December 11th, 2011 Third Sunday in Advent

Welcome and Prayer

Greg Thiessen
(next-Harold Thiessen)

News & Notes

Friday night Bible Studies will resume in the new year. Thursday, Dec. 15th, 7:30p.m. Memorial Service at Swan Valley Funeral Services. Pastor Harold will be helping with the service. Dec. 18th, our Christmas Concert. Invite family and friends to join us. Dec.24th , 7p.m.- Christmas Eve Service.

Congregational Singing Announcements & Offering Kids Korner

Puppet Show
(next-Lena Friesen)

Birthday Blessings to.

Lena Friesen (Dec.17)

(Special Number)
(Dec. 18-Wayne Reimer)

Scripture Reading
John 1: 10-17 Randy Nepinak
(next-Mel Plett)

Youth Group
Saturday, Dec.17th, a Unity Supper at 5:30p.m. Carolling and cookie delivery after supper.

Message
Dennis Anderson God Dwells With Men

Church Cleaning

Sunday School

Kelsey & Alicia

Associate Missions -Canada

Harvey & Brenda Thiessen (Operation Movilization, Port Colborne, Ont.) Please pray for OM outreach programmes in Winnipeg and Toronto as they reach out to immigrant communities with the gospel. Pray that hundreds of Canadian Youth will be mobilized into international missions. . Notes________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Christian Fellowship Church

Gaudete Week
Our week begins with Gaudette Sunday. Gaudette means rejoice in Latin. The spirit of joy that begins this week comes from the words of Paul, The Lord is near. This joyful spirit is marked by the third candle of our Advent wreath, which is rose coloured. The second part of Advent begins on Dec. 17th each year - this year, in 2011, it is Saturday of the Third Week of Advent. For the last eight days before Christmas, the plan of the readings changes. The first readings are still from the prophesies, but now the gospels are from the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke. We read the stories of faithful women and men who prepared the way for our salvation. We enter into the story of how Jesus life began. These stories are filled with hints of what his life will mean for us. Faith and generosity overcome impossibility. Poverty and persecution reveal glory. Preparing our Hearts and asking for Grace We prepare this week by feeling the joy. We move through this week feeling a part of the waiting world that rejoices because our longing has prepared us to believe the reign of God is close at hand. And so we consciously ask: prepare our hearts and remove sadness that hinders us from feeling the joy and hope which his presence will bestow. Each morning this week, in that brief moment we are becoming accustomed to, we want to light a third inner candle. Three candles, going from expectation, to longing, to joy. They represent our inner preparation, or inner perspective. In this world of conflict and division, greed and lust for power, we begin each day this week with a sense of liberating joy. Perhaps we can pause, breathe deeply and say, My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

Christmas Quote
The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.
~Ralph W. Sockman~