Category: Minister’s Blog

This Sunday we continue our series, “Unlikely Heroes,” by taking a look at the life of Paul.  In Paul’s life we see a dramatic turn from a persecutor of the church to a leader of the church.  And from his journey, we will see that even the mistakes we make in our life which seem unsurmountable do not separate us from the love of God in Christ.  Our junior high Sunday school class also begins this Sunday at 9:15.  And don’t forget to join us for our Wednesday evening children’s ministry.  We will be serving dinner for the children at 5:30 followed by our meeting at 6:00.

To begin the new year, we are beginning a new series of sermons this Sunday entitled “Unlikely Heroes.”  Each week, we will look more closely at people from scripture who did not expect to be used by God because of a lack of confidence in their abilities or because of things they had done in their past.  And we will see how God used them to do mighty things despite their perceived limitations.  We begin this Sunday with Moses, a man whose name means “to draw out.”  Following Moses’s example, we will be challenged to let God draw us out of our comfort zones in his service as well.  Join us for our social hour at 9:00 and our worship service at 10:00.

As Christmas approaches, there will be many opportunities to celebrate the birth of Christ in our community this week. On Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. is our Longest Night Service. This service is designed for all who have a difficult time during the holidays – those who have experienced a loss, struggle with loneliness, or just need a reminder of the hope, peace, joy, and love available in Christ. On Sunday morning, our choir will present their Christmas cantata, “O Holy Night.” And on the night of Christmas Eve at 7 p.m., we will have our candlelight service. I hope you will join us for this week as we “prepare Him room” and celebrate Christ’s coming to the world.

ThIs Sunday, we conclude our series “The Gifts We Give” with the gift of myrrh. At the time of Jesus, myrrh had two very different associations. On one hand, it was associated with embalming ointments and funeral incense. But it was also used to slow bleeding and to heal wounds. We will consider how myrrh relates to the third role fulfilled by Christ, that of prophet, by looking at the account of Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well. And we will learn of a gift we can give to Christ which, like myrrh, may remind us of pain, but also brings healing and new life.

This Sunday we continue our Advent series, “The Gifts We Give.”  Each week we will examine a different gift of the Magi and consider how we can give that same gift to Christ today.  Last week we examined the gift of gold, a symbol of Christ as king and the need to pay him the tribute of our commitment to furthering the kingdom of God.  This Sunday, we will consider the gift of frankincense.  Frankincense was incorporated into the incense offerings presented by the high priest in the temple.  Join us as we consider the role of Christ as our high priest and what it means to offer frankincense today.  Our social hour begins at 9:00 followed by worship at 10:00.

Our theme for Advent this year is, “The Gifts We Give.” During this time of year, it is commonplace to hear complaints about how commercialized Christmas has become. We talk about how we want to focus on the real meaning of Christmas rather than spending money. But in the end, we always end up spending an inordinate amount of time fighting the crowds or surfing the internet in search of the perfect gift. So maybe instead of fighting the idea of gifts, we need to embrace them. Not so much in the Black Friday sense, but by returning to the original gifts given at Christmas. Each Sunday for the next three weeks, we will examine one of the gifts of the Magi presented to Jesus at his birth and consider how these gifts speak to the gifts we can offer to Christ as well. We begin this Sunday with the gift of gold. This Sunday also begins the journey of our traveling Joseph and Mary who will visiting homes in our congregation leading up to our Christmas Eve service. Join us for our social hour at 9 this Sunday and for our worship service at 10.

This Sunday we will be looking at one of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus – the birth of John the Baptist. We will consider the two different responses of his parents to learning that they would have a son in their older years. While his father Zechariah doubted, his mother Elizabeth believed. And in simply believing and being thankful for what God would do, she was able to show others that with God all things are possible. I hope you will join us this Sunday for both our social hour at 9 and our worship service at 10.

This will be a very special Sunday at our church. Not only will we be sharing our Thanksgiving meal after the service, but we will also be having a baptism service during our worship hour. During the service, 20 people will be baptized and welcomed as members of our congregation. All are welcome as we give thanks for the many blessings God is giving to our church.

This Sunday, we are going to take a look at a book of the Bible that is often difficult to understand – the book of Revelation. Specifically, we will be looking at the words spoken to a certain church at the beginning of that book. This prominent church in Asia had many things going for it, but it was still found lacking. In response to their unsatisfying situation, they receive a special offer, an offer that remains open to us today. We hope to see you for our social hour at 9:00 and our worship service at 10:00. Our adult membership class also continues this Sunday at 9:00. All are welcome to come and learn more about what defines us as Christians and as a denomination.

This Sunday is All Saints’ Sunday, a special worship service in which we remember and honor those who have gone before us.  We will be looking at the relationship between Elijah and Elisha, two powerful prophets of Israel, and consider what it means to leave a legacy of life with those whose lives we impact.  Our adult membership class, Discipleship 101, also begins at 9:00 this Sunday.  Recent members and those interested in membership or baptism are invited to attend and explore the foundations of our faith.  We hope you will join us at 10:00 on Sunday for this special worship service.