The New

Millennium
December 2008 The Newsletter of New Life United Methodist
On The Inside:
The Advent Season
The Advent Wreath
Christmas Eve Services
Music Notes from Mary Ellen
Christmas Pageant
Bethlehem Walk 2008
Preschool The Manger in the Movies
Happy Birthday Jesus One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season
Laptop Loaners is snuggling up on the couch with my family and
Daily Devotions watching Christmas specials that I’ve watched for years.
Library It’s not that I don’t know the ending, or that it’s another
Youth Stuff chance to drink hot chocolate and eat sausage balls that
Focus on Sunday School keeps me coming back… It’s that I usually glean something new
Go, Make Disciples each time I come to the familiar stories.
Finance Committee Reportr
Older Adult Ministires The same is true of the Christmas story. Many have heard those familiar
Thank You Notes words so many times that we pass over them too quickly: “In those days
Shawl Ministry Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken…”

Church Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
9:00a.m. until 3:00p.m.
Church Staff checks phone
messages throughout the day.
Pastor Maxwell is available for
appointments days and eve-
nings and is glad to schedule at
convenient times.
Worship Opportunities:
Christian Education (all ages):
Sundays 9:45a.m.
Sunday Worship:
8:30a.m. and 11:00a.m.
Praise & Worship Service:
6:30p.m. on 3rd Sunday
It’s an old story, but with fresh meaning for us today.
So… what do some of our favorite Christmas specials have to do
with the manger? Can you guess which Christmas special we will be
referring to on each of the Sundays in December?
Nov 30 – The Grinches that Steal Christmas
Dec 7 – One Incredible Moment (Our Christmas Cantata)
Dec 14 – A Miracle Well Beyond 34th Street
Dec 21 – It Really is a Wonderful Life
Dec 24 – A Charlie Brown Christmas
Dec 28 – A Christmas Story
Join us for worship in Advent. There’s certainly something new God
desires us experience this Christmas!

No Family Night Dinner

or
Praise & Worship Service
in December
December 2008 The New Millennium 2

THE ADVENT SEASON has arrived and our sanctuary is all decorated to
anticipate the coming of the Christ Child. Thanks to all who participated in
our Hanging of the Greens Service. We hope it helped each of you prepare
your heart for this season. Special thanks go to Patti Davis, Deanna
Llewellyn, Maria Maxwell, and Peggy
Tsaclas for the “behind the scenes” work
that needed to be done in advance of the
actual service.

THE ADVENT WREATH will be an

important part of our regular worship
services during the Sundays of Advent.
Each week we will have different family
light the appropriate candles and
present a special Scripture and reading.
In advance, we wish to thank each
family that serves our congregation by
participating in this way.

THREE CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

Again this year we will offer three candle-light services on Christmas Eve.
Each service will have a slightly different presentation style.
5:00 PM – Child friendly service for the entire family
7:00 PM – Contemporary in style, still for the entire family
11:00 PM – The more traditional candlelight service including
Holy Communion, all are welcome
Please join us at one or more of these services to worship and celebrate
the birth of Jesus, Our Lord.
December 2008 The New Millennium 3

MUSIC NOTES
from Mary Ellen
The Christmas cantata, “One Incredible Moment,” with text by Max Lucado and music by Tom
Fettke will be given at New Life UMC on December 7, 2008. This will be presented by our Adult
Choir and friends during our 8:30 and 11:00am services of worship.

“Nothing could make the biblical account of the birth of Christ more ‘incredible’ than what is
recorded in Scripture. Our fascination with that
‘moment’ raises questions beyond the scope of
what Scripture tells us. Did the angels sing? What thoughts were in the hearts and minds of
Mary and Joseph?”

“Throughout his writings, Max Lucado helps us

to see the people in Scripture as ordinary human
beings experiencing an extraordinary God,
working in mysterious ways. Lucado’s suggestions
of what those people may have been feeling or
thinking are spurred by the scriptural account, but
are not presented on equal footing.”

Tom Fettke has written and arranged the music

to inspire us and lift us to a high sense of worship
during this one incredible moment of the birth of
our Lord.

“Max Lucado and Tom Fettke are prolific

expositors of Truth. They have repeatedly shown
their abilities to communicate ultimate majesty
and glory to believers’ hearts.”

Plan now to come and bring a friend.

Christmas Pageant & Caroling – Everyone is welcome!

The Children’s Christmas Pageant is December
14th at 4:30pm. After wards we will have pizza ($5
donation max per family),drinks, and dessert. Then
we will drive to Brandermill Woods Nursing Home to
sing Christmas carols. Come and be blessed by the
children’s performance and be a blessing to others as
we carol at Brandermill. If you have any questions,
please contact Cindy Butler, 379-3578, education@
newlifeumc.org.
December 2008 The New Millennium 4

Bethlehem Walk 2008,

is a life-sized reenactment of the city of Bethlehem at the time
of the birth of Christ. Vistors are given a tour on a first come-
first served basis. You may drop in anytime during “open” hours
Wednesday, December 3 6-9pm
Thursday, December 4 6-9pm
Friday, December 5 6-10pm
Saturday, December 6 4-9pm
sunday, December 7 4-9pm
This event is free and
hosted by Salem Baptist
church. They are located on
Broad Street 6 miles west of
Short Pump. For more information
call 804-784-4171 or on the web at
www.salembaptistchurch.info.

Weekday Preschool Celebrates Jesus’ Birthday

December is an exciting month for preschoolers as they learn
about and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas… Jesus’
Birthday! We will read stories and make crafts that help teach
about the little baby born in Bethlehem. We will end our month with our annual “Make-It-
Take-It”, a big open house for preschool families, in which they will travel from table to
table to make Christmas ornaments and enjoy homemade Christmas treats!
The preschool is always looking for substitutes, story tellers, and puppeteers. If
you would like to get involved with New Life Weekday Preschool, please contact Tracy
Cooper, Director at 794-4522 (Mon-Thurs. 9am-1pm).
We currently have a need for empty sewing thread spools, wooden or plastic. If you
have any to donate, please place in the labeled basket in Tracy Cooper’s office (the first

room on the left).

December 2008 The New Millennium 5
“Happy Birthday, Jesus!”
The children (preschool – 5th grade) are celebrating Jesus’
birth on December 14th during the Sunday School hour,
9:45 - 10:45am. There will be activities reinforcing the reason
for Christmas, as well as a birthday cake for Jesus! For more
information, contact Jean Hobbs at 378-9947.

Laptop Loaners:
The children’s Sunday School class is in need of a few laptops to use during the
Sunday School lesson every now and then. John Butler had been able to bring
five laptops from work and home, but the number has dropped to three, which isn’t
enough for all the children to be engaged in the lesson. If you are able to loan us
your laptop two Sundays every other month during the Sunday School hour only,
please contact John Butler at 379-3578, johnb@efaact.com.

DAILY DEVOTIONS
THE UPPER ROOM devotional guide for January and February
will be available during the latter part of December. For your
convenience you will find it on the welcome/information table
located under the flat-screen in the Gathering Area. They are
provided for you free, however if you wish to leave a nominal
donation, it is appreciated.

New to the Library!

There are many new additions to the New Life UMC library since
it was officially opened in September; you will want to stop by and
check out all that’s available to check out. Newly purchased items:
“The Shack”, “The 11th Commandment”, “Facing the Giants” DVD,
and “The Judge Who Stole Christmas”, a Christmas fiction.

Thank you, New Life, for your many donations of used books! We
are still in need of more juvenile and teen fiction books. If you have
any and would like to donate them, they will be greatly appreciated.
December 2008 The New Millennium 6

G.R.A.V.I.T.Y.
Grounded in the Redeeming love of Christ,
we Aspire to make the Voice of God heard
and Inspire others to learn about him
Through our Youth.

December 5, 6, 7
Youth Beach Retreat

Sunday, December 7th

No Youth Group

Sunday, December 14th – 4:30 p.m. Sunday, December 28th

Mission & Fellowship Night No Youth
Come & Support the Children’s Christmas
Musical, eat a pizza dinner, and then go Merry Christmas
Christmas Caroling at Brandermill &
Woods Nursing Home. It will be a Happy New Year!
night of preparation for the coming See You in 2009!!
of Christ. Come Celebrate with us!!

For More Information

Sunday, December 21st regarding
4:30-6:00 p.m. New Life Youth –
Fellowship Night G.R.A.V.I.T.Y. ,
please talk with Lori Epps,
Come & enjoy a night at the movies
Youth Director
as we watch: youth@newlifeumc.org
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” & 794-4522 church
discuss its meaning from a 239-8318 cell
Christian perspective. 897-4537 home
December 2008 The New Millennium 7

A FOCUS ON SUNDAY SCHOOL

Proactive Parents Class
Join us each Sunday as we study the book, “Leaving a Godly Legacy” by Charles Stanley. All
parents of young children are welcome to join us as we learn how to help our children discover
and develop their God given talents and gifts. Charles Stanley shows us how to teach our
children to walk with the Holy Spirit, how to relate to others in a godly
way, how to place a high value on God’s Word, and much more.
The legacy we leave is most profound in the influence that we have
on our own children, since the character which we develop will be
reflected in the lives of our children and grandchildren.
If you have any questions, please contact Kurt or Tracy Cooper at
378-3293 or TLCooper@comcast.net

“Go, Make Disciples”

When Jesus told us to go and make disciples, He didn’t expect all of us
to pack up and move to another country. There are some who are called
to a missionary life overseas, and others who are missionaries right here.
New Life Church has always been a mission-oriented church, and there
are opportunities to serve right here within our walls. We need people to
help out by being a Sunday School teacher in the 1st – 5th grade class
on a rotational basis or a shepherd for a 2-month block of time. You can
teach art, storytelling, cooking, video, science, games, computer, or music.
There is also an opportunity to help with the Children’s Worship time on
the 3rd Sunday of the month. The Children’s Worship time is after the
pastor’s message to the children, when they leave the sanctuary to have
age-appropriate lessons. Please pray about how you can make disciples
here at New Life Church, and contact Cindy Butler (379-3578, education@
newlifeumc.org) to get involved.
December 2008 The New Millennium 8

We are grateful to everyone who has given to the

General Fund and Building Fund this year, particularly
during these difficult economic conditions. We realize
that many in our midst are struggling, but God’s
faithfulness in the lives of individuals and in the life
of New Life UMC is continuing to be revealed! At the
same time, we believe that He is calling us to new
levels of faith and trust as we head into the new year.
We started 2008 with the anticipation that giving
to the General Fund would be about $295,000.
Through the end of October we have received $254,251, and we are on track to
reach slightly more than $300,000. Giving to the Building Fund, which pays the
mortgage on the building as well as saves toward the next phase, is $102,578
through the end of October.
It is in the 2009 Stewardship effort that we are facing a more serious faith
challenge. The original budget that we considered was significantly higher than
in 2008 – a 14% increase. This goal was provided to the congregation in the
letter that you received in October. As a result of the pledges received to date, a
budget of zero growth in the areas that we can control is being considered. As
of November 17th, 58 pledges with total of $204,156 have been received. The
final budget will not be approved until January. As was discussed during the
church service on November 23rd, the budget under consideration contains no
salary increase for our pastors or staff and no growth in ministry areas compared
to 2008 levels. It is our hope and prayer that we will not have to further reduce
the budget for the ministry areas that are so vital to the life and growth of the
church. If you have any questions, please contact me or any of the members of
the Finance Committee.
I believe that God will continue to provide for me, and also for His church,
both in the lives of individuals and in community. In my devotions today I was
challenged by the question, “Have you been called to a testing of your trust in
the Lord lately?” For me, the answer is yes, and I must evaluate my response.
The devotion also contained the following prayer, which I want to share with you.
“Whatever I face today, Lord, in testing of money or pleasure, help me to stay
focused on You, so some day I may hear your “Well done!””
May God continue to bless you and yours in this wonderful season of
Advent.
In Christ,
Dave Bailey, Finance Committee Chair
December 2008 The New Millennium 9

New Life
Older Adult Ministries Council
Be ready for fun and excitement!
We are not retired but re-treaded!!

Older Adult Ministries (OAM) Bible Study Workshop

Our Bible Workshop will be meeting on the 2nd Thursday of December
(Dec. 11) at 10:30AM. We are continuing our study of Revelation through
a DVD presentation, discussion, and free workbook. This study takes the
(sometimes perceived) mystery and apprehension out of this Book of the Bible.
Please bring your Bible and join us for an interesting time of learning. There
will be no class on the 4th Thursday, Christmas Day. We will resume our regular 2nd and 4th Thursday
schedule in January.
Boomers and Beyond and Older Adults
After the Bible Study Workshop on December 11, 2008 we will have a lunch, fellowship and a program
brought to us by Patsy Reid. She will share information on a medical class she took and in addition, she
will talk about the upcoming Virginia Legislative session. This all begins at 11:30 AM. Come and enjoy our
surprise lunch menu and become informed by Patsy. If you can join us please call Olive Jane and Frank
Stiller 897-0678, so we will have an approximate number for which to prepare.
Alzheimer’s Support Group
Each 2nd Wednesday at 10:00AM the Alzheimer’s Association has our monthly Support Group Meeting at
the church. Much is to be learned when this disease affects a loved-one. Come and learn along with the rest
of us who find ourselves in this situation. The month’s meeting will be on December 10.
OAM Advisory Board
In the last year we have become more intentional in the recognition of Older Adults in Ministry and Mission
here at New Life. Our Older Adult Ministries is growing and becoming more involved in the life of our church.
We are looking forward to many additional opportunities for spiritual, missional, and social activities in our
future. To help bring this about and become even more focused we are happy to announce our Advisory
Board for the coming year. We would like to thank the following for their interest and their serving on this
newly formed group.
Don & Brenda Bray
Ed & Margaret Higham
Bob & Linda McCann
Bob Roe
Frank & Olive Jane Stiller
Bill & Nancy Swann
These folks will be listening to the heartbeat of our congregation and looking to how our adults and our
church can best serve each other.
Lunch Bunch
Hola!!!! Did we ever have a wonderful lunch outing in November! And we are glad some of you accepted
our open invitation to the congregation to join us. We, 34 of us, enjoyed good (and not too spicy) meals at
Jalapeno’s Mexican Restaurant. Not only was the food delicious, we also were treated to a happy and fun
Mariachi Band. Lively music, friends and fellowship made for one terrific time for us all.
December 2008 The New Millennium 10
Older Adult Ministries
Christmas Party
Please note that the Seniors’ Christmas
Party is scheduled for December 13th at
6:00PM at Brandermill Woods Retirement
Community Clubhouse which is located at
14311 Brandermill Woods Trail in Midlothian.

There will be a complete dinner with a salad

bar, two meat dishes, two vegetables, rice
Pilaf, rolls, two desserts, coffee, ice tea and
soft drinks. The price of $22.00 for all this
includes the gratuity, room cost and tax.

After dinner we will be entertained by a

dance performance by Linda and Bob McCann followed with a musical entertainment by Paul
Wilbanks and his very talented family. They entertained us last Christmas and were so good we
begged them to return.

Remember that the date is Saturday, December 13th

Please make your reservation with Olive Jane at 897-0678 or by email to MSANODIZE@comcast.

Dear Friends in Christ: Dear New Life,

My grandaughter Nicole and her I want to thank you so much for
husband Mike, and I want to “Thank thinking about me and sending
You” for your special prayers and me the lovely care package. It
cards for their son Logan. was a nice surprise. I really
Logan is two years old, a Down appreciate it. Look forward to
Syndrone little boy who is always seeing everyone soon.
singing and laughing despite the fact Love,
that he is facing major operations in
the coming year. Helen Williams
Please continue to keep him in your
thoughts and prayers because we
“Christians” know all about prayer
moving mountains.
Thank you and God Bless,
Marilyn Leander & Family
 New Life
United Methodist Church

900 Old Hundred Road

Midlothian, Virginia 23114

Office:
804-794-4522
office@newlifeumc.org
Rev. Mike Maxwell:
pastor@newlifeumc.org
www.newlifeumc.org

The new PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY at New Life will be starting in January.
The mission of this program is to share not only our creations with those who are
ill or shut-in, but also our prayers of love, healing and comfort. The ministry is
not limited to shawls, but also to baby blankets, lap throws, and small afghans.
Basic knitting and crochet instruction will be offered; you will purchase your own
yarn and needles. We would like to meet twice a month for devotions, prayer,
instruction and pattern selection. Some have expressed that they would like to
come in the afternoon, others in the evening. This survey is to see what your
desires would be. Please fill out your preference of times and days and deposit
in the decorated shoebox in the Narthex . Or, if you’d rather, contact me (Joan
Bowers) at msjoanbowers@verizon.net or by phone 639-9306. Thanks so much.
Best day(s) ________________________________________
_________ Afternoons: 1:00 to 2:30/3:00
___________ Evenings: 7:00 to 8:30/9:00
Name ________________________________________
Phone ________________________________________
Email ________________________________________