Not in Vain (announcements for December 26)
Hi everyone,
This is our last announcements email of 2021! I have been thinking about the fact that only a year ago we were waiting for our tent to arrive. That seems like an eternity ago.
Our encouragements this year have been many: new members, new children, new converts, days of fasting, opportunities for outreach and service, and a strong financial situation. We have had some challenges too: saying goodbye to those moving away, witnessing our society’s increasing hostility to God, and bearing each other’s burdens of loneliness, grief, unemployment, spiritual trouble, and illness.
God’s gifts of encouragement are little sermons, preaching the truth of 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” The challenges are little sermons, too, preaching the truth of John 15:5, where Jesus tells us that “apart from me you can do nothing.” Of course, these two texts are really saying the same thing, each with a different emphasis: our labor is not in vain in the Lord, and it is in vain apart from Christ. Either way, the key thing is that we are working out of our union with Christ: relying on him, obeying him, and lovingly aiming to please him.
On Sunday evening, we will start a new series of sermons in Acts, with a focus on the basics of living and serving Christ in the Church. My own prayer is that these sermons will give us ample opportunity to examine ourselves, and to align our hearts and lives with God’s priorities so that our work may truly be “in the Lord” and thus permanently valuable.
Speaking personally, you all have been a source of great encouragement to me as your pastor. I am thankful for your keen desire to hear the Word, even from a mere fellow-sinner. I appreciate your partnership in the work of the church, your prayers, your examples of godliness, and your personal kindness to me and my family — the gift I received from you this past week is only the latest in a string of these kindnesses. Thank you.
And whatever encouragements and challenges God gives us in the coming year, may we together receive them joyfully, as sermons telling us of his love and of our future happiness with him in heaven.
Sincerely,
Pastor Goligher
The Lord’s Day
There is no Sunday school this week or next week.
The morning service is at 11:00am.
- Galatians 4:12-20, “Telling the Truth”
- Great God, How Infinite Thou Art #27
- O God, We Praise Thee #105
- Let Children Hear #364
The evening service is at 5:00pm.
- Acts 1:1-11, “He Ascended into Heaven”
- My Soul, Bless the Lord #225
- There is a Fountain #253
Through the Week
Tuesday Bible Study will not meet this week.
Prayer Meeting is on Wednesday evening at 7:15pm, at church and on Zoom.
A Note About Tithes and Offerings
December 26 is the last Sunday in which offerings collected in the worship services will be recorded for the year 2021. If you are mailing in your contribution, it must be postmarked by December 31. Tax receipts are scheduled to be distributed in person on January 16 and January 23, 2022. If you do not receive yours in person, it will be mailed to you by January 31. Please contact Deacon Stan Liao (stan.liao@acm.org) if you have any questions.
Ladies’ Bible Study to Resume
The Ladies’ Bible study will resume meeting by Zoom on Thursday evenings at 7pm. They are continuing to use Nancy Guthrie’s book, The Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis.
The first meeting will be Thursday, January 6. The topic for that evening will be Abraham (Genesis 12-15). Complete the Personal Bible Study on pages 145-152.
Save the Date: Baby Shower for Momei
Ladies, mark your calendars: there will be a baby shower for Momei on Saturday, January 15 at 11am. More details will follow soon.