Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

1 John 2:6                                                                                 How did Jesus live each day? Is it possible for us to live as He lived? Here are five things to consider and to strive for in the coming year:

The first is His dependency. Jesus lived each day dependent upon His Father. He did not live independently, think independently, or act independently of His Father. He spoke what His Father wanted Him to say and He did what His Father wanted Him to do. He received from His Father all He needed for each day.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 We can also live each day in complete dependency upon the Lord. He is our strength, our life, our sufficiency, and He is the source of all we need.

The second is His faithfulness. Jesus lived each day in faithfulness to what His Father called Him to do. Jesus stayed true to His Father’s plan and will for His life. He didn’t drift away from it or follow it half-heartedly.

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:23  As followers of Jesus Christ we can be faithful to what God has called us to do and do His will whole-heartedly.

The third is His obedience. Jesus lived each day in obedience to His Father’s will. Jesus not only obeyed His Father, but He obeyed Him without delay. He obeyed willingly and joyfully.

As 1 Peter 1:14 tells us we must live as obedient children. Obedience to God’s will in our lives is a choice we can make each day. As God’s children, He trains us to be obedient because He knows what is best for us.

The fourth thing is His motivation. The reason Jesus lived the way He did was because He wanted to fully glorify and please His Father. He lived to please only His Father and have His approval.

So we make it our goal to please him 2 Corinthians 5:9a The motivation of our hearts should be to please Him. There is nothing higher than that. When we live to do what is well pleasing in His sight we will know His smile of approval upon our lives.

The fifth thing is His empowering. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus lived each day in the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. All that He did in His public ministry was under the anointing and empowering of the Holy Spirit.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 Since His ascension to the right hand of the Father, Jesus has made it possible for each of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to have His power in our lives. It is by the Holy Spirit’s presence, fullness, and power that we can walk as Jesus walked and live as Jesus lived.

Grace & Peace, Pastor Bob

Finance information:

We are once again meeting for Worship but the church is strongly recommending that you still mail your donations into the church due to the Covid19 virus restrictions there will be no offertory during worship but we will dedicate your gifts to God. If you bring your offering into church with you, the usher will direct you to the offering basket.
   * Monday’s of every week we will collect, record and deposit any pledges, Donations and Loose Funds.                 Please mail to the church at: 1st UMC of Chenango Bridge, PO Box 501, Chenango Bridge, 13745.
    * Bank Accounts and Expenses will be reviewed weekly to ensure Bills are paid in a timely manner.
    * Any financial questions should be directed to David Lewis at 607.727.0250.
    * Search for any potential financial opportunities that will provide additional income to meet the continue          operation expenses through this unknown period.
God Bless & Stay Safe, FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, CHENANGO BRIDGE-CHURCH COUNCIL   

Small Groups

Pastor’s Study & Prayer Group: Sunday mornings 11:30 AM (Online Only). Everyone is welcome to join. Questions contact Pastor Bob (910) 260-0551 or 648-4326 or rclark@nccumc.org. 

Ladies Monday Night Book Study (Online Only): Monday evenings 6:15—8:15 PM. All ladies are welcome! Contact Karen at 845-729-0857 or karen.m.mackenzie13@gmail.com for password for Zoom online study.

The Upper Room has sent us additional resources for our congregation through our subscription to help those that are unable to get out to get printed resources. You may also contact the church office if you would like a printed copy mailed at 648-4339 or chenbridgeumc@outlook.com

• Morning Prayer with The Upper Room via Facebook Live, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11 a.m. (CT). These guided prayer experiences are archived so you may join us at your convenience if you miss it live.  
• Resources for Spiritual Wellness in Anxious Times. For navigating the pandemic, this link makes available to you a robust list of timely practices—for individuals and families as well as your faith leaders. Included are digital devotionals, videos, eCourses, podcasts, etc., all of which can be accessed and distributed free of charge to everyone in your congregation.   
• A PDF File of the November/December issue of The Upper Room is available to our standing order churches. Because you are a paid subscriber, we want to provide this service to you since we realize many readers are currently reticent or unable to pick up their copy of the devotional guide because of the virus or closed church office. We encourage you to freely share with everyone in your congregation as a gift.  

Note: If you need further information, please contact the church office at chenbridgeumc@outlook.com or 607-648-4339.

Mission Update- “Good Deeds with Good News.”

With the changed environment in 2020, we have had a change in how we are delivering Missions to our local community.  Thank you to ALL who have supported the Missions- both your prayers and with your gifts.  

Monday Evening Ladies Advent Mission!

Children’s Home in Hillcrest. CHPs (Children’s Home Preventative Service) provides family focused, child-centered preventive services for families referred by the Broome County Department of Social Services. CHPs works to strengthen families, improve parent-child interaction, promote self-sufficiency and help raise healthy children. They are in approximately 25-30 homes, helping parents raise healthy children.

CHP’s will be providing Family gift bags for the children with toys to help them have a Merry Christmas. Unfortunately, they are unable to provide anything for the parents. (Most are single family maternal homes.) What we would like to do is provide some self-care items for the Moms for the holidays. We already have donations of 30 soaps, 6 shampoos, 6 conditioners and 5 packages of hair ties. 

If you are able and willing to provide a donation, it would be greatly appreciated.  Body wash, nail polish, emery boards as well as shampoo and conditioner would be great. I will also get some pocket devotionals for women to enclose in each bag. If you are unable to provide a donation,  please support these women with the prayers that are so badly needed.

We will set up a table in the choir room, and it will be labeled CHPs. If you want to drop them off during church office hours in the choir room, the door will be unlocked and there will be a table labeled CHPs to leave the donations on. If you would like to forward this to any friends, I know CHPs would love any community support. Deadline is Sunday, Dec. 13th.

Please let Karen MacKenzie (845) 729-0857 or karen.m.mackenzie13@gmail.com know if you have any questions. 

1. As the CHPs personnel go into homes, they like to have a book to help connect them with the children. If you (or your grandkids) have any  gently used books, we can collect them so they may have a book to give to the children- toddler through young adult.  

We have resumed Food Collection for the 4th Sunday of the Month for CHOW. Please call Karen MacKenzie to register for food pick up. We will be collecting food the 4th Sunday of the month from 8-10am. Please leave on the front porch and we will pick up. There will also be a collection bin as you enter Fellowship Hall as well. Thank you! Continue reading →