Ready or Not, Here Christmas Comes

Dear Church Family,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. I know that we had a lot to be thankful for, and I trust that you did as well. Chanda and I would like to thank everyone for the amazing surprise birthday party that you had for us at the church. It was definitely the biggest birthday party we have ever had. You do such a wonderful job at making us feel supported and appreciated at Hoffman.

Chanda and I also announced during worship on November 13th that we are expecting a child. The due date is May 8th. We are very excited about becoming parents. Since the announcement, you have all been very encouraging. We should find out whether we are having a boy or a girl just before Christmas. We are grateful to have such a great church family and community to raise our child in.

I also want to update you on our second service. We have been diligently planning for several months now. You will begin hearing a lot more about this new service during Advent worship services. The following people have served on the planning team for this service: Mike Barnes, Jim Beavers, Holly Cress, Ben Garrett, Norman Hiester, Theda Klepinger, John McCreery, Val McKay, Kevin Reinke, Brett Weaver, and Darin Wion. If you should have questions about the new service, please don’t hesitate to ask any of us. It is going to take the whole church’s involvement to make this service a success. Our goal is to reach new people in our community. We hope that you will prayerfully consider how you might help us do that.

We have some exciting things going on during the Advent Season this year. Our Christmas party will be on December 10th and the Children’s Choir Performance is on December 11th. 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.

Chanda and I would also like to invite you stop by the parsonage (141 S. Main St.) on Sunday, December 18th for a Christmas Open House. This is an opportunity for you to visit us in the parsonage and have a time of food, fun, and fellowship as we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas is a time of giving to others. It is a time when we can serve one another and help those in need in our community. We will have several opportunities for you to serve and give this Christmas season. Our youth are going to be participating in the 30 Hour Famine on December 2-3. This event is to raise awareness and funds for world hunger. Please show your support by donating to this cause. Our church has also signed up to ring the Salvation Army Bell at IGA on December 17. If you would like to help, see Les Trittschuch. You also have the opportunity to participate in Helping Hands this year. You can help setup, sort, pack, or load boxes. This is a great ministry that reaches out to those in need at Christmas time. I hope you will find an opportunity to serve others and share God’s love this Christmas!

Yours in Christ’s Service,
Pastor Justin