Thank you 

To all you who generously shared your Christmas baking with your church family here at Bethel during the Advent season, it certainly has been a sweet treat.

OUR CHURCH FAMILY

Please remember our church family in your daily prayers, at mealtimes and during your personal devotions. Remember those who are unable to worship regularly with us: Jennie Bajema, Bill Wildeboer and Rena DeRuiter. Pray also for those who struggle in silence with ongoing physical, spiritual, and emotional issues. Continue to pray for our missionaries around the world.

Prayer: Life is busy, these days of festivities, celebrations, and gatherings. But please pray for those far and near. How would those feel who are in prison, in hospitals or group homes, institutions? For those who know that this may well be their last Christmas here on earth? Please spend extra time in prayer for those who turned away from Church, from the Lord. May He speak to them at this holiday time to bring them 'to their senses', so they will return. What a celebration that would be!

Marvin Ebens surgery went well earlier this week and he is now home. He will now be recovering and preparing for the next stage of the process.

Congratulations to Alisha De Jager on the birth of her daughter on December 10^th. Both mother and child are doing well. May God be with you, bless you on this wonderful journey into parenthood.

Bradly Roolker took a fall and broke his elbow earlier this week. Please remember Bradly as he will be receiving a new cast on Monday. May our Lord grant you healing, rest and peace as you find yourself limited in your everyday routines.

Lacombe Community Refugee Effort: We are happy to have found a rental home for Khadija Zein Eddin and her children at 4720 - 49 A Ave. This weekend we are moving in the furniture donated. Bethel Deacons are planning a pantry - household drive in January to help with essential start up goods. Thank you for your prayers and donations.

Janneke Andrew’s sister in law Angela, (Grace Roolker’s aunt) has received her first dialysis treatment and went well. Please remember her in your prayers as she now needs to adjust to the grueling schedule of treatments three times a week for the four hours each visit.

Bethel News

Pastor Jake and Joyce 

would like to invite each of you to stop by our 20^th annual open house on New Year's Day from 2-4 p.m. You can find us at 6 Pickwick Lane here in Lacombe. We love beginning the year by welcoming our church family over for a bit of food and fellowship with those who have welcomed us into their lives. May you have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

From the Treasurer: 

To fulfill our ministry shares for 2019 we are in need of $5000.00. All together we can give as the Lord has blessed us and share with fulfilling the denominational needs. Please prayerfully consider this request. Thank you, August Luymes

Christmas Office Hours: 

Dana will be in the office of Friday, December 27^th & January 3^rd from 9 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. Cindy will be in the office on Friday January 10^th. Please have all your announcements in by 9 a.m. Regular Wednesday and Friday office hours will resume on January 15^th.

Bethel Cadet Bottle & Battery Drive: 

Cadets will be collecting bottles, cans, milk jugs etc. and car batteries for our annual fundraiser on January 11, 2020 at Herman Scholing’s garage. You can drop them off your items at his place between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. or give Grant a call for pick up at 403- 896-2856.

Community Christmas Dinner – Desserts: 

Are you willing to make a cheesecake, trifle, or pie for the Christmas Day Dinner? Please let Cora or Pete Hoekstra know if you can help out in this way.

Old Piano: 

There is a new to us piano in the Fellowship Hall. You may have noticed the old one is still there. We would like to move this piano out of the church. Is anyone interested in having it for the wood or for a project? Do you want the whole piano, or just part of it for the wood? There are a number of woodworkers in the congregation, if you are interested, please call Anita Geldof at 403-782-2817.

Men: 

Are you lonely, afraid to share the things you wrestle with in the deep of the night? Do you wish there was another guy, or guys you could trust to share some of this stuff with in a safe place where you aren’t afraid of being shamed or looked down on, but who would understand and care about you? Pastor Jake will be hosting a time a couple of times a month where, as guys together, we can begin building guy relationships of trust and safety where we can share more of who we are and be encouraged and built up by each other while also being held accountable in a safe and trusting environment. We will look to the men of the Bible and their struggles and how God worked in and through them to build them up as men, husbands, fathers, and friends. We are planning our first meeting for early January when we can begin talking about what our gatherings will look like and what we are looking for in such a group. We will also look at holding a grandfather/father/son/grandson monthly get together as well, so if you are interested, text, email, or talk to Pastor Jake. His info is in the bulletin and on the church website.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Central Alberta Christian High School’s Fall Drive’s 

goal for this year is set at $125,000. So far this year’s drive has resulted in donations totalling $39,886. Thank you to all those who have donated so far, your support is very much appreciated. If you would still like to donate there is still time to do so and we ask that you prayerfully consider to what extent you can support CACHS through this year’s drive. To receive a 2019 charity receipt please donate before Dec. 31, 2019. You may mail your donations directly to CACHS, 22 Eagle Road, Lacombe, AB, T4L 1G7. If you would like to drop off your donation at the school please note we will be closed for Christmas break from Dec. 20 to Jan. 5, but you may leave your cheque in the mailbox outside the front doors as we will be picking up the mail during the break. Please contact Candace at the school, 403-782-4535, if you have any questions.

Lacombe Stepping Stones: 

We are excited to announce the re-launching of the Lacombe Stepping Stones program with Youth Unlimited/YFC in January 2020. Stepping Stones is a program that provides support and the hope of Jesus, to young pregnant moms and their children. The Stepping Stones Program will run on Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. starting January 8, 2020 at Bethel Christian Reformed Church. Volunteers are needed for mentorship, teaching children and providing a hot breakfast! Please connect with Cora Fossen at 403-803-3052 or cora.fossen@cayu.ca for more details!

DENOMINATIONAL NEWS

Rick Hiemstra with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada 

and co-author of the Renegotiating Faith report regarding young adult faith formation in Canada will soon be speaking at Kings University. This special event will be on January 15^th from 7-9 p.m. More details will soon follow. Please mark your calendar now so as to not miss this important event.

Food for Thought: 

We have had a glimpse into Heaven's throne room. Seen a bit of the incredible splendour that surrounds our Creator God, the Almighty One. Heaven, where Jesus was one with the Father, living in visible, audible, breath-taking splendour. And He left it! Lord of eternity, with pure radiance, purely innocent, out of indestructible love, sought us to restore us and to save us. Bow down before Him: This Is Your God! (Based on Meekness & Majesty by Graham Kendrick)