‍UNIVERSAL FUN

O COME, ALL YE HUNGRY…🎶 It’s our last Family Meal of 2025—and we’re closing it out with a holiday menu: Boneless pork loin, roasted potatoes, Lorraine TeLindert’s glazed carrots, Sally Mentink’s famous Russian Cream, Vegetarian Corn Chowder, Fresh rolls and of course… Ugly Sweater Dessert. As always, it’s not just about eating together.  These meals are one of the simplest ways we get to slow down, connect, and enjoy the kind of community God keeps inviting us into—good food, good conversations, and being together. RSVP Today. You know how … at the Welcome Center, on FRC’s website or click HERE.

SING WE NOW OF CHRISTMAS! 🎶If you love singing the songs of Christmas but can’t commit to a full choir schedule, we’d still love to have you! Join us for just 15 minutes a week—from 7:30 to 7:45 PM—as we prepare beautiful music for the season. It’s a simple way to lift your voice, share the joy of Christmas, and be part of something meaningful.🎶

🍞🥣 HELP MAKE DECEMBER SPECIAL FOR OUR FOOD VAULT FAMILIES!
Thanks to your incredible generosity after last week’s announcement, we’ve already received nearly one-third of the donations we’re hoping to achieve for December’s Food Vault families. What a blessing. If you’d be willing to check out the full list of needed items HERE and consider helping, we’d be so thankful. We’re also hopeful to add the extra staples of cereal, peanut butter and cans of beef stew to the donation barrel in the coat room! 

KID APPROVED

Our Children’s Christmas Service is almost here (Dec 14 at 9 AM), and we can’t wait to see our young ones shining bright for Jesus! 🌟Parents, please check your inbox—an email went out last week with all the details including practice times, scripture pieces &songs. Practice at home is greatly appreciated! We look forward to coming together as a church family to celebrate the Savior who came to ILLUMINATE HEARTS with His everlasting love.♥️

Fifth Grade Parents–Be sure to check your email for all the merry details about our December High Five Event  on Dec 12 - a joyful trip to Making Spirits Bright and supper at Culver’s! Don’t miss out on this sparkling night of Christmas lights, laughter, and fun!

AARP APPROVED

🔔JINGLE ALL THE WAY… TO MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT! If you’re retired or semi-retired, join us for a fun Christmas outing on Thursday, Dec. 4! We’re taking the bus to see the Making Spirits Bright light display — and your FRC Staff hosts will make the ride just as enjoyable with Christmas snacks, games, and a little friendly trivia along the way. It’s an easy, festive way to celebrate the season together. Sign up HERE or stop by the Welcome Center to secure a seat. We’d love to have you along!

HELP WANTED

❄️WANTED: Friendly Faces for Frosty Mornings - When winter shows up on a SATURDAY NIGHT, we just need a few friendly folks to show up to help us clear and salt the entrances on Sunday morning! Join our on-call Sunday Snow Crew—a small team that makes a big difference. If it snows overnight, come at 7:30 AM, clear the entrances, toss a little salt, and you’re done before most people even find their mittens. Most Sundays? You’ll just enjoy your coffee as usual!  To make it really easy, we are just asking for a one month commitment and we’ll even send you a reminder if the overnight forecast looks bleak. 👉 Sign up HERE or at the Welcome Center and help us keep the path clear!

📢SOUNDBITES   

🙏Our Thanksgiving worship service will be held at 9 AM, and in keeping with tradition, we’ll be opening the MICROPHONE for anyone who feels led to share a word of gratitude from the heart. Offering is for the Food Vault.

The Food Vault reached 35 families this past week. Each family received multiple boxes of food including the turkey breasts you all donated! The Deacons also added a special contribution to help in this special time of need.

We extend our Christian sympathies to Dale and Mary Roerdink on the passing of their son-in-law Joel Boersma (Angie’s husband) who passed away very unexpectedly on Nov. 8.

Harley & Jeanne HIlbelink’s new address is: Cedar Grove Gardens, Building 1 at 606 Van Altena Ave., Cedar Grove, WI 53013. Jeanne in room 7 and Harley in 14. Their phone number is (920) 668-5097.

The Eernisse Circle Christmas Party will take place on Dec. 9 in the Sunroom at the Oostburg Pine Haven Campus, starting at noon. A love offering will be received. 

🧑‍🎓And hot off the presses from Western Theological Seminary: Thank you, Consistory team and congregation of First Reformed Church.  Your faithful partnership for 41 years means so much to us. This fall we have 431 students seeking to further their theological training in a variety of ways.  Our new Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is in its second year, and the Peterson Center is providing opportunities for pastors and lay leaders to renew and refresh. To God be the glory!

✅Attendance last week was 386 and the offering $20,760.  The Special Offering–for the Words of Hope Persian ministry is at $923 month-to-date.

Thank You from Spain! We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for dedicating two months of missions giving to support the ministry here in Spain. Your generosity and faithful prayers are a tremendous encouragement to us as we share the hope of the gospel in a place where many have yet to hear it. God is at work — opening doors for meaningful conversations, deepening relationships, and drawing people to Himself. We’re so grateful to be partnered with you in this mission. Thank you for standing with us through your giving and your prayers. Together, we are helping make Christ known in Spain! With gratitude and joy, Kelsey & Josué Corpas–World Team Spain