Hi, this is Pastor Chuck. Please take a few moments to read these updates, as they will tell you a lot about what's going on at the church in December.
Most of December is spent in the church season of Advent, a time of anticipation. We remember the anticipation the Jews held in their hearts as they awaited a messiah; we also acknowledge the excitement we should feel for Christ's return.
It's a joyous but busy month for most of us. I try to encourage everyone this time of year to stop, breathe and bask in the joy. We are a people who have nothing to fear where death is concerned! God has put on flesh and broken into a sinful world to save us. We will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ Christmas Eve here in the sanctuary, and I pray we can all keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts through the Christmas season, which runs until Jan. 6.
As the year ends, let me also say what a tremendous blessing this church is to me (and to Connie, too). I am looking forward to what we do together in 2025. We are on the right track, with important decisions to make, and I feel certain we will have much to celebrate in the near future as we lift up the name of Jesus to those around us.
Some immediate events to consider:
The Scott County Community Choir will perform their Christmas Cantata at 3 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 8, at Hales Chapel United Methodist Church in Gate City.
Except for the week of Christmas, we are having our Close Encounters Prayer Meeting at 6 p.m. each Wednesday. We gather in an upstairs classroom in the north wing, a room accessible from the parking lot. This is a fairly quiet gathering, and an opportunity to consider what guidance we need from God, supporting each other in the process.
Our Men's Group will meet at their normal day (the second Saturday of the month) and time, 9 a.m. That would be 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, this month.
You'll definitely want to mark Sunday, Dec. 15 on your calendars. Our choir will bring us the Christmas Cantata. We will follow this with a soup and sandwich lunch in Howard Hall, our gym in the north wing. Bring sandwiches and related items you want to share; soup will be provided. By the way, there will be no 8:45 a.m. service this day, so we can all be together for the Cantata and lunch.
Our Christmas Eve service will be at its usual 11 p.m. time in the sanctuary, and we will have our traditional Scripture readings and candle lighting as part of our worship together.
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A special request: For various reasons, we won't be mailing a December newsletter, and we are considering changing how we get such information out in 2025. Printing and mailing so many newsletters is a significant expense that doesn't make sense when most people have modern technology. We will, however, be trying to determine which of our members have no other way of communicating. By that, I mean people who do not have a smartphone or a computer. If you have relatives who are in this situation, please print items like this out for them, and remind us of this person's need for printed communication. At a minimum, we will maintain a small mailing list for people who really need it.
Blessings on you all!
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