Can you believe it?

This will be the last update before Christmas arrives! I hope you have made it through this week with a minimum of stress and are ready to enjoy some much needed time with family and friends!

Not too much on the old blog-a-roo for this week. Just a few reminders and a BIG push for our Heart of the Arts Study which will begin on January 14, 2009. Please note that this is a DATE CHANGE! I wanted to give you plenty of time to sign up and give our instructors time to get prepared!

Merry Christmas! God Bless you all!!!


Heart of the Arts



Have you signed up yet? Have you set aside time in January and February to be a part of this one of a kind study? I'm hoping that you have! There are some very special people who are excited about bringing you their love for Jesus and their love for the arts. I think if you are a part of this study, you are going to be so thankful that you did! We have instructors in the following areas: Visual Art, Photography, Drama, Creative Writing, Wood Carving, and Music. On February 22, we will invite our church congregation to worship with us as we celebrate our Creator through the arts.
Sign up sheets will be available for all areas on Sunday morning. Make sure to sign up early so that you can get into the art area you are most interested in!



Weekly reminders!!

December 19: Progressive dinner and Christmas party
December 21: Church Wide Caroling
December 24: Carols and Candles Christmas Eve Service 7PM
December 29- Jan. 1: Winter Retreat

Are you insane yet?

Because I'm getting there! Life gets pretty hectic around this time of year! I hope in the midst of all the exams, end of semester projects, and holiday activities that you are finding time to worship, to reflect, and to remember that Jesus is central to this season. He is without a doubt the greatest gift we have ever been given!




Heart of the Arts Study begins January 7th!





I know you aren't thinking about January at this point, but I am, and I have a special course of study lined up for January and February that you need to take advantage of. I know so many of you are busy on Wednesday nights, but it's never a bad thing to make time for learning more about Jesus and your relationship to him.

The study is called "Heart of the Arts" and it focuses on learning more about God through understanding the creative abilities he's given us all. As we study different areas of art (visual arts, music, drama, carving, and creative writing) we learn that God is the source of all our creativity and has given us amazing ways to reflect him in our own creative endeavors. You guys will work with an adult who is skilled in one of those art areas and will spend time each week creating something that will be used at the end of February in a special worship service.

I challenge you to commit 6 weeks to this study. I challenge you to discover what God has given you and how He will use what you have to bring glory and honor to himself. And I hope to see you there! Sign ups will begin THIS sunday in Sunday school.

Progressive Dinner Details!!!


You are all invited to the Youth Progressive Dinner and Christmas Party!
When: Meet in the church parking lot at 6PM, Friday, Dec.19
Where: The Fairchilds, The Tanners and one more host home yet to be determined
What to bring: Girls bring desserts, guys bring the appetizers, ALL bring a gift for exchange that is suitable for a boy or girl and costs under $10

We will make one special stop during our "progresion" that will be a special "hit and run" kind of thing that will make some very special people smile! (No deacons, SS teachers, Pastors, or other personnel will be injured, I promise!)




Don't forget, we will have a Flag (or two man touch) football game this Sunday at 2PM and those of you who are going on Winter Retreat need to come to the informational meeting at 4:30. See you then!

Christmastime is here!

Right after Halloween was done this year, my kids starting a daily search for Christmas music on the radio. They finally found it, so for the past few weeks, that's what is playing in my car...non-stop. But it didnt' feel like Christmas until Sunday night at ARBC when we all had a hand in decorating those beautiful trees in the Sanctuary. For those of you who showed up, thanks so much for helping bring in the Christmas spirit! I think this is going to be a fantastic Christmas season, and I hope that you will take time to really reflect on the amazing gift we have in Jesus Christ.

There are a variety of opportunities for worship and community at our church this Christmas season. I've listed them here for you. There are extra details about the youth progressive dinner that follow.


Dec. 4-7 Walk thru Bethlehem (some of our youth are participating!)
Dec. 14 PM Service- Adult Choir Christmas cantata
Dec. 19 Youth Progressive supper at 6PM
Dec. 21 Church wide Christmas caroling at 4PM
Dec. 24 Carols and Candles Christmas Eve Service 7PM

Youth Progressive Dinner Info!



It's been a running tradition for as long as I can remember, and it's one of the most fun evenings of the year! Make sure to be a part of the annual Youth Progressive Dinner Christmas party this year! I'm currently booking the houses we will "hit" and I already have one very special activity planned for the night. If you can host a segment of the dinner at your house, let me know ASAP. And remember to grab a swappable gift for under $10 so that we can do our crazy gift exchange!

Band of the week


The band of the week for this week isn't a band at all, it's a solo artist! I've recently discovered the amazing voice and skilled song writing of Dave Barnes, and I thought you might enjoy hearing him too! His music is pretty laid back and leans pretty heavily on acoustic guitar, but it's good stuff. He's also VERY funny and has several comedic sketches on YouTube that are fun to watch. Dave is actually from Columbia and is a Pastor's kid. He is a big supporter of Mocha Club and uses his talent and songwriting to bring awareness to the needs of people living in Africa. If you want to know more about Dave, go to his website or to his myspace