Advent Experience, Wrapping Up Just Mercy, and More
Happy November Church Family!
The Family Advent Experience is Coming November 26
The Advent season (Dec 3-24) is an incredible opportunity to prepare our hearts and lives for the second arrival of Jesus by remembering his first arrival! So, we have set aside the Sunday before Advent (Nov 26) as a special family advent experience to prepare our hearts and lives as a church family. This will be a worshipful and interactive all-generation service.
The Advent Devotional
And we will have an advent devotional available on November 26. You can grab a hard copy that Sunday and you can have it emailed to your inbox by subscribing on the button below.
Wrapping up our “Just Mercy” Series
This Sunday we will be wrapping up our Just Mercy Series with a message by Pastor Tabitha at our Stillmeadow Lane Campus and our Thanksgiving Meal at our City Campus. We will also be introducing our “Christmas Blessing Tree” opportunity, which will be “Nursing Home Blessings.” We are planning on blessing our neighbors in nursing homes with gifts that they have requested. There will be gift tags on the trees in the lobby of both Stillmeadow Lane and City Campus. Grab a gift tag and lovingly wrap the gift and bring it back by December 10.
Here are the other Just Mercy opportunities
On November 5 we heard from Chaplain Michael Irvin from Good News Prison and Jail Ministry and how we can partner with him in his work at York County Prison. Here are the four ways you can join in: stillnaz.com/prisonministry
On November 12 we heard from Nayler Abror from Keystone Family Alliance about how we can stand with foster kids and families. And here are the ways you can stand with foster kids and families: stillnaz.com/fostercare.
What has God been saying to you through the Just Mercy series?
I’d love to hear your thoughts (pastorjosh@stillnaz.com). My hope through this series is that your heart would be pierced for the needs of our community and your hands would be moved to act with Jesus on their behalf. I want to see “justice roll” in York County Prison, in the Foster Care System and in Nursing Homes too. That’s why we are exploring ways to share His mercy with people who have been imprisoned, children in foster care and folks who are living in nursing homes.
Heavenly Father, would you light a fire for justice in the hearts of your people.
Crucified and Resurrected Christ, would you give us your sacrificial attitude to hold nothing back to serve like you do.
Holy Spirit, fill us with your compassion that we may act on the impulse of your love.
Watch the Sunday (Nov 12) Services
Stillmeadow Lane Campus —Pastor Josh Kleinfeld
York City Campus — Chastity Frederick
Grow with us
No one matures alone. Check out our listing of other groups and let us know if you’re interested in one. If you’d like help, you can contact Karon Kagan (kkagan@stillnaz.com) or Pastor Tabitha Martin (pastortabitha@stillnaz.com).
New Married Class-Are you soon to be married or have you been married for 10 years or less? Led by Todd and Donna Henry this group meets in Rm. 201, and is currently studying “Sacred Marriage” by Gary Thomas. Kidz Ministry is available during this time
Harvest Prayer-Hear updates from the mission field and from our EJAM partners. Join in prayer and support for our Missionaries around the world. This group is led by Erma Shaffer and meets at 10:30AM the first Sunday of each month in room #124.
Serve with us
You have been gifted and we’d be honored to serve with you. We’d love to have you serve in our Cafe or sing in our Christmas Choir. And click the “Serve” button below for more opportunities.
Cafe—Help us extend an atmosphere of “embracing unity” by serving in our Sunday morning cafe ministries.
Christmas Choir—So, we’ve got an all church, all generation choir for our Christmas program on Dec 17. Invite family members and friends to sing with you!
Pray with us
You can find a guide to prayer and submit a prayer request at www.stillnaz.com/pray. This week, let us pray for…
Our citizens who live in York County, mayors, school boards. The print and broadcast media. The churches of York: members and clergy. All who live in poverty. All who suffer from mental illness.
Give with us
God has given each of us gifts for us to share. In addition to giving a regular tithe, consider helping with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry or our 30 Hour Famine.
Good News Jail and Prison Ministry
The mission of Good News Jail & Prison Ministry is to help fulfill the Great Commission by reaching inmates with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Pray for them as they hold Bible studies, provide individual pastoral counseling, and support the various spiritual needs of more than 900 inmates. Pray for God to help these men and women experience life change which will have a significant impact on York County and the surrounding area. For more info: www.stillnaz.com/prisonministry.
Mid-Atlantic Young Adult Retreat (Dec 29-31)
This event is for young adults ages 18 to early 30s to come grow in their faith with Jesus and in their relationships with young adults on the Mid-Atlantic District! The early bird cost is $90 by Dec 1. Regular registration is $100 by Dec 11. For information and registration go to: https://madnyi.com/young-adult-ministry/. Also, coordinate with our Stillnaz Young Adults by RSVP’s with Aubrey Shaffer @ 717-819-6131
Stillmeadow Youth Gift Card Fundraiser!
Purchase gift cards just in time for Christmas and support our teens. See a teen or visit the Welcome Desk on Sunday mornings to place your order. You can also obtain an order packet at stillnaz.com/sny. Deadline to order is November 28. Gift cards will arrive by December 12th and will be delivered by a teen or available for pick up at the Welcome Table.
Congratulations
To Joseph Kidwell for his first local minister’s license and to Chastity Frederick, Casey Harrison and Gabe Hurlbert for the renewal of theirs! We are grateful for each of their service to our community and excited to see them grow in their pursuit of God’s call on their lives. To learn about what it means to be a local minister in the Church of the Nazarene, click here.
Condolences
To Karen and Mark Wagner and children (Amy Harmer, Mike and Matt Wagner) who are mourning the loss of Karen’s mother, Yvonne Hughes, of Texas, who passed away the week of October 29.
I conclude this message with the memory verse for our next series.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
We’re praying for you. Will you pray for us?
Pastor Josh and the Stillmeadow Team
PS…Yes, I did get the series title “Just Mercy” from the title of the humbling and inspiring book by Bryan Stevenson, who has done incredible work with the Equal Justice Initiative. “Just Mercy tells the story of EJI, from the early days with a small staff facing the nation’s highest death sentencing and execution rates, through a successful campaign to challenge the cruel practice of sentencing children to die in prison, to revolutionary projects designed to confront Americans with our history of racial injustice.”