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Joy is an interesting word. We usually think of it as a synonym for happiness, but it's greater than happiness, isn't it? And when the Angel announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds, it was not simply a message of joy -- it was one of GREAT JOY! “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. This Sunday, December 22nd, we'll be talking about JOY and how we can experience it for ourselves. Once again, we'll be using the classic film "It's A Wonderful Life" to illustrate what joy really is. I hope you'll be able to join us.  Our annual Christmas Eve worship service will take place on December 24th at 5:00 pm. The service of scripture reading, special music, and carol singing will last about an hour and conclude with candle lighting and the singing of "Silent Night". I'm arranging for readers of scripture passages as a part of the service. If you are interested in participating as a reader, please contact me (206-650-1557). I hope you'll all be able to attend this special celebration of Jesus' birth. Calling All Family-less Folks Tami and I will be alone on Christmas day and we started wondering about others who might be looking for people to share the day with. So this is an open invitation for anyone who would like to join us at our home.
We'll gather at noon for a potluck brunch and fun. Bring some food to share and a white elephant gift. If you have any questions, give Tami a call (206-380-6363). I recently learned that there is physics behind the quiet of a snowfall. Because snow falls slower than rain, it doesn't make an impact sound when landing. And the spaces that exist between the crystalline structure of the flakes, allows other sounds to be muffled. The result is the peace and quiet we experience at this time of year. Peace and quiet is one thing, but what we really long for is the peace of lack off stress, conflict and pain in our lives. That peace is longed for by everyone - and it's something that is in short supply. All of our efforts cannot guarantee peace for us. But it's available when we turn to the one and only true source of peace! As Paul instructed the church in Philippi, Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. This Sunday, December 15, we'll continue our Advent series, "It's A Wonderful Life Because of Christmas" as we see how the Prince of Peace meets us in the midst of our difficulties and brings us His peace. I hope you'll be able to join us! By the way, each Sunday our children are playing the bells as a part of our worship service. At 9:45, the kids practice the songs which they will play later. This means that every kid can play on any Sunday - just come for the rehearsal time. And parents can either help with rehearsal or join Pastor Jeff and the adults discussing how we can be better representatives of Jesus in the lives of our friends and family.  All Junior High and High School students are welcome to join us this coming Wednesday, December 18th, from 6:00-8:00, for our annual Christmas party hosted at Paul and Jill White's home (97D Poorman Creek Road, Twisp). Pizza, games, laughter, and surprizes. Bring a wrapped gift ($5-$10 value) that you wouldn't mind going home with... because you just might! Friends are welcome! Contact Pastor Jeff for more info (206-650-1557).
Are you familiar with the "Five Love Languages"? Author Gary Chapman wrote a very insightful and helpful book a number of years ago which pointed out that everyone has a primary "language" in which they express and receive love: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, and Gifts. It's important to understand another person's love language so that you can "speak in their language". He shares a story about a husband and wife who came in for counseling. The wife complained that her husband never told her that he loved her. The husband responded that he regularly brought her flowers and gifts to express his love for her. Her love language was Words of Affirmation while his was Gifts. They were speaking in different languages. Why do I bring this up? Well, no matter which of these is your primary way of expressing your love for someone, ALL of them require action. As the band DC Talk sang back in the 90's, "Love is a Verb". This Sunday, December 8th, we'll continue our series "It's A Wonderful Life Because of Christmas" as we look at the theme of Love. Real love is about giving, not getting. How will you be giving Christmas love to others this year. Remember, it doesn't have to be limited to the form of something wrapped under the tree - and maybe it will be even more special if it isn't!  Speaking of sharing Christmas love, you can join us in singing the songs of Christmas this evening as we make our way through Twisp during the Mistletoe Madness shopping night. We'll be meeting under the lighted tree at the north end of Glover St. at 5:30 and working our way through the businesses on our way to TwispWorks. As Buddy the Elf says, "The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud so all can hear." I hope you can join us!  Sign up at church to participate in this annual event. You can host the soup or dessert course, or simply join those moving from home to home. More details are available at the church.
I hope that you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with special people. Tami and I traveled to the West side for a few days with my mom and my sister's family and then we continued down to the Portland area to spend time with our son, daughter & son-in-law, and his parents and extended family. It's truly wonderful to share these times together. However, there was a big void in our celebration this year. This is the first Thanksgiving since my dad's passing and only the beginning of many gatherings in which his absence will be felt. I know that I'm not alone in this experience and many of you also deal with this mix of joy and sadness. My own grandparents spent decades struggling with the loss of my mom's brother who died as an eight-year-old along with two other boys who fell through the ice in Traverse City, MI. How can we say it's a wonderful life when life is full of tragedy? This Sunday, December 1st, is the first Sunday of Advent in which we look with anticipation to the birth of the Messiah, Jesus. Because of Christmas, we have a Savior and a Lord who never abandons us or leaves us to struggle through our pain on our own. We can experience forgiveness and a new life in Him and real hope no matter what life's circumstances may bring. Our Advent sermon series this year will use the Christmas Classic "It's A Wonderful Life" to illustrate the themes of Advent: HOPE, LOVE, PEACE, and JOY. This week we'll talk about where we find real hope. I know that many of you watch this film every year as a part of your Christmas tradition, but some of you may not have seen it. This Sunday evening, December 1st, at 6:00 pm, we'll watch it together in the Fellowship Hall at church. Come and enjoy this great film together - bring some snacks to share. By the way, be aware that the movie is a bit over 2 hours long, so we won't be finished until after 8:00 pm (which may influence your decision to bring younger kids on a school night).  On Thursday evening, December 5th, we'll be joining the festive atmosphere of the town of Twisp's "Mistletoe Madness". We'll meet at the end of Glover Street near the big tree at 5:30 pm and then work our way down the street singing as we stop in at the different businesses. Plan on joining us for this festive way to spread the true meaning of Christmas through song!
 One of my favorite Christian recording artists is Steve Taylor. About 20 years ago he decided to release a live album. As you may be aware, most "live" albums are later enhanced in the studio with extras like improved instrumentation and even enhanced crowd noise. Steve decided that he wanted to release a truly live recording - warts and all. So, since this was a "liver" album than any other live album, that's what he called it: "LIVER". Steve has a quirky sense of humor and knew most people would read that title as liver (as in the organ), but he was fine with that. Spiritually speaking, you may look back at your life before you knew Jesus as less alive than you are now. We've been born again into an abundant life because of Jesus' death and resurrection. So you, too, are liver than you were! This Sunday, November 10th, we'll be looking at the prophet Ezekiel's descriptive imagery of how God rescued Israel from a doomed existence and made her into His beautiful, royal bride. It's also a description for what He's done for you and me. I hope you'll be present with us for this wonderful reflection on God's saving love He's given to us. Special Offering Clayton Thornton's FamilyAs most of you know, a young father of two, Clayton Thornton, died in a car accident on October 27th. We will be collecting a special offering this Sunday, November 10th, for the family and their related expenses. Make checks payable to "Hannah Kinzle". And thank you for remembering Clayton's family in your prayers, especially his young daughters Emma and Tedi.  Everyone is welcome to our annual meeting during which we celebrate the past year and look forward with anticipation to the next. Members will be voting on the 2020 Church Budget and Church Council positions. Collecting Shopping BagsThe Cove is in constant need of used paper and plastic shopping bags, including produce bags. While some of the recipients remember to bring their own bags, many do not. Please bring in your used bags to the church and they will be brought to the Cove.
This Sunday, November 3rd, we'll continue our IMMERSE: PROPHETS series by looking at Jeremiah chapter 32. God asks Jeremiah to do something completely illogical in the midst of the nation of Judah on the brink of defeat and exile at the hands of the Babylonians. Come join us as we consider how our faith in God may lead us to follow Him with confidence beyond the storm.  Join us at the church tonight (Thursday, Oct. 31st) from 5:00-6:30 for lots of fun and the chance to share God's love with our community!  This Sunday morning, November 3rd, you can get your photo taken to update our church photo board. Come prior to church (8:00-10:30) and Anne Young will take a professional photo of your family. In addition, if you would like to purchase the digital image to use for Christmas cards or other things, you will be able to purchase it for $25. All money raised will go toward our riverbank project. Sign up for the Women's Soup Supper EventSign up now for the Annual Women's Soup Supper which will take place on Tuesday, November 12th, from 6-8:30pm at the church. Wonderful music, an encouraging speaker, delicious food, and and beautiful atmosphere will make this a memorable evening. Please sign up yourself and guests at the church by Sunday November 10th.
Contact Barbara Irvine at 509-997-7284 or birvine@centurytel.net for more information One of the benefits of living in the Methow is that it's easy to get away from "light pollution" and simply get lost in the night sky. This youtube video shows time-lapse video of the sky as the earth rotates. It's beautiful and awe-inspiring! See the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L71nt62ddPk As the David says in Psalm 8: When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place-- This Sunday, October 20th, we're continuing through our IMMERSE: PROPHETS series and we'll be reflecting on the majesty of God by looking at Isaiah 40. Take some time in the coming days and nights to admire God's creation and consider how His majesty is revealed through it. The Potty ProjectLast Spring a group of men from the Methow traveled down to Mexico to work on an addition to the "Ninos Con Fe" orphanage. The additional space has allowed them to take in 20 more abandoned children - at least 5 of whom have accepted Christ in the past few months! However, the additional bathroom facilities (including showers) have not yet been completed due to a lack of funds. So we've begun the "Potty Project" to rectify this problem. During the month of October we're collecting donations with the goal of reaching $5000. We're well on our way with nearly $4000 already raised! We invite you to prayerfully consider making a contribution to this effort. Checks can be made payable to "CCC" with a note indicating the "Potty Project" and mailed to the church or deposited in our special "Outhouse Bank" near the photo board in Fellowship Hall. There's a toilet paper tower indicating our progress towards the $5000 goal. Thanks for joining us in sharing the love of Jesus with these precious children in a VERY practical way! A year ago we hosted a workshop led by Steve Burger from our denominational headquarters in Chicago. During that time together, we brainstormed and prayerfully set a course of action to strengthen our children's ministry and help to equip parents to become spiritual nurturers for their kids.
Steve will be returning for a time of evaluation and next steps on Thursday, October 24th. We'll begin the evening with dinner at 5:30 followed by the workshop from 6:00-8:00. All adults are invited to take part in this informative and exciting time. Child care will be provided. You can learn more about Legacy by going to https://covchurch.org/legacy/ This past week, Tami and I attended the Pacific Northwest Conference Pastor/Spouse Retreat at Cascades Camp. It was a wonderful time with old and new friends, a beautiful setting, great worship, and an impactful speaker: Keith Ferrin. Keith is a speaker, writer, and cheerleader for actually enjoying reading the Bible! As a part of his time with us, he "performed" the book of Philippians from memory. He's also memorized other large portions of scripture which he shares with groups all over the country. One of the things Keith advocates is to spend 15 to 30 minutes reading scripture each day. He shared that the brain needs at least 10 minutes of continual reading before you become immersed in the story. Unfortunately, most of us approach reading the Bible in tiny bits at a time. The average devotional has us read a few verses that only takes about 60 seconds. Reading a chapter takes about 3 or 4 minutes. As a result, 80%-90% of us never get to the point where our brains enjoy it! We've begun our IMMERSE: PROPHETS Bible Reading Experience this week. The daily reading plan has us reading about 12 pages a day, 5 days a week, which takes around 20 minutes. In addition to the extended time in the scriptures, the IMMERSE volume has removed the chapter and verse breaks so that the reading continues uninterrupted. This week we read the books of Amos, Hosea, and Micah. Each Sunday over the next 8 weeks I'll select my sermon text from the previous week's reading. This Sunday, October 6th, I'll be preaching based on the book of Hosea. I'd like to encourage you to join us on this journey through the books of the Old Testament Prophets. You can just start up with us this coming week as we read the first half of the book of Isaiah. Copies of IMMERSE: PROPHETS are available at church for $10 or you can order one from Amazon (including a Kindle version). Let me also put in a plug for the free podcast audio version (just look for and subscribe to "IMMERSE: PROPHETS" wherever you get your podcasts). You can also listen along on the website immersebible.com/prophets By the way, if you're interested in learning more about Keith and his ministry, you can find more at Keithferrin.com The Potty ProjectLast Spring a group of men from the Methow traveled down to Mexico to work on an addition to the "Ninos Con Fe" orphanage. The additional space has allowed them to take in 20 more abandoned children - at least 5 of whom have accepted Christ in the past few months! However, the additional bathroom facilities (including showers) have not yet been completed due to a lack of funds. So we've begun the "Potty Project" to rectify this problem. During the month of October we're collecting donations with the goal of reaching $5000. We're off to a great start with over $2000 already raised! We invite you to prayerfully consider making a contribution to this effort. Checks can be made payable to "CCC" with a note indicating the "Potty Project" and mailed to the church or deposited in our special "Outhouse Bank" near the photo board in Fellowship Hall. There's a toilet paper tower indicating our progress towards the $5000 goal. Thanks for joining us in sharing the love of Jesus with these precious children in a VERY practical way! Legacy Children's Ministry Workshop is ReturningA year ago we hosted a workshop led by Steve Burger from our denominational headquarters in Chicago. During that time together, we brainstormed and prayerfully set a course of action to strengthen our children's ministry and help to equip parents to become spiritual nurturers for their kids.
Steve will be returning for a time of evaluation and next steps on Thursday, October 24th. We'll begin the evening with dinner at 5:30 followed by the workshop from 6:00-8:00. All adults are invited to take part in this informative and exciting time. More information will be coming.  When I'm reading my Bible, I often come across a passage that speaks to me in a powerful way. On those occasions I'll often reach for a highlighter to mark the verses for future reference. At other times, I'll read a section that bores me or makes me uncomfortable. In those cases, I'll grab my black Sharpie marker and block out the offensive verses so that I won't have to deal with them in the future. I hope you realize that I'm joking about the Sharpie! However, most of us are guilty of virtually "redacting" portions of Scripture for any number of reasons. Some parts just seem boring. Some appear irrelevant to us. And there are the passages that make us uncomfortable. So we just skip over those portions of the Bible and stick with our favorites. The problem is that we end up missing part of what God has to say to us - and we're the lesser for it! This Sunday, September 29th, we'll be kicking off our next IMMERSE Bible reading experience as we read through the books of the prophets together over the next 8 weeks. You can pick up a copy of the volume "IMMERSE: PROPHETS" at church for $10 or you can purchase a copy through Amazon (there's also a Kindle version available if you prefer). The benefit of using the IMMERSE volume is that it contains the books in the order that we will be reading them (different from the order they are in your Bible) which reflects their chronological order. In addition, all chapter and verse breaks have been removed so that our reading experience becomes more fluid and similar to the books' original form. IMMERSE volumes also contain informative and helpful introductions to each book which helps to set the context for each prophet's message. Each Sunday I'll be selecting the sermon text from within the previous week's reading. There are lots of resources available at www.immerse.covchurch.org/prophets  We'll finishing off September with a BBQ Potluck this Sunday following worship. The meat and drinks will be provided while you can bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share. Even though the forecast looks to be chilly, we'll adjust as needed, so plan on being a part of the fellowship!
I enjoy a good mystery, whether it's a book or movie. There's a lot of fun trying to solve the case right alongside the detective. But the key to cracking the case is to be observant of the details. Take a look at this brief Youtube video and see how observant you are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA This Sunday, September 15th, we'll be continuing in our series focused on REACHING OUT to our world with the Good News. However, you can't share the Good News unless you notice the people around you who need to know it. I hope you'll be able to join us as we consider how Jesus models this life for us.  And I hope you'll choose to come to church a bit earlier in order to participate in our Sunday School time before worship (9:45-10:15). I'll be leading a class on how we can naturally work with the Holy Spirit in creating the kind of friendships in which spiritual conversations happen naturally with others. Everyone from teenaged and up are invited to be a part of this discussion-based class. The class will be based on the book "God Space" by Doug Pollock and I highly recommend everyone purchase a copy. (I'll have some available for $5, but you can also purchase a hard copy or Kindle version on Amazon). However, you will still get a lot out of our class and discussion even if you don't have a copy of the book. I hope you'll be able to join us! Bless Our Schools SundayThis Sunday we will also take time in our worship service to pray a blessing over our schools and all of the students, teachers, and administrators. We want to encourage all of you who work in our schools to come this Sunday and consider inviting another of your co-workers to come along. We won't ask you to come up front, but we want to pray God's blessing over you and your schools in the coming year.
This Monday, September 16th, will be the kickoff for a new Mom's in Prayer group. Each Monday morning from 9:00-10:00, all women are invited to meet at the home of Lisa Whatley to pray for the Methow Valley School District staff and students. Contact Lisa for more information Lisa.Whatley326@gmail.com |
Pastor JeffThoughts about living as a Jesus follower and life at Community Covenant Church Archives
December 2020
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