E-news for January 2-8, 2022

ANNOUNCING FLIGHT 2022!

ARRIVAL: 12:00 a.m., January 1

STATUS: Landed

Hello and Happy New Year! Welcome to Flight 2022. We are prepared to take off into the New Year. Please make sure your Attitude and Blessings are secured and locked in an upright position. All self-destructive devices should be turned off at this time. All negativity, hurt, and discouragement need to be put away. Should we lose Altitude under pressure during the flight, reach up and pull down a Prayer. Prayers will automatically be activated by Faith. Once your Faith is activated, you can assist other passengers. There will be NO BAGGAGE allowed on this flight. The Captain, Our God, has cleared us for takeoff.

OUR DESTINATION: GREATNESS!

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Sunday, January 2 – Livestream-only service!
  • Sunday, January 9 – Livestream-only service!
  • Tuesday, January 11 – Leadership Team Meeting!

ONLINE-ONLY SERVICES!

For a couple weeks, due to an influx of Covid-19 infections, we will be holding our services online rather than in-person. We will postpone in-person gatherings including Sunday Services, Midweek Fellowship, and Bible Study Groups, to allow time for people to recuperate in the safety of their own homes. We will let you know when regular services and activities will resume. Thank you, Midway Family, for your ongoing prayers, and for your patience and consideration for one another in our church family!

A VERY SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE ON JANUARY 2!

You won’t want to miss tomorrow morning’s worship service! It is a delightful compilation of highlights from 2021. Invite family and friends to tune in at 10:00 a.m. at live.midcov.org!

DEACON COMMITTEE – VOLUNTEERS

The Deacon Committee is being formed to ensure that Sunday morning services flow smoothly from start to finish and are free of distractions so that all who gather can focus on worshipping the Living God. There are several behind-the-scenes needs that you can help meet! Would like to serve in this way? If this is something God is asking you to do, let Pastor Shaun know!

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE…

Signs you may be drinking too much coffee:

– You grind coffee beans with your mouth.

– You answer the door before people knock.

– You speed walk in your sleep.

– You walk 5 miles on your treadmill before realizing it’s not plugged in.

DIGGING DEEPER…

How much do you remember? Fill in the blanks from the box below.

Last Sunday, Pastor Shaun preached from John chapter 1…

  • Christ gave us the _______ and authority to step out of darkness and into the light.
  • If you are a Christian, you can tell someone about Christ and the difference He has made in your life, but you can’t accept Christ for them. It’s an _________ decision that every person must make.
  • You don’t have to belong to a certain denomination or go through a minister or religious leader to _______ Christ; you can go directly to Him.
  • Salvation is a gift! It’s free! It’s life-____________!
  • We can’t begin to fathom the degree of God’s incredible love for this world. The God who created and loves each one of us stepped down from heaven with the express purpose that if mankind wouldn’t come to Him, He would go to them and demonstrate the greatness of His love.  He promises to wipe away every tear from our eyes; to never ______ or forsake us; to be our Shepherd and lead us to streams of living water; to be our God and make us His people; to be our light and take us to be with Him for eternity.
  • His invitation: Step out of darkness and into the ______ by receiving His gift of salvation and letting Him transform your life!
  • A life-changing response: Receive His salvation! Let Him transform your life!  _______ where He leads you! Let the light of His Shekinah glory shine in you!
       leave           Follow            light             transforming            power            approach           individual

WIT AND WISDOM FOR THE TONGUE…

  • Live your life in such a way that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip!

                                                            –Will Rogers

  • Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the weary and bringing grace to those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)                                                     –the Apostle Paul

NEW ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION STUDY BEGINNING LATER IN JANUARY

Theme:   Faith in Action – Hebrews 11

Teacher: Brad Hill

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Faith in Action is the unifying theme for an eight-week series beginning later this month. It will focus on the heroes and heroines of the faith listed in Hebrews 11, who put their faith into action. The structure will be to join each of these persons into a flowing narrative that not only unifies this concept but also illustrates what “faith in action” looks like and gives us power – not just to emulate them, but through the Holy Spirit, to live a life of empowered faith!

MASK-WEARING REMINDER

Don’t forget your masks as you are out and about! The Covid-19 virus is extremely contagious. For the health and safety of all, particularly those in our church family with fragile or compromised immune systems, we at Midway will continue the mask-wearing protocol when we resume in-person services. Thank you all for your patience and consideration for one another!

THANK YOU TO…

The servant-hearted in our midst who love one another in so many ways…words of encouragement, acts of kindness, servant leadership, and more! You are precious and valued—by the Lord and by your church family!

PRAISES/PRAYER REQUESTS

1. Praise for a white Christmas!

2. Praise for the start of a new year!

3. Praise for our sister churches and their commitment to work side-by-side to build up the body of Christ!

4. Pray for healing and renewal of strength for all those in our midst who are fighting the Covid-19 virus.

5. Pray for safe travel for family and friends who are returning to their homes and jobs in other cities/states.

6. Pray for teachers and students as they return to school next week.

7. Continue to pray for those in our church family who are dealing with physical challenges, mobility limitations, and other issues.

8. Pray for wisdom, courage, and safety for the first responders in our communities as they “answer the call” to protect and serve.

9. Continue to pray for nations and leaders around the world, that they will look to the Lord for direction for all the difficult decisions they face.

A NEW YEAR’S PRAYER FROM THE EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH

Dear Lord,

We give thanks for your amazing grace and presence with us as we enter 2022. In this new year, may we hold tightly to the unwavering hope we have in Jesus as we think of new ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. Together, let us join you in your mission to make more disciples among more populations in a more caring and just world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

SERMON SCHEDULE

 January 2: Favorites Selections from 2021!

CHURCH & OFFICE INFORMATION

  • The Church Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Office phone number: 206-878-4861 // Office email: office@midwaycovenant.org     
  • Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00 a.m. online at live.midcov.org
  • Sunday Morning Bible Study: on break until later in January
  • Children’s Sunday School: on break until later in January
  • Women’s Discipleship Lunch Group: on break until later in January
  • Midweek Fellowship: on break until later in January
  • Men’s Bible Study Breakfast Group: 8:00 a.m. at Tuscany’s in Des Moines