Week of Sunday, December 15th, 2019

In this week’s Update you will find information on the following (more details on each of these below):

  1. Advent & Christmas Season Schedule
  2. “Holy Land Tour” Info. Session
  3. Youth Group Events
  4. Women’s Retreat
  5. New Discipleship Hour Classes
  6. Diocesan Retreat

Advent & Christmas Season Schedule

  • “The Longest Night” Service – Saturday, December 21st, 7:00pm
  • Christmas Eve Service  – Tuesday, December 24th, 4:45pm (decorating the Christmas tree) and 5:00pm (service begins). We will be having a special service with members of The Mission Church joining us for the worship service!
  • Christmas Day Service – Wednesday, December 25th, 9:00am
  • First Sunday of Christmas: Lessons and Carols: Sunday, December 29th, 10:15am (no Discipleship Hour)

“Holy Land Tour” Info. Session

Fr. Brian and Janis Campbell are organizing a trip to Israel in 2021 to tour the “Holy Land”! If anyone interested in learning more about the trip, there will be an informational meeting this Sunday, December 15th at the Campbell’s house (7324 Elvin Court, Norfolk). The meeting will be right after the worship service, over a light lunch. Please email Janis at janiscampbell58@gmail.com by Friday if you plan to attend.

Youth Group Events

Save the date for the following youth events:

  • Youth Social this Saturday, December 14th2pm – 5pm. It will be a fun night of ice skating at MacArthur and then cookie decorating at the church! All youth in grades 5th-12th and their friends are invited and encouraged to attend. Parents, please respond to the Evite if you haven’t already.
  • New Year’s Eve Bash with The Mission Church on January 5th. More details to come soon!

Women’s Retreat

All women are invited to CtR’s Annual Women’s Retreat on February 21st – February 23rd, 2020, at Chanco at the James Retreat Center! The registration form and $60 deposit are due this Sunday, December 15th, and can be placed in the offering basket. The registration form is found in the Women’s Retreat brochures located at the Welcome Table and the Usher’s stand.

New Discipleship Hour Classes

Beginning on January 5th, the following Discipleship Hour classes will be offered at 9:00am, for the 8 weeks leading up to Lent:

Track 1. Anglican Ethos – led by Fr. Brian Campbell. This class is for anyone interested in exploring membership at Christ the Redeemer!

Track 2. “What Did You Expect?” Marriage Class – led by Janis Campbell & Matt and Jill Branch.  They are leading a marriage class by Paul Tripp called, “What Did You Expect?” (Redeeming the Realities of Marriage).  There will be a 20 minute video followed by discussion.  Participants are welcome to purchase the book on Amazon (but not required). There will be six commitments made in the class; the first being:  “We will give ourselves to a regular lifestyle of confession and forgiveness.”

Track 3. Jesus on Every Page: Reading the Old Testament with the Church Fathers – led by A.J. Nolte. For the earliest Christians, the Old Testament wasn’t seen as an impediment to knowing Christ, but rather as proof of His divine, redemptive presence in history. This class will delve into the methods by which the church fathers read the Old Testament, preparing both their hearts and minds to find Jesus on every page.

If you are interested in attending one of these classes, please sign up HERE ,  or on the sign-up sheet located on the whiteboard in Fellowship Hall. Thank you!

Diocesan Retreat

Everyone is invited to attend the Diocese of Christ Our Hope’s upcoming Regional Retreat! Our church is in the Southeast region of the Diocese, which means that the retreat will be on February 13-15. For more information and to register, click here.


“O Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient toward the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world, we may be found a people acceptable in your sight; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign one God, now and for ever. Amen.

– Collect for The Third Sunday in Advent (BCP 2019, p. 599)