I hope you had a great weekend! This week we say goodbye to November and hello to December. In today’s update, I want to fill you in on a few things that are happening RIGHT NOW and then some additional announcements that are coming up in the next few weeks.
Let’s start with our Advent celebration this year at Broadview. We kicked off Advent in each of our morning worship services today. We lit the “hope” candle and started a new sermon series on “The Mystery of God” that will take us all the way up to Christmas.
I’m excited to see what God is going to do in this season. Something new we’re doing this year is a church-wide Bible reading plan and Advent devotional. We did a church-wide Bible reading plan for our “Off The Grid” spiritual growth campaign and it was well received. This will continue that effort but in a different way.
If you’re interested in watching a video on how you can participate you can watch it below. Otherwise, keep reading and I’ll give you all the details.
Lead Pastor Wes Terry explains how to participate in the 2021 Advent Devotional and Bible reading plan through the Dwell app and Broadview group account.
The name of the Bible app is “Dwell.” When I say it’s a Bible reading app I mean it literally reads the Bible to you. And I’m not talking about those boring, computerized, robot-sounding voices. I’m talking about “butter-in-your-ears listen-to-them-read-the-phone-book” kind of voices.
My personal favorite is David. He’s a British narrator who’s described as “warm and sophisticated.” Other folks on staff like Felix. He’s an East African narrator who’s described as “energetic and warm.” That’s just two of 15 voices, each with their unique style and personality. (They’re even gettting kid voices so they can engage with Scripture through listening as well.)
I’m sure you’ll find the perfect voice that fits your unique personality and benefit greatly from engaging God in his Word through listening and meditation.
You might think that listening to the Bible isn’t as good as reading it. Maybe it feels like cheating or “taking the easy way out.” If that’s the case, please know they have a reading feature alongside of the listening feature. But even if they didn’t, listening to Scripture in no way undermines the impact God’s Word can have on your heart.
For centuries, people’s only engagement with the Word of God came through listening and oral traditions. This tool recaptures that method and leverages modern day technology combined with beautiful artwork to really bring the Bible to life. The message never changes, but our tools and technological mediums do. This is a new tool for a new day.
Get Started Today!
Because Dwell’s Advent devotional is so good; and because Dwell is such a valuable discipleship tool, we signed up for a church account so that everybody in our congregation can benefit. Usually, to get all the features in the app, it costs about $40 a year. If you sign up through our church account, then you’ll get all of the features for free! You’ll also get to participate in future Bible reading plans as we pursue God together in His Word.
So if you haven’t already done so, please download the app and sign up using our group page! The advent devotional starts today so don’t delay!
If you’d like to watch a video describing the advent devotional you can watch it here. If you’d like to print off a copy of the devotional instead of using the app or paying for a book just click here.
Women’s Ministry Brunch
December 4th | 10-12
Education Building
Also going down this week is our women’s ministry Christmas Brunch. This is something our women’s ministry has been putting on for several years now.
This is a great way to get to know other ladies at Broadview and have some fun while you’re at it.
There will be breakfast food served at 10AM and time for fun and games throughout the gathering. There will be a testimony given and also an ornament exchange (so bring one to give away as well!)
As a way of giving back please also bring a non-perishable canned food item as well.
If you have any questions you can reply to this email or contact Tamara or Terryfor more information.
Joy To The World Celebration
December 11th
Food & Fellowship: 2:30-4:30
Caroling & Christmas Lights: 5:30-7:30
The week after the Women’s Ministry Christmas brunch comes the J.O.Y. Ministry’s Christmas Gathering. This years gathering is entitled “Joy to the World.”
They will host food, fun and fellowship in our Education Building from 2:30-4:30. You’ll want to bring a gift for the gift exchange ranging from $5-10 in value. There will be plenty of finger foods, games, Christmas music and fun. Please put the date on your calendar and make plans to be there.
After the party there will be an “after-party” for Christmas caroling and looking at Christmas lights. Ken will fire up the people mover (for anybody who doesn’t like driving at dark) and there will be stops to visit some of our homebound members or shut ins.
Not only will you get to see some Christmas lights throughout the city of Abilene; you’ll also be able to minister to others by singing about the TRUE light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Disaster Relief Training
December 11th
Lastly, don’t forget about our Disaster Relief Training the morning of December 11th. It will make for a full day but it’s a wonderful opportunity to get credentialed to serve in the case of a disaster.
Part of being an Acts 1:8 Church is being there for people when disaster strikes. People are often most receptive to the Gospel when their world has been turned upside down.
As I mentioned in my previous updates, you can do the entire training online at your own leisure if you want.
If you’d prefer to be trained alongside others then we will have a group training in the morning (10:00-11:30am) followed by a “mud out” training after lunch (1:00-2:30pm)
This does not cost you anything but your time and effort. Disasters don’t strike every day. But, when they do, being able to help makes a tremendous difference.
Being qualified to serve doesn’t obligate you to go. It just gives you all of the tools and credentials so that you “can go” when God chooses to send you.
That’s it for this week’s update. Remember if there’s something you need communicated “church-wide” you can alway reply to this email with a description of the event and any other information that needs to be communicated.
For those of you who helped with the Thanksgiving Meal or Blessing Bags mentioned in last week’s update, thank you so much for everything. Last Sunday was a really special night and we had a great turn out. I’m also excited to see how the Blessing Bags will minister to our homeless population in Abilene.
With December coming in just a few days, it’s time to start highlighting our World Missions Offering and involvement in International Missions. For the past two weeks in a row we’ve had missionary partners visit our church and give updates on what’s going on throughout the rest of the world.
Our next update will have specific information on some of those updates as well as other ways we can partner together to be an Acts 1:8 Church.
Don’t forget, if you need a physical copy of the Advent book we still have plenty available in the church office.
If there’s anyway I can pray for you please let me know by replying to this email. I hope you have a great rest of your week!
