It is Christmas Time!

Celebrate Christmas with us!

Our Living Nativity will be Friday & Saturday, December 11th & 12th at 6:30 until 8:00 pm, with 3 shows, every half hour.
If you would like to get involved with this event, we need actors, and many other helpers! There is a sign-up sheet on the baptismal in the lobby! Please consider joining in this special way to show our community the true meaning of Christmas!

Also, we will be needing Cookie Donations for the Living Nativity! If you would like to donate homemade cookies, please bring them to the church by 10:00 am on Friday Dec. 11th.

Our choir will be presenting the Christmas Cantata, “Hope Has Hands” on December 20th, during both morning services. We hope that you will come and join us for this special musical celebration of Christmas! Please invite your family and friends!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:00 pm

There are PWBC Cookbooks for sale in the lobby, for $12 each! Also, if you already have a church cookbook, there are correction sheets available for you to take.

December Announcements

Staff Christmas Gifts
The deacons will be gathering a love gift offering to present to our four staff members. If you would like to contribute toward those gifts, please give to one of the deacons or drop in the offering, indicating “staff gift”. Thank you for your continued support.
Ken Eaton, Chairman

The Hanging of the Greens will be on Wednesday, Dec. 2nd at 5:45pm! It will begin with a Chili Super, followed by a time of prayer and then the Hanging of the Greens! We hope you will join us!

Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes
73 shoeboxes were collected from our church! Thanks to everyone who participated! Let’s continue to pray for these children and their families all around the world. That they may be filled with the love of Jesus this Christmas!

TANNER’S TRAIL by Pastor John Tanner

Do you have a favorite carol? Maybe Silent Night, Jingle Bells, or some other carol? About 37 years ago a newer song became a favorite called, “Do You See What I See?”

The Story goes like this. First, the night wind says to a lamb, “Do you see what I see?” Next the lamb shares his knowledge of Christmas with the little Sheppard boy saying, “Do you see what I see?” Next the Sheppard boy goes to the mighty king and asks, “Do you know what I know?" And he tells him. Finally, the king declares as kings often do, “Listen, to what I say!” And he announces to his kingdom, “A child, a child will bring you goodness and light.”

The story is fictitious of course, but it parallels the coming of the Wise Men to Jerusalem looking for a newborn King. When the prophets of old reveal that His birth place was Bethlehem they joyfully “went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” Mt. 3:9

The purpose and meaning of Christmas are found in seeing or perceiving that God has come to earth in His Son Jesus to show His love to us. When the baby Jesus came to be consecrated at the Temple with his parents, he was greeted by Simeon who speaks out, “Lord God, my eyes have seen your salvation; now dismiss your servant in peace.”

As we make our plans and preparations for Christmas, we must each in our own way try to catch a vision of God in Christ making the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.

Christmas has many vantage points to see. We can see traffic jams and long lines. We can see lights and decorations.

We can see friends and family. And all of these are good to see. (Or maybe not.)

But Christmas has no meaning unless we see Jesus for what He did and who He is! Simeon saw that God was faithful to him throughout his life. Surely He is most faithful to all of us Christians as well, especially at Christmas when we celebrate His visit to mankind. Even if you can’t sing carols aloud, surely you can ask somebody else this season, “Say, do you see what I see in Jesus? He is my Savior and King!”

Have a joyous Christmas in Christ,
Pastor John Tanner

Children's Church Article

Create a Christmas They'll Remember
by Lynne M. Thompson (Focus on the Family)

Christmas is magical. Regardless of age, it transports us back to our childhood: tinsel on the tree, stockings hung by the fireplace, colorful packages needing to be shaken, and traditional celebrations with faithful friends and relatives. For our children, this holiday is still being written upon their future memories. This is why we as parents need to make sure that what they remember is packaged in precious truths about how God's love reached out to a dying world, one silent night in a town called Bethlehem. So this Christmas, as you reveal the greatest love story ever told, try these fun-filled age appropriate activities that will direct children, and adults, back to the true meaning of the holiday.

Here are some idea’s for your little ones:

In order to avoid making Christmas a "don't touch holiday" for little ones, give them fun things they can touch.

Get out the glitter and make paper ornaments.

Use a Nativity Scene to tell the story of Christmas.

Also, start a family tradition by picking out a new holiday picture book to read each Christmas Eve. Some of my favorites are: 10 Minutes to Showtime by Tricia Goyer, The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado, The Stable Where Jesus was Born by Rhonda Gowler Greene, The Christmas Rose by William H. Hooks

Community Wide Thanksgiving Dinner ~ Thank You!!

Thanks to all who helped with the Community Thanksgiving Dinner. Because of you, it was a great success!

Someone said to me, “This dinner really brings unity to the church.” If no one showed up for the dinner that statement alone classifies the event as a SUCCESS! Words cannot express my appreciation for everyone of you.

This year we served about 189 people. This includes the 50 plus carry out dinners that were taken to homes where the people weren’t about to come to the church. One member took two dinners to the bell ringers at Wal Mart. Any food that was left over was given to the Wayside Cross Mission, in Pueblo.

Now the work begins for next year. I am getting reports from each of the committee heads on what can be done to make next year’s dinner even better. If you have suggestions or ideas, please let me know!

--Carol Norris

December Sunday School Update!

Our "Feature of the Month" is Will Alcorn. Will is 5 years old and in Kindergarten.
His Sunday School teacher is Juleen Edwards. Will belongs to the family of Dale and James Alcorn. His response to WHY I LIKE SUNDAY SCHOOL? "I like the snacks. I learn
about Jesus and God. I do crafts, too." We are thankful for these young children like Will who enjoy coming to Sunday School.

The Winter Quarterly Study Books/packets for ll Sunday School classes have been distributed. Note to Sunday School teachers: Any changes you would like in your orders, please contact Esther before December 10th when she will be submitting the Spring orders.

The Devotional "Our Daily Bread" was put in all the Adult SS Classrooms. For additional copies there are more in the Foyer for your taking.

We didn't have anyone with perfect attendance for the Quarter in our Children's SS classes. Lets try for perfect attendance in the next Quarter! We encourage parents to bring your children to SS. If you have any questions about our SS, please feel free to contact Esther or the Pastor.

We don’t change God’s Message - His Message changes us.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Women’s Ministry

The Women's Breakfast for December will be a Christmas Brunch at Kayla Miller’s home on Saturday, Dec 12 at 10 am. There will be a gift exchange. If you need any more info. or directions call the church, 547-2858.

There will be a new Beth Moore Bible Study starting in January! More info. coming soon...

Stonecroft Bible Study on "Where is the Holy Spirit?" will begin the 2nd week in January. It is 6 weeks long. For more information and to register for this class you may contact Esther Nagel.