Dear Friends:

Advent is approaching quickly. We will celebrate the "Hanging of the Greens" this year on Sunday, November 24th at noon, a few days before Thanksgiving and, then, the race is on!

Sunday, December 1st is the first Sunday in Advent.

Our theme for Advent this year is "Friends in Low Places," and I invite you to join me in two endeavors in this precious season of waiting for the Messiah.  The first is a new four-part study which will kick off on Tuesday, November 26th at 7:00 p.m., here at the church. The study will parallel the series of Advent sermons, with the theme, "Friends in Low Places." Sessions will introduce the concepts and characters of the sermons for the Sundays to follow:

- November 26: Blame it All on My Roots!
- December 3: Ruined Your Black Tie Affair!
- December 10: The Last One You Thought You'd See There!
- December 17: The Surprise, and the Fear in His Eyes!

The resource we will share for this study is the wonderful new devotional by John Pavlovitz, titled, "Low." it is this devotional that inspires the Advent theme and the sermon series, and I hope that it inspires you to dig deeper and to find Jesus and His unending love in the low places of the life that surrounds us.

The second endeavor is for those who cannot, or who choose not, to participate in the study. It is, simply, to engage this devotional on a daily basis throughout the season of Advent. "Low" is set forth for daily reading and meditation, and I know that reading it and spending a bit of time each day will help you to see and understand God's incarnation on earth in a new and refreshing -- and reassuring -- light.

Currently, we have thirty copies of "Low" available, and we will order more as needed. The church has purchased these for $5.99 each. We ask that you take one and, if you are able, place an additional $6.00 in the offering sometime soon to cover the cost. If this cost is a hardship, please take a copy and participate as our guest.

I am sure you will find one, or both, of these endeavors enriching and rewarding. I wish you the happiest and most fulfilling Advent season of a lifetime.

Peace,

Andy