Newsletters - Safe Haven Community Churc

Dear Safe Haven Family,

There are some Bible teachers that not only have great insight into the Scriptures, but also communicate effectively. One of these men in our lifetime is N. T. Wright. I have appreciated a number of his teachings and would recommend the devotional videos that are available for free. You can access the most recent - and former ones at: https://youtu.be/Ih_gQFgYrQA

I have found the Gospel of John a beautiful introduction to the faith and at the same time, a profoundly difficult message to translate effectively into English.

For this Sunday, January 15th, I would like to examine John's introduction to his gospel where he gives quite a different perspective on the Christmas story. Matthew and Luke relate the well-known accounts of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus; with Shepherds, Wise Men, Simeon and Anna taking part in the events. John, however, does not even mention any of these, but gives us a look through the windows of heaven on the significance and splendour of God becoming Man.

So my first message will connect the opening words of the Old Testament with the opening Word of the New Testament, covering John 1:1-14. Then, in my next message (on January 29th), as the Lord leads me, I plan to open up the wondrous riches of God's character and blessing as related in John 1:14-18.

So, as a preparation I would suggest reading Chapter 1 in Genesis, and John 1:1-18 in a variety of translations.

In addition, I challenge you to ask yourself the question, "If the baby in Bethlehem was to be called "Jesus" at His birth, who was He prior to that and what was His name?"

May God bless our worship and the youth in their play, when we come together in person and on-line on Sunday.

Pastor Chris Platteel

PS: There is a free forum event that you may be interested in. Leadership Impact - a part of "Power to Change" ministries - is a network of Christian study groups started by Paul Henderson (star hockey player for the Leafs) that connects faith and leadership. The forum will be held on Friday January 20th between 7-8:30 am. Registration can be done through the following link...

htps://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mississaugageorgetown-virtual-leaderimpact-forum-with-paul-henderson-registration-484024579547

God's Word:

1 John 4:7

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."

The clearest sign that someone truly loves God is that they love people. As Christians, we are called to be loving towards our brothers and sisters in Christ, because our bond is what strengthens our faith. We are also called to be loving towards people of the world, because it is our love that will be an example of God's love for them.

The King James app. January 4th, 2023

Postage Stamps:

Our very own Leona Slomka (Missions Deacon), has been collecting postage stamps for the Canadian Bible Society. If you could bring in your sent stamps with about a 1/4 inch border of paper surrounding the stamp, these will be given to this worthwhile charity. You can bring these to church and give them to Leona, or in her absence give them to Sid or drop them off at the church office at 82 Church St. in Ajax.

Birthdays:

Week of January 9th - January 16th, 2023

Sorry, there are no birthdays recorded for this week.

If you would like to have your name included in our birthday announcements or if you do not want your name shown, please contact Sid at sid.snider@outlook.com. We do not need the year you were born.

Fundraising:

Our 'Making a Change for Safe Haven' coin collection at the Front and Side Doors continues to offset our expenses. This past week we received $34.70 resulting in a total collection of $434.95 to date. This may not seem like much but it certainly makes a difference! We thank all who have contributed.

Wednesday Night Services:

Alex explained last Sunday that the Wednesday Night Services will continue with a slightly different format. These evenings will focus on Prayer & Praise, hosted by Alex and his partner Cami. The starting date will be soon, so stay tuned for further announcements.