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All are welcome.

Happy New Year, CPC Family!

Although the cycle of the church year began on the first Sunday of Advent, the new year on our Gregorian Calendar begins TODAY -- which means that many of us are thinking about fresh starts. As you receive this email in your inbox, Eric and I are driving to Portland with our oldest child, newly graduated from college, to help him move into his own apartment and get ready to start his first job. So fresh starts are at the front of our minds! 

There is a theological term for fresh starts: New Creation. "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!" (2 Cor. 5:17) Every day -- not just every January 1, or even every first Sunday of Advent -- is a fresh start, a gift from God, an opportunity to remember that God sees us as beloved and a part of Christ's mission in the world. Our bodies, our minds, our hearts hold the past, but each day is an invitation to live free and fully alive. 

This is my prayer for all of you: that you know you are deeply loved and valued -- by God and by this church community -- and that you find hope to live fully as you move forward into the new year. 

I can't wait to see what God does among us in 2026. I'll see you in worship on Sunday!

Yours in Christ,

Betsey

Pastor Betsey Moe

Thanks to all who worked to make our Christmas Eve service so special! The beautiful music, the new kids' bags and racks, the hot cocoa bar, the extra outdoor signage -- all took extra effort by many of you, and it was worth it! Attendance on Christmas Eve was 143, which included many new faces from the community. 

Click here if you would like to listen to Pastor Betsey's Christmas Eve sermon, "Good News is Louder Than Fear." Feel free to share.

Listen to Rev. Ted Mattie's 12/21 sermon"When You Are Afraid, Give Me Your Hand" by clicking here. Feel free to share this with others.

Join us this Sunday, January 4, for Epiphany Sunday

Pastor Betsey will preach a sermon titled, "Fear Doesn't Stop Us" based on Matthew 2:1-12, 16-18. All will share in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and each congregation member will receive a unique Star Word, or focus word, for 2026!

Sermon Series for the Season of Epiphany

January 11 – February 15, 2026

“The Light of the World”

In John’s gospel, Jesus says, “I am the Light of the world.” But in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus says to his disciples, “You are the Light of the world.” At the start of every calendar year, we celebrate the season of Epiphany, when God’s light, or revelation in Christ, breaks into our reality. How do we experience God’s light shining in and through us? And what does this light mean for the healing of God’s world? Let us begin the year together basking in the light!

January 11: Who in the World Are We?

Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-17 (Reaffirmation of the Baptismal Covenant)

January 18: Jesus Comes to a World Used to the Shadows

Isaiah 9:1-7; Matthew 4:12-17 Guest Preacher Ted Mattie

January 25: Following Christ in the World

Psalm 27:1, 4-9; Matthew 4:18-25

February 1: God Chooses What is Weak in the World

1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12

February 8: You are the Salt and the Light of the World Psalm

112:1-10; Matthew 5:13-20

Guest Preacher: Rev. Ted Mattie

February 15: An Out-of-This-World Experience

Psalm 99:1-9; Matthew 17:1-9

Guest Preacher: Rev. Katie Haney

Dear Friends of 3rd Avenue Marketplace,

As we reflect on this past year, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the generosity, kindness, and unwavering support you have shown to 3rd Avenue Marketplace and our Senior Café. Your contributions have made a profound impact on the lives of families, seniors, and individuals throughout our community who rely on a caring place to turn when times are tough.

Our mission is simple yet powerful: to provide food, connection, and hope to those in need while honoring every person with dignity and compassion.

Because of you, we are able to live out this mission every day.

Your generosity doesn’t just support one program—it touches the entire fabric of what we do.

Thanks to you:

·     Our Senior Café provides warm meals, meaningful conversations, and a sense of community for older adults who might otherwise eat alone.

·     Our Weekend Backpack Program ensures that students who face food insecurity have nutritious meals to take home every weekend, giving them the stability and nourishment they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

·     Our Food Share Program - Because of our strong Grocery Rescue Program, the Food Bank can share excess food with other food banks, community meal sites, and non-profit organizations throughout northern Idaho. Some of the agencies that we support with our food are: Real Life Ministries Food Room and Meal Program, St Vincent de Paul Warming Shelter, the Wallace Food Bank, Second Chance Ministries, and Rathdrum Senior Center.

·     Our 3rd Avenue Market/Food Bank helps struggling families stretch their budgets by providing essential groceries, fresh food, and household staples when they need them most.

These programs are only possible because of community members like you—people who care deeply about their neighbors and believe in lifting others up. Your support is more than a donation; it is hope shared, dignity restored, and lives changed.

May the new year bring blessings, good health, and continued community.

From all of us at 3rd Avenue Marketplace & the Senior Café, Merry Christmas, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

With deep gratitude,

Charlene Holbrook

Executive Director

Always Needed at 3rd Avenue Marketplace

Peanut Butter - Tuna Fish (& other canned meats) - Chili - Beans

There are some items that are "always needed" at our local foodbank. These items have been in scarce supply and are a staple of easy protein meals for our community. If you are able to donate these items at any time, they will be greatly appreciated by our community members in need. Thank you!

Prayer Chain at CPC

Please click the button below if you would like to add a request to our prayer chain. (Respectfully, please be sure you have permission of the person before you share their name or condition with any group.)

Would you like to be a part of the community of faithful pray-ers? Please click on the button below and email our Prayer Chain Coordinator, Heather Westlake, with a request to be added to the list. Heather sends out regular requests via email.

Important Dates

1/1/2026 Happy New Year!

1/8 Women's Bible Study Resumes

1/9 Adult Bible Study Resumes

1/9 Reports due for Annual Report - email to jen@pfcpc.org

1/11 Ordination and Installation of New Officers

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2/1 Annual Congregational Meeting immediately following worship

Want to view CPC's event calendar? Click the button below.

How do we know GPS existed way back in Bible times?

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The wisemen had OnStar!

What Are We Missing?

Do you have a church-related event, or a story or testimony to add to the weekly e-news? A suggested improvement? A special request? FANTASTIC!

This is a "community newsletter" for CPC and we want your input! Please email the details you want shared to Jen, our admin assistant, by clicking here. Thank you!

Community Bulletin Board

Would You Like To Share Activity Information Here?

Please email the details you want shared to Jen, our admin assistant, by clicking here. Pictures are appreciated but not required. Thank you!