The Ward Hill Church Bell Ringer

December 6, 2020 – Second Sunday of Advent: Love

Blue Christmas This Wednesday, 7 pm on Facebook Live

The festive season can also remind us of loss and bring sadness, loneliness, and grief. It’s okay to cry. But it’s also okay, and important, to find both healing and comfort in the love of Jesus.

Angel Tree Christmas Gifts

Christmas is coming! The Angel Tree Christmas gift program for children of prisoners is becoming a wonderful Ward Hill Church tradition! What a great way to serve, and many thanks to Anne Smith for organizing it. We will be serving 8 children from 4 families this year. We need people to either buy gifts or distribute them (or do both!). Please contact Anne Smith if you wish to participate.

Church Calendar & Lectionary

Season:            Advent – Sunday nearest Nov 30 to Dec 24 at sunset

Color:              Purple – preparing our hearts for the Coming King

This Sunday:   Second Sunday of Advent – Love

Sun, Dec 13:    Third Sunday of Advent – Joy

Lectionary:     Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11; Ps 126; 1 Thess. 516-24; John 1:6-8,19-28

Hymns:           320 – Rejoice, All Ye Believers; 195 – Joy to the World

Next Season:   Christmas – Twelve Days from December 25 – January 5

Color:             White – celebrating the nativity and childhood of Jesus

Monthly Prayer Focus for December

Local Church Focus:  King of Grace Church, Bradford – Paul Buckley, pastor 

Missions Focus:  Pregnancy Care Center of MV and So.NH

Community Resources – Food, Clothing, Shelter, & Other Help www.communityactioninc.org/phocadownload/resource_guide_english_october_2017.pdf          National Suicide Hotline:  1-800-273-8255

Refugee Ministries: Interserve USA (interserveusa.com); Emmanuel Gospel Center’s Greater Boston Refugee Ministry (http://www.egc.org/refugee)

Global Crisis Help:  World Relief – worldrelief.org

Information on Persecuted Christians: Open Doors USA – opendoorsusa.org

Monthly Scripture Memory for December

John 3:16,17 (ESV) – 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Catechism: An Outline of the Faith

Q.  Why do we not use our freedom as we should?

A.  Because we rebel against God, and we put ourselves in the place of God.

Q.  What help is there for us?

A.  Our help is in God.

Q.  How did God first help us?

A.  God first helped us by revealing himself and his will, through nature and history, through many seers and saints, and especially the prophets of Israel.