PURE LOVE

PURE LOVE
Lord Jesus, Your love flows through me.
Let me search and find those in need
To touch, to hold, to hug them,

Just as You always have done for me.

 

Human touch is necessary I am told.
How much more to be touched by You.
If I can be Your arms my Jesus,

Use me, Your will be done.

 

Let those whom I hug feel Your pure love,
And feel moved to follow You.
To feel Your peace, and seek Your grace, and

So, ask to be freed from their sin.

 

For, You alone are our Savior.
And, only You can save.
But, if a hug can help them see

You are waiting patiently,

 

Then, let me be Your arms, sweet Lord.
Let me live for You.
And, let me be Your disciple

To bring others closer to You.

 

By Kay Stephens

PRAYER MEETING

Prayer Meeting

We will gather for a special prayer meeting on Monday, February 29, at 6:00 PM. With 2016 being an election year, the Spiritual Life Team would like to use this time to pray for the upcoming Alabama Primary Election on Tuesday, March 1st. We will be praying for the candidates and God's guidance through this election year.

CENTRAL ALABAMA HANDBELL FESTIVAL

Central Alabama Handbell Festival

At Pleasant Hill Methodist Church
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 3:00 PM

Our talented and precious handbell choir will be performing with the other attendees of the festival on Saturday, March 5th at 3:00. They need to have your support of their fine work and dedication to this ministry of our church. Our new neighbors in McCalla also need to see us supporting this ministry and how important this group is to our faith family. It will be a wonderful music experience to hear all these bells ringing in one concert! We hope to see you there!

LENTEN TREE

 

Lenten Tree

 

We hope you will notice in the narthex that our 1st Anniversary Blessing Tree which was covered with notes from our members is changing for Lent. We pray that during this Lenten season we might emerge from our personal wildernesses and, leaning on His Word, be prepared to serve Him and His kingdom with new life. Watch our Lenten tree change these forty days and then as we welcome the risen Christ with joy on Easter Sunday!

 

As we enter into the season of Lent….

     setting aside the ordinary to focus on the extraordinary

     remembering Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness

     taking a somber journey of examination and confession….

 

We will see our Lenten Tree in the narthex change…..

     from barren as wilderness

     to covered in symbols of Christ’s love for us

     from all our little blessings gone

     to covered with the blessings of True Life!

 

 

EASTER LILIES

Easter Lilies

 

It is almost time to order Easter Lilies! Look for order forms in the February 28 and March 6 Sunday bulletins!

DEDICATION SUNDAY

Dedication Sunday

FEBRUARY 21
"And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst." Ezra 25:8
Please join us for a special time of dedication during worship on Sunday, Feb. 21 when we will present memorial plaques in honor of several of our members who have made a significant impact at Shepherd of the Valley Presbyterian Church:

 Dr. Leroy and Mrs. Jo Holt for our sanctuary/worship space

 Elizabeth and Martha Asbury for the office and education areas

 Mrs. Katherine Wickstrom for the covered porch project
Please join us as we recognize their contributions to the ministry of SVPC and as we honor their faithful dedication and willingness to give to the vision of growing Christ's Kingdom.
Our vision of Shepherd of the Valley Presbyterian in McCalla was the climax of a long faith journey fueled by faith in God's calling us all to serve Him. Our Lord has blessed us in so many ways and this Sunday we will praise Him once again as we thank these servants for their gifts to this congregation.

THANK YOU TO OUR OUTGOING ELDERS

Thank You to our Outgoing Elders

 

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (1 Corinthians 12)

 

The elders in the Presbyterian Church work "for the common good." As our newly installed and/or ordained elders begin their terms of service in SVPC, we would like to thank those who have finished their time as an elected representative of this congregation. Our outgoing Elders have served as our partners in ministry and we appreciate all that entails. As they have served Christ and His church, there may also have been needs in their lives, but they remained committed to this faith family. They have faithfully followed the teaching of Paul as he said to minister with all your hearts "as working for the Lord, not for men" (Col. 3:23). Thank you, sisters and brothers, for your commitment to Christ!

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN

Feed My Starving Children Event

Saturday, January 23, 11:00am to 1:00pm

McAdory Middle School

Bessemer/McCalla Kingdom Builders will be hosting a Feed My Starving Children packing event on Saturday, January 23rd. SVPC participated last year and we were all so glad that we did. It was an amazing day!

Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God's children hungry in body and spirit. The approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children, and then these meals are shipped to their distribution partners. FMSC meals have reached nearly 70 countries around the world through the years.

We will join as a community to pack food that will be sent out to nourish those who are starving. If you would like to give to this ministry that feeds the body and spirit,you may donate through SVPC and mark your giving as "for FMSC." Your gift will be sent around the world in Jesus' name! Thank you for your support!

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Anniversary Celebration

Sunday, January 17, 4:00 PM

Let's celebrate together the gift of this place and space of worship and spiritual growth, the building itself and the building of friendships and bonds that last a lifetime, this reaching and teaching in a new community, and the great love of our Redeemer and Shepherd!

We will have finger foods, a time to visit, then a program including a slideshow of our journey to becoming Shepherd of the Valley Presbyterian. Please come share in this special time with us but make sure you sign up on the insert in the Sunday bulletin or you can call the church office. It will be great to look back together, but also to look at all the blessings and serving ahead for this faith family.

EPIPHANY CELEBRATION

Epiphany Celebration

Wednesday, January 6, 6:00 PM
Invite your friends and family!
No Reservations Needed!

OLD FASHION HYMN SING

Old Fashion Hymn Sing

Sunday, January 10, 11:00 AM

Back in September we had a Hymn Sing Service which many of you enjoyed tremendously. I promised you along with Beverly Wood, Jill and Perry that we would give you more of these services in 2016. So this coming Sunday, there will be no sermon but a full service of your choosing the hymns which are your favorites. So please come prepared Sunday to enjoy this time of praising the Lord through the ministry of music.

CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

 

Thursday, December 24, 6:00 PM

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Children's Christmas Program

Sunday, December 13

9:15 AM Breakfast

9:45 AM: Program

No Regular Sunday School Classes!

CHRISTMAS CANTATA

CHANCEL CHOIR CHRISTMAS CANTATA

Sunday, December 13, 6:00 PM

GREAT GIFT IDEA

Great Gift Idea

The youth still have some of those beautiful First Presbyterian Church – Bessemer Memory Books left. These books were sold at the last homecoming celebration downtown as a reminder of all those years of service, love, and ministry and in honor of those saints who blessed our lives there and are the roots of SVPC. What a special gift to give a loved one so they can enjoy the treasured memories of those people and days that God used to bring us to where we are today! Purchase yours for $40 for one and $50 for two of these one-of-a-kind treasures! Call the church office for more information.

CHRISTMAS HANDBELL CONCERT

Christmas Handbell Concert

Sunday, December 6, 3:00 PM

Reception following

CHRISTMAS PARADE

Christmas Parade

 

Help us share our Shepherd joy at the McAdory Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 5th! The parade begins at 2:00 and finishes up at the Piggly Wiggly parking lot with a community Christmas Carol Sing-Along and tree lighting along with warm cups of coffee and hot chocolate. Sounds like a great day to be a part of our new community!

Our children will meet before the parade at SVPC at 10:00 for play practice and lunch. The kids will get suited up and we will then head to the parade line-up about 12:30. After the post-parade festivities, we hope to make a visit to one of our members in Letson Farms.

ADVENT BIBLE STUDY

Advent Bible Study starts December 2 at 5:30 PM and will be each Wednesday in December, skipping December 23rd. Under Wraps is the name of the study and it will focus on four characteristics of God as indicated in the OT but lived out through Jesus in the NT. Our first characteristic to study is Expectant. Come unwrap the Gift we never expected!

YOUNG ADULTS SUNDAY

Young Adult Worship Leaders Sunday

 

Sunday, November 29, 11:00 AM

 

HANGING OF THE GREENS

Hanging of the Greens

Sunday, November 29, 11:00 AM