| Sunday's Service - December 13, 2020 | Advent Sermon Series ~ A Christmas Carol The featured Scripture is: Psalm 98
for Mike's message: A Christmas Carol Part 3: "Joy to the World." Join us Sunday ~ In-Person & Online ~ Worship at 11am Connecting Life Church Facebook Page Come Grow With Us! | Candle Lighting ~ Third Sunday of Advent Micah and Monica Guy will lead us in a reading of Luke 2:8-11
as they light the Candle of Joy. | | Snyder Family, Lighting the Candle of Peace | Worshiping Together Spend Sunday morning with us ~ online or in-person at 11:00am.
Use the Facebook link Connecting Life and let's grow together! We can continue to join
together in Worship and Praise and Prayer, whether in the Sanctuary or on Facebook. Please send your prayer requests in for our Joys & Concerns email that will go 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. ~~~ | Info Requested for Christmas Eve Bulletin Please send in names of loved ones you would like to honor in our Christmas Eve bulletin. Email any name you would like included to jlynch02@gmail.com by December 20th. If you have any questions, please talk to Pastor Mike or Jen Lynch. | Adding to the Chrismon Tree We want YOU to help add some new decorations to our Chrismon tree in the Great Room. Stop at the table next to the tree to grab an ornament kit to take home. Craft supplies and directions are provided. (Not provided ~ scissors, glue, and a hole punch.) Have fun assembling this special ornament at home, then bring it back to church and hang it on the Chrismon tree. We are really looking forward to seeing your beautiful creations added to this special tree! | 2020 Year-End Contributions The Finance Committee would like to remind you that, to be included in 2020, your contributions need to be received by or postmarked by December 31st. Thank you for your generous support all throughout the year! | | Bible Studies & Ministries | We will be following the health and safety directives during small group meetings and events as well as Worship. Masks and social distancing are required anytime you are in our building, as we try our best to stay healthy together. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation! | Sunday Morning Bible Study
9:30am, upstairs in the Activity Room ~ Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Ladies Bible Study
Friday, at 9am in the Activity Room ~ Who Do You Say That I AM? by Becky Harling | Wednesday Morning Prayer Group
10am, participate via Zoom ~ Personal Meeting ID: 6936117456, Password: prayer | LifeGroups
Designed to help adults grow as Christ followers:
* Taylor LifeGroup: On hold during December
* Weimer LifeGroup: Every other Tuesday, 10am on Zoom, next meeting December 22 | Children's Ministry Collide Kids Wednesday - Merry Christmas to all of our Collide Kids and families! In our final lesson of 2020, we learn that one of the greatest gifts God gives us is His presence. Pastor Mike & Collide Crew Leaders Danielle & Delania wish you and your family a blessed Christmas! Grab your kid(s) and spend 25 minutes together singing, dancing, laughing, and learning! We would love for you to also have your child(ren) memorize this week's scripture verse and motions and upload a video of them in the comment section under the video on the CLC Facebook page! Have a great week, Collide Kids, and we will see you in 2021! | Looking Toward 2021 Stay safe this holiday season! We look forward to planning Youth Group as soon as it is safe to do so in the new year. | Youth Group Christmas Project 2020 Thanks to your generosity, we collected two full boxes of non-perishable food items, plus some that didn't fit! Our Goodness Grows crew filled the back of Miss Jill's van with your donations...and it took many trips to do it! We were also able to donate $878 to the food bank! And, as their website says, "every $1 donated allows Second Harvest to distribute $11 worth of food, or the equivalent of 6 meals, to hungry families." Your donations will provide a lot of meals to a lot of hungry families!!! THANK YOU from all of our Youth Group members! | 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 Darla Smith for writing and Marcia Kreps for sharing Darla's uplifting words with us. "God’s amazing grace is new for us each morning! Let us bask in knowing that grace He gives." "My Word for this week is “IDENTITY.” Who do we belong to? Are we so and so’s daughter, son, brother, sister, mother, father, husband, wife, grandchild, aunt, uncle? We are all known by someone we are related to. It is our ‘identity.” We also have “identity” with God. We are His chosen ones. He loves us so much He sent His one and only Son to redeem us! Oh, what LOVE! I want us to always be known by our God “identity.” Showing love and compassion one to another. Reaching out to serve in any area we are needed. Praying (really praying) when someone comes to us with a need. Showing support in our church family in whatever capacity we can. Being a quiet listener or shoulder to lean on. When Jesus was on the earth, He was always aware of His surroundings. May we become more aware of our surroundings to see where we are needed. Check in on your friends and family that you may not have heard from in a while. I pray we all use our God “identity” more and more people will see our God “identity” in us. WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD!" "I pray your week is full of opportunities to SHINE!" Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know [b]us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. ~ 1 John 3:1-2 (NKJV) | Thankful Thoughts Help us fill the foyer window with all the things for which you are grateful. Next time you're here, take a moment to add your thoughts to a seasonal shape and tape it up. Not coming to church in person? Please email us your thankful thoughts and we will gladly put them in the display for you. We would love to fill the window up before Christmas! So many reasons to give thanks! | CLC & CGCC are partnering to give support to two local families in need! Now through December 13th, we are collecting donations through Connecting Life Church's Missions Giving option. Here are brief descriptions of the two families we are helping this Christmas: We are helping a single mother of two who is dealing with a rare kidney disorder that she was diagnosed with following the birth of her new baby. Due to the illness, she had to give up her job in education. We want to bring the gift of joy to her and her children this Christmas. We are also helping a family who has faced devastating trials. This family not only lost their father to Covid-19 in early October, but then lost their house to fire in late October. We are helping this new widow and her three children get back on their feet. We need your help! You may give safely and securely on the online giving page of the Connecting Life Church website. Click "Give" and choose the "Missions" giving option from the drop down menu. Church office staff and Goodness Grows folks are available Monday thru Friday from 8:30am-2:00pm if you would prefer to stop by and drop off a donation. Our goal is $5,000.00 dollars! Your generosity is tax deductible for 2020. Thank you for your partnership in helping spread God's love through generosity this Christmas season! | December Worship ~ Online & In-Person Pastor Mike Hileman ~ Sundays at 11:00am
Join us at church or online via Facebook Live: Connecting Life We will continue to be guided by the health and safety guidelines set forth by the
governor and the health department, so we require masks to be worn in our building.
We're excited to welcome you to Worship, in church and online! ~~~ | Christmas Eve Service ~ December 24th at 3:30pm Come worship with us during our afternoon service, complete with special music and candle-lighting. This year's service will look different than any before it, but it will still be a joyous time as we celebrate the birth of Christ. Social distancing guidelines will be followed and masks must be worn. We will livestream on Facebook so everyone can feel comfortable joining in to this time of worship and praise. | Christmas Break Goodness Grows will be closed for Christmas and New Year from December 24th through January 3rd, resuming normal hours on Monday, January 4, 2021. The church office will not be open on a set schedule during this period. If you need to reach us, please don't hesitate to call, text, or email and we will get back to you as soon as possible! | 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 This week has been a flurry of all sorts of activities. We cleaned out and straightened the pantry and the maintenance room, set up a display of our nature treasures upstairs, spent some time drawing and talking, took a nature walk, started looking through seed catalogs to plan for 2021 planting, and redecorated the YG Giving Tree. (Check out the verses and quotes we hung after removing the shopping lists, since the Food Drive is over.) We had to make several more batches of jam and now we have plenty of two of our Juicy Jam flavors on hand ~ Cranberry Orange and Blueberry Lemonade. We are also excited to be doing some fun kitchen projects this week - cookie baking and making a chicken dish for today's lunch. Yum! Our Beaver Creek Candle order has arrived. If you ordered from the form that was on the GG table, your candles are waiting for you at the front desk. Thank you again for your support! | | Handmade Goodies at GG ~ Good for Christmas Giving! | Jungle Jam & Juicy Jam Goodness Grows Jungle Jam and Juicy Jam available at Reach for the STARS online: Shop Local.
They even provide curbside pickup in Salem to encourage social distancing. We are also glad to arrange a jam pick up here at GG. Check out our jam table in the Great Room.
Jam makes a great gift! | | 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 and hands-on way. The GG crew also maintains the grounds and cleans the church building. There are many ways to support GG, including:
* Online Shopping ~ Just use Amazon Smile - choose Goodness Grows as your charity of choice.
* Volunteering ~ Give of your time and get back lots of love & smiles!
* Donating Items ~ We are always in need of items like basic jam making supplies such as regular 8oz. canning jars, lids, sugar, and white vinegar.
* Purchasing Our Products ~ Proceeds from jam & crafts go right back to our programs.
* Charitable Giving ~ As a small non-profit, Goodness Grows depends upon generous supporters who give monetary support. A contribution to Goodness Grows is tax-deductible, to the extent allowed by law. Your donations help us to continue our mission of working with people of all abilities. | Rock Kidz Uganda, Inc. Their mission is to Advocate, Advise, Advance the ministries
of Divine Soccer in Masaka, Uganda for the benefit of the
children of the community. Sponsorships 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 on Facebook at: Rock Kidz Uganda.
Check out their new website: www.rockkidzuganda.org. Rock Kidz Uganda Fundraiser Handmade bracelets and a necklace are available at the front desk. All proceeds will go to the construction of Divine Junior School. These would make great Christmas gifts while raising money for a good cause! | Brightside Toy Drive Toys will be collected until the week of the event, which is being held on
Saturday, December 19. Call 234-320-4005 for more information. | Coat & Clothing & More Giveaway ~ 2021! Tell your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers that we collect items year-round...clothes for all ages and sizes, along with coats, hats, bags, purses, shoes, housewares, books, school supplies, stuffed animals, puzzles, toys... anything clean and useful! We have a donation barrel and storage space ready to go. | 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! ~~~ | Holiday Lights in the Valley Looking for a fun, seasonal, and social distanced activity? Now is the time to take a drive, explore the area, and enjoy all the beautiful Christmas lights and displays! Check out a list with some great locations right here: Christmas Lights | Salem Second Saturday ~ Home for the Holidays Downtown Salem, Saturday, December 12 starting at 10am | Holiday Shopping at the Alpaca Farm Saturday, December 12 from 10am-4pm
Acorn Acres Alpaca Farm
44528 Crestview Rd, Columbiana, OH 44408
Find holiday gifts for all your friends and family. While you’re at it, you can visit with the alpacas and maybe even get to pet one! | Mahoning Valley Historical Society at Home Bring the magic of the North Pole to your house with this series of holiday at-home activities. Each Sunday, from November 22, 2020 through January 3, 2021, we will feature favorite children’s books and post example images and step-by-step instructions of crafts that can be done with simple household items. A little festive, creative time with the family will transport you right to Santa’s Workshop. If you need any help, please email Traci Manning, MVHS Curator of Education, at education@mahoninghistory.org for assistance. | Drive Thru Live Nativity Sunday, December 13 from 3:30-6:30pm
Poland United Methodist Church
1940 Boardman Poland Road
Live Nativity on PUMC's front lawn. Free event to celebrate the Christmas season and what it really means. Tune in to 107.7FM as you drive by to fully experience the birth of Christ. | Library Anywhere ~ 19th Century Christmas Tuesday, December 15 from 6-7pm
Explore the history of the Christmas season with a virtual presentation by Traci Manning of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. Learn how the modern-day roots of Christmas are grounded in the mid-19th Century with songs, images, traditions, and more. Watch from the comfort of home, live on Facebook @ Librarymahoningcounty. | Live Virtual Concert Grammy-Nominated Songwriter and piano sensation Jim Brickman will be taking the nation by storm this holiday season with the “Comfort & Joy at Home 2020” Virtual Tour. A portion of each ticket purchased to this LIVE event will benefit Stambaugh Auditorium. Fans and their families can enjoy this unique virtual concert experience from the comfort of home, while supporting Stambaugh Auditorium during this challenging time. Learn more and purchase tickets here: TICKETS | Miracle on Easy Street ~ A Christmas Tradition Easy Street Productions is proud to announce that they will be bringing their annual Christmas spectacular Miracle on Easy Street to TV this holiday season! The premiere is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16 from 7:00-8:00pm on channel 21, WFMJ. Encore broadcasts are Saturday, December 19 from 8:00-9:00pm on WBCB, and Christmas Day, Friday, December 25 from 12:00-1:00pm on WFMJ & from 1:00-2:00pm on WBCB. | CELEBRATE! Today - Conner Cole
Today - Hanukah begins
December 11 - Gene Johnson
December 12 - National Poinsettia Day
December 13 - Jack Snyder
December 15 - Mike & Kempsie D'Andrea
December - Universal Human Rights Month If we don't have your special days, please let us know! | ON OUR CALENDAR December 10-16, 2020 . . .
Weekdays, 9am-2pm - GG at Work
Tonight, 6:30pm - Praise Band
Friday, 9am - Ladies Bible Study
Sunday, 9:30am - Sunday Morning Class
Sunday, 11am - In-Person & Online Worship
Wednesday, 10am - Prayer Group via Zoom | 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. | |
