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.
Parents: If you’ve been around for a while, you are used to walking with your children to the welcome station just before the sermon. From now on, we are going to encourage you to do so at any time during the song that precedes the sermon. This should give you more time to get them checked in and still make it back for the entire message. We hope this will be encouraging to you!
We had a great time at our Operation Christmas Child event yesterday! We packed shoe boxes, learned about the journey a shoe box must take to reach its destination, ran a fun relay race and heard about the impact our shoe box gifts may have on the child who receives it.
These impact stories illustrate exactly why we are participating in this project. Even the simplest item can change a child’s life forever. It is amazing what God can do through these shoe box gifts. I know I am overwhelmed every time I read a story (and there are MANY more that just these few I will share with you) telling how a child received JUST what he or she needed. Our God is so good and knows our every need and provides lavishly. His generosity and mercy compels me to want to give to others who are in need of simple comfort and in need of the life-saving message of the Gospel and I hope it compels you as well.
Here are a few of the stories we shared yesterday:
- Ruphina’s Story (Kazakhstan):Ruphina got word that a free gift distribution was taking place in her town in Kazakhstan, a country that borders Russia in Europe. It was a rainy day, but Ruphina gathered her siblings and cousins to go receive shoe box gifts. When Ruphina and her family arrived at the place where gifts were being handed out, there was a video about Jesus playing. She began to rejoice over Him, even before she opened her shoe box. There were many small things that Ruphina saw when she opened her box, but one thing caught her attention. A pink shirt was just her size and instantly became her favorite clothing item. She had never had much clothing, but she felt that Jesus had designed that box exactly for her.
- Ricardo’s Story (Mexico) – Ricardo: In the rural areas of Mexico, 13- and 14-year-old boys don’t get to play video games or go to school. They are expected to help support their families financially by working long days. For some, this means herding cows. For others, it means tending the nets on a fishing boat. All the hard work can cause blisters and sores, because there is no equipment to protect the boys’ feet and hands. When Ricardo opened his box, he was pleased to find a pair of yellow work gloves. He said “Wow, gloves! They’ll fit all this year and next.” Can you imagine being so grateful for gloves that you would have to use to do work and chores? Well Ricardo was, because they will help him and his family with expenses. Ricardo and 300 others in his village received gifts that will allow them to play and work for a long time.
- Bakatwamba’s Story (Democratic Republic of the Congo): In the Democratic Republic of Congo, twelve-year-old Bakatwamba lives with his parents. Due to financial hardship, Bakatwamba’s parents were not able to purchase a school bag for him and he was forced to carry his things in a paper bag. When he opened his shoe box gift, Bakatwamba was overjoyed to discover a brand new school bag. The gift encouraged him to continue with school in an environment where there is a high drop-out rate. Through Operation Christmas Child, Bakatwamba also had the opportunity to enroll in a discipleship course with materials furnished by Samaritan’s Purse and later received Christ. After graduating from the discipleship course and receiving his certificate, his entire family became interested in learning more about Jesus, and Bakatwamba was equipped to share the Gospel with them. The family now regularly attends a local church.
- Lejla’s Story (Bosnia):
The Lejla Allison Story from Samaritan’s Purse on Vimeo.
As I said, these are only a few of the stories that have come from children affected by the love of Jesus sent through shoe box gifts. If you want to see or hear more please visit the Operation Christmas Child website.
Also, if you haven’t packed a box (or two!) yet, there is still time! Please visit this page to learn what you need to do to pack a shoe box. You can even print out your label from online and track your box to see where in the world your boxes will travel too.
This is a great opportunity to make a difference in child’s life at such a low cost to yourself. Please pack a box today!
Deadline to return boxes is next Sunday, November 20. We will have a collection station in the foyer of the church…Look for the giant shoe box!
We hope everyone can join us for our Operation Christmas Child Experience! The event is November 12, 3-5 pm with a chili supper to follow. This will be a great time of service and fellowship and will be fun for all ages. Please RSVP on the sign-in sheets this Sunday or email kids@christcommunitychurch.com.
If you can’t join us for the event, we hope you will still pack a box or two. There is information on packing boxes at our Operation Christmas Child table across from the Children’s Welcome Station. We have a goal of 200 boxes for the church, so help us reach our goal! You can drop them off on either November 13 or November 20.
Here are a couple links to info and resources for packing a shoe box:
How to Pack a Shoe Box
Seven Steps to a Thankful Heart – Ideas for a fun family night of shoe box packing
Our personal and sacrificial commitments to Faith to Sight will enable us to invest more money in ministry – dollars from our offerings that are currently going toward our monthly mortgage. This simple re-orientation of some of the resources God entrusts us with each month will have a lasting impact on our community. Continue to seek direction from God concerning what He would have you give, and remember that this commitment is between you and God.
Please return your commitment card on this Sunday, and do not stop praying for this program! Soon we will rejoice together as we celebrate God’s provision and the fresh victory of faith we have experienced.
