SFNAZ Newsletter 11/25/2020

SFNAZ Newsletter 11/25/2020

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE WEEKLY PASTORAL DEVOTIONAL

Sunday, November 22, 2020

1st Sunday of Advent – HOPE

We are excited to begin the Advent series “Let Earth Receive Her King”. This week Pastor Bill will be teaching “Hope”. Join us online this Sunday, November 29th and watch the service LIVE at 9:30am via Facebook or YouTube. 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. There will be NO In-Person gatherings at the church building this week.

We understand that this is a difficult time and with the rising Covid numbers, we are trying to take every precaution we can as to not contribute to the spread of this virus. We thank you for your understanding and ask for your patience as we continue to deal with this pandemic.

Advent 2020 

  • The Advent Season begins on Sunday, November 29th and concludes on December 24th. This year, Pastor Bill will be teaching “Let Earth Receive Her King”. There are devotional books that coincide with his Advent Sermons. We would like for each family to have a devotional book. If you are able, we are asking for a $5 donation to help cover the cost of the books. For more information, contact the church office.

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:
    1. 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.
    2. 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.  
    3. 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.

This Christmas season we have been given the names of children in need from our church & community. The idea is to help provide Christmas gifts for them.  In the gym, you will find our Tree of Blessings with ornaments that have the child’s gender, clothing & shoe sizes, and wish list items. Over the weeks to come, we will be adding more ornaments as the needs present themselves in our community. To participate:

1) Take an ornament off the tree (Red ornaments have toys, interests, etc. Green ornaments have clothing needs including sizes).

2) Fill out your name and phone number on the back of the ornament labeled “sponsor name” and place it in the offering basket.

3) Drop off the wrapped gift with the laminated ornament attached. Gifts can be dropped off to the church office during the week, or place in the designated shopping cart on Sunday mornings.

Please return wrapped gifts by December 13th. For more information, please contact the church office.

SFNAZ Happenings

All-Church Family Bingo Night

  • Thank you to all that joined us for Bingo Night! We all had a blast. If you won prizes, you may pick them up from the church office M-Th 10am – 2pm.

Benevolence Sunday – November 29th

  • On the fifth Sunday of the month, we take up a special offering designated for the benevolence fund. This is an opportunity to support fellow church members and those in need within the community. If you feel led to contribute, please mark your envelope “benevolence”.
Upcoming events

Call to Prayer: Sunday, December 6th – 6pm

  • Join us in Zoom for a special time of prayer and worship. Meeting ID: 871-395-5701

Drive through the North Pole: Saturday, December 12th – Drive-Thru opens at 12pm

  • Come experience the North Pole in a drive thru event.  We will have reindeer games, snowball throws, and much more!  Then at the end of your North Pole journey, your kids will get to say hi to Santa.  At each game/activity every child in the car will receive a special prize or toy.
  • Cost: $5 per car – This is a limited admittance event and tickets are sold in advance as a first come first serve basis. Please buy tickets early in order to guarantee a spot for your family.
  • Tickets can be purchased Monday – Thursday 10am-2pm in the church office or on Sunday at our in-person services. If you are unable to come during those times please call the church office to make arrangements.
  • Volunteers are needed for this event. if you are interested in volunteering, sign up sheet will be in the gym or contact Pastor Hope (hopet@sfnaz.org)

**This event is drive thru only and all volunteers will be adhering to drive thru service social distancing guidelines.

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!

 

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                        $416,200         $421,400           -5,200

Missions                       $42,900          $41,700              +1,200

(As of October 31, 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 – Pasco & Pendleton

Missions Prayer Requests – Russia & Rwanda

PRAYER REQUESTS
  • Pastor Bill Vaughn
  • Pastor Gary Woodroof
  • Carol Fuller
  • Josh Osso
  • Kevin & Betty Winans
  • Christi Swearingen
  • Gayle Cortner
Adult ministries

During this time, we are trying to find ways to stay connected with the church family. We have opened up an Adult Ministries Room on Zoom. If you have not used Zoom before, it is a virtual audio and visual chat room that, depending upon your settings, allows people to see you (via webcam or mobile device camera) and hear you (via computer microphone/webcam or mobile device). For mobile users, you can download the Zoom app. Desktop users can click on the Zoom Meeting Link and follow the instructions. Phone numbers are also provided for each meeting for those who would rather place a phone call to access the meeting. If you have questions, feel free to email the office (office@sfnaz.org) or pastoral team.

Below is a list of upcoming meetings:

  • 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.
  • 12/01/20: Adult Bible Study –  7pm on ZOOM  “Twelve Unlikely Heroes”
  • 12/01/20: Men’s Group – 6pm on ZOOM (Use Youth Ministries Zoom Meeting 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 – (NO IN-PERSON NOVEMBER 29TH)

  • 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 

10am 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.  Keep an eye on the SFNAZ Kindred Moms Facebook page for details.

6:45-8pm Dynamic Discipleship & Bible Learning Lab IS BACK! 

We have moved into the building for our Wednesday Night children’s ministry!

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:   

12/12: Drive Through the North Pole, starts at 12pm

  • Come experience the North Pole in a drive thru event.  We will have reindeer games, snowball throws, and much more!  Then at the end of your North Pole journey, your kids will get to say hi to Santa.  At each game/activity every child in the car will receive a special prize or toy.
  • Cost: $5 per car – This is a limited admittance event and tickets are sold in advance as a first come first serve basis. Please buy tickets early in order to guarantee a spot for your family.
  • Tickets can be purchased Monday – Thursday 10am-2pm in the church office or on Sunday at our in-person services. If you are unable to come during those times please call the church office to make arrangements.

**This event is drive thru only and all volunteers will be adhering to drive thru service social distancing guidelines.

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!

12/23: SFNAZ Children’s Ministry Christmas Party

  • Details TBA , keep an eye out for details on Facebook and at the children’s check-in counter.

STUDENT MINISTRIES

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Dec 7 @ 7pm – Zoom Parent Meeting
  • Dec 19 @ 3pm — Teen Christmas Party (Church Holy Grounds Area)

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

November Emphasis – World Evangelism Fund – Thank Offering

  • The World Evangelism Fund goes directly toward accomplishing the mission of the Church of the Nazarene, to make Christlike disciples in the nations. It provides the funding that operates our entire mission effort, from the operation of the Global Ministry Center to districts and churches around the world.

Prayer Emphasis – International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 

  • Nazarene Missions International encourages Nazarenes to join Christians around the world in prayer throughout November. This provides opportunity for Christians worldwide to focus on those suffering for their Christian faith.
CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION CLICK HERE
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