A few questions about Luke 1-2:

• After reading Luke 1-2, name the things you know about:

Zechariah

Elizabeth

Mary

John

Jesus

• Which characters in the Christmas story are NOT in Luke's account (who is usually in the nativity scene that is not mentioned by Luke)?
• Why was Zechariah unable to speak?
• There are 2 songs in Luke 1 sung by 2 different people. Who are they? Why are they singing? What is their message?
• John has a unique way of greeting Jesus the first time he 'meets' Jesus (from his mother's womb). What does he do?
• Elizabeth and Mary were both unlikely candidates for motherhood. Why?

Don't limit your family time to these questions. Work through the scripture.

And also consider the 3 things we talked about today:

1. How are you making the paths straight for Jesus to be in your life?
2. Is there someone around you to whom you can give some time, and help fill in their valley this Christmas?
3. Is God calling you to give to families in need this year - helping level their mountain of need or hunger or pain? Where should you give? There are lots of options - from individual families to the Salvation Army. You can also give to those folks through PCC. Click here to give through our website. There is an option for 'help others in need' and 100% of your donation would be given to a family in need of help.

Hope this helps you prepare for His coming this Christmas!

Christmas Help

If you are interested in helping some families in need this Christmas, Mary Ellen Freeman is coordinating the effort. We have more families to help than we have resources at this point, so if God has been nudging you about this, now is a great time. Contact Mary Ellen at mejjfree@msn.com.

Thanks for what you can do this Christmas.

Brian

Help for families this Christmas

It’s that time of year again… the Christmas shopping season! And once again, we have the opportunity to help at least 15 children who otherwise might not get any Christmas gifts.
As part of Middle District Baptist Association’s “Christmas Store”, PCC has been assigned to help 15 children and we need you or your Small Group to adopt them. Please consider helping a child in need.

Each child that is adopted will need to be provided:

• one outfit per child consisting of a top, pants, socks and underwear
• one age appropriate toy
• a Christmas stocking (filled)

Donations of coats, books, toiletry items other miscellaneous gift items are appreciated.

If your small group would like to adopt a child, please contact Angela Meadows at asissonmeadows@hotmail.com or look for the small Christmas tree next Sunday.

There is not much time to shop…..all donations must be received by Sunday, November 28th so let Angela know as soon as possible and she will assign you a child and you can start shopping!

Imagine Christmas

Imagine Christmas, PCC's Christmas Eve production this year, was fantastic. We heard some great stories (see below) from folks who had been to see it in 2008 and from some who came to it for the first time this year. We made some adjustments to the program and it was even better than last year. There were literally hundreds of hours put into making it happen, and the snow prevented the last couple of critical all-day rehearsals, but the team still came through. It was really wonderful.

Some folks commented on a scarf I was wearing just before the program started when I led us in prayer. A guy from our church had given it to me before the service, telling me his wife had recently taught him to knit and he had made it for me. Cool, huh?

Well, after the service, he caught Dennis Green in the hallway and said this, "Tell your pastor that if that scarf was a mile long it wouldn't bring him the warmth that I feel after being here tonight."

Another lady stopped me and said, "My first service at PCC was one year ago tonight, and I just wanted to thank you for the great gift that you and your church have given me this past year since I've been coming to PCC."

Thanks to all who made Imagine Christmas happen. What you do matters!

PCC's 1st Blue Christimas Service

Christmas is a time to celebrate. A time for family, fun, food and friends. But for many, Christmas also brings memories of days gone by and loved ones who have just...gone. Some passed away. Some moved on to other lives through divorce. Still others experience loss through other kinds of situations.

The point is that Christmas is not all joy for all people.

So, on December 17, Thursday, at 7pm at May Memorial Church in the Village of Powhatan, PCC will have it's first 'Blue Christmas' service. The purpose will be to acknowledge our pain, embrace (instead of ignore) our feelings, and affirm our hope in the One who promised that He would come, and, indeed, has come.

If Christmas brings for you the memories of a lost loved one(s); if someone close to you died in the past couple of years; if you have recently struggled through or are still struggling through a divorce; if you are grieving the loss of a dream, the loss of a broken relationship with a friend, or the loss of a future that is what you had envisioned, than this service is for you.

And everyone else...you may want to come and support your friends and family. This will be a powerful hour where God will show up and do a great work among us. See you there.

Christmas Offerings

Last week, we did something unusual...we took a special offering in addition to our normal offering. It was something we wanted to give people the opportunity to do on their way out without feeling pressured.

We decided that this year, the Imagine Christmas series was a good time to emphasize four particular perspectives or vantage points of Christmas: children, single moms, dads, and God. What does Christmas look like from their point of view? Each of them has a unique look. We also decided that each week's special offering would pertain to the unique perspective we were studying. Last week, you gave over $700 to help meet the needs of our children. I'll tell you more about tomorrow and the coming weeks when we get to them. But I don't want you to be surprised.

I also don't want anyone to feel pressured. However, this is our opportunity to give beyond generously. When God sent His only Son into the world (and when Jesus freely chose to come), He gave far more than was required. He was giving beyond generously. He was giving lavishly. We were in need. God had what we required.

I am reminded, especially as I study the different perspectives and angles of Christmas in preparation for these next few weeks, that God has blessed me - and most of you - in a lavish and superabundant way. Yes, with family, friends, life, health, etc, etc, etc. But, frankly, also with money. And I look around and I see that single moms are struggling and dads have lost their jobs and people are losing their houses and some of them don't know how they'll eat next week or where they'll live next month...and I have the capacity to do something about it. Not for all of them - but if we do it together, we can do something. God gave it all for me. Showing the love of God means, in part, that I am to be sacrificial for others, too.

That's why we're doing these special offerings.

It's not because we love money; our money does not even belong to us.

It's because we love people. Because God loves people. And we are His hands and His feet. 

We can help. Let's make a difference this Christmas.