Greetings! I hope you're having a wonderful holiday weekend and that you had a good Thanksgiving with your family. As I write this email, it's amazing to me to think that tomorrow is the first day of December already! Time certainly flies, doesn't it? Tomorrow also marks the first Sunday of Advent.

I would love to have all of you to join us tomorrow, Sunday, December 1 at 8, 9:30 or 11 a.m. for worship as we will be having Pastor Ron Citlau with us once again to preach. It is exciting to know that he will begin his ministry as Calvary's lead pastor in January, only a few weeks away! This is a great opportunity for those who haven't heard him preach yet.

I also think it's fitting that on this first Sunday of Advent, we will be having our Communion Service. As is our wonderful tradition, we will be collecting a Communion Love Offering on top of our regular weekly offering. This particular Love Offering will be split in two and will go to the World Renew Disaster Response Services for relief efforts for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and to those who suffered loss in Central Illinois from the tornadoes. Please consider how you can help the efforts of these organizations as they give of their time and talents to help assess needs and begin to rebuild both the lives and the homes of those in both areas.

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" - Matthew 25:40