Due to a number of Christmas holiday services and events through December, there will be no Wednesday evening Bible study until the new year. Be on the lookout for the date we will gather again for our Wednesday evening Bible study!
Mission Moment 12.18.24
Kan’Dace Brock
Lead Pastor and Co-Founder
The Message Church, San Antonio, Texas
“Zoë, Chloë, come here.” This phrase is often heard in our home when Fredricc and I are trying to get the attention of either our newly-minted seven-year-old or our soon-to-be three-year-old. While most days I can’t tell you if I am coming or going, I am so grateful to be their mother. You see, both of our girls have a birth narrative that almost resulted in their lives being concluded before they even began. So, when I look at them or tell them to “come here,” I am reminded of the prayers I prayed while in college to become a mother. When I hear them laughing, yelling at each other, screaming or playing with each other, I am reminded of the talks Fredricc and I had about being parents one day early in our marriage.
On the days when I am ready to throw in the towel, God uses my girls to give me a hug, climb in my lap and remind me that “I am the best mommy ever!” And while there are some challenging days, I can say without a doubt that these little girls are saving my life. Their love for God, for one another, for their dad and for others is a beautiful reminder of God’s grace in human form. Their long- and short-term memories about the flowers they picked on the walk we went on last week, or the unkept promise to get ice cream after work, to the endless interrogation about “what’s for dinner,” is a beautiful reminder that what I prayed for many years ago, is right here in front of me.
So now, when I tell the girls to “come here,” I know that even if I am wrong in whose name I called, it is the confidence that I prayed to God for this moment and God’s will is made manifest in that I can call out “Zoë, Chloë, come here.”
Pray, Practice, Ponder
As you go throughout your day, ask yourself the question, “God, what are you calling me to hear, feel, taste, see, explore or remember as a reminder that God hears me?” In your time of reflection, may you be reminded of God’s answer to your prayers being made manifest right before your eyes.
Pray. . .Give. . .Go.
Christmas Eve Service
Tuesday, December 24 at 5:00 p.m.
Begin your family’s Christmas celebration with the story of Christ’s birth! Join us on December 24 for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Come early at 5:00 p.m. to light a candle in the windows in memory of a loved one and to hear Christmas music before the service. Then, beginning at 5:30 p.m., our family-friendly service will capture the wonder of Christmas with familiar carols, the retelling of the Christmas story, and the glow of candlelight. Afterward, gather your family in front of our beautifully decorated Christmas tree for a classic holiday photo. Don’t miss this opportunity to create lifelong memories with your entire family!
1st Explorers Crochet Program to Begin in January
First Explorers would like to teach our students how to crochet. Counselor Bonnie crochets and we are looking for additional crochet artists this winter to help her teach some of our older students the art form. We are also in need of crochet hooks if you have any at home the students could use, please consider donating.
1st Explorers Crochet Program to Begin in January
First Explorers would like to teach our students how to crochet. Counselor Bonnie crochets and we are looking for additional crochet artists this winter to help her teach some of our older students the art form. We are also in need of crochet hooks if you have any at home the students could use, please consider donating.
Giving the Jesus Way
United Christian Ministries requests that we temporarily suspend providing supplies and instead provide monetary donations. Given the current situation with Hurricane Helene’s suppliers, the needs of clients are changing daily. A monetary donation will allow them to purchase specifically what is needed at any point in time. To donate, please drop off a check at 191 Skyland Drive or mail it to PO Box 188, Sylva, NC 28779. Thank you!
Mission Moment 12.11.24
I can remember how excited I would become when mom and dad would announce our annual vacation. I was eager and impatient as I looked forward to the family trip. We always went to either Atlantic Beach, designated for Black people because of segregation, or to visit relatives in Ohio. We did not take extravagant trips or stay in luxury hotels, but my excitement never changed. I was so impatient, enjoying crossing off the days on the calendar until it was time to leave!
Have you ever become impatient? I believe we all have felt impatience in our lives, and we find it extremely hard to wait! It may be an offer for a new job, a first date, an important trip, recovering from illness or other experiences.
Have you ever grown impatient while waiting on God to answer your prayers?
Waiting requires patience, obedience and determination. The will to wait is a gift from God. He gives us the Holy Spirit so that we can walk patiently with him. Sometimes we might feel that he is going to say “no” or “not now.” We have to remember that regardless of the answer, God knows best!
I have received so many blessings in giving time to listen to stories from refugee families about their journeys to America. I sometimes ask how long they had to wait for approval to leave their homes behind and come to another country. Refugee families do not have the privilege to select a country. They are assigned a destination. Their answers may be that it took as long as 13 years. I confessed to a family that I did not think I could endure that experience. They responded that it was patience and prayer. They have blessed me by their example to wait on God when I become impatient.
Is there anything that you are afraid to say to God in prayer?
I shared the refugee example of patience and the fact that their responses included prayer. Their prayers were bold prayers and extremely specific. They wanted to leave trauma, fear and war behind, even if it meant starting a new life in a foreign country. They prayed boldly, in anger and sorrow, and were extremely specific. God answered their prayers, and they are now here after showing patience and courage while waiting on God.
David’s lament in Psalm 13:1: How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
James 4:2 tells us that we have not because we ask not.
Our prayers should also be persistent as shown in the Parable of The Persistent Widow in Luke Chapter 18.
Pray, Practice, Ponder
Ponder a time when you grew impatient while waiting for God to answer your prayer, or a time when you were hesitant to even utter the cries of your heart aloud to God. What did you learn through that experience about yourself, God and a life of prayer?
Pray...Give...Go.
Wednesday Night Bible Study
Due to a number of Christmas holiday services and events through December, there will be no Wednesday evening Bible study until the new year. Be on the lookout for the date we will gather again for our Wednesday evening Bible study!
The Longest Night Worship Service: TONIGHT!
Please join us for a shared service with the First Presbyterian and Methodist churches for a night of remembrance and hope on Wednesday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m. at the Methodist Church.
1st Explorers Christmas Play
It's Showtime! First Explorer After School Ministry students will present "Twas the Night Before the Birth" on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in the Mission and Fellowship Center. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. The show is approximately 30 minutes long.