December 2020
A Note from the Preacher
R. C. Sproul said, “The better we know the story of the Bible, the fuller we’ll see the glory of our Savior.” Do you know the story of the Bible?

How would you answer this question: What's the message of the Bible in one sentence?
 
Here's my attempt at that:
 
"A holy and sovereign God who created all things and all people rescues His chosen people from spiritual death through the atoning death and resurrection of His only Son, and then empowers them to live for His glory by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, while His Son prepares a place for them to live with God for all eternity."

I just finished an intriguing little book, The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer. In that book, the author, Andrew Naselli, made mention of a blog post by Dane Ortlund, where he asked 25 pastors that question. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite answers:

·      God is in the process of recreating the universe which has been corrupted by sin and has made it possible for all those and only those who follow Jesus to be a part of the magnificent, eternal community that will result. (Craig Blomberg)

·      God has made promises to bring His people to Himself and He is fulfilling them all through Christ. (Mark Dever)

·      A holy God sends his righteous Son to die for unrighteous sinners so we can be holy and live happily with God forever. (Kevin DeYoung)

·      God glorifies himself in the redemption of sinners. (John Frame)

·      The movement in history from creation to new creation through the redemptive work of Father, Son, and Spirit who saves and changes corrupted people and places for his glory and their good. (Paul House)

·      God is redeeming his creation by bringing it under the lordship of Jesus Christ. (Kent Hughes)

·      The message of the Bible is twofold: to show how people can be saved from their sins through faith in Christ's atonement AND how to live all of life as a follower of God. (Leland Ryken)

·      God reigns over all things for his glory, but we will only enjoy his saving reign in the new heavens and the new earth if we repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the crucified and risen Lord and who gave himself on the cross for our salvation. (Tom Schreiner)

·      Scripture tells us the story of how a Garden is transformed into a Garden City, but only after a dragon had turned that Garden into a howling wilderness, a haunt of owls and jackals, which lasted until an appointed warrior came to slay the dragon, giving up his life in the process, but with his blood effecting the transformation of the wilderness into the Garden City. (Doug Wilson)

·      God made it, we broke it, Jesus fixes it! (Michael D. Williams)

·      Kill the dragon! Get the girl! (Joe Rigney) This was my favorite!

I’m borrowing Rigney’s summary as the title of our Advent series for this year: “Kill the dragon! Get the girl!” I hope you will join us as we ponder the first coming of Christ, His ultimate defeat of Satan, and His glorious recue of His bride, who is us! If you missed our First Sunday of Advent service, it’s available on our YouTube channel.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Pressing on with you, with our eyes fixed on Jesus,

Pastor Butch
Memory Verse for December
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 

Hebrews 2:14-15
Book of the Month: "Repeat the Sounding Joy" by Christopher Ash
In this Advent journey through Luke 1–2, Christopher Ash brings these familiar passages to life with fresh insight, color, and depth.

As you soak up the Scriptures, you'll experience the joy of Christmas through the eyes of those who witnessed it first hand, from Mary and Elizabeth to the Shepherds and Simeon. Celebrate afresh the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah in history, and learn what it means to wait for him with joyful expectation today.
Click on the book image for more information and to order your copy today!
Christmas Secret Sister Project!
To all ladies (age youth and up): I want to invite you to be a part of our Christmas Secret Sister project! Even though we can't be together as often as we'd like, this will be a great way to connect with each other during this season. I hope you'll take part!

If you want to be included, email your name and contact info (address and email address) to bekahum@yahoo.com, along with anything that may help your secret sister out (such as allergies, favorites, etc.). I will reply with more information and your secret sister's identity!

The basics are: you can use this month to bless someone in our church and be blessed by someone in return. The rules are: there are no rules! If gifts are your love language, leave secret surprises or pray for her often; if words are your thing, send a card; if you're a mean cook, bake her a treat! You have the whole month to have fun with it!

-Bekah Kirkland
Crafting and Cocoa
All Solid Rock Girls: Come join us for a relaxed morning of crafting and fellowship with breakfast and cocoa! We will have several craft stations led by RCC ladies! 

Details:
Saturday, December 12th
9am- noon
At the Brock’s House 
 Please RSVP to Kim Downs by December 6th 
Elder Meeting Summary
On November 10, we enjoyed a great time of fellowship and prayer with the elders from our sister churches, Remembrance Community Church and Walton Community Church. It was good to come together, hear what is going on at each church, offer counsel and insight where needed, and to encourage one another as fellow elders and brothers in the Lord. May God continue to bless and sustain each church family, and may He grant the elders of each body wisdom and grace to shepherd their flock for His glory.

Our next RCC elder meeting will be December 1. Here are the plans for that meeting, Lord willing:

  • We will meet with Nic & Rachel Matthews to finalize their Membership Matters class. We are so thankful that they are considering joining our church family!

  • We will meet with Gerald Hinesley from the Finance Committee to finalize our 2021 budget.

  • We will discuss plans for possibly restarting Sunday School and Wednesday night activities in 2021. Please pray with us for wisdom and guidance.
 
  • We will discuss and pray for current body-life concerns, issues, joys, etc.
 
·      We thank God so much for our church family, and we ask God for grace and wisdom to be the shepherds that He desires.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Pressing on with our eyes fixed on Jesus,

The Elders of RCC
Birth Announcements
Congratulations to
Chris and Jennie Moorcroft
on the birth of their son
Hudson Michael
October 27th, 2020
10 lbs 1 oz, 21 and 1/2 inches long
Congratulations to
Taylor and Sarah Jackson
on the birth of their son
Asher Nathaniel
November 11th, 2020
10 lbs 3 oz
Refuge Baby Bottle Campaign Results
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Refuge fundraiser! We raised a total of $2,844.53 this year for Refuge. Your contributions are very much appreciated!
Save the Date: Behold the Lamb
Behold the Lamb of God will be held on Friday, December 11th at 7 PM. More details to come in a future email!
Nursery Help Wanted
We would love to have a few more nursery workers to begin the new year. If you are not currently serving and feel comfortable with our new pandemic protocols for the nursery, please prayerfully consider joining the rotation. If you would like to serve (18+ years) but need to be Ministry Safe certified, please email Donna at donnalinger3@gmail.com.
Save the date
Upcoming Dates:

  • December 1st - Elder Meeting (Finalizing 2021 Budget)
  • December 11th - Behold the Lamb Concert
2455 Old Salem Rd SE
Conyers, GA 30013
Phone: 770-922-0107