• How To Be An Enemy Sermon Series: The radical way of Jesus, of love and service for “the least of these,” is increasingly at odds with the direction of our culture and political climate. Truly following Jesus means we might seem like an ‘enemy’ to people who are caught up in what’s normal and easy in our culture. How do we live faithfully in this tension?

• MCUSA Convention Sign Up: A sign-up sheet for the MCUSA convention this summer is available on the church bulletin board. Any youth who would like to attend convention should sign up!

• Moving Help: The Hershberger family will be moving from their home in Cleveland to their new home in Bay Village on Saturday, March 8 at 10am. If you are interested in helping with the move, please reach out to either Lance or Monica for more information.

• MCC’s Great Winter Warm-Up: Help take the sting out of winter’s chill by joining MCC’s Great Winter Warm-Up!This winter, compassionate people like you are giving the gift of warm comforters to those in need around the world. Help MCC meet our goal to collect 7,000 comforters by the end of March. Sponsor a comforter, donate one (or a few!) or attend a comforter making event! It’s more than a warm blanket — it’s a message of love and compassion. Learn more at mcc.org/great-winter-warm-up

• Welcome, Chibuzo Petty!: Chibuzo N. Petty is a minister, organizer, and author living in Cleveland, Ohio with their wife and two daughters.

• Encounter Invitation: All are welcome to “Encounter,” a monthly gathering led by Ted Steiner and Anita Yoder. We meet at 7pm at First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights for a time of silence, singing, and sharing. We think it is very important to build community with one another, listening together for God’s loving voice. Please feel free to invite any neighbors or friends who might enjoy and benefit from our gathering. Upcoming dates are: January 26, March 2, March 30, April 27, June 1.

• MCUSA Convention Sign Up: A sign-up sheet for the MCUSA convention this summer is available on the church bulletin board. Any youth who would like to attend convention should sign up!

• Thank You from MCC: Greetings in the name of Christ. Thank you for your donation to Mennonite Central Committee which will be used to help those who are suffering around the world. The past year has seen conflicts intensify, wars threaten more people and weather disasters cause devastation around the planet. But your contributions of kits, canned meat and comforters have helped children cope with some of the challenges they face every day. Thank you. With gratitude for your generosity, Sarah Doerksen – MCC Great Lakes Material Resource Coordinator

• Peaceful Practices Curriculum: Join MCC for a free webinar exploring Peaceful Practices curriculum. Conflict is a normal part of life. It arises in our workplaces, in our churches and with our families. Peaceful Practices: A guide to healthy communication in conflict invites churchgoers to follow Jesus’ call to peacemaking through dialogue with each other. On Friday, January 31, from 9-11:30 am. EST, this webinar will introduce this curriculum and give examples of how it might benefit congregations. Learn more and register at mcc.org/peaceful-practices-webinar

• My Coins Count: Next Sunday, January 26 is our next My Coins Count collection. Bring your change, cash, or checks to help support the mission and ministries of the Mennonite Central Committee.

• MCUSA Convention Sign Up: A sign-up sheet for the MCUSA convention this summer is available on the church bulletin board. Any youth who would like to attend convention should sign up!

• MMN Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for the South American celebration of Anabaptism at 500, taking place in Cusco, Peru. Pray that during these five days of worship, learning and fellowship, Anabaptists will experience renewed inspiration to carry their rich spiritual legacy into current contexts.

• MCUSA News: Beginning on January 18, 2025 the Anabaptism at 500 Read-a-thon will be available to stream online and will conclude on January 21, 2025, with a live-streamed worship/celebration in Goshen, Indiana (USA) as we read together the final passage from Revelations and celebrate the launch of the Anabaptist Community Bible. Tune in to the MennoMedia (https://www.facebook.com/MennoMedia) & Anabaptism at 500: https://www.facebook.com/Anabaptismat500 Facebook pages to watch the livestream!

• Potluck and Church Life Meeting: Join us today after the worship service for a potluck lunch and Church Life Meeting. All are welcome!

• MLK, Jr. Shabbat Service: Congregation Mishkan Or has invited FMC to join them on Friday, January 17 at 6:00pm at the Jack and Lilyan Mandel Building in Beachwood for a prayer service uplifting Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence and its enduring call to create a just and equitable world. If you are interested in attending, please let Pastor Alvis know TODAY so that he can RSVP for the group tomorrow.

• MCUSA Convention Sign Up: A sign-up sheet for the MCUSA convention this summer is available on the church bulletin board. Any youth who would like to attend convention should sign up!

• MMN Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network praises God for the 29 SOOP volunteers serving in Arizona and Florida this month. Pray that these SOOPers will be a blessing to vulnerable populations, as they serve between two weeks and four months.

• MCUSA News: Beginning on January 18, 2025 the Anabaptism at 500 Read-a-thon will be available to stream online and will conclude on January 21, 2025, with a live-streamed worship/celebration in Goshen, Indiana (USA) as we read together the final passage from Revelations and celebrate the launch of the Anabaptist Community Bible. Tune in to the MennoMedia (https://www.facebook.com/MennoMedia) & Anabaptism at 500: https://www.facebook.com/Anabaptismat500 Facebook pages to watch the livestream!

• Church Life Meeting: Join us Sunday, January 12 after the worship service for a Church Life Meeting. During this meeting we will hold our official vote regarding our conference affiliation. If you are unable to attend this meeting but would still like to participate, please let Pastor Alvis know directly by Friday, January 10th, so he can record your vote. If you have any questions about the voting process or about conference affiliation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to him. 

• MMN Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for the Nigeria Mennonite Church and the Nigeria Anabaptist Peace Center, as they work for peaceful communities in their multi-cultural context, where Muslim-Christian relations are often challenging.

• MCUSA Convention: Registration for Mennonite Church USA’s Follow Jesus ’25 convention will open Jan. 6, 2025, for early-bird pricing. The denomination’s biennial faith formation gathering will take place at Koury Convention Center, in Greensboro, North Carolina, July 8-12, 2025. Learn more here: mennoniteusa.org/news/

• Sunday School Break: Sunday school classes are on pause until the New Year. Classes resume at 10:00am on Sunday, January 5.

• Missions Month Update: During Missions Month, our congregation raised a total of $2,720 for Mennonite Disaster Service. This amount was doubled by an anonymous donor and $5,440 was sent to MDS.

• Church Life Meeting: Join us Sunday, January 12 after the worship service for a Church Life Meeting. During this meeting we will hold our official vote regarding our conference affiliation. If you are unable to attend this meeting but would still like to participate, please let Pastor Alvis know directly by Friday, January 10th, so he can record your vote. If you have any questions about the voting process or about conference affiliation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to him. 

• MMN Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for Alfonsina and José Oyanguren, who are engaged in multiple ministries, including teaching and accompanying Toba-Qom communities in Argentina’s Chaco region. Pray that the Oyangurens will continue to be God’s agents for transformation and that our Toba-Qom brothers and sisters will be able to live ever more fully into God’s abundant life.

• Christmas Eve Service: Join us Tuesday, December 24 at 7:00pm for a Christmas Eve service at FMC.

• New Years Reflection Service: Sunday, December 29 will be our New Years reflection service. There will be readings and poetry to help us reflect on how God has been with us in the past year and orient us toward God’s presence in the year ahead. For the service, we encourage you to send poems, readings, and scriptures to Pastor Alvis. During the service, there will also be a time of blessing and attendees are encouraged to bring an item from home which will receive a blessing for the New Year. Objects will be provided for those who do not bring their own.

• No Sunday School 12-29: Please note that the Sunday school classes will not meet on Sunday, December 29. Classes will reconvene in the new year.

• Church Life Meeting: Join us Sunday, January 12 after the worship service for a Church Life Meeting. During this meeting we will hold our official vote regarding our conference affiliation.

• Encounter Invitation: All Friendship Mennonite attenders are invited to “Encounter” on Sunday, Dec. 15th at 7pm at First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights (parking is in the back). Encounter is a monthly gathering of prayer, singing, silence, and conversation. This intergenerational fellowship group welcomes Christians of all types, seekers, and other people of good will to build community with one another. Encounter is an effort to work against the fracturing of our world by creating a space of care and healing built around God’s love. See Anita or Ted with questions.

• Longest Night Service: Friday, Dec 20th at 7pm, FMC will host a joint longest night/Blue Christmas service together with Hope UMC and Southhaven UCC.

• Christmas Eve Service: Join us Tuesday, December 24 at 7:00pm for a Christmas Eve service at FMC.

• New Years Reflection Service: Sunday, December 29 will be our New Years reflection service. There will be readings and poetry to help us reflect on how God has been with us in the past year and orient us toward God’s presence in the year ahead. For the service, we encourage you to send poems, readings, and scriptures to Pastor Alvis. During the service, there will also be a time of blessing and attendees are encouraged to bring an item from home which will receive a blessing for the New Year. Objects will be provided for those who do not bring their own.

• No Sunday School 12-29: Please note that the Sunday school classes will not meet on Sunday, December 29. Classes will reconvene in the new year.

• Note from the Treasurer: November giving was $5,900 compared to budget of $8,300.  Year to date monthly average is $7,700 which isn’t too far off the budget.

• Cookie Crawl: Bedford, Ohio churches welcome you to come make new memories at the first ever Cookie Crawl! This event will take place on Sunday, December 15 from 2-4pm and is hosted by six different churches/service organizations in Bedford. Tickets are $10 (16 years+) and family tickets are $30. All proceeds from the event will go towards the local Meals on Wheels. Please see the flyer in the foyer for more information and for instructions on purchasing tickets.

• Longest Night Service: Friday, Dec 20th at 7pm, FMC will host a joint longest night/Blue Christmas service together with Hope UMC and Southhaven UCC.

• New Years Reflection Service: Sunday, December 29 will be our New Years reflection service. There will be readings and poetry to help us reflect on how God has been with us in the past year and orient us toward God’s presence in the year ahead. For the service, we encourage you to send poems, readings, and scriptures to Pastor Alvis. During the service, there will also be a time of blessing and attendees are encouraged to bring an item from home which will receive a blessing for the New Year. Objects will be provided for those who do not bring their own.

• Worship Nursery: Due to the holiday weekend, many of our nursery volunteers are out of town today, and the nursery is not staffed this morning. The nursery is open for any families who would like to utilize the space during the worship service.

• Cookie Crawl: Bedford, Ohio churches welcome you to come make new memories at the first ever Cookie Crawl! This event will take place on Sunday, December 15 from 2-4pm and is hosted by six different churches/service organizations in Bedford. Tickets are $10 (16 years+) and family tickets are $30. All proceeds from the event will go towards the local Meals on Wheels. Please see the flyer in the foyer for more information and for instructions on purchasing tickets.

• Longest Night Service: Friday, Dec 20th at 7pm, FMC will host a joint longest night/Blue Christmas service together with Hope UMC and Southhaven UCC.

• MCUSA: Join the Global Anabaptist Bible Read-a-thon! This is your opportunity to take part in a once-every-500-year moment of unity and faith! MennoMedia’s Anabaptism at 500 is collaborating with Mennonite World Conference in this extraordinary event as 500 voices will join together to read through the entire Bible – from Genesis to Revelation – in multiple languages. Register here: mennoniteusa.org/global-anabaptist-bible-read-a-thon

• MMN Prayer Request: Today, Mennonite Mission Network’s Anchorage (Alaska) Service Adventure unit is participating in a community performance of Handel’s Messiah. Pray for leader Samir Knego and participants Samuel Landis, Briana Nyveldt, Armando Perez and Aviva Setiawan as they worship and share the good news of Jesus’ birth, ministry and salvation offered to all people.