Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
On this coming Lord’s Day, the fourth Sunday of Advent, we will take another look at the inspired words of Isaiah as he speaks prophetically of the coming of our blessed Savior and King. The fourth enthronement name bestowed upon Jesus is “Eternal Father”–Isaiah 9:6. What an amazing title this is! And as we prayerfully explore it together may the Lord comfort us with the knowledge of who our Savior truly is and what His incarnation really means!
Announcements
This Sunday is the final week of Sunday School for 2015. There will be no Sunday School on December 27th or January 3rd. Our new semester of Christian Education will begin on January 10, 2016.
And don’t forget about our annual Christmas Eve Service of Worship and Communion on Thursday night, December 24th at 5:00 PM. A nursery will be provided and we encourage you to bring guests and family to worship with us on this special night!
Regarding our parking plan for Christmas Eve, our Deacons provide the following instructions:
Christmas Eve services will be at 5 pm again this year and we expect an especially large crowd. To better accommodate our guests and late arrivals, we ask that our members consider using the overflow parking area provided at the church house. The deacons will be present to direct all the parking activities and provide security. In case of inclement weather or muddy conditions that preclude use of the church house, we will use the paved parking lot at Tortora’s for overflow parking and the deacons will provide shuttle service to and from the church building. We had a large number of visitors on Christmas Eve last year depart because there was no parking available. We hope to avoid that situation this year and accommodate everyone on the first anniversary of worship in our new building. Thanks for your understanding and for your support. Your Diaconate.
A Final Word
On behalf of Carol and our children and grand children I want to take this opportunity to tell each of you how thankful we are to be a part of your family in Christ. We have been blessed beyond measure during the course of this year, and we consider it the highest of privileges to stand alongside you in the work of our Lord and Savior.
As we come to the conclusion of yet another year and expectantly move into the next one, I want you to know how fervently I love you, how much I delight in laboring for you in prayer, and how I treasure the awesome task of serving as your pastor. Aside from our own salvation there is no greater blessing in our lives than you! It is a most wonderful honor to shepherd you, to present the Word of God to you each week, and to walk through life with you in the service of our King.
We pray that this coming year will be one of extraordinary growth for all of us in the knowledge of Christ and His blessed Word. And that as the body of Christ, we will have a profound impact upon this community as we fervently love one another, as we seek to live lives of authentic holiness, and as we all faithfully follow God’s will wherever He takes us.
May our Sovereign Lord bless each of you richly during this season of celebration as we reflect upon the awesome miracle of His incarnation. May you always “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge”–Ephesians 3:18-19.
You are, and always will be “my beloved brethren . . . my joy and crown”–Philippians 4:1.
Merry Christmas,
Mike, Carol, and Family