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OCF Church@yoyoyocf
MSM -December 2023
Letter from MSM
Dear MSM Parents,
Welcome to our December Newsletter! In the beginning of each month we send out all the information that is going on within YOCF. Make sure to stay connected to our instagram @yoyoyocf for updates! Check out down below our plans for the coming weeks and the ways we will be connecting with each other, daily, weekly, and upcoming events!
We meet every Sunday morning at the 10:45am service, except communion Sunday. We have all of our students start off in the main church service for the first set of worship. After worship they head into the youth room for their own message. We teach the same passage as the main service and will be going through Advent this month! As a reminder, there will be no YOCF on New Years eve in the morning.
Our Wednesday night youth group meets at 6-7:30pm every Wednesday. There we gather for games, teaching, and small group discussion.
Because of the holidays, YOCF has a lot of exciting events coming up this month! More information on each specific event will be down below, but here is a quick overview of what we have going on. The first is Advent night on the 13th, which will go from 6-8pm. We also have the Christmas party on the 20th from 6-8pm. OCF will be having a Christmas Eve service as it lands on communion Sunday so there will be no youth that day.
- "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:2-6
With Much Love,
YOCF Staff
SCHEDULE & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Advent Night
YOCF is hosting an Advent night on the 13th! The Advent night is an opportunity to dive into the theme of the week, which is peace. This will be for both middle school and high school, held in the auditorium. It will begin at 6 and end at 8, we are really looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Christmas Party
YOCF is also hosting a Christmas party for the middle schoolers on the 20th! This will go from 6-8 and will be in the youth room like normal. Make sure that your student wears an ugly sweater and a reminder to get your student a white elephant gift so that they can participate in the game ! This can be anything within 5 dollars, or just something silly you find at home. The only rule for this is that the gift cannot be alive or dead, but please make sure the gift is appropriate. We look forward to seeing the kids there!
Camp Info
Registration for Winter camp and Hume are now open!! Be sure to sign your kids up with the links down below. Please let Hannah or Ryan know if there is any trouble with the payments!
The link for Winter camp payment is here.
The link for Hume first payment is here.
The link for Hume payment in full is here.
The link for the video is here
Sunday Morning Youth
Every Sunday morning during the 10:45am service we will have a youth service during the teaching portion of the service. We start off in worship during the main service then transition to the youth room for our own message. This month we are starting our Advent study, and we will be teaching the same passages as the main service. There will be no YOCF on New Years eve in the morning!
On the 4th Sunday of the month is Communion Sunday meaning no YOCF
Wednesday Night Youth Group
When: Wednesday nights 6-7:30pm
Where: OCF youth room
Every Wednesday night we meet together to play games, hear a teaching, and break up into small groups! This is a great place for students to hear different age based teaching, and grow in their relationship with God and the rest of the youth group.
Family Ideas for Serving Others at Christmas
Jim Burns -President of HomeWord and Executive Director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific UniversityIt's recorded in Matthew's Gospel, (Matthew 10:8) that Jesus said, "Freely you have received; freely give." Though our lives may not always be everything we hope for them to be, God has richly blessed each one of us. One of the ways we can demonstrate that we are grateful to God for his many blessings is to help others.
Christmastime provides an opportunity for your family to roll up your sleeves and get involved in helping to meet the needs of others in your community -- showing them the light and love of Christ. Here are some family ideas for reaching out and helping others during the Christmas season:
1. Donate your family's time to help out at a food kitchen or a food bank.
2. Take your family to visit someone you know who lives at a nursing home, who lives alone, or is confined at home because of poor health.
3. Invite neighbors who don't have plans to join your family for Christmas dinner.
4. Provide some (or all) of the Christmas dinner groceries for a needy family in your community. Take the family along to make the delivery.
5. Have your family gather winter clothes and coats that don't fit any longer, or are no longer wanted or needed -- and distribute them to homeless people in your area -- or deliver them to a local shelter.
6. Make some bag lunches and take your family into the community to distribute them to homeless people in your area. (Make sure ahead of time that your local authorities allow this type of distribution.)
7. Make more Christmas treats than you need for your holiday meals. As a family, deliver extras to the neighbors or to a needy family in your area.
8. Find an elderly person in your area that could use some help at the grocery store. Better yet, invite them to your home for a special holiday meal.
9. Find a family in your area that could use some help to take care of fall yard cleanup, basic repair or weatherization around their home. Buy the needed materials and get to work as a family!
10. Invite a neighbor's family over to your home for a simple, fun family game night.