Fill the Stocking Advent Mission Project
The Children’s Sunday School classes will be collecting socks for the homeless during Advent again this year. Did you know that socks are the most frequently requested – but least frequently donated clothing items at homeless shelters? That’s why every Advent Season, FUMCWA collects new socks to benefit homeless people in our community. Please bring new socks for men, women, and children and put them in the large red Christmas Stocking in The Gathering Room. Thanks for helping our homeless neighbors right here in our community.
December Second Saturday Servants
We would like to extend our warmest Christmas greetings to the casserole makers and mission servants for your tremendous support throughout the year. As the winter months set in, the need for hot dishes has increased, and we need to count on your help for the Second Saturday Breakfast Program on December 14th. Please bring hot casseroles to the church kitchen by 7:45 am. We need more than 14 dishes to fulfill the growing hunger needs of our community. Thank you all for your support.
Coins of Love
The December Coins of Love will support the Homeless population in West Allis. We are partnering with the West Allis Health Department Social Worker to provide essential items needed during the winter months.
October Coins of Love – MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary $528.74
November Coins of Love – The Stars and Stripes Honor Flight of Wisconsin $274.02
You’d Look Great in Wings
On November 24th, a Christmas tree was set up in the narthex decorated with paper angels. Each angel represents the gift wish of a child whose parent is incarcerated. You can select one or more angels from the tree, purchase the gift listed, wrap it, and return it to our church no later than 10:30 am on Sunday, December 15th. At the conclusion of the church service on December 15th, volunteers will be needed to deliver the gifts to the children’s homes. It can be as simple as dropping off a package on your way home from church, and anyone can volunteer, regardless of whether you participated in the gift portion of this ministry. This year our church will serve approximately 30 children and their parents through the Angel Tree. It can be our way of introducing these families to the greatest gift of all: the love of Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or if you are interested in volunteering to deliver gifts, please contact the church office.
In Christ’s love, Pam Chesky Johnson
Wesleyan Congregational Care Team
December 21st is the first day of winter. Winter months can be difficult for so many who have lost loved ones or have feelings of being cut off from the world as bad weather hits. The purpose of the Wesleyan Congregation Care Team is to be available to support those in need either in person (weather permitting) or via phone. We can meet you in church, at your home, or anywhere you feel safe talking. Our visits can be one-time or ongoing. We do and always will care about every member of our church family. Please contact Pastor Grace, our church office, or Laura Molleson if you feel you’d like to be contacted by a member of our Care Team. As with the change of the seasons, we often find things in the church’s life that can change. Pastor Grace, Laurie Halvorsen, and I (Laura Molleson) have been in prayerful discussion about combining two ministries that closely complement each other. Our Wesleyan Congregational Care Team (WCCT) and the Visitation Ministry have both a similar mission and purpose. It makes sense that we consider blending these two ministries into one after the first of the year.
Both the Visitation Ministry and WCCT are here to serve our congregational family. We are always here for
those present in church or any of our church family members currently unable to attend regularly. Both ministries are meant to be a support to everyone in need.
Recycle Socks and Raise Funds for Northcott Neighborhood House Update
Thanks to your efforts in sorting through sock drawers, we sent two boxes of socks to be recycled. Gildan generously covered the shipping costs, and the recycler contributed $25.00 to Northcott Neighborhood House. We appreciate everyone who donated holey or unmatched socks! We are continuing to collect holey socks for a spring shipment. Please help us spread the word to your neighbors and co-workers, encouraging them to clean out their sock drawers and upcycle their old socks. The funds raised will support local employment training programs at the Methodist Church. Thank you!
Thanksgiving Thanks
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all who helped with the Thanksgiving Food Basket Ministry. Thank you for your monetary donations to the Coins of Love in September or for taking an envelope from the lollipop tree to fund a basket. We are so grateful for your prayers and continued support as we help our neighbors in need again. Together, we made a difference for 135 families. Many thanks to all who helped with food pickup, unloading, box opening, packing bags, distributing food, and traffic control. A lot of people working together make this ministry happen. By the time the baskets reach their destination, they are not only filled with food but with a big helping of kindness and care. We are rewarded by thoughtful handwritten cards of thanks and by seeing the joy and gratitude on the people’s faces as they receive their Thanksgiving Baskets. Thanks be to God!
From Stewardship Chair Joe Pitterle
I am so proud of our church and its generosity. As Pastor Grace, Reverend Mahnke, and Peter Lambert have shared over the past month, Stewardship is much more than just a financial gift. As Reverend Mahnke said, “God has given us so much, in fact, that we have enough to give generously in love for others.” Pastor Grace had the congregation share all the ways we already participate in Stewardship, through each of our current “Time, Treasure, and Talents.” Seeing the whole church come up to the Gratitude Tree and add a cloud showing that each of us is already giving! I don’t know about you, but I had difficulty fitting everything into my cloud! What a blessing we have in our church, already built deep into the DNA of our congregation. I’d like to thank each and every one of you for being a part of this journey, as it takes all of us together to make this work in harmony. As we look forward, we would continue to ask each of you, to think about Stewardship throughout the year, not just during the Stewardship campaign, not only what you have been doing, but if there are additional acts of time, treasure, or talent that you can share in 2025. I’d also ask each of you if there are those outside of the church that you feel would LOVE to be a part of our church. We all know how special First United Methodist Church of West Allis is, but let’s make sure everyone around us also knows too. Our Christmas services are the best around, with so many talents being shared to warm our hearts and souls. More than ever, people are searching for something, but maybe are not sure what it is. We know they can find a connection here to God, to our church, and to all of us! God Bless! We would like to express our gratitude to all the members and friends of FUMCWA who returned their pledge cards indicating their commitment to the ministries and mission of the church on Stewardship Sunday. If you haven’t returned your pledge card and you wish to contribute to the life of the church, please mail your pledge card to the church office.