The Holy Name

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Friends, the Christmas Season is now well underway, and the New Year 2023 is ahead of us. As we begin this new season of life together, I’d like to share a few words of encouragement from the Word of God.

Have you decided yet on your New Year's Resolutions? It is easy for us to over-promise and then inevitably feel like we’ve failed. God knows how much this has been my experience over the years. Whether this is a promise to lose some weight, read more, be more thankful and mindful in all I do, or perhaps be a little less anxious about the things I have no control over… the list goes on and on.

It is easy to become overwhelmed and decide that this whole resolution business is counterproductive. Yet, the Bible may be giving us a little hint here. In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul wrote: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of [that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me]. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.”

This New Year gives us an opportunity to look ahead in hope and strive for that which leads us heavenwards. So, whatever you do, whether you decide to have some New Year resolutions or not, I encourage you to be mindful of God’s presence among us prayerfully. The truth is that everything we do in life can be turned into prayer if we do that mindfully, bearing Jesus’s name in our hearts!

May the Lord’s presence among us during the Christmas Season fill your hearts with “all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Happy New Year, everyone!

Matthew+

2023 Stewardship Campaign Update

Our Pledge campaign for 2023 is still going - you can make a pledge anytime, the sooner the better!

You can pledge online through Realm or return your pledge card in the offering plate or by mail. Click here for a video on how to pledge via Realm, or email Ellie for help

If you didn’t receive a pledge packet either at church or in the mail, and would like one, we will happily send you one, please contact Veronica Kannan at [email protected].

As of now, we have 109 pledges for a total of $514,918.21, which is 80% of our pledge goal for 2023 of $640,000.

Winter Clothing Drive for Ukraine

Cub Scout Pack 657’s Webelos Arrow of Light Den 10 is conducting a winter clothing drive for people affected by the war in Ukraine. We are hosting a donation bin here at The Falls Church in the office lobby through New Years. New or gently used winter clothing of all sizes is welcome. Donations will be shipped to Ukraine and to scouts in Moldova who are providing winter clothes to Ukrainians who have sought refuge there. Questions? Contact Den Leader Dave Berthiaume.

We have two exciting opportunities to join the staff of The Falls Church that we'd love you to share with your networks to ensure we get the best person for the job.

We are hiring an Interim Director of Music and a Director of The Day School. You can find out more about the roles on the 'Job Openings' page of our website here.

There will be no Nursery or Children's Chapel on Sunday January 1.

Please use the Prayer List in your prayers for each other and the world. 



Praying for each other and the needs of the world is a powerful way to love our neighbors as ourselves! THIS WEEK’S PRAYER LIST