Christmas Booklet

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thankfulthat thatyou youare are checking out I amam soso thankful checking all theministry excitingopportunities ministry all theout exciting opportunities we have here atCommunity.

Christ we have here at Christ Community. Inside this brochure, Inside this brochure, youconnected will find ways to you will find ways to get get connected in Fellowship so that you in Fellowship so that you can make biblically centered friendships friendships and can make biblically-centered experience the joythe of joy living out your and experience of living out your faith with like-minded followers of faith with like-minded followers of Jesus.

Jesus. You will also see a multitude of opportunities to Serve and use your ougifts willand also see to a share multitude spiritual talents the of Love, Acceptance andtoForgiveness opportunities Serve and use of Jesus with everyone that God to share your spiritual gifts and talents brings into our family. There is also a the Love, Acceptance and ways Forgiveness detailed update of the many we of Jesus with everyone that God have been active as a congregationbrings in living outfamily. our calling into our Thereto is love also this a detailed community and the world that God update of the many ways we have sends us into. If you didn’t get the been active as a congregation in living chance to hear our Thanksgiving out ouroncalling to love community message November 24,this please and world that God us into. take thethe time to check it outsends on our webpage and listen to the many stories ofdon’t hopeget andthe lifechance changeto that f you hear our are happening around us every day Thanksgiving message on November through the work of the Holy Spirit.

24, it please take the time afterward to I trust will encourage and inspire check it prepare out on our webpage, cccnow. you as you for the Christmas Season.

Please don’t miss outtoonthe themany com/messages, and listen opportunity to take your Next Step in stories of hope and life change that are growing in your faith here this season happening around us every day through at Christ Community. the work of the Holy Spirit. I trust it will encourage and inspire you as you prepare for the Christmas Season. Please don’t miss out on the opportunity to take your Next Step in growing in your faith here this season at Christ Community.

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his Christmas Season, we will be studying Luke 1:46-55, which is often referred to as “Mary’s Song.” The passage details the lyrics of the song the Virgin Mary sang in response to

her gratefulness for being given the incredible honor of bearing our Lord and Savior.

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any of you have experienced the power of songs and their effect on you. Truly inspiring songs not only have a great tune, but they have a powerful message in their lyrics.

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ary’s Song is no different, and it is actually important to point out that it is a song about the most important event in human history: God’s choice to become flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. I want to encourage you to begin preparing for each week’s message by reading and reflecting on Mary’s Song. Take time to imagine the joy and awe with which Mary sang it. Picture the response of her cousin Elizabeth as she listened to Mary sing the song.

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onsider the power of the lyrics that stayed with Mary for over 45 years before Luke recorded them in his gospel so that we could share them almost 2,000 years later. I know you will be inspired and encouraged through the series of messages on Mary’s Song. Come and be renewed in expectation and hope by a song that so clearly speaks to God’s amazing plan of salvation and deliverance for all who will trust in Jesus.

- Greg Alderman // Senior Pastor

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E V E N T S NOVEMBER 17TH

DECEMBER 4TH

DECEMBER 6TH

12:00PM

6:30-8:00PM

6:00-8:30PM

Grief Share

40|50 Lifestage

60+ LIFESTAGE

SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS

CHRISTMAS POTLUCK

CHRISTMAS DINNER

DECEMBER 7TH

DECEMBER 9TH

DECEMBER 10TH

6:00-8:30PM

7:00-8:30PM

6:30-9:00PM

Middle School Ministry

PIZZA AND ELF

CHRISTMAS SING

Women’s Ministry

High School Ministry

DECEMBER 11th

DECEMBER 11TH

DECEMBER 12TH

6:30-8:00PM KID’S CLUB

CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS PARTY

6:30-8:00PM

9:15-11:30AM

CLUB 54

Life With Spice

ALL GREEN PARTY

COOKIE EXCHANGE

DECEMBER 14TH

DECEMBER 24TH

DECEMBER 28TH

9:00-11:00AM

3:00PM & 5:00PM

10:00AM-2:00PM

Children’s Ministry

Children’s Ministry

FAMILY CHRISTMAS EVENT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS

HOMELESS OUTREACH

MORE INFO AT CCCNOW.COM/EVENTS

BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR

1 PETE

191 PEOPLE SERVE ON THE WORSHIP & TECH TEAMS BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL, CONTEMPORARY, AND EVENING SERVICES. THE TLC MINISTRY HAS COMPLETED MOVES AND TENDED TO

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145 SERVICE

PROJECTS FOR WIDOWED AND DISABLED MEMBERS OF CHRIST COMMUNITY.

“All

AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. THEREFORE GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND SURELY I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE.”

MATTHEW 28:18-20

GENER $206,740 165

GIVEN IN TH MISSIONS P

BACKPACKS FUL SCHOOL DISTRIC

T $18,000 DONATED BOTTLE CAM 150 CHILD SPONSOR

$50,000

DONATED TO CONGREGAT

TRANSFO

48 STUDENTS SPENT THEIR EASTER BREAK SERVING IN THE CITY OF FRESNO, CA, FOR A TOTAL OF

1152 HOURS.

175 YOUTH & CHILDREN ATTENDED SUMMER CAMP THIS PAST JULY, INCLUDING

&

“

EACH OF YO WHATEVER G RECEIVED TO SE FAITHFUL STEWA GRACE IN ITS V

110 CHILDREN WHO ATTENDED KID

25 MIDDLE SCHOOLERS WHO WENT TO ELEVATE CAMP, AND 40 HIGH SCHOOLERS WHO WENT TO HUME SAN DIEGO. FEST,

ON AVERAGE, OUR YOUTH & CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES SERVE

414 STUDENTS EACH WEEK AND HAVE 110 VOLUNTEERS.

YOUTH & CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

CCCNOW.COM/ ON AVERAGE

744

ATTEND GROUPS & C WEEK.

32

GROUPS ARE

OFFERED FOR ADULT

362 ADULTS HAV

A CCC RETREAT OR C IN THE LAST YEAR.

R TIME, TALENTS, & TREASURES

ER 4:10

&

OU SHOULD USE GIFT YOU HAVE ERVE OTHERS, AS ARDS OF GOD’S VARIOUS FORMS.”

143 VOLUNTEERS SERVE IN OUR ADULT MINISTRIES. HOMELESS MINISTRY HAS 63 MONTHLY VOLUNTEERS. HOMELESS MINISTRY HAS SERVED 450 INDIVIDUALS. 250 PEOPLE SERVED LAST YEAR AT FALL FUN FEST AND OVER 1600 POUNDS OF CANDY WAS DONATED TO THE EVENT.

ROSITY

HE LAST YEAR TO OUR LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS FOR THE FURTHERING OF THE GOSPEL.

LL OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES, DONATED TO THE SAN JUAN CT’S HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

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MINISTRY PARTNERS ARE ACTIVELY SHARING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS IN SEVEN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.

TO ALTERNATIVE PREGNANCY CENTER IN THE BABY MPAIGN.

RSHIPS THROUGH CHRIST HOPE INTERNATIONAL.

O RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH TO ASSIST THEIR TION WITH THE DEVASTATION LEFT BY THE PARADISE FIRE.

ORMATION

/GROUP

4

ADULTS

CLASSES EACH

TS EACH WEEK.

VE ATTENDED

CONFERENCE

“LET US

HOLD UNSWERVINGLY TO THE HOPE WE PROFESS, FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL. AND LET US CONSIDER HOW WE MAY SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON TOWARD LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS, NOT GIVING UP MEETING TOGETHER, AS SOME ARE IN THE HABIT OF DOING, BUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER— AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU

SEE THE DAY APPROACHING.”

HEBREWS 10:24-26

90

PEOPLE BECAME MEMBERS OFF CHRIST COMMUNITY.

53

CHILDREN, STUDENTS, AND ADULTS

WERE BAPTIZED IN THE PAST YEAR.

CAREMINISTRY | cccnow.com/care

Prayer Shawl

This creative and caring group produces and distributes prayer shawls to those who are ill.

T.L.C

Serving the elderly and widows with the love of Christ.

L.A.W. Clinic

Love and Wisdom, Legal Aid Clinic at Christ Community Church.

Financial Aid

Sometimes life happens and you end up in tough financial situatins. CCC is here to help!

Visitation Ministry Weekly hospital and shutin visits and communion.

Prayer & Care If you are aware of prayer needs or are interested in praying.

Meals Ministry

Prayer Meetings

If you would be blessed by a meal after surgery or illness, please let us cook and deliver a dinner for you.

Call all our prayer warriors!

CELEBRATERECOVERY | SUNDAYS AT 6:00PM cccnow.com/celebraterecovery | Contact Mark Stormont at mabestormy@sbcglobal.net

THE CELEBRATE RECOVERY MINISTRY HAS PEOPLE SERVE ON THEMEETINGS WORSHIP &WITH TECH TEAMS HAD 572 SMALL GROUP 312 BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL, CONTEMPORARY, AND ATTENDEES THIS YEAR! EVENING SERVICES.

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i, I’m John, a believer in Jesus Christ, and I came to Celebrate Recovery to work on codependence, my need for control, and patience.

he could always relapse and join many people who are struggling out there without the resources to get help. I wondered how could I learn more so I could be supportive in the right way and stay strong and healthy myself during the process.

are supportive of each other. Men are competitive by nature and they put up very big walls. It is hard to develop good relationships with big walls between us.

JOHN’S STORY A

ll of my life I have had family members who struggled with addiction. My parents both died from conditions caused by their alcoholism. In 2012 a much younger family member became addicted to opiates and that really hit me.

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hat same year my father was dying as a result of his addictions. My first instinct is always to try and fix people, and unfortunately, I failed to fix the addicts in my family. I had no control of them, but I spent lots of time mulling over different possible outcomes. During that time, I also had a lot of stress at work since I felt I had to stay strong for my wife, my family, and my work, I bottled up my anxiety.

At times it made me physically ill.

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hrough all this, I learned a lot about addiction and all the things I was doing wrong when I thought I was being supportive. My young relative’s opiate addiction got better, but I knew that

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n 2018 my wife told me about a Celebrate Recovery Summit at Saddleback Church in Southern CA and asked if I was interested. I definitely was, so we drove down there and I learned that this ministry wasn’t just for addicts.

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his program was much more, and while there I discovered several things that I needed to work on for myself. Fresh from the excitement of the summit, I searched around and found out that Christ Community Church has a great Celebrate Recovery program.

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ight away I started attending, and I signed up for the first step study group that came available.

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unday night groups are good for fellowship and worship, but the step study group is really where positive change happens. It is great to be around other men who let down their guards and

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was initially worried about finding a sponsor and being the last guy in the room to find one. Instead of worrying, I started praying and I asked others to pray as well. After being introduced to my sponsor, we became a great match and he a great mentor for me.

I feel like I have changed a lot. Now I am more at peace on a daily basis and I learned how to listen more, stop trying to fix everyone, and allow people to work through the trials and struggles in their lives without me trying to fix their situations for themoften doing more harm than good.

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favorite verse of mine is Matthew 6:34-35: “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

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hope my story will help others who are dealing with similar codependent situations and possibly motivate them to try Celebrate Recovery at Christ Community.

5025 Manzanita Avenue Carmichael, CA 95608 | Office: 916.344.2382 | cccnow.com