I hope that this Update finds you at home, warm, and safe.  If you're in Georgia, my heart goes out to you.  At least 11 people have died due to the extreme weather conditions there (it may not sound like it's that bad to us Midwesterners, but they're totally unprepared for this sort of weather there, and when they all leave work at the same time to avoid the snowstorms... well, it's not a good thing).  Please keep the people in the South in your prayers.

On Super Bowl Sunday morning Bears fans, Viking supporters, Chiefs loyalists, et al., and those less appreciative of gridiron gangs, gathered to worship God together and be in loving community. We collectively asserted our faith with Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. With a goose bump raising descant on Holy, Holy Holy, we aimed to be a pleasing scent in the nostrils of the Lord God Almighty. Breaking into pair,s we shared in a unique time of lifting up each other needs.    

Rich wood and string tones of intertwined cello and harp played Sweet Hour of Prayer and other prelude reflections. Guest musician Tyler Stembridge joined our dedicated team in accompanying our worship of God in song and committing to each with The Servant Song.

Hello!  I hope that this Update finds you well and serving the Lord and one another wherever you are.  As it turned out, the weather was actually quite nice on Sunday--in the midst of sub-zero days both last week and this coming week, I was able to walk around in my shirtsleeves on Sunday afternoon!

It’s funny to be writing a “Happy New Year” kind of Update when we’re halfway through January, but that’s what happens when you’re enjoying record-breaking winter storms at the beginning of the year.  We decided last week that, with temperatures dipping into the -20° F range due to high winds and frosty wind chills, we’d be wise and conscientious and not imperil our FCCers by trying to hold a service.  

In our mid-week Christmas Eve service the Berry family lit the Christ candle and we celebrated the birthday of The Eternal One. Sunday morning we reconvened and our hearts warmed to see the Cripes. We visited, prayed, and sang hymns and praises together. Our offertory featured the intertwined harmony of Vanessa and Peggy on the poignant Mary Did you Know?

We entered into the morning service with a prelude of rich harp tones. With a few folks out for the holidays, we lifted up our voices to worship Christ and celebrate His birth. Pastor encouraged us to be praying for those in our lives who don’t know Christ, and getting ready for the opportunity to share our testimony on the first Sunday of 2014. 

Under our snow-draped pulpit-to-the-world, we shared a mixture of new and classic Christmas music. Pastor exhorted us to be Christ at Christmas and extend ourselves to those around us who don’t know Him. Randy prayed for healing prayer of Peg Pendell (and her daughter) and May (Rachel Cushman's mother)…and gave thanks for Gwen’s graduation and her and Chris Budzynski’s new jobs.

On a crisp December Sunday morning we enjoyed singing Christmas carols accompanied by our dedicated worship music team. Bill read a Psalm of praise and led us in heartfelt corporate prayer. The Christiansen family shared several scriptures and lit the advent candle of Peace.

With some unique, well-done humor and much warmth, we welcomed back Pastor Kevin and his family. Peggy‘s hammered dulcimer seasoned us with Christmas music, including O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, in the prelude, offertory, and communion.

Together we joined in worship singing several songs and hymns of thanksgiving and praise. In our Missions Minute our young brother Graham opened up and shared some of his joys working with the youth at Great Oaks Camp. Corporate prayer was poignant as those in need were lifted up and a minute of silence was observed in honor of our dear friend Jim who recently left this world to be present with our Lord. Once again the gracious tones flowed from Vanessa’s harp in a lovely arrangement of Give Thanks for a Grateful Heart.

This morning the children, led by Peggy, prayed over about 40 personally packed shoe boxes filled with goodies destined to touch young children through Operation Christmas Child. We worshipped in song, including the hymn Marvelous Grace of Our Loving God by Peorian Julie H. Johnston. There were several announcements including our Christmas Decorating Party scheduled for December 1st, which is also our first Sunday with Wrights back. Vanessa’s lovely harp solo gave us reflection during the offertory.

We embraced the international day of prayer for the persecuted church. We took in a Voice of the Martyrs video, which movingly showed us the painful personal cost that families are experiencing with violence against The Church in Northern Nigeria. Pamphlets with colored world maps of the persecuted church were given out and we were encouraged to follow up at VOM.

We had a profound and Christ-centered worship service this week. We honored our King even as we were processing news that left us pained and deeply saddened about Jim Irwin’s health battle taking a serious turn for the worse. We also lifted up young Caroline, and many others, in prayer as we learned that she had been admitted to hospital with significant abdominal pain of unknown origin.

We welcomed guest speaker David Swanson, our Central Conference director of Church Planting. Linda led us in corporate prayer and shared a moving Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child video.  It showed how we can be Christ hands and deeply impact children’s lives with a shoebox of small gifts. Michael rendered a passionate offertory on acoustic guitar and Vanessa’s worship team led us in lifting up our God & Lord.