Caroling...

Chandler delivers a gift at a home we visited.



Kadye, Mrs. Scottie and Rita singing away.

The Nortons were so gad we visited!

Caroling cont...

Katelyn and Scout during their solo "Away in a Manger"



Braedan and Maci outside of one of the homes we visited.

Braedan leading Maci, Morgan, Amber and Chandler
in "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. "
At one of the homes we visited,
Braedan decided that he wanted to
a solo to this song. It was a
wonderful performance and brought
smiles to all...

We had such a wonderful turn out for our caroling event.
We visited 7 families in the community and the nursing home.
What a blessing it was to gather together and sing the great news
of Christmas to those who we hold dear. It was so much fun and really
put us all in the true Christmas spirits...

Grand Sweep Bible Study Begins in January...

Ever wanted to go through the entire Bible in One Year?!
This is your opportunity. Dr. J. Ellsworth Kallas will guide us through a 365 day journey. Our class will meet just once a month. Please let Rev. Susan know if you are interested. You will need two books to guide you and of course a Bible. We will have our first sessions in January.
Monday, January 21st, 7:00PM (Bethel UMC)
Wednesday, January 23rd, 10:30AM (Fairfield UMC)
You will need to come having read the first month's readings for our January session.

Start 2008 off Right!

Prayer Connection, Week of December 2, 2007

We are filled with anticipation for your coming! Come, baby Jesus, come! Fill our hearts and lives with your light of peace. Amen.

Monday, December 3 Isaiah 2:1-5
Pray for our a Relay for Life Leader in our church, service men and women, Monroe and Mary Lee Howard, Morgan & Jenny McCaslin, Melissa Holcombe, Madison Mallone, Rick Norton.

Tuesday, December 4 Psalm 122
Pray for Dave and Lynn Thiele, Jan's Sister and family, family & friends of Will McLeod, Ike Coombs, Sandi Ridout (Tom Bass's sister).

Wednesday, December 5 Romans 13:11-14
Pray for a New Choir Leader, Bob Thompson, Danny Blue, Margaret Tucker, Zelma Brown, Elliott, and John Bean (Erin's Thompson's uncle).
Thursday, December 6 Light a candle, say a prayer of anticipation.
Pray for the children and youth of the church, Debbie Norton, George Broome, Linda Dellinger, Ed McQuain.

Friday, December 7 Matthew 24:36-44
Pray for the church and those we are awaiting to join us for worship, prayers for those countries in political strife, prayers for families of college students who died in Ocean Isle fire.

Saturday, December 8 Ponder the role of Joseph as we sit with him in the stable tomorrow morning.
Pray for our United Methodist missionaries and the many missions of the church, all unspoken prayer requests and for continued praises, thanksgivings for homes spared in California, Celebration that Devin is Home for Thanksgiving.

If you wish to add a name to the Prayer Connection, please fill out a card in the pew pocket and put in the offering plate. You may also call the church office or email your prayer requests to Rev. Susan at revheafheun@gmail.com. Prayer requests will remain on the connection for three weeks and then be rotated off to allow new prayers to be shared.

Join others on Sunday morning at 8:55am for prayer in the Prayer Room (upstairs). You are invited to join in prayer every evening at 9:00pm as we pause to pray for those serving in the military and for a quick end to war.

What's Our Vision?

When you think of the word "vision," what comes to mind? Perhaps it's how we see...perhaps it's what we see, but when we think about our church perhaps it should be an understanding of where we are going. Jesus taught about having a vision and his teachings are related to us through many of the parables found in the Bible. This begs the question, how do we define the vision of Fairfield United Methodist Church?

This question is one that many churches wrestle with in relation to their own church, but it is one for which the Fairfield Church Council is determined to find an answer. On December 1st, members of Fairfield and Bethel Church Councils met with Rev. Chris Westmoreland from Assurance UMC in Huntersville. The four and half hours were spent in worship, communion, discussion, and prayer. The councils looked at four overriding questions in an effort to help us realize the needs that are in our community and how we can best serve God through our efforts.

The first question: WHY DOES OUR COMMUNITY NEED JESUS?

The second, WHY DOES THIS COMMUNITY NEED THE CHURCH (meaning the body of Christ)?

The third, WHY DOES THIS COMMUNITY NEED OUR CHURCH?

And the fourth, WHOSE CHURCH ARE WE? (To whom does our church belong?)

Let's face it...the Denver community is changing--daily. The pace is faster, the traffic heavier, and the faces we meet on the road aren't people we know by name anymore. Rather than looking upon all the growth and change as negative, we must remember that this growth gives us an opportunity like none other--it gives us more people "to reach out and invite" just as our mission statement proclaims.

As the council moves forward with our "visioning," we will be reading the text, The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations and will begin looking for ways to implement small tests of change in an effort to minister to God's people--all of God's people. Chris reminded us that Jesus is most concerned about the people who are not here yet and as we vision, we must keep in mind that through prayer and careful discernment, we can figure out what God is calling Fairfield to do. If what we do is His will, IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.

We challenge you to ponder the four questions and post any of your thoughts. During our sharing sessions we had many, many wonderful things to share about our church and what makes it special. What do you think makes Fairfield special? Then, think about this--How do others view our church?

Rev. Chris Westmoreland and Rev. Susan Heafner-Heun