Southport UMC Newsletter

The Final Countdown to Jubilee Christmas Day on December 10… After weeks of planning with a wonderful combined effort between the Homecroft Elementary school staff, the Jubilee Ministry Team, SUMC Hosts, and each of You we are ready to express more of Jesus’ love and grace with 60 children and youth and their families. Gifts, toys, personal care items, clothing, and a holiday dinner are made possible because of your generosity. When you give to the Faith Promise Fund, expenses for many of the above needs are covered. Tags that were selected from the Jubilee boards will fulfill a child’s need or Christmas wish.   What steps are left before Jubilee Day? Please return all tag item purchases to church by Sunday, December 4 Shop at Burlington with Jubilee parents and SUMC hosts December 3 at 7:30 a.m. for the children’s clothing (cost covered by Faith Promise) Help the Jubilee Team with set up Friday, December 9 at 9:30 a.m. Bake cookies for the Jubilee refreshment tab

….the church has bins in the back parking lot to recycle paper items and everyone can   contribute.  ….if you register your Kroger Plus Card under Community Rewards and select Southport    United Methodist Church as the recipient, each time you grocery shop the church will get a percent donated back to us.  This does not affect your perks in any way!  ….if you order from Amazon go to Smile.Amazon.com and earn cash for SUMC.  Enter your account and choose SUMC as your organization to earn cash.  Then shop at smile.amazon.com just like you normally would at amazon.com. ….you may share your financial resources by giving to the church online either through your church account or by using a smartphone and scanning this code.    ….you can support Hunger Inc., a Perry Township Food Pantry by bringing donations to church the first weekend of each month. Requested food items are listed in the monthly      newsletter and in the Weekly section of the bulletin. ….t

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE…. ….we have four blood drives a year ….we have several Sunday morning Coffee Ministry serve options ….after a funeral we provide a meal for families who are experiencing the recent death of a loved one ….twice a month on Sunday afternoon we worship, sing, and interact with the residents at the Madison Avenue Nursing Home ….we serve dinner twice a month, one at the Ronald McDonald House and one at RMH in     Riley Hospital ….on the 3rd Thursday of the month breakfast and conversation is how we serve Fletcher Place Community Center neighbors For additional information please contact the church office, 317 784-9508 or      office@sumc.org

JUBILEE CHRISTMAS – Saturday, December 10 UNITING WITH THE CHURCH – Monday, December 12 Would you like to make Southport your church home? Join Pastor Mark as he shares the mission and vision of Southport United Methodist Church and the importance of not just following Jesus but living your life as He lived His. Please plan to attend the next “UNITING WITH THE CHURCH” session on Monday, December 12 at 7:00 pm.   Child care will be      provided by calling the church office, 317 784-9508 or when noted on your worship              registration card.   CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES Thursday, December 22 at 7:00 p.m. (candlelight) Saturday, December 24 5:00 p.m. Children and Family Service 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. Contemporary Services (candlelight) 11:00 p.m. Traditional Service (candlelight) CHRISTMAS DAY – Sunday, December 25 Open Communion available from 9:30-11:00 a.m. LOOKING AHEAD Sunday, January 1 – 10:00 a.m. Worship, Children’s Church, Student Worship

Merry Christmas to all.  The UMW  have been busy the month of November.  We collect items for Fletcher Place Community Center's Christmas give away and decorated 60 Christmas Stockings to be given away.  We also collected 206  personal hygiene items to be donated to Lucille Raines Residence Hall for their Christmas Grab Bag.   WOW!!!  that was a lot of love being sent out for others. So in December, two of the UMW Circles are having their Christmas Pitch-In dinners.  ALL ARE WELCOME to attend these dinners.  Schedule of Meetings: Rebekah Circle Meeting is the first Tuesday, December 6.  It will be held at the church in the Gathering Place at 6:00 p.m.  This Dinner and meeting is a Pitch-In Christmas Celebration.  So bring a dish and join in the fun. Leah Circle Meeting is the third Tuesday, December 20.  It will be held at Donna Dougherty's home at 6:00 p.m.  The Dinner/Meeting is also a Pitch-In Christmas Celebration.  So bring a dish, wear a Christmas hat, and bring

In December the dates have been changed for the food collection.  Our theme is  "We come to church to be fed and we feed others".  So, the Food will be collected on Thursday,  December 8 and Sunday, December 11. since those are the dates of communion and the community meal on Sunday.  The items we are collecting are canned pasta meals.  The Food Drive Committee wants to thank you for your year of helping be the hands and feet on Earth for Jesus.  We are working for Jesus to help make a difference in the lives of so many people that need our help.  We hope next year is just as wonderful for the world and our country because of what you do locally.  Last month (November), we delivered 160 pounds of beans and crackers to the Hunger, Inc Food Pantry.  Way to go!!  You are so giving and your giving puts smiles on the faces of so many in need.  Thank you again for how great  the effort is of Southport United Methodist Church in helping families locally. The collectio

Dear Friends, It’s the beginning of November.   What does that mean?   It means that we will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving, and then we will be in the midst of the Christmas season. Again this year we will be participating in Operation Christmas Transformation.   What is this?   This is an attempt to help the families of the church transform Christmas from just being about us to also include an emphasis on Jesus.   After all, Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. Operation Christmas Transformation gives you the opportunity to give Jesus a gift.   Here is how you can do it.   You can purchase, through an envelope in the weekly church bulletin, a picture poinsettia instead of a live poinsettia.   This picture poinsettia can be in memory or in honor of someone.   The cost is $10 per picture poinsettia.   You can also just make a contribution to Operation Christmas Transformation.   The contributions that are received during Operation Christmas Transformation will be divided equa

Jubilee Christmas Day is December 10… Thanks to the Homecroft social workers we have 20 families from our community who will be invited to experience Jubilee Day with us. We are grateful for the individuals and families from church who are hosting a Homecroft   family and working together to provide a “Jubilee Christmas.”  HOW CAN YOU EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF JUBILEE CHRISTMAS? We share the joy of the season because we share the experience of the preparations.   Gifts, toys, personal care items, clothing, and a holiday dinner are made possible because of your generosity. When you give to the Faith Promise Fund, expenses for much of the above needs are covered. When you take a tag from the Jubilee boards starting November 10 and return the specified item, you have fulfilled a child’s need or Christmas wish.   We all share the expense and address the needs for families who otherwise would not have the joy of this part of the   holiday. If you are also a hands-on pers

INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY FAMILIES – through November 13 Welcome the families from Interfaith Hospitality during their stay with us. Contact the church office, 784-9508, and ask how you can make their time at SUMC comfortable and enjoyable.   UNITING WITH THE CHURCH – Wednesday, November 16 Would you like to make Southport your church home? Pastor Mark shares the mission and vision of Southport United Methodist Church and how Jesus calls us to be His disciples. Please plan to attend the next “UNITING WITH THE CHURCH” session on Wednesday, November 16, at 7:00 p.m.   Child care will be provided by calling the church office, 784-9508, or when noted on your worship registration card.   BLOOD DRIVE – Sunday, November 20 Please invite family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to participate in the church’s last Blood Drive of 2016.   The community will be encouraged to join us on Sunday, November 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Gathering Place. The Indiana Blood Ce

The United Methodist Women (UMW) are holding their Executive Meeting on November 2 at 6:30 at the church.  Anyone is welcome to join us for this meeting.  The circles for UMW have meetings on the following schedule:                 Rebekah Circle ------ 2nd Tuesday, November 8---7 p.m. -------at  church                 Anna Circle -----------3rd Monday, November 21---1 p.m. ------at Rosegate                 Leah Circle -----------3rd Tuesday,  November 15---6:30 p.m.---at church in Room W103  (We are doing a "Sit and Sew" activity, so come help us sew or decorate Christmas stockings.)    Please feel free to come join any circle and see what we are all about.   Our theme this year is to "LIVE OUR PURPOSE.”  Many things have changed since the first UMW circles were formed in 1859, but the  PURPOSE is still the same:      To Know God      To Experience Freedom as Whole Persons through Jesus Christ      To Develop a Creative, Supportive Fellowship      To Ex