Good Friday morning Church Requel!
This is THE week! Christmastime is upon us! This time of year is special for all of Christendom but is especially so for us! Six years ago on Christmas Eve we held our very first worship service at the Point of Grace!
There are so many special things happening this Sunday and then on Monday evening. Allow me to tell all!
Our worship singing Sunday morning will be led by the Jam Band, including Brandi, Dan, Don, Brian and yours truly. We'll welcome you into the sanctuary with Jingle Bell Rock. Then all together we'll sing three Christmas carols: "The First Noel," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and "Joy To The World." While you all are greeting one another, we'll play the festive "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." This will be our first Christmas Sunday service with live music! We're all pretty pumped about it. Hope you are too.
During the offering, Violet Carrick and Cohen Pierce will play a saxophone duet, "First Holiday Concert." How did we ever get so lucky as to have two saxophone players in our small church family? Wow!
I've also been working on a special song for the last 2 months - "Glory In The Highest" by Travis Cottrell. I spent weeks watching him play it on the piano and then figuring out how to play it on a ukulele. I'm pretty certain that Church Requel will be the only church in the universe Sunday with a "Glory In The Highest" ukulele special! Ha!
Monday evening - Christmas Eve (at 5pm) - we also have lots of very special music planned.
Our Christmas Eve worship team will be led by Brandi, Trish, Missie, Paityn, Dinah and Amy. Together we will all sing "Born Is The King (It's Christmas)" by Hillsong, "Angels From The Realms of Glory / Immanuel" by Paul Baloche, and at the end of our worship together we will all sing a Christmas medley.
Our special music on Christmas Eve will include:
(1) Amy singing "O Holy Night" by Adolphe Adam
(2) Brandi singing "When Love Was Born" by Mark Schultz
(3) Dinah singing "Noel" by Lauren Daigle
(4) Paityn singing "Mary Did You Know" by Meredith Andrews
(5) Yours Truly leading us all in "Away In A Manger" with the ukulele.
As has been our tradition these past 6 years, we will light all our candles from the Christ candle in the center of the Advent wreath. From all our candles together, we will light our communion candles, which will be lighted for every worship service in 2019. This candle lighting Christmas Eve service is so special. Remember to invite your family and friends!
Our Christmas sermons will continue the same theme we began last Sunday. We're calling it "Giving Away Immanuel."
Sunday morning - Christmas is a season of giving because God first gave His Son to us. We learned last week that Christmas can be a 365-days-a-year event if we continue to give Immanuel away to others by giving away the gift of ourselves. HOW do we do that is the topic of Sunday's Christmas message.
Monday evening - Immanuel "God With Us" is God's very special present to us. We remember how He gave His Son to us as the baby Jesus in the manger. This idea of Immanuel is something we can give away too! What a great gift to give ourselves fully away while filled with God's Holy Presence in our lives. But can we give away Something or Someone we have not first received ourselves? Are you ready to receive Him? Are you ready to give Him?
Want a head start on the next "Giving Away Immanuel" sermon? Open your Bible apps and you should find it under "Events.' Or you can click here to see it in your browser window.
Everyone - thank you so very much for your enthusiastic support of Church Requel. In every way imaginable. I count myself so fortunate to be your pastor. Merry Christmas! Love you all much, Pastor Mark
