Family and Friends,
For many of us, Christmas is a time of comfortable celebration. We embrace traditions of the past while crafting the coziest day of the year with big family meals, special desserts, family conversation, and gift exchanges. And while these joyful attributes are a good and right thing to enjoy, what if this year’s celebration better featured Jesus Christ as the center of our affections?
For many of us, Christmas is a time of comfortable celebration. We embrace traditions of the past while crafting the coziest day of the year with big family meals, special desserts, family conversation, and gift exchanges. And while these joyful attributes are a good and right thing to enjoy, what if this year’s celebration better featured Jesus Christ as the center of our affections?
And check this out…what if this Christmas season, you could experience a breakthrough?
This weekend, it is my hope and prayer that our affections might find their destination upon Jesus for the holiday season. That our food, fun, and family would be the conduit to a joyful time of worshiping Christ and allowing Him to grow us up even more. So with that being said, here is the Christmas itinerary for our church!
The Basics
This year our Christmas sermon will be this Sunday, December 13th at 6pm. Wait what?! That’s right! No typos here folks! THIS SUNDAY!
You see, Christ-centered sermons are meant to equip us so that we might maximize the glory we give to God, increase the ways we love our church and community, and of course—set us up for a victorious life in Christ. So how on earth could we have a Christmas sermon that fell short of that?!
Last year I preached a sermon titled 5 Cautions for The Christmas Season. And while so many of us found it fruitful, only having a few days before Christmas, we all were left wanting more time to respond to Jesus…remember?
By having our holiday sermon two weeks before Christmas, it is my hope that we are better prepared and equipped to respond to God with all our hearts…and with all of our plans. Because I really do believe it is possible to enjoy family, friends, food, laughter, AND Jesus!
So with great intentionality, prayer, and collaboration with Pastor Jack, here is how we hope to shepherd our church family towards this aim:
You see, Christ-centered sermons are meant to equip us so that we might maximize the glory we give to God, increase the ways we love our church and community, and of course—set us up for a victorious life in Christ. So how on earth could we have a Christmas sermon that fell short of that?!
Last year I preached a sermon titled 5 Cautions for The Christmas Season. And while so many of us found it fruitful, only having a few days before Christmas, we all were left wanting more time to respond to Jesus…remember?
By having our holiday sermon two weeks before Christmas, it is my hope that we are better prepared and equipped to respond to God with all our hearts…and with all of our plans. Because I really do believe it is possible to enjoy family, friends, food, laughter, AND Jesus!
So with great intentionality, prayer, and collaboration with Pastor Jack, here is how we hope to shepherd our church family towards this aim:
Gift Swap | 3:00pm or Earlier
Each family will receive a partner family for the Sunday Christmas Sermon. You will receive a direct message tomorrow morning specifying who your partner family is! Each family will get one joint gift for the family as an expression of love and care and drop it off at 3 PM or earlier. This becomes significant for later in the night.
Due to financial limitations and constraints, we ask that the gift exchange be set at $40 and no more than $80 per family. If you have any financial constraints that hinders you from participating and assistance is needed, please contact RCC’s Financial Operations Officer Jessie Sandridge. We will do all that we can to assist.
Due to financial limitations and constraints, we ask that the gift exchange be set at $40 and no more than $80 per family. If you have any financial constraints that hinders you from participating and assistance is needed, please contact RCC’s Financial Operations Officer Jessie Sandridge. We will do all that we can to assist.
- If you have children, we encourage you to additionally allow them to make homemade gifts to add to your joint gift presentation for the partner family and their kids that they have been assigned to. I’m sure they’d love to have that opportunity!
Christmas Dinner and a Christ-Centered Conversation | 5:00 pm
This is your opportunity to sit down with your family and have an intentional dinner together. Make a special dinner using a combination of your favorite foods from your life. Men, if possible, consider making; or at least, serving the food to your family. Lead them!
However, allow the food to be the background and not the spotlight of the dinner. Instead, have Christ-centered conversation as your centerpiece. Here’s discipleship questions to discuss around the table:
However, allow the food to be the background and not the spotlight of the dinner. Instead, have Christ-centered conversation as your centerpiece. Here’s discipleship questions to discuss around the table:
- How prepared is everyone around this table to grow into all that God has for them? Are each of us willing to risk our comfort to do so? Why or why not?
- What does Christmas mean to you personally? (Ask each person)
- Is it difficult to keep Christmas centered on Christ, for you specifically? Why or why not?
Christmas Virtual Church with the Family | 6:00 pm
It’s time for church! At 5:55PM, our virtual church service will be released to everyone via email and text message. Let’s make it a goal to start service together as a church family at 6:00pm! Even though we are not able to gather together, there’s power in knowing that our entire church is listening and worshiping at the same time.
Here what to expect:
1st - Special Worship through Music
2nd - Special Worship through Announcements
3rd - Special Worship through The Word of God
So make sure you are mentally and spiritually available for the sermon! Gather your water, go to the bathroom, organize your Bible and roadmaps beforehand and be joyfully prepared to lean in with your whole family.
Here what to expect:
1st - Special Worship through Music
- Sister Vanessa will be leading us in Christmas themed worship. Sister Aubrey will be leading us for one song too!
2nd - Special Worship through Announcements
- We have a very special Together We Stand Episode featuring one of our very own covenant members encouraging us this Christmas season!
3rd - Special Worship through The Word of God
- Here, we enter into our main feature of the Christmas service with a sermon titled, “Christ in Bethlehem and Our Privileged Position For Unexpected Breakthrough.” This sermon is not only important for each of us regarding how we think through Christmas, but also our lives. I’m looking forward to us experiencing it together as a church family this Sunday. And guess what? We have a very special presentation of our new studio to show you right before the sermon!
So make sure you are mentally and spiritually available for the sermon! Gather your water, go to the bathroom, organize your Bible and roadmaps beforehand and be joyfully prepared to lean in with your whole family.
Family Time Over Zoom| 8:20pm-8:50pm
At 8:15PM sharp, Pastor Jack will send you a link to head over to our Christmas Zoom Fellowship. There you’ll be able to say a quick hello to your entire church family after the service! Then, we all will be placed in breakout rooms; specifically with our gift swap partner family. There we will have the opportunity to share how the sermon moved our hearts while expressing gratitude for each other’s gifts that were received earlier that day. So while we are physically distanced by miles, we are united through our shared experience. And that is legit!
Final Words
I believe with all my heart that Christmas can be an amazing time where the people of God experience breakthrough within their lives. Believing and praying that this sermon will be a catalyst towards that aim.
May Christ reign supreme…let’s lean in!
May Christ reign supreme…let’s lean in!
Pastor Brandon K. Rachal