StoneBridge Church

FRIDAY: INCARNATION - how is His Hope being expressed through you?

o Ask the Holy Spirit to bring someone to mind who needs to know God's hope.
o Take time to pray for them.
o Is there something God is leading you to do for this person as an expression of His hope?

This year we will have four Christmas Eve Services- three Family Services at 1:30, 3:00 and 4:30 pm (these services will include a children’s message, worship, sermon and childcare for children birth through age four), and one Communion Service at 6:00 pm (worship, communion, and sermon with a more contemplative environment). We ask that everyone register for the service you plan to attend to ensure we have enough seating. We would love for you to join us for one of these services!

WEDNESDAY: FORMATION- how is God's Hope being formed in you?

Reflect:
God’s desire is that we become more and more like Jesus. Romans 12:2 says: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We want to take time and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where our beliefs and actions need to be transformed more into His likeness.

*Biblical hope is a confident expectation of a better future based on God’s character and promises. How is this different from how the world defines hope?
How is putting your hope in God different from hoping for something to happen?

*Ask God how he wants to transform your thoughts and actions around hope.
*Is there something you need to surrender to Him in order for Him to do that?

Pray:
God of hope, fill me with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

MONDAY: REVELATION- how is Jesus revealing the God of Hope to you?

Read:
*Lamentations 3: 21-24: But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, God’s mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in the Lord.”
*1 Peter 1:3- Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Reflect:
From the readings above:
• Why does the author of Lamentations have hope?
• Why does Peter have hope?
What is God revealing to you about Hope today?

Watch:
Bible Project Video on Hope: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/yakhal-hope/

Pray:
God, I confess I have often put my hope in things other than you. Please forgive me. Reveal your steadfast love to me and help me trust fully in you. Thank you that even during difficulties I can hope in you, knowing that you are working all things together for good.

As we celebrate Advent, we are reminded that we have a Savior who was willing to enter into our world and who came to our rescue. We want to live in light of His first coming and wait in hopeful expectation that He is coming again.

Each Sunday we’ll be focusing on one of the four words traditionally associated with the Advent candle for that week:
• Hope
• Peace
• Joy
• Love
Jesus is the Word made flesh who made His dwelling among us. As we focus on each of these words, we want to ask God to reveal that aspect of who He is, form those things in us, and help us to live them out.

We’ll be sending out and posting something each week to help us engage in these ways:

o MONDAYS: Revelation- how is Jesus revealing the God of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love to you?
o WEDNESDAYS: Formation- how is His Hope, Peace, Joy and Love being formed in you?
o FRIDAYS: Incarnation - how are these things being expressed through you?

Advent Week One: Hope

Coming up on Wednesday, December 6 we will have an outdoor event for the whole StoneBridge Family.

The Waffle House Food Truck will be here serving breakfast for dinner starting at 6:00 pm and we will have coffee, hot chocolate, fire pits, s’mores and games!
We will end the evening singing Christmas songs together in the sanctuary.

Cost is $5/person for dinner. Please bring a blanket or outdoor chair for you and your family. ***Sign up by December 3 if you plan to attend. Hope you can join us!***

Mission 1:27 is a ministry started by our very own Angie Smith to serve families in our community. They are hosting their annual Christmas Market on December 9 and would love your help making it special for the families. The Christmas Market is designed to provide low-income families the opportunity to shop for their children at greatly reduced prices. If you’d like to donate a gift, please do so by Dec. 1.

Learn more at their website: https://www.mission127.ngo/mission-127-christmas-market

We hope you’ll join us during the Season of Advent for some special events we’re hosting.

Please RSVP for the events you plan to attend. We especially want to make sure we have a seat for you at one of our four Christmas Eve services.

Merry Christmas Season!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! We’re wishing you a joyful day with those you love most.

Your StoneBridge family is grateful for you.🙏

We know that during the holiday season, many of you are looking for ways to serve and bless others for whom the holidays are a more challenging time for.

There are a variety of opportunities to both give and serve with several of our ministry partners that we wanted to highlight:

1️⃣Mission 1:27 is a ministry started by our own Angie Smith to serve families in our community. They are hosting their annual Christmas Market on Dec. 9 and would love your help making it special for the families. The Christmas Market is designed to provide low-income families the opportunity to shop for their children at greatly reduced prices.

2️⃣House of Cherith is a ministry serving women who are in recovery from trauma and addiction. Megan Loehrke, our worship intern, serves there regularly and will be hosting an outreach event on Saturday, December 16 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm to bless these women with love and gifts during the holiday season.

3️⃣One of our church plants, the Church at Dwell, is doing amazing work at the Dwell @ 750 apartment complex on Franklin Gateway. They are hosting a Christmas Festival on Saturday, December 9 from 12:00-2:30 pm and have invited us to join them in serving their community. There are a variety of ways you can help. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Learn more about these and other opportunities to serve at our website.

Galatians 6:11-18

We hope you'll join us THIS Friday night for our ENCOUNTER night of worship. Come expectant to encounter the Holy Spirit. Register at the link in our bio if you plan to attend. Childcare is available with registrations.

The Gobble Jog is not only a favorite Thanksgiving tradition- it is the biggest fundraiser for MUST Ministries each year. With a 10k race, 5k race or walk, and tot trot there is something for everyone in the family.

To register, visit their website and choose "create or join a team" and then search for the StoneBridge Church team when prompted. Use code SBC23 for a $5 discount on any race.

Galatians 6:1-10
What are you sowing?

Young adults in their 20s and 30s: You’re invited to join us THIS Thursday from 6 - 8 pm at StoneBridge for a special time of community and worship.

Tonight is the night!

Ladies, please join us on to worship, connect and hear from three StoneBridge women, Emily Hindes, Vanessa Chavez, and Jackie Smith, as they share what God has taught them about rest and what it looks like in their specific stage of life. Doors open at 6:45 pm, worship is at 7:00, and there will be time to connect on the deck at the end. Childcare is available if needed. Please register at the events link in our bio.

Join us on Sundays November 5 & 12 from 11:15 am -12:25 pm at StoneBridge to learn more about the Foundations of our church. We will cover our history, vision, and core values as well as ways you can get more connected at the church. Questions? Contact Matt Nelson at [email protected]. Register at the events page on our website or at the events link in our bio.

Galatians 5:13-26
We've been set free from sin and the law. In that freedom, we want to freely love others and follow the Spirit

Join us for these upcoming events in November at StoneBridge. Register at the Church Center app or at the link in our bio.

Galatians 5:1-12
Faith, Works and Love

Highlands Marietta was planted out of StoneBridge in 2019 and they have been serving and impacting our community in many ways since they began.

They are hosting a "fun-raising" night tonight with all proceeds going towards local missions.
They wanted to share their silent auction items with us (feel free to share with your friends as well) and bidding is now open.
Use the link below to place your bid and help support the work they are doing as a church:
https://app.galabid.com/highlandsauction/items

It’s not too late to sign your kids up for SB Kids Camping Day, Saturday, November 4 from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm. We’d love to have your child join us for hiking, crafts, s’mores, kayaking, and other outdoor fun.

Cost is $25 per child, with a cap of $75 per family. The registration fee includes transportation, camp fees, food and activities. However, we do not want cost to be an issue for anyone. If you need a scholarship, or would like to offer a scholarship for another camper, please contact Emily Massi at [email protected].

Note: SB Kids is also opening registration up to any kids in our preschool class as well, but any 4K kids who come must be accompanied by a parent the whole day. Contact Emily Massi with any questions.

Trail Life USA is a Christ-Centered mentoring and discipleship journey for young men. Established on timeless values derived from the Bible and set in the context of outdoor adventure, guys from Kindergarten through 12th grade are engaged in a Troop setting led by male mentors where they are challenged to grow in character, understand their purpose, serve their community, and develop practical leadership skills to carry out the mission for which they were created. There will be an informational meeting on Monday, October 23 from 6:00-7:00 at StoneBridge for a Troop being started by a group of StoneBridge dads. Find out more at the link on our blog post.

Our hope throughout this year is that we will each grow in confidence in God’s character and His actions. One way to do that is by reading and knowing His Word. Click the link in our bio to access several Bible reading plans to explore. If you’ve been reading through the Bible this year and have a testimony to share, please reach out to our adult ministry pastors, [email protected] or [email protected].