Joy is typically defined as a feeling of great happiness. In fact, joy and happiness are often used interchangeably, but I believe this diminishes the scope and significance of joy. I believe that joy is more than a feeling of happiness, but also an attribute of a life in sync with God and God's purposes and a state of being that transcends the temporal. Joy transforms us to an elevated sense of life intended by God in harmony with God's intimate presence and purpose for our lives. 

We speak and sing of joy, but we seldom allow our lives to embrace joy. However, when we draw close to God and allow God to break through the walls we build between ourselves and God's will for our lives, joy is experienced. We allow far too many things in life to rob us of our joy. We pursue far too many alternatives to the true joy offered by God through grace that we can only fully know through God's gift of grace in Jesus.

As many things will be pulling us and garnering our attention as Christmas approaches, I pray that we will intentionally pause and open ourselves to the good tidings of great joy. That same joy that the angels proclaimed came to earth in a child born in Bethlehem long ago that reigns today as our Lord and Savior.

We gather on Christmas Eve to communally share in an experience of joy together as we draw close to God and one another, letting go of our fear, knocking down the walls we have created and experiencing the joy of the Lord. This year we offer you four unique opportunities on Christmas Eve to experience joy. At 4:00 PM, we offer a short, kid-friendly service with glow sticks in the Sanctuary. From 4:30-6:00 PM in Nicholson Chapel, we offer Come-and-Go Communion. At 5:30 PM, Contemporary Christmas Eve Worship with communion and candle lighting will be offered in the Faith Center. Our traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship service with communion will be offered in the Sanctuary. For those of you unable to attend in person, our Children's Christmas Eve Worship service and Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship service will both be live-streamed. Traditional worship will also be broadcast on January 2nd at 11:00 AM on KLTV (Channel 7). Our loving God offers great joy. Come receive the good news of this great joy and share it abundantly with all you encounter.

Don't forget that we will worship in one service on December 26th in the Faith Center and in the Sanctuary on January 2nd. Come casual and share in breakfast fellowship at 9:30 AM on December 26th before worship. We will provide coffee, juice, fruit, and donuts. You are welcome to bring Christmas treats or a breakfast item to share.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jay

All children in grades 2-5 are invited to participate as an acolyte during Beacon Worship. Parents, please check your calendars and click here to sign your acolyte(s) up to serve! This will allow us to print their names in the bulletin each Sunday. Email Jana at [email protected] with questions.

Children's Wednesday Night Live will resume on January 12 with a chili dinner! Regular meetings for children ages pre-k through fifth grade - including music, dinner, and other activities - will begin on January 19. The children's evening begins at 6:00 PM with music, followed by dinner and activities ending at 7:30 PM. An average of 45 children join us each week, and volunteers are needed to assist with dinner and activities. We welcome all volunteers, and parents are encouraged to volunteer once a month for WNL. If you'd like to volunteer for one or multiple evenings, click here. This link allows you to select the date and age group you'd like to work with. You can be sure to be blessed in your time spent with our children as you guide them on their faith journeys and build important relationships within our church family!

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