Songs & Hymns // Pastor Ward Young
Sermon // Pastor Ryan Fullerton
I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. ¹⁴The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
When churches memorize Scripture together, the members deepen their dependency upon God’s Word, grow in Word-centered friendships, enrich their prayers for one another, and build unity that is essential to the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:13–16, Colossians 3:14). This is why, with the aid of Fighter Verses, a ministry of Truth:78, Immanuel is seeking to memorize Scripture together throughout 2024. The weekly memory verse is shared in the bulletin, the Immanuel Connect, and implemented into the Sunday School hour, with helpful resources available here, in the Immanuel app, and also in the bookstore (coming soon). May the Word of Christ dwell in us richly during 2024, that we may teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in our hearts to God (Col. 3:16).
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Once upon a time, it was expected for pastors to preach on four specific topics in the weeks leading up to Christmas: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. These days, those topics are hardly popular for the Christmas season—or any season, for that matter. Three are often dismissed as too dark, while one is seen as too distant. But their lack of popularity shouldn't surprise us. After all, we aren’t exactly living in the wisest of times. Ironically, one of the reasons our age seems so foolish is our refusal to think deeply about these weighty truths.
This December, as we celebrate Christmas, we’re going to retrace the old paths. Together, we will think deeply about death, judgment, heaven, and hell, and you’ll find that meditating on these "last things" ought not to be morbid or gloomy. In fact, when we confront the Bible's weightiest truths, we begin to see with clarity why the birth of Jesus truly makes Christmas merry! Join us and invite others this Christmas season.
Sunday Mornings // 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd at 10:15a
Christmas Eve Service // Tuesday, 24th at 5:00p
We'd love for you to come and help lead the saints in singing! All Immanuel members are welcome. Sight reading is not a requirement. Come, improve your vocal skills, learn a little music theory, and help lead worship through Immanuel's choir! Here are the upcoming dates for the Christmas season. Choir will lead worship on Sunday, Dec. 15th!
Rehearsals: Nov. 24th, Dec. 1st, and 8th. Rehearsal times are 12:00–1:30p after Sunday worship in the Foster Room. If you have any questions, email Pastor Ward Young at wyoung@immanuelky.org.
Last month, Breeze, our membership database service, introduced an SMS enrollment process to meet new wireless carrier requirements. As part of this update, you should have received a text message from 87447 asking you to opt in to our church's SMS notifications. To continue receiving important updates and reminders from Immanuel, please respond to the message with "Yes."
If you didn’t receive an opt-in text or would like to learn more about these compliance requirements, click here.
Mission Presentation & Potluck // Dec. 1stWant to know how we currently engage in missions as a church? If so, you are invited to a missions presentation on Sunday, December 1st from 12:15–1:30p in the Fellowship Hall. Pastor Andy will cover Immanuel’s current involvement in missions and the work of the Immanuel Network. RSVP is required, and seating is limited to the first 170 people. Please bring a dessert or salad to share. Pizza will be provided. Kids in attendance will be required to sit through the presentation. RSVP here.
Immanuel Women's Christmas Gift Exchange // Dec. 6thImmanuel Ladies // On Friday, December 6th at 6:00p, the Immanuel Women's Ministry will host our 2nd annual Christmas Gift Exchange! We'll sing, share our favorite Christmas goodies, and exchange gifts. A brief explanation of the gospel will be shared, so this will be an excellent event to invite unbelieving friends to!
Immanuel Kids Christmas Musical // Dec. 7thThe whole church is invited to join us on Saturday, December 7th, at 2:00p, for the third annual Immanuel Kid’s Christmas Musical! Mark your calendar.
Christmas Caroling with Refuge // Dec. 7thYou’re invited to come Christmas caroling with Immanuel, Refuge International, and other Refuge partner ministries from Saturday, 4:00–6:00p on Dec. 7th for Refuge's Blessing Day! We will gather at Auburndale Baptist Church (5590 Bruce Ave; Louisville, KY 40214) for a short orientation and then head to Beechmont Townhomes to go Christmas Caroling to refugees and immigrants. Interested? Sign up here!
Singles Ministry Christmas Party & Gift Exchange // Dec. 14thJoin us in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, December 14th at 7:00p for the Singles Annual Christmas Party. Please bring a present worth no more than $10 for a gift exchange and a sweet or savory snack to share.
IY Christmas Party // Dec. 15thImmanuel Youth // Save the date for a night of student-led IY Christmas festivities on Sunday, December 15th, 6:30–8:30p! More details coming soon!
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Mentorship
Immanuel partners with The Prisoner's Hope to provide biblical teaching/counseling for inmates through letter writing and other correspondence. We aim to foster character transformation for wise living under the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life. If you have a desire to learn more about living out the Great Commission by mentoring a prison inmate through The Prisoner’s Hope ministry, please contact William Mullins at wmullins644@students.sbts.edu.
Chaperoning
We are also looking for more men to join the team of chaperones for men who are members and/or visiting Immanuel who are on the Registered Sex Offender Registry. As a church, we are eager to warmly welcome any/all no matter their background, but we also labor to balance our warm welcome with commitments to protect the vulnerable. To volunteer to serve as a chaperone or to learn more about that ministry, please contact William Mullins at wmullins644@students.sbts.edu.
We have a special request for our sisters who use the nursing mothers' room. Praise the Lord for your sweet babies! We have outgrown our current space for nursing mothers and need your feedback as we reimagine a new location and accommodations for this space. Please take a moment to share your feedback here!
In our efforts to ensure that no need goes unmet among Immanuel's members (Acts 4:34), our deacons seek to connect short-term housing needs with members who are able to open their homes to meet those needs. If you have a room, a basement or garage apartment, or even just a couch that you are willing to offer up to a member who might find themselves in a housing crisis, please let our deacons know by filling out this form.
In the Immanuel Kids ministry, we partner with parents to pass on the kingdom to the next generation. We feed these little ones two things: truth and love.
From Come Ye Children by Charles Spurgeon: "The most mature and educated in the church are not too good or unsuited for this work. We must not think that because we have other services to do or gifts to share that we should not take an interest in this holy work. But in all kindness and according to our opportunities, we must stand ready to help the little ones and to cheer those whose chief calling is to minister to them. This message comes to all of us: Feed my lambs (John 21:15)."
Will you feed our littlest lambs the truth and love during our worship service? It is incredibly rewarding. And it is also hard work. Many hands lighten that load, which means…we need YOUR hands to contribute to this evangelistic work.
You would serve once in a 6-week period, 10:00a-11:55a. Please click here to fill out an application!
The Lord provides for the needs of his people and has appointed deacons in the church to help administer this provision so that there would not be a needy person among us at Immanuel. If you are aware of a need that the Lord might meet through the care of our deacons, please make our deacons aware of it through our Mercy Needs Form.
Thank you so much for your continued worship of our great God through your faithful giving. Because of your sacrificial giving, we have been able to continue fully supporting our missionaries, our ministries, and our staff. You are able to give online or in person. Giving boxes are located near the sanctuary exits.
Want a simple resource to help stay connected at Immanuel? Download the new Immanuel app here. While still currently a work in progress, expect to see future resources coming to the app that will integrate with Breeze to better serve our church body.
As we study our community we are seeking to identify the burdens, needs, and desires of our neighbors. The key to serving our community is to locate all available church assets and begin connecting them to these burdens and needs. As a church, God has equipped us with many gifts, talents, and resources to be used to serve one another, as well as, those around us. So, would you share the ways God has gifted you to serve? We would love to know! Please take a few minutes to fill out this gifts assessment form.
We are grateful to offer a nursing mothers' room located off the balcony on the 2nd floor. Furthermore, a cry room is available in the fellowship hall. Both locations offer the service streamed. For directions, view our building map by clicking the desired room above.
