Agape Newsletter: 12-11-2008 - Vision 2009 part 2 + Crossroads Christmas Party

Friends, Romans, countrymen:

Welcome to another Agape newsletter!

Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:

1. Vision Sunday, Part 2:
2. Baptism Service Sunday December 28
3. Crossroads Christmas Party THIS SUNDAY!
4. Angel Food Pick Up Saturday 9:00am
5. Food Pantry Saturday 9:00am (last one of the year - no Food Pantry on Christmas Eve)
6. We still need people to adopt kids for Christmas - see Cindy (or email me) for details. Thus far, we’ve had over 30 families request our help for this Christmas!!!
7 December 21 - Christmas Service - beginning with covered dish breakfast at 10:00am.
8. The Nest - downtown Christmas party December 23rd - leave the church at 6:30
9 Youth Christmas party - December 21, 5:00pm (no Crossroads that night)

This Sunday morning at Agape - Vision Sunday part 2! Sunday after worship, we will be continuing our message series on vision 2009 - that which God is calling us to as a church for next year. The first part of the message is now available on our website: http://agapepinson.com/sermons_online.htm.

We will be continuing to discuss our calling for 2009, and this will be a message of HOPE for the future. If you have been struggling thus far during this holiday season (with depression, lack of focus, the blah’s, worry, etc) then the message Sunday will encourage and lift you up, I believe.

Also - partly sparked by David McConnell’s excellent message on baptism at Crossroads this past Sunday (again - listen to it online at: http://agapepinson.com/sermons_online.htm),
We will be having a baptismal service the last Sunday of the year - December 28th. If you have not yet been baptized, then please let me know, and we will baptize you that Sunday. If you listen to David’s message, you will realize the vast importance of baptism! Also - if your kids have given their lives to Jesus, but have not yet been baptized, then this Sunday will be the perfect Sunday for them.

This Sunday night at Crossroads, we will be hearing a great message, then adjourning to David and Mary Ledbetter’s house for a covered dish Christmas party. All of our Crossroads gatherings have been great fun and fellowship, and I believe that this one will be as well - come join us, and be sure to bring some food for sharing.

Speaking of eating and fellowship: Next Sunday (December 21) we will be having a very special Christmas service at Agape. We begin at 10:00am with a covered dish breakfast together. (everybody needs to bring some sort of breakfast dish - more details next week). After our meal together, we will enjoy and participate in a worship service that will be led by our worship team, as well as our children and dance team. It should be wonderful!

Also note that we will be voting on our 2009 budget this Sunday, December 14th, right after our morning worship and word. If you would like to look at our budget, we’ve posted it on our website:http://agapepinson.com/online_resources.htm You will need Microsoft Excel to view the budget proposal.

Finally, allow me to close with the acronym that was introduced this Sunday which describes our primary mission at Agape: (More details on GRIP this Sunday)
Our primary purposes at Agape:
G.R.I.P.
Glorify - First and foremost we are to glorify God in worship, prayer, and in our love and care for each other.
Reach - As a church family, we are called to GO and carry the Good news - to reach people and introduce them to the person and teachings of Jesus.
Impart - We are not only called to introduce people to Jesus, but also to make disciples. The word impart means to communicate the knowledge of something. We are called to bring the message of Jesus to the world, and to teach them how to follow Jesus.

Propel - Finally - our calling is not to reach and disciple people merely to grow our fellowship, or to help us out. We are called to propel people into their calling and destiny in Jesus. Sometimes that means they will stay and serve with us at Agape - other times it means that they will serve elsewhere - even in other countries. It’s our job to send them out - or propel them - to where God is calling them to be.

This Week’s Schedule:  (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)

Saturday, December 6 9:00 am - Angel Food pick up and Food pantry (the last food pantry of 2008)

Sunday, December 7, 9:15 am - WATCH AND PRAY!

Sunday 9:45 - Small groups

Sunday 10:45 - Corporate worship, prayer and word. This Sunday: Vision 2009 part 2 - God’s call for US

Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads.

Here’s David’s invitation: Tonight will be our last Crossroads service of 2008. We are going to have a special time of worship (a portion of which will be based on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s album ‘Christmas Eve and Other Stories’) and a message on how we are called to invest our lives into the lives of others for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel. We will also have a unique opportunity to do exactly that at the end of our service. Following the service we will have a Fellowship dinner at the home of Mary and David Ledbetter, just a short drive from the church (please bring a side dish). Please join us at 5pm.

Wednesday night, December 17 - Advent Part 4 - Join us for Wednesday nights in December as we celebrate Advent together and study/discuss things related to the birth of Jesus.

Sunday, December 21 - Christmas covered dish breakfast and fellowship (10:00am).

Tuesday, December 23 - The Nest homeless ministry

Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) - No Wednesday night service or food pantry.

This Week’s Links:

*****    A Christmas Quiz. Including a surprising answer to who set up the first Christmas tree: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/quiz/?id=RUQWP

*****     Is President Bush an evangelical? (It sure doesn’t sound like it, based on this interview): http://www.irishcalvinist.com/?p=2073


*****   Have you ever wondered what exactly the star of Bethlehem was? If it was a true star in (our understanding) how could it have guided the magi to a specific location? Here are some theories: http://www.rayfowler.org/2008/12/10/what-was-the-star-of-bethlehem/
Here’s a couple of practical links as well:

*****    The Inigo Montoya guide to commonly misused words: http://www.copyblogger.com/commonly-misused-words/ (by the way, The Princess Bride remains my favorite movie, even after 20 years)

See you Sunday! 

Chase


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