Pianist: Susan Dinkel

Song Leader: Leisha Hilt

Elder: Brad Matthies

Deaconess: Susan Dinkel

Older Children's Church: Paula Keller and Grace Landers

Younger Children's Church: Teri Shively and Makaila Matthies

Pastor: The Lord has encouraged us to remember that His return will occur soon.

Congregation: O Lord, give us grace that we may always keep in mind that Your return is near.

• Angels from the Realms of Glory - Hymn #190
• Good Christian Men, Rejoice - Hymn #177
• Born is the King (It's Christmas)

Pastor: What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven?

Congregation: The preaching of the holy gospel and church discipline. By these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and closed to unbelievers.

Pastor: How is the kingdom of heaven opened and closed by the preaching of the gospel?

Congregation: According to the command of Christ, the kingdom of heaven is opened when it is proclaimed and publicly testified to each and every believer that God has really forgiven all their sins for the sake of Christ’s merits, as often as they by true faith accept the promise of the gospel. The kingdom of heaven is closed when it is proclaimed and testified to all unbelievers and hypocrites that the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rest on them as long as they do not repent. According to this testimony of the gospel, God will judge both in this life and in the life to come.

Pastor: How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by church discipline?

Congregation: According to the command of Christ, people who call themselves Christians but show themselves to be un-Christian in doctrine or life are first repeatedly admonished in a brotherly manner. If they do not give up their errors or wickedness, they are reported to the church, that is, to the elders. If they do not heed also their admonitions, they are forbidden the use of the sacraments, and they are excluded by the elders from the Christian congregation, and by God Himself from the kingdom of Christ. They are again received as members of Christ and of the church when they promise and show real amendment.

• Joys and Concerns (scroll down for information about persecuted Christians in Oman)
• Silent Prayer
• Pastoral Prayer
• The Lord's Prayer
• Prayer for Offering

Click here for online giving:

http://www.firstchristianstfrancis.com/giving.html

• Communion Prayer
• Communion Hymn - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Hymn #169
• Communion

• Song of Response - Away in a Manger - Hymn #185
• Announcements
• Benediction
• Song of Dismissal - God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again

Special Prayer is requested for Charlene Meyer. She was taken by ambulance to Kearney on Tuesday, December 12th, with pneumonia.

Barb Barnhart (recovering from a broken femur; now back home), Rodney Bracelin (continual recovery), Pat Carman (health issues), Shelley Christensen (issue with her liver), Compassion kids in Brazil, Esther Confer (breast cancer), Royce Cook (recovery from knee replacement surgery), Mandi Cooks (Achilles tendon surgery recovery), Pat Crabtree, Patrick Delano, Dean Dinkel (cancer surgical recovery), Henry Dinkel (cancer), Ron Donner (Paula Keller's brother-in-law; health concerns), Teresa Douthit (surgical recovery), Sheree Downs (mass discovered in neck); David Dunn (Becca Landers’ grandfather; Alzheimer’s), Ellen (Fern Forsythe's sister; surgical recovery), Ron Ewing, Brett Fort (Shirley Watson's grandson; stationed in Qatar with the Air Force), Tina Fort (Shirley Watson's daughter; cancer), Doyle and Doloris Hall (Fort Collins), Tish Havel (ongoing recovery), Mickey Graves, Diane Hockenbary, Dan and Sheree Keller and Campus Crusade staff, Pete and June Lauer (Brad Matthies’s and Leisha Hilt’s grandparents; health issues), Daryl Loyd (surgical recovery), Marsha Magley (ongoing recovery), Dan McCurry (torn meniscus in one knee), Gerri McCurry (recovery of strength), Megan (recovery from breast cancer surgery), Jason Moses (recovery from perforated intestine), Danny Penton, Jackson Reese (continued health after chemotheraphy treatments), Dee Richman (Andy Poling’s mother-in-law; cancer), Kevin Ritchey (in critical condition after a motorcycle accident), Pat Rooney (rehabilitation), Doug Ross (stem cell procedure), Keith Schorzman (ongoing surgeries for and recovery from 2nd and 3rd degree burns), Rodney Shay (bladder cancer; recently received a very good report), Marshall Squires (surgical recovery), Michelle Stafford, Rolle Stephens (friend of Brad Matthies; pancreatic trouble), Kelly Studer (had a lumpectomy last year), Nic Sulc (recovery from tractor accident; now at home in Virginia), Taven (in need of adoption), Jo Turbeville (recovery of health), Cole Vap (Perry and Paula Keller's nephew; health concerns), Jim Walters (recovery from injuries), Carol Weeks (stage four melanoma cancer), Holly White (missing from Taos, New Mexico, since May), Dave Wright (heart condition), and Leon Wright (recovering from a stroke)

*Those residing in care/assisted care facilities: Gladys Cullum (St. Francis), Joan FINLEY Davis (California), Janetta Evins (St. Francis), Ron and Dot Hill (Greeley, Colorado), Margaret Hilt (St. Francis), Ella Mae Keller (St. Francis), Don Love (Kansas City), Debra McCurry (St. Francis), Charlene Meyer (Atwood), Jane Milner (Goodland), Florence Peacock (St. Francis), Fleda Raile (Goodland), and Kenneth Roberson (St. Francis)

November Offerings: $5,456.00

November Expenses: $6,607.56

Last Sunday's Offering (December 10th): $2,036.00

December Offerings (to date): $3,990.26

We'd like to add an HDMI-enabled TV to the Adult Bible Study room. This would allow our teachers to use audio/visual resources with their lessons. If you're planning to upgrade one of your TVs this holiday season and would like to donate your old TV, please let Jeff know.