NEWS & NOTES

Ladies Gift Exchange—December 7
Bring a $10 wrapped gift and a friend! This will be a safe, fun evening. We will practice social distancing, wear masks (except when eating), use hand sanitizer before eating and before touching gifts. We will serve a special Christmas dessert (individually wrapped cookie) prepared by Denise McAlister along with hot cocoa & hot apple cider, tea and coffee so please eat dinner before you come. We hope you will make plans to attend.  Please see Amyee McAlister for questions.   
 
Christmas Eve Service
There will be an in-person Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on Thursday, December 24th at 6 PM. We are also planning an online service for Christmas Eve. More details will follow. 
 
Volunteers Needed
We are looking for additional volunteers to assist in facilitating our online worship experience! If you are interested in running slides, operating cameras, or facilitating discussion on Facebook during the service, please contact Cina Catteau. 

Sympathy
We extend our sympathy to Steve Hodge at the loss of his father in Missouri, and to Joan Penn-White at the loss of her brother-in law in Scotland. 
 
Congratulations
We extend our congratulations to Matt and Melanie Truxal on the birth of their baby girl, Magnolia Anne Truxal, on December 1st. 
 
Youth Ministry

  • Sunday Dec. 6: Youth Parents Meeting in the Youth Suite from 5-5:30 PM. 
  • Sunday Dec. 13: Youth and Families Service Project Day! More details to come! 
  • Youth Parents—Starting Dec. 1 we will be going through an advent devotional called “Hope is Coming”! Tyler will be sending out the daily devotional through our email,       instagram, and remind.  We hope you will join us on this journey. 

 Children’s Classes
There will be no children’s classes on Sunday, December 27th. 
 
Starting today, we are resuming Bible class for 2 and 3 year old's. They will be dismissed during the sermon at 9:45 along with our other children’s classes.
 
The Way in the Manger Activity
We are currently out of the Advent and Devotional Sticker books but we have some on order. 
 
Dough Holy Night Children’s Activity
We are hosting “Dough Holy Night” on Sunday, December 13th. This is a fun and interactive experience designed for your family to do at home. Together you’ll bake a batch of Christmas cookies and, along the way, hear the story of the very first Christmas. There’s a video that walks you step-by-step through the entire experience. If you would like to participate with your kids or grandchildren, please inform Rachel McClure or sign up at pacoc.net/dough

PRAYER LIST
Betty Clark, James Hawk, Kathy Pryor, Roy Galyon, Gary Dodd, Brett Moore,  Peggy Parkey, Dewey Martin, Bob Corley, Sandra Aynes, June Washburn, Nancy Richard, Sarah Carroll
 
Ongoing Needs
Jim & Jane Scroggins, Terry Waggoner, Pat Ardis, Kay Skelton, Lisa  Cobble, Bobby & Peggy Slaughter, Sandra Thomas,  Larry Long, Corky Armstrong,  Judy Shelton, Mary Pope, Gene Stogner, Kimberly Pendergrass, Kaile Williams (Norris)
 
Homebound
Barbara Corbett, Ray & Marsha Jones, Chris Keene, JD Huffman
 
Missions
Hammer & Dela Afakule (Togo), Mario “Pepe” Torre (Monterrey, Mexico)
 
Friends of Park Avenue
AJ Atherton (friend of Linda Tollison), Rebekah Taylor (great niece of the Russells), Becky Sanchez (wife of Gil Sanchez, Director of orphanage in Mexico), Betty & Misty (family of Pat Chandler)

TODD'S TAKE
Good morning and welcome to our worship services today.  Today I will continue our series on What Scripture Says about Gender. I know this is a complicated topic and realize that as we discover truths from Scripture there are also many questions raised. If you have concerns, questions, or comments I am more than willing to sit down with you individually or through Zoom to talk.

It’s December and that means Christmas is not far away. Let me remind you that there are many Advent resources available for adults and children on RightNow Media. Take a look and set aside some time this month to dive into the significance of the birth of Jesus. As for the church, we are planning to have our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service in-person, but we are also planning on online service that will broadcast on Facebook and YouTube. We will have more details on that as the day approaches. Rachel is also working with our kids to put together a virtual Christmas Pageant. I’m looking forward to that!

Once again you all came through for a great Debt Reduction Contribution. You gave over $20,000 last week, all of which will go to reducing the principle on the Family Life Center mortgage. We are hoping that within 5-6 years we will be able to pay that off – almost ten years earlier than what it would have been without the Fifth Sunday contributions. Not only that, but we continue to be so blessed by your faithful financial support of the church. You are all truly cheerful givers.

Continue to lift up the Elders in prayer as we continue to navigate through the ongoing pandemic. We are having to do things differently than we have ever had to before. These are challenging times for the church. But in these challenges we are looking for new and perhaps even better ways to minister to this local church, our community, and the world. God can and is using this time in history to reshape us and through His Spirit and power we can come through this with a deeper knowledge of Him and a renewed and re-visioned passion for the local church. Let us continue to maintain our unity and love for one another.

Downloads