Dear Fourth Church Family,
I want to personally wish you a Merry Christmas and let you know I am praying for your gatherings with family and friends to be safe and filled with the joy of the Lord.
Our three Christmas Eve services at 5:00, 7:00, and 11:00 p.m. will be held as scheduled. That said, we have received reports of a few congregants testing positive for COVID and will therefore offer a livestream of the 7:00 p.m. Communion Service for those who are uncomfortable or unable to attend. To view the service, visit 4thpres.org/livestream. See times, locations, and other details for Christmas Eve and this Sunday's services below.
Our Fourth Update post for today has lots of information to help you look ahead to the new year including:
- A Wednesday Night Adult Class, January 12–March 23, 6:45–7:30 p.m., taught by Dr. Robert Norris via Zoom
- Opportunities to give and to serve from our Missions and Mission DMV ministries
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Info on Women's Generation-to-Generation (G2G) Bible Studies and the Women's Retreat coming Saturday, February 26
- Registration for adults and children to participate in Fourth's choral and instrumental ensembles
Grace and peace,
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Dr. Todd M. Smedley
Senior Pastor
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Calendar & Ministry Announcements |
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For the coming week-at-a-glance and detailed announcements from the ministries of Fourth, see our online Fourth Update. |
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Worship Services | Sunday, December 26 |
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Service Times & Location
The 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. services are all held in the Sanctuary. Face masks required, open seating.
The 1st through 5th grade Sunday School classes will not meet on December 26. At 9:30 a.m., classes for age 2 through kindergarten will meet; at 11:00 a.m., Cherub and Children’s church will meet.
Nursery care is provided for children from birth to age 2 during the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. services. Please check in your children at the computers at the Children's Welcome Center on the first floor.
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Sermon for Morning Worship
“The Light and the Glory”
Sermon for Evening Worship
“A Tale of Two Cities“
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Communion will be served at Evening Worship this week using prepackaged communion wafers (regular and gluten-free) and grape juice.
Livestream Options
The 9:30 a.m. service is available "live" or on demand by video and phone livestream.
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For the phone livestream,
dial 855-217-0187. This enables you to listen to the full service.
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Christmas Eve Services
Invite family and friends to worship with us
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Friday, December 24
- Family Service, 5:00 p.m., Upper Room
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Communion Service, 7:00 p.m., Sanctuary | Livestream
- Candlelight Service, 11:00 p.m., Sanctuary
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
— John 1:14
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Giving for 2021 is coming to a close. Your contributions must be received by midnight, December 31, to be counted for the 2021 calendar year. The Finance Office can receive contributions by mail after December 31 and count them toward your 2021 giving if postmarked December 31 or before.
More Notes on Giving
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Online giving on Fourth’s website is easy and secure.
- If you give by check, your check has everything we need to record your gift for tax purposes.
- An envelope with your name and address is needed for tax credit only when you are giving cash.
- Giving envelopes are mailed every three months to those who request them. The Finance Office is happy to send them if you want them.
- If you no longer need or want giving envelopes, please email to be removed from the envelope mailing list.
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Starts the Week of January 10
Begin your new year with a study of
2 Corinthians, part of Crossway's "Knowing the Bible" series by J. I. Packer and Dane C. Ortlund.
Four options to gather:
- In-person|Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.*
- Zoom
-Wednesdays, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
-Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
-Thursdays, 8:00-9:00 p.m.
*A nursery/children's program is available with registration.
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Winter Retreats for Youth |
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Middle and high school students are invited to a winter weekend retreat at River Valley Ranch in Manchester, MD. High School dates are January 21–23 and Middle School dates are February 11–13. Activities include basketball, ping-pong, zip-line, and much more. Register online now for early-bird pricing.
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Wednesdays, 5:30–6:00 p.m.
All are invited for this online prayer time accessible by video or phone.
Join by Phone
Call 301-715-8592
(Meeting ID: 800 360 843) (Password: 867143)
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Sundays, 8:30–9:15 a.m.
The Commons, Room 233
Different elders rotate in leading Sunday morning prayer in The Commons, just off of Halverson Hall. All are invited to pray for the ongoing needs of the congregation and for God to be glorified in and through the ministries of Fourth.
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Delighting in God's Glory • Demonstrating His Grace • Declaring His Gospel |
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