Launch Lunch

Connections Community Church is officially "launching" - we're going weekly!
And we're celebrating with a LAUNCH LUNCH.
Made to order Omlettes and other brunchy food.
And it's all on the house!

We'll Worship together at Silver City at 10am and then head over to the Navigators Resource Centre (1 km north on Richmond, 11 St. John Street) for lunch. It's easy to get there - head north on Richmond past Fanshawe Rd, just past the sign for Arva you will see St. John St. on the right, turn right, the building is on the right about half a block up.

Please take a minute to RSVP - we need an estimate for how much food to get. Feel free to invite a friend. And don't worry, there will be lots of food!
Two ways to RSVP:
1) Email Robin at saylormom@gmail.com.
or
2) Facebook - click here http://www.facebook.com/event and let us know you're coming.


Praise God that He has blessed us beyond all we could ask or imagine! Let's celebrate His goodness, His grace and His provision.

See you Sunday!

6:33 Prayer Plan

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

We invite everyone to join in praying for our launch into weekly worship. Starting today, Sunday Dec. 30 we are committing to a time of prayer at 6:33 a.m. or p.m. (or both!) all the way until Sunday January 6, when we hold the first of our weekly worship services. Pray for the following goals for 2008:

• Filling all 350 seats (the largest theatre) in worship by summer 2008.
• A sustainable rotation of 100 people in volunteer teams: Connections Groups, FAST, FIT, Family, Worship and Media.
• The official launch of our Connections Groups in Fall 2008 with 200 active participants.
• Expanding to 2 worship services by Christmas 2008 and seeing more than 500 attend our worship services.
• 52 new commitments for Jesus Christ as savior and Lord- one for every week of the year.

This week of prayer will lead us into a 24-hour prayer vigil starting Saturday, January 5 at 6:33 a.m. and concluding Sunday January 6 at 6:33 a.m.
Participants can sign-up for 1/2 or 1-hour slots.
This vigil will take place as a “chain”- as each person finishes their time slot they will phone the next person in line. This way we can be sure that we’ll cover the full 24-hours without any gaps.

To sign-up for a time slot call Paula Birtch at 519.685.1927, email us at gsaylor@connectionschurch.ca, or just respond to this posting.

Song: Cry of a Tiny Babe

Here's the song that inspired and followed the sermon...
"Cry of Tiny Babe" by Bruce Cockburn, Nothing But a Burning Light, 1990

Mary grows a child without the help of a man
Joseph get upset because he doesn't understand
Angel comes to Joseph in a powerful dream
Says "God did this and you're part of his scheme"
Joseph comes to Mary with his hat in his hand
Says "forgive me I thought you'd been with some other man"
She says "what if I had been - but I wasn't anyway and guess what
I felt the baby kick today"

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

The child is born in the fullness of time
Three wise astrologers take note of the signs
Come to pay their respects to the fragile little king
Get pretty close to wrecking everything
'Cause the governing body of the whole [Holy] land
Is that of Herod, a paranoid man
Who when he hears there's a baby born King of the Jews
Sends death squads to kill all male children under two
But that same bright angel warns the parents in a dream
And they head out for the border and get away clean

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

There are others who know about this miracle birth
The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth
For it isn't to the palace that the Christ child comes
But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums
And the message is clear if you've got [you have] ears to hear
That forgiveness is given for your guilt and your fear
It's a Christmas gift [that] you don't have to buy
There's a future shining in a baby's eyes

Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe

The Cry of Tiny Babe

December 23, 2007
George J. Saylor
(This sermon was presented as a first-person narrative. The person is none other than God. While I was hesitant to take this perspective, the biblical account gives so much insight into the birth of Jesus, and into the character or God, that I ultimately determined that this could be done in a reverend and faithful way.)

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered 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 home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.”
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25

I love that child...

(Go to http://cccsermons.blogspot.com/ to read the rest of this sermon)

My Christmas Wish List

This is going to be simple and brief.
Simple because I want you to remember them.
Brief because I want you to pray for them and God is not impressed or moved by long-winded prayers.

God does seem moved by heart-felt, Spirit-led, other-centered and persistent prayer (I'm thinking mostly of Luke 11:1-13).

So without further ado, here is my Christmas wish list (a.k.a prayer requests) for Connections Community Church in 2008. Let us commit to pray and work together so that we might see:

• Filling 350 seats (the largest theatre) in worship by summer 2008.
• A sustainable rotation of 100 people in volunteer teams- Connections Groups, FAST, FIT, Family, Worship and Media.
  
• The official launch of our Connections Groups in Fall 2008 with 200 active participants.
• Expanding to 2 worship services by Christmas 2008 and seeing more than 500 attend our worship services.
• 52 new commitments to Jesus Christ as savior and Lord- one for every week of the year.

Five requests, one for each finger (except for my father-in-law who gave two of his fingers to the farm).
Remember them, pray for them, work to make them reality.
I think they are appropriately audacious and attainable.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen!" Ephesians 3:20-21