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SERMON SERIES | CHRISTMAS AT THE MOVIES
We have lots of favorite things at Christmas time – Jesus’ birthday, caroling, decorating the tree, gatherings with family and friends, baking, eating, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells. And, for many, there is nothing like revisiting the Christmas classics on film. From Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, and Grinch, to It’s A Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Greatest Story Ever Told, there are lessons to learn about life, joy, and the true meaning of the season. Join us this December as we draw principles from God’s Word for living as we watch clips of our favorites. CHRISTMAS AT THE MOVIES.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE | 4PM
Come early for cookies and coffee! No childcare available.

A GIFT FOR CHRIST AT CHRISTMAS
For the 29th consecutive year, we are inviting everyone connected to Milestones Church to participate in our annual “A Gift For Christ At Christmas” Offering. This is the time of year where we put feet to our faith—where we show our community the love of Jesus.

A Gift For Christ At Christmas Offering is an opportunity for us to think about others more than ourselves. We get to give back to God as He has given to us and to bless others as He has blessed us. We’ll use 100% of donations to this offering to fund the following three projects.

DISCIPLES VILLAGE IN HAITI

Moving to Haiti never crossed the mind of Bill Howard, at least not before 2010. But just before the earthquake in 2010, God clearly directed the senior pastor of 25 years to “move to Haiti and start an orphanage.” Bill began to pray and research next steps. Five weeks after the initial directive from God, he visited Haiti for the first time and met three extraordinary men; brothers Jimmy and Patrick Georges, and their beloved friend, Alex Alincy. Little did they know at the time that God had given Bill and Alex the exact same vision for rescuing homeless children.

On January 12, 2010, one month after these men made the decision to start the orphanage, a 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti killing over 300,000 and leaving multitudes homeless, hungry, and orphaned. Of those killed was dear friend, Alex Alincy. Alex’s House Orphanage was born in February 2010 and named in his memory.

As the orphanage began to take in and raise children, Bill and the rest of the staff became burdened by the needs of the surrounding villages. He saw multitudes with no access to clean water, children with no education and, therefore, no hope of escaping the cycle of poverty, and parents with few opportunities to find work to support their families. Above all was the apparent need for the light of Jesus Christ to pierce the spiritual darkness that pervades Haiti.

Over the years, Alex’s House became more than an orphanage. The team began to minister in the villages, helping with medical clinics, Bible schools, life skills training, and food distribution. A Pastor’s Training Program was added, along with special training events for those who led worship and children’s programs. In the fall of 2015, God gave Alex’s House a new expanded ministry and a new name, Disciples Village. The initial calling was to change the lives of 33 children. The present calling is one that will change the lives of thousands.

· For the last several years, gangs have been growing in power in Haiti. On October 29th, the Alex’s House family was forced to run for their lives from their campus when gangs invaded and destroyed their property. While all physical possessions were lost, everyone whom God has entrusted to them is safe! They have now moved to a safer region of Haiti and are starting over from scratch. We are seeking to help them with emergency housing to provide safety and some degree of normalcy to the Alex’s House family.

· We chose Disciples Village for this special offering not only for their general mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ in the villages of Haiti, but also because they are currently in desperate need of furniture, food, and clothing for the new residence.

· Bill Howard is one of Pastor Hub’s close friends in the ministry, and we want to support Bill and Disciples Village in following the call God has given them in Haiti.

REACHING INSIDE PROJECT THROUGH
COME CLOSER SPARTANBURG

There are approximately 800 people a day being held in our local County Detention Center on California Avenue. Almost all will be released back into the Spartanburg community within a relatively short period of time. Due to circumstances in their lives and the time they have available, many are turning to God for help, answers, and direction. We can help them connect the pieces by providing Bible and discipleship materials. Every $10.00 provides a large-print Bible and a discipleship book for an inmate. By giving to this initiative, we are helping to lead inmates to the Lord and to understand how to begin to build a new life centered on Jesus.

MILESTONES’ EMERGENCY FUND AND
CAMPUS ENHANCEMENTS

In the past few years, Milestones has been hit by a tornado and a hurricane. Both of these events caused extensive damage to our buildings and technical equipment. We have discovered that insurance doesn’t always cover what we assume it will cover.

An Emergency Fund is a must for circumstances like these, and we want to use a small part of this offering to offset costs to any unexpected emergency and to be ready for future similar events.

On December 15, 2024, we will receive the “A Gift For Christ At Christmas” offering during our Sunday morning service. We have special giving envelopes available and encourage you to come prepared to give on that day.

If you’re going to be out of town on December 15, or if you’d like to go ahead and donate now, you can GIVE online.