Friends-
Happy New Year?
It occurs to me that it might be hard to maintain happiness for a whole year...
Heck, it's hard for me to maintain happiness for a whole day sometimes!
A moment might be the best we can achieve, and then only with God's help. And happiness seems so dependent on circumstances. My real prayer for you, for myself, for others I love is joy.
Joy is both a gift from God and a decision we make. It is not dependent on the circumstances, good or bad. In fact, the Bible tells us we are to count times of trial as opportunities to practice rejoicing! We are told to rejoice always! We are told that God's joy is our strength.
Looking ahead even a little into this new year, we could get anxious, fearful, overwhelmed. We needn't be. The God who brought us thus far will not ever abandon us. Jesus told his followers just before he died that it was his intent and purpose that His joy would be in them, and that their joy would be full. I believe he wants the same for us.
So, don't spend a lot of time trying to plan the perfect year. Plan, yes, but take each day, each moment, as it comes determined to rejoice in the One who gives us each one those moments and days.
Living the adventure with you,
Gary
Calendar
Thursdays - 1/3 - Church Board Meeting - 7 PM - Fellowship Room
1/24 - Community Dinner - Poplar Grove Church - 5:30 PM - Everyone welcome to eat
and/or serve.
Sundays - Every Sunday: Worship Service at 10:30 am.
1/6 - Communion Sunday. Also bring your jar of change if you forgot it last week.
1/13- Annual Meeting and Potluck immediately following worship. Church basement.
Wednesdays - 1/9 - Bible Study starts back up. 7 PM - Fellowship Room. Will meet every
Wednesday the rest of the month.
Other News:
Annual Meeting and Potluck - Please stay for our annual meeting on Sunday, January 13. We will enjoy a potluck dinner before the meeting. If possible bring a hot and a cold dish to pass. This is an important time to discuss our past and our future of our church. Your thoughts and input are needed! You should have received your minutes from our 2018 annual meeting via email. Please read and/or bring along to the meeting this year.
Coordinators Needed - We are looking for a greeter coordinator and a Christmas Eve coordinator for 2019. Please talk to Jennifer if you are interested.
Flowers - Each month one person is in charge of providing some kind of flowers, plants, candle, or other decorations for the front of the sanctuary. Consider taking a month! Sign up sheet is in the fellowship room. Thanks to everyone who brought all kinds of beautiful things for 2018.
Thanks - Thanks to everyone who brought cookies for our sing along and for Christmas Eve. We had so many we were able to use them for the Sundays following those events as well.
Refreshments - We will be trying a new approach to treats for our Sunday fellowship time. There will no longer be a sign up sheet. Any given Sunday that you feel like bringing something, just bring it. We will just see what shows up each week. Some weeks we may not have much and some weeks perhaps we will have a lot. There will always be coffee. For most of last year it was getting harder and harder to get commitments to sign up. So we will try this approach at least for awhile.
Looking Ahead:
Save Your Change - Next quarterly collection of jars of coins will be March 31. This is a way for us to build up our benevolence fund.
Happy New Year?
It occurs to me that it might be hard to maintain happiness for a whole year...
Heck, it's hard for me to maintain happiness for a whole day sometimes!
A moment might be the best we can achieve, and then only with God's help. And happiness seems so dependent on circumstances. My real prayer for you, for myself, for others I love is joy.
Joy is both a gift from God and a decision we make. It is not dependent on the circumstances, good or bad. In fact, the Bible tells us we are to count times of trial as opportunities to practice rejoicing! We are told to rejoice always! We are told that God's joy is our strength.
Looking ahead even a little into this new year, we could get anxious, fearful, overwhelmed. We needn't be. The God who brought us thus far will not ever abandon us. Jesus told his followers just before he died that it was his intent and purpose that His joy would be in them, and that their joy would be full. I believe he wants the same for us.
So, don't spend a lot of time trying to plan the perfect year. Plan, yes, but take each day, each moment, as it comes determined to rejoice in the One who gives us each one those moments and days.
Living the adventure with you,
Gary
Calendar
Thursdays - 1/3 - Church Board Meeting - 7 PM - Fellowship Room
1/24 - Community Dinner - Poplar Grove Church - 5:30 PM - Everyone welcome to eat
and/or serve.
Sundays - Every Sunday: Worship Service at 10:30 am.
1/6 - Communion Sunday. Also bring your jar of change if you forgot it last week.
1/13- Annual Meeting and Potluck immediately following worship. Church basement.
Wednesdays - 1/9 - Bible Study starts back up. 7 PM - Fellowship Room. Will meet every
Wednesday the rest of the month.
Other News:
Annual Meeting and Potluck - Please stay for our annual meeting on Sunday, January 13. We will enjoy a potluck dinner before the meeting. If possible bring a hot and a cold dish to pass. This is an important time to discuss our past and our future of our church. Your thoughts and input are needed! You should have received your minutes from our 2018 annual meeting via email. Please read and/or bring along to the meeting this year.
Coordinators Needed - We are looking for a greeter coordinator and a Christmas Eve coordinator for 2019. Please talk to Jennifer if you are interested.
Flowers - Each month one person is in charge of providing some kind of flowers, plants, candle, or other decorations for the front of the sanctuary. Consider taking a month! Sign up sheet is in the fellowship room. Thanks to everyone who brought all kinds of beautiful things for 2018.
Thanks - Thanks to everyone who brought cookies for our sing along and for Christmas Eve. We had so many we were able to use them for the Sundays following those events as well.
Refreshments - We will be trying a new approach to treats for our Sunday fellowship time. There will no longer be a sign up sheet. Any given Sunday that you feel like bringing something, just bring it. We will just see what shows up each week. Some weeks we may not have much and some weeks perhaps we will have a lot. There will always be coffee. For most of last year it was getting harder and harder to get commitments to sign up. So we will try this approach at least for awhile.
Looking Ahead:
Save Your Change - Next quarterly collection of jars of coins will be March 31. This is a way for us to build up our benevolence fund.
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