2023 into 2024

Hi GCN Family,

As 2023 comes to a close and 2024 inches closer, I’d like to invite us into a couple simple practices:

• Take a moment to recall your gratitude for 2023. You might event want to journal it. Gratitude is not the same as ignoring things that are not perfect. Rather, gratitude is a posture of the heart. It’s a posture of receiving the grace of God. Also, gratitude combats complaining, cynicism, and complacency. For what are you grateful?
• Decide on a bible-reading plan for 2024. The goal is not simply to get into God’s Word. The goal is to get God’s Word into us. If you don’t already have a plan for 2024, I recommend downloading a plan from the YouVersion App, or follow the Daily Lectionary Readings each day (this is the one I’ll be following). NOTE: All of our preaching series between January 7 – Pentecost (May 19th) will be following our Lectionary passages.
• Make listening for God a priority in 2024. The passage of scripture that seems to be forming into a potential verse of the year for 2024 for me is this one: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:9-10) I am convinced that, in 2024, God wants to mobilize GCN even more deeply for God’s mission right where we’re located. However, historically, God’s mobilization for His mission is bathed in humility and prayer by His people (that’s us!). So, we say, “Speak, Lord, your servants are listening.”

A few more things:

• What a wonderful time together last Sunday, Christmas Eve, both in the morning and the evening services. A big thanks to our worship leaders for putting in extra time, to our tech crew for the heavy lifting, and to our First Impressions Team for set-up beforehand and serving at the Experience afterwards. What an added joy to be able to pet a sheep and a baby calf!
• It’s not too late to give towards our Christmas Eve Offering, or to give generally to the Mission of God through GCN in 2023. Click here to access our giving site and select the desired fund from that drop-down menu.
• Young Adult Retreat, happening now! We have about a dozen GCN-ers up at our district Young Adult Retreat right now. Join me in praying for our college aged/young adults today!
• Worshiping together tomorrow @ 10:30am . Looking forward to joining with you in worshiping King Jesus together on the last day of 2023, and the First Sunday after Christmas. Pastor Karen will be bringing the message tomorrow from John 1.

Much Love,

Pastor Brian