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
This December, the Immanuel Christmas Missions Offering will allow us to support our missionary units with a special gift, the missional work of the Immanuel Network, and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. As we generously give during December, let us remember that our commitment to our sent-out ones and global missions is partnering to bring glory to God and spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus among the nations.
You can give to the Immanuel Christmas Offering here!
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.
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! Please bring your favorite Christmas treats to share.
Cross Con // Jan. 2nd–4th
D3 Youth Conference // March 7th–8thImmanuel Youth (8th–12th Grade) // Join Immanuel Youth for D3 Youth Conference! In a world filled with conflicting messages and shifting values, it can be challenging to find a stable foundation. This year, the D3 Youth Conference will seek to provide clear, Scripture-based answers to help students stand firm in their faith. Through insightful teaching, we will explore how to address the complexities of today's culture without losing sight of the truths found in Scripture. Join us March 7-8, 2025 in Louisville, KY, on the campus of Boyce College as we seek to grow in our understanding and application of God’s Word. The early bird rate is $45 and ends on Jan 3rd. If financial assistance is needed, reach out to Cody Farthing at cfarthing@immanuelky.org. Register here!
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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.
