Our Wednesday Bible studies and classes have resumed. Come join us as we spend time in God’s Word and in fellowship. Classes begin at 6:00 p.m. and end at 6:50 p.m. and are for all ages (nursery provided too). Don’t forget to stay with us for a simple worship service with communion at 7 p.m.

Come join us on January 6 (Friday) at 7 p.m. for a special worship service to celebrate Epiphany.

What is Epiphany?

Epiphany means “to show” or “to make known” and is often called the Gentile Christmas because this is the celebration of when the Magi, who were Gentiles, came to worship Jesus. The Epiphany season continues until the day before Ash Wednesday. The color for most of the season of Epiphany is green. White is used on the Day of Epiphany, on the first Sunday after January 6 when we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, and on the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday when we celebrate the Festival of the Transfiguration.

The Church divides the year into different seasons that emphasize the life of Christ and the life of the Church. Beginning on Sunday, November 27th 2011, we will enter the season of the Church year called Advent. Advent is a four-week season of preparation and anticipation leading up to Christmas, on December 25th, 2011 and continuing to Epiphany January 6th, 2012.

The focus of Advent is two-fold. On the one hand, we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world as both God and man so that our sins might be forgiven. On the other hand, we anticipate the day when Jesus will return to Earth and bring an end to this world. Those will be scary days, but we can look forward to the end of the world with hope because through faith in Jesus, the end of this world will mean the beginning of a new life with Christ for eternity.

Advent, then, is a time for us to repent and believe. Knowing that Jesus was born to forgive our sins, we repent (admit our failures to God) and believe that we are forgiven because of the death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf. Also, knowing that Jesus is coming back, we repent and believe that when He returns, He will give us eternal life.