december 2018

Dear Friends,     

I often challenge you at Christmas time to slow down and enjoy the Christmas season by not feeling that you have to be involved in every Christmas tradition that your family has ever had.  So often, we are so busy getting ready for Christmas that we miss the wonderful anticipation and joy of this holy season of the year.  I believe that this year’s theme will really lend itself to helping us to do this.  Read below to find what to expect and how you can choose to get involved.  Be thrilled once again by the HOPE of Christmas and of our world!

Advent is almost here!  Our theme for Advent will be “A Thrill of Hope.”  Experience HOPE in the person of Jesus.  In a world that feels weary and uncertain at time, the devotionals, worship services, messages, and studies invite us to pause, breathe deeply, and learn to live into God’s promise of hope in the person of Jesus. 

Devotional books are now available for adults/teens for $6 and storybooks for families with children are also available for $6.  Kids will follow the Advent story through the eyes of Hope, an 8-year-old girl living in Bethlehem and preparing for the guests arriving at her family’s inn.  See Pastor Wayne to get or order you book.  If you would like one and cannot afford the $6, please see me as we will cover one book per household as well as a children’s devotional for families with a children (children).   A Thrill of Hope app will be available for download and will release a new video each week of Advent for kids to learn a song that they can sing along with Hope.

The sermon schedule for Advent will be as follows:

• December 2nd—The Anticipation of Hope    Luke 21:25-36    Pastor Wayne
• December 9th—The Way of Hope                    Luke 3:1-6          Pastor Wayne
• December 16th—The Generosity of Hope       Luke 3:7-18        Pastor Connie
• December 23rd—The Promise of Hope           Luke 1:39-55      Pastor Wayne
• December 24th—Sharing the Light of Hope

​Christmas Eve is always a special service and is well attended at our church and I’m sure that this year will be no different.  Be listening/watching for more information coming soon about plans to share the Light of Hope with those around us on Christmas Eve.  There are many people who have to work on Christmas Eve, such as those who work in the nursing homes, police officers, gas station/convenience store employees and we are going to reach out to them on Christmas Eve by taking trays of cookies to them after the service (nursing homes prior to the service).  This will involve needing many dozens of cookies baked and these will be packaged up on the evening of December 23rd.  How can you get involved in this new way of reaching out to share God’s love with the community around us?

​Merry Christmas from Carol and I!  We certainly hope that you have a wonderful Christmas season and a happy new year.  You mean so much to us and we love you!  I hope that we get to see all of you who are in the area out to church as often as possible during this Advent/Christmas season. 

In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Wayne

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