CCC Gainesville | Blog
Well it’s just about a week away, our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. We wanted you to be completely informed as to what is going on for each of these services so you can prepare and plan with your children and visiting family.
Christmas Eve:
There will be two services planned on Christmas Eve, this is Saturday the 24th of December . The first service is our Family-Child-Friendly service. This means that there is no child care available for this service. Families will have the opportunity to sit together during this service. The nursery will be open for parents who need to step out with a restless child, and available to nursing mothers. The speakers will be on in the nursery so that anyone in that room will be able to continue listening to the service.
This service is at 6:30pm, HOWEVER, caroling and hot chocolate starts at 6:15pm on the patio. This will be an enjoyable time for us a a church family and our visitors.
*If the weather is chilly please dress your children appropriately.
The second service that evening is at 8:00pm, and like the first service at 7:45pm there will be carols and hot chocolate on the patio. This service will be one hour long, and include communion. No child care is available for this service either. The nursery will be open for parents who need to step out with a restless child and nursing mothers. Also there will be “worship-help” canvas bags at the Information table for children who come to this service to pick up before the service and return after. ***This service will be a communion service.
**Both services will have a candle light portion
Christmas Day:
On Christmas morning we are gathering to celebrate the birth of our Savior! We will have a celebration service 10:00-10:30am followed by a celebration refreshment time. There will be no child care available for this service. Also a portion of this service will be reserved for giving. We are collecting wrapped and unwrapped, new and gently used books for children and teens of all ages. These books will go to the Shands Children’s Hospital. (If you wrap your book please label it with the age range of the book, thank you)
**If you have any questions about any of these services please feel free to contact Holli Best at: hollibest@gmail.com. Or call the office at 379-4949.
Last sunday to give food to help those in need this Christmas season. CCC is partnering with Gainesville Community Ministries to make holiday food boxes to give to those in need in Gainesville. Bring food to CCC until 5 pm Sunday Dec 18th. Here’s what is needed. ITEMS NEEDED:
Canned meat
Bag of Flour (2 LB)
Bag of Sugar (2 LB)
Canned Fruits
Canned Vegetables
Dry Milk Envelope
Jar of Peanut Butter
Rice (1 LB)
Can Evaporated Milk
Stuffing Mix
Can Pumpkin Pie Filling
Coming out of this region of the state of Florida there were over 13 thousand shoe boxes packed and sent to children around the world as a testimony for Christ. CCC members helped generously send 173 of these boxes! Hope you are having fun tracking your box this year!
Theme: The First Christian
The ancient church used to call Mary the first Christian because she was the very first to hear and to believe that this child was indeed the promised Messiah and Savior. She was frightened when the angel first came, and wouldn’t you be? But she was not frightened for long after she heard the good news about her baby. Do you know what the name Jesus means? It means ‘savior’ or ‘deliverer.’ It is the Greek language equivalent of the Hebrew word ‘Joshua.’ Jesus came to be our great warrior, to deliver us from the power of our great enemy, the devil, and to free us from the power of sin. He is the king of kings, and the son of King David who will reign forever. And Mary leads us in welcoming Jesus as savior. Her words should be ours: “I am the Lord’s servant.” As you pray, commit your life to serving the Lord just as Mary did.
