12/1/2024 Christmas Advent Sunday Announcements

1. *HAPPY CHRISTMAS ADVENT LORD’S DAY & WELCOME to HOSANNA! – *Warmest welcome to all of you, especially if you are visiting or re-visiting! Please let our Welcoming Team give you our welcoming gift of a t-shirt and beige multi-purpose bag! 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!
2. *DISMISSAL (children (kinder to 5th grade) to a Thanksgiving Tree “Leaf” Craft Time with Director Rachel! – At this time, children from kindergarten to 5th grade can head over to Pastor Sunny’s children’s ministry – please proceed to the children’s chapel down the hallway to the left! *Preschool worship children should already be in the preschool worship room with Director Rachel and assistant Ashley, and will continue to begin simultaneously at 10:40am in the preschool worship room.
3. *PRAISE GOD FOR YESTERDAY’S THANKSGIVING POTLUCK FELLOWSHIP! – Thank you to all those who came out yesterday to celebrate Thanksgiving through our Potluck Fellowship! We hope you had a blessed Christ-thankful Thanksgiving!
4. *TODAY BEGINS CHRISTMAS ADVENT – Advent means “Coming” or “Arrival” and marks the first of the four weeks leading-up to Christmas, as we prepare for the arrival of Christmas – not only recalling the first coming of Christ in His humble birth, but His second coming as glorious King to bring His Kingdom upon the earth. Let us consecrate ourselves and keep our focus on this holy day not a holiday, and the true reason for this holy season – Jesus Christ!
5. *TODAY, HOSANNA STAFF GATHERING, 1:15pm @ Corner Conference Room – Continue to pray for and support our honorable staff members as they seek to advance God’s Kingdom through His Church.
6. *DECEMBER AGAPE young adult FELLOWSHIP! – To close out the year 2024, the young adult AGAPE ministry are planning a fellowship together. Suggest ideas and see Elder Patrick Liu for more details.
7. *NEXT SUNDAY (12/8) MEDIA & PRAISE TEAMS FELLOWSHIP DINNER, 4:30pm @ Manna Lewisville – If you are on the Media and Praise Teams, please make time next Sunday evening for a fellowship dinner together in order to get to know new faces of new team members and continue to partner together in these two vital ministry teams of the church.
8. *SAVE THE DATE! – SATURDAY (12/21) HOSANNA CHRISTMAS PARTY FELLOWSHIP & GIFT EXCHANGE, 5:30pm – 8:30pm @ Ezra Chapel/Foyer hallway – As Christmas approaches, let us come together for a Christmas celebration! Catered food and a joyful time of exchanging gifts through a white-elephant game awaits. *Bring any wrapped gift under $15.00 and let us exchange the greatest gift with one another – our Lord Jesus Christ!
9. *SAVE THE DATE! – DECEMBER SPECIAL GUEST PREACHER on NEW YEAR’S EVE LORD’S DAY (12/29 [Sun]) – REV. JIM-BOB PARK – We have a great blessing awaiting us to close out the year 2024 with Rev. Jim-Bob Park from Compassion Korea, who is coming to give us the Lord’s Day message! Pastor Park travels across the globe with Compassion Korea to release children from poverty in Jesus’ Name, spreading hope to dream God’s dreams again for their lives. He is an internationally and nationally known veteran Pastor, mentor, and advisor to hundreds of Asian-American pastors and ministries. Invite your friends and make sure to be here yourself to receive His pastoral wisdom and heart.
10. *KINGDOM EXPANSION PRAYER – This week’s Kingdom Expansion Prayer will focus lifting up our Ordained Officers – Elders, Deacons, and Pastor – in their Kingdom work into 2025.

 
Scripture:
 
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (JOHN 15:16)
 
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. (TITUS 1:5)
 
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (EPHESIANS 4:1-3)
 
Prayer (written by Pastor Chester):
Heavenly Father, we lift up to You Your ordained officers that You have specially anointed and consecrated and ordained, set apart for Your sacred calling and work. We lift up to You our Elders – Heather, JP, and Patrick; and our Deacons – Chong, Gloria, Waywah, and Angela; and our Pastor Chester – they did not choose this nor did they choose You, but You chose them and appointed them that they should go and bear fruit – fruit that will last and abide for eternity – so that whatever they ask in Your Name, You will give it to them as they seek to do Your will alone for Hosanna. Just as the apostle Paul left Titus in Crete so that Elders and Deacons and Pastors would be appointed in every town, so also you appointed them in this town, in this Church in the north Dallas area, so that Your Church might be put in godly order and Your people might be edified and equipped to do every good work in Christ. Therefore, remind our officers that they are but prisoners for the LORD God, chained to do only what You – their Master – commands – to say what You ask them to speak, and to go where You ask them to go, as servants and slaves of the Most High Christ Jesus, their Chief Servant of all. May they feel the urge of Your holy Word to keep walking in a manner worthy of the calling to which You have called them, with all humility, with all gentleness, with all patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Make them one, as You are one, and accomplish through things through their obedience of faith, through Christ Jesus our Lord and the Head of Hosanna Church we pray, amen & amen.