Occasions 12/17/23

Starling Avenue Baptist Church

Occasions This Week at SABC Sunday, December 17, 2023 10:00-10:30 a.m.—Sunday School 10:30 a.m.—Choir Rehearsal 11:00 a.m.—Worship 2:00-4:00 p.m.—Zimmerman Open House Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Midweek Gatherings—Christmas Break!

Handbell Choir—Christmas Break!

7:05 p.m.—Choir Rehearsal Welcome to Starling Avenue Baptist Church!

If this is your first time visiting with us, we sincerely hope that you find meaningful worship and a loving community here. There are guest cards in the pew racks if you’d like to let us know more about yourself. Drop these into the offering plate or the basket in the back of the sanctuary. We’re happy to welcome you as our guest today!

Lay Leader, Anne Stultz; Offertory Prayer, Linda Pulliam; Greeters, Dee Smith & Shirley Simmons; Open and Close, David Bell

You are invited for cookies & punch at the Zimmerman’s Open House this afternoon, December 17, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Their address is: 213 Oakdale St., Martinsville, VA. We look forward to gathering to celebrate the birth of Christ at our Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service on Sunday, December 24, at 5:00 p.m.

Through your generous giving we help fund ministries of our partners here in Martinsville and around the world. The Annual Mission Offering runs through Pentecost Sunday.

Special envelopes are located at both entrances to the church.

Begin your Christmas Season by visiting the church library and checking out holiday books, movies and puzzles.

Contribution Envelopes for 2024 are available for pick-up in the church vestibule.

Copies of the new Church Directory are located at both entrances of the church.

The Church Office will be closed for Christmas from Friday, December 22 – December 26. If an emergency arises, please contact your deacon.

Remembering in Prayer: Regina Carter, Geneva Winn, Helen Moore (Carol Merchant’s aunt), Nancy Snyder, Freddie Donavant, Reed Finley, Danny Joyce, Mike Spicer, J. G. McMillan, Susanne Travis, Pete Mabry, Lois Johnson, Airman Cody Minter, USAF, Myron Richardson (Richard Caldwell’s brother-in-law, Lauren Werner (Linda Pulliam’s granddaughter), Kaitlyn Smith, Kody & Kasey Redfern (niece & friends of Becky Nance), Karen Gribble & Becky Joyce (friends of Pat McKinster); Our Country; All Those Affected by War & Violence; Our Homebound Members.

Birthdays this week: Amy Clemons, Eliza Painter & David Tollison. Happy birthday to everyone celebrating! If you are having a birthday this week, please let Barbara in the church office know.

Grace Network Items for December: boxed dinners (Hamburger Helper), dish detergent, deodorant & laundry detergent. Items can be left in the box located outside the library on the 2nd Floor.

From Our Chrismon Tree

Scriptures Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph. but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Isaiah 11:1-5 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall

strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

Luke 1:26-33 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. ”But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Luke 2:1-7 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:8-15 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Luke 2:16-20 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

STEWARDSHIP REPORT – December 10, 2023 Budget Needs, YTD: $231,281,.00 Budget Offerings, YTD: $220,472.09 Budget Needs Each Sunday: $4,625.62 Budget Offerings for 12.10.23: $5,816.10

Here are current ways to continue to give to the ministry and mission of SABC: -Through USPS to 932 Starling Avenue, Martinsville, VA 24112. Your offering envelopes are already self-addressed. All you need is a stamp and tape to reinforce.

-Drop off your envelopes in the locked mailbox outside of the Church Office.

-Set up an automatic or one-time bank draft through your bank. Simply go to your bank’s bill pay webpage. Set up SABC as the “payee” and have your payments automatically delivered electronically. This is simple and doesn’t cost you or the church any fees.

-Online giving available at www.starlingavenue.org. You can choose “Cover Fees” to slightly increase your gift to pay processing fees.

How to Connect to Sunday Worship & Other Gatherings If you are unable to participate in our live service, you may stream it.

To connect to Worship from your landline (audio): Call 1-844-621-3956 (toll free), Access Code: 132-630-0075## To connect to Worship from your computer, tablet, or smartphone (video): Go to the SABC Facebook page (bit.ly/FacebookSABC) or our YouTube channel (bit.ly/YouTubeSABC).

Closed Captioning is available on YouTube.

Church Office Hours Monday: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 pm Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

(276) 638-8861 -- www.starlingavenue.org Pastor: Rev. Angela Zimmerman (azimmerman@starlingavenue.org) cell phone (336) 212-3213 Office Administrator: Barbara Rakes (church@starlingavenue.org) Director of Music: Nolan Anthony (nanthony@starlingavenue.org) Interpreter for the Deaf: Joan Joyce