We are proud to announce that we will be showing the film Courageous on January 22 at 5 PM. The movie will be seen in the Sanctuary and is open to all ages free of charge. Please invite family and friends to come see this important movie about the courage of being a faithful father and husband.

My sons and I have seen the movie and it will challenge you, entertain you and hopefully make you think. We laughed harder at this movie than we have in a long time. I hope you plan to come and be sure to bring your friends.

Courageous Paying January 22 at 5 PM

Here is the movie trailer for the film:

My sermon this Sunday was about reading the Bible in 2012 and suggested seven ways to read the Bible this year. It will change your life as Hebrews 4:12 suggests. Here are those six ways:

1. Listen to the Bible – I recommend Max McLean’s great Audio Bible
2. Follow a systematic Bible reading plan using the links to the rich on our web site or a Bible app on your smartphone
3. Devotional books
4. The One Year Bible arranges the Bible into 365 readings with OT, NT, Psalms and Proverbs in each day’s reading
5. Pick a book of the Bible and read it till finished then pick another book
6. Follow the readings in your Sunday School lesson book
7. Receive a daily verse via Test Message – you only get a verse a day, but its better than never reading anything

However, you choose to do so, read the Bible. It will change your life!

Will you be reading your Bible in 2012?

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!
=====================================================

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)

=====================================================

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

Christmas with the Kranks Bible Study

Starting Wednesday night at 7 PM we will begin a three week study using the movie Christmas with the Kranks as our discussions starter. This is a funny look at what it would be like if an empty nest couple decided to forgo Christmas for a cruise since their only child won’t be home for the first time.

Each week we’ll look at a new theme using ideas introduced in the movie. This seek we will talk about who we often let other people set the agenda for our lifestyle, beliefs and ways of celebrating things like Christmas. The other two weeks will center around commitment and forgiveness.

Come and enjoy some light desert refreshments compliments of Kevin and Barb. This is our way of saying thanks to the church for all you do for us.

West Virginia Mission Trip

A team of people from our church will leave Friday to do ministry in West Virginia, giving away gifts for Christmas to the people there. Michael Roberts leads this team which will be in WV overnight. I won’t try to name all of them since I’m likely to forget someone. Please pray for them and we look forward to hearing a testimony next Sunday of how the trip went.

Christmas Parade

The Valdese Christmas Parade takes place this Saturday. Our children will ride in it. If you want your kids in the parade have them at church at 8:30 AM.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions will be collected during December. This week we will collect the first of two special offerings during the worship service. To read more about the offering see the International Mission Board’s website.

Please consider taking the time to view the great videos about missionaries around the world. If you were at our adult missions study, this page has the videos I tried to show but couldn’t due to technical difficulty. The one below we saw part of during the study. Note that the video will be slightly cut off. You may want to click on the button to show it full screen in your web browser.

Christmas Play Practice

The Christmas program is December 18 at 6PM. Some of our youth and children will take part so they need to practice again at 4PM this Sunday.

THRIVE Team Subset Meeting

Our THRIVE Team won’t meet again as a whole team until January. However, a small group has been appointed to do some work on a Purpose/Mission/Vision Statement. They meet Sunday morning after the worship service. Please pray for them. They are:

• Scooter Farley
• Barb Purcell
• Kim Stamey
• Britt Abernathy
• Kevin Purcell