Monday, November 30, 2009

Advent Devotional 2009

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." - Matt. 2:10

Mystery is once again celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord, Savior and King this Christmas season. Its our hope that as a community Mystery will celebrate the Incarnation of Christ and look forward with great anticipation the return of our good King Jesus. Attached for download is our compiled daily devotional for use with family and friends. This is a great time to remember Jesus and introduce your friends and family to Jesus. Through traditional Christmas stories, Prophetic Old Testament Texts, Prayer and Hymns we are encouraging Mystery as a community to study the scriptures looking for Jesus to celebrate his coming, his life, his sacrifice, death and resurrection. Download the Devotional, attend our services, and come celebrate the King who has come to bring us Hope, Love, Peace & Joy!



Download The Advent Family Devotional

Advent Daily Reading

Mystery is celebrating Advent this year beginning this week. Listen to yesterdays sermon "The Hope of Christmas" by pastor Nate Karnes and then begin using this daily reading plan for the week to move our eyes and hearts toward Jesus. We will be posting daily readings here each week, beginning with this post as well as a family devotional that you, your family and your friends can use to study, celebrate and worship Jesus this season. Check here each week for the weeks readings and look for a post with a link to the Mystery Advent family devotional today.

Enjoy The Season, Enjoy the Savior

Week One Daily Reading

Sunday November 29

Jer 33:14-16, Ps 25:1-10,

1 Th 3:9-13, Lk 21:25-36

Monday November 30

Ps 90, Num 17:1-11,

2 Pt 3:1-18

Tuesday December 1

Ps 90, 2 Sam 7:18-29,

Rev 22:12-16

Wednesday December 2

Ps 90, Is 1:24-31, Lk 11:29-32

Thursday December 3

Lk 1:68-79, Mal 3:5-12,

Phil1:12-18a

Friday December 4

Lk 1:68-79, Mal 3:13-18,

Phil 1:18b-26

Saturday December 5

Lk 1:68-79, Mal 4:1-6,

Lk 9:1-6

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Give Love Video

Watch this short video for our Give Love initiative and then come participate with us in extending the joy of Christmas & Christ to our city and around the world.
There is so much going on this time of year. What if we slowed down, spent less, engaged and enjoyed more?



GIVE LOVE VIDEO - Click the video to watch full size.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

EXPERIENCE CHRISTMAS

EXPERIENCE CHRISTMAS
Beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day and ending on December 24th is what is known as the season of Advent. This year next Sunday, November 29th is the first day of Advent. Advent means “Coming” or “Arrival” and celebrates the first advent of Jesus when he was born in Bethlehem, and also looks forward to His second advent when he will come to reign as King.

This year at Mystery, we’re calling our Advent season “Experience Christmas”. This is a great opportunity to celebrate Jesus and focus our hearts on Him with friends and family, and there are several ways you can make this time both meaningful and fun:
Downtown Christmas Parade Party – On December 1st, Joplin is having it’s annual Christmas parade, and so we’re having a Pre-Parade party here at the church building! Invite your friends and family and come have a great time with us before the parade. There will be live music, great food, cookie decorating, ornament making, and paintings that tell the Christmas story.

Community Group Christmas Party – Invite your friends and
neighbors to join us on December 9th from 6:30-8:00pm,as we hang
out together, enjoy Jesus and one another.

Advent Devotional – Download Mystery’s Advent devotional from our website (www.mysterychurch.com) and go through the devotions with family and friends.

Advent Daily Bible Readings – Be sure and pick up an Advent Daily Bible reading plan before you leave, and then take some time each day to go through the scriptures that point to Jesus as the coming King!

For more on the Season of Advent, go to www.crivoice.org/cyadvent.html

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Give Love 2009

GIVE LOVE
Mystery's “Give Love” campaign returns again this year even bigger and better! We are expanding our goals year, not only continuing to Give Love globally but also through a new way to Give Love locally! Here’s what’s going on:

GIVE LOVE GLOBAL – It has been a huge blessing to be a part of celebrating Jesus with our brothers and sisters in Uganda and India. We have a goal this year of raising $3000 so we can send $1500 each to Pastor Gerald in Uganda and Pastor Sudakhar in India. Give Love has helped the children and churches of these countries celebrate Jesus each Christmas, providing gifts and support where there is much need. Join us in giving love to these dear friends!

GIVE LOVE LOCAL – We have prayed for how we could bring Give Love to Joplin and this year we have a great opportunity! Watered Gardens is an organization in downtown Joplin that helps meet the needs of people in our area. We are partnering with them this Christmas to give away as many hats and gloves as possible! Mystery’s goal is to give a minimum of 50 sets (hopefully more!) to people in need. This is a very practical and simple way to extend God's grace and Give Love to Joplin! You can sew, knit or purchase gloves and hats for both kids and adults. All donations should be new and unused please. We want to give our best.
GETTING INVOLVED – Being involved in Give Love is easy. We are encouraging everyone at Mystery to donate to both the Global and Local causes this year. $25 or $50 per person and $100 per household would easily raised the money for oversees support. Likewise if each person gave 1 hat and pair of gloves we could warm more than 50 peoples heads and hands. There are Give Love Jars to donate to India and Uganda, and there is a collection box for your hats and gloves!

Make this a family affair. Take your kids shopping for hats and gloves. Let them pick them out. Teach people how to knit or sew. Make it fun. Encourage children to give their own money to the global fund. Talk about why you are doing it and how it expresses the gospel.

We give because we wee given and we are blessed to be a blessing. Enjoy Jesus. Give Love.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Family Meeting and New Member Day Nov 15th

Sunday November 15th is a big day for Mystery. Please make plans to be there. We will be recognizing our new members that morning and then following the service we will have a Family Meeting and Lunch with all of our new and current Covenant Members. This will be a great time to meet and mingle with people and hear some of what is happening currently and what awaits Mystery in the coming months. Please do all you can to be there especially if you are an Owner at Mystery. God is moving!