Chili/Soup Cookoff, A Nite Together, Kids Night Out, Passage Blessing
Dear friends,
Quick Plug: I sure hope you’ll join us for the Chili/Soup Cookoff this Sunday night from 4:30-6:30!
On this day after Martin Luther King Day and Inauguration Day, I am struck by this harmony of truth: 1) Believers in Jesus Christ belong to a kingdom that never ends and 2) are called to bring the truth and beauty of that kingdom into whatever nation or kingdom we reside.
There is no inauguration day in the Kingdom of God, because God has been, is and will always be king forever and ever. There is no transition in power in his kingdom.
Martin Luther King was a champion of the truth and beauty of God’s kingdom, that all people are created equal regardless of their race or social class. His Letter From Birmingham Jail, where he was imprisoned for protesting against racial segregation, was written to church leaders of his day, and remains an iconic challenge to the church. And in light of our message series last year on time and our current series on GodStory OurStory, I thought this paragraph is a particularly poignant reminder of how we live as citizens of God’s kingdom, or to quote King, “coworkers with God.”
I received a letter this morning from a white brother in Texas which said, "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but is it possible that you are in too great of a religious hurry? It has taken Christianity almost 2000 years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." All that is said here grows out of a tragic misconception of time. It is the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time is neutral. It can be used either destructively or constructively. I am coming to feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.
I encourage you to read and be challenged by the rest of the letter, but more importantly, to join with and continue with God in his kingdom work of reconciliation, justice, and mercy.
For God’s Kingdom,
Pastor Josh
PS Check out Sunday’s Snow Day Worship at Stillmeadow Lane and York City Campus.
PPS If you haven’t jumped into the reading plan yet, you still can. Check out our reading page here. If you want to catch up, you can listen in on the Bible App, or you can just join right where we are and catch up later. Our hope is that you’ll daily connect with Our Creator and Savior through Scripture.
The Main Announcements
A Night 2gether/Kids Night Out
Passage Blessing
Vison Sunday Chili/Soup Cook-Off
Annual Chili/Soup Cook-off!
Let’s celebrate God’s faithfulness in 2024 and look forward to his work in 2025. We’ll tell stories on each campus in the morning and bring the campuses together for a Chili and Soup Celebration!
Bring your favorite chili or soup.
Compete for the 2025 Prize!
Or just come and enjoy!
Sign up at the link below.
Sunday, January 26th at 4:30PM.
A Nite Together and Kids Night Out February 15th!
An inspirational date night for engaged and married couples and a fun night out for the kiddos.
A Nite Together is $35 per couple, from 5-7:30. Click here to register.
Kids Night Out is free for the kiddos, from 4:30-7:30. Click here to register.
Attention Foster/Adoptive Parents: This is free for you! See details on the registration.
Passage Blessing: A Commitment to Maturity in the Kingdom of God
We are inviting all parents and their pre-teen(s) (ages 10-12) to join us on a journey full of godly instruction that ends with a commitment ceremony. This is a parent-led journey supported by your church family. The Initial class will outline this process and provide guidance for this journey. Two follow-up classes will be provided to give support and guidance throughout this special journey. These classes are facilitated by Burdette & Nedra Lahr.
Initial Class: Sunday, January 26th at 10:30 AM in Rm. #201 for parents and pre-teens.
Follow-up Classes: Sunday, February 23rd and Sunday, March 23rd at 10:30AM in Rm. #201
Ceremony & Celebration: Sunday, May 4th, 4PM-6PM
If you would like more information contact Pastor Tabitha at pastortabitha@stillnaz.com.
Grow with us
We were made to grow in maturity in our relationship with God and others. And we realize that no one matures alone, so we have intentional ways to cultivate growth together. Check out these two opportunities…
Gather 25
Feb 28-Mar 1, we’ll be praying, praising and experiencing God together in a global event hosted at Stillmeadow. More info HERE!
Prayer
As we grow together, prayer is the foundation for our community. We have many groups that focus on prayer. Checkout our prayer opportunities at stillnaz.com/prayer.
Serve with us
You have been gifted and we’d be honored to serve with you. We’d love to have you partner with us. Click the “Serve” button below for more opportunities.
Habitat for Humanity-Stillmeadow Build Day
We have a build opportunity on Feb 1, 2025! If you are interested in participating, please read the details below. The weather will determine what specifically will be our task that day, but we will probably be working on either the siding or the interior walls. Currently there are only 7 spots remaining and registration closes January 25th, so sign up soon if you can serve! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Sue Cox at s-cox@comcast.net .
Pray with us
You can find a guide to prayer and submit a prayer request at www.stillnaz.com/prayerrequest.
Let us pray for the requests on our Missions Card.
Give with us
Wild Fire Response
Our special giving opportunity this week is to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Los Angeles Wildfire Response. NCM will be working with local Nazarene’s to care for those affected by this devastating fire, including a sister church and several Nazarene church member’s homes that were caught in the fire. You can give through Stillmeadow by using the GIVE button below and choosing “wildfire” from the drop down menu. Or you can give directly to NCM HERE.
Human Life Services
We recognize that every human, from the womb to the tomb, is worthy of respect and dignity, which is why we support the work that Human Life Services does to help women with unexpected pregnancies. We encourage you to give to their mission by selecting “Human Life Services” or writing it in the memo of your giving.
Condolences to…
Ken Brubaker and the Brubaker Family. Audrey Brubaker passed away January 8th. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, February 15th at 11AM at the York Alliance Church 501 Rathton Rd., York P 17403.