Dear Church Family,
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving as you reflected on the blessings that God has given. God certainly has richly blessed me over the past year. I am extremely thankful for being sent to serve as the pastor of Hoffman. It has been a great joy for Chanda and me to be part of this church family.
We have some exciting things going on during the Advent Season this year. Our Christmas party will be on December 4th and the Kid’s Choir Performance is on December 12th. We will also be having two services on Christmas Eve. Our 7 o’clock service provides the opportunity for families with children to worship and be home early. Our 10 o’clock candlelight service is a traditional service with the choir providing a musical Christmas celebration. We hope that you are able to make it out for these great events this Christmas.
Chanda and I would also like to invite you stop by the parsonage (141 S. Main St.) on Sunday, December 19th for a Christmas Open House. This is an opportunity for you to visit with us in our home and have a time of food, fun, and fellowship as we celebrate Christmas together.
Our sermon series for the season of Advent is “A Life-Giving Christmas.” Do you want this Christmas to be different? To focus on things that really matter, rather than just things? This Christmas, experience authentic joy . . . joy that doesn’t come with a price tag. “A Life-giving Christmas” is about finding a more meaningful way to celebrate this year, and finding hope for the New Year. Please join us for worship this Advent as we look at:
- Sunday, November 28: “Hope . . . next year, things will be different!”
- Sunday, December 5: “Peace . . . strength to hold on”
- Sunday, December 12: “Joy . . . to get me through the tough times”
- Sunday, December 19: “Love . . . gotta have it!”
As we prepare ourselves for Christmas, we are going to take a look at our Christmas Wish Lists. What is it that we really want for Christmas? I am going to challenge us to make our Christmas Wish Lists life-giving. There are a lot of things in this world that seem to deplete life. Especially during Advent, people participate in a lot of non-life-giving activities that seem to drain them—the busyness of the season, added stress, and financial problems, to name a few. As you think about what you really want for Christmas this year, think of things that give life, rather than deplete it. Think of things that energize you, people around you, and the kingdom of God as you make your Christmas Wish List this year.
In January, once Christmas has ended and the New Year has begun, we are going to start an exciting series that I hope will peak the interest of many. We are going to begin studying “Christianity’s Family Tree.” This study is a look at the different Christian denominations in our country today. We will investigate a different denominational family each Sunday in worship and in a study on Sunday afternoons at 4 PM. You will read more about this in next month’s Towers, but until then, mark your calendar and plan to join us and invite your friends.
Yours in Christ’s Service,
Pastor Justin
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