Christmastime is here... Christmastime is here....
Happy Friday, Friends! As we approach this Christmas weekend, here is a thought from the prophet Isaiah... "O Lord, I will praise thee... Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted." (Isaiah 12: 1,4 KJV) You know, God's goodness is overwhelming. God's faithfulness is mind-boggling. God's mercies are astounding. What can we do but praise Him? As we drive in our cars, sit at our desks, or stand at our kitchen sinks, we are in awe of God's goodness and faithfulness to each and every one of us. God has not forgotten a single one of us; God even knows the number of hairs on each of our heads! Sometimes all we can do is offer praise in return for the Lord's awesome goodness and faithfulness. All we can offer in return for God's mercy and kindness is a heartfelt thanks. All God wants from us is our willingness to see God as He is, which will lead to our adoration and gratitude. What more can any of us do but offer thanks and exalt God's name? God is worthy, holy and just. God is majestic and mighty to be praised. Praise the Lord today with me. Join me in praying, I praise You, holy and awesome God, whenever you wake up in the morning, when you're waiting for time to pass, and when you're on your way home. Your prayer will surely put a smile on the face of God! +++ Worship this weekend.....
+++ On Monday morning, Christmas Day we will gather in the Fireside Room at 10:00am for a time of breakfast fellowship and carol singing. Just sign up on Sunday morning and plan to bring a breakfast item to share for this time of food and fellowship with us in front of the beautiful fireplace! +++ The church office will be closed from 12/25 through 1/1/24. We will reopen on Tuesday morning, January 2nd at 9:15am! Emergency telephone numbers are on the answering machine in case you need them! +++ Our Chair Yoga class is in recess until 1/9/24. And the Knit and Stitch group will resume on 1/8/24 (weather permitting). Please make note of these date changes. +++ Next Sunday, December 31st we will return to both 8:30am and 10:00am worship! +++ Please remember that all 2023 contributions need to be in the church office by 12/31/23 so that we can close this year's books and open next year's accounting books in a timely manner. Thanks! +++ And finally, there will not be a "Chimings" published next week. "Chimings" will next be sent out on January 5th! (I know you will miss me, won't you?) Make this day a great day and remember to pray... I praise You, holy and awesome God! Pastor Jack Happy "Ides" of December!
As we prepare for another weekend of mission, ministry, and worship here are some words I read from Proverbs... "There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV) It is so easy for us to take our friends for granted --- especially good friends. When we are busy, tired, or stressed, we might withdraw to ourselves and neglect to let our friends know how really important they are to us, how much we care for them and how much we appreciate them. They have always been there for us during times of crisis; but do we give back as we take? You know, being a good friend takes effort. We must be careful to invest in our friendships. We are told in John 15:13 that there is no greater love than to lay down our life for a friend. Jesus said we would be counted as friends if we continued doing what He asked us to do. God called Abraham His friend because Abraham believed in Him. When was the last time you let your friends know that you believed in them? That you loved and appreciated them and would lay down your life for them? When you feel caught up in your own problems, when you forget to keep in touch or when a new neighbor needs a friend, join me in praying, Make me a better friend, Lord. +++ This Sunday is the Second Sunday of Advent and we will worship at 8:30am and 10:00am. It is the Sunday of Joy and my message "Great Joy" has me looking at how we wait for the arrival of the Christ-child with a sense of Great Joy! We will, of course, "live-stream" worship on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am and then "upload" the completed service to our YouTube channel once it is completed. You have many ways to join us for worship this Sunday! +++ This Sunday is also the last opportunity to support our efforts for Heifer International and to order poinsettias for our Christmas Altar. If you've been waiting to do either of these things, make sure to visit the tables on Sunday! +++ The January/February edition of the Upper Room magazine is now on the table in the Narthex. Make sure you grab your copy on Sunday. And, also remember that the deadline for articles for the January/February edition of our church newsletter are due into the office on 12/20. This will allow us to keep to our publishing schedule. Thanks! +++ Next Sunday we will alter our worship schedule.... since we celebrate both the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve. Here is our plan...
+++ On Christmas morning we will gather for Breakfast and Christmas carols at 10:00am in the Fireside Room. Please sign up outside the Fireside Room and let us know what you might like to bring to enhance our breakfast feast! We will sing some carols and celebrate Christmas morning together on December 25th! +++ The church office will be closed during the period of 12/25 through 1/1/24. We will reopen the office on Tuesday 1/2/24 at 9:00am. Emergency telephone numbers will be on the answering machine that we will check daily. +++ And please remember that all donations to be included in 2023 giving need to be in the church office by 12/31/23. Thanks for all you have done to help fund the ministry here at Immanuel all throughout the year! +++ Check out our News/Events page to see pictures from our many events last weekend. Have you liked us on Facebook yet? Make this day a great day and remember to pray, Make me a better friend, Lord! Pastor Jack Greetings to the Saints...
As we prepare for a very busy weekend on this Second Sunday of Advent, I once again read these words that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth... "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV) You know, I think we all feel incapable at times. Each of us has lacked the confidence we need to confront some challenge that God has put in our path. Yes, God challenges us because God wants us to grow and mature by more fully relying on God. God wants us to demonstrate His strength through our weakness. If we're not challenged in our areas of weakness, how will we more fully come to know God's strength? Like David overcoming the lion and the bear, we are led into skirmishes and defensive battles that will test our courage more than our strength. David was the scrawny little brother who had the heart of a King. His heart was perfect before the Lord. Why? Because he relied on God's strength rather than his own. God tested his courage long before calling him to slay the giant. David experienced God's grace --- by faith. Like David we can pray, Show Yourself strong in my weakness, Father, when you realize you might have bitten off more than you can chew or your vision is bigger than your abilities. When you don't know what to do in a crisis or you're given an opportunity you don't feel qualified for... join me in praying... Show Yourself strong in my weakness, Father. +++ Our Living Nativity presentation is this coming Saturday night at 6:00pm in the parking lot. Dress warmly and come and join us as we see the young people retell the Christmas story. We'll welcome a petting zoo of animals and then enjoy hot chocolate and cookies when the story is completed. And there will be some wonderful special music from a couple of our young people, as well. We hope to see you all on Saturday night! +++ Sunday worship, on this Second Sunday of Advent, is at 8:30am and 10:00am. Join us in the beautiful Fireside Room at 8:30am and in the Sanctuary at 10:00am. Or look for us live on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am! And, of course, we will "upload" the recorded worship as soon as we finish to our YouTube page. That gives you several ways to join us for worship. At the 10:00am worship we will welcome new members to our church fellowship! +++ Following worship we move to the Fellowship Hall for a delicious Second Sunday Luncheon. The Fellowship Team has a wonderful luncheon planned for us and you will not be disappointed! Following the luncheon we will head off to Summerfield Village on Velasko Road for a time of Christmas caroling and bell ringing with the residents there! Should be a great day of worship, fellowship and spreading Christmas cheer! And we are always looking for more carolers to join the group! +++ Sunday is the last day for our Mitten Tree project and the Heifer Project and Poinsettia orders continue for another week. We are trying to give you lots of opportunities to be involved in mission this Advent! +++ Our Advent Study continues on Monday afternoon at 1:00pm in the Fireside Room. We have postponed the online option for the rest of the season, however. So... join us in the Fireside Room at 1:00pm on Monday! +++ Please note that the deadline for articles for the January/February edition of the church newsletter is coming up on December 20th. We need all articles into the office by this day to keep to our publishing schedule. Thanks! +++ All donations for calendar year 2023 need to be into the church office by Sunday, December 31st. This will allow us to close our church books on December 31st. Thanks for all your gifts this year and every year! +++ Remember... Christmas Eve worship is at 4:00pm and 7:30pm! The 4:00pm worship is geared towards families and the 7:30pm worship will be a traditional candlelight worship! And then, on Christmas morning, we will gather for Breakfast and Caroling at 10:00am. Sign up on the white board outside the Fireside Room and let us know what favorite breakfast item you will bring to enhance our gathering. Make this day a great day and never be afraid to pray, Show Yourself strong in my weakness, Father. Pastor Jack Happy December, Friends!
As we enter this last month of our calendar year and prepare for Advent and Christmas plans, I read these words from Psalm 42... "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O Lord. (Psalm 42: 1 NIV) I love you, Lord, you think to yourself on your way to work -- remembering you didn't get up to seek His presence, or maybe didn't even pray before going to sleep. You want more of God in your life, more of God's presence, a more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. After all, how can you be sensitive to the leading and prompting of the Lord's Spirit if you haven't even spent any time with Him? Many of us love the Lord with our whole heart; we really do. We love to worship Him on Sunday and listen to His word preached from the pulpit. But we have trouble living in His presence the other days of the week. Maybe we spend a few minutes acknowledging the Lord on some other days, a brief conversation here and there, but never really manage to come into His presence and sit at His feet daily. As your heart cries throughout the day, "Draw me closer to you, Lord" --- as you lie on your bed at night with that longing in your heart, The Lord will surely draw you closer to Him. So pray that prayer, "Draw me closer to you, Lord" whenever your life seems out of balance or you find yourself stressed out. When you feel you need hope because you've lost your joy, pray, "Draw me closer to you, Lord" and believe that the Lord will make time for you! +++ This week we begin our Advent journey to the manger of Bethlehem. And all throughout Advent we will be looking at Luke, Chapter 2 as we think about how Jesus came, UNTO YOU. Yes, that's our Advent theme and each week we look at another part of that gift of Christmas! This week's message is "Registered" and we'll look at the numbers of the Christmas story. We worship at 8:30am and 10:00am and we will also be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion at each worship service this weekend. Join us in the Fireside Room at 8:30am or the Sanctuary at 10:00am and you will see the beautiful decorations that help us celebrate the season. Or join our "live-stream" on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am. And, of course, we will "upload" the completed worship to our YouTube channel when the worship has ended. You have lots of ways to join us for worship each week! +++ We express deep thanks to all who participated in our 2023 Angel tree project! All the gifts are on their way to being distributed and we thank Ang and Dale for all their efforts and all of you who participated to make the Christmas holiday so special for children in our community. +++ This week we start with Poinsettia orders to adorn our Christmas altar. See Phyllis to order your flowers on Sunday, please! +++ There is a bin by the Angel Tree for items to be sent to Tyriq and his platoon for Christmas. There is a list of suggested items on the bin. We are also still accepting mittens, hats, etc. for our Mitten Tree and donations for the Heifer Project. +++ Our Advent study continues on Monday at 1:00pm in the Fireside Room and Wednesday evening at 7:00pm on ZOOM. Please read the second chapter in our study book, Faithful: Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph. See you for our study! +++ Our church Board of Trustees meets next Wednesday, December 6th at 4:00pm in the Fireside Room. +++ On Saturday, December 9th we will gather in the parking lot at 6:00pm for our annual Living Nativity worship service. Dress warm and bring some friends to see the miracle of the Christmas story complete with a petting zoo full of animals! Hot chocolate and Christmas cookies will be served, as well. +++ Next Sunday is December 10th and we have lots going on that day:
+++ On Christmas Eve we will worship at 4:00pm and 7:30pm as we have for the last few years. We will "live-stream" the 7:30pm worship, as well! +++ And on Christmas morning we will gather for Breakfast and carol singing at 10:00am! The signup sheet will be up soon and we invite you to bring your favorite breakfast item to share! Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, "Draw me closer to you, Lord" Pastor Jack |
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November 2024
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