Our Carols by Candlelight in Bright Street Park Eaglehawk last Friday was a great success with between three and four hundred people enjoying a free sausage sizzle followed by a fun evening of singing both traditional and modern carols and songs. It was a great effort by the whole team, from musicians to singers, stage hands, light and sound technicians, sausage cooks and helpers of all kinds. This outreach is an outworking of our vision to reach out and be a blessing to the community in which God has placed us.

On Sunday morning we heard from Pastor Tony Smits, who shared on three angelic announcements around the birth of Jesus as recorded in chapter 1 of the Gospel of Luke. We were encouraged to know that our prayers will be answered in God?s time and in God?s way, as were the prayers of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. We were also challenged to let go of fears and hurts and be available to God, as was Mary, the mother of Jesus.

This Sunday we will be having a short Christmas service, commencing at 9.00 am. We will resume the normal meeting times of 10.30am and 6.30pm the following Sunday.

The church office will be closed from December 22 until January 10, but over that time any enquiries may still be directed the office number.

We would like to wish all our friends a safe and joyous Christmas and good health, happiness and prosperity in 2006. May Jesus truly be Lord of our lives during this festive season and on into next year and beyond.

Phil Arnold, representing missionary organization, Partners International, was our guest speaker on Sunday morning. We were all inspired by his excellent presentation and reports of his trips to China with Partners International. His stories of the things that are happening in the church there and the way God is using ordinary people, were greatly encouraging and are helping us to lift our vision higher to see that we can all be involved in world missions in some way.

On Sunday night Pastor Alan gave a message based around Hebrews 11:1-9 and shared on Jesus as the Son of God, Son of Man and Son of David. He encouraged us to see that the authority of the kingdom of God is based on righteousness, which we all have through faith in Christ. We saw that the kingdom of God is not based on laws, rules and regulations, but, as the scripture says, in Romans 14:17, on righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Our annual carols by candlelight will be held in the Bright Street Park, Eaglehawk this Friday, commencing at 7.00 pm with a free sausage sizzle, with carol singing to begin at approximately 8.15 pm. There is still room for more helpers, so anyone who would like to lend a hand on the night should contact the church office.

The Wednesday days of prayer in the church building are going well and anyone who is able is welcome to join Pastor Alan for prayer between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm.