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Christmas Eve Services: Please join us for one of three candlelight services on Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24th: 3:00pm, 4:30pm, and 6:00pm. Childcare will be available for children ages 5 and under.

Please note there are no morning services Sunday, December 24th. Additionally, there will be no services on Saturday, December 23rd, Monday, Christmas Day, December 25th, or Saturday, December 30th.

Urgent Childcare Request: The Nursery staff needs many helping hands during Christmas Eve services. As an outreach to the community, we want to have plenty of adults and older youth on hand to assist in providing great childcare. Please contact Kathy Seymour asap at kathy.seymour@mvccfrederick if you would like to help.

Advent Gift of Music: As we continue to celebrate the season of Advent, we are pleased to give you a special gift of music from our Worship Ministry. Please stop by the table in the lobby after services to pick up a copy of the CD "God With Us: Songs of Worship for Christmas." Click here to listen to the title song that we hope is a blessing to you as we reflect on God's love for us this holiday season.

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Pastor of Discipleship Candidate: Save the dates and plan to attend weekend services of December 9th & 10th to meet our Pastor of Discipleship candidate Kenny Kirby, his wife Bethany, and their family. There will also be a congregation meet and greet on Sunday, Dec. 10th from 6:00-7:15pm.

The Pastor of Discipleship position at MVCC involves two main components: direction and implementation of the discipleship process, and of the connection process.

The discipleship process includes all groups, teams, and events:
   -Groups are ongoing community groups that study God's word and care for one another (Home Groups, Triads, Bible studies, etc...).
   -Teams are ministry teams that serve together to build God's kingdom (Worship Team, Children's Ministry Team, First Impressions Team, etc...).
   -Events are those churchwide activities which encourage inclusion, community, or spiritual formation (such as Backstage, Baptism, Picnic, etc...).
The connection process includes all efforts to help people get connected to our church.
   -First Impressions includes parking attendants, greeters, connectors, coffee bar, ushers, and security teams.
   -Information Management includes gathering and maintaining contact information for guests, attenders, and members.
   -Follow Up includes Backstage, Discover MVCC, and efforts to help people stay connected.

    Pastor Kenny Kirby has been serving as an associate pastor at a church in Norfolk, VA, for 6-years. He is a graduate of Baptist Bible College with a Bachelor's in Bible and Dallas Theological Seminary with an MA in Christian/Church Leadership.

    Having interviewed Pastor Kenny, the search committee and Elders believe he has the calling, character, chemistry, and competence to adapt to our culture and context and help MVCC make fully devoted followers of Jesus. If approved, Pastor Kenny will work with Pastor Matt to slowly and intentionally take over the discipleship and connection process.

**Please note: At the present time we are tentatively planning to hold a congregational meeting on Sunday, December 17th, 6:00pm, to potentially vote on Pastor Kirby's candidacy.

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Christmas Gift Drive: Thank you for the enthusiastic and heartfelt response to the Urbana Food Bank's Annual Christmas Gift Drive. All of the gift tags have been taken, so now we ask that you simply turn in your gifts during weekend services through Sunday, December 17th. Gifts should be wrapped with the tag attached for the girl, boy, or family you chose. Tables will be set up in the upper lobby for this purpose. Questions? Please contact Sandy Sherman at sandy1sherman@aol.com or 301-253-4334.

Events Enlistment: MVCC is looking to build a "Help Team" of volunteers for church events. We need folks who  are or can be available during the work day to help pull off special events, such as classes, luncheons, funerals, etc. These typically happen with short notice. Work would involve moving and setting up tables, decorating, and serving during the event. If this interests you, please contact Jamie Shipley at jamie.shipley@mvccfrederick.com. 

Save the Date!: Emerge Christmas Party, Thursday, December 21st, 7:00pm in The Pit. Ages 18-25. Please bring a gift (new and wrapped) to participate in the White Elephant Gift Exchange. Food will be provided. Questions? Email ervin.liang@mvccfrederick.com.

Dive-In: Our 3-part series, "Who is God?" continues this weekend with another short video from Francis Chan, followed by additional study and discussion. This Sunday, the topic will be “Follow Jesus,” and December 17th we wrap up with the “Holy Spirit.”

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Sweetheart Banquet/Save The Date: Please mark your calendars for a Sweetheart Banquet on Friday, February 9th, 2018 at 7:00pm. Join other married couples at Morningside Inn for a night of fun, great food, and inspiration for your marriage. Registration and more details to come, after Christmas.

Photos Needed: At MVCC, we strive to be authentic, warm, and welcoming to everyone inside and outside our church. We want to be real, and you can help us on the visual side by sending us your family photos for use in MVCC's current and future social media materials. Just send your pics to kim.kruger@mvccfrederick.com

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Upcoming Events/Save These Dates!: 

--SOS Christmas Party: Sunday, Dec 17th, 6:00-8:30pm

--WOW Christmas Party: Wednesday, Dec 20th, 6:30-8:30pm

--SOS Ski Retreat: January 26-28

--Winterblast (Middle School winter retreat), February 9-11

Registration forms for both retreats are available outside The PIT. Click here to go to our Events web page for more information.

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Christmas FX: You are hereby invited to attend a Christmas Family Experience on Saturday, December 16th. There will be an early program from 9:30 to 10:30am, and a late program from 11:30am to 12:30pm. In between programs there will be light refreshments and fellowship, from 10:30am to 11:30am.

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New Bible Studies

“Twelve Women of the Bible – Life-Changing Stories For Women Today”. Tuesday mornings from 9:30-11:30am in the adult classroom. Meeting dates are: 1/16, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27, 3/13 and 3/27. Each session will include a short video followed by small group discussions. You will need to purchase a study guide titled, “Twelve Women of the Bible – Life-Changing Stories for Women Today” available on Amazon by clicking here. You will also need John MacArthur’s book, “Twelve Extraordinary Women – How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You.”  It is available at lifeway.com by clicking here. Both books are available new or used. Childcare is available. Please register by emailing: Rebekah.collogan@gmail.com.  Register by 1/9  to ensure childcare availability.

"1 Peter: A Living Hope in Christ" by Jen Wilkin. Beginning every Monday on January 22nd and continuing through March 19th, 6:30-8:30pm in the adult classroom. “Our inheritance through Christ is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. In 1 Peter, a man of faith and flaws and eyewitness to the life of Christ challenges us to look beyond our current circumstances to a future inheritance.” Email Coleen Trainor, coleen.trainor@mvccfrederick.com, to sign up. Please purchase your book prior to the study from Lifeway.com for $12.99 or amazon.com .

Weekly Prayer Group: Meets weekly, Tuesday mornings, from 9:00-10:00am in the Prayer & Comfort Room.  Please contact Jan Drass, jdrass2@comcast.net if you have questions. Child care is not available.

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Men's Bible Study: Come join the men of MVCC for our Friday morning Bible study, 6:30, in The PIT. For the next few weeks, we'll discuss some of the shortest books of the Bible, beginning this week with Jude. Please make time to read it before Friday (just 25-verses). Show up a little early and partake of coffee, donuts, and the "occasional breakfast burrito." Hope to see you there.

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Serving Opportunities: From helping victims of Hurricanes Harvey, to ministering orphans in Honduras, to bringing the Gospel and light construction skills to South Africa, there is a great need for members of our church community to serve during these upcoming Missions trips. Please click here to go to our web page to learn about missions trip opportunities and more.

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MOPS 2017-2018: The new MOPS season is underway,  exploring the theme “Free Indeed.” Spaces in the MOPS Kids program are filled, but moms can still join if childcare is not needed. If you have questions about registration, or you would like to have your name put on a waiting list, please email Rebekah Collogan at  rebekah.collogan@gmail.com. Click here to register online. For general questions about MOPS, please contact Lynn Jerore by email: l_jerore@comcast.net. On an additional note, for those of you who missed the June 25th Congregational Meeting, here is a link to Pastor Guy’s presentation about where MVCC currently stands with MOPS, and why we as a church have decided to “phase out” of MOPS over the next 12 months.

MOPS Volunteers: MOPS Volunteers are needed to care for babies and preschoolers one morning each month while moms attend MOPS (2nd Mondays, now through June, 9:15-11:15am). For more info, email Debbi Augustine at debbi.augustine@mvccfrederick.com.

Congregational Care: If you or someone you know is seeking counsel or assistance, please email the church office, office@mvccfrederick.com.

Prayer Requests: Here at MVCC, we welcome the opportunity to partner with you and lift up personal and community prayers..."They all joined together constantly in prayer..." Acts 1:14 (NIV)  If you have a need or know others in need of prayer, our prayer team awaits any requests you have. Please send to prayer@mvccfrederick.com.

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves...Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:10-13.

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