PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas. We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day. We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom. We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence. We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. To you we say, Come Lord Jesus! - Henri Nouwen No one can celebrate a genuine Christmas without being truly poor. The selfsufficient, the proud, those who, because they have everything, look down on others, those who have no need even of Godfor them there will be no Christmas. Only the poor, the hungry, those who need someone to come on their behalf, will have that someone. That someone is God. Emmanuel. God-with-us. Without poverty of spirit there can be no abundance of God. - Oscar Romero We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or dont you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. - Romans 6:2-4 (NIV) Vision Statement
As one body of Christ, composed of diverse individuals bound together by the Holy Spirit, we will grow in the faith by training ourselves and our children to be intimately familiar not only with Scripture and our Reformed heritage, but also with their unwavering relevance for our lives and humanity today. We will build up the body of Christ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, so that we may no longer be tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of new teaching. - from our 2012 Vision Statement

Hearing Aids and Large-Print Hymnals are available from the ushers. Our worship service is broadcast live on WLES 590 AM and streamed live on its website, http://wles590.com/. For podcasts, go to www.grace-covenant.org, click on We Gather, then on Sermons. Both the sermon and the entire worship service are uploaded every Sunday afternoon.

WORSHIP NOTES
Advent comes from the Latin word for arrival or coming. During Advent, the church expectantly prepares to celebrate the first advent of Christ at Bethlehem as well as the second coming of Christ. It is a season marked by waiting and hopein our deeply broken lives and world Christ will yet make all things new.
The Eighty-Second Annual Candlelight Carol Service Sunday, December 15, 5:00 p.m. Chancel Choir, Junior Choir, Handbell Choir, Soloists, Congregational Carols Reception hosted by the Presbyterian Women Childcare available

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Today we celebrate the sacrament of baptism! Madeleine Elizabeth Dudley, daughter of David and Anlyn Dudley, will be baptized. We celebrate, too, that we can support our sisters and brothers in Christ at Old Presbyterian Meeting House (Alexandria, VA) where David and Anlyn are members. Our prayers go with the OPMH congregation and the Dudley family as they seek to raise Madeleine in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. The balcony is available for all mothers who need to nurse their babies during the worship service. 2013 Contributions: Since tis the season to be jollyhere is your jolly reminder that contributions for 2013 must be postmarked by December 31. Any contributions received after that date will be applied to your 2014 gifts, unless they have that December 31, 2013, postmark. Should you have any questions regarding your 2013 pledge, please contact Martha at 359-2463, ext. 205, or email: bookkeeper@gracecovenant.org.

Save the date! Decembers PEOPLE Group event will be Saturday, December 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Dottie-Ray Koch. Bring a main dish, appetizer, salad, side dish, or dessert to share. Attention Grace Covenant Run/Walkers! The 10k Approaches! The 2014 Monument 10K is on March 29, and online registration has begun. This year GCPC will conduct an informal training team for all interested runners. Please contact Luke Woodcock at lwwoodco11@gmail.com. And don't just run -- run for a cause! Join Team Boaz & Ruth to raise support for its programs offering faithful support and job training to those reentering society. To register, visit their website at boazandruth.com before registering for the 10K. For more information, contact Jessica Reveley at jabreveley@gmail.com.

MID-WEEK FELLOWSHIP
This Wednesday evening we gather at 6:00 p.m. for our last WNL for 2013. All are welcome! For more information, contact Vanessa Strait in the church office at 359-2463, or info@grace-covenant.org. The menu this week is: Rock castle chicken, Harvard beets, salad, rolls, and surprise dessert. This Wednesdays program: It's not too late to sign up; come caroling with us after Wednesday night dinner. We need singerschildren too. We won't be too late, caroling from
7:00 to 7:30 p.m. We will gather at Will Maddens home after caroling at Imperial Plaza and Westminster Canterbury. Please join in this fellowship!

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND DISCIPLESHIP

Sunday School is held every Sunday from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. The nursery crib room and Sunday School are available for children age 2 and up. CLASS Rm# B7 Forum Rm # 212 Grace Bible Class Rm # B4 Vanguard Rm # 303 Connections TEACHER Tom Miller John Nevin Matt Johnson Christof Meyer TOPIC Living the Life of Faith, Hebrews 11 How to Become a Church Community Studies in the Gospel of John Exploring questions about faith

Disciple Bible Study is a spiritual discipline that entails thirty minutes of prayerful scripture reading per day along with weekly meetings to engage the scriptures more deeply with other participants. This commitment of time and energy to God generates lasting spiritual growth and all are invited to read along with us each week. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Nelson Reveley at nmr2uf@virginia.edu.

Week 13: Gods Commands Monday: Exodus 20 Tuesday: Exodus 31:1832:35 Wednesday: Exodus 33-34 Thursday: Deuteronomy 4-5 Friday: Deuteronomy 6; Leviticus 25:1-7 and 26; Numbers 35 Saturday: Study Manual Sunday: Rest

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Please pray for: Ainura Satterfields father, Sharshen, in Kyrgyzstan; Hannah Siboles mother, Melanie; Ben Gordon; Nela Bostian; Betty Clough; Bob Brooks; Ann Pais daughter-in-law, Jane Pais, with cancer; Susan Farrells grandmother Mary Lou (Uh-Oh), and her father, Jim, facing health issues, Rosie and George Turner; Steve Cobb and his family; Stuart Chapman, David Russell, and Chris Pais, serving in our nations Armed Forces. Those who are homebound Bob Adams, Nela Bostian, Bob Brooks, Louise Buhrman, Betty Clough, Frances Mack, Betty Phillips, Maria Rachal, Elizabeth Ramsey, C. Edward Richardson III, Virginia Sommers, George Turner, Rosie Turner, Margaret Valentine, Robert Vaughan, Toni Whittet, and Jed Wilson.