The Link 12/18/19

the LINK

Highlighting the ways Second-Ponce joins worship & community with everyday life.

December 18, 2019 The SanctuaryAssembling Choir & SPdL careOrchestra packages for perform NICUCanticles families in during Candlelight last week’s on Sunday, FamiliesDecember on Mission8.Day

STEWARDSHIP SNAPSHOT DECEMBER 10

2018 87.57%

A look back to move forward

vs

DECEMBER 10

Dollars pledged toward budget

$1,401,084.79

2019 62.65%

$1,065,118.56 From 150 pledge cards

From 167 pledge cards

404.266.8111 2715 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 contactus@spdl.org www.spdl.org

Scan to give

Find this month’s events online at spdl.org/churchcalendar.

WRAPPING UP

2019

SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS Church Office: Closed December 23–25; Open 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. on December 31; Closed January 1 Preschool: Closed December 19–January 7

Oh, what fun we’ve had this month sharing hope, FLC: Closed December 24 & 25; Open 8 a.m.–2 p.m. on December 26; Resumes regular peace, joy and love with each other and with our hours December 27–30; Open 5:30 a.m.–2 p.m. on December 31; Closed January 1 community! Photos of recent Christmas events including the music ministry’s cantata, our Christmas HOPE dinner for college & seminary students and the children’s ministry’s musical program are on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Thanks to Dave Randolph, John Altizer and Josh Scott for taking pictures of these happy times.

COMING UP THIS MONTH

There are stlll opportunities to anticipate & celebrate the season with your Second-Ponce family. Here’s what’s coming up for the rest of December: FRIDAY DECEMBER 20

Youth Lock-In & Christmas Party | Youth Area The Christmas season is busy, and Second-Ponce youth are carving out time to not only celebrate the season but spend time together. E-mail Josh Scott at jscott@spdl.org for more information.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 21

Children’s Christmas Celebration | 4–7 p.m. | Children’s Building (Rooms 303–305) The children are invited for a fun-filled Christmas Celebration. Come enjoy crafts, playtime, dinner and games as we celebrate Jesus’ birthday together! We will also watch “The Star,” an animated retelling of the Christmas story. Bring a friend and join us!

RSVP to Heather Webb at hwebb@spdl.org.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 24

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service | 6 p.m. | Sanctuary | Also available via livestream at spdl.org/livestream

SUNDAY DECEMBER 29

Churchwide Breakfast | 9:45 a.m. | Fellowship Hall | $5/adults; $3/kids

Join with the Second-Ponce family for music and scripture as we anticipate the birth of our long-expected Jesus.

Instead of meeting as separate Sunday School classes, we'll join together for a delicious hot breakfast as a church family. Come enjoy breakfast casserole, biscuits, fruit, cereal, coffee, milk & juice as well as good conversation around the table.

SUPPORTING MISSIONS & SECOND-PONCE Christmas Missions Offering 100% of your gifts to the Christmas missions offering support missionaries who are making disciples and multiplying churches among unreached peoples and places around the world. To give, use the designated envelopes provided in the pew rack and place them in the offering plate.

Sending Christmas Cards You are invited to send Christmas cards to your church family using the Children’s Missions Post Office located near the North Bridge Welcome Center.

You can leave your Christmas cards for church members by dropping a donation for missions in the box (suggested offering is 25 cents per card).

Make sure to check the post office regularly to pick up cards that have been sent to you!

Year-End Contributions Due by December 31 A big thank you goes out to everyone who has given to Second-Ponce this year! As 2019 draws to a close, we want to offer a reminder about year-end contributions. Gifts intended for your 2019 record must be received in the finance office by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31 or postmarked no later than December 31. Due IRS regulations, no exceptions can be made. You may also give online by midnight Tuesday, December 31 at www.spdl.org/give. If you have questions contact Jane Dixon in the church office at 404.591.4359.

SO MUCH GOOD MINISTRY The branches of our tree support just some

JAN: BCM food drive fed 140 families

of the incredible ministry opportunities we’ve had this year. And from these branches, we could hang ornaments

2019

MAR: Welcomed Bill & Mary Lynn Gabbard

displaying the fruits of these ministries.

MAY: Began Rooted, a ministry to college students What ornaments would you hang?

Maybe your worship experience has deepened because of Bill Gabbard’s

JUNE: Welcomed a record-setting number of kids to VBS

music ministry. Maybe you know of

JULY: Renovated classrooms in our Kids’ Club

someone who has found a longdistance church community here by watching us via livestream.

JULY: Launched a redesigned church website

Maybe you know of a child or family that has benefitted from

AUG: Began livestreaming our 11 a.m. worship service

our partnership with Garden Hills Elementary School.

SEPT: Unveiled new Second-Ponce logo and colors

What a year we’ve had. God is good.

SEPT: Launched our 4 p.m. All Together worship service

OCT: To honor our partnership, GHES names its athletic track after SPdL DEC: Welcomed nearly 500 people to our church on Sunday, Dec. 8

ANTICIPATING

2020

2020

January BCM Winter Clothing Drive Throughout January | Collection bins in the Welcome Center Next month, Second-Ponce will collect hats, scarves, gloves and blankets to help our partner, Buckhead Christian Ministry, serve those in need. Our goal is to collect as many winter accessories as possible to share life-changing warmth during the cold winter months. As you are able, begin collecting newly purchased winter accessories and be ready to fill the BCM bins when you see them in the Welcome Center next month.

January WMU Meeting & Lunch Tuesday, January 7 | 11 a.m. | Fellowship Hall The Second-Ponce WMU welcomes you to start off your new year by attending their January meeting and lunch. The guest speaker, Josh Scott, will talk about reaching the next generation through Rooted, our college ministry, as well as Second-Ponce's partnerships with Baptist campus ministry groups.

RSVP to Mary Ann Hall at 770.396.4490.

FOLLOW US College & seminary students from around Atlanta came to Payne our Christmas dinner on Sunday, December 8.

The Parent-Child Dedication of Aaron and Amanda and theirHope daughter, Emily Edith on Sunday, September 8.

Also pictured is big sister Clara Catherine, Rev. Heather Webb and Dr. Dock Hollingsworth

@secondponce on Instagram & Facebook

NEW SPdLU SERIES

The Story of What We Believe with Dr. David Hull Wednesdays | January 8–February 19 | 6 p.m. | Fellowship Hall Do you know why we believe some of the things that we do? Are you interested in the history that has shaped our theology? In this SPdLU series, we will examine the stories behind the belief statements of the church from the very earliest days up to the present, and seek to understand why we believe what we believe. Come for Fellowship Supper at 5 p.m. and stay for the series at 6. Here are the January topics: • 1/8: The Bible Says: How do we know the best way to understand and interpret the Bible so that it can shape our beliefs?

• 1/15: This We Believe: The early church put words to the beliefs of the church. What did they say?

• 1/22: A Creed for the Ages Part 1: For three weeks we will study what the Apostles’ Creed says about what we believe.

• 1/29: A Creed for the Ages Part 2

SECOND-PONCE FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT Year-to-Date results through November 30, 2019.

Have questions about the church budget, contributions or planned gifts? Contact Jeff Miller in the church office at 404.591.4356 or jmiller@spdl.org.

UNIFIED BUDGET Pledged Contributions Non-Pledged Contributions Total Expenses Expenses Net Unified Budget

ACTUAL $1,320,389 $361,374 $1,774,117 $1,997,667 ($223,549)

BUDGET $1,182,934 $418,411 $1,688,412 $1,931,088 ($242,676)

AUXILIARIES (FLC & PRESCHOOL) Income Expenses Net Auxiliaries

$1,244,168 $1,104,664 $139,504

$1,134,054 $1,029,770 $104,284

Net Income

($84,046)

($138,392)