Sunday, December 13, 2020
3rd Sunday of Advent – JOY
We are excited to continue the Advent series “Let Earth Receive Her King”. This week Pastor Bill will be teaching “Joy”. Join us for either online worship or for in-person worship in the gym at 9:30am. For online worship, you’ll connect the same way you have in the past via both Facebook and YouTube (Be sure to follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our YouTube Channel – SFNAZ Media to know when we are live). Log on a few minutes before 9:30am and look for the LIVE notification.
With the recent updates to the Washington State COVID-19 Guidelines, we wanted to take a moment to update you on our plans to gather for worship. We will continue to meet in-person at 9:30am in the gym, we will also continue to live stream this service through Facebook and YouTube. We thank you in advance for your understanding as we do our best to accommodate the statewide efforts to slow the rapid spread of the virus in our community. For those who choose to join us in person, please come wearing a mask, practice social distancing, and sit together as families. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you. If you don’t feel well, have a fever, or know you have been exposed to COVID-19, we kindly ask you to please stay home. We look forward to worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ together, both in-person and online!
Upcoming events
SFNAZ CHRISTMAS LIGHT SCAVENGER HUNT: Saturday, December 19th: 6pm-9pm
- SFNAZ church family let’s go on a Christmas lights scavenger hunt. Check your email at 5pm on the 19th for the scavenger hunt list.
- Post your pictures with the hashtag #sfnazchristmaslightshunt . This is not a competition this time….. just spreading joy with each other as we see pictures of smiling faces and Christmas lights. This will allow others who have to stay home an opportunity to see some beautiful lights from around the city!
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE: Thursday, December 24th – 4pm
- Join us in a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior with music & a candlelight service. If you would rather join us online, you’ll connect the same way you have in the past via both Facebook and YouTube (Be sure to follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our YouTube Channel – SFNAZ Media to know when we are live).
SFNAZ ANNOUNCEMENTS
CHRISTMAS LOVE OFFERING
- If you would like to bless our pastoral staff with a Christmas Love Offering, mark your gift “Pastors’ Christmas Gifts.” -Your Church Board
SFNAZ HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
- Wednesday, December 23rd – No Midweek Activities
- Thursday, December 24th – OFFICE CLOSED (Candlelight Service at 4pm)
- Friday, December 25th – MERRY CHRISTMAS
- Wednesday, December 30th – No Midweek Activities
- Thursday, December 31st – OFFICE CLOSED
- Friday, January 1st – HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2020 DONATIONS
- Donations for 2020 must be in the office or postmarked by December 31, 2020 (IRS Regulation).
DID YOU MOVE?
- If you have moved or have any updates to your contact information, please notify the church office.
20201 TITHING ENVELOPES
- The 20201 tithing envelopes are now available at the information table. Please fill in your name and address on the same line as the number on your box.
Tithes & Offering
Thank you so much for your faithful support of our church! Here are a few options available to continue with giving tithes & offering.
1. Online giving is available here.
2. You may mail your check directly to the church
Spokane First Church of the Nazarene
9004 N Country Homes Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99218
3. Give By Text – Text the dollar amount to (833) 948-2179 and follow the prompts.
Faithfulness in giving
Raised Expenses +/-
General $478,500 $475,600 +2,900
Missions $47,900 $48,250 -350
(As of November 30, 2020)
Pastoral connection phone line
By calling (509) 239-7849 you can reach a 24-hour voice message service which will allow you to reach the pastoral team directly. You are encouraged to call with:
- Prayer requests & praises
- Grocery needs
- Medication pick up requests
We will do our best to return your calls in a timely manner.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRAYER
Prayer Chain by Email – Contact the church office to receive prayer requests by email (office@sfnaz.org).
Prayer for District Churches – Post Falls & Princeton
Missions Prayer Requests – Cuba & Cyprus
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Pastor Bill Vaughn
- Pastor Gary Woodroof
- Carol Fuller
- Brick Cortner
- Evelyn Van Dyke
- Ricky & Kim Parsley
- Sheryl Valoff
Bereavement
-
- Long time church member Gayle Cortner passed away this week. Please pray for Brick and their entire family as they mourn their loved one.
- Church member, Wilda Sutton passed away this week. Please pray for her family during this time.
- Bob Weiss recently passed away. Please pray for Donna and their family.
Adult ministries
ADULT MINISTRIES SUNDAY SCHOOL & DISCIPLESHIP (Sundays 10:30am)
- We are so excited to take a STEP FORWARD with a Sunday School/Discipleship group this Sunday following the 9:30am morning service. Join us for “Galatians: Liberty and the Law”. Please join us in the Holy Grounds as we take the first steps in creating a new normal. Nothing is looking the same as before, but we are looking forward to embracing looking at ways to speak and teach the Word.
Adult Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7pm on ZOOM “Twelve Unlikely Heroes”
- Click here for Adult Ministries Zoom link, or enter the meeting ID after tapping “Join a Meeting” in the Zoom app 8713955701
Men’s Group: Tuesdays at 6pm on ZOOM (Use Youth Ministries Zoom Meeting Room)
- Click here for Men’s Group Link, or enter this meeting ID after tapping “Join a Meeting” in the Zoom app 9664266598
In-Person Adult Bible Study: Wednesdays at 6:45pm (Fireside Room)
children’s ministries
Sundays
9:30am
- Family Worship: Tables reserved for families & bags of fun activities for the kids (1st-6th grade) to interact with during the service.
- Nursery-Toddlers: Infant through 3 non-potty trained years old
- PreK-Kindergarten Class: 3 year old potty trained through Kindergarten
10:30am
- Kids Church: 1st-6th Grade Advent Series- Let Earth Receive Her King
- Sunday School Classes: PreK-Kindergarten
Bible Quizzing
The bible quizzing team practice Sundays from 11:30am to 1pm. (No quiz practice on November 22)
Wednesdays
Kindred Moms Coffee and Prayer group
- Currently Kindred Moms is meeting once a month on the 3rd Wednesday. Our next meeting will be December 16th@ 11am-12:30pm. We will have our annual Kindred Moms Christmas party. Our party will look a bit different this year, but we will still have fun! Meet at the back of the church, Bring your sleds and wear your snow clothes! We will have hot cocoa and cookies.
6:45-8pm Dynamic Discipleship & Bible Learning Lab!
Nursery: Infant through 3 years non-potty trained
Bible Learning Lab: PreK-Kindergarten hands-on bible fun
Dynamic Discipleship Classes: 1st-3rdgrade and 4th-6thgrade small groups, plus games and fun
Upcoming Events:
12/19: SFNAZ Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt 6-9pm
- SFNAZ church family let’s go on a Christmas lights scavenger hunt. Check your email at 5pm on the 19th for the scavenger hunt list.
- Post your pictures with the hashtag #sfnazchristmaslightshunt . This is not a competition this time….. just spreading joy with each other as we see pictures of smiling faces and Christmas lights. This will allow others who have to stay home an opportunity to see some beautiful lights from around the city!
12/16: SFNAZ Children’s Christmas Party
- We will be making some great crafts and items for your kids to give as gifts this year. A Christmas snack pack will be sent home with the kids to enjoy at home. In order to keep us Covid safe over the holidays we won’t be sharing in food during the party.
No Wed Night activities 12/23 or 12/30
STUDENT MINISTRIES
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Teen Christmas Party Rescheduled (Church Holy Grounds Area)
Wed December 16 – 6:45pm
INFO UPDATE TEXT MESSAGES & EMAILS
To automatically join the SFNazYouth info text messages, simply text “ADDME” to (509)790-4048. If this doesn’t work or you are still not receiving the text messages or have questions, please contact Pastor Shawn (shawns@sfnaz.org)
In addition to regular text updates, there are also periodic email info updates with more details about upcoming events and youth ministry happenings. These come out every couple of weeks. If you (or someone you know) isn’t receiving these emails, you can sign up to receive the emails at http://sfnaz.org/youth
Missions Corner
Denominational emphasis for December – Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
December is Compassionate Ministries Emphasis month in the Church of the Nazarene. The Board of General Superintendents designated December to encourage a spirit of compassion and personal involvement among Nazarenes everywhere. NCM’s prayer is that social holiness would erupt in every local church and that we could come alongside faithful members and resource them to serve.
Following the example of Jesus, NCM partners with local Nazarene congregations around the world to clothe, shelter, feed, heal, educate, and live in solidarity with those who suffer under oppression, injustice, violence, poverty, hunger, and disease. NCM exists in and through the Church to proclaim the Gospel to all people.
2020 fall collections
Fire Crisis Response
- On Labor Day weekend in Lincoln County Oregon (near Lincoln City) the Echo Mountain fire near Otis started. While the total area of this fire was smaller than some other Northwest fires, nearly 25% of the buildings in the area were damaged or destroyed including over 300 homes. Immediately following the fire, the Lincoln City Church of the Nazarene went into action forming the area’s primary Fire Relief Support Center. Under the leadership of Pastor Kelli Westmark, the congregation and community have provided ongoing support through clothing, food, and other household necessities. The clean-up effort has begun, and we want to join helping this small church continue to be a light in their community. You can support this effort in three primary ways:
- You can pray! Pray for Pastor Kelli and her team as they have already been engaged in this relief effort going on eight weeks! Pray as the immediate needs of those affected by the fire are changing that the church can help respond to those needs.
- You can go shopping on their Amazon wish list and have these items shipped directly to the church. You can access the list here: http://bit.ly/nazfirerelief Please ship these orders to the following address: Church of the Nazarene, 1462 NW 19th Street, Lincoln City, OR 97367.
- You can donate money directly to the relief effort. Checks can be mailed directly to the Lincoln City Church of the Nazarene (same address as above). Be sure to include a memo on your donation indicating your donation is for the relief effort, and that you are part of Spokane First Church. Monetary donations directly to the church should be considered tax-deductible.