December News & Updates

Annual Meeting! December 5th after worship. Come enjoy a light lunch together, hear reports and hopes for the upcoming year! Everyone welcome (even not-yet-members).

Sundays 
Advent Begins November 28th. Advent is a time of anticipation of celebrating the coming of Jesus Christ. So in the count-down, so there will be a chance to lead the Advent wreath readings. They are a part of our ‘Call to Worship’ and may be led by one or many. 
Join us for 

Coffee & Fellowship before and after Sunday worship. And you are invited to sign up to set out coffee and whatever elseSee Pastor Jeff if you have questions. 

Youth Education – 10 a.m. Classes PreK-Kindergarten, 1st-3rd, 4th-6th, and 7th-12th grade. Masks worn. 

Will not meet 12/26, 1/2

Bible Study/ Adult EducationSundays, 10 a.m. 6 weeks on Ezra-Nehemiah.  Will not meet on 12/26, 1/2

Nursery: help create a safe and comfortable place for families during worship- volunteer to be in the nursery! We need two people (unrelated) each Sunday to provide the space starting after the 2nd hymn until the last. 

To read Scripture during worship sign up on foyer the Table. Christmas Eve Worship, 7 p.m. 

Consistory Meeting, 12/9 6:30 p.m. 

News from Operation Christmas Child

Tabitha’s Story

Tabitha, a 14-year-old girl from a small agricultural town in Kenya received a shoebox gift and was invited to join the follow-up discipleship course called The Greatest Journey.  Tabitha lives with four siblings and her parents.  She shared that even though the family has a Christian background and sometimes attends church, “None of my family members, including my parents, had been born again, and I was not a good girl.”

Tabitha loved what she was learning in The Greatest Journey lessons and began sharing what she was learning with her family.  She started to attend church and encouraged the rest of her family to attend with her.  

One day Tabitha shared one of her memory verses from TGJ. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”  She explained the verse as her teacher had, and it touched the hearts of her family.  According to Tabitha, “My parents have stopped fighting and we are all now committed to learning the Word of God and have given our lives to Christ.”

Tabitha reports that they are now a happy family and committed to attending church.  She is very grateful to her teachers and the donors of The Greatest Journey books.  “The twelve lessons have transformed me, my family, and my friends.  I have learned that I am important to Christ as well as everyone around me.  I promise I will keep on sharing the gospel as the Bible commands, ‘Go ye into the world and make disciples.’  I want the world to hear and know Christ.”

Giving with Gratitude

$20.50 was collected in November to go toward the $9 donation requested for each shoebox to be used for shipping and ministry costs.  Thank you for GIVING WITH GRATITUDE!  If you wish to join this effort, collection containers for coins are by the offering plate.

The numbers are in!

     412 shoeboxes from MRC

     1,477 shoeboxes collected at our drop-off site

     10,895 shoeboxes collected at the central drop-off

Each shoebox represents one child who will be blessed with a shoebox and the opportunity to hear about Jesus.  Lives will be changed for eternity!  

Thank you for supporting Operation Christmas Child

with your prayers, resources, and talents!

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