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Dear Immanuel Athletes (and non-Athletes):

Last Sunday I announced that the Women’s Ministry was sponsoring training for any women of Immanuel who wanted to be part of a team at the Ukrops 10k race on Saturday, March 31.  Our own Candice Collins, a fantastic runner who perennially places high in this race, has offered to train those who would like to participate at any level – from running to walking!  We already have ladies signing up, and the first “team” meeting is this Saturday at 8 AM at the church.

I teased about Tom Smith working on a Men’s group who could serve as cheerleaders, and he proposed a 10k rib eating team.  (Way to go, Tom!)  But … that afternoon I received a surprise email from a member of the church, a man who is a trained runner, who volunteered to coach a men’s group (unless the guys around here are just wimps and will be satisfied with letting the women alone represent us).  This volunteer has 13 marathons under his belt (or should that be “in his running shoes”?).  He has run an ultramarathon … several half-marathons … 10k and 5k races.  This year he will be running in the new DC Marathon, the San Francisco Marathon, and is in the lottery to run the New York City Marathon.  I was astounded!  So … this is announcing Jerry Riggins as the men’s coach and together with Candice and her team, we hope to field a large group of participants in this years’ race of runners and walkers.  Men … you can also gather this Saturday at 8 AM at the church to start your training.

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Dear Immanuel Family:

Only 9 days until Christmas … but already the sights of Christmas lights, the sounds of Christmas carols, and the smells of Christmas cookies fill the air.  You can be an encouragement to your missionary John Corcoran with the Good News Jail and Prison Ministry by bringing homemade cookies this Sunday which he will give to inmates at the Chesterfield County Jail as gifts from God’s people!  Bring your cookies to the Fellowship Hall kitchen or to Naomi’s office by this Sunday, December 18.  Be sure they are clearly marked “Good News Jail Ministry” (or I may eat them which will make my wife unhappy!  And John won’t be happy with me either).  Thanks for being a blessing to others at Christmas!

This Sunday morning we will be speaking on “The Glory of Christmas” and singing carols in celebration of the Savior’s birth.

In addition, we have two items to get into your hands which are important.  The first is a church calendar for January to inform you of upcoming events that month, and there are some major items including a Prophecy Conference with Jimmy DeYoung.  One calendar per family will be provided. (Electronic version here: http://www.immanuelbaptist.org/images/documents/IBCJan2012.pdf)

The second item is a reading calendar for those who are teens or above.  The reading plan is called The Essential One-Hundred and is designed for us to read 100 key passages together as a church in the opening months of the new year.  You begin on January 1 … complete 5 readings per week … and you will complete the plan in May.  (Take longer if necessary.)  This is not to negate any other plan you may use, but we would encourage all to participate if possible.  This is part of our pursuit of the new Vision that we Know, Grow, Serve, and Share Christ … in particular that we GROW TOGETHER THROUGH THE WORD. (Electronic version here: http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/the-essential-100/settings)

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Dear Immanuel Family:

This is a reminder about our Christmas celebrations beginning tomorrow.

Our choir and instrumentalists, under the direction of Caren Cummings, will be presenting a wonderful concert in song, Good Tidings of Great Joy.  And that is what Christmas is all about – the good news that brings great joy!  Each piece will add to the beauty of the story of the birth of Jesus.  Invite friends to join you.  And come with a heart filled with praise because of God’s Gift of His Son to bring us salvation.

THEN … for the evening service, we invite you to DRESS WARMLY (coats and gloves and scarf for temperatures in the 30s) and join us in and around theCHURCH COURTYARD between the Sanctuary and the Mizpah Room for an Illumination and Carol Sing around the lighted tree.  Our young people and children’s ministry workers and kids have gone through the neighbor inviting people around the church to come to our services this Christmas.  Our Illumination and Carol Sing is another way of showing our joy and hope to the world immediately around us.  I am told that hot cider will be available in the courtyard as we sing together.

After the lighting of the tree (and look for the wreath above the main entrance to the sanctuary) … we will come inside and warm ourselves in God’s presence through the celebration of the Lord’s Table as we remember WHY Jesus came in the flesh.

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Dear Immanuel Family:

A Heritage of Faithfulness … that was the theme this past week for our annual missions conference.  I want to commend Dave Sommers and the entire Missions Council along with the WMF (under the guidance of Gloria Duffey), Joe Hrubik and his magnificent team of cooks and servants, and the special committee that produced our Heritage of Faithfulness book providing biographical sketches of former missionaries supported by Immanuel.  There was the good work of Becky Henry and Michael Saunders (and the teens) in putting together a children’s missionary program for the Wednesday evening service; Caren Cummings and those providing and leading our music are to be commended; and the sound room team and our wonderful secretaries are to be thanked for their efforts as well.  This was a demanding week and long hours from many dedicated people made this happen.  So I thank all of those (and some I have forgotten – such as our Nursery Staff!) who helped to make this happen.

We are now into November with holidays swiftly approaching.  On Sunday mornings, we will revisit our series on Knowing, Growing, Serving and Sharing Christ to fill in some gaps and to clarify how we should “walk” as those who are on the Journey of Discipleship.  This Sunday I will focus on Knowing Christ: Making Time for What Matters Most.  I will have a specific challenge for each of us for the coming week that is both practical and perhaps a bit unusual, but I promise that it will be something that can make a difference in your relationship with Jesus Christ.