Friends and Family, I hope each and everyone of you is having a blessed Jesus-filled week looking forward to the coming holidays with family and friends. Please take some time to see what God has done, and is doing this week at your church.
WEEKLY COMMUNITY FREE CHURCH This Sunday, december 20th, at 10:45am we will be having “Family Worship”. Pastor Jason and Jake have been working hard to make this a special Sunday for the entire family. This is part of our ongoing commitment to helping families grow and share in worship together. We will also have age appropriate bulletins available for ages 3-6 yrs and 7-12 yrs. We will still have the “Kid’s Church” Nursery Ministry for the littles through Kindergarten, but “Kid’s Church” grades 1st through 6th grade will join us to share in the singing, the message, as well as some surprises along the way! Weekend!
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WEEKLYCOMMUNITYFREE CHURCH
This Sunday, december 20th, at 10:45am we will be having “Family Worship”. Pastor Jason and Jake have been working hard to make this a special Sunday for the entire family. This is part of our ongoing commitment to helping families grow and share in worship together.
We will also have age appropriate bulletins available for ages 3-6 yrs and 7-12 yrs.
We will still have the “Kid’s Church” Nursery Ministry for the littles through Kindergarten, but “Kid’s Church” grades 1st through 6th grade will join us to share in the singing, the message, as well as some surprises along the way!
Weekend!
All-Church
Everyone is Invited!December 19th at 5:00pm
Soup Dinner!
GamesCaroling
Bring a Treat to Share!
to be our guests this Christmas Eve as we celebrate
the birth of Jesus! Will you invite a friend, a neighbor or even someone you just met to hear the greatest news ever?
December 24th 6:30pm.
You are invited to an Open House at the Schifo Home after service.
Bring yourself, someone else and something to share. 1206 Windwood Lane, Mahomet
Christmas Eve
6:30pm
12/13 Isaiah the King and His GloryIsaiah 53:1-12 “Here He Stand”Introduction:Isaiah 52:13-15 Expected Servant Declared Luke 2:34 Isaiah 41:8, 49:5, 1 Peter 1:10-11 Acts 8:34-35 (Isaiah 53:7-8) Isaiah 53:1-10, Romans 10:17Exposition:Isaiah 53:2 Expected Servant Delivered Matthew 3:17, Luke 2:52 Isaiah 4:2, 11:1Isaiah 53:3 Expected Servant Dismissed Matthew 13:55, John 1:46 Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9Isaiah 53:3-4 Expected Servant Despised John 7:45-48, John 3:16 Martin Luther “Here I Stand”Isaiah 53:5-10 Expected Servant Suffered 2 Corinthians 5:21 Isaiah 53:9 Suffering: Nicene Council Isaiah 53:10-11Isaiah 53:11-12 Excepted Servant Saves! Matt 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 13:1-17 Hymn: The Hiding Place Here Christ Stood.
Monday ! 12/14! Church Office Closed
! ! ! ! Martial Arts 6:00pm (Free)! ! ! ! Menʼs Bible Study Fellowship ! ! ! ! (Now on break till January 5th)
Tuesday ! 12/15!! ! ! !Wednesday 12/16! Church Office Open 12-5:00pm
! ! ! ! No Student Ministry! ! ! !Thursday ! 12/17! Church Office Open 12-5:00pm
! ! ! ! Worship Practice 7:30pm! ! !Friday! 12/18 Church Office Open 11-4:00pmSaturday ! 12/19! Act Like Men Coffee 7:00am! ! !! ! ! ! Basketball 8:30am" " " "Sunday ! 12/20! Christian Education 9:30-10:30am! ! ! ! Adult Christian Education! ! ! ! Sr. High School Jake Barrett! ! ! ! Jr. High School Tamara Llano" " " "" " " " Kidʼs Church Nursery 10:45am! ! !
" " " " NO AWANA Clubs Tonight! ! ! ! !
10:45am“Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason and not by Popes and councils who have so often contradicted themselves, my conscience is captive to the word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me” Martin Luther’s testimony at the Diet of the Worms.
Just a reminder that there is no 9:30am
Sunday School December 27th.
We will resume our normal schedule
January 3rd.
Students and Parents! December 30th at 6:00pm the Students will be having a HUGE Christmas and New Years party at the Church. Pizza, music, games, treats and lots of fun.
This past Sunday night we held the always popular AWANA store. Now we need some volunteers willing to vacuum the worship center and put chairs back down for this weekends worship service.Can you help us accomplish this?
There is no way that a church can do the things that it is called to do without the help of great volunteers - Like you!
Here are some immediate opportunities to serve in your church:
Do you have a few hours to help paint the hallway upstairs and downstairs? These are not big spaces and could be easily done in one morning or afternoon.
Can someone help us hang a floating shelf in the nursery area for a DVD player and DVD’s?
Would someone to be willing to come touch up the paint in the worship center on the closets?
Every week we are going to highlight the sacrificial efforts of one of our many many GREAT volunteers.
This weekʼs volunteer is: Bruce Henrikson. Whether it is singing in the worship team, serving as an Elder, painting a wall, teaching Sunday School or fixing the overhead lights on the outside of the church Bruce Henrikson jumps in and does whatever he can to serve in the church. Praise God for great volunteers like Bruce who glorify Jesus and bless us! The church isnʼt a company or business made up of great staff that serve the people. It is made of great people who love and serve other people because of Jesus Christ!
WorshipWhere Your At
Did you know that your church has a worship playlist set up through Spotify? Simply download the application on your iPad, iPhone, Android phone, Android tablet or laptop, and start worshipping with your church where you are!
Facebook is a place where we will share information and encouragement!
Need quick information? Twitter is a quick connect to the church.
Instagram is where we will post and share pictures of what is happening in your church.
Youtube is our hub for videos of both events and coming events in the church.
Just search: Community Evangelical Free Church Mahomet
Just search: CommunityEFCA
Just search: pastorjasonschifo
Just search: CFCMahomet
Connect to the church through these great social media sites!
Many have asked how they can help! We have very specific needs for our nursery/kidʼs church areas and these lists will be your guide. A variety of items are listed. You will find everything from general supplies, baby equipment, books, and toys.
Starting in 2015 we will be setting every 5th Sunday aside as a time for Family Worship. We will still have our Kidʼs Church Nursery Ministry for children littles through 1st grade, but Kidʼs Church 1-6th grade will join us and share in singing, the message, as well as share a special Kidʼs Church moment that will be connected to the message Pastor Jason will share. This is a part of our ongoing commitment to helping families share in worship together.
This past week I was reading my daily news feed and an interesting, albeit disturbing article came up. A group known as the American Atheists have launched an aggressive door to door campaign in major cities to urge people to abandon attending church this Christmas.
Yes, you heard me right. They are going door to door and telling people that the last place they need to be, or even should want to be this Christmas, is at church. It instantly reminded me of a humorous cartoon I keep in a folder on my laptop.
The cartoon, while tongue in cheek, is not entirely accurate. Atheists do have a message to share as David Silverman President of American Atheists told CNN, “This season is a great time of year for a hundred reasons—none of them having to do with church”. He went on to say, “This year, start a new tradition: Donʼt go to church. You hate it, itʼs boring; you probably only go because you feel guilty or obligated. Instead, spend more time with your family and
friends - There are better uses of your time and money.”
Before you reel back in disgust I want you to consider that this is not new news. As we have been studying Isaiah, particularly the 53rd chapter, is this not the reaction the Bible predicts 700 years before Jesusʼ coming?
“He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men;a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:2-3
Remember this is written in past tense verbs, so the confession of Isaiah 53 comes from the future looking backwards. This testimony applies now. We “esteemed him not”, is a value statement now. The world at large will not, and does not, value the person and work of Jesus Christ now.
They will look upon Christ (and His coming at Christmas) and find no beauty in Him. They will think of Christ and not be confronted with His majesty. They will in some way feel Christ, and not be stirred to repentance. This reveals the absolute bankruptcy of the human condition. To be confronted by Christ and conclude “no worth” reveals the depths of our active participation in our own self righteousness and sinfulness.
Applied to us then Christmas becomes about us. Embracing the family we like, celebrating with the friends we pick, and serving in the charities we agree with - if we are even feeling charitable at all. Now the hope we have in the holiday is not one of resting in something that has already been done on your behalf, but having to create hope and continue to find happiness. I donʼt know about you but that is tiring and the opposite of the message of “Peace and Joy” that is on the side of my Dunkin Donuts Christmas coffee cup.
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts:20:24
The American Atheists have a message, and that message is that the most important thing that matters this Christmas is “us”. And while I honestly bristle at the notion of typing it, I believe they are right largely given what they see. When I look at the “Big C” church in the world I see lots of “me” and “us”, and much less “we”. So many seem to do church with who they like, when they like and how they like, which I can understand, and even in my own flesh empathize with. But when Jesus came as the Servant Savior in Isaiah 53 He counted the “we” greater than the “me”, and proved it by His actions. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5Instead of collapsing in grief over our rejection of Him, he bore our griefs. Instead of increasing our sorrows, he carried our sorrows. Instead of returning our transgressions, he was pierced for them in our place. Instead of crushing us for our iniquities, he was crushed for them as our substitute. All that belonged to us He took on himself to bring us peace and joy, like the cup says. What is amazing is that Jesus Christ would suffer so greatly, so undeservedly, and most importantly that He would suffer willingly. Isaiah 53:11 says: “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied” Jesus Christ saw the work of salvation succeeding through His own anguish and He was satisfied. Not frustrated, not bitter, not vengeful—but satisfied. His body broken (not ours), His blood shed (not ours) is for the forgiveness of our sins. That is monumental. Saturday night, I was reading a church document from the Nicene Council that met in Constantinople in 325 A.D. This is the famous meeting that produced the Nicene Creed:
“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth...”. This document listed that of the 318 delegates attending the meeting, there were fewer than 12 who had not lost an eye, a hand or did not limp on a leg lamed from suffering for their Christian faith. Now, I am not asking you to give up an eye, a hand, or to walk with a limp on account of your faith, but I am asking you to extend yourself outside your comfort zone and into the lives of the “we” that Jesus “suffered for” to save. I am simply asking for your willingness. The American Atheists currently have billboards in Times Square and hundreds of other smaller locations. They have thousands of local Atheists committed to go door to door in major cities with materials carrying the message of hope is “us” alone. They are certainly willing, are we? If we arenʼt willing then we have no message to share and they are right, but if we believe that Christ is Christmas then we must affirm that at the center of it all was His willingness. “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ! ! ! Philippians 2:6-10. What a beautiful Christmas message that declares the “we” (you and me) mattered more than the “me” (Christ Himself). Who are the “weʼs” in your world? And are you willing to go to them and share the gospel...because chances are the Atheists might already be there knocking.
Did you know we have a Faith Community Nurse here at CEFC?Hi—my name is Lois Reed and I am the Faith Community Nurse here at CEFCM! What is that, you say? I am specially trained through a nationally recognized program and here to be a resource and support to you, yes, YOU! In all the stages of life there are challenges that come upon us; they can be financial, relational, spiritual and related to our physical and emotional health. God has given me the privilege to have access to resources to help our congregation and community—to pray for you, to direct you to supports that can help. So far I have been blessed to give out resources to parents navigating adolescence, people facing new diagnoses, found resources for families who are impacted by substance or domestic abuse, sources of free health care for those without insurance…these are just a few things that can possibly help. Please, if I can aid you or your family in anyway, email me at [email protected]. And PLEASE come up and say “Hi” on any given Sunday! I am excited to serve you and your family.
There are regularly scheduled Elderʼs Meeting every month. If you need prayer or an opportunity to discuss an issue with the Eldership please feel free to attend this meeting by emailing the Elders at: [email protected]
