Dear Friends and Family!
What a wonderful day we had in the Lord, Sunday! Sunday was the second week of Advent and we were blessed as Obadiah and Hyacinth lit the Advent wreath. With the Advent wreath lit, we then had the privilege of receiving Hyacinth and Obadiah into membership! What a blessing of God they continue to be. So, why haven’t some of you come into membership yet? It is never too late to become a member! Let us know if you are interested! After our Sunday school hour and worship service we also enjoyed our every other month potluck after the service this week! What a wonderful time of food, and conversation! God is so good to us! Amen? Amen!
Remember, our new carpeting will be installed on Tuesday! I can hardly wait to see our new carpet next to our newly refinished wood floor Wed.! Thank you for your patience and we work to improve God’s house and blessings on everyone who faithfully gives! Hey, I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you come to the Bible Study Wed. and check it out? Consider yourself invited! Fun!
God’s message last Sunday came from Mark 1:1-8 and was titled, “He is Lord.” As we enter the second week of Advent, we must ask ourselves what we really want as Christmas approaches. In a culture ready to sell cheap alternatives, Mark calls us back to an authentic understanding of Christ and Christmas. First, in verses 1-3, Mark declares Isaiah’s prophecy regarding has come true! Jesus is the promised Messiah and John the Baptist was indeed the prophesied ‘voice crying in the desert.’ For seekers then and now, the search is over! Jesus is the Savior of the World!
Second, in verse 6, Mark makes clear if we want to follow Christ, we must be prepared to do things differently. In John the Baptist, we see more than an eccentric vegan; we see a call to separate ourselves from the larger culture. So, do you act differently from the pagans around you? Are there things you ‘embrace’ and ‘refuse to do’ based on your walk with Jesus? When you live a life of holiness, you are going to appear about as strange as John the Baptist to some of your friends and coworkers and classmates!
Finally, in verse 5, we discover an authentic Christmas requires humility and repentance. We read, “The whole Judean countryside went out to him confessing their sins and being baptized” (v. 5). So, have you confessed and repented? Jesus is the Savior! You will not have the peace your soul longs for this Christmas until you confess your sins, repent, and ask Jesus into your heart!
Later, the Baptist proclaims his unimportance compared to Christ (verses 7-8). When he received notice and praise, he didn’t point to himself; he pointed to Jesus! How about you? When you receive praise who gets the glory? It’s time to reject cheap imitations and acknowledge Jesus is the Christ, humble ourselves, and give God the Glory this Christmas!
Blessings, Pastor Dan
NEWS AND EVENTS
ANNUAL COOKIE EXCHANGE THIS SATURDAY!
On Saturday, December 16th, bring your 1-2 dozen favorite Christmas cookies to exchange with others. We will meet at the church at 10:30 AM for this fun event! So, get out those recipes and prepare to bake!
DECEMBER IS TIME TO COLLECT FOR CRISIS CARE KITS!
Be ready to again collect items for the much needed kits that are used in disasters.
CRISIS CARE KITS
Each Crisis Care Kit includes the following new items in a 2-gallon Zip-loc bag:
- 1 medium size bottle of shampoo (12-18 oz) [Please tape the flip-tops closed]
- 2 bars of soap (bath-size or larger)
- 1 medium toothpaste (4.0-6.4 oz)
- 3 toothbrushes (in original packaging)
- 1 box of Band-Aids (30 or more)
- 1 fingernail clipper
- 1 sturdy hair comb
- 2 hand towels
- 4 pocket-size packages of facial tissue
- 1 Beanie Baby-size stuffed toy
Each Crisis Care Kit (CCK) should contain only the items/QUANTITIES REQUESTED. Items in the CCK MUST MATCH INVENTORY.
Deviating from this list can cause an entire shipment to be rejected in customs. The cost of the items for typical CCK is about $20.
PEOPLE WANTED TO PRAY FOR STRANGERS!
There is a “prayer mail box” out by the bus stop. Many hurting and broken people are walking right past us without a church to pray for them! If you are interested, let Pastor Dan know by calling/texting (616) 204-1153 or email him at hathdan@me.com.
INTERESTED IN CHURCH MEMBERSHIP?
A series of membership classes will be starting soon. If you are interested in learning more about the Church of the Nazarene, or becoming a member of our church, please let Pastor Dan know by contacting him at: 616-204-1153 or hathdan@me.com.
SOUND BOOTH PERSON STILL NEEDED:
The church is looking for someone who is interested in being a sound booth technician. You will need to be able to attend music practices Sunday morning at 9 AM. Let Janie know if you are interested at 616-204-2499 or hathjan@icloud.com.
GATHER BOX TOPS FOR NAZARENE INDIAN MISSIONS!
Thank you for collecting General Mills box tops! This program has provided PA equipment, computers, and even a 15-passenger van for the Native American Christian Academy. Questions and box tops should go to Fran S. or Sherry J.
CHURCH POSTCARDS ARE AVAILABLE!
Is there someone missing or would like to invite to church? Why not grab a few church postcards and send them out? A simple hand written note blesses everyone! You will find them on the table under the missionary bulletin board in the Annex.
DAILY DEVOTIONS – “REFLECTING GOD” IS AVAILABLE! FREE!!
“Reflecting God” is a daily devotional guide our church makes available free to anyone interested. The devotions provide a brief truth from the Bible every day. Reflecting God also has a section for reading the Bible in a year and praying for our missionaries! Feel free to take one! You’ll find them located on the table outside the sanctuary!
GUIDELINES FOR PRAYER REQUESTS:
Remember, to keep our prayer lists current, we only place requests in the newsletter and bulletin for 3 weeks without an update. If you want to keep your prayer request in the bulletin or newsletter, just keep filling out the tear off tabs and keep us informed!
UPCOMING EVENTS
December Crisis Care Kit Collection
December 13 Wed. Night Meeting @ 6:30 PM at church
December 16 Annual Cookie Exchange @ church @ 10:30 AM
December 21 3rd Thursday Chinese Lunch @ Hibachi Grill – 11:30 AM
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