11/29/2025 Message

I hope everyone had a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. This is a great time of the year! Although it’s hard to believe, Christmas is only 4 weeks away. Next week, we’ll begin our celebration of God’s becoming “one of us” so He could die in our place. The “Incarnation” is a critical biblical doctrine, so it’s definitely something worth celebrating. To help us create a “Christmas atmosphere,” our choir has prepared beautiful Christmas songs, and we’ll be singing other wonderful congregational Christmas songs as well. December at LifePoint is going to be fantastic!

Special "thank you" to our hospitality team

Speaking of fantastic, I want to give a special thank you to Beth McDowell and our hospitality team for the incredible Thanksgiving breakfast they provided last Sunday during our fellowship time before services. They went “over and above the call of duty,” and we thoroughly enjoyed it! Beth and her team do such a great job every Sunday making us feel like we’re at home at UCO. If you get a chance, let them know how much you appreciate their hard work.

Christmas lunch on December 14

Last year, LifePoint hosted our very first Christmas lunch for our widows, widowers, and others who will not be able to celebrate Christmas with their families. It was such a huge hit, we have scheduled our next lunch for December 14 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. (Contact us for the meeting location.)  LifePoint will be providing the lunch, so if you are in this category and would like to attend, please sign up tomorrow at the welcome desk in the lobby.

Tomorrow at LifePoint

• Pastor’s/BRR Class, 10:00 am – recently, several have been asking about the Book of Enoch and why Jude quotes from it in his letter in our New Testament. 1st Enoch contains some fantastic/whimsical/strange teachings like angels (called the Watchers) who intermarried with humans and produced a race of giants called the Nephilim, who helped usher in the Flood, and other stories like angelic warfare that brought sin into the world. Is the Book of Enoch legitimate, and if it is, why is it not in our Bible? Although on its surface, this may seem to be a side issue, in reality, it is an important one because it raises an even greater question about whether our Bible is complete or not. So tomorrow, we will begin exploring Enoch, why Jude felt comfortable quoting from it, and why it is not in our Bibles. This will be a very interesting and enlightening study. Come join us.

• Worship/Preaching Service, 11:00 am – three weeks ago, I began a multiple-part sermon entitled, “Is socialism/communism Christian?” For numerous reasons, for a couple of Sundays, we had to pull away from that message to deal with other topics. Tomorrow, we will return to that discussion and continue the message with part 2. Given the leftward lean of our culture, this is an incredibly timely subject that every Christian needs to understand from a biblical perspective. Join us as we continue this important message.

Opportunity to serve our LifeBody ministry

Although we understand that weekday projects are difficult for many of you who have full-time jobs, our LifeBody ministry is helping Laney Holmberg (daughter of Sharon Humphries, who attends our church) move from one apartment to another on Monday morning. Laney has multiple health issues and is mostly homebound, having to use a walker or a wheelchair to be mobile. She’s been working with the Mayo Clinic since June, trying to stabilize her health enough to return to the workforce. Because of her health challenges, Laney needs to move from a second-floor apartment to one on the first floor.

So, on Monday (Dec 1) at 10:00 am, those who can help will meet to move Laney. Be aware that there is a 16-step staircase we will have to use to access Laney’s present apartment. Check your email or contact Gary Davis for the actual address.

This is a great opportunity for us to serve one of our faithful families. If enough of us can help, we should be able to complete the move fairly quickly. If you can come, please bring a two-wheel dolly if you have one, and if anyone can bring a small tool chest that might come in handy as well. Sharon Humphries will provide chili & drinks for lunch.

Annual Budget Presentation Reminder

On Dec 7, the Executive Team will present the proposed budget for 2026. Gary Davis will deliver a condensed review of the 2025 budget and then give us an update on our present financial status. Then, he will present the 2026 budget for your approval. The business meeting will begin at 10:00 am, and if the meeting doesn’t go too long, we will continue our study in the Pastor’s/BRR class afterwards. If you have questions about the budget, don’t hesitate to reach out to Gary.

LifePoint Christmas Card Exchange

Get your Christmas cards written because this year we will have a Christmas Card Exchange "mailbox" at LifePoint! This will help everyone avoid costly postage and be able to share cards with LifePoint friends. See more details below.

As always, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,

Dan Fisher

Get your Christmas cards written because this year we will have a Christmas Card Exchange "mailbox" at LifePoint! This will help everyone avoid costly postage and be able to share cards with LifePoint friends. The mailbox will be at the Welcome Desk beginning Sunday, Nov 30. It will have this sign (above) on the front.

• To Send a Card: Label your envelope clearly with the recipient's full name. File it alphabetically by last name in the "mailbox" (A–Z tabs).
• To Receive a Card: Check the "mailbox" (A–Z tabs) for your last name. Grab any cards addressed to you!
  
  

Drop it in this mailbox anytime—it's open for the season! Let's spread joy together! Merry CHRISTmas!!!