Weekday Email to Members and Friends

Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-12-22

Posted on Dec 22, 2020 in COVID-19 |

Virtual Dessert TONIGHT, December 22, 7 pm
Be prepared to tell us your favorite Christmas tradition. Tell us about your favorite holiday food. What makes your Christmas special? If you have an ugly sweater, please wear it. Let’s have a festive evening together.
Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.

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On Wednesday evening, December 23 at 7 pm we will stream “Musical Christmas Treats and a Family Carol Sing.” This will be highlighted by three anthems selected from recent Christmas Music Sunday services and a number of traditional carols recorded by our current choral quartet.

Please invite your family, loved ones and especially the kids to Zoom in with us to sing along on the carols.

Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.

I hope to see you there.

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Two important Christmas Eve announcements (please pay attention, dear readers):

1.) Our prerecorded service will be available at 4 pm on Christmas Eve (Thursday) at firstpres.live. Please enjoy it at that time or later in the evening whenever you’d like. Would you please consider sharing the link far and wide with everybody on your mailing list, Facebook pages, etc? We all worked hard on it.

2.) Our friends at First United Methodist Church have invited us to an in-person Christmas Eve service beginning at 7 pm at the northeast corner of West Side Park. This brief service will include listening to the carillon at First Methodist and hearing the nativity story from Luke’s gospel. If you feel well, wear your mask, dress warmly, and keep your distance as we gather at the park to bear God’s light to the world!

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Tuesday, Exodus:16
How often do we think about God’s commandment to not
bear false witness against a neighbor? What does it even
mean to do so? Perhaps it would be helpful to put this in
the affirmative: Tell the truth. Live with integrity even if
it costs you something. We will inevitably violate this part
of God’s law as we do most others, nonetheless we are to
aspire to tell the truth.

God of Truth, we often make excuses for our behavior,
thinking that our violations of your law are small and even
justified. As we prepare to welcome the Word incarnate, the
true light coming into the world, help us to live with integrity,
love our neighbors and bear honest witness to your goodness in
all we say and do. Amen.

The Heart of Mission
December 22, 2020

The Christmas Joy Offering for Christmas Eve

Isn’t this a beautiful graphic of the nativity? Do you like to color? A special coloring sheet of the above picture is available at

https://specialofferings.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/specialofferings/christmas_joy/2020/cjo20_coloring_page.pdf

This picture shows the perfect gift in Jesus Christ given to us at Christmas. The Christmas Joy Offering shares the perfect gift for some. Read about how Rev. Ken Tracy was able to pay for his wife’s skilled nursing care through the Christmas Joy Offering. https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/the-nine-lives-of-the-rev-ken-tracy/

Every year on Christmas Eve, First Presbyterian Church Champaign takes up the Joy Gift Offering, a special offering of the PC(U.S.A.). The Christmas Joy Offering reflects that God is with us, through the generous gifts that support church leaders among us, retired, present and future, who have pointed us to God. Even as we support our current and former church leaders through the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions, God is calling new leaders for our Church and world, through the ministry of Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color — offering students the means for a brighter future and enhanced opportunities to use their talents and skills to serve God, the Church and the world for years to come. Because God is with us, we see the potential of students of color who will become our leaders and we seek to come alongside them, to encourage them, to be with them. 50% of your gifts make it possible for students to learn and grow in faith at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. Because God is with us, we see church workers who have critical financial needs and we come alongside them, to assist them — we are with them. 50% of your gifts provide assistance for current and retired church workers and their families with critical financial needs. Thank you for your gift to the Christmas Joy Offering — for when we all do a little, it adds up to a lot.

If you want more information about our other two December offerings, Advent and Angel Tree/Food Offering, please go to https://firstpres.church/giving/.

Merry Christmas,

Rev. Dr. Rachel Matthews, Mission Coordinator

Let us keep all our mission partners in our prayers, those who are waiting to go back to their place of ministry and those who are able to work where they are. Listen for God’s call to you in their ministry.

Our PC(USA) Mission CoWorkers:

Mark Adams and Miriam Maidonado Escobar (Mexico)
Farsijanna Adeney-Risakotta (Indonesia)
Jeff and Christi Boyd (Central Africa)
Jo Ella Holman (Caribbean and Cuba) – And, for the mission coworker you are preparing to take her place.
Bob and Kristi Rice (South Sudan)

Our regional and global mission partners:

Kemmerer Village (and Camp Carew)
Lifeline Pilots
Marion Medical Mission
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Opportunity International
Friends of Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan Presbyterian Cuba Partnership
Special Offerings of the PC(USA)
Theological Education Fund
Young Adult Volunteers

Here in Champaign – Urbana:

CU at Home
CANAAN S.A.F.E. HOUSE
CANTEEN RUN
COURAGE CONNECTION
DREAAM
eMPTY TOMB, INC
FAITH IN ACTION
JESUS IS THE WAY PRISON MINISTRY
THE REFUGEE CENTER
RESTORATION URBAN MINISTRY
SALT & LIGHT

Here at First Presbyterian Church

FPCC Amateur Preachers
FPCC Environmental Committee working with Faith in Place
FPCC Presbyterian Women
FPCC ESL
FPCC Children, Youth and Families
FPCC Mission Possible/Go and Serve

302 W. Church Street
  Champaign, IL 61820
  217-356-7238
  info@firstpres.church

Attachments:

The_Heart_of_Mission_122220.pdf