Merry Christmas!

It’s almost here. As we come into the final days before Christmas, remember that the very word means Worship Christ – Christ Mass! We will do that starting with our Christmas Candlelight Communion service tonight at 7 PM. Come and enjoy some Christmas carols, the Lord’s Supper and we will do it all by the glow of candles and just a few lights in the sanctuary. We will sing some Christmas carols and I will share a message to hopefully inspire you in your worship of Christ.

Sunday morning we will only have worship service at 11 AM. No Sunday School or Evening activities! No meetings! Just a simple time of worship with singing and the message. Come as you are. I won’t be wearing a tie. We want you to be comfortable, bring your family, and have the rest of the day for your Christmas celebration.

I’ve been asking the question, Why Christmas? We looked at Why did God choose Mary, Joseph and why did he choose to have Jesus crucified. This week will be the final massage, Why Christmas. We will look at the final character in the Christmas story. Come find out who.

Looking forward to next week, I will be taking some time off and Dennis Hamrick will lead Wed services. Our Singles will have a New Year’s Eve Party, so see Michael Roberts if you are interested. And on New Years Day we will only have Sunday School and Worship. No evening activities!

Here are a few of the many pictures I posted of our Christmas Social. There are a bunch of family shots as well. So if you posed, make sure you come get your pic.

Here’s the link to the other photos. They are in the Church set on my Flickr page. The new photos are at the very end.

This Week @ High Peak … an exciting time to celebrate Christmas!

Here in mid-December its all about Christmas. Tonight we will have our last Christmas With the Kranks Bibly study with snacks provided by Barb and I as our way of saying thanks to all of you for all you do for our church and for us as your pastor and pastor’s family. Tonight’s clip will conclude the movie and deal with forgiveness.

Second, we have our Christmas Program this Sunday night at 6 PM. The program is called The Night Before Christmas and the choir sounds great. We heard a bit of it at our annual Christmas Dinner for the ministers of the association. They did a great job on the songs we heard, so I expect it will be inspiring and entertaining. Please invite friends and family. The drama portion by the youth and kids of our church will share the Gospel.

Finally, remember that next week on Wednesday we will have our annual Christmas Candlelight Communion service at 7 PM on the 21st. And on Christmas Day we will have worship service only at 11 AM. Come casually or wear your new Christmas clothes. I plan to just dress in dress casually with no suit/tie.

This week at The Toy Store we saw over 40 people come to know Christ as Savior and we gave out hundreds of toys to dozens of families. Please pray for these new believers and their children. Also pray that our area churches will follow up with them and help them to get into a church that can love them and care for them.

Here are some scenes from the Toy Store.

Our annual Catawba River Baptist Association Toy Store ministry is in its third day today and it’s already doing really well with dozens of families helped, hundreds of toys given out and already 29 professions of faith.

Daniel Purcell working at the Toy Store helping shoppers pick out toys

Last night I took my son Daniel to help out. Barb was on hand to counsel and led someone to Christ on her last counseling appointment. As always Wayne Stamey was there all day both days. While my family and I were on hand Mandy and Zabrina Hice showed up to help out and Kristi Farley joined in as she always does.

This is a great ministry and I hope you will pray for the counselors and workers this week!

Here’s what’s happening This Week @ High Peak!

• Senior’s Christmas Dinner is today at 11 am.
• Christmas with the Kranks Bible Study – Wed at 7 pm with snacks provided by the Kevin and Barb as our way of saying thanks to the church
• Christmas Social – Sunday at 5 pm
• Christmas Program Practice Wed at 6 pm but not on Sunday this week
• Catawba River Baptists Association Toy Store all week at Calvary Baptist Church – please be in prayer for it
• Sunday Night Football in Fellowship Hall after the Christmas Dinner this week

The Bible study on Christmas with the Kranks will focus on the issue of commitment in the midst of obstacles and opposition. I hope you will come a little early and get some snacks or stay after an enjoy some fellowship. Below is the trailer for the movie:

Barb Purcell kissing Santa Clause at last year's social

The Social will include meat provided by the church. Just bring your favorite dish and dessert to share. The kids will enjoy eating with Santa Claus who will be joining us for the party.

After the social, if you want to stay or come back, we will hook up the Satellite and enjoy Sunday Night Football with the Giants taking not the Cowboys. Invite friends to watch on the big screen!

All week our Association will be giving away toys to needy families so that they can give their children a nice Christmas. Please pray as we share the Gospel with these parents and also pray that God will use this ministry to help them know the joy of Christmas in Jesus Christ, not just presents.

Wayne Stamey waits to counsel someone at the 2009 Toy Store

Also, remember the other upcoming Christmas season events:

• Christmas program – Dec. 18 at 6 pm
• Christmas Day worship – Dec. 25 at 11 am – no other activities that day
• Christmas Candlelight Communion – Wed, Dec. 21 at 7 pm

Here’s the Youth Calendar for December 2011. You can view it below or download and print the files below:

• December Youth Calendar PDF File
• December Youth Calendar Word Processor File

DECEMBER 2011
YOUTH GROUP SCOOP

SUNDAY – December 4th
5:00 pm
YOUTH CHRISTMAS PARTY
Everyone Bring Goodies to Eat!
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SUNDAY – December 11th
5:00 pm
CHURCH CHRISTMAS SOCIAL

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SUNDAY – December 18th
6:00 pm
CHRISTMAS CANTATA & PLAY
(No Youth Meeting)

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SUNDAY – December 25th
CHRISTMAS DAY
11:00 am
Worship Service Only

Here is our children’s Christmas play for 2010. They did a great job. We hope you enjoy it.

Watch live video from High Peak Baptist Church on Justin.tv

Here is the Streaming video of the High Peak Baptist Church’s Christmas Cantata.

Here is the streaming video of the Children’s Christmas Program. They did some music at the very beginning and then after congregational carols were sung they did their play – a very cute story about the animal’s view of the birth of Jesus.  After the video are some announcements about upcoming Christmas celebrations at High Peak.

This Sunday

This Sunday morning will be the next message in our 12 Ways of Christmas, based on David Jeremiah’s book.  Then in the evening, the adult choir will present the Christmas Cantata – a moving message of hope for hurting people at Christmas time with some beautiful music including solos by Harrison Abernathy, Cierra Stamey and Jimmy Stamey. Drama videos are from MERGE – our drama Team. We hope you can come. There will be a preview of the Cantata in the morning service.

Christmas Eve

At 6:00 pm there will be a candlelight communion worship service. Come and bring your family for a meaningful time of worship and renewal.