THE NEXT EIGHT WEEKS: Beginning on January 22nd we will study together the Tangible Kingdom Primer   We will discover and wrestle with many of the principles of Incarnational Community.   The Primer is about building life-long habits, with two primary purposes: first as a formation tool to prepare your heart for mission, and second as a field guide for starting mission together. So whether you’re a pastor hoping to reinvigorate your church, a planter needing to get your people on the same page, a small group leader wanting to push your friends into mission, or a regular guy (or gal) looking to start something new… get started with this eight-week guide to Incarnational community.  An expert from the book…” It’s the best context for our spiritual growth.  It will provide the most natural way to enlarge the Gospel picture for your friends who are seeking God right now.   This doesn’t just happen on its own.  So we’re going to provide an initial pathway that will help you and your community deal with the inner-life challenges to mission, as well as some intentional activities and reflections that we have found helpful for us.  To do this you’ll notice that the primer is set up in a daly format for each person to complete individually.”

For a Video Preview of the Tangible Kingdom Primer visit  http://missio.us/home

This Sunday’s Gathering…For a time of Community & Communion!

Two Times, One Location!

This Sunday you can choose to gather on Sunday Morning or Evening.

Location: We will be meeting at the Morici’s, 15 Cedar St. Barnegat

Times:
Sunday Morning at 10am with Coffee & Bagels to be served.
or
Sunday Evening at 5:30pm for Pizza & Ale

Please RSVP as to which time you will be gathering with us.
We are looking forward to being together and being with Our Lord & Savior!

“All right the, the Lord himself will give you the sign.  Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means God is with us)”
Isaiah 7:14

SUNDAY’S MEETING

New Time & Location: This Sunday we will be gathering at the Morici’s for Dinner, Sharing & Prayer.
Time: 5:30.  
Where: 15 Cedar St. Barnegat.
This will be a ‘Potluck’dinner.  Please bring something to contribute to the meal. 
RSVP with what you’re bringing.
Some Ideas: Salad, Tray of Pasta, Pizza, KFC, Something in a Crock Pot or whetever your hungry for!

Christmas Reading Plans

If you haven’t signed up for one already, try refocusing your mind on the true meaning of Christmas with one of YouVersion’s special Advent Reading Plans. You still have time to complete one of these great topical or devotional plans between now and Christmas:

1. Countdown to Christmas 29 days
   A fun Advent activity calendar to teach your whole family the significance of Christmas
2. Christmas Begins with Christ 28 days
   Devotional focusing on the joy, peace, and hope surrounding Jesus’ birth
3. Rediscovering the Christmas Season 25 days
   Scriptures and reflections that will help you center each day on Christ
4. Carols: A Christmas Devotional 25 days
   Devotional revealing the biblical roots of classical Christmas songs
5. The Christmas Story 5 days
   Biblical prophetic context and historical Gospel accounts of the Savior’s birth

Of course, YouVersion.com and the Bible App now have many other Reading Plans—more than 200, in fact, including many in different languages. Look for the next one that’s just right for you!

As we enter the Christmas Season, I am mindful of the challenges that faced those who were called to be Jesus bearers into the world.  Mary bore Jesus as a virgin and was asked to take on an incredible challenge that was sure to leave her misunderstood, ridiculed and embarrassed.  Joseph was asked to take on the role of fathering a child that wasn’t his but was to be the Savior of the World.  He was responsible to believe Mary, care for her needs, take her as his own, honor and protect her.  Joseph was also responsible for smuggling Mary & Jesus into Egypt a foreign land in a place where they were not familiar and found themselves as strangers.  Together they must have had many sleepless nights filled with tears and insecurity.  Yet at times they must have experienced the sweet comfort of the Holy Spirit.

I believe God birthed in Mary and Joseph a very real vision for the child they would bear, protect, raise and introduce to the world. This vision was crystal clear and so unbelievable certain to them that they were willing to endure much hardship and pain to see it come to fruition.  When God births a vision in you he asks that you bear that vision until it is completely born, sometimes even born again, until it is introduced to the world.

Our vision is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.  This vision is what Christ gave his life for and gave His church to bear, protect and nurture. We are compelled by Christ’s love to accomplish it.   Throughout the past eight years Prince of Peace has accomplished this vision in countless ways.  We have seen many surrender their lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  We have witnessed so many follow Christ into the waters of Baptism.  We have through the ministry of the Church seen several hundreds of people here the Good News of Jesus and grow closer to Him than they ever have before.

This vision is never accomplished by one person but rather by the whole church.  Prince of Peace has been a place where people have partnered in ministry to pray and creatively expand the Kingdom of God through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  Throughout the years we have seen the gifts of the body expressed in so many ways, through so many people and all for the Glory of God.  We all wish and hope that each one of us would remain a part of this body forever, but that my friends is heaven and until we arrive there our relationships on earth have specific purpose. We will find ourselves sharing experiences with each other that are more often than not, temporal even incidental.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those who have served to accomplish the Great Commission through Prince of Peace. Just as the credits roll at the end of every movie your names scroll down the screen as the credits of the story that is Prince of Peace.

Today I would like to extend a special thank you to Rich & Geri Ziobro as they ‘Go’ from our community and move in the specific purpose and calling God has for their lives.  We celebrate all that God has done in them, through them and unto us.  We have truly found in them role models of people who serve others joyfully.  For your countless hours, living sacrifices and generous spirits we thank you.  For opening your hearts, your home and your lives to us, we thank you.  You have our blessing and we look forward to the eternal rest we will all experience together with our heavenly father once His work on earth is done.  May you bear the light of Jesus to the world, may you be the salt of the earth.

Let us all continue to celebrate what God has done in past seasons, learn from what we are experiencing in this season today and embrace the reason we continue with perseverance bearing the vision God has conceived in us.

Compelled By His Love,
Pastor Anthony Morici

Our Smile Spreaders Missional Community is on the move.  We are hosting a fundraiser event that will be fun for the whole family and be sure to send everyone feeling the warmth of the Christmas Season.  As we celebrate the generous gift of a Savior that was born unto us, we too want to be generous this Christmas.  We are raising money for Savanna Winnie, age 10, who is fighting Leukemia.  There are many unexpected costs and stresses that occur when a family’s life is interrupted with this disease.  As a community we can come together, make a difference and lift people’s spirits.  Join us in volunteering, donating or participating in our Santa’s Winter Workshop this December 3rd at the Lacey High School Cafeteria (North) from 12-3.  The one and only Mr. & Mrs. Santa Clause will be there taking photographs.  Merry Christmas Everyone!

We are sorry to report that there will be no Turkey Trot in 2011.  We wish all our runners and supporters a Happy Thanksgiving and we will see you next year!