Happy Friday, everyone!
It was the Friday before Christmas and all through church things were pretty quiet! I hope that things are relatively quiet for you too as the kids conclude school before their Christmas break, as you finish up projects at home and work, and as you prepare to travel or to host family and friends.
This Sunday is our tenth annual Lessons and Carols service, which has become a beloved tradition in our church. Please feel free to invite friends and neighbors, who may not have a church home, to hear the story of Jesus told from the Old Testament that prophesied his coming and the New Testament that recorded his birth and ministry.
We also have three opportunities for you to help the less fortunate this Christmas season:
- Hope’s Community Closet is a local agency that provides new and gently used clothing to children in need. We are partnering with them to provide NEW underwear and socks for children ages 4-18. Please bring your donations to church and put them in the box provided near the bulletin table. If you have any questions, please see Zsuzsi Khoury or Teresa Misiti.
- We are also going to take up a special offering for our friends at Olive Branch Ministries THIS Sunday. Please plan on writing a separate check that day or marking a cash gift for Olive Branch Ministries. The money will go to several needy families in that congregation who would not otherwise be able to buy Christmas gifts for their children.
- You may have heard that the Temecula Food pantry was broken into last night and more than 400 toys were stolen, which they planned to give to local needy families. If you have a chance to pick up a toy to donate to the pantry, please drop them off at the pantry, which is located at 28922 Pujol Street in Temecula.
Finally, please remember our friends Rob and Kate Olson in prayer this weekend. Their daughter Lena, who had been hospitalized for months after having unexplained swelling in her brain, had to return to the Orange County Children’s Hospital. You can read the details at their Love for Lena Facebook page. Please pray for their entire family and their church family at Grace Presbyterian in Yorba Linda (where Rob serves as an elder).
Have a great weekend! I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday.
In Christ,
Eric Landry
