FOX News Channel to Broadcast Saddleback Church Christmas Service: Pastor Rick Warren Delivers Message of Hope for Changing Times

/PRNewswire/ -- FOX News Channel will broadcast four special airings on Dec. 24 and 25 of Saddleback Church's Christmas service featuring an inspirational message titled "When God Changes Your Plans" from Dr. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in southern California and author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and "The Purpose of Christmas."

"What do you do when your plans don't go the way you want them to, like the economy drops out of the bottom?" Warren asks in his timely sermon. "What do you do when all of a sudden your future seems uncertain and you don't know which way to turn or what to do? When things don't go the way you plan you need to remember three things -- God is trying to get your attention; God has a better plan; and God wants you to trust Him."

During the current economic state, many Americans are looking for a sense of peace amidst troubled times. Warren observes that people have been on a similar quest since the first Christmas day more than 2,000 years ago, when one man sought a place for his young fiancee to give birth; shepherds searched for a baby in a manger; and wise men traveled from afar to find a newborn King. Warren's message brings hope by looking past the commercialization of the Season to recognize the true meaning of Christmas.

Saddleback Church will hold a total of 16 Christmas services for the 2008 holiday. The church began services Dec. 20 and will conclude with six on Christmas Eve at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. PST. FOX News Channel recorded one of the earlier programs that will be broadcast nationwide in real time on Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. EST, repeating overnight into Christmas on Dec. 25 at 1 a.m., 4 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST. Check local listings, as all times are subject to change.

"God's plan is bigger than your plan and God's plan is often harder than your plan but God's plan is also better than your plan," Warren continued. "Whenever you cooperate with God's plan and purpose for your life, you get something that you can't get any other way -- significance and meaning."

This is the third year FOX has chosen to broadcast the Saddleback Christmas services, which in previous years have drawn more than 40,000 people. Various musical selections from the Saddleback orchestra, choir and congregants will be interspersed throughout Warren's inspirational message focusing on the "unexpected change" surrounding Christ's birth and the lessons God teaches through it to help us cope with change in today's society.

"Some of you, since September, have lost a lot of income," Warren added. "Some people have been laid off. Some of you have seen your retirement income, your savings, your investments just go way, way down and all you can do is trust. And God is saying that's exactly what I want you to do."

Founded in 1980 by the Warrens, Saddleback Church is located in Orange County, Calif. With an average weekly attendance of 22,000, it is one of the five largest churches in America. For more information about the Saddleback Christmas services, visit http://christmas.saddleback.com/.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Birthday Party for Jesus

All children in the community are invited to attend a birthday Party for Jesus on Sunday Dec. 21st at 2:00 at the Windgate Campus at the Peachtree City United Methodist Church located at the corner of Peachtree Parkway and Windgate Road. This event is for toddlers through 5th grade and includes singing, face painting, ice cream, cake and a special guest from the North Pole! Bring a new, unwrapped toy for our Toys for Tots donation. For more information contact Bob Argumosa at 770 486 8204 or visit www.ptcumc.org.

A Special Christmas Season at First Presbyterian Church PTC

Sunday, December 14 at 6:30 pm "The Wonders Of Christmas" concert comprised of a full orchestra, choir and praise band. First Presbyterian music ministry will be joined by other talented musicians from the surrounding community.

Wednesday December 17 at 6:30pm
"The Shepherd's Story"; The children's ministry will be performing a musical in the sanctuary following a family Christmas dinner.

Christmas Eve
Wednesday, December 24
Praise and Worship Celebration of Jesus' birth with two candlelight services at 6pm and 8pm.

December 28
Traditional Worship service at 11:15am
A great opportunity to worship the "newborn king".
First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City First Presbyterian Church is located in Peachtree City at 206 Willowbend Rd. across from the library and city hall. 770 487-7757; www.firstpresptc.com

Love Feasts in Moravian Tradition at Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church

Christ Our Shepherd will offer Love Feasts in Moravian Tradition on Saturday, December 13, at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 14, at 6:00 p.m. A tradition of the Moravian Church since 1727, Love Feasts include serving specially-baked buns and coffee or apple juice to worshipers. All adult worshipers will be given a lighted beeswax candle dressed in a red paper “ruff.” Children will substitute a small flashlight for a candle.

Love Feasts include traditional and Moravian carols sung by everyone. Featured also will be anthems by Sanctuary Choir, Joyful Noise Ringers, Christ Our Shepherd Brass, Christ Our Shepherd Flute Choir, and da Chiesa, the Christ Our Shepherd Strings. Karl Dietmeyer founded and conducts the Flutes and Brass, while David Beecher leads the Sanctuary Choir and handbells. James C. Hagberg conducts da Chiesa, and he also conducts the choir for these Love Feasts. Some of the soloists are Ron Linton, Ken Olander, Delee Rehak, and Amelia Merriman

Additions to this year’s Love Feasts include selections from Christmas Oratorio by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), and “In Dulci Jubilo” by Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), both with da Chiesa. Some anthems and carols considered essential by Moravians, such as “Thou Child Divine” and “Morning Star, O Cheering Sight,” with be back, along with favorite anthems and thrilling congregational carols.

The Moravian Church in the United States and the ELCA established a full-communion relationship in 1999. Although not a merger, the agreement fully partnered our two churches, making possible sharing pastors, worship and ministries.
---
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

LifeKeys Course Offered at Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Churc, PTC

Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Peachtree City, Georgia is offering a LifeKeys course for adults ages 21 and up. LifeKeys is a spiritually based, comprehensive program that helps individuals discover their life gifts, spiritual gifts, personality type, values, and passions. Classes will meet at the church on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:30 am beginning Sunday, January 11th. Participant Fee is $30. Contact the church office to register, 770-487-8717. For more information contact Kris Schmitz at 770-716-6011 or via email at klnschmtiz@yahoo.com.

New Hope Baptist Church - 2008 Living Christmas Tree

New Hope Baptist Church presents the 2008 Living Christmas Tree entitled "The Promise" december 9 - 14! This year's production is on a grand scale with over 400 adults, youth and children taking part in the Choirs, Orchestra and Cast, as well as a 40 foot "singing" Christmas tree with thousands of computerized lights that will amaze and inspire you.

The all new original story tells of a family as they attend their town's Christmas Tree Lighting and Celebration. Upon their return home, the Grandpa tells the children the story of the Manger and the Christ Child, as it comes to life in music and drama. The final song includes a colorful Christmas Parade with special effects that will leave you feeling as though Christmas has really begun.

New Hope would love to invite all to this special Christmas Celebration. The tickets
are free to the community and are available online at www.newhopebc.org , by calling 770-460-4838 or from the church office North Campus 551 New Hope Rd., South Campus Hwy 74. Also after Sunday services (South) 9:15 AM or (North) 10:55 AM.
---
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

Enjoy "The Wonder of Christmas" at First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City

First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City will be hosting a Christmas Concert titled “The Wonder of Christmas” on Sunday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. This will be the third of six concerts given during the church’s 2008-2009 concert series season.

An orchestra and choir, along with organist Sam DeCarlo and accompanist Sue Eutermoser, will accompany the program’s festive seasonal works and carols. Talented ensembles and soloists from the First Presbyterian congregation and community will also share Christmas favorites. The orchestra and Chancel Choir will be conducted by Dr. John Odom. The praise band will be led by Jay Akins.

“The Wonder of Christmas” was created by renowned composer David Hamilton. This concert will weave contemporary songs and traditional Christmas carols with biblically based narrations. You will be reminded of the majesty of the Savior's birth. Sentimental heartstrings will be tugged by well-known songs and carols of the Christmas season and the original underscores that depict the many facets of the Christmas story.

This concert is free to the community. A love offering will be taken. Childcare will be available for children ages 4 and younger.

First Presbyterian Church is located in Peachtree City at 206 Willowbend Rd. across from the library and city hall. For more information, please call (770) 487-7757 or email concerts@firstpresptc.com.
---
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

Lighthouse Church to Hold Candlelight Communion Christmas Eve

The Lighthouse Church (a new United Methodist Church) is holding a special candlelight communion service on Christmas Eve (December 24) at 7:00 pm. The location for the event is the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center, Hwy 54 in Peachtree City. Lighthouse currently meets on Sundays at McIntosh High School. For more info, please visit www.lighthouseumc.net.

Writer's Workshop November 18 in Fayette County

The Legacy Equipping Center is happy to announce a Writer's Workshop open to the community on Tuesday, November 18 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Suggested donation fee: $25

Is there a writer within that wants to come out? Have you ever thought about keeping a journal? Is God speaking to you through your writing? Do you have ideas for articles or books but do not know how to begin? Has God given you a yearning to express your faith and spread the Gospel through the written word? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this class is for you!!

Dr. Penny Saurino, Asst. Professor at the University of West Georgia and co-founder and Tech Liason of the Cherokee Rose Writing Project will be joining Tammy Melton, author of Loving God With All Five Senses in teaching this course.

The Legacy Equipping Center is located at 1952 Hwy 54 W, Suite 100, Fayetteville, (2 1/2 blocks east of Publix in Peachtree City).

To RSVP or for more info call 404-643-9042.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

Evening of Praise and Worship November 16

Come join the First Presbyterian Church congregation Sunday, November 16 at 6 pm for an evening of praise and worship. All are invited to this new service lead by Jay and Abby Akins, along with Senior Pastor Dr. Miller.

The sanctuary will be filled with the sounds of Modern Praise and Worship Music as we encourage everyone to lift their voices and bow their hearts in worship of our Awesome, Glorious God. We hope to see you there for this incredible night!

First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City is located in the heart of Peachtree City at 206 Willowbend Rd. For more information, visit. www.firstpresptc.com.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Festival of Lessons and Carols November 30 at First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City

The Sanctuary Choir of First Presbyterian Church will present A Festival of Lessons and Carols on November 30 at 11:15 am. The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a format of Christian worship service celebrating the birth of Jesus and traditionally followed at Christmas. The story of the fall of man, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and hymns.

The service is based on the format of the traditional service held each Christmas in the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England. First presented on Christmas Eve in 1918, the festival of Lessons and Carols format was created by Eric Milner-White, whose years as an army chaplain convinced him that the church needed different forms of worship. His original service was adapted from an order drawn up by E.W. Benson (later the Archbishop of Canterbury) who presented a similar service in 1880 in a wooden shed which served as his cathedral in Truro.

Almost immediately, other churches adapted the service for their own use.
The first broadcast of the service from King’s College took place in 1928. It has since been broadcast every year (with the exception of 1930), and there are millions of listeners world wide.

First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City is located across from the City Library at 206 Willowbend Rd.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Rising Starr Baptist to Celebrate Choir Anniversary

Rising Starr Baptist Church will celebrate their Choir Anniversary this Sunday, November 16 at 2:30 PM. The Pastor of rising Starr is Milton B. Reeves. The guest preacher will be Pastor Nathaniel Lee of Zion Baptist Church in Hampton, Georgia. Rising Starr is located on
1094 Old Greenville Road in south-central Fayette County. From Fayetteville or Peachtree City, take GA Highway 85 and turn east on Rising Starr Road. Old Greenville Road road is 3.1 miles east. From Brooks or Woolsey, take the Brooks-Woolsey Road to Rising Starr Road and proceed approximately one half mile to the west. Help make this event one of Christian unity!