The First-CentenarianThe First-CentenarianVolume 13, No. 15 November 19, 2021Volume 13, No. 15 November 19, 2021

Vision Statement of First-Centenary United Methodist Church: Build a healthy and diverse community of disciples of Jesus Christ.

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Because you gave...OUTREACH MINISTRIES As the year has come and gone we have been very busy through First-Centenary Outreach and Mustard Tree Ministries. Here is a recap. There has always been a need for water for folks on the street but this year things became a little more complicated. With city water fountains and spigots cut off , the need for bottled water grew. This year MTM has delivered over 3000 cases of water to several camps in the Chattanooga area. This has been besides our usual Wednesday soup and sandwich lunches, Sunday evening services and sack lunches every Thursday into the projects. Besides sack lunches we gave away 2 truck loads of corn, 5 bushels of green peppers, 5 bushels of tomatoes, over 100 watermelons, and about 5 bushels of okra from our garden this year into Chattanooga’s food desert. We had a cookout in College Hill Courts and East Lake Courts this summer and a Trunk or Treat in both projects on Halloween day. These are eff orts to build bridges between our racial and socioeconomic groups instead of continuing to build walls. We also continued to give food boxes into the Hispanic community and helped establish a Hispanic service in conjunction with White Oak UMC. We were not able to send teams to any of our overseas missions, but FCUMC sent over $40,000 dollars to three combined ministries of Romania, Costa Rica and Words of Isa (a ministry to Syrian refugees). In addition, FCUMC sent $17,000 dollars along with $23,000 from

The Centenary Angel Tree Program

Want to share your Christmas? Decorated pine cone trees are located in the Lobby of the Vine, the Narthex and the Level 1 lobby at the base of the stairs. Please keep the decorated pine cone tree as your Christmas keepsake. Attached, you will fi nd a wish list tag which gives the name of child, wishes and instructions for sharing.

How has God blessed you this year? Remember always –

together we can do great thingsfor the glory of God,

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.

MATTHEW 18:20

CONSECRATION SUNDAY - NOVEMBER 21

year?

R 21Sanctuary Worship on November 21

The Brass Quintet, organ and The Chancel Choir (10:45) will present beautiful and festive music to celebrate the joy of generosity and giving thanks. This is Commitment Sunday, and I am grateful to the Altar Guild for beautifully decorating the altar table, creating a visual reminder of all the bounty we have been given by our gracious God. Now it’s our turn to show our gratitude as we pledge our yearly fi nancial commitments and off erings to support God’s work through the people and ministries of First-Centenary. – Jan McNair

Mustard Tree Christmas PresentsWe’ve been asked by

several families if we can help out with Christmas presents for their children this year. This is a common request this time

of year but as we get to know more and more families each week, the need is greater. We are aware that there are other organizations that give out toys, however, from our experiences a lot of the families we help have been forgotten or there are not quite enough toys to go around. We want all of the kids to have a gift for them under the tree, so we are accepting donations of toys, new or gently used (no guns or weaponry of any kind). If you would like to donate a toy, please drop off at the First-Centenary Welcome Center.

– Thank you.

2

CLERGY CORNER (cont’d)regards the organized church as one agent that connects the real presence of God with the spiritual yearning of real people. “(p. 4)

I invite you to join us as we gather together to celebrate the missions and ministries that First-Centenary is engaged in for the glory of God.

– Mark

Dear Friends,One of the

ways we serve as good stewards is to gather and celebrate all that God is doing, has done and will do in our church and in the world. We bear witness to the work of God in our midst. We celebrate that God is on a mission, through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring about the kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 4:18-20.

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fi xed on him.

We gather to celebrate God at work at First-Centenary too! Every day I have the privilege of seeing God at work in the Clergy and Church staff . We are blessed to have such a wonderful and dedicated staff . Furthermore, I celebrate the work of you who tirelessly work to teach, serve, and support the many missions and ministries at FCUMC. This church is seeking to bring hope to a world running low on hope. Tom Bandy writes in See, Hear and Know: Serve the People Within Your Reach the following: “The same mission attitude that experiences hope and empathizes with hopelessness

CLERGY CORNER

Dr. C. Mark Gooden

,OORRNER

DrDr CC MMararkk GoGoododenen

In November, the First Kids CM is focusing on CONTENTMENT… learning to be okay with what you have. Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against wanting to have more and more things. Life is not made up of how much a person has.” ~ Luke 12:15, NIV

What can you do when you fi nd yourself wanting more and more?

TO HEAR ALL ABOUT THIS IN PERSON JOIN US ON SUNDAYS!• Sunday School @9:45-10:30 a.m.• First Kids Virtual Sunday Lesson Video links will be posted on Sunday

morning, beginning @ 9 a.m. for you to show your children when it fi ts best in your family’s schedule. (Pick your own family God time!)

• Children’s Worship begins at 11 a.m., Elementary kiddos will be picked up from “Big Church” after the Children’s Moment.

Prime Time Wednesday Dinner at 5:15 and Classes at 6 p.m.

Youth & Children’s programs start at 6 p.m.

November 24 – NO PTW –– Happy Thanksgiving

Poinsettia Orders Now Being TakenChristmas poinsettias will be placed in the Sanctuary and The Vine on Sunday, December 19. If you would like to place one to honor or remember someone, send

your check (made payable to the ALTAR GUILD) for $15 for EACH poinsettia to Nancy Tolar, P. O. Box 208, Chattanooga, TN 37401. Orders must be received in the church offi ce by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, December 6.

Sanctuary The VineNAME OF DONOR _______________________________________

IN MEMORY OF _________________________________________

IN HONOR OF __________________________________________

h k

Bishops Offer Framework For Inclusive Church

As the denomination edges toward some form of separation, bishops off er a narrative to describe their hopes for the continuing United Methodist Church. The bishops’ narrative aims to paint a picture of a church where all have a home. You can read their narrative at https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/newsdetail/bishops-agree-on-narrative-for-continuing-umc-15749733.

Check out our websitewww.fi rstcentenary.com

Congregational Care ContactWeekdays: Call the church offi ce at 423-756-2021

or (865) 805-8929 for pastoral care. Weekend/Holiday Pastor on Call: If you have an

emergency during the weekends, call 423-756-2428.This number will be in eff ect after 4:30 p.m. on Fridays

until 8 a.m. on Mondays, and will connect you to the pastor on call.

money MTM raised to remodel an orphanage and keep those kids from being dispersed to several diff erent orphanages through Romania, thus keeping some siblings together. We added two new missions initiatives in Guatemala and in 2022 will explore developing a deeper relationship with them. We also off er regular support to Family Promise, Chattanooga Community Kitchen, Prison Ministries, Henderson Settlement, Partnership, Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Volunteers in Medicine, Harry Howe, Chattanooga Room in the Inn, UTC Wesley Center and The Bethlehem Center. All in all FCUMC is involved in several good works in mission here in Chattanooga and around the world.

The Centenary The 2020-21 school year presented great challenges for students. The Centenary off ered its after school program online throughout the school year. Tutors and staff met with students each day on Zoom. Students and tutors were placed in Zoom breakout rooms for individualized, intensive homework help. Volunteer tutor Vallerie Greer met regularly with a high school student in need of help with algebra. Martha and Ralph Horn met regularly with a middle school student who was struggling with a variety of assignments. Thanks to the dedication of these volunteers both students completed the 2020-21 school year with the highest grades of their school careers. Thank you to everyone who helped bring light and hope into the lives of The Centenary students during a year of stress and isolation.

Because you gave... (continued from Page 1

thank you for giving!

It’s Cold Outside In Chattanooga!!Let’s Cover The Homeless With Warmth.

Mustard Tree Ministries Needs Cold Weather Supplies

Emergency Blankets• These blankets come in packets of 12 and cost just over $1 per blanket.

• If you will donate to UMW we will place one order and avoid multiple shipping costs. • Send checks to Sally Richardson, 9112 Edgewater Rd, 37416-1305

• Make checks to UMW with a designation for MTM winter supplies. • Or, leave donation in UMW mailbox in the church offi ce workroom.

Warm Socks, outerwear and underwear are always needed. You may leave those in collection barrels in the Welcome Center and Oak Street Center lobby.

BaptismBennett Montgomery Cloud, son of Mickey and Amy Cloud, received the Sacrament of Baptism on November 14. Also pictured is Shelby Cloud.

SUNDAY WORSHIPNovember 21, 2021

26th Sunday after PentecostServices also available online

at www.fi rstcentenary.com

Sanctuary at 8:30 & 10:45 a.m.Let’s Gather to Celebrate

Revelation 1:4-8Dr. C. Mark Gooden

The Vine at 10:45 a.m.Let’s Gather to Celebrate

Revelation 1:4-8Dr. Will Lauderback

Sunday Night Worship at 5 p.m.Rev. Barry Kidwell

Reading from the LectionaryJoel 2:21-27 Psalms 126

1 Timothy 2:1-7 Matthew 6:25-33Televised sermon by Dr. Gooden –

Let’s Gather to Encourage One AnotherTelevised on Channel 12, WDEF-TV at 6 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. each Sunday.

Non-Profi t Org.U. S. Postage

PAIDChattanooga, TNPermit No. 428419 McCallie Avenue

Chattanooga, TN 37402 Dr. C. Mark Gooden,Senior Pastor(423) 756-2021www.fi rstcentenary.com

FIRST-CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH P. O. Box 208Chattanooga, TN 37401

Advent Wreath CreationDecember 1 3 -7 p.m.,

The Lobby of The Oak Street Center

Join your church family for our Annual Advent Wreath Creations Event as we prepare our hearts and homes to celebrate the birth of our incredible Savior! Each family will be provided

supplies to create one Advent Wreath for their home table. Go to www.fi rstcentenary.com and click on Advent Wreath Creation to reserve your family’s wreath.