HAPPY NEW YEAR! Here at California EC Church, we hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior and you are as ready as the rest of the world to begin a whole near year with new adventures, challenges, opportunities to worship God!
Many times when we enter the new year, you hear questions like, “What’s your New Years’ Resolution?” It’s the perfect time to refocus, readjust, and reorient your life into a better direction. But so often we try to plan out new changes that don’t have any lasting effects. I have a friend who’s a gym junkie (he runs more marathons than I ever wish to). He always jokes that around this time of year the attendance at his gym will spike due to the new resolutions of wanting to be healthier or lose a few pounds. However jokingly he admits that if you can make it through the busy month of January, by February and March it’s practically back to normal. Most of those resolutions get lost in the shuffle of life. The treadmills that were once full now are back to servicing the regulars. That is till it happens all over again next year.
Losing weight, being more organized, being a better father/mother/spouse, or getting all A’s in school are all great goals and should be celebrated. But if you’re still looking for a resolution or you want one that is actually going to stick this year check out what the apostle Paul has to say.
Paul in Philippians 3 gives us a true resolution that is above all the others we could possibly come up with. (v.8-9) “…I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him…” Knowing Christ is far superior to anything you or I can come up with as a resolution. I’d even go far as to say, that as Christians this SHOULD be our resolution each and every year – to know Christ and be in communion with Him better than the year before. Knowing Christ should be a growing relationship in which there is a blessed enjoyment in the here and now PLUS the challenge/excitement of increasing our own comprehension of Christ in personal fellowship.
Events in January:
New Sermon Series Begins! – Starting January 8th and for the next month and a half we are going to be getting in shape on Sunday mornings. With the new year comes people looking to get back into shape and shed some of those pounds from the Christmas season. But have you ever taken the time to get your spiritual health in shape? It’s not usually our go-to resolution. But so often many churches and church members “put the cart before the horse” – putting programs over the deeper needs and putting life ahead of personal devotion. We need to feed and care for the horse, but instead of our energy goes into the cart, so the horse ends up too weak to pull the cart. In scripture we are called the “body of Christ” and that body is fragile on it’s own and needs exercise just like our bodies today. We need to take care of not only our physical bodies, but also our spiritual bodies. Join us as we get in shape (no gym membership required) – Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, and Nutrition.
Bible Study – Every Thursday night beginning at 7:00 p.m. we gather together to open God’s word for a time of study. We are continuing in our study of the book of Proverbs. In an ever changing world our needs are still the same – our need for work and discipline, perspective in the good and bad times, and those time-old practices of patience, wisdom, and kindness. The sayings collected in the book of Proverbs gave practical hurdles to those matters thousands of years ago, and their wisdom is still refreshing today.
***Be aware – we are moving to WEDNESDAYS beginning January 25th (be sure to keep updated on our calendar page)
Annual Congregational Meeting – Following our Worship Service on January 15th, we will hold our annual congregation meeting. It is a time to look back and see all that God has done over the past year as well as provide a road-map of the year to come. This meeting includes reports from the Pastor, Lay Delegate, Treasurer, and other church leaders as we plan ahead and ask for God’s wisdom in our future goals for 2017 and beyond. Following the meeting will be a Soup and Salad lunch (provided by His Ladies and other members of our congregation) for all who attend so PLEASE stay and be a part of the conversation and future of California Church!
Upcoming Events:
Yard Sale – We’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty. We’ve got whozits and whatzits galore. You want thingamabobs? We might just have those too! Our annual Yard Sale takes place here at California EC Church on Saturday February 25th beginning at 8:00 AM and going until 1:00 PM. There will be free coffee, tons of things to buy, and so bring your family and tell your neighbors! If you can’t come early – there’s deals even later! Come at 11:00 AM and fill a bag for just $1.00 (that’s a deal you just cannot beat). Lots of great housewares, clothing, boots, shoes, books, movies, holiday decorations, toys, etc… And if you can’t find your treasure on Saturday morning, stop by Sunday morning at 10:15 for worship, we’ll help you find Him then (along with a whole bunch of leftover items as well.
Love Brunch – Be sure to check back for more details coming VERY soon in the month of February!
Lenten Devotions – Believe it or not, Lent is just around the corner and will be here before you know it. That means something very special here at California Church as we have our own unique tradition. Every year members of our church submit devotions for each day of the season of Lent (Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday) and we create a devotional book for everyone to experience together. It’s a wonderful time hearing from your church family throughout the week in your devotions and brings us closer together as we anticipate the joy of Easter. Stay tuned for details and devotion submission deadlines!
Don’t forget to stay in touch here on our website as well as at our church! Feel free to comment AND SHARE with your friends on social media and we look forward to seeing you at California EC Church this month!
Don’t want to miss out on new posts? Be sure to check back for more Monthly Snapshots (always on the 1st of the month), “The Gospel According to…” reviews, and lots of other great things here on our church blog!
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