with our Notices, Updates and Activities
December 22, 2019 2820 N. Pleasant View Drive Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 928-772-7218 fsbcpv@firstsouthernpv.org www.firstsouthernpv.org
Bring cookies or Christmas desserts to share! Sunday night, 12/22/19 @ 6 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Come on out for a night of Cookies ‘n Carols!
JOIN US AT 5:00 PM
Thank you, Active Adults, for your generous donation of socks for the homeless in our area. You outdid yourselves yet again by bringing in 164 pairs of socks!!
Senior Pastor Terrell Eldreth: 928-277-4769 Cell: 619-244-6265 PastorTerrell@firstsouthernpv.org Worship Pastor Scott Terry: 928-458-6470 PastorScott@firstsouthernpv.org Family Life Ministry Pastor Ken Kopal: 602-738-0532 PastorKen@firstsouthernpv.org TO RECEIVE OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER THROUGH YOUR EMAIL SIMPLY MARK THE FRONT OF YOUR CONNECTION CARD. THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO RECEIVE CURRENT INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.
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IF YOU NEED HELP OR ASSISTANCE Deacon of the Week: Karl Holloway 928-772-3374
VAN FUND $6,350.55
THIS WEEK DECEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 28 SUNDAY: 9:00 am Sunday School (Babies - Adults)
10:30 am Morning Worship Praise Choir Presents: One Small Child 6:00 PM Cookies ‘n Carols
MONDAY: 9:00 AM Sisters’ Quilting WEDNESDAY: Church Office Closed.
Merry Christmas! BIBLE STUDIES Men’s Bible Study 10:00 AM Tuesdays Adult Bible Study & Prayer 6:00 PM Wednesday Night Women’s Bible Studies 10:00 AM Tuesdays AND
6:00 PM Thursdays
with Pastor Terrell
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” ~ Luke 2: 6-7 (NIV) ~ Not a usual Christmas story for this week — but an important one. On February 3, 1966, then Lt. Gerald Coffee was shot down over North Viet Nam while flying a lowlevel reconnaissance mission. Badly injured, he was immediately captured and taken prisoner. He spent the next seven years and nine days as a POW in the Hoa Lo (meaning Fiery Forge in Vietnamese) prison in downtown Hanoi. During his second Christmas in camp, he made an amazing discovery. He had been stripped of everything by which he measured his identity: rank, uniform, family, money. Alone, in a cramped 3’x7’ cell, he began to understand the significance of Christmas. Removed from all commercial distractions, he was able to focus on the simplicity of Christ’s birth. Although he was lonely and afraid, he realized that this Christmas could be his most meaningful, because now, more than ever before, he understood the event. What may be standing in your way of understanding and appreciating the simple meaning of Christmas this year? What may be keeping you from fully appreciating what the Father did 2,000 years ago when He sent His only Son into our world — to become our Savior. Let’s face a hard fact: We tend to get so tied up in all of our expectations for a “perfect holiday” that we often miss the real event. On top of that — for the most part our “perfect holidays” seldom turn out the way we hoped and dreamed. Many times they just crash and burn! Now Retired Captain Coffee says that we are all POW’s in one form or another. We feel sorry for ourselves because Christmas was ruined in our opinion — or someone let us down — or we are struggling with illness or disease — or we don’t have enough money to do everything we would like to do—or—or—or—or. Captain Coffee likens our POW captivity to a “WOE” problem. We are in essence; “Prisoners of Woe.” We fall into the trap of saying “woe is me” to anything that changes our plans or that makes us sad.
PASTORAL STAFF Terrell Eldreth, Senior Pastor Scott Terry, Worship Pastor Ken Kopal, Family Life Pastor
CHURCH OFFICE MONDAY - THURSDAY
8:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Phone: 928-772-7218 fsbcpv@firstsouthernpv.org www.firstsouthernpv.org
SUNDAY SCHEDULE • Sunday School for all ages 9:00 AM • Morning Worship Service Christmas Musical: ONE SMALL CHILD 10:30 AM • Cookies ‘n Carols 6:00 PM