You can make your donation through Paypal using a credit card, debit card or paypal account. To donate online just go to www.welcometowilliams.com/changechristmas and follow the instructions.

You can also donate by downloading and printing off the “Change This Christmas” form, and bringing your check by the church office or putting it in the offering plate on Sunday.

Next August, Williams College and Young Adults will be going on their first international mission trip to Eleuthera, The Bahamas. We will be working with Bahamas Methodist Habitat on the small J shaped island of Eleuthera.

Bahamas Methodist Habitat is a disaster relief and emergency home repair outreach ministry of the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church through which volunteers work together to repair and build homes for low-income families in the Bahamas while sharing and receiving the love of Christ.

We will leave Texarkana on August 5, 2012, and will return on August 12, 2012. The cost of the trip is $600 per person at camp plus airfare and passport costs (estimated $1200 per. person). This is an expensive trip and is a lot of money for college aged students to sacrifice. This mission is dear to many young people’s hearts and with hard work, the support of family, friends and the church and of course God’s blessings, the money can be raised for these young people.

Our first fundraiser will be through catalog sales of Equal Exchange products such as free trade coffees, teas, chocolates and other goods. There is also a wide variety of handmade and organic products that will make great Christmas presents and will benefit both Equal Exchange and our trip to the Bahamas. Make sure you track down a young adult and order today! This fundraiser will end on Sunday, November 28th and items should be in by December 15th for delivery and pickup.

If you are a young person or an adult interested in going with us on this mission trip, please contact Kaitlin McMichael at (903) 276-7857 or at kaitlin.mcmichael@gmail.com as soon as possible to get your name on the list. We would love to have you!

As of the writing of this article, we have 8 cooking teams. Our goal would be to have at least 10 or more teams. I would like to thank the following groups who have formed teams; Life Group, New Beginnings, Missions Committee, College and Young Adults, New Horizons, and Joined In Christ. We have also had some families come together to form teams as well.

If your Sunday school class, small group, or family would like to form a team, let me know so we can get you on the schedule. And, if you haven’t had the pleasure of joining our guests for fellowship and a meal at our “Community Cafe,” then plan on gathering in the parlor on Monday nights from 5:30-6:30pm. See you soon!

You may sign up for once a week, or many times, it depends on how much time you can give.

If you would like to be involved with this outstanding ministry please contact Mel Luebbert at: maluebbert@gmail.com or 903-244-8847 for more information.

Sign-up sheets are also available in our Welcome Center.

Matthew 25:35-40: “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’”

Beginning the first Monday of October, we will be serving a community meal on Monday evenings. It’s called the “Community Cafe, and it’s not just a meal for ourselves, it’s a meal for some really special guests that normally visit our church on Monday mornings!

Ever since I read Mike Slaughter’s book Change The World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus, I have been praying, along with our missions committee, about expanding our food pantry ministry. I believe this new ministry is the answer to our prayers!

All of our assistance, that normally takes place on Monday mornings, will now take place in the evenings. This will not only allow the working poor to take advantage of our food pantry, financial assistance, and community meal, but it will also allow more involvement and interaction from our congregation as well!

The meal will be served from approximately 5:30-6:30 p.m., and will be followed by a short worship service. There will be plenty of opportunities for you and your family to help cook, eat a great meal, help distribute food boxes, and worship with our guests!

I believe that this will open up our church for even more ministries! Anyone interested in teaching a basic computer class? Mentoring? Helping someone out with their homework? A gently used clothing store? Or maybe another ministry that God has placed on your heart!

Please be in prayer for this new ministry, and all of the other wonderful plans that God has for us! God bless!

In Christian love;

Tommy Earl Burton