Bulletin for Sunday, December 29

Prelude: "Emmanuel"
Melrose Instrumentalists 

Call to Worship: "You are the Light"
Sanctuary Choir

Greeting & Welcome
Pastor Greg

Welcome Song: #393 "The Family of God" & v. 1 #192 "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"

Children's Sermon
Pastor Greg

Hymn: #181 "Joy to the World"

Offertory Prayer
Pastor Greg

Offertory: "How Great Our Joy"
Melrose Instrumentalists & Susan Matney

Pastoral Prayer
Pastor Connie 

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8
Stephanie Cook

Sermon: "Tune in to God"
Pastor Greg

Hymn: #523 "Here I am, Send Me"

Announcements
Pastor Greg

Chorus of "Hope, Peace, Joy, Love"

Benediction
Pastor Mark

Postlude
Susan Matney

Office Closure
The church office will be closed on Wednesday, January 1. Normal office hours will resume Thursday.

Upcoming: Alex Nagy Piano Recital
We invite you to come hear a wonderful recital from pianist, Alex Nagy, on Thursday, January 2 at 6:30 PM in the Sanctuary. 

Having grown up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Alex Nagy has always been a passionate music lover. When he was young, he enjoyed going to concerts at the Winston-Salem Symphony and soon after began taking piano lessons with Ashley Clasen. In addition to piano, he also learned percussion to be in several ensembles at West Forsyth High School and multiple honors ensembles.

Alex graduated from Furman University in 2023 with aBachelor of Music in Piano Performance, studying under Dr. Derek Parsons. Here he furthered his love for music through his piano studies as well as lessons in organ playing and his participation in both the Paladin Regiment Marching Band and Furman Singers. During this time, he had many performance opportunities both as a soloist and collaborator, and competed in local competitions, placing third in the MTNA Young Artist Competition in South Carolina in 2021 and inNorth Carolina in 2022.

Now in graduate school, Alex is working towards a Master ofMusic in Piano Performance at Florida State University and studies with Dr.David Kalhous. He has premiered several works with the Polymorphia new music ensemble and has appeared on multiple solo and chamber recitals at FSU. In addition to his performance opportunities, Alex also enjoys his work as a piano teacher which began during his undergraduate degree and has continued as a part of his graduate studies. Outside of school, in the summer of 2024, Alex participated in the premier of the Chop Break Duo, a touring chamber recital group that visited several cities on the East Coast.

Alex is currently in the process of applying to several programs in the pursuit of a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA). In addition to furthering his musicianship, his goal is to bring together his passion for new music and pedagogy to help bring classical music to a wider audience.

A Note of Thank You
We are so grateful for all the gifts and goodies that have been shared with us during the holiday season. Thank you for your kindness and generosity, and we look forward to partnering in the work of God's Kingdom in 2025.  

God bless you all!

Mark, Greg, Connie, Shelly, Blair, Tim, & Susan