Party 5:00-8:00PM 
December 24th- Christmas Eve Services at 5:00 & 11:00PM 
December 25th- MERRY CHRISTMAS 
December 28th- No Life Group 
December 31st- No Youth HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
 
Blessings and Merry Christmas! 

Kyra Anthony

There are no memoriasls or honorariums this month other than poinsettias. That list will be posted later this month.

Concerns:
Patty Shay (11/25/25)
(Terre Ware)
Mary Rouse (11/20/25)
(Ruth Greer)
Helen Brown (10/19/25)
(Libby Seftar)
Cindy Shepardson (10/12/25)
Joyce Holsted (10/08/25)
Tara Gomez (10/05/25)
(Christine Rohr)
Jonathan Edington (09/28/25)
(Teresa Kenyon)
Vickie Martin (09/24/25)
(Tim Nelson’s Aunt)
Virginia Cornett (09/16/25)
(Lucy Monger)
Wyatt Sitzberger (09/15/25)
(Freddie Garner’s Great Grandson)
Vicki Kauth (09/07/25)
Beth Friske (09/07/25)
(Sherri Patton)
Karen Hargus (08/31/25)
(Rick Steiner)
Kathleen Carr (08/24/25)
(Sue Storm)
Chris Holm (08/05/25)
Diana Blackburn (08/04/25)
David Francis (07/22/25)
(Denny Francis’ Brother)
Lois Nichols (07/20/25)
(Joyce Holsted)
Bill Wagner (06/29/25)
Bruce Burr (06/15/25)
Jaymeson Miller (06/08/25)
Lisa Dennis (06/08/25)
(Mike Densmore’s Niece)
Jack Chance (05/06/25)
Krew Hudson (05/06/25)
(Classmate of Emma Jones)
Mona Brewer (04/22/25)
Bob Dickerson (04/13/25)
Teresa Kenyon (04/01/25)
Rexene Watson (03/23/25)
(Tom Yoder’s Sister-in-Law)
Bryan Tomlinson (03/17/25)
(Gail House)
Natalie Tyson (03/13/25)
(Mary Margaret Pearson)
Mike Thompson (02/25/25)
(Bev Thompson’s Son)
Genie Widerstrom (02/18/25)
(Rebecca Williams)
Nancy Cox (02/16/25)
(Christine & Cleo Holm)
Bonnie Benham (01/19/25)
Kate Melnik (01/13/25)
(Tom Yoder)
Wesley Werner (1/7/25)
Pat Harris (12/01/24)
(Tina Benton)
Paula Flippin (12/01/24)
(Tina Benton)
Diane Lucas (12/01/24)
(Tina Benton)
Emily Jones Griffin (12/01/24)
(Teresa Kenyon)
Elden Lowe (11/19/24)
(Jill Chandler’s Nephew)
Matt Zipperer (10/29/24)
(Sue Storm)
Sharon & Wendell Dennis (10/13/24)
(Debby Bodenhamer)
Jack Knight (09/22/24)
(Jill Chandler’s brother)
Ruth Clark (09/19/24)
Sue Robinson (09/01/24)
(Marilyn Bonecki)
Ronald Robinson (07/29/24)