The Word was God

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MESSAGE.

It is because of Jesus that we got through this painful year 2020. It is because of Him we keep moving out of the darkness of political and social unrest into the the glorious light of His amazing grace. He keeps us together. His love unites us all even when we get upset, frustrated or disappointed in each other. It is in His grace we find the power to embrace those who are different from us. Our selfishness melts away in the rays of His mercy. Pride gives way to forgiveness. Don’t resist His gracious Spirit inviting you to be a humble servant to others around you.

This year we welcomed several new members who joined our church through baptism. Several of those baptisms were in a beautiful nature setting on the lake. A number of individuals joined our church through membership transfers. We welcome all of them! Our church has grown and this is a good reason to rejoice. Some of our members moved on and we will always miss them. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In April of this year our church was transformed into a live studio. The message of comfort and hope in the Russian language was broadcasted live from our church to millions of homes across Eastern Europe. Over five thousand individuals requested Bible studies as a result of these meetings. I am grateful for the generous support of the Light of Hope ministry through which we are able to reach far away parts of the world.

Every month the number of volunteers helping at the Samaritan Center has been steadily growing. Every two weeks, over 150 of the homeless in Chattanooga were receiving lunches prepared by the loving hands of our church members. I am grateful that we kept this a priority through the difficult months of this year.

Over the past twelve months of the passing year you’ve seen photos and read reports about the active ministry of OAKS, Pathfinders and Adventurers, Men’s and Women’s Ministries, Health Ministry, Sabbath school divisions and of course, The Season of Change supporting the elderly in our church and in our community. I am extremely grateful to our church elders. They have been lovingly visiting and supporting many of our elderly. The Prayer Ministry/Prayer Chain kept us all on our knees before the throne of our loving Heavenly Father.

This year also showed us many areas where we are weak and need to grow spiritually. Let these be important lessons for us to learn.

As we celebrate Christmas let the love of Jesus teach us how to sacrifice our comfort for the sake of each other. Christ sacrificed His glory, position and power in order to give us the most precious gift – life eternal.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

PRAYERS.

Please uplift your prayers for many of our church families whose family members have suffered and continue to suffer from COVID-19. I invite you to pray for our county. Here is an important update from the Hamilton County Health department urging everyone to do what they can to stay COVID-19-free this holiday season. Please, stay safe. Take this information into consideration before heading to any public places. If you have cold symptoms or feel vulnerable you can still participate in worship services via our YouTube church channel. Again, please stay safe.

Remember in your prayers, Karina Young. Her father died this afternoon. Let the Lord give hope and courage to this dear family.

Prayers for the Josephs family. Natalia lost her grandfather. The service is this Friday. Read more here.

Memorial service for Elenice Penagos (Edymar’s mother) is this Sabbath at 3 pm. Praying for the Penagos family.

RESOURCES.

Weekly church bulletin.

Online Giving: Tithe and Offerings.

This Sabbath morning His Orchestra will be playing during the 11:30 AM worship service. Both 9 AM and 11:30 AM services will be streamed on YouTube Church channel.

FROM MY HEART.

Last week Galina and I travelled to Flagstaff, AZ to spend a few days with our oldest daughter Stacey, her husband Javan and their two precious boys, Pierce and Caspian. What a blessing it is to have a family! We did some local sightseeing, played in the snow, built a play kitchen table, visited Sedona, learned how play with a toy monster truck, read books by the woodburning stove, learned how to take brief naps while the boys napped … overall it was an unforgettable experience! Our son in law, Javan is in his last year of law school. He was grateful to have additional baby-sitters/entertainers while he was taking his finals. Here are a few photos from our trip.