On New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31st from 9:00 P.M. to midnight, the Board of Deacons will host the annual Watch Night Service. The program will include Watch Night Repast, fellowship hour, “Letter to God” development and collection, a procession to the Burning Bowl, and worship service. Please plan to join us for a night of thanks for God’s help in our past, and renewed hope for our future.
Your “Letter to God” is a personal statement dedicated to thanks for all that God has done for you in 2016. It is also an expression of your hopeful accomplishments for the new year. Your expectant accomplishments may be spiritual as well as personal. The focus of your “Letter to God” should be developed in reflection of the past, and renewed hope for the future. Place your letter in a sealed, self-addressed envelope. It will be collected during the fellowship hour of the Watch Night Service on December 31, 2016. In June 2017, you will receive your letter by mail. Use it to evaluate and judge the personal accomplishments that you planned. Writing materials will be available if you wish to write your “Letter to God” on Watch Night. As of Sunday, December 11th, the “Letter to God” mailbox will be located in the church atrium for members who wish to complete the letter before Watch Night.
The Burning Bowl Ceremony on Watch Night is your opportunity to identify and write a brief list of any personal thoughts, patterns, or behaviors that you want to limit or eliminate in the new year. Examples may include fear, self-doubt, a personal problem that has negative impact, anger, or selfishness. Please do not include the names of people in your list. On Watch Night, you will be provided with a small slip of paper for writing your list. You will place your list in the Burning Bowl so that it can be symbolically released. At that time, be prepared prayerfully to welcome positive personal change.