Advent

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Advent Meditations: Love (the fourth week of Advent)

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This week's Advent devotional from Practicing the Way reflects on the love we have been given in Jesus.

You can download a PDF of all of these devotionals and share them with your family, print them for yourself or save them to read on your phone.

Pastor Tracy

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Read

"Prepare the way for the LORD, make straight paths for him." Isaiah 40:3

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us." 1 John 4:10

"All who heard it were amazed." Luke 2:18

"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." John 1:18

From the filling of Elizabeth and Mary’s wombs, to the messages of peace and proclamation that came with them, Advent is about one crucial thing: God pursuing us. We are, every one of us, Elizabeth’s empty womb. Burdened by our tiny love, in the darkness, desperate for divine infilling. The gospel isn’t that an empty womb can bring itself into life, but that Life indeed brings itself to it. Or as the Apostle John eloquently puts it, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” (1 John 4v10)

God promises himself, gives himself, and finishes what he started. All he asks for in return is our yes. That’s what all our feeling, anticipating, listening, and pondering this month has been about, the preparation of our hearts for the magnificent inbreaking of Christ who is always moving toward us in deeper and deeper waves.

It’s in that spirit that Advent is as alive today as it was then. Because God’s love is continually being born in us as we learn day by day to receive him now in our souls just as humanity did then. We are now ourselves the inn, singing to our deepest places with carolers of history past, “Prepare him room!” as Christ himself stands knocking on the door, longing to come and be with us (Rev 3:19-20). This is the beginning of all communion, simply taking time to receive this kind of love into our minds, hearts, and bodies. It doesn’t happen by accident, but by intentionally turning toward this God, the one who goes to any length to have us and who thinks good thoughts about us long before we think about him.

Advent is about living that into our lives, then turning it toward the world, as God did. We discover this Advent love when we un-noise our lives, enter into the stillness of God’s peace, and practice the joy of living into a reality bigger than we can feel or understand. Then, this revolution of love and peace bursts out of us with nuclear light amidst the barrenness of our own communities and spaces of living.

In Christ, God’s pursuing love sows pursuing love in us. It’s because of this letting-in of Love into our darkness, and our hoping and trusting in his desire to finish what he started, that we can obliterate divine insecurity and truly receive and respond with the angels, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14) Hallelujah!

Reflect

Receiving God’s love isn’t ultimately an intellectual exercise, but an experiential one. This week, as we live into Christmas, consider taking five minutes a day to simply receive God’s love for you. The best time for this is in the morning, before you pick up your phone or begin your day. You might like to sit in a comfortable place with your palms facing up, and pray a simple prayer like ‘Father, I receive your love for me into my mind, my heart, and my body.’ Then, as your mind drifts here and there, repeat the prayer and allow it to soak you through. Remember that God says he is loving, patient, kind, gentle, and protecting; allow yourself to just receive that into your deepest place. You may feel something or you may not, that’s okay. The most important thing is making yourself available to receive. Allow God to do the rest.

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 @ 10am

WAITING FOR JESUS
Waiting for Love
Tracy Dunham

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Advent Meditations: Joy (the third week of Advent)

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This week's Advent devotional from Practicing the Way reflects on the joy we have been given in Jesus.

You can download a PDF of all of these devotionals and share them with your family, print them for yourself or save them to read on your phone.

Pastor Tracy

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Read Luke 1:26-38, 2:19

"I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way." Luke 7:27

"You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus." Luke 1:31

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

It’s not only for peace that the Spirit visits our listening, but for the promise. All this barrenness, anticipation, hope, and the word of peace in the story of Advent is drawing us toward one profound and cosmos-shaping revelation: Christ is arriving to us.

But it’s no small thing that he arrives himself as a seed, sown into the darkness of our lives, carried in the womb of humanity. God’s beatific vision is one that grows up in our midst, as ordinary and common as any of the rest of us. Christ is the same with you and I today.

We, too, are invited to hold Christ and his promises within us, gestating in the midst of our daily living as hidden miracles, anticipating their full birth in God’s timing. That’s the great beauty of Advent — God has come to us and is in our midst. Like Mary, we’re invited to “ponder these things in our hearts” as we carry the presence of Christ in each season and in every place of need. Because if we’re living listening lives, we’ll hear God saying to us in many little ways that we too will “conceive and give birth” (Luke 1v31). Through Scripture, a visit of God’s joy to the heart, a passing comment in a conversation with a friend, or through a line in a book or song, God speaks to our everyday needs and longings.

All these little messengers are meant to stir anticipation. To alert us and begin to open us up. Each one awakens us to a bigger picture, the expectation of change, the arriving presence within us of his love. And it’s through this practice of holding God’s promises within us, and living into them, that true spiritual joy springs up. Because joy is living in the delight of what God is going to do, as much as what he already is. It’s prophetic like that. That kind of joy, like God’s peace, is transcendent because it can live untouched by the taunts and terminalities of this world. It’s not based on what we experience today, but on who God is and what he has said he will do.

Be the biblical promises of Christ’s ultimate victory or his own personal word to us today, by calling them to memory and holding them within our hearts, we can more fully live in the joy that God is and will arrive to us. Yes, Christ is coming, but in Mary’s story we discover that he’s also already here. Sown in our midst, growing up within us, pouring out his peace and love.

Reflect

Reflecting on recent times, what little messengers has God sent to you that are a source of joy? Consider taking some time this week to ponder God’s promises, be they biblical or personal, and to “ponder them in your heart.” You might like to write them down, journal about them, or share them with a friend as a way of remembering.

You might like to sit with the scripture, “On that day you will realize ... I am in you” (John 14:20), and allow the joy of Christ’s presence in your very soul to fill your daily living.

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 @ 10am

WAITING FOR JESUS
Waiting for Joy
Tracy Dunham

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Advent Meditations: Peace (the second week of Advent)

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This week's Advent devotional from Practicing the Way reflects on the peace we have been given in Jesus.

You can download a PDF of all of these devotionals and share them with your family, print them for yourself or save them to read on your phone.

Pastor Tracy

PS - for you keen observer, the order of themes (hope, peace, joy, love) often changes from church to church. Our Advent series, "Waiting for Jesus" is using the order hope, love, joy, peace this year so they don't line up perfectly with these devotionals. If you noticed, good eye!

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Read Luke 1:7-25

"A voice of one calling in the wilderness." Luke 3:4

"Do not be afraid." Luke 1:13

"Do not be afraid ... you have found favor with God." Luke 1:30

There’s a quietness that comes to us when we take a moment to feel the barrenness in our lives. We discover our inner wilderness. A wilderness that, as it turns out, becomes the very womb of our hearing the voice of the Spirit.

That seems to be where Luke wants to take us in his advent story because he immediately moves us from Elizabeth’s barrenness to Zechariah’s encounter with the angel of God in the temple. It’s there during Zechariah’s time of burning incense — a type of prayer — that the angel visits him with good news. He’s alone, Zechariah’s attention is toward God, and finally, he’s quiet enough to listen to the voice calling in his wilderness.

Feeling our own barrenness does that, anticipation does that. It increases our faith, makes room for God to speak, sharpens our spiritual ears. Because God isn’t so interested in competing with the noise of our world. And it is noisy. Now more than ever, it’s possible to live from wake to sleep again without ever being quiet enough to feel the depths of us where God lives. We can become foreigners to ourselves, unwittingly crowding God out.

Like Zechariah, we need to turn toward our own inner temple, toward prayerful silence, solitude, and stillness, and not toward the quick satisfactions of our noisy world, that we might hear the Spirit speaking to our aches. And how does the voice of God arrive to us? The same way it did to Zechariah, with the word of peace; “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1v13).

When we un-noise our life and build the place of prayer within us, peace becomes a continual reality. We no longer live at the mercy of circumstance but can experience firsthand what Jesus meant when he said, “the kingdom of heaven is within you” (Luke 17v21), experiencing the peace that “transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

To anticipate the arriving Christ, we must make room, draw ourselves away, and listen. When we do, we inherit Advent peace, and as we’re about to see, it’s in this very place of prayerful listening that the seed of our promise is about to be planted within us.

Reflect

Sitting in the quiet and in your place of greatest need, take a minute to still yourself and invite the Spirit to speak a word of peace to you.

This week, consider holding Psalm 46v10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” in your heart. When anxiety, lowness, distraction, or fear beckon, recall the passage in your heart, creating an inner room for the King of Peace to dwell.

The angel of the Lord spoke to Zechariah when he was burning the incense, which is a biblical image for prayer. If you don’t already, try practicing moments of intentional silence, solitude, and stillness each day as a way of making yourself available to the voice of the Spirit to speak.

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 @ 10am

WAITING FOR JESUS
Waiting for Love
Tracy Dunham

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Advent Meditations: Hope

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The season of Advent begins on Sunday. It is a beautiful season of waiting, anticipating, and awakening. We reflect on how the Israelites waited for the Messiah and how we also wait for His second coming.

To pull our minds and hearts to the gift of the coming of Jesus, I will be sharing an Advent devotional or meditation each week from Practicing the Way. This week, we begin with reflecting on the hope we have been given in Jesus.

You can download a PDF of all of these devotionals and share them with your family, print them for yourself or save them to read on your phone.

Pastor Tracy

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Read Luke 1:5-7

"The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God." Mark 1:1

"Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive." Luke 1:6-7

Before every dawn, there is deep night. Between each breath, a quiet and trusting suspension. Before the earth drinks the rain, it travels in silence from the clouds that send it. Every good arrival is preceded by a waiting, a suspension, a liminal moment.

So it is with hope. It must begin with awakening. With a felt awareness of what isn’t and what can’t be. We only need hope when the moment seems bleak, when it looks as though life is unchangeable, on a path toward greater pain, grief, or loss.

That loss may be in the dreams we once had for ourselves or someone we’ve lost. It may be in the physical or mental healing we’ve been seeking without respite or the deep loneliness we feel. It may even be our sense of the absence of God, our inability to love him like we long to, our lack of spiritual vitality.

It’s important to feel all that. To truly know that neither we, nor this world, can fix ourselves. Because without an admission of our little or large terminalities, we’ll have no room for the miracle of hope.

Luke begins the story of Advent right here, with a barren woman named Elizabeth. He tells us she’s a true believer, righteous, blameless even, but lacking in what was likely her very greatest longing — a child. Luke wants us to remember that healing starts in our pain, in our darkness. But also that to live in the spirit of Advent is to anticipate God in the midst of it.

Hopelessness beckons the Miracle. Touching our longings honestly, and allowing ourselves to feel them, is the true beginning of hope. It necessitates it. In the midst of our great need arises the first in-breaking light of incredible news. Christ is soon arriving.

Reflect

What is your most vulnerable grief or hope this Advent season? If you like, take a moment to open this longing up to God and sit with him in it. You could journal your feelings, draw a picture that illustrates them, or sit in deep silence with the Spirit, feeling them and directing them toward the loving gaze of God.

This week, carry something with you that signifies your grief or hope. Holding it before God, beckoning the miracle.

THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3 @ 10am

WAITING FOR JESUS
Waiting for Hope
Erin Jamieson

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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A Season of... Christ (the fifth Sunday of Advent)

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This Sunday's Advent theme is Christ. It's all been leading to Him, pointing to Him. And this weekend, it continues to be about Him. We've been preparing in so many ways for this season and it's finally here - moments to pause and see Christ as a baby born in a manger, knowing what comes next for Him and what that's going to mean for the whole world... and for us.

On Saturday (Christmas Eve) at 4:00, we're gathering for our service. We'll have fun, sing carols, light candles and most importantly, hear the Christmas story.

On Christmas at 10:00, we're gathering again for our regular service, which is always special when Christmas lands on a Sunday.

And so, here is a little sneak peek at the song you'll hear during our candle lighting on Christmas Eve. The lyrics are beautiful...

“How do you mend a broken world?
Give it a gift it could never earn
Pour out a love that it don’t deserve
Send it a Son and a Saviour

How do you repay the gift of life?
What’s the return on a sacrifice?
’Cause silver and gold won’t suffice
So, I’m giving my heart as my reply”
— Silent Night (116 feat. Crystal Nicole)


Can't wait to celebrate with you this weekend,

Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

O (FAMILY) CHRISTMAS TREE
CHRISTMAS EVE @ 4PM
Restorer (Grandpa Jacob)
Tracy Dunham

CHRISTMAS MORNING @ 10AM
Received (Joseph)
Del Wells

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

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A Season of... Peace (the fourth Sunday of Advent)

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This Sunday's Advent theme is peace. The Bible Project's video about the word "peace" in scripture is, again, very helpful as we reflect on this season. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict. The Hebrew word "shalom" paints a picture of something that is complex being brought to completion, all the pieces coming together in wholeness. How beautiful.

Ephesians 2:14 says that Christ Himself is our peace. In fact, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be the very Prince of Peace. That's why the angels joined as a great company on the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem and praised God for the peace He would bring. (Luke 2:14)

Take a look at the linked video and pray to understand and receive the peace we've been given in Jesus.

Shalom,
Pastor Tracy

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On Sunday, our Freedom Kids have a special presentation during the service and afterward, plan to stay for lunch (food truck or bring your own picnic) and join in our Williamsburg Family Christmas event!

THIS SUNDAY

O (FAMILY) CHRISTMAS TREE
Remembered (Mary)
Tracy Dunham

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

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A Season of... Joy (the third Sunday of Advent)

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This Sunday's Advent theme is joy. The Bible Project's video about the word "joy" in scripture is so insightful. It shares why Christians can be known to be full of joy even in hardship or persecution, why the Apostle Paul can say that he's chosen joy, even if he's executed.

This joy isn't a happy feeling. It's powerful and it's a gift of the Spirit. It's available to us and growing in our lives when we cooperate with His work. (See Galatians 5:22-23!) And, it's where we'll focus for Advent this week.

Ultimately, Jesus is the source of and reason for our joy. So, it's no wonder that when the angels were announcing His birth to the shepherds they called it "good news that will cause great joy for all the people." (Luke 2:10)

Take a look at the linked video and prepare your heart for the joy of the season!

With joy,
Pastor Tracy

THIS SUNDAY

O (FAMILY) CHRISTMAS TREE
Royal (David)

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

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A Season of... Love (the second Sunday of Advent)

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This Sunday's Advent theme is love. It's always appropriate to set our focus on the love of God and how we are called to express it in our lives. Just think of the Greatest Commandment. In Matthew 22:37-39, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, he said: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"

We know that love is important and this Sunday, beautifully, we are gathering around the Communion table to remember Jesus' ultimate act of love for us... the reason that we can love others and fulfill Jesus' command. When we recognize the great love of God for us displayed on the cross, we can live in that kind of love in our families, our schools, our places of work and our neighbourhoods.

Take a moment to reflect on this week's Advent theme: love. The video below is helpful - take a few minutes to watch if you can.

I'm looking forward to journeying through the second Sunday of Advent with you!

See you then,
Pastor Tracy

PS - Make Freedom your home church in the YouVersion app for quick access to our Advent Reading plan that starts on Sunday! CLICK HERE or see the graphic below for instructions.

THIS SUNDAY

O (FAMILY) CHRISTMAS TREE
Rescuer (Rahab)
Erin Jamieson

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

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A Season of... Hope (welcome to Advent)

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Sunday marks the first day of the season of Advent. At the risk of repeating myself (because I say and/or write something about this every year), I want to invite you into this very special season by highlighting why we celebrate it.

Advent isn't simply the beginning of Christmas. In the Christian liturgical calendar, Christmas is Christmas! Well, actually, Christmas is 12 days, from December 25th until January 5th, leading to Epiphany on January 6th... but we'll talk about that during our New Year's Day service!

Advent is the season of anticipating the coming of Christ, preparing our hearts, making room, remembering the longing of the Jews as they waited for the Messiah and ultimately, identifying with that longing as we wait for Christ's return. How beautiful.

On Sunday our physical space will look different (here come the trees and lights!) and our services will include features about the themes of Advent: hope, love, joy, and peace. We will light a candle to remind us of these themes and on Christmas morning we will light the final candle representing Christ.

Take a look at the Bible Project's teaching on the biblical words for "hope", the first theme in the Advent season. Consider the hope you have in Christ and our great hope in His second coming.

Welcome to Advent.

See you on Sunday,
Pastor Tracy

PS - Make Freedom your home church in the YouVersion app for quick access to our Advent Reading plan that starts on Sunday! CLICK HERE or see the graphic below for instructions.

THIS SUNDAY

O (FAMILY) CHRISTMAS TREE
Redeemer (Tamar)
Tracy Dunham

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

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Advent | Christ (prayers and readings for the weeks of Christmas)

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And here we are, ready to celebrate Christmas, the Advent of Christ. The waiting is over and He has come. He is Immanuel, God with us.

Our plans for this week will all look a little different. We all celebrate with our own traditions and preferences. We might be making changes again this year as the pandemic continues to present challenges. But whatever you're doing, be intentional about gathering around the nativity story and the miracle of the coming of Christ because friends, it changed everything.

Here are a couple of ideas for you...

I'm so glad that we get to gather twice this week - Christmas Eve at 6pm and Sunday morning at 10am. What a beautiful season we're in.

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Tracy

PS - Take a look at our Christmas Eve page for all the information about our service, how to participate and how to invite someone to join you!

This Sunday

SEASON OF HOPE: Secure in the Future
When You See An End, He is the Beginning

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+YouTube Live)
9:00 - Kids Church Online (Freedom Kids FB Group)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Advent | Joy (prayers and readings for the weeks of Advent)

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And now, for the fourth Sunday of Advent. We have one more opportunity as we gather this weekend to bring our attention back to the longing and expectancy of the Jewish people as they waited for the Messiah (which reminds us how desperately we also need a Saviour). We have one more chance to let that point us to the coming of that very Messiah and the fulfillment of the promise that He really would come (which reminds us to be looking and waiting expectantly for His second coming). This is an incredible season and it's an honour to be able to observe this season with you all!

To help us celebrate, I've again provided a prayer and some readings (Old Testament, New Testament, Gospel and Psalm) that I have gone back to many times over the years and find helpful.

Advent Readings & Prayers: Week 4

As we did in our service last Sunday, we will pause to pray the prayer together, so I encourage you to read it over before Sunday.

This Sunday's Advent theme is joy and I'll be teaching from the end of Matthew 24 with the reminder that when we find ourselves waiting, He is faithful.

With joy,
Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

SEASON OF HOPE: Secure in the Future
When You See Waiting, He is Faithful

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+YouTube Live)
9:00 - Kids Church Online (Freedom Kids FB Group)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Advent | Peace (prayers and readings for the weeks of Advent)

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We are getting ready for the third Sunday of Advent and again, the chance to bring our attention back to the longing and expectancy of the Jewish people as they waited for the Messiah, which reminds us how desperately we also need a Saviour. It continues to point us to the coming of that very Messiah and the fulfillment of the promise that He really would come, which reminds us to be looking and waiting expectantly for His second coming. This is an incredible season.

To help us celebrate, I've again provided a prayer and some readings (Old Testament, New Testament, Gospel and Psalm) that I have gone back to many times over the years and find helpful.

Advent Readings & Prayers: Week 3

As we did in our service last Sunday, we will pause to pray the prayer together, so I encourage you to read it over before Sunday.

This Sunday's Advent theme is peace and I'll be teaching from Matthew 24 with the reminder that when we see chaos all around us, He is peace.

With Christ's perfect peace,
Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

SEASON OF HOPE: Secure in the Future
When You See Chaos, He is Peace

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+YouTube Live)
9:00 - Kids Church Online (Freedom Kids FB Group)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Advent | Love (prayers and readings for the weeks of Advent)

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Sunday marks the second Sunday of Advent and again, the chance to bring our attention back to the longing and expectancy of the Jewish people as they waited for the Messiah, which reminds us how desperately we also need a Saviour. It continues to point us to the coming of that very Messiah and the fulfillment of the promise that He really would come, which reminds us to be looking and waiting expectantly for His second coming. I trust you're enjoying the beauty of this season.

To help us celebrate, I've again provided a prayer and some readings (Old Testament, New Testament, Gospel and Psalm) that I have gone back to many times over the years and find helpful.

Advent Readings & Prayers: Week 2

As we did in our service last Sunday, we will pause to pray the prayer together, so I encourage you to read it over before Sunday.

This Sunday's Advent theme is love. How appropriate as we think about the motivation for the coming of Christ - at Christmas and again at His second coming. Let that rest in your heart this week!

In Christ's love,
Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

SEASON OF HOPE: Secure in the Future
When You See Darkness, He is Light

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+YouTube Live)
9:00 - Kids Church Online (Freedom Kids FB Group)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Christmas Encouragement (a reason for joy)

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I'm not sure I've ever done this before so I'm excited about what you're going to read next. Dave, who is a part of our Freedom family, posted in our Facebook Connecting Point Group after the service on Sunday and shared a vision he'd had and not just for himself but for the church. (I have to tell you, going back and reading posts and comments from Sunday is my favourite way to start my week!) Dave's vision was right in line with so many of the conversations I've been having over the past few weeks and really spoke to my heart so I'm sharing it with you in this format with his permission.

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Afternoon Church Family,

I had to write about a vision I had this morning in church and I think it was meant for more then just me today based on Pastor Tracy's word.

I came to church today feeling very alone in a crowd and I could see myself just going through the motions thinking that no one knew or had to know. It felt as if there was a spotlight on me, singling me out as the odd ball in the group. Not participating emotionally or spiritually - just standing alone, existing.

Today's message was about Joy. Joy, in the coming of Christ. Joy in the sacrifice that would be made for us and me. Joy, that the birth of Christ was about the end and not the beginning. Joy, that it was set in place before I knew I needed it or before I had to clean myself up to get it. Joy, that new has come for me and all those who call on Jesus...

That was when God cleared up the vision I had seen in my heart and head. The spotlight was not to show me that I am isolated from those around me, isolated and alone, alone and lost...but...that HE has isolated me in His eye's vision. He is looking right at me even though everything else is happening around me and I feel alone. Instead He is FOCUSING on me alone (and you in your place right now). He is LOVING right on me - alone from those around me. His love is not corporate when it is directed at me...it is FOR ME ALONE. BOOM!

Yes, I feel alone still, right now in the physical - the situation of the loneliness has not changed yet but... I am NOT alone, but instead, a focus of His attention. And with that came JOY. Oh, not the jump up and down because I just won one of the Sunday morning prizes, but a sense of His presence in that loneliness - a loneliness in Joy.

I think that wasn't just for me today and so I felt I needed to share. May the Holy Spirit of God lavish you with JOY of isolation today.

- Dave Hancock

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This touched my heart. He sees you. He knows you.

And, He is working through US to speak to the individual heart. How amazing is our God who teaches us to lay down our selves but also speaks to each one of us personally?

We are TOGETHER this Christmas because we are IN CHRIST. Indeed, there is so much reason for joy.

Would you invite someone to join you for our Christmas Eve service? It's all online so you won't break any by-laws! Just click the "Together at Christmas" graphic below.

Do you know someone who will be joining us for Christmas Eve and would like our Christmas Eve service package? We would be delighted to get one to them. Just let us know!

Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

THE GIFT
Gold (A King Like No Other)

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Together at Christmas (more Christmas at Freedom)

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It's happening! Our online Christmas Eve service is coming together and we're excited about the opportunity to not be limited by room capacity or registration forms but to be able to extend the invitation to hear the good news about Jesus this Christmas to absolutely everyone.

Here's your assignment for the week. Check out our website with all the details about our Christmas Eve service and decide who you can invite. There is even a simple inviter tool right there on the page. So easy!

But wait, there's more! If you are on our regular mailing list (as in, you get this email), we are working on a special package that we will deliver to you before Christmas Eve so that we can be as together as possible while we're apart this year. It has a lot of nice things in it but our favourite is that we're sending you candles that you can light with us during the service... the same ones we use when we're in person. Yeah!

If you are wondering if you really are on the list or if you've invited someone who would also like a package from us, just reply to this email and let us know. We're making a list... and checking it twice... we'll bring you a package no matter how naughty or nice you've been. :)

The Christmas Eve page on our website has lots of information, including what to do if you aren't on/don't like Facebook. Be sure to check it out!

Lastly, I'm asking that you'll pray with me that we'll have a Christmas with lots of impact for Jesus. Pray for Rob and our tech team that they will have much success in putting the service together. Pray that the Holy Spirit would begin to soften hearts to respond to the message of the gospel. Pray that you would have the courage to invite others and talk to other about Christ this whole season long.

It's going to be a very merry Christmas indeed!
Pastor Tracy

It's not too late... join us for our ADVENT READING PLAN on YOUVERSION.

This Sunday

THE GIFT
Myrrh (It’s Hard to Believe)

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Christmas At Freedom... And How You Can Participate (together at home!)

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Go ahead and watch the video above and here are all the links you need!

CHRISTMAS EVE: Watch our socials and your email for shareable invitations to our Facebook Live Service on Christmas Eve at 7:00pm. You don't need a Facebook account to watch. Just go to our page without logging in: CLICK HERE

ADVENT READING PLAN on YOUVERSION: CLICK HERE

Looking forward to celebrating with you,
Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

THE GIFT
Frankincense (No One Understands Me)

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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5th Sunday... Let's Celebrate the Church in 2020! (all the hope, love, joy and peace)

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I don't know about you but I'm happy to have some reasons to celebrate at the end of this year. I always love the Advent and Christmas season but I'm looking forward to understanding it even more and deepening my gratitude as we go through it together.

There are lots of great resources to help us understand this season. I've included one below that does a great job with teaching and with a great soundtrack. :)

So this Sunday, we're going to use our 5th Sunday service to celebrate some things as a church and get our hearts ready for the days ahead.

We're hoping to celebrate some baptisms, have some fun with new vs. old, celebrate our new normal, introduce you to our new Freedom Church campus, talk about the exciting opportunities to impact the world for Christ this Christmas and more.

On that note, I have a few action items for you this week:

  1. If you would still like to be baptized, I need to hear from you today. Just click the button below.

  2. If you have a question for one of our pastors, email it to question@freedomkw.com.

  3. Whether you're in person or online, get ready to participate. We have built the service to be fully interactive and we can't wait to hear from you!

  4. If you're watching the livestream and have an Advent wreath at home, wait and we will light the Hope candle together during the service.

Are you ready for 5th Sunday!? We are!

Looking forward to celebrating with you,
Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

THE NEW NORMAL
The New Pastor

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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A Question and An Invitation (#JesusIsNotARoleModel)

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We've been talking about inviting people to church and into conversations about faith this month a lot. Do you ever find it hard to know what to say about Christianity vs. other religions or just aren't sure what you believe about it? I was sent this video and immediately wanted to share it with all of you. I think you'll find it to be helpful for your personal faith and a good reminder of some important truths. But I hope you'll also be inspired by the simple challenge to ask questions, listen to others and share who Jesus really is and what He came to do. It's a worthwhile 15 minute investment.

Enjoy!
Pastor Tracy

YouVersion Bible Reading Plans for Advent

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This Sunday

God With Us
”Always”

Join us this Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy wraps up our Advent series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Jesus is the Reason for the Season (a way to focus on Him this Christmas)

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
— John 1:14

How's everyone doing? Are you loving the season? Will you be glad it's over?

I'm always working hard to fight the tendency to define Christmas by everything that has to get done. I know the season is about Jesus and I can easily find myself lamenting the pressures and costs that inevitably come in December. Certainly that's not the purpose or focus of Advent but alas, as I write this my inbox and social feeds are filling up with Black Friday deals.

In case you find your heart in this annual struggle as so many of us do, I simply want to offer one remedy that we've incorporated into our family this year. Nothing points us back to the 'reason for the season' like being in the scriptures, reading about the Word who became flesh and dwelled among us. If you haven't started already, here are a few reading plans from YouVersion for you to make a part of your days this month to keep your heart pointed toward the living Word. (see images below)

My prayer for my family and yours is that we will all draw closer to Jesus as we anticipate the celebration of His arrival.

See you on Sunday,
Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

God With Us
”In the Storm”

Join us this Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy continues in our Advent series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

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Christmas is a Time to... Invite! (and love, and give, and share, and...)

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One of the best things about this season is how much time we spend thinking about others. We think about gifts that people would like and what their favourite foods are. We think about the less fortunate and marginalized and look for ways to be generous. We think about people's schedules and coordinate times with friends and family that work best for everyone. We send notes and thank people for being in our lives and for what they've meant to us through the year. Christmas is an amazing season.

So while you're thinking about others, why not think about the most important way that you can impact someone's life this year? Introduce them to Jesus. Or, for those who know about Him but are far from Him, reintroduce them to Jesus.

There are so many ways you can do that, of course, but we've tried to make one of those ways as easy for you as possible... just invite them to one of our Christmas services! We are intentionally building these "Christmas in Williamsburg" events to be engaging and relatable and most of all, ensuring that we share Jesus with everyone in the room.

That's just the beginning, of course. Any guest that you bring to church will be most impacted by how you share your life and story with them afterward. But it would be our pleasure to help to set the stage and introduce your friends and family to the Light of the World, Immanuel, this Christmas.

Our big and fun Christmas service will be on Sunday, December 22nd during our regular service time at 10:00. Why? We want you to be able to invite people who already have standing traditions in their families and wouldn't be able to attend on Christmas Eve.

Our Christmas Eve service will be candlelit and centred on worship, as we gather our hearts up and get them prepared for Christmas Day.

Both are open to everyone, both will share the beautiful story of Jesus coming for us and both are a great opportunity to invite someone to church as a starting point for their life transformation story to begin (or continue!).

Oooo... I can't wait for Christmas! We have invitation cards available at the church and you can also click the button below so you can simply download the invitation and share it with the person you're thinking about this season or on your social media accounts.

In the meantime, see you on Sunday for another beautiful Advent service with guest speaker, Joanne Goodwin.

Pastor Tracy

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This Sunday

God With Us
”In the Wilderness”

Join us this Sunday at 10am as our guest speaker, Joanne Goodwin, brings the next message in our series and specifically share about mental health.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.