December 2012 Newsletter
The Light in the Dark Streets
When the days are shorter and Daylight Saving Time ends, it gets pretty dark by 5:00 PM. We walk and drive home when it’s dark outside. There’s no light to do any outside house chores when we come home. And the city streets are dark even with the newest and brightest halogen lamps.
Darkness is often associated with the sin and evil in the world. And we work terribly hard to light up our homes, light up the Christmas tree and light up the city streets. There is plenty of darkness in the world today. Trouble and unrest in countries like Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan fill our news with deaths and destruction and we want to turn our eyes away. When suffering and senseless acts of violence happen in the United States whether across the country or just down the street where we live, we can’t believe it. We ask ourselves quietly, “Why is there so much hate and darkness?”
As Christians, we believe that the light of Christ has flooded the darkness. In John 1:4-5, we read, “What has come into being in him (Christ) was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” The light of Christ shines in the darkness and the darkness has not won. The light of Christ shines in the darkness and the darkness has not seized it. The light of Christ shines in the darkness and the darkness has not realized it.
John joyously proclaims the triumph of the light of the world. But he is also honest about the power of darkness to resist the light. The light will overcome all the forces set against it, but it will not be pretty. There will be suffering and blood before the full story of the babe in Bethlehem ends.
Therefore, as the church sings its songs of joy, it must take care always to admit to the sadness that still occurs among us. Jesus is light but he is the light that shines into real, serious darkness. When we the church exclusively celebrates the light, the joy, and the victory, without also being honest about the struggle, the sadness, and the violence, we do the gospel an injustice and we alienate our proclamation of Christ from some of the very people Christ comes to love.
The streets around our church are often dark in December. Maybe the streets where you live are dark too. But the Light of the world does not avoid or deny the reality of darkness; the light of Christ enters the darkness, transforms the darkness and ultimately is victorious in the darkness. The Light of Christ shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. Merry Christmas! Pastor Don
Christmas Events
Celebrating the birth of Jesus at FCBC is unique! Join us for the following events.
Dec. 2 1st Sunday in Advent—9:00, 10:20, 11:30 Services
Dec. 9 2nd Sunday in Advent—9:00, 10:20, 11:30 Services
Dec. 16 3rd Sunday in Advent—9:30 Joint English Worship & Baptism,
11:30 Cantonese Worship & Baptism
Dec. 23 4th Sunday in Advent/Christmas Sunday—9:00, 10:20, 11:30 Services
Dec. 24 Christmas Eve 1st Annual Church Family Pot-Luck Supper, 6:00;
We invite persons and families to bring a covered dish to share with your church family. Contact Diana Lee to coordinate your dish.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service of Lesson & Carols, 7:00
After supper, we’ll read and sing the stories of Jesus’ birth and reflect on the meaning of Christmas today.
Church Membership Meeting
Come to the Dec. 9th Membership Meeting, 1:30 to adopt the 2013 budget, elect new officers, board and committee members, and praise God for the testimonies by candidates for Baptism and church membership. As we look forward to our 133rd year of faithful ministries, we invite you to participate in FCBC’s life-transforming witness.
Senior Center
The December gathering of the Senior Center features holiday festivities of caroling and Christmas fellowship. On Wednesday, Dec. 12, 12:00, there will also be a program led by Anna Woo on “The Chinese Community in Deadwood, South Dakota.” Join your friends for an afternoon of a hot lunch, birthday cake, and an interesting topic! Contact Dick and Anna Quan Wong to register your attendance.
Sunday Morning Hours
After many discussions over the proposal to change Sunday morning hours for the three worship services and Sunday school classes, the church at a special membership on Nov. 4th approved. All the services will have new times permitting the services to be 1 hour and 10 minutes long. The Sunday school classes will have defined beginning and ending times. And with both the church building and the Chinatown YMCA, we will be using these facilities more efficiently. Other groups such as choir practices, church committees, and teachers training events will be able to set their schedules that would work best for their members. The Boards of Deacons and Christian Education will meet to recommend when the new hours will be implemented. We pray that we would be flexible and open to these changes that will enable us as a church to continue to grow and serve Christ faithfully in Chinatown and in the world.
Family News
Welcome to the world! Ashleigh Evelyn Ng was born on Oct. 24 to Allison Chan and Jason Ng and Ysabel Tong on Oct. 30 to Maggie He and Alvin Tong. May God bless these little ones to grow in maturity to know Jesus Christ as their Lord.
Our deepest condolences to Tommy Lim, Jimmy Lim and their family in the passing of their mother, Jean Lim on Nov. 4th and to Barbara Lym Wong in the passing of her father, Ray Lym on Nov. 6th. God’s faithfulness endures forever.
December
11/30-1 Men’s Retreat, Redwood Glen
- 1st Sunday in Advent
9—V
10—D
11—P
CE, 1:30
Music, 2:30
8 Deacons Retreat
EFG
9 2nd Sunday in Advent
Finance, 8:15
9—V
10—D
11—P
Membership Meeting, 1:30
12 Senior Center, 12:00
14 Chinese Evangelistic Event
15 Xplorers
Sojourners
16 3rd Sunday in Advent
9:30 Joint English & Baptism—V
11:30 Cantonese & Baptism—P
Deacons, 1:30
19 Staff Meeting
23 4th Sunday in Advent & Christmas Sunday
9—V
10—D
11—P
24 Christmas Eve All-Church Pot-Luck Supper, 6:00
Christmas Eve Service, 7:00
25 Christmas Day (H)
30 9—D
10—D
11—P
31 New Year’s Eve
1/1/13 New Year’s Day (H)