Good Friday morning Church Requel!
I pray this morning's newsletter finds you well and excited for the Christmas holiday. This is a big weekend for the Pierce clan. Our family is traveling up from Mason, over from Massillon, and down from Barberton to celebrate with us tonight. Altogether we are expecting 27 family members!!! Many will be staying the night. It's been a long time since our home has been this full. Mary Kay and I are thrilled. Can't wait!
Five Presents Sunday. We are also looking forward to being with all of you this coming Sunday morning at Church Requel. Our theme Sunday morning will be "Five Present Presents From That First Christmas." We will study Luke 1 and Mary's encounter with the heavenly messenger, Gabriel. (Click here for an online version of the sermon notes.)
How many times have you received news that has changed the direction of your life? It's frightening at first. I'm sure that Mary must have been fearful, yet she received good news that changed the world for good forever. We'll consider that famous exchange between Mary and Gabriel to discover five presents that God wants to give to us in our present moment from that first Christmas greeting.
Neighborhood Meal Saturday. This weekend we also have our last opportunity to be Jesus' hands and feet to our neighbors in 2015. We meet at the church at 4pm Saturday (tomorrow) to serve free meals at 5pm. Once again Sheri Nichols will lead our charge. (Thanks Sheri!) Please bring desserts with you, if you can.
I received a letter from Paul Lintern this week with our 2016 schedule. I'll post it for you soon so you can update your calendar for next year. Paul wrote to me that, together with our other partners, we served over 6,000 free, warm meals to those hungry folks in our neighborhood, who needed them. What a great testimony to God's goodness!
Last Sunday's Star Trip... I usually try to keep these newsletters focused forwards, but I just have to say a word or two about last Sunday. Wow! (That's a word) Fantastic! (That's two.) Thank-you to all who worked so hard to give our children a positive, Christmas play experience. I'd like to especially thank Tamira, who led this production from the beginning.
We did not actually count the number of folks, who came Sunday morning. We are estimating between 130-150 - the largest attendance at church, by far, this year. So thank you all too for inviting your family and friends. At right-above is one of 33 photos we took of the play. You can view the entire Star Trip Photo album here.
This past week we edited the morning's service into a movie. As we speak, we are putting that movie onto DVD discs, which we hope to be able to distribute FOR FREE to all our children's families this Sunday. So make sure you show up for your copy! You'll want to show it to the rest of your families over the holidays. Our children will celebrate together in KidsMin by watching the premiere. Should be a lot of fun for them. (There will be no online version produced this week.)
Plans For Christmas Eve. What a great evening we have planned together to celebrate Jesus' birthday. It will be a party you won't want to miss! We begin the celebration at 5pm (one service only), but you'll want to get to church early to hear Dave Strong play your favorite Christmas music on the pipe organ. And you sure won't want to miss out on the Christmas cupcakes provided so generously by Marci!
Over 20 different folks will be participating this year. Dave and Jen will light the Advent candle. Fred will sing with his granddaughter, Sami. Siblings Brandi, Trish and Chris will join Missie to lead us in singing Christmas carols. Brian Betts, David Hill and Brandi Walker all have selected special Christmas music to sing for us. Paityn and Grace will play their flutes. Susie will gather the children to her side and tell the story of the candy cane. Ken and Karen will tell us the history of the "Star In The East." And yours truly has prepared a few words of encouragement.
Before we leave, we'll light the candles together and sing "Away In The Manger," a favorite closing tradition on Christmas Eve at Church Requel. Though we will do one thing new at the end - Rachel has agreed to come up front and sign as we sing together. I love how we have become a church family, each taking a part. How we have grown since that first Christmas Eve service 3 years ago!
We have such good news to celebrate together! Let's not miss a single opportunity. One last request - invite a friend to come to Church Requel with you this year. You'll be surprised how readily folks will respond enthusiastically to your invitation. They will thank you... and so will I!
Merry Christmas blessings! Pastor Mark
