During the Christmas Season last year, I discovered a new song written by Matthew West. The title of the song is: Give this Christmas Away. Part of the lyrics to the song are:
Feeding the hungry, serving the poor Telling the orphan you're not forgotten anymore It's doing what love does Even when no one's watching you Give this Christmas away If there's love in your heart, don't let it stay there Give this Christmas away And your life will be changed by the gifts you receive When you give this Christmas away Christmas is about celebrating the greatest gift of all, the gift of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Giving gifts at Christmas is a way of doing what God has already done for us when he gave us his one and only Son. As a congregation we have already begun to Give this Christmas Away. Eight boxes were sent to our college students. Fifteen Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes were prepared to give to children who otherwise would not have a Christmas. On Sunday, December 4th we will be preparing boxes to send to those who are serving in the military. Thank you for your part in helping us to Give This Christmas Away. As we go through the Advent Season, I hope each of us will find our own way of sharing with others. There are so many different ways we can give. Let us prayerfully consider our gift to the Presbyterian Christmas Joy Offering. We can do something as simple as holding the door open for someone or perhaps we can buy extra groceries to share. We can give generously of our resources to organizations which help those in need. Speaking of which, I will be a bell ringer for the Salvation Army on Thursday, December 1st from 4:00 – 5:00 PM at Rural King. If you happened to be in the area, please come by and see me. Also, I will be writing the Pastor’s Perspective for the Prairie Press for the month of December. I hope you will enjoy reading them. Listed below is a schedule of Worship Services and Events at New Providence during December. We hope you and your family will join us as we celebrate Christ’s birth once again. Sunday, December 4th – Be Peaceful!– Isaiah 11:1-10 Saturday, December 10th – Family Night at 6 PM – Gingerbread House Contest Sunday, December 11th – Be Joyful! – Isaiah 35:1-10 Sunday, December 18th – Be Ready! – Isaiah 7:10-16 Christmas Caroling – Date and time TBA Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 5:30 PM – Jesus is Born – Isaiah 9:2-7 – Special Music Sunday, December 25th – Let’s Bring Joseph to the Front of the Stable – Matthew 1:18-25 I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and New Year filled with the Peace of Christ. I Count It All Joy, Pastor Vallerie
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The Book of Psalms is filled with Psalms of Praise. Several of these Psalms are known as acrostics. They are Psalm 9-10; 25; 33; 34; 37; 111-112; 119 and 145. Acrostics are Psalms that use the Hebrew alphabet as a poetic tool. Each verse or line within the Psalm begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, written in alphabetical order. The best-known acrostic is Psalm 119. It contains 176 verses. It is the longest chapter in the Bible. This is a Psalm written in praise of God’s law.
November is upon us. The beginning of this month signals the start of the holiday season. It is also the month we set aside as a nation and as the People of God to give thanks. NPPC will kick off the month by heading to L&A Family Farm on Saturday, November 5th at 3 PM IL time. We will enjoy the Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch and a bonfire. We will roast hot dogs and make S’mores. Please bring a side dish to share and a chair. Feel free to invite a friend! On Sunday, November 6th we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper and Honor Our Veterans. We will also be packing boxes after church for our college students. We are still in need of monetary donations. Please see Cathy Smith if you are able to contribute. On Sunday, November 13th I will be preaching from Psalm 145. During our Worship Service, I will invite you to write your own Psalm of Praise and Thanksgiving. Sunday, November 20th is Christ the King Sunday. We will affirm Christ’s Lordship over our lives. We will enjoy Thanksgiving as a church family with our traditional soup and sandwich potluck on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 23 rd at 6 PM. There will be Turkey Bowling and Cookie Decorating. Please come and join us in the fun! Sunday, November 27th , the Season of Advent begins. I will be preaching from the prophet Isaiah. Once again, we will prepare our hearts to receive Jesus in a greater and deeper way. Listed below are the sermons for November: Sunday, November 6th – Surrender – Luke 13:18-21 The Lord’s Supper – Honor our Veterans Sunday, November 13th – Great Is the Lord and Greatly to be Praised – Psalm 145 Christ the King Sunday, November 20th – The Supremacy of Christ – Colossians 1:15-23 The First Sunday of Advent, Sunday, November 27th – Be Prepared! – Isaiah 2:1-5 I Count It All Joy, Pastor Vallerie |