The GRUENE UMC NEWS
December 2018
May you experience God’s abiding love this Advent Season! Our December sermon series is based (loosely) on the book "The Journey: Walking the road to Bethlehem" by Adam Hamilton. We are focusing on the familiar and the lesserknown characters in the Christmas story and discovering what they have to teach us about God’s will for us as we journey together. December 23rd is on a Sunday this year and we will have a traditional lessons and carols service at 8:30, 9:40 and 11AM all in the main building. On Sunday evening December 23rd we will gather at the church at 5:30 p.m. to form teams and go share the Christmas joy as we go caroling at assisted living facilities and for members of our congregation who are homebound. Christmas Eve Worship / candlelight services will take place at 3 p.m. in the main building, 5 p.m. in both buildings, 7 p.m. in the main building, and 11 p.m. in the Mission and Outreach building. Childcare will be provided at the 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
This Month • Christmas Eve Services • 2019 Calendar of Events • Five:32 • Christmas Tea • Journey to Bethlehem
Calendar
By Pastor Brock
Steve’s Pantry is in need of blankets & sleeping bags. You may drop off your donations during Steve’s Pantry hours. Thank you for helping our friends in need.
Gruene Tree Learning Center Psalm 95:2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! November was filled with many “Thankful” moments
that we treasure here at GTLC! We had our Gruene Tree Givers Give Back to Pets which was a major success! Not only did we receive donations of food and pet items, but we also received $272.00 dollars to give to them too! GTLC also celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast that we all got to enjoy together… students and teachers!
We are so thankful for
our wonder families here at GTLC, along with an amazing staff that blows me away with their loving care to our angels. So let us be thankful and praise him…always! Many Blessings, Ms. Rebecca, GTLC Director
The BBQ Ministry smoked and gave away Thanksgiving dinners to 70 families (about 400 people) and 3 turkeys for Steve's pantry, and 4 for our Church By the River Feast on Saturday. Praise God! A BIG thanks to Joel Freeman, our youth, and all volunteers who helped out to keep this ministry going! Thank you to all who purchased a Turkey and made sides!
The Office Angels need several volunteers to help fold Christmas Eve bulletins on Friday, Dec. 21st at 9;30 a.m. We will have about 800 to fold so we will need several volunteers to help. Please contact Nadia at the Church Office (830) 625-7200 or
email at nadia@grueneumc.org.
Do you or your ministry have an event you would like to share in the Gruene UMC Newsletter? Please email your event info to Nadia at nadia@grueneumc.org. The deadline is the 15th !
Thank you for sharing your gifts!
As we enter the Season of Advent we share in the wonder of a newborn child that changed the World through his teaching and example. As our thoughts carry toward the excitement of a New Year before us, we have much to be grateful for! At Gruene Church, our November sermon series focused on a vision of hope for our Church – as we remember those lights in our past who have influenced who we have become; as we dream wide and deep about our Church; as we vision both personally and together; and as we look toward those things in our lives we should end as well as those we should strive to begin or renew. As we review this year financially, we have good reason to feel blessed. As of the end of October, general giving for Church operations was $803,337, slightly more than our budget projection of $789,585. We have contributed 9.98% of our income toward mission programs, and have managed our Staff expenses at 48.5% of general giving (against our goals of 10% and no more than 50%, respectively). Our building maintenance expense has trended higher than what we budgeted, but for good reason as we have implemented security improvements for our buildings and for Gruene Tree Learning Center, and we have improved our plans for routine maintenance and upkeep. We consolidated costs for computer software licensing to allow for more accurate future planning, and we have managed our office costs at 57.8% of what we budgeted. Our “Freedom To Serve” Campaign to lower the burden of our mortgage dept has yielded pledges and gifts from 36 families totaling $1,173,247 (we have reached 59% of our $2 million goal!) and gifts already received have allowed us to reduce our mortgage principal balance by $243,228.88 so far in 2018. We are most grateful for your generosity in supporting our mission to welcome all to “Come… Be You. Be Loved.” And to equip all who serve with us to “Go… By Joy. Be Hope. Be Love. Be HIS!” We are in awe of all that this amazing Faith Community has become, and we are so excited about what God has in store for us as we boldly plan for another exciting year! Kevin Apel Gruene UMC Treasurer
Rev. Dan Harrington - Senior Pastor Dan@grueneumc.org
Brandi Carnes - Nursery Director brandi@grueneumc.org
Rev. Aaron Carter - Associate Pastor aaron@grueneumc.org
Amy Howell - Children and Family Ministry Director amy@grueneumc.org
Rev. Debbie Head - Associate Pastor Debbie@grueneumc.org
Michael Rodriguez - Director of Youth mike@grueneumc.org
Nadia Hoffman – Administrative Assistant nadia@grueneumc.org
Rebecca Goossens - GTLC Director gruenetreelearningcenter@gmail.com
2629 E. Common St. New Braunfels TX 78130 (830) 625-7200 Fax: (830) 625-7208
www.grueneumc.org OFFICE HOURS M-F, 8:30 - 4:30
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES 8:30, 9:40 & 11:00 a.m. (Main Worship Building) 9:40 & 11:00 a.m. (Mission & Outreach Building) “Come…be you, be filled , be loved. Go…be joy, be hope, be love. Be His! ” See What’s Happening There are so many fun and exciting groups here at Gruene! To find out what’s going on, check us out on the Gruene UMC facebook page or on our website, www.grueneumc.org.