12/21/2025 Presider Announcements

*WELCOME to HOSANNA & MERRY CHRISTMAS LORD’S DAY! – *Warmest welcome to all of you, especially if you are visiting or re-visiting! Please let our Welcoming Team give you our welcoming gift! Fill-out a yellow newcomer’s contact card so that we can keep in touch! We welcome you into this family of Christ’s loving arms and remain here for you as His body to grow and flourish together!
 
*DISMISSAL of children & youth! – At this time, children and youth can continue their worship through their Christmas presentations with the Korean congregation.

*CHRISTMAS WEEK DEVOTION – Advent has concluded and Christmas is here! Spend this Christmas week with this final reflection from our good friends at Highland Park Presbyterian Church’s Advent Reflection Guide – “The Name Immanuel” – https://hppres.org/updates/advent-reflection-guide-week-4/. Have a Merry Christmas exalting in and centering on our Immanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ!

*TODAY – CHRISTMAS SUNDAY (12/21) – BAPTISM orientation (final session), 1:10pm at Corner Conference Room – All welcomed to join to learn! Pray for our baptism candidate Mya Krief.

*UPCOMING – NEXT SUNDAY (12/28) – CONGREGATIONAL BAPTISMAL VOW – The sacrament of baptism will take place next Sunday for beloved sister Mya Krief. Covenant Partners especially, let us prepare to do our due diligence in giving our love, affections, and accountability to our new sister in Christ, Mya, through the congregational baptismal vow before the Lord which will be administered by our Elders. The vow is viewable on the QR code link to our Sunday announcement page. Please be ready to answer with your full integrity and covenant, as we are all baptized not only into Christ personally, but into Christ's body communally - 1 Corinthians 12:13, "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."
 
*KINGDOM EXPANSION PRAYER – This week’s Kingdom expansion prayers will focus on Christmas season & December ministries
 
Scripture:
 
The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (MATTHEW 20:28)
 
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (GALATIANS 4:4-5)
 
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-17)
 
Prayer (by Pastor Chester):
Heavenly Father, we lift up to You this blessed Christmas resurrection Sunday. With the multitude of heavenly hosts that praised You on that night our Savior, Your only Son was born, we declare glory be to You in the highest, and on earth, on Hosanna and Bethany church families, peace be among us whom your favor and pleasure rests. Let us not fear to live fully for You, to submit fully to You, to walk surrender all before You. Let us not be afraid and fear the impossibilities of spiritual life You desire with us, as You did for Mary. Let us not be afraid and fear doing as You command to us for our joy and goodness, as You did for Joseph. Make us remember why Christ Jesus came – not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many through the sufferings of the cross. You destined Your Son to shed His blood and die for the atonement of our sins. We thank You for this beautiful fullness of time that came, when You sent forth Your Son, born of woman as an earthly mother but unborn of any earthly father, for You are our Father in heaven, who has sent Your only Son to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption sons and daughters. May Christmas not only be about His birth and death, but equally His resurrection. Risen Lord Jesus, You will descend from heaven and we will be caught up together in the clouds to meet You in the air, to always be with You. Until then, be with our Christmas worship today, our breakout discussion groups, our breaking of bread, our baptism session with Mya, and her blessed baptism next Sunday. Be with us on Christmas Eve this Wednesday & Christmas day this Thursday in family gatherings and family worship. Be with our final Sunday of 2025 next week. Be with the Session as they gather next week. May all things be an awareness of Your presence being with us, God Immanuel, God with us in our Lord Jesus Christ, our newborn King’s name we pray, Amen & amen.