MIDWEEK MESSAGE #136
Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #136. We are inching closer to two weeks out of school, I mean, from celebrating Christmas. ☺ Thanks for your time.
I’d like to start off by asking you to remember our Educator of the Week: Cara King. Cara teaches Kindergarten at MCES and is part of our OVCF family. I know she appreciates your prayers. In fact, I know that all of our teachers do. Both teachers and students are ready for the Christmas break so it is a tough week to teach anything.
Speaking of schools, I want to take a moment and commend you (again) for your generosity. Operation Christmas Child saw over 60 shoeboxes delivered to Sherwood Oaks for distribution to children around the world. Next, we were able to serve close to 125 people during our Thanksgiving meal because there was so much food you helped prepare. Following Thanksgiving we focused our Christmas “gifting” on Backpack Buddies. Diana posted some pictures to the church’s Facebook group of the food you donated which will help over 200 students during Christmas break. Thank you so much! I also want to put out a huge thank you to Rob Babbs for his last minute fulfillment of boxes of crackers for each student to take home. I heard from Linda St. John that they had jars of peanut butter for the students but nothing to send with it. So I contacted Rob and he was able to order boxes of crackers for each student. The elders said the church would pay for them and now each student has a jar of peanut butter and crackers to take home on Christmas break. I mean, after all, what is a jar of peanut butter without crackers or bread? ☺ I’m honored to know someone like Rob, who at the last minute came through. Tell him thanks next time you see him (or send him a note).
I want to remind you again of the Christmas schedule. I’ll just put it here again for you to put on your calendar or refrigerator (which often passes for the calendar):
- Christmas Eve service from 6-7:00 pm
- Christmas morning service from 10-11:00
Here are the details about the services themselves:
- Both services will have singing, Communion, a short message/devotion from me, and a closing candlelight ceremony.
- The young people will be involved in both services. I’m excited to see what all they will be doing to make our Christmas celebration more memorable.
- There will be no children’s programs for either service. The nursery will be open but not staffed. We will have activity pages available for preschool aged children.
I’d like to encourage you to invite others to attend one of the services with you. There are two times when people are more likely to attend church: Christmas and Easter. This is a great, non-threatening time to invite your family and friends. Spread the word to those you know. We don’t have the luxury of having a newspaper to help with advertising, but the best advertising is word of mouth. I look forward to seeing you there.
Here is something for you parents who are looking for some time to do some Christmas shopping (or taking a nap as someone suggested) without the children “hanging around.” Jasmine St. John is offering a Parent’s Day Out this Saturday, the 17th, from 12-5:00 in the OVCF children’s addition. She will offer hot dogs/chips for lunch. Donations will be accepted to cover costs and any extra will go to our children’s ministry. Any questions? Please contact her at 812.821.4655.
Holidays always play havoc with scheduled activities. Here are a few of them:
- My Route 66 class will not meet on 12/14, 12/21, or 12/28. Study resumes on 1/4/23. (WOW! We are going to have to get used to that last number).
- Deeper will not meet 12/21 or 12/28. It resumes on 1/4/23. (I’m getting into practice).
- Roots will not meet 12/18-1/8/23. It resumes on 1/15/23. (I think I got the hang of it now).
Down through the years we have ordered Christmas devotional booklets for you to have. This year we ordered one called Jesus: Light of the World. It is 10 devotional thoughts from Our Daily Bread you can use for yourself, a friend or your family this Christmas. Please feel free to pick one up. We also have several different booklets left over from previous Christmases which you may have. They are on the back table in the auditorium.
I’ll have one more MM for 2022…next week. The week of the 25th I will not put out a MM because of both Diana and I being out of the office a couple of days that week. Have a great rest of the week. Christmas is a time of remembering God’s love. Do that. But please remember than I love you also.
Pastor Bill
