PO Box 2328Anderson IN 46018

www.christianwomenconnection.orgPhone: 866.778.0804

Email: frontdesk@wchog.org

Instructional Note

Welcome to Christ’s Birthday Observance. We are glad that you have chosen to participate in this important celebration of Christ’s birth. The goal of Christ’s Birthday Observance is to fo-cus attention and devotion on the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope that you will find the materials and ideas throughout this guide a help to your congregation as you celebrate Christmas.

© 2019 by Christian Women Connection. All parts of this work are available for free use and may be copied and reproduced provided they are not being used for financial gain. We ask that you give prop-er attribution to Christian Women Connection. Additional questions may be addressed to:

Christian Women ConnectionPO Box 2328Anderson, IN 46018866-778-0804www.christianwomenconnection.org

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV): Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Contents

Table of Contents

Making the Most of the Christ’s Birthday Observance Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Promotional Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Project Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Sermon Thought Starters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Advent Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Additional Ideas for Display, Promotion, and Lasting Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

CBO FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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The season of Advent is a special time in

the life of the church. It is a time where

we celebrate the Good News, but also

the time of waiting that preceded the

coming of Christ. We spend time in

anticipation and preparation, not just for

Christmas Day, but for an encounter with

the genuine Jesus. This year, the season

of Advent begins on December 1, 2019.

Advent is a time of preparation that is

marked by prayer. We offer prayers of

humble devotion, prayers of submission,

and prayers of supplication for

deliverance for those walking in darkness

and awaiting the Good News. This year

we are offering even more resources for

the whole congregation to celebrate and

experience the genuine Jesus.

Note: Local congregations are permitted

to make copies of materials for use

with the Christ’s Birthday Observance.

Materials will also be available online

at www.christianwomenconnection.

org. Click on the “Ministries Tab” and

select “Christ’s Birthday Observance”

from the drop-down menu for more

information. For any other use, please

contact Christian Women Connection for

permission at (866) 778-0804.

Promotional CalendarRead through the promotional calendar first. This will help you know what to do each month as the season of Advent draws near. It will also give you ideas about what to do each week of Advent and how to make your event benefit the goals of your church as much as possible.

Project PrayerProject Prayer is an event that helps to unify churches across the globe in prayer during the season of Advent. Each state and country have been as-signed a specific day on which to pray. Early planning enables you to host a great Project Prayer event at your church. You may even want to send notes of encouragement to Church of God representatives in the other states or countries assigned to pray on the same day as your church. (See the “Project Prayer” section in the Resource Book for more information.)

For Pastors and Church LeadersThis year, we have partnered with the Southeast Regional Pastor Cluster to offer even more resources for pastors and church leaders. While in the past, we have provided thought starters for pastors to build sermons upon, we now have full-length sermon scripts, sermon outlines, supporting media, co-ordinating children’s lessons, and small group materials, in addition to the fantastic resources usually offered. Turn to the Sermon Thought Starters for a sample of these resources that are available at www.christianwomencon-nection.org.

Advent ReadingsAdvent readings are found in your Resource Book and can be used each Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve. They are intended to be read aloud during the lighting of the Advent candles. Leaders are encouraged to use a variety of readers for this special season. Everyone, no matter their age, race, marital status, etc., should be considered to serve as readers. (Refer to the “Advent Readings” section and the Promotional Calendar for more ideas and information.)

Making the Most

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Promotional CalendarPlanning AheadEach year, we all strive to avoid the frenzied rush that precedes the celebration of Christmas. Planning ahead helps to reduce stress and bring into focus the real reason for our celebration: the gift of Christ. Keep your plans on track by adding dates from this itemized list to your church’s calendar, automated software, or to your personal datebook or phone calendar.

October 2019• Read over the materials. Familiarize yourself with the theme and available resources.

• Get ideas. Visit the website at www.christianwomenconnection.org. Click on the “Christ’s Birthday Observance” promotional page to view ideas that will enhance the Observance in your local congregation.

• Form a planning team. Early in October, call a meeting to discuss the Christ’s Birthday Observance. In many churches, the planning team consists of the women’s leader and the senior pastor. Consider involving your worship arts pastor or minister of music, other women from Christian Women Connection, or representatives from every ministry area to help incorporate all aspects of church life into the experience. After all, the Christ’s Birthday Observance is much more than the offering. It includes prayer for missions, meditations, sermons, worship, and much more.

At this meeting, review the materials that your church will need to order to make this event successful. You will find the order form in the materials packet with the Resource Book. We also recommend that you show your senior pastor all of the new materials available on our website. These materials can aid your senior pastor by providing all they need for a great Advent sermon series. Many materials are also available in Spanish, offering an opportunity for inclusiveness within your church or for outreach.

• Order materials early! A key element to a fruitful experience is ordering your materials early. Seeing displays or receiving handouts of posters, bookmarks, meditation journals, offering envelopes, and letterhead helps your congregation become excited about the offering. Waiting too long can prevent the materials from arriving in time for Advent. Therefore, please place your orders early.

• Celebrate last year’s accomplishments! In October, you will receive your appreciation certificate for the previ-ous year’s Christ’s Birthday Observance. Please share our appreciation with your congregation.

November 2019• Prepare for Project Prayer. Early in November, begin promoting and preparing for Project Prayer. It can be a

wonderful experience for your congregation as you stand together to pray for the world. Refer to the “Project Prayer” section of the Resource Book to help in planning this event.

• Begin promoting the Observance. Start placing posters and displays around the church on November 3. The Resource Book includes a section called “Additional Ideas for Display, Promotion, and Lasting Impact” that gives creative ways to share the theme with your church.

• Consider purchasing meditation journals and bookmarks for your entire congregation. Mail these resourc-es to each family in your church and encourage them to use the devotional book throughout the Advent season. Plan to mail the materials for arrival in the last week of November.

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Promotional CalenderDecember 1, 2019: FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENTSermon Theme: Hope Believes “Yes” When Our Circumstances Say “No .”

Advent Candle: Hope

• Introduce the “Good News! Experiencing the Genuine Jesus!” theme to your church.

• Use the wide range of resources to make the Observance unified.

• Introduce the meditation journals. These are designed to help your congregation focus on Jesus, the Son of God. In these journals, you will find inspiring stories and meditations with questions for reflection after each day’s reading. Additional reflective questions can be found at the end of each journal.

• Introduce the bookmarks and the concept of the individual goal for the Observance Offering.

December 8, 2019: SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENTSermon Theme: Love Lives Courageously When Life Looks Away

Advent Candle: Love

• Talk with your congregation about how your church responds to the arrival of Jesus in your community and share stories of the church being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world.

December 15, 2019: THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENTSermon Theme: Joy Sees Beauty When We Feel Broken

Advent Candle: Joy

• Share with the congregation about the miracle of Christmas. Have a time in the service during which people in your church can testify about the ways Jesus has changed their lives.

• Ask the congregation to begin considering what they will give next week to help share the miracle of Jesus.

• Whether you use slides, skits, bulletin information, verbal announcements, or all of the above, make certain that each Sunday the congregation is informed that the Christ’s Birthday Offering will be collected on December 22, the final Sunday of Advent.

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December 22, 2019: FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENTThis is the week of Christmas and the final week of the Christ’s Birthday Observance.

Sermon Theme: Peace Speaks “Calm” When Everything Whispers “Worry .”

Advent Candle: Peace

• This morning, the offering will be taken using the adult and children’s offering envelopes. Provide all morning service attendees with a brochure that shows how the offering is used to share God’s love around the world. You may want to include this in your bulletin or have ushers hand out the flyers before the service, so people can prepare for the offering.

• This year, we are also introducing a new way to give. We now offer a text-to-give option, where people in our congregations can text GOODNEWS to 44-321 in order to give to the Christ’s Birthday Offering. These dona-tions go directly to the CWC office and do not require an additional remittance.

• Before the offering is taken, remind the congregation of the meaning of the offering. Pass out the offering enve-lopes and allow time for people to make decisions and complete their offering envelopes. You may have a time of silence, or you may want music playing softly.

January 2020• Remit your congregation’s offering to the state treasurer of Christian Women Connection. If you do not know

where to send the offering, refer to the list in the materials packet. You may also contact the Christian Women Connection national office toll free at (866) 778-0804.

• Thank your congregation for a job well done. Contact Christian Women Connection with any thoughts or ideas you have about the Christ’s Birthday Observance. If you would like to send us a story about your church, visit us online at www.christianwomenconnection.org; email us at frontdesk@wchog.org, or call us toll free at (866) 778-0804.

• During 2020, continue to offer opportunities for your congregation to rejoice together through testimony, fel-lowship, and prayer for one another.

• Encourage the congregation to begin saving for the Christ’s Birthday Observance in 2020. Some great ideas include filling a two liter bottle with dimes or mini M&M’s containers with quarters throughout the year. The Good News of Jesus is not a once a year celebration. Every day we get to celebrate and experience the genuine Jesus!

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Daily Prayer Schedule for December 2019 Date, State, or Country

1. Alabama, New Mexico, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Kenya, Belize 2. Alaska, North Carolina, Bulgaria, Tanzania, Nepal, France 3. Arizona, North Dakota, Paraguay, India, Cayman Islands, Serbia 4. Arkansas, New Hampshire, Australia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Ghana, Argentina 5. California, New York, South Korea, Dominican Republic, New Zealand 6. Colorado, Ohio, Peru, Sudan, Bermuda, Côte d’Ivoire 7. Connecticut, Michigan, Oklahoma, Canada, Indonesia, Northern Mariana Islands 8. Delaware, Oregon, Bangladesh, Antilles, Barbados, Eurasia 9. Florida, Pennsylvania, Singapore, Cuba, Congo (DR), Russia 10. Georgia, Rhode Island, Panama, South Africa, Philippines, Uruguay 11. Hawaii, South Carolina, Bhutan, Japan, Antigua and Barbuda 12. Idaho, South Dakota, Cambodia, Jamaica, Angola 13. Illinois, Tennessee, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Vietnam 14. Indiana, Texas, Mexico, Rwanda, Italy, Egypt 15. Iowa, Vermont, Zimbabwe, Laos, United Kingdom, Venezuela 16. Kansas, Virginia, Central Asia, Haiti, Thailand, Netherlands 17. Kentucky, Washington DC, Virgin Islands, Colombia, Hungary 18. Louisiana, Washington, Honduras, Mozambique, Ukraine 19. Maryland, Wisconsin, Zambia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Denmark 20. Massachusetts, West Virginia, Guam, Guyana, Greece 21. Missouri, Wyoming, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile, Switzerland 22. Minnesota, Nevada, Guatemala, Malawi, Bolivia 23. Montana, Mississippi, Uganda, Myanmar, Germany 24. Nebraska, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Grenada, Spain 25. New Jersey, Lebanon, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Brazil, Montenegro

Project PrayerProject Prayer provides a unique opportunity during the Christ’s Birthday Observance for the Church of God world-wide to join together in a 25-day prayer vigil. With so much division in our world, how powerful it is for the church to join together praying for our leaders, the Church, and the world!

This list shows states and countries where the Church of God has a presence. On your assigned day, please join in a day of prayer with the other states and countries listed for that day. Also, listed are the names and assignments of several leaders in the Church of God. We ask that you pray specifically for each of these individuals and the teams they repre-sent—for their leadership, protection, and provision as they serve God and the church in their respective areas, locally, and around the world. You may want to plan a midnight prayer vigil or establish a prayer group in which different per-sons commit to pray for a block of time during your designated 24-hour period.

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For more information or to find out about the ministry and mission of the church in these countries, visit www .chogglobal .org .

Jim LyonGeneral Director

Church of God Ministries

Arnetta McNeese BaileyExecutive Director

Christian Women Connection

Dr . Mike and Heather WebbCo-Director

Children of Promise

Jim O’BoldPresident

Servant Solutions

Eric KingPresident

Warner Press

Ben ShularChief International Officer

Patrick and Jamie NachtigallRegional Coordinators, Europe/Middle East

Global Strategy of Church of God Ministries

Don and Caroline ArmstrongRegional Coordinators, Asia-Pacific

Global Strategy of Church of God Ministries

Andrew GaleGlobal Strategy of

Church of God Ministries

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Sermon Thought StartersFirst Sunday of Advent: December 1, 2019Title: Good News: Hope When You Least Expect ItScripture: Matthew 1:18-21

The Sermon in a Sentence: Hope believes “yes” when our circumstances say “no.”Written by Rev. Jim Lyon, General Director of the Church of God

SummaryJoseph’s circumstances seemed bleak. His betrothal to Mary created the hope of a wonderful life with one he loved, but it seems that only moments later, he received the worst news possible - she was pregnant, and not by him. His “yes” to a new life suddenly became a “no” to possibility. This first sermon in Advent brilliantly helps us to experience what life must have been like for Joseph AND how God restored hope for him and restores hope for you today.

Second Sunday of Advent: December 8, 2019Title: Good News: Love OvercomesScripture: 1 John 4:18

The Sermon in a Sentence: Love Lives Courageously When Life Looks AwayWritten by Rev. Efrain Cirilo, Lead Pastor and Church Planter, Merge Church, Conroe, Texas

SummaryFear is a powerful force, often making people look the other way from what is really happening around them. Fear keeps people from becoming all God has for them and it keeps people from taking courageous action. But love is greater than fear. In fact, the Christmas story is full of moments when “love drives out fear.” In week two of The Good News series, examples of courage will inspire us to live more fearlessly. We’ll also learn how boldly following Jesus makes a genuine difference in the world today.

Third Sunday of Advent: December 15, 2019Title: Good News: Beauty in BrokennessScripture: Luke 2:1-20

Sermon in a Sentence: Joy Sees Beauty When We Feel BrokenWritten by Rev. Kylee Larson, Associate Pastor at Church at the Crossing, Indianapolis, Indiana

SummaryEvery person’s life writes a story for others to read. Undoubtedly, this story embroils some level of conflict, brokenness, and trial. The real story of the genuine Jesus is not the cozy and warm story we often see; it contains dramatic struggle and a dark spiritual battle. The lesson this week helps us to see the value of brokenness to redefine our story by appealing to our impulse to find beauty in the ashes of struggle. And as you will see, the Good News has never been better.

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Fourth Sunday of Advent: December 22, 2019Title: Good News: Peace in a Divided WorldScripture: Isaiah 9:2, 6; Ephesians 2:14-18

Sermon in a Sentence: Peace Speaks “Calm” When Everything Whispers “Worry.”Written by Dr. Rebecca New-Edson, Regional Pastor for Western Pennsylvania

SummaryPeace in a broken world is elusive, fleeting, and just hard to find. Not only is this true socially, but it’s also true personal-ly. People tend to approach life with the conviction that if they control their circumstances, they can control their inner peace. The last sermon in the Good News series asks: how do we find peace in the midst of chaos and confusion? It then provides a different strategy for rediscovering genuine peace from a genuine Jesus. The solution is not only revolution-ary in today’s world, but it can change how you live.

Advent IntroductionBy Rev . Kayla Robinson Harden

It seems that everywhere we turn, we are confronted with bad news. Natural disasters, violence, hatred, and other evils consume our news and social media feeds. There are many days when our circumstances seem hopeless with darkness closing in all around us. For Christians, Advent is a season of waiting. As Christians we know that this bad news is not all there is. We realize that Christ’s birth is the Good News the world was waiting for. Advent is a season of anticipation, when we recognize the waiting that the people of Israel endured.

Each week, we anticipate the coming Messiah, the incarnation of the Good News, by lighting one of the candles on the Advent wreath. The Advent wreath is a circular, evergreen wreath with five candles: four around the circumference of the wreath and one in the center of it. There are five Advent readings to coincide with the five candles. There is a read-ing for each week of Advent (the four Sundays preceding Christmas) and one for Christmas Eve. Ready-made wreaths with candles can be purchased or perhaps someone in your congregation would like to create the Advent wreath.

The flames of the candles point to the coming of Jesus as the Light of the World. Consider using three purple candles and one pink candle arranged around the wreath. The purple candles rep-resent royalty and are lit on the first, second, and fourth Sundays of Advent. A pink candle is lit on the third Sunday representing the shift to joy in welcoming the Christ child’s coming. The fifth candle is white, the col-or associated with angels and the birth of Jesus. This candle is placed in the center of the Advent wreath and is lit on Christmas Eve. These Advent readings were created to coincide with the sermon series and other Christ’s Birthday Observance materials as well.

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ADVENT READINGSDecember 1, 2019 Week 1 – The Candle of Hope

Reader 1: If you turn on the TV or radio today, chances are you’ll hear the news. The latest on what’s happening around the world. Sadly, it mostly seems bad.

Reader 2: Rarely, if ever, do we hear good news. The kind that makes us smile, strengthens our heart or restores our hope in mankind.

Reader 1: Hope. It’s a powerful word. Hope is looking forward to something with confidence that it will happen. Desiring something good with an expectation of obtaining it.

Reader 2: When we hear the news, we want to be hopeful. Bad news diminishes hope. But good news encourages it.

Reader 1: Hope sustains life. Hope believes yes, when circumstances say no!

Reader 2: Hope for a new beginning. Hope for a positive outcome.

Reader 1: Hope for change. Hope for deliverance.

Reader 2: In this season of Advent, a time of waiting and watching with great expectation, it is hope that encourages our waiting.

Reader 1: For centuries, God’s people were waiting. Waiting for the promised Messiah to come and deliver them from hurt and pain and oppression.

Reader 2: Waiting for the Good News to break through the darkness and bring light.

Reader 1: Israel’s waiting was fueled by hope. Luke’s Gospel tells us of two believers: Simeon who “was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come” and Anna who “talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.” They hoped!

Reader 2: An expectation that because God promised it would happen, that God would keep His promise. Believing that God’s desire to give His children something good would indeed happen. And it did!

Reader 1: Isaiah’s words came to pass: “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” The Messiah hoped for became the Messiah realized. This is Good News!

Reader 2: And we continue to hope today. A second Advent has come, and we now wait for the once-come Jesus to come again.

Reader 1: As we light the candle of HOPE, we remember Jesus himself promised: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1-3, NLT).

Reader 2: With this promise in mind, we wait with hope in our hearts!

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Reader 1: As the writer of Hebrews says, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise” (Hebrews 10:23, NLT).

PRAYER: God of hope, help us in our Advent. May this time of waiting for You remind us not only of the hope fulfilled in Christ come to earth, but the Hope coming again when He returns for His church. Between now and then, help us to be people who wait for this Good News with great hope. May we always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us about the hope we have! For all our hope is in you, the One who was, and is and is to come! Amen.

December 8, 2019 Week 2 – The Candle of Love

Reader 1: The music industry has thrived for decades on a singular song theme: LOVE.

Reader 2: Who’s got it? Who doesn’t? What’s love got to do with it?

Reader 1: Songwriters have been telling the age-old story from the beginning. Love causes us to rejoice when we have it and weep when we don’t.

Reader 2: What our world needs now, as the song goes, is love, sweet love.

Reader 1: God knew this before any troubadour ever did. The world has always needed love, and God demonstrated real love to us in this way:

Reader 2: “For God so loved the world that he gave us his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Reader 1: As people were waiting for the promised Messiah, they couldn’t have imagined they were waiting for Love to Come Down.

Reader 2: But Love came down at Christmas. And with God’s gift of love came the Good News that this love was for all people.

Reader 1: The angel announcing Jesus’ arrival told the shepherds on the hillside “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master” (Luke 2:10-11, MSG).

Reader 2: God sent the whole world a Savior. A Rescuer. A Redeemer.

Reader 1: He sent them the Messiah. The Anointed One. The King of all Kings.

Reader 2: This tiny baby boy, born in humble Bethlehem, would be what the world needed most, before they even knew they needed Him. Love. REAL LOVE.

Reader 1: Not everyone agreed. Fear of being overthrown and overpowered caused Herod to try to kill Him.

Reader 2: Fear of His growing following and radical teaching caused the Pharisees to have Him killed.

Reader 1: Jesus could have avoided death. He could have refused. But love lives courageously, when life looks away. So Jesus laid down His life for the world in love.

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Reader 2: And in the death of Jesus, God completed His best gift to all the world. “For God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Reader 1: As we light the candle of Love, we remember that Love came down, so that love could lay His life down.

Reader 2: So now we await love coming again. And until that day, we will strive to fulfill Jesus’ challenge to all those who call Him Savior and Master: “Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:2, NIV).

PRAYER: Father, how great is the love that You have lavished on us, that we are called children of God. And that is what we are! The gift you gave to us in Jesus, Your Son, makes us sons and daughters of the Most High! No greater love have we been shown. Now You call us to love others in the same way. As we wait for Your love to come down once more, may our lives show the love we have received from You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

December 15, 2019 Week 3 – The Candle of Joy

Reader 1: Have you ever experienced joy? The kind resonating from somewhere deep within?

Reader 2: Would you know it if you saw it? Felt it?

Reader 1: When Mary arrived to tell her cousin Elizabeth the news of her angelic visitation, Elizabeth exclaimed “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44).

Reader 2: The angels proclaimed “Good News of great joy!” the day Jesus was born.

Reader 1: When Magi from the East saw His star, “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matthew 2:10).

Reader 2: Imagine what it feels like to wait for so long for a promise and then to see it come to fruition. How would you feel?

Reader 1: Relieved? Thankful?

Reader 2: Expectant? Joyful?

Reader 1: God calls us to be a people whose joy is visible. A fruit of His Spirit in us.

Reader 2: A people whose joy is tangible. Experienced by others because of its fullness in us.

Reader 1: It’s easy to imagine joy that comes from good news. But consider what it means when that good news doesn’t look like we thought.

Reader 2: It was good news not only that Jesus came, but good news for the reason behind His coming. He came to die so that we might live.

Reader 1: The writer of Hebrews tells us “for the joy set before him, [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

Reader 2: Where we see His death, Jesus saw life. He saw joy. Joy sees beauty in what sometimes seems broken.

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Reader 1: The first Advent brought great joy for those who eagerly awaited Jesus’ coming.

Reader 2: In this Advent, we’ve been promised He is coming again. In our fragile world, where so many promises are broken, we take joy in knowing God keeps all of His.

Reader 1: As we light the candle of Joy, let us celebrate the beauty of Christ’s brokenness for us, and rejoice in advance that the One who has come is coming again.

Reader 2: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him” (Romans 15:13).

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us to center our joy on the gift of Jesus. May we understand those who rejoiced at His arrival. Help us celebrate the gift of His brokenness for the world. And grant us each a spirit of joy because He is coming again! While we wait for His arrival, let the joy within us be contagious to those around us so they might know our joy is real! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

December 22, 2019 Week 4 – The Candle of Peace

Reader 1: Of all the things mankind sought after, perhaps the most elusive is the search for peace.

Reader 2: It’s been proclaimed and demanded.

Reader 1: It’s been suggested and commanded.

Reader 2: We’ve sent people to war fighting to obtain it, retain it, and maintain it.

Reader 1: To war, for peace? Doesn’t that seem strange?

Reader 2: No stranger than it must have seemed when God sent the conquering Messiah to the world via a humble stable in Bethlehem.

Reader 1: We’ve always assumed that peace would come in power.

Reader 2: God brought us peace wrapped in swaddling clothes, the picture of humility and meekness.

Reader 1: This promised King was to be no ordinary ruler, no typical leader.

Reader 2: The prophet Isaiah said this child born would be a “Prince of Peace,” One for whom there would be no end to the increase of peace He would bring.

Reader 1: Yet as we live in a world of growing turmoil and discord, where we’re given more reasons to draw lines of division and separation, this kind of peace seems like an impossible dream instead of a potential reality.

Reader 2: But the peace Jesus brought was more than just the end of wars and disagreements, more than helping two sides reach amicable solutions. Jesus ushered in something about peace no one had ever known. He brought us a peace that makes things whole.

Reader 1: Peace which consoles and completes. Peace which speaks calm when everything else whispers worry.

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Reader 2: Peace which seeks to understand instead of insisting to be understood.

Reader 1: Peace which restores relationships and doesn’t just mitigate them.

Reader 2: Paul wrote “This Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this … He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance” (Ephesians 2:14, MSG).

Reader 1: Jesus made a way for everyone to be restored … to the Father and to each other. To bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. This is such Good News!

Reader 2: Perhaps when we begin defining peace, the perfect shalom of God, as Jesus introduced it, we will discover that God has always provided what the world’s been looking for.

Reader 1: As we light the candle of Peace, we remember that with His birth, death, and resurrection, Jesus became our peace and broke down walls we should not work to rebuild.

Reader 2: Though we continue to wait for the return of Christ, when He will reign and peace will reign with Him, we can choose in our Advent to live into Jesus’ admonition to be “peacemakers.”

Reader 1: Not peacekeepers, who are working to protect a false peace where there is no peace, but those who create and make peace with others through reconciliation, grace, and love.

PRAYER: Gracious Father, we have too often settled for the premise of peace instead of the practice of it. Through Jesus, You gave us not only complete restoration, but also the gift of reconciliation which we now share with the world. May we be instruments of Your peace wherever we go, representing the Prince of Peace who came that the world might be whole. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

December 24, 2019 Christmas Eve – The Christ Candle

(The four Advent candles may be re-lit during the first four readings if not pre-lit before service.)

Reader 1: And God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. (Light the first candle.)

Reader 2: “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death the light will dawn.” (Light the second candle.)

Reader 1: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Light the third candle.)

Reader 2: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Light the fourth candle.)

Readers 1 and 2: Rejoice, for the Light of the World has come!

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Reader 1: As we light the Christ candle, we celebrate that the waiting of Advent was fulfilled in Christ’s coming.

Reader 2: And we are reminded by this light that the One who came is coming again.

Reader 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Reader 2: “He was in the beginning with God. In Him was life, and this life was the Light of men.”

Reader 1: “For God, who said, ‘Let light there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Reader 2: Now that we know Him, that He has come, we embrace His call to let our light shine.

Reader 1: He called us “the light of the world.”

Reader 2: Jesus said “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark” (John 12:46).

Reader 1: He also said “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Reader 2: As Jesus shone as God’s light to all of us, let us shine His light that all might come to know Him before He comes again.

PRAYER: Father, may Your light shine in us. As You brought light in the darkness to see the way to Your goodness and love, as You sent Jesus into the world to bring Hope, Love, Joy and Peace to all people, may we live in such a way that our lives do the same. To honor the gift of Christ, we give ourselves as gifts to You. Thank You for Jesus, His love, His light and His life. Thank you for the promise that He is coming again. We wait, with anticipation and gratitude for that day. Marantha; come again Lord Jesus! Amen.

Joy Sherman is lead pastor at Community Church of God in Mt. Carmel, Illinois. She loves helping people discover how their stories connect with God’s story. Joy and husband Steve are the proud parents of one very busy teenage son, Elijah.

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Additional IdeasOf course, you will want to include traditional ways of highlighting the Christ’s Birthday Observance (bulletin boards, a table in the Narthex or lobby, inclusion in the worship service and bulletins, on your website, and in your media), but here are some additional ideas to help your church make the Observance personal, relational, and meaningful! Remember that any of these projects can be done by individuals, small groups, or the whole congregation and can be modified for use with all ages.

Servant ProjectsLead your congregation in a church-wide service project for all ages. If you are in a warmer climate, contact your city and find out what service projects you can do together. What needs to be done: painting, trash pickup in the park, planting, cleaning? If you are in a cooler climate, consider offering to wrap Christmas presents or provide childcare for stressed parents. Have a large gathering to talk about what you did and to show pictures. Invite some of the people you met to come to your gathering and share what they thought, too! The Christmas season offers so many ways to serve!

Christmas Baby ShowerSelect a local women’s shelter or program to connect with as a church. Contact the organization and find out its needs. Perhaps you could host a church “baby shower” for goods and services for the shelter. Go all out and provide refresh-ments, decorations, and even “baby” games.

Family Service ProjectsEncourage your families to get involved in the theme by providing ideas for service projects. Possibilities include volun-teering on Christmas Day at a local homeless shelter or orphanage. Emphasize to families that this is a great way to talk about how we are no better than others, but that we can freely share with others what we are given by God.

Small GroupsThis is a wonderful way to begin the Observance. This event works best for groups of seven or eight. Each person can bring a half-dozen to a dozen of the same cookies for each person in attendance along with their recipe. Set up a pack-aging station with tags or sticky labels, ribbons, twine, cardboard boxes, sturdy paper plates, baking papers, scissors, hole punches, tissue paper, cellophane, and other trimmings.

Each participant can sample cookies, pack boxes of delicious Christmas gifts, and enjoy each other’s company. This is a fun way to develop relationships while also preparing for the Christmas season.

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Christ's Birthday Observance FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is important about the Christ’s Birthday Observance?1. Project Prayer

Each day in December, a selection of states and countries with a Church of God presence are assigned to prayfor the ministry of the church around the world.

2. OfferingThe Christ’s Birthday Observance Offering is collected the Sunday before Christmas as gift to the Christ child.The money collected touches nearly every ministry in the Church of God.

Why should our church participate in the Christ’s Birthday Observance?• Focus on Christ during the season of Advent (which is often overtaken by commercialism).

• Share the story of Christ’s birth.

• Celebrate Advent in concert with Church of God congregations around the world.

• CBO has deep roots in the Church of God. The Observance, which began in 1949, continues to be one way thatChurch of God congregations come together for the benefit of the kingdom.

• In addition to prayers and devotions, CBO offers an opportunity to give to the combined ministry efforts of theChurch of God in the largest offering in the Church of God.

Where does the money from the offering go?

Christ’s Birthday Observance Campaign Production Costs—4% This service to the congregations of the Church of God offers top-quality resources that bring focus on and de-votion to Jesus Christ, encourages prayer support for ministries impacting lives where the Church of God exists worldwide, and includes the collection of an offering that supports those vital frontline ministries.

After campaign costs, the offering is divided with 50% going to the Church of God World Ministries Budget and 50% to the Christian Women Connection Ministry Budget .

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50%Church of God

Ministries 50%Christian Women

Connection

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Church of God World Ministries Budget—50% Global Strategy—recruiting, deploying, supporting servants who touch the world

Leadership Development—Sustaining Health And Pastoral Excellence (SHAPE); Church health and growth

Credentialing Services—Multicultural ministries; Student ministries

Broadcasting Hope—CBH media ministries; multiple language broadcasts cover the globe

CARE Initiative--Seeks to address economic issues facing pastoral leaders of the Church of God in the United States. This initiative is made possible through a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Major Event Ministry—CBH @ the Cove; International Conventions; International Youth Convention “Raising up a generation of Christ-centered leaders”

Higher Education—Tuition scholarships for our students at our four colleges and seminary

Servant Solutions—Supporting the newly ordained, as they begin their journey in ministry

Christian Women Connection Budget—50% Global Ministries—CWC supports missionaries through direct giving, clothing, linens, and home appliances. We

fund mission projects that provide buildings, health services, transportation, and community development and projects that fight injustices like human trafficking, poverty, and hunger.

Domestic Ministries—CWC supports ministries in the United States including scholarships for women in college and graduate programs, minister’s aid to widows of pastors, local feeding programs and food pantries, minis-tries on American Indian reservations, educational programs, and domestic service projects.

Hunger, Relief, and Reconciliation—Hunger and relief support is given to help rebuild after natural disasters, provide food and farming systems to the hungry, and to assist in community development. Reconciliation min-istries include those partnerships and programs that advance restoration of relationships and unity in the local churches and women’s ministries.

Thank you for your participation in the Christ’s Birthday Observance! Please send questions, comments, and suggestions to frontdesk@wchog.org. We would love to know how we can better serve you and your congregation.

CBO FAQ Continued

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Credits

Good News Campaign (2019)

CWC Executive Director Dr. Arnetta McNeese-Bailey

Regional Pastor Cluster Coordinator Dr. Timothy West

CWC, Campaign Design Team Dr. Steve Rennick

Sermon Author, December 1 Rev. Jim Lyons

Sermon Author, December 8 Rev. Efrain Cirilo

Sermon Author, December 15 Rev. Kylee Larson

Sermon Author, December 22 Dr. Rebecca New-Edson

Small Group Curriculum* Rev. Eric Livingston

Children’s Church Curriculum* Noretta Bish and Kim Livingston

Children’s Sermon* Dr. Carol Claypool

Worship Service Guide* Rev. Kenneth Spiller

CWC Advent Readings Rev. Joy Sherman

Social Media and the Season* Rev. Malcolm Tyree

Power Point Design* Rev. Chelsea Walker

Graphic Designer Curt Corzine

Additional Contributor Rev. Ken Love

Additional Contributor Rev. Howard Megill

Additional Contributor Rev. Mike Claypool

*Material available online at www.christianwomenconnection.org

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PO Box 2328Anderson IN 46018

www.christianwomenconnection.orgPhone: 866.778.0804

Email: frontdesk@wchog.org