It’s funny to be writing a “Happy New Year” kind of Update when we’re halfway through January, but that’s what happens when you’re enjoying record-breaking winter storms at the beginning of the year.  We decided last week that, with temperatures dipping into the -20° F range due to high winds and frosty wind chills, we’d be wise and conscientious and not imperil our FCCers by trying to hold a service.  

In our mid-week Christmas Eve service the Berry family lit the Christ candle and we celebrated the birthday of The Eternal One. Sunday morning we reconvened and our hearts warmed to see the Cripes. We visited, prayed, and sang hymns and praises together. Our offertory featured the intertwined harmony of Vanessa and Peggy on the poignant Mary Did you Know?

We entered into the morning service with a prelude of rich harp tones. With a few folks out for the holidays, we lifted up our voices to worship Christ and celebrate His birth. Pastor encouraged us to be praying for those in our lives who don’t know Christ, and getting ready for the opportunity to share our testimony on the first Sunday of 2014. 

Under our snow-draped pulpit-to-the-world, we shared a mixture of new and classic Christmas music. Pastor exhorted us to be Christ at Christmas and extend ourselves to those around us who don’t know Him. Randy prayed for healing prayer of Peg Pendell (and her daughter) and May (Rachel Cushman's mother)…and gave thanks for Gwen’s graduation and her and Chris Budzynski’s new jobs.

On a crisp December Sunday morning we enjoyed singing Christmas carols accompanied by our dedicated worship music team. Bill read a Psalm of praise and led us in heartfelt corporate prayer. The Christiansen family shared several scriptures and lit the advent candle of Peace.

With some unique, well-done humor and much warmth, we welcomed back Pastor Kevin and his family. Peggy‘s hammered dulcimer seasoned us with Christmas music, including O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, in the prelude, offertory, and communion.

Together we joined in worship singing several songs and hymns of thanksgiving and praise. In our Missions Minute our young brother Graham opened up and shared some of his joys working with the youth at Great Oaks Camp. Corporate prayer was poignant as those in need were lifted up and a minute of silence was observed in honor of our dear friend Jim who recently left this world to be present with our Lord. Once again the gracious tones flowed from Vanessa’s harp in a lovely arrangement of Give Thanks for a Grateful Heart.

This morning the children, led by Peggy, prayed over about 40 personally packed shoe boxes filled with goodies destined to touch young children through Operation Christmas Child. We worshipped in song, including the hymn Marvelous Grace of Our Loving God by Peorian Julie H. Johnston. There were several announcements including our Christmas Decorating Party scheduled for December 1st, which is also our first Sunday with Wrights back. Vanessa’s lovely harp solo gave us reflection during the offertory.

We embraced the international day of prayer for the persecuted church. We took in a Voice of the Martyrs video, which movingly showed us the painful personal cost that families are experiencing with violence against The Church in Northern Nigeria. Pamphlets with colored world maps of the persecuted church were given out and we were encouraged to follow up at VOM.

We had a profound and Christ-centered worship service this week. We honored our King even as we were processing news that left us pained and deeply saddened about Jim Irwin’s health battle taking a serious turn for the worse. We also lifted up young Caroline, and many others, in prayer as we learned that she had been admitted to hospital with significant abdominal pain of unknown origin.

We welcomed guest speaker David Swanson, our Central Conference director of Church Planting. Linda led us in corporate prayer and shared a moving Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child video.  It showed how we can be Christ hands and deeply impact children’s lives with a shoebox of small gifts. Michael rendered a passionate offertory on acoustic guitar and Vanessa’s worship team led us in lifting up our God & Lord.

Sunday we welcomed Debbie Griffith Samuels, Director of Mission and Outreach, and her husband Deacon Wiley Samuels. This was her first visit to our church, unless you count her selflessly donated kidney that was here last week with our speaker Jerome Nelson! 

Jerome Nelson, our Central Conference Superintendent, joined us and it did our hearts good to see our brother in good health. We also warmly welcomed Lydia Barry, our newest regular attender.

We welcomed back Pete Sjoblom, Director of Congregational Vitality at Central Conference of the Covenant Church, who facilitated our Veritas workshop about 3 years ago. 

We are immensely blessed to have a pastor with a loving family, who are all fervently missed during this sabbatical.  But in Pastor Kevin’s absence God continues to graciously provide through His willing and gifted servants.  Our genuine, diverse, faithful church family experienced another beautiful and rich worship service Sunday morning.