I can’t wait for this weekend. We will start with the 3rd annual Women’s Christmas Tea on Saturday morning – on the Mountain Campus at Lehigh. We have over 200 women who will gather for tea and Christmas fellowship. I get to share the good news of Christmas with our GRACE women and the many guests who are coming. What a wonderful tradition!
Later, on Saturday, from 3-5 pm on the Locust Street Camps, we will have our Family Christmas Experience: Jingle Jam at the Locust Street Campus. Lots of activities, food, and a service project all specially designed for our families. It’s not too late to sign up. Click here for more details.
Speaking of families…maybe you have done some work on your family genealogy. It’s a kind of new obsession to dig deeper into your gene pool – over 26 million people have taken one of the home genetics tests like “23 and me”. What do our family genes and our family tree say about us? Sunday, we continue in our series “The Upside Down of Christmas.” I’ll be preaching on “Christmas Genealogy.” You might be surprised by Jesus’ family tree. You won’t recognize some of the names. And you’ll be surprised who shows up. Maybe his tree can help us get ready for all the joy and all the challenges of Christmas with our own families. We will also take Christmas communion and hear some beautiful music in our classic service – from our choir; and in our modern service – from a guest worship leader with our band.
On Sunday, I will also share that we will announce the results of the SHINE campaign next Sunday, December 15th. It is so clear that God is leading us! I am very excited at your generosity, and all God is doing. If you haven’t yet made your commitment to invest in our future vision and our new campus, and you want your commitment to be counted in that announcement, you can do that by clicking here. Or, you may turn your commitment card in on Sunday or mail it in to the church offices.
Sunday afternoon back at the Locust Campus at 2 pm, we will have our Christmas service of remembrance. Christmas can be a really difficult time for those who are grieving. We will remember our loved ones and remember that Jesus came to be with us in our broken world.
So many ways for you to take steps closer to Jesus as we countdown to Christmas and his coming… and as we get ready to see God at work in and through us in 2020. What a privilege to be….
Your pastor and friend,
Dr. Marnie Crumpler, Senior Pastor