Praising In Prayer

Praising In Prayer

I have a sweet friend who is the most polite “texter” I know. Whatever the subject of her text, she never fails to begin with “Hello, how are you doing, hope you are having a good day”. Most people I know, including myself, usually just blurt out the question or the comment they want the person on the other end of the text to see. We know that texting was designed to be short and to the point, but if we talked that way to people face to face, it would seem like a rude way to start a conversation. That started me thinking about my prayer conversations with God.

All In

All In

Covid has scattered the local church.

The initial need to socially distance and stay safely at home in our jammies to watch worship services online has had far-reaching implications, many of which have not been positive.

Not regularly gathering together for worship made it easy for members to disconnect from their church community, get used to not being part of corporate worship, passively listen online and even stop listening at all. Eventually this led to many people feeling out of the loop with what is happening within their own church, to stop attending entirely and to get spiritually lazy. Others responded by “trying out” different churches and leaving the church communities they once considered family. These things have weakened our churches as a whole.

New Year Traditions

New Year Traditions

Even if staying up until midnight isn’t your cup of tea, it seems that recently especially, ushering in a new year has been therapeutic for many. No, our lives don’t magically change when the calendars do, but there is something cathartic about a fresh start. Some people have wonderful things to look forward to in 2022 like growing their family, starting a new job, finishing school, etc., while others just wish to end 2021 because it was hard. Either way, if you’re looking to have a fresh start in 2022, Here are some ideas on how to usher in a new year.

Immanuel, God With Us

Immanuel, God With Us

“Immanuel, God with us,” is without question one of the most beautiful, life altering, hope inspiring phrases in the entire world of words. It was an Old Testament prophecy foretelling of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14), a fulfilled reality testified to in the New Testament (Matthew 1:20-23), and it has been our church's theme the entire month of December. It is also one of my favorite names of Jesus.

Christmas Traditions at Council Road

Christmas Traditions at Council Road

The first Candlelight Service at Council Road was in 1970, when I was six years old. Fred Wilhoite, our first pastor, was a kind, older gentleman, and I remember children like me were naturally drawn to him. The tradition of children climbing onto the stage for the Christmas story didn’t start until years later. About 12 years ago, Norman had a wonderful idea to begin writing and publishing our own children’s books for that service, with each child getting to take one home.

Thank You, Lord, For Your Constance

Thank You, Lord, For Your Constance

We are focusing on qualities of God we are most thankful for on the blog this month. If you’re like me, though, it’s tough to dial it down to just one characteristic. His faithfulness, mercy, and grace would top my list for sure. The comfort of the Holy Spirit and peace He brings are irreplaceable, and the way He knows and loves us is enough to bring tears to my eyes. He is just so good, and I am just so thankful for Him.

Thank You, Lord, For Your Faithfulness

Thank You, Lord, For Your Faithfulness

Faithfulness is a word often used, but rarely defined in Christian circles. A quick google search will tell you that faithfulness is a firm or even unfailing devotion. It’s hard to believe that God is firmly devoted to us, though, when we’re in the midst of a difficult circumstance that he could miraculously change, yet doesn’t. What if God’s faithfulness is not primarily a statement describing his relationship to us, but a character quality of himself?

FIND YOUR SPOT!

Take Our Survey!