These are important days leading up to Christmas. Time for us to not only prepare our homes with Christmas decorations to help us celebrate this festive season but also time to prepare our hearts to welcome Jesus into this special time. Let me encourage each of us to set aside one day a week just to spend some quiet time in the presence of Jesus. Come with an open and inviting heart ready to respond to what Jesus might want to say to you. So much of our prayer life revolves around our agendas, around what we want Jesus to do for us to make us happy. Let’s reverse this trend and be open to the preparations Jesus would like us to make in our lives and routines so that this Christmas season makes Him our honored guest. I would encourage all of us to make this season a time of spiritual renewal - a time when we are receptive to his transforming grace and love. Joy to the world the Lord is come, This Sunday I will be unpacking the story of the conflict which irruption between two close friends Paul and Barnabas found in Acts 15: 36-41. This is a passage of scripture which gives us the details of a heated conflict between two godly individuals which damaged the witness of the church. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to suggest that they ever acknowledged their heated words directed at each other and sought each other's forgiveness. This is tragic. Take time this week to reflect on your own life and ask god to lay on your heart anyone with whom you need to be reconciled.
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Month Before Christmas Dinner There are still a few tickets available, so purchase your ticket(s) this coming Sunday. If you have booked tickets and have not paid, please be sure to do so this Sunday as the committee needs to know how many turkeys are needed. The cost is $12 per adult and $8 for children under 10 years old. Don’t miss out! Year End Donations: Just a reminder that tithes and offerings for 2023 must be in the office by December 31, 2023, or postmarked no later than the same date. Charitable tax receipts will be available once the year-end financials have been closed, but no later than mid-February. We will be sending the tax receipts via email so please be sure the office has your current email. If you want to know what your year-to-date giving is, please call or email Judy Thompson, she is in the office on Tuesdays from 10am to 3pm. jthompson@westvanbaptist.com. Updating the Newsletter In the next couple of weeks, we will be using new software for our weekly e-mail. We will be transferring your current email information to our website Newsletter format. This notice is to let you know if you don’t get the Newsletter your information may have been missed in the transition. If you subscribe to the website you will be asked for your first name, last name, and your email address. You will have the choice of receiving the Weekly Email or if you are a Member of West Vancouver Baptist you can sign up for the Members Only email. Once you fill in your information, please click on Save Subscription. You will also receive a confirmation email, so please check your inbox and click the link to complete this step. If you can’t find your confirmation email, check your email spam or junk box. If you are already on the website Newsletter and you enter your email you may receive an email to update your subscription. Click on Manage Subscriptions. You can make any changes or save your subscription. You are also able to unsubscribe if you wish. |
Mark your calendars for these great events coming up.