General Admission Tickets are $7.00 each.  Concert starts at 7:00 PM.

For more information or to reserve tickets, email events@ambassadorpres.org or call the church office at (919) 249-0230.

I’m sad to say that we are still without a certificate of occupancy for our church.  After much effort on many fronts, there are still a few documents and inspections that need to be reviewed and signed off on by the town and recorded that just cannot be completed before this weekend.  We knew this could happen, we trusted that it would go more smoothly, but God has a different plan and thus we will have to wait one more week to get in the new building.

Thus, we will ”call an audible” and plan to meet one more week at Penny Road.  If possible, we would like to stick with our normal schedule of Sunday School at 9 and Worship at 10.  We will plan to move the congregational prayer time scheduled for the SS hour back to next week when we’re in the building.  SS teachers thank you for being flexible on this and I hope this will not cause undo problems.

We will still have a moving/work day tomorrow morning (Saturday at 9:00) to continue arranging and moving furniture and getting ready for when we can finally use the building.   Please come out if you can.

Obviously this dampens some of the eager anticipation and excitement we’ve had building to this moment, but at the same time, it also makes me thankful that we have a sovereign God who does indeed work all things for our good.  As always, I look forward greatly to worshipping with all of you each week no matter where we are able to gather.   Pray for our contractor, the town staff, our leaders and others who are working extra hard to get everything in order on this project.

Thanks for your understanding and flexibility,

Many blessings,

Warren

During a recent worship service, Jeanna Leauma shared how God added her family to the Ambassador family.

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As many of you know I am a special education teacher here at Penny Road Elementary School.  The first time I had ever heard of Ambassador Presbyterian Church was the day my assistant principal and friend came to my classroom with an offer.  She said, “Jeanna, I know you guys have been looking for a church… There’s a church that is going to start renting our building on Sunday’s and someone needs to be in charge of unlocking and locking up the building each week.”  The first thing I thought was, “Will we have to do this EVERY SUNDAY?!”  Right then and there God began working on my heart.  You see, we had only been living in the area for about a year.  During that time I was praying to find a church that we would fit into.  To be honest, we hadn’t been to church in months.  So I went home that day and discussed it with my husband Brian.  We both agreed we needed to find a church, we both agreed we needed extra money, and we agreed that we wanted our son Silas to know and love God.  After much thought, we said yes and agreed to make the commitment to the “job” as a family.   What came after, I couldn’t even have imagined then.

Walking into the gym that first Sunday, I had doubts about how I could possibly worship the Lord in the same room that hosted a week’s worth of PE classes, a school carnival, and 5^th grade graduation.  How was I going to leave the stress of the work week behind to focus on His Word, when that stress was literally right in front of my face?  As it turned out, it wasn’t a problem at all.  Somehow I came to learn and understand that the building in which we worship is irrelevant.

Right around that same time, the next set of doubt began to creep in.  I doubted myself.  Everyone in the church seemed nice and happy and good.  I couldn’t imagine that they would accept me into their church anyway.  I didn’t even read the Bible, let alone quote scripture.  And I knew no matter how hard I tried, I was a sinner.

Well, God kept a good hold on my heart and kept that key to the building in my hand.  I couldn’t run away from this. And week by week, we began to form relationships.  Through the messages and by opening myself up to others, I discovered that I have more in common with you all than I would have expected.

The opportunity to share my story, my thoughts, and my love for Jesus with you, is a huge honor to me.  Each and every one of you has touched our lives in some way.   The significance of your words, prayers, actions and LOVE, is felt daily, as we live out our lives.  It comes in the form of being a better person, a better wife, a better mother and friend.  To the youth of this church, I stand in awe of you.  You remind me each day that it’s possible to raise my own son to have the courage to love the Lord, when everything about the world tells you not to.

Now, 2 ½  years later, I’m standing in front of you and the Lord, sharing with you how this church has changed our life. Today it’s very clear to me. A church is not a building, but a group of people, dedicated to same purpose, loving and living, to the best of our abilities, in His image.  In only a few more weeks, just as our new building is ready, I too will be ready– to return that key.  We are no longer committed to this “job.”  We are committed to God and to you.  God prepared us; God gave us this gift of a church family.  I know we are ready, because on Saturday evenings, Brian, Silas and I get excited when we say, “We get to go to OUR Church EVERY Sunday.”   —Jeanna Leauma

Whether you just have questions about Christianity or you’re looking for a community of people who are serious about loving God and one another and growing together in grace and truth, we’d love to have you come visit us.

The story of this organ has too many incredible facets to be told in a short email.  You can learn more about it and follow the detailed progress over the last four years at Clinton’s blog on the project: http://homepage.mac.com/clintonk/iblog/B505170200/index.html.   However, you will have the opportunity to see and hear first hand the results of Clinton’s work as the Knights will donate the organ to Ambassador for the new building, in memory of Clinton’s father.  The features and sound will give us another amazing musical medium with which to praise our mighty God in song.   

If you plan on attending the Knights Christmas drop-in this Saturday afternoon.  You will have the benefit of getting a preview of the organ’s ability as Clinton will lead in some Christmas hymns on the instrument, currently housed in his garage.  We are very thankful not only for the amazing gift this instrument will be to our church in terms of worship, but also for the wonderful gifts of God’s people to bring glory and honor to Him. 

Speaking of paving, I’m reminded of the prophet’s words in Isaiah 40:3-5.  “A voice cries, ‘In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord…Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.  And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”   

Jesus came in the flesh to reveal the glory of God and to pave the way to a restored relationship with our heavenly Father, a relationship that had been broken and barred by the insurmoutable obstacle of our sin and rebellion.   As you head towards Christmas, perhaps your life seems a bit rocky and rough.  Perhaps there are mountains that seem insurmountable or valleys that seem uncrossable:  broken relationships, financial hardships, failed dreams, marriage/parenting struggles, physical illness or other trials of life. 

Take a moment to remember that the glory of the Lord has been revealed in Jesus Christ.  Because Christ has come and through faith in Him, the trials of this life may not disappear, but we can face them with the confidence, strength and grace that God provides.  He loves us and is for us and one day all those rough places truly will be smoothed out forever.   

Remember this Christmas that Jesus came to pave the way to paradise!