Our children’s Christmas program, Have a Very Hippie Christmas, was groovy, right-on, and far out!  Thank you to all the children who participated:

Narrators:  Renee Lyons & Tyler Hendricks

Mary:  Stella Lyons

Joe:  Ethan Otis

Heavenly Angel:  Jillian Schatzley

Angels:  Andie Andress, Navy Andress, Cassie Riley, Micah Wright & Kash Wright

Innkeepers:  Angel Dearth, Daria Dearth & Travis Hendricks

Cool Cats:  Nicholas Otis, Haley Adkins & Cayedinn Burggraf

Royal Dudes:  Loren Burton, Mason Lyons, Owen Lyons & Owen Lyons

From making the cool VW bus to directing rehearsals, Lora Schueller and Mary Helen Shetter brought everything together.  Their tireless efforts and giving spirits are a blessing to our children and youth.  THANK YOU!!!  The music rocked!  Thanks to Rachel Eve Davis and Katherine Garringer for leading our youth choir.  We also thank all those who helped with technical support, set up and clean up:  Dave Schueller, Mark Roe, Larry Steele, Sidney Burton, Don Dixon, Mike Cockerham, Tim Powers, Larry Chamberlain, Angie Otis and Sarah Andress.

         On Thursday, December 18 we will be recipients of helpful hands from Central Academy (the school next door) from 9:30-10:30 a.m.  Students will walk over to the church and help us with some final preparations for Christmas:  cleaning, preparing candles, assembling luminaries, etc.  We need a few extra adult hands to guide the students.  Volunteers are needed 9:00-11:00 a.m.  Please contact Laureen if you are available to help.

Candlelight Worship

Wednesday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m., you are invited to a special worship service to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We will enter the sanctuary as God’s family and hear again the sacred scriptures, sing our praises to God through song, remember the joy of salvation through communion, and celebrate the true LIGHT of the world through the lighting of candles.  Make sure you are here for this very special night.  Bring your family, friends and neighbors as we welcome the birth of a newborn King.

 

Invite Someone for Christmas

The Christmas season is here and it’s one of the best times of the year to reach the un-churched, the de-churched and those who have fallen away from church.  Why?  Because we are celebrating with joy, and we are celebrating a baby.  These are things that open people’s hearts to the possibility of coming to church.   It’s time to seize the season!  Get out there and begin inviting.

As we celebrate this year, invite someone new to join you.  Guiding someone into a relationship with God and Jesus Christ is the best gift you could ever give them.  It is after all, a gift that gives into eternity.

 

Luminaries

One of our favored Christmas Eve traditions is the numerous luminaries that light the way into the church.  We need volunteers to set these out during the day on Dec. 24, a few other volunteers to light them around 6:00p.m., and a few more volunteers to clean them up after our Candlelight Worship is over.  The students from Central Academy will assemble them.  Please contact Laureen if you can help with any of these luminary tasks.

Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship Service

November 23 at 4:00 p.m.

Join your friends and neighbors of different denominations and faith traditions at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension (2709 Mcgee Ave) for a community Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, November 23 at 4:00 p.m.  The Rev. Sara Cutter from Zion Lutheran will be offering the sermon.  There will be a combined choir from all churches participating.  A collection of socks and underwear (all sizes, kids and adults) will be taken to support the Clothing Depot.

 

On Sunday, November 9, 6-8 p.m. at FCC-Middletown you are invited to join us for Faith and Health: A Guide to Better Living.  This special evening of learning will be led by Dr. David Lombard.  He will use his expertise in the field of psychology to explore how our faith, health and well-being intersect with one another.  Dr. Lombard has been a Clinical Psychologist for almost 40 years working primarily with adults and older adolescents.  He has maintained a private practice for over 35 years while dividing time in community mental health (11 years) and hospital-based services (28 years).  He has served as a consultant for a private school for youth with behavioral problems, drug and alcohol program and a city fire and emergency department.  He was also a faculty member of the Wright State University School of Professional Psychology from 1978 to 2012.  He serves our church as an Elder and former Moderator.