Attend Christmas Eve Service With Us!!

Merry Christmas To All Of You!!

I pray that you are well and that God's blessings are upon you during this season of giving and reflection. No doubt you may be looking for a place to go to church on Christmas Eve. Whether you attend with us regularly or have been away for a while, The Intersection Church is the right place to be on Christmas Eve!!

I would like to invite you to join my family and I at the Intersection @ 6pm at the Gettysburg Middle School for a brief but powerful time of music and scripture that will kick your Christmas festivities off right! For those that desire to give, there will be a special offering to help needy families in our area. Please come prepared to give and allow God's Blessings to flow in your life!

I can't wait to see you and your family on this special night. I KNOW it will be a powerful blessing that will prepare and empower you for this incredible holiday!

Merry Christmas!
jeremiah

The Reverse Christmas List

As children we are inadvertently trained to believe that Christmas is all about us. The scene below is one that most of us can identify with...

The Christmas Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtwVgOmPNPE

We create a Christmas list with all the stuff we want Santa to bring and as long as we don't do bad things, he will put them under our tree. This is our experience with Christmas lists as a child...

The problem is, some of us have never grown up.

Our Christmas list may not include a Red Ryder BB gun or Barbie doll.

Our grown up Christmas list looks like this:

* I hope Uncle Paul doesn't end up in drunken fight with Grandpa
* I want people to compliment me on my Christmas dinner spread
* I want to avoid a fight with my ex over the kids

We try so hard to get these things for ourselves because we know Santa doesn't have a dysfunctional family eraser in his bag for us. We try to be good and hope that this Christmas won't turn out like the dysfunctional or lonely one we had last year.

In the end, though, we wind up disappointed because our expectations and desires are something people rarely ever cooperate with. What we need to learn is that it is much easier and satisfying to create a reverse Christmas list.

Here's what I mean; What if our adult Christmas list included things like:

* I want to give my kids my undivided attention for a significant portion of Christmas Day
* I want to give my family a great meal that doesn't kill me in the process (No compliments necessary)
* I want another chance at forgiving Uncle Paul for ruining my Christmas year after year

What if you approached Christmas with these question...
What can I contribute to SOMEONE ELSE'S Christmas this year?
How can I make SOMEONE ELSE'S Christmas List happen?
Where am I being selfish in terms of my expectations for Christmas?

I will be teaching on a biblical approach to Christmas listing that exemplifies the love God showed for us in sending His Son as a cure for the ME Christmas! Join Cori and I at 10am at The Intersection to make this Christmas a satisfying and powerful holiday!!

Things To Pray About

Cori and I are so thankful for all the people who pray for us, our family and the ministry we have given our lives to. The Intersection family has some amazing opportunities on the horizon that need a lot of prayer covering right now. Would you fast and pray with me about the things that I want to mention below...




1. Impressions Of Christmas (Dec. 16, 17,18)
Please pray that all the details would come together and that everyone involved would be able to plug in and perform their tasks with excellence. Also pray that God would use this show to connect new folks to the life and power that comes from relationship with a Christ-centered church and new family over the Christmas season.
2. "Give It Away" Message Series (Starts this weekend)
Please pray that a spirit of true generosity would rest upon our congregation as we go into the Christmas season and beyond it so that we can make a difference in the world around us. We are going to be teaching giving, and a God-centered approach to our stuff that will equip us to live the blessed life.
3. Leadership transitions and promotions
There are some big changes coming to our leadership team as new faces step up to take new posts and take new territory as a result of our leadership blast this past Saturday. Pray that each new leader would be empowered to serve in the specific area they feel called to. Also, pray that Pastor Jerome and I can have the discernment to help these new leaders step up to their "serve spot". I am asking God to help everyone in our church find that one place at the Intersection where they can be connected to their purpose.
4. Christmas Eve Service
Please pray with us as plans come together for us to share a special experience on Christmas Eve. Please pray that we would be able to meet at the school and help us believe that many friends and family would come out and experience Christ on the only night many of them would ever come to church.
5. Prayer for Stronger Families
On a personal note, I have been asking God to make me a better father with His heart for my wife and children. I am asking for supernatural grace to be the best priest and protector for my family and my prayer is that other families would be drawn together in strength because our fathers are stepping into greater faith and consistency in their faith walk.

Exciting Christmas Show Opportunity!!

Hey guys!

Cori and I are getting ready to produce our 8th year of "Impressions of Christmas" but this year we need you! Many of you have been a part of our shows in the past and you KNOW what fun we have!

We are expanding our show this year and so we are looking for people who can sing, dance and act to help us make this year's Christmas show the best ever!! That's why you are getting this email. We know that you are creative and crazy enough to work with us AND want to know if you are down for making this year's Christmas show SPECTACULAR!!

Please respond to this email (yes or no) to let me know if you are interested in helping out with any (and all) aspects of producing this show.

We will be having our first organizational meeting on Oct. 9th @ 6pm which will be your chance to come and hear more about how you can get involved. All proceeds for this show will go to help build the new family shelter in Gettysburg and the Adams County Arts Council.

The show will run December 16, 17 and 18th and the location is yet to be determined, but will most likely end up being at either the Gettysburg Middle School (or High School) auditoriums if we can work out the details.

Please consider jumping into this thing with us as we bring the Christ of Christmas to Adams County!!

jeremiah

Two Pro-Life Opportunities (From Heidi Acker)

Hi guys........

Heidi Acker asked me to let you know about two very important ways you can show your support for the cause of unborn children and I'd love for the Intersection to be a part of both of them in a big way. First is a Pro-Life Ad with your signatures, and second is the Gettysburg Life Chain.

These two opportunities are happening over the next two weeks so please plan to take advantage of them if it is your heart to do so...

The Adams County Chapter of the Pennsylvanians for Human Life is sponsoring a two-page, pro-life ad to be published in the Gettysburg Times and Hanover Sun on Sat., Oct 29. The ad will be paid for by individual contributors at $3.00 per line. These names will be printed, with permission, on the ad. Please see Joyce Weaver this Sunday (Oct. 2nd) to sign up.

Gettysburg Life Chain will take place this Sunday, Oct. 2, from 2:30-3:30 at the Square and along streets in Gettysburg. Please join us as we peacefully demonstrate our stand against abortion by holding life-affirming signs and silently praying for protection for unborn children. Pro-Life signs will be available near Adams County National Bank on the Square. Please contact Marilyn Dietrick (334-8480) for more information.

Getting hitched?!?!

Thinking about getting married or know someone who is? I am pleased to report that there is a new pre-marriage class that is about to begin in the month of October. This class is being offered by my good friend, Pastor Marvin Stanley and his wife Mary starting Tuesday nights on Oct. 4th @ 6pm. This class (or one like it) is one of the few requirements to being married at The Intersection and would be an incredible opportunity for young couples to explore the idea of marriage God's way.

If you are interested in attending, you can just leave a comment and show up at the first class on October 4th! However, if you could also email Lana Orr at teacherorr@gmail.com and I to let us know that you are planning to attend, that would be great too!


jeremiah

IMPORTANT: Leadership Blast Weekend Info

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all ready for this weekend! It is going to be amazing! Although we have had many challenges in ironing out the details, I believe that Cori and I have been able to put together an amazing experience for everyone who decides to attend! Here are the details you need to know!

We will meet at 6pm @ Freedom Valley York Road in the Momentum room (2004-2006). Our plan is to meet briefly and then Cori and I want to take you out for an italian dinner. Come hungry and ready for a great time with the rest of our leadership team on Friday night!! We'll send you home with a great meal and lots of laughs.

We'll pick back up Saturday morning at 8:30am with some teaching, more fun and important training that will prepare us for the growth that God is going to give us over the next 12 months. You do not want to miss the morning session! Bring your notebooks, pencils and a laptop if you have one because we want to prepare you and equip you well as a leader in our church, communities and homes.

We also have one more trick up our sleeve at 1pm on Saturday so plan to have lunch on us and bring your appetite once again. This is surely going to be one of those weekends that we talk about for years to come, so plan to join us starting at 6pm this Friday at Freedom Valley York Road. We will hand out a more detailed itinerary on Friday night, but here is what you need for now.

Please respond to this email to let me know whether you plan to attend so that we can have the correct seating arrangements for dinner Friday night.

Dress is casual and comfortable.

Childcare is not being provided. Please make other arrangements if necessary.

Proposed Itinerary:
Friday
6pm- Meet at Freedom Valley York Road (Rm. 2004-6)
7:30- Dinner (Meet at restaurant)
9:00- Finish Meal
Saturday
8:30am- Meet at Freedom Valley York Road
12:30pm- Blast Ends
1:00pm- Special lunch surprise

Can't wait to be with you all!!