CHRISTMAS SCANDALS
Everyone loves a good, clean redemption story. The recovered athlete. The healed parent. The prodigal son. But if you’ve read the Bible, it’s pretty hard to find neat and tidy stories. Instead, you find scandals. Through Jesus, these scandalous stories become signposts to redemption. This is the power of Christmas. Could God do that work in your life?
WEEKLY GIVING STATISTICS
(Fiscal Year Began June 1, 2021)
Last Week Weekly Need YTD
$4,731 $3,558 ($2,592)
JOIN US FOR WORSHIP
IN PERSON OR ONLINE:
2149 84th Street SW Byron Center MI 49315
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24 AT 4pm or 5:30pm for two identical CHRISTMAS EVE services
VISIT centergr.com/live OR centergr.online.church.
INFO, UPDATES & OPPORTUNITIES:
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
We’d love for you and your family to join us at 4pm or 5:30pm.. or both??
Let’s raise a Hallelujah!
*Center Kids will throw their very own Christmas party for kids 1st grade and under during each (identical) service*
Please note:
On Sunday, 12.26.21 we will meet online only.
Please tune in online and celebrate with all four churches in the ZERO COLLECTIVE.
Don’t miss it!
CENTER STUDENTS CHRISTMAS PARTY, Wednesday 12.22.21 at 7pm!
Join Jon-Michael and his crew as they will celebrate Christmas with cookies and games, and reading of Scripture.
…Don’t forget to wear your Christmas sweaters :)
New to The Center Church?
Join us for our NEWCOMERS’ LUNCH after service on Sunday, January 16.
Please contact centergr.com/new for more details.
Looking forward to getting to know you!
‘WOMEN’S FITNESS CLASS AT THE CENTER’
Ladies, have you been thinking about trying a fitness class? Look no further-
Lori’s got you covered!
Join us Saturdays for
8:15am WERQ and/or 9:00am Weights, Cardio & Abs
at the church.
Questions? Contact office@centergr.com
Looking forward to see you in the new year!
‘CENTER GROUNDS- Coffee & Community’
Made you look? Join us for coffee and a chat at the church!
When: Thursday mornings 8:30am-10am
Where: The Center Church foyer
Ready to serve on a team?
No matter what your passions or gifts are, or where you are on your faith journey, we have plenty of
opportunities to connect you with others through our serving teams.
Check out centergr.com/serve for more info.
Small Groups:
Looking to get connected?
Additional groups have been forming!
Please check out our online resources and visit centergr.com/discipleship for updates.
Looking for resources to ‘dig deeper’?
Interested in leading a Bible study but not sure where to start, what to study?
We can help! Just contact office@centergr.com and we can introduce and connect you to RightNow Media.
Check it out- it’s well worth your time.
MINISTRIES:
CENTER STUDENTS MINISTRY
Join us for YOUTH GROUP on Wednesday evenings, 7-8:30pm!
Starting up again on Wednesday, January 5th.
Contact jon-michael@centergr.com for more details.
Interested in serving in our Center Students ministry?
Jon-Michael would love to hear from you!
CENTER KIDS MINISTRY
CENTER MOMS is meeting on Tuesdays (bi-weekly) from 6:30-8:00pm at
the church focusing on BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH LOCAL MOMS.
-Kids Care Provided-
Next meet-up: Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Look for other important updates in your inbox, Dani loves to keep everyone up to date on what’s happening in our Center Kids Ministry :)
Questions for Dani? Ready to serve? She’d love to connect with you at dani@centergr.com .
JOHN GORVEATTE II LEAD PASTOR
Key Passages:
Matthew 1 NIV
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Romans 10:9-10 NIV
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.