If you are attending First UMC and considering making this your church home, please contact Rob or the church office. New members are welcome at any time, and we would love to have you as part of the church family!

• The deadline for information for the weekly newsletter is Tuesday before noon of each week.
• On-going recycling projects for various groups continue: inkjet printer cartridges and UMW Boxtops for Education and Campbell Soup Labels in the education hall, and aluminum cans inside the lattice fence at the air conditioner in the back of the church. Please continue to support these “green-friendly” projects.
• End of year financial statements are available in the narthex. Please pick yours up by Sunday, January 29.
• The 2012 flower calendar is posted in the education hall.
• Remember that you can add e-mail addresses to the newsletter mailing list at any time!

Upcoming dates:

• Sunday, February 19, 12:15 – Leadership Team
• Wednesday, February 22, 7:00 p.m.-
  Ash Wednesday Service, First UMC

Newsletter Alert!!

     It has come to our attention that many of you are not receiving your mailed newsletters. If you have missed a week, or several, please let the church office know; we may have a wrong address, or the mail gremlin might be reading yours and not returning it to your mail box!
     If you are receiving the newsletter via e-mail, service should be continuing and reliable! If you would like to receive e-mails rather than regular mail, please let us know your e-mail address. You may also add family and friends via e-mail – there is no additional cost to the church for extra e-mail addresses.

Sunday School Food Drive

Thanks to all who have made the Food Drive such a resounding success thus far! Your generosity in sharing is evident by the large amount of food that has been contributed to date. The drive will continue through the end of March; the focus this week will be on paper products (paper towels, toilet paper, Kleenex, etc), cleaning supplies (detergent, sanitizing wipes, etc), and personal items/toiletries (deodorant, toothpaste, soap, etc.)

Valentine’s Day is Coming!

• Remember the Valentines for Scholarships fund-raising drive. The deadline for the bulletin is this Tuesday, February 7.
• Also, the Valentine bags for our shut-in and nursing home members are in the conference room until Sunday, February 12. A list of suggested items is available in the education hall.

Lay Speaker Training

The Albemarle District lay speaker training will be held at Central UMC, Monroe, on March 4, 11, and 18, 2012. These Sunday afternoon sessions will last from 2-5 p.m. The cost to each participant is $30.00. More information, including a registration form to be returned by February 20, is available in the church office.

The Anson Women’s League Soup Luncheon will be held at First Baptist Church on Tuesday, February 14. Tickets are $6.00, and will be available at the door, or you can contact Betsy Watts at 704-694-4883.

A Special Request

Caleb Wilkerson, grandson of Dr. Al and Gaynelle Joyner, is sponsoring a “Pancan Race” in memory of Dr. Al (his “Papa”). This race, to raise funds to fight pancreatic cancer, will be on March 17 at W. Guilford HS in Greensboro. Caleb would like to include First UMC in his fund-raising efforts. Donations may be made to the church office (checks may be made to First UMC), and we will send one check to Caleb before March 17. Please support his effort to help wipe out this deadly disease. You may remember Caleb visiting Al and Gaynelle in Wadesboro when he was a young boy. He will graduate from W. Guilford High School this spring.

Just a Reminder!
If you are the last person leaving any area of the building, please be sure to turn off the lights and lock the door. This is for savings and safety!

Our church is on YouTube! Listen to our choir and other music on the internet at youtube.com. Click here for “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," “My Hope is Built,” and "Amazing Love, How Can it Be" (Charles and Gail duet).

Thursday’s Child, our community children’s choir, continues each Thursday afternoon from 4:00 until 5:00 p.m. in the Children’s Choir room. This group is under the church’s sponsorship, and is open to all children in Anson County from grades 1-6. Encourage any children you know to come for this afternoon of music, study and fun!

Visit the Calendar page to see activities for the current month

United Methodist Women News
Next Meeting: 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, at Lillie Bennett.

Books for the 2012 Reading Program are in the Library! Check the bulletin board outside the door for titles and brief summary.

OPPORTUNITIES

Convert your old LP records to compact disc! The radio station has some new equipment which is able to copy your old phonograph records to CD. The cost of each album transferred to CD is $10.00. See Jim Bruney for more information, or call the church office. This is a great way to preserve your favorite “golden oldies” so that you can hear them anytime!

PRAYER LIST
Be joyful always, pray continually ...
             I Thessalonians 5:16

All whom we name in our hearts, inside and outside our church family
The men and women serving in the military at home and overseas
Our country, county and community
Our church
The people of the world, especially those in crisis areas