Info for those helping with the cooking for our Christmas Dinner, this Sunday @ 10:30am.

Sonya called this morning and asked if I could post the following info:

• For those cooking vegetables, they can be picked up at the church anytime.  She has asked that the peas be left to warm up on Sunday morning.
• The “birds” will be here shortly.  The ham is available right now for any who have agreed to cook the meat for us.
• I’ll do my very best to leave the church open during the day so that these items can be picked up.  If you want to make sure that someone is here, call the church number (662-8454) or my cell # – 222-0410.

Thanks so much for agreeing to help.

And for some info re: the gathering …

Service will begin at the normal time this week, 10:30am. (As close as ever get to that start time anyway … )  The first 45 minutes will be a program which will include:

• An Advent devotional (video, candle-lighting.)  This is to keep the reasons to celebrate Christmas before us.  It is so very easy to be distracted in our consumer culture.
• Musical selections from several people
• A skit from the children’s ministry

The meal will begin at 11:30am.

And a personal note …

There are few things that can serve to knit relational bonds like sharing food and fellowship together.  Christmas bespeaks family.  This is one of the reasons that it also holds sadness for those grieving, those whose home life was a painful experience, and those experiencing relational breakdown.

When my home was coming apart, it drove me to my only other option … my church family.  These folks filled a relational void in my life.  It wasn’t just them.  It was Christ in them.  I don’t believe that a person has to go to church (place, event) to know Christ or to live as a Christian.  I do believe that we need a faith community that we connect to in many different ways.  A Sunday service is not enough.  Keith Green used to say, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to MacDonalds makes you a hamburger.”  This kind of activity holds maximal meaning only when we are solidly connected to a spiritual family.

One aspect of my personal hopes for CLC is that we would be (I think we may be.) a solid, safe, accepting Christian family for any and all who need a spiritual home.

One more thing … please fill out the contact for below to receive current news from CLC, directly to your inbox.

Thanks,

Karl