Christmas Celebrations at Birchman

The Music & Worship Ministry presented the 11th Annual Christmas at Birchman Celebrate the Savior twice on December 11th and once on December 12th & 13th.  After the four performances there were just over 5400 people who attended and 34 people came to know Christ as their Savior.  (Check out pictures from Christmas at Birchman 2010.)  Unfortunately, we chose not to attend the last performance at the last minute due to a busy week.  A decision we now regret.

Sunday evening, December 18th, was Christmas family night at Birchman.  (The following was previously written about in the last post.)  Our pastor & his wife, Dr. Bob & Mrs. Deborah Pearle, and our Minister of Worship/Music & his wife, Phillip and Angela Griffin, hosted all the children in attendance up on the platform.  They sang Christmas carols; Deborah Pearle read We Believe in Christmas By Karen Kingsbury; and Dr. Pearle closed with having the children help him build the manger scene while telling them about Jesus' birth.

On Christmas Eve our family attended the Christmas Eve Candlelight Lord's Supper, which was a completely silent service.  (Yes, silent.)  Once you entered the sanctuary you were asked not to speak, enter with a bowed head and reverent heart, and begin worship the moment that you were seated.   Not a word was spoken during the service.  Only the organ played and the order of service and scripture verses were printed on a bulletin. 

On Christmas morning Dr. Bob Pearle read the Christmas story from the gospels and as he read the children reenacted the Christmas nativity.  It was beautiful. 

Enjoying Birchman Baptist Church

Wes, Katherine, Sebastian and I are enjoying our Birchman church family.  The kids have made friends and are involved in Sunday school,  RA's (Royal Ambassadors) and GA's (Girls in Action).  Sebastian is learning the RA Pledge and once he's memorized it he'll earn his vest.  The first night he attended the class was building race cars.  An older boy (who turned out to be in Katherine's Sunday school class) helped Sebastian build his race car. Sebastian was so excited when I picked him up that night.  The next week his class raced their cars.  He won his first race and lost the second, but he had a great time.

Katherine is enjoying her GA class too.  In October they studied how God tells us to help the poor.  She learned about the ministry of a WorldCrafts^SM artisan group in Southeast Asia. Shel also discovered how she can make a difference through WorldCrafts.  Her GA class hosted a WorldCrafts party in December where ladies of the church were invited to come and learn about the WorldCrafts vision and purchase handcrafted, fair-trade products from artisans spanning the globe. The girls provided the snacks. 

Wes and I love our respective Sunday school classes too.  God has used the ladies in my class to teach me so much already.  God is convicting, challenging, growing, and molding me.  Some weeks it's hard to hear, but oh what a blessing when I receive it!

Last night was Christmas family night at Birchman and it was such a blessing to see our pastor & his wife, Dr. Bob & Mrs. Deborah Pearle, and our Minister of Worship/Music & his wife, Philip and Angela Griffin, host the children up on the platform where they sang Christmas carols; Deborah Pearle read We Believe in Christmas by Karen Kingsbury; and  Dr. Pearle closed with having the children help him build the manger scene while telling them about Jesus' birth.  It was evident that the Pearle's and Griffin's adored these children and once again gave me another reason to be thankful God brought us to Birchman.

Sebastian is the kid in the blue sitting in front of the monitor.  Katherine is sitting next to him, but you can't see her.  She's in front of the girl in the red.

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine; do Thou befriend us, Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us, Poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us, Grace to cleanse and powerr to free:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to Thee;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Early let us turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor, Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Savior, With Thy love our beings fill:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou has loved us, love us still;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Words: Dorothy A. Thrupp