| Sunday's Service - December 19, 2021 | Advent Sermon Series ~ A Crimson Christmas
We would never be able to celebrate Christmas without Christ and the Cross. Join us this Advent season for a sermon series that will keep Christ in your Christmas! | The featured Scripture is: Isaiah 1:18-20
for Mike's message: The Right Decision. Join us Sunday ~ In-Person & Online
Worship at 11am Livestream available at: CGCC Facebook Page ~ CLC Facebook Page ~ CLC Website Come Grow With Us! | Worshiping Together Spend Sunday morning with us ~ in-person or online at 11:00am.
Let's grow together through Worship, Praise, and Prayer, in the Sanctuary and online.
You can also check out the Media Library on the CLC website to watch recent sermons. Please send your prayer requests in for our Joys & Concerns email that goes out on
Monday morning! The CGCC website has a Contact/Prayer Request page, you can
email Jen Lynch directly, or use commonground.secretary@gmail.com. ~~~ |  Our Praise Team Lighting the Candle of Joy | | Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. Each Sunday of this season, we will light the candles of the Advent wreath and prepare our hearts and minds for Jesus' arrival through readings that focus on Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. The final reading comes on Christmas Eve, with the lighting of the Christ candle. | Lighting the Candle of Love
Advent Readers: Pat, Jen, Kelly, Audrey, & Nathan Shannon
Scripture: John 3:16-17; John 13:34-35 ~~~ | | Bible Studies & Ministries | Sunday Morning Bible Study ~ 9:30am
Studying The Pilgrim's Progress Book Two: Christiana's Story. Ladies Morning Bible Study ~ Fridays at 9am
Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You by John MacArthur ~ Chapter 4 tomorrow, then will not meet again until January 7, 2022. | Wednesday Morning Prayer Group
Will resume meeting on January 5, 2022 - location to be determined.
Participate in-person or online via Zoom.
Zoom Personal Meeting ID: 6936117456
Password: prayer | LifeGroups
Designed to help adults grow as Christ followers.
▪ Bartholomew LifeGroup: Resumes in January
▪ Young LifeGroup: Resumes in January
▪ Weimer LifeGroup: Resumes January 4
▪ Hileman LifeGroup: Resumes in February | | CGCC/CLC Children's Ministry | Collide Sunday ~ During Worship at 11am
* Nursery Care (Newborn-3 in Nursery)
* Collide Kids Jr. (Ages 3-6 in Sprouts Room)
* Collide Kids Church (Grades 1-4 in Activity Room) Collide Wednesday ~ Resumes in February
Collide Kids Jr. ~ Collide Kids ~ Collide Middle School ~ Senior High | Collide Middle School ~ Christmas Light Tour Friday, December 17, 5-11pm
Pastor Mike and Austin & Danielle Young are excited about this Middle School adventure to West Virginia's Oglebay Festival of Lights! The van will be pulling out of the CGCC parking lot in North Lima at 5pm. Pastor Mike will be here by about 4:30pm, to give plenty of time for arrivals. Dinner will be provided along the way. Estimated return time is 11pm. | H&H Christmas Drive-Thru Dinner, Angel Tree Gift Pick Up Saturday, December 18, 1-5pm
We are excited that our parking lot and warehouse will be the site for some Christmas joy and many blessings this Saturday! Heroes & Halos will be passing out special dinners to families in their cars. Then, those who signed up for the Angel Tree, will drive around behind the warehouse to pick up the gifts. Thank you for your donations to this wonderful organization! | | Church Family Christmas Card Box |  Drop Christmas Cards in Here... | | Folks were putting our special card box to work last Sunday! Cards have been sorted
into Family File Folders, so make sure to check your folder next time you are here.
The card box will still be available this Sunday, so drop your cards for church
family members inside and we will sort them on Monday morning. (If you don't see a Family File Folder with your name, that means we don't have your directory
info, which is what was used to update the file box. Please let us know you are missing,
send in your info, and we will gladly fix the box right up! Thanks!) | Joint Directory News A rough draft of our CGCC/CLC Directory is posted in the Great Room. Just look for the shiny silver and gold board on a stand and take a minute to peruse the papers posted there. Didn't check it last Sunday? Please check this Sunday. It would be a super huge help if you could check your listings for accuracy. Don't see your name and want to be included? We would love to add you in! Just email your info - or corrections - to Jen Lynch or drop it on the front desk. We would like to have names, address, email, mobile and/or home phone numbers, birthdays, and anniversaries. Note paper and pens available by board. Thank you for your patience and assistance! | Making a Joyful Noise! Thanks to all who helped us enjoy the season
with some beautiful Christmas carols and plenty
of fun! It was a blessing to be able to gather
and visit so many homes to share the
spirit of Christmas together.
(Thanks also go to our picture/video takers, for sharing the beautiful memories they captured!) | Pick Up a Special Christmas Magnet From the Round Table! Made with love by Kay Johnson. Take one to pass on to a loved one or friend. | Prayer For whom are you praying today?
How can we pray for you? We are here to pray with and for you, anytime! Prayer needs sent by early Monday morning will be included in the weekly Joys & Concerns email. We are also glad to send out prayer requests and praise reports anytime throughout the week! | Encouragement Thank you to Marcia Kreps for sharing and Darla Smith for writing these weekly bits of encouragement. "I pray you have been enjoying this fantastic weather here in the Northeast. Let us also pray for all the devastation done this past weekend in our southern neighbor states. May God bring peace and comfort, just as I wrote last week, as only He can. There is much to pray about – much to rejoice about as well. Some of our services at my church in the past month or so have been “over-the-top” with God’s presence surrounding us. There is absolutely nothing like His presence. We are so blessed!" "Which brings me to this week’s Word – “SEEK.” I have been praying and “seeking” to experience God in a deeper way. He wants a closer relationship with all of us. It is His desire we “seek” Him. He knows right where we are but just like the Father’s way – He wants us to want Him. When we were kids playing hide-n- “seek,” we would be desperate to find the other kids that were hiding. We were on a mission. Nothing could stop us (except for the sun going down). When we are doing a Bible study and we dig (“seek”) deeper into the Word to give us revelation, the Holy Spirit is just waiting for us. He wants us to “seek” Him out in everything we do. He will be our daily guide. The wise men traveled far to “seek” Jesus out. I consider all of us wise as well – Let us “seek” Him. With our whole heart. Holding nothing back. Watch and see what He will do." Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NKJV) | 2021 Year-End Contributions The Finance Committee reminds you that, to be included in 2021, contributions need to be received or postmarked by December 31. Thank you for your generous support throughout the year! | December Worship ~ Online & In-Person Pastor Mike Hileman ~ Sundays at 11:00am. We're excited to welcome you to Worship, in church and online! ~~~ | Christmas Eve Worship Friday, December 24, 3:30pm
Invite your family and friends to join us for this
candlelight service with special music, readings, the lighting of the Christ candle, and a celebration of the birth of our Savior. | www.goodnessgrows4all.org Our Mission Statement: To cultivate personal, social, and community growth through gardening, education, and opportunity for people of all abilities. ~~~ | News of the Week We started the week with more jam making. Plenty in stock now for Christmas shopping! We also had some time for putting together Christmas jigsaw puzzles. Then, we ended our Monday with a nice walk in the sunshine, checking out the state of the property. Tuesday brought more nice weather and the opportunity to take care of some downed trees that we found on Monday's walk. We also spent more time moving items from the back greenhouse to the warehouse. (It looks like we may have a farm that would like to come dismantle that greenhouse and move it to their farm in the new year. Yay!) It was a beautiful day to work outside and get so much accomplished before the winter weather begins. Wednesday was one of our favorite days of the year - baking with Dustin's Aunt Bonnie! Thanks, Bonnie, for always being willing to work on fun projects with us! There is nothing like Bonnie's sugar cookies. This was the perfect fun Christmas activity to perk up the middle of our week! We saved the decorating of the cookies until today, so our crew members who missed baking them will still get to decorate. Today we are having a Christmas feast with Pastor Mike and Stacy! Smoked ham and baked beans, JoJo potatoes, cookies...who could ask for anything more?!? Thanks, Hilemans!!! We always enjoy special lunches with Mike and Stacy! When we aren't eating, we will be decorating cookies and doing more outside tasks. It will certainly be a busy day! |  Our Crew of Christmas Bakers! | | End of the Year Donations If you are thinking about donations to wrap up your calendar year, Goodness Grows is always an option. We greatly appreciate any gifts, whether monetary or of useful items. We are actually once again in need of regular mouth 8oz. canning jars, lids, and rings for jam making. If you see any good prices on these supplies, please consider donating some to GG. Thank you! | Jungle Jam & Juicy Jam Jungle Jam and Juicy Jam are available in several flavors at Reach for the STARS in Salem and in Columbiana at the Chamber of Commerce office. We are also glad to arrange a pick up at GG. Jungle Jam: Blueberry Jalapeno, Cranberry Jalapeno, Hot,
Pineapple Habanero, Cherry Habanero, Dragon
Juicy Jam: Cranberry Orange We also have:
* Homemade Apple Butter ~ a few jars still available here, cost - $5
* Organic Catnip Toys ~ handmade here, with our catnip, cost - $4
* Dried Herbs ~ grown here this summer, dried by our crew, cost - donation | | OUTREACH and MISSION OPPORTUNITIES | Goodness Grows The non-profit ministry of Common Ground Church Community, Goodness Grows is always busy on our property. GG works
with students and adults with disabilities, providing vocational habilitation training in a fun, hands-on way. The GG crew
maintains the grounds and cleans the building. If you would like to donate to our program, monetary donations as well as donations of regular mouth 8oz. canning jars, lids, rings, and white sugar are always needed and appreciated! Volunteers welcome! | Rock Kidz Uganda, Inc. To Advocate, Advise, Advance the ministries of
Divine Soccer in Masaka, Uganda for the benefit of
the children of the community. Sponsorships and donations can be made to:
Rock Kidz Uganda, Inc., 1814 E. 3rd St., Salem, OH 44460
or via Pay Pal at rockkidzuganda@gmail.com.
Learn more at: Rock Kidz Uganda and on: www.rockkidzuganda.org. Check out the Rock Kidz table in the Great Room.
Sponsors are still needed to help children in Masaka. Talk to Marilee to find out more! | Coat & Clothing (& More!) Giveaway 2022 Please remind your friends and family members that we accept clean, useable donations that could help others. Donate all year, 8:30am-2:30pm during the week or on Sunday mornings.
If someone is cleaning out items, making room for Christmas gifts, bring them here! | For I was hungry and you gave me food;
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink;
I was a stranger and you took me in;
I was naked and you clothed me;
I was sick and you visited me.
I was in prison and you came to me. .....When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,
you were doing it to me. Matthew 25: 35-36, 40 ~ What can YOU do? | | LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS/EVENTS | If you know of any interesting news or events,
please let us know, so that we can pass it on to others! ~~~ | Christmas Story Drive Thru Lights This Friday & Saturday | 2021 Last Minute Market Saturday & Sunday, 11am-5pm
B&O Station, 530 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown
Join the Artists of the Rust Belt as they exhibit their work at the Last Minute Market, an area tradition. Some artists make this their ONLY B&O event and it is one to behold. With a beautiful ambiance the atmosphere of the market is always so pleasant, you really just have to see it for itself. Find that last minute gift idea or perhaps you just need a calm, quiet day before the rush of the holiday. Whatever the purpose, we promise it will be an event to love.
The kitchen will be serving up its tasty and unique food. (Not the kind of meals you can get just anywhere.) There will be music and good times for all. | Christmas Artisan Market Saturday, December 18, 3-8pm
Firestone Farms
Get your last minute shopping in and enjoy the small town feeling of the Christmas season. We will have amazing artisans setup as well as carolers, pre-cut Christmas trees to purchase, Christmas characters, Christmas mini photo shoots, fluffy white bunnies to pet, story time for kids and of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus! Some of our friends here at Firestone Farms will be be participating with kids refreshments. | Full Moon Hike With Mill Creek Metroparks Sunday, December 19, 5-6:30pm
Mill Creek Park: Lily Pond
Join a Park Educator for a December full moon hike. Learn about the plants and animals of winter and enjoy the peacefulness of a cold winter night. Meet at the Lily Pond parking lot for this moderate 2 mile hike. Register online or call 330.740.7116 for details. No Walk-ins, registration closes on December 18. Free. We recommend those who are not fully vaccinated to wear a mask and follow all other recommended CDC and Ohio Department of Health guidelines. Please do not attend
a program or event if you are feeling unwell. Thank you. | American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Boardman Library Monday, December 20, 11am-5pm
Proudly serving the needs of St. Elizabeth Hospital. Taking blood donations to help our community. For appointments call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit www.RedCrossBlood.org. A Note from the Red Cross: "Dangerously Low Blood Supply ~ This is serious. The Red Cross is experiencing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. The dangerously low blood supply levels have forced some hospitals to defer patients from major surgery, including organ transplants. Your donation is desperately needed this holiday season. Please schedule an appointment to give now." | December 17 - Wright Brother's Day
December 18 - National Wreaths Across America Day
December 19 - Shirl Criss
December 19 - Megan McMaster
December 20 - Madigan Bendersmith
December 21 - Winter Begins
December is Safe Toys and Gifts Month *If we don't have your special days, please let us know!*
Email the secretary at commonground.secretary@gmail.com. | ON OUR CALENDAR December 16-22, 2021 . . .
Weekdays, 8:30am-2:30pm - GG at Work
Today - Christmas Poinsettia Pick-Up
Today, 6:30pm - Praise Team
Friday, 9am - Ladies Bible Study
Friday, 5-11pm - Collide Middle School Christmas Light Tour
Saturday, 1-5pm - Heroes & Halos Christmas Drive-Thru
Sunday, 9:30am - Bible Study
Sunday, 11am - In-Person & Online Worship & Collide Sunday Ministries | Seeking to reflect the unconditional love of God,
our mission is to help people connect -
to God, to one another,
and to God's purpose for the world. | Come grow with us! Common Ground Church Community
Connecting Life Church
2310 West South Range Road
North Lima, Ohio 44452 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For more information, call 330-549-9408 or contact us by email at commonground.secretary@gmail.com. | |
