November 26, 2006

Morning Worship

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 25:6 - 26:8
Children’s Message: Arlene Groen
Ministry Of Music: Josh Layman
Message Series: The Gifts of Christmas
Message: Anticipation (Pastor Steve)
Offering: Unity Ministries
Lead Worshiper: Bryan De Groot

Welcome to Unity! Good Morning & welcome to Unity in the Advent Season! Come and celebrate with us the joy of Christ's birth, the hope of all mankind! May you find peace and blessing in God's presence as we worship the Lord together!

Pastor Jeff Out of the Office
Pastor Jeff and Wendy will be gone until Wednesday, November 29. They will be traveling to celebrate the Holidays with Wendy’s family.

Missions Prayer Time Next Week
You are invited to join the Missions & Outreach Team for a time of prayer for our missionaries at 9:00am next week (and every first Sunday of the month) in Pastor Jeff's office.

The Weekly Calendar

The Monthly Church Calendar can be viewed at www.unitycrc.org/calendar

Today (4th Sunday):
10:00am: Morning Worship
No Children’s Church today
1:00pm: Christmas Program Practice

Monday:
4:45pm: Worship Planning Meeting
7:00pm: Friendship Class, Willmar CRC -- Christmas Party!

Tuesday:
9:30am: Ladies’ Bible Study
7:00pm: Ladies’ Jail Ministry

Wednesday:
7:00pm: CADETS at First CRC
7:00pm: Youth Group (7-9)
7:00pm: Wild at Heart Men's Adventure
7:00pm: Men’s Jail Ministry
7:00pm: Dave Ramsey FPU

Next Sunday (1st Sunday):
8:45am: Children’s Choir 2nd - 5th
8:45am: Adult Sunday School
9:00am: Sunday School 6th - 12th
9:00am: Missions Prayer Time
9:15am: Sunday School 2nd - 5th
9:30am: Children’s Choir 3 years - 1st grade
10:00am: Morning Worship
1:00pm: Christmas Program Practice

Mark Your Calendar

Sunday, December 24- 5:00pm
Christmas Eve Service

Christmas Program
Saturday, December 16 - 7:00pm
Sunday, December 17 - 5:00pm

Life at Unity

Sympathy
We express our love and offer our prayers to the family, friends and fellow employees of Brenda Brouwer, who passed away this past Monday evening. The funeral was held yesterday at Raymond CRC with Pastor Steve officiating. Please accept our love for you and know that we are praying for you in this time of loss but also sharing in the celebration of the new life that Brenda now has in the presence of Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior!

Give Thanks!
Rita Ninneman had a successful surgery last week and is doing well.

Christmas Cards for Our Missionaries
This Sunday we will again take five minutes during the worship service to write Christmas Cards to our missionaries. The Missions & Outreach Team will provide you with the cards and envelopes and will collect the cards and mail them for you. If you’d like to bring a letter, note, or pictures of your own, you may do so and include them with your card. If you know you will not be here on Sunday and would like to send cards, you may come to church and write on your cards anytime between November 20 and November 28. Our missionaries greatly appreciate these Christmas greetings – and we would really like to bless them with an abundance of Christmas cards!

Missionary Housing Matching Grant Reminder
If you would like to give toward the $5000 matching grant for the AMMI House Fund for Eric & Mandi Peterson in Brazil , please designate your checks and bring them to church by November 30. For more information about the this project you can go to www.unitycrc.org/missions/petersons/.

Adult Sunday School
The next "From the Beginning..." class will be Next Sunday, December 3. The featured speaker will be biology teacher, author, and fishing guide Den Pluimer. Den will unveil for us the marvels of DNA and how it relates to our faith. The final session of this class will be Sunday, December 17 with Pastor Jeff addressing what seminaries are teaching about the interpretation of Genesis 1-2. You are invited to join us for these fascinating discussions.

Cookie Exchange
You are cordially invited to a cookie exchange on Tuesday, December 5 at 7:00pm. Please bring 5 dozen cookies. Following the exchange we will have a time of fellowship with tea and goodies. Sign up in the back of church. Everyone is welcome!

7th Annual Christmas Music Program at First CRC
Sunday, December 3 at 7:00pm. Featuring congregational singing and special music by CMCS Girls Chorus, CMCS Male chorus and vocalist Richard Yague. Fellowship & refreshments will follow.

Community Announcements

CMCS Christmas Programs Central Minnesota Christian high school students invite you to their Christmas Concert on Monday, December 4 @ 7:00 pm. in the high school gym. Groups performing will be the jazz band, girls chorus, male chorus, concert band, and concert choir. All groups are under the direction of Michelle Mulder.

"Happy Birthday Jesus!" will be presented by CMCS students in grades K-4 on Friday, December 8, at 7:00 pm. in the high school gym. The theme of our program shares the peace, joy, love, and happiness Jesus can bring into our lives, not just at Christmas, but always. All are welcome. Students are under the direction of Barb Swanson.

"Totally Christmas!" will be presented by CMCS students in grades 5-8 on Friday, December 15, at 7:00 pm. in the high school gym. Through traditional and contemporary choral and band music, our student musicians celebrate the "Joy" of Christmas. All are welcome. Groups are under the direction of Barb Swanson and Michelle Mulder.

December Events for West Central Christian Singles
1st Event:
Would you like to go Christmas caroling? Come to Grizzly’s in Willmar at 4:00pm on Sunday, December 3. We will carpool for caroling and then return to Grizzly’s at 5:30pm for dinner. Please RSVP by Saturday, December 2. Please indicate if you will be joining us for caroling and dinner or just dinner (we need to make reservations for the right number of people attending)

2nd Event:
It is the "Come! Celebrate Christmas" concert at Willmar Evangelical Free. Saturday, December 9. Meet in the gathering area at E-Free church at 6:30pm so that we can sit as a group. We are going to go to McMillans afterwards for coffee and fellowship. Please RSVP by Friday, December 8 by emailing us.