Britton Christian Church

Dear Friends,
It has been a wonderful year at BCC! I didn’t say an “easy” year, but a wonderful year! God has been so good to us hasn’t He? He has been so faithful through each of the trials and struggles that we have faced as a church, as families, and as individuals during the past year. He has also blessed with abundant joy as we have shared in the birth of new babies, glorious weddings, and folks coming to know the joy of the Lord for the first time in their life. God is good…all the time!

When we gathered together for worship at the beginning of 2007 we had no idea what the year would hold. Some of us never dreamed that we would face such intense struggles as the loss of a loved one, a health challenge like we had never faced before, the heartache of divorce, loss of a job, or a wayward child or spouse. For some of us, the storm has quieted and for others the struggle continues. Through it all God has shown Himself faithful. He has been faithful and He will forever remain faithful. Isn’t that good news!

As we gathered at the end of 2007 and prepared for a brand new year we face the same scenario that we did last year at this time. We have no idea what lies ahead for us in the new year, but we know that God is sovereign over anything and everything that we will have to confront in the new year. My prayer for each of us in this new year is that we will drink deeply of the sovereignty of God and allow this truth to comfort us each new day.
Sunday was such a wonderful day for us at BCC. The Lord continues to lead many new people to share with us in worship. On Sunday we welcomed three new members to BCC. Dan Smalley has been attending the Men’s Promise Keeper’s Bible study on Tuesday mornings for some time now. On Sunday morning Dan came forward to express his desire to unite with BCC and serve the Lord through our ministry. Dan is pictured with one of our Elders, Karen Douglas, and one of our Deacons, Cody Bridwell.

Cathy Jo Wicks has been teaching a Sunday night Bible study at BCC for several years now. Cathy Jo has also been a leader with Spiritual Fellowship on Sunday mornings. Most recently we have prayed for Cathy Jo as she learned that doctors discovered she had cancer. What a joy it was to report to all of you on Sunday morning that Cathy Jo is cancer free! It was also a joy to welcome Cathy Jo into the fellowship of BCC as she came forward to join us in serving Lord on Sunday morning.

We have several teachers from Western Village Academy who attend BCC. These teachers have a wonderful ministry to the children they teach and the families they minister to. One of our teachers brought a friend to BCC last week and on Sunday morning, Ladine Jeremiah, came forward to join BCC with her family. What a blessing it is to welcome all of you to BCC.

Hi Everyone,
For the third straight weekend we are having bad weather. Wow! What a December! The last two weeks we’ve dropped our 8:30 am worship service, but tomorrow morning, December 23 we will go back to having both morning worship services with Sunday morning Bible study squeezed in between at 9:45 am.

I also want to remind you that our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will take place Monday, December 24, at 6:00 pm. Invite all of your buddies as join us for a wonderful celebration of Jesus’ birth!

In His Steps,
Mike

Hi Everyone,

Christmas is quickly approaching and I wanted to encourage you to put our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on Monday, December 24, at 6 pm on your calendar. Invite your friends and family members to join us as we get together to celebrate the gift of God’s Son.

Dear Friends,

It was worth the wait! Our choir was supposed to present their Christmas Concert last Sunday, but it was put on “ice,” literally, for a week. Boy was it worth the wait! I want to thank all of those who had anything to do with the Christmas Concert that took place during morning worship this morning. You were unbelievable, all of you! The Lord used you to touch our hearts and remind us that Jesus is the greatest gift of all.

Each of the soloist were amazing! The candlelight section of the concert was so powerful as Amaya Stevenson led us in singing “This Little Light of Mine.” The crazy characters and dancers who sang, “Christmas Through The Decades” caused an uproar that could be heard all over town. Jahruba and the kids painted a picture of “The Little Drummer Boy” like no one else. It was a morning that we will always remember! Thanks a million.

I also want to thank my wife, Connie, for the countless hours she has spent in listening to hundreds of Christmas songs to find the right ones for this year’s Christmas Concert. The Lord has given you a very special gift to be able to bring together such a diverse group of people to make a joyful noise that inspires all of us and honors the name of our King. Thanks Connie!

One more thing. I want to invite all of you to join us on Christmas Eve at 6:00 pm for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Christmas Eve is a wonderful opportunity to invite your family and friends to join us as we sing the songs of Christmas and read the story of the birth of our Savior.

As the days before Christmas draw to a close and the hustle and bustle of shopping, attending Christmas parties, and getting ready for the big day excelerates, I want to remind you that “HE is with us!” Immanuel is with us! He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He is always present through all of our troubles, trials, heartaches, and joyous celebrations of life. What a wonderful gift we have been given in knowing that we are not abandoned, but that HE is with us! Merry Christmas!

In His Steps,
Mike

More icy weather is expected today and Saturday morning, but we wanted to let you know that the Christmas Concert will take place this Sunday, December 15, at 10:30 am as planned. We will not have our 8:30 am worship service, but we will have our Sunday morning Bible classes at 9:45 am. I hope you will invite your friends to join us for the choir concert.

Hi Everyone,

It was a cold Sunday morning when I left my house to head to the church this morning. With sleet and rain falling throughout the morning it sure was good to have a nice, warm building to worship in, wasn’t it! I’m so grateful for those of you who were able to make it to Bible study and worship. I hope you were encouraged by our study of Luke 1:39-56. How encouraging it is to know Mary’s story. Mary was the unknown, young, virgin girl who was chosen by God to carry the hope of the world. There are many of you who feel insignificant, unknown, by those around you, but you can take heart in knowing that you are not forgotten–you have been chosen by God and He will never forget you.

It was such a blessing on Sunday morning to share in the baptism of James Stevenson. James had prayed with his mom and dad several months ago to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior, but he wasn’t quite ready to go in front of the whole church and be baptized. On Friday of this past week James and his dad, Herman, were in my office when James said, “I want to be baptized on Sunday.” Herman and I kind of looked at each other like, “Where did that come from?” Herman asked James if he was sure and he said, “Yep!” I never cease to be amazed at how the Lord works in people’s lives. What a joy it is to watch Him work!

At the end of our worship service on Sunday we welcomed ClaShonna Thomas into the fellowship of believers at BCC. ClaShonna has been coming to church with her friend, Annie Cowan, for some time now. What a joy it is to see friends reaching out to friends. Thanks Annie for inviting your friend to share with us in worship. Thank you ClaShonna for sensing the Lord leading you to share your gifts with all of us at BCC! I can’t wait to see what the Lord has planned for you.

Next Sunday, we will share in our choir’s Christmas Concert at 10:30 am. We will have Sunday morning Bible study at 9:45 am, but we will not have our 8:30 am worship service. You need to arrive early if you want to get a seat for the choir concert as the sanctuary is always full when our choir presents their concert. Have a great week.

In His Steps,
Mike

Hi Everyone,

The weather is sketchy so we’ve made the decision to move The Lighthouse Christmas Concert to next Sunday, December 16. Inclement weather always keeps some folks away and we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to experience the choir concert. We will still only have one worship service tomorrow morning so please call your buddies who normally attend the early service and let them know. Here is our schedule for Sunday morning for the next two weeks.

Sunday, December 9–Bible Study at 9:45 am; Morning Worship at 10:30 am

Sunday, December 16–Bible Study at 9:45 am; Choir Concert at 10:30 am

In His Steps,
Mike

Good Morning Everyone,

Our choir has been working so hard preparing for their Christmas Concert, which is supposed to take place this Sunday morning at 10:30 am. I’ve been listening to the weather and it looks like Sunday could be, in the words of that great American theologian Vanilla Ice, “Ice, ice baby!” If you’ve lived in Oklahoma any amount of time then you know that Mike, Gary, and Rick are not always right, but just in case they are we need an alternate plan. So….here we go.

Alternative Plan for Sunday Morning

If we have ice on Sunday morning then we will still have only one worship service and it will be at 10:30 am. We will still have Sunday morning Bible study at 9:45 am. If there is no ice on Sunday morning then we will forge ahead as planned with our wonderful Lighthouse Choir leading us in worship with their 2007 Christmas Gift. Check the blog on Saturday night and Sunday morning and we’ll keep you posted.

I love December! I love all that goes along with Christmas. We have some very special plans for the month of December at BCC. Let me highlight a couple of upcoming events.

Lighthouse Choir Christmas Concert

Every year our choir gives us the gift of music at Christmas. This coming Sunday, December 9, at 10:30 am we will join our choir for a wonderful celebration of the birth of our Savior. I want to urge you to come early as the sanctuary will be filled to overflowing. Also, please park in the north parking lot so that we can make room for our many visitors. Get the word out to your friends that we will only have one worship service this Sunday.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

On Monday night, December 24, at 6 pm we will have our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at BCC. This is always one of my favorite times of worship of the year. I hope you will bring your whole family and join us on Christmas Eve as we celebrate the gift of God, Jesus our Savior.

Dear Friends,

What a wonderful Sunday morning! I look forward to each and every Sunday, but some Sundays God just outdoes Himself. Today was one of those days. Our time of worship lifted my spirit as God’s presence was so evident as we lifted high His holy name. I hope that you are enjoying our study of Romans during Sunday morning worship as much as I am. I am continually amazed at how relevant God’s Word is for our day. Regardless of age, race, education, or socio-economic background–God’s Word speaks powerfully to each and every one of us.

I was so thrilled for you to be able to share in the baptism of Daylan Jimmerson at the beginning of our second service. Daylan is such a sweet little boy who loves the Lord with all of his heart. Daylan attends Britton Elementary School and he has been in our HIS Kids program for two years now and he is thriving! I am so thankful for all of those who volunteer with HIS Kids to help the kids of our community with their homework. You are doing much more than helping kids complete their assignments for school–you are pointing them towards our Savior!

It was also a blessing to share in the Parent/Child dedication of little Jackson Magness. Micah and Tiffany, Jackson’s mom and dad, have a great desire to raise their son in a Christian home. What an encouragement it is to them to know that you, as a church, stand with them in prayer and in offering your support to them. One of the blessings of serving as pastor at BCC for as long as I have is the opportunity to watch kids grow up and begin families of their own. I knew Micah when he was in high school and I am so proud of the husband and father that he has become. God could not have blessed Micah with a more wonderful wife than Tiffany. I know that the Lord will use Micah and Tiffany to bless little Jackson throughout his life.

My heart was full as we came to the end of our worship service and I watched several folks come forward to unite their lives with our church family at BCC. I want to welcome Betty Lewis, Bennett Geister, and Kevin and Tonda Ivory to BCC. We are so blessed to have the Lord lead so many new faces to our church who have come to get involved. In a day when so many people choose their church home because of what they can get out of it, it is so refreshing to meet people who want to unite with our church so that they can be a blessing to someone else. May your tribe increase!

There are many special activites that are planned for the month of December at Britton Christian Church. I hope that you will make plans to join us as we celebrate the birth of our Savior throughout the month of December.

In His Steps,
Mike Hays