A NOTE FROM BRYANT
It's always so fun to watch the children at SSCC as we move through the advent season. As we draw closer to Christmas you can see the excitement build as they prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. It is such a joy to be with them!
In Sunday School, we have been reading some classic Christmas children's books (The Grinch, The Night Before Christmas, The Polar Express) and comparing them to the Christmas Story from Matthew. This past Sunday, the children rewrote the Night Before Christmas using the birth story and they did such an amazing job! I wanted to share those words with you today-
'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the stable,
Not a creature was stirring, not even Gabriel
For the angels had come to tell Mary the news,
A baby was coming, her belly grew and grew.
Mary and Joseph made way to Bethlehem, a small little town,
they traveled by Donkey, with no time to lie down.
When they arrived, there was no room at the inn,
so they went to the stable where there were no men.
Only animals and hay, cows, goats and sheep,
in the manger where they lay down their heads to sleep.
But Mary was ready to deliver the babe,
no doctor to help them, just a horse telling them 'neigh'.
Across the dark land one special star shone bright,
the shepherds took notice and walked through the night.
They arrived to see the birth of this child born lowly,
they bowed and they worshiped, they knew he was Holy.
The angel exclaimed as he flew out of sight,
the Messiah has come on this Holy night.
How awesome are they, right?!? We hope you make plans to join us as we continue through this advent season together! We have some wonderful opportunities to worship together as we look to the manger and the birth of Jesus. See you Sunday!
Peace, Bryant
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HEAT IN THE SANCTUARY!
We are happy to inform you that the sanctuary heat has been repaired. We appreciate your patience in this matter, as it was no small undertaking. We hope to see you Sunday in a warm sanctuary!
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NEWSLETTER UPDATE AND HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS
For the next two weeks we will have an abbreviated edition of the newsletter for the holiday weeks. In addition, here are the church office hours for the upcoming holidays:
Friday, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th - 9:30 - 1:00 pm
Monday, Christmas Day Observed, Dec. 27th - Office Closed
Tuesday, Dec. 28 through Friday, Dec. 31 the office will be open from 9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Monday, Jan. 3, New Year's Day observed - Office Closed
Normal office hours of 9:00 am to 4:00 pm will resume Tuesday, Jan. 4th
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Sandy Springs Christian Church
An Advent/Christmas Sermon Series:
Landscape of Love
The Scriptures that help us prepare for the birth of Jesus are filled with places—holy
places, hard places, and the pathways in between. Together, these places present a
“Landscape of Love”—a map of the heights and depths we journey to Bethlehem and the
birth of the Christ Child. During the seasons of Advent and Christmas, we will explore
this terrain in worship by way of Isaiah and his prophecy of the Messiah. Along the way,
we will find God’s love atop a mountain, out of a stump, in the desert, at a manger, and
any place we will allow God’s light to shine.
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December 19, 2021
Atop a Mountain
Isaiah 2:1-5
Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Brown
To view the service this Sunday at 10:15 am on our YouTube page, click here. _______________________________________________________
December 19, 2021
Blue Christmas Service
5:30 pm - Followed by a light supper
Teddy Ivey
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December 24, 2021
In a Manger
Luke 2:1-20
6:00 PM Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service
December 26, 2021
Christmas Sunday
Isaiah 9:2-9
Katie and Bryant Gibson
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UPCOMING SPECIAL SERVICES |
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BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE
This past year has certainly brought a great deal of grief into our lives. That grief can be particularly hard as we approach the holiday season.
If the Christmas season is bringing you sadness this year, join us for our Blue Christmas service on Sunday, December 19th at 5:30 pm in the sanctuary. A light supper will follow. If you cannot attend in person, you can tune in through our livestream on our YouTube Channel that evening. Come and feel God's love and healing during this meaningful time of worship.
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CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE
On Friday, December 24th please join us at 6:00 pm for our traditional Family Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion Worship Service.
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The last several days, we have been grieving with those, throughout the Southeast, who have been impacted by the tornados that ravaged so much of the region. We are especially heartbroken for the people of Western Kentucky who seem to have lost entire communities as a result of these storms. Last Sunday, Nathan mentioned during worship that the best way to contribute to recovery efforts at this time is through the outreach arm of our denomination, the Week of Compassion. WOC partners with organizations throughout the world to alleviate suffering when tragedy occurs. They have people on the ground, in the communities most devastated, getting help to those in need. Many of you have already made contributions to Week of Compassion to aid in this effort. As you know, each year we receive a special offering during the Christmas Eve worship service, 100% of which is designated toward a specific ministry. This year, because of the degree of need, our special offering will go toward Week of Compassion and be earmarked for tornado recovery and relief. We know many of you are making year-end plans giving, so we wanted you to have this information sooner than later. If you would like to make a contribution, just make sure to notate that the donation is for WOC – Tornado Relief. Thank you for your compassion and generosity as we seek to help those in need during this special time of year.
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CHRISTMAS SUNDAY SERVICE
A Cozy Christmas Celebration on Sunday, December 26th!
We hope you'll join us for a relaxing, spirit-filled Christmas worship service. We invite you to wear comfy clothes and come ready to sing Christmas carols and share communion together.
We invite all children to bring their favorite Christmas gift (nothing too bulky, or expensive) for our children's message as we will bless the toys!
After the service, we will have sweet treats and drinks in the lobby for a time of fellowship together!
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SPECIAL DOC CHRISTMAS OFFERING
The next two Sundays we will take up our annual special Christmas offering.
Your gifts support the work of regional DOC ministries this Christmas. Your regional ministry works to:
- Connect congregations to each other
- Foster faith development
- Gather Disciples in camps, conferences, and assemblies
- Nurture the development of a new generation of pastors
- Assist churches in calling new ministers
- Interpret the global mission of the Church
- Represent the Church in ecumenical gatherings
- Counsel and pray with those who are troubled of spirit
- Lead the Church to address racism
- Inspire leaders to experiment and create
- Witness to the power of God to make things new
The Christmas Special Day offering supports all of these and many other ministries of our regions.
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WELCOME TO THE WORLD!
Congratulations to Caroline and Tyler Filacchione who celebrated the birth of their son, Hank Brooks on December 1, 2021. Proud grandparents are Scott and Chris Dalton.
We hope you enjoy this picture of proud big sister, Francie, holding her new baby brother.
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP WITH SERVICE ON SUNDAY MORNINGS?
Last August, we began using Worship Leaders to help with worship each week. Worship leaders help the staff plan worship, give uniformity to the worship experience and provide individuals, who enjoy leading worship, the opportunity to sign up well in advance. We want to thank all of you who have served in this capacity, in the last year. The response has been wonderful!
We are looking to fill the Worship Leader slots for upcoming worship services in 2022. The worship leader, generally, leads four parts of the worship service: a call to worship, the scripture reading, a call to giving and the welcome to visitors. All the words are scripted for you, so there is nothing to prepare. However, those who feel comfortable are encouraged to use their creative license for the call to giving and welcome to our visitors. Additionally, if you are not comfortable being a worship leader, but still enjoy reading scripture in worship, please contact the church office and we will be glad to plug you in.
If you'd like to sign up to be a worship leader, please click on the link below. You may sign up for a maximum of two Sundays, for now. Those who enjoy leading communion, offering pastoral prayers and preaching will continue to be recruited as they have been. If you have any questions, please reach out to the chair of Worship, Arts and Education, Stuart Michels, or Pastor Nathan.
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A BIG THANK YOU!
A sincere thank you to SSCC Members and Friends as well as the Day School families who helped us gather three huge, overflowing boxes of toys to donate to MUST Ministries. Together, we collected 111 new toys that Jeff Moore and Cathy Cortright delivered to MUST last Tuesday, whereby they received a gracious “Thank You” from Donation Center employees. These are fabulous toys for children to receive this Christmas.
Kathy Gregory, Director of The Day School writes, "On Saturday, December 4th, The Whitmire Pavilion was ablaze with festivities and fellowship. Santa was engaging in conversations with hopeful children, the Polar Express took children and adults on festive rides, a face painter transformed children into their favorite characters and local artists sold their wares to holiday shoppers. The day was capped off with a performance by the Heards Ferry 4th and 5th grade chorus...many of whom were former Day School students. The donation baskets for MUST Ministries were brimming with donations from generous TDS families. For me, this was the most special day at TDS to date. SSCC Church members were in attendance and we collaborated efforts to gather donations for those in need - all while spreading holiday cheer!"
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CHRISTMAS CAME TO THE MULBERRY APARTMENTS!
Christmas is joy. Christmas is anticipation. Christmas is chaos. Christmas is love. Christmas came to the Mulberry Community in Ellijay last Saturday thanks to SSCC volunteers and donations from the congregation. Over $700 was raised in two Sundays at the Christmas Shop in the SSCC Centrum. The donations were used to throw a Christmas party for the children in the Mulberry Apartments in Ellijay, whom we first met six years ago through Camp Craddock. Ornaments were also donated for a shop where each child could select a family gift and wrap it.
Eight volunteers traveled to Ellijay on a beautiful Saturday: Cindy Brown, Chris Dalton, Elaine Donnelly, Art Edwards, Janet Howell, Cindi McCollough, Nancy McDaniel and Jim Torbert, to share your generosity. Kids were on the lookout on the road near the entrance to the apartment complex and on balconies in anticipation of our arrival. Overflowing with joy that they could hardly contain, they shouted "they're here!!" and "there is Miss Chris!", clambering to our cars to unload supplies and set up tables, transforming a scraggly patch of grass into Santa's Workshop. Chaos ensued as kids moved from tables of crafts to the ornament "shop" to snacks. Art Edwards commented that one of the truly amazing things to him was that the first thing the kids chose to do was make crafts rather than eat food. The kids wanted to make beautiful things and share them with others.
After a hearty snack of Chick-Fil-A nuggets and Santa cookies (homemade by Cindy Brown), kids went home with their personally decorated felt stockings (sewn by Cindy Brown, Janis Hill, Leslie Kahrs and Laura Prescott) stuffed with ornaments made by SSCC children in Becky Chimera's Sunday School class and other special gifts. They carried a gift for their family they had lovingly wrapped, a new book hand selected for them by Chris Dalton, crafts they made, a new pair of gloves and Christmas love.
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CAC NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
CAC needs your help TOMORROW, Saturday, 12/18 in the Food Pantry, from 9:00AM to 12:00PM or so. Due to some scheduling changes, we need four to six people to help prepare the food pantry at 8607 Roswell Road. Please reach out to Cindi McDollough or contact Nolan at the CAC directly: nolan.feintuch@ourcac.org or 678-362-5583.
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PATHFINDER'S ALUMNI PARTY IS RESCHEDULED
Thank you to all who RSVP's to the previously scheduled party. We have now rescheduled for Sunday, January 2nd at 5:00 pm at the Hill residence.
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SAVE THE DATE!
The Talent show that was previously cancelled has been rescheduled for Sunday, January 30th right after worship.
We wanted to give you as much notice as possible to get your act together! If you have any questions, please contact Janis Hill at janishill@comcast.net.
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PRAYER REQUESTS AND BLESSINGS
Prayers are requested for Bruce Lady as he undergoes testing at this time.
Donna Lassiter says, "Blessings to everyone and Thank You!"
Benay Gunby asks for prayers for the recovery of our Kentucky friends and family.
Prayers requested for Chris Dalton's father, Bob Buchanan, who recently fell and broke his hip.
Prayers for a close friend of Lauren Ivey who is going through a hard time.
Prayers are requested for our members and their families who serve as first responders and health care workers: Katie Gibson, Tracey McCluskey, Dr. Vijay Rathinam, and Robyn Hicks. Also those serving in the military: Michelle Brown (Navy), daughter of Cindy and Pete Brown. Tyler Brown (Army), son of Tami and Stephen Brown. Jared Mills (Army), son/stepson of John and Floy Mills. Rachel Robeck (Navy), daughter of John and Mary Robeck. Jamie Price Smith (Air Force), Dalton Brown (Army) and Caleb (Marines), granddaughter, grandson and great grandson of Barb Duren. Chaplain Kevin Mooney (Navy), Linda Whitmire's grand-daughter, Hayleigh Whitmire (Army) and Kathy Woodworth's step grandson Parker Mansel (Marines). If we are missing someone, please let us know so that we can include their name in our weekly prayers.
If you have any prayer requests or would like to reach out to Teddy Ivey, our Director of Congregational Care, please email him at Teddy@sandyspringscc.org.
JOIN SSCC!
You can join SSCC by a simple affirmation of faith! If you are attending virtually, just let us know you would like to join!
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The class will not meet again until 2022 at which time they will discuss as a group what the first 2022 study series will be.
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PATHFINDERS CLASS
Whether you have questions, answers, both, or neither you can expect wide-ranging information, discussion, and support in the Path Finders’ class. Your ideas, experiences, and knowledge are all welcome. And, if you feel that you don’t have any ideas, experiences, or knowledge you’ll find more than you can imagine as part of this community.
Join John Mills and the Pathfinders in person every Sunday morning in Common Ground at 9:00 am.
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Presley Campbell December 18
Jared Mills December 18
Jonah Mills December 18
Lorelei McGahee December 21
Elizabeth Adrion December 22
Julie Sanford December 27
Janelle Hicks December 29
Claire Roper January 01
Lolly Ross January 02
Alexander Leek January 06
Merritt Jones January 09
Kimbrell Teegarden January 11
Tiffany Torbert January 11
Debbie Lenz Clark January 12
Jill Moore January 12
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Cindi McCollough January 15
Greg Peterson January 16
Mary Anne Posey January 16
Hannah Grant January 18
Ferris Leslie January 20
David Wolf January 21
Clara Brown January 24
Elizabeth Peterson January 24
Sara Torbert January 24
Florene Fowler January 25
Cordelia Rowell January 25
Joan Bramblett January 27
Brad Norman January 27
Francie Filacchione January 29
Thomas Grant January 29
August Lee January 30
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