Time for a good “No”!

Hello FMCM Family!

Is it any wonder that at the end of a year like 2020, top-selling Christian Author and Pastor Andy Stanley released his new book titled Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets? As I read this book for my Saturday morning men’s group from our church, I can summarize it this way so far…

“We are where we are in life because of the questions we ask ourselves and the things we say no to.”

Sometimes one good “No” opens the door for many wonderful “yes’s”! A “no” to a bad choice opens your life to even more choices. A “no” to a dangerous or negative friend frees up hours of positivity with loving friends. A “no” to a chocolate pie… Well, that is just a terrible example, there is no reason to say “no” to a pie.

This week is time for a good “No” in the life of this church. This week we are saying “No” to Indoor worship starting December 6th as we were hoping and “Yes” to putting everyone else in our community, staff, and church family first, – even ahead of ourselves. Saying ”No” to gathering inside right now, will allow us to keep staff and congregation safe and ready to say a big “Yes” to opening our arms to a hurting community, opening our eyes to those already right next to us, and looking inward for the Holy Spirit who is the heart of Christmas. I want to invite you to watch Pastor David and my Check-In from this past Wednesday to hear how we came up to make this tough decision to say no (for now) to indoor worship.

Here are a few of the “Yes’s” we choose to do well and have all of our focus on!

Angel tree – We still have over 150 angels for you to choose from! You can drive through and pick one out on your own on Sunday from 12:30 – 4:30 at our Angel Tree Drive-Thru off of our Pleasent Ridge Circle Drive or at our Outdoor Worship venue before and after our 4:00 service. You can also receive your Angel online by going to fmcmonline.org/angeltree. Gifts are due back November 29th.

Poinsettias – Have you purchased a poinsettia in honor or memory of your loved one? Time is running out! Go here to purchase one (or more) today. These poinsettias will be used to decorate our outdoor Home for the Holidays Group Life area for Big Christmas and can be picked up at our Christmas Stroll on December 12th.

Big Christmas Showcase Drive-Thru – We will be holding a drive-thru opportunity on November 29th from 2-4 pm for you to come by and get your Big Christmas t-shirt and Big Christmas Guide that holds all of the information you will need to have a fun Big Christmas experience throughout the month of December.

With all my heart and all my confidence, I say Yes to the biggest outdoor Christ-centered Thanksgiving and Christmas imaginable for our church. I say Yes to all that we can do and No to anything that distracts from the Yes’s in my life.