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Welcome to our weekly e-gram! Read on to discover what’s happening in our church family this week and beyond.
Church News
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Image: Baptism of Christ by Daniel Korkor, Tigray, Ethiopia
SERMON PREVIEW
Sermon Title: “Come and See”
Scripture: John 1: 29 – 42
Last Sunday we explored Matthew’s account of the baptism of Jesus. This Sunday, on the third week after Epiphany, we shift to John’s gospel. The author of this fourth gospel paints a different picture of the baptism and call of the first disciples. John the Baptist prepared the world for Jesus by announcing him as the Son of God to all who would listen. When the first two disciples met Jesus, and asked where he was staying, he invited them to “come and see.” It’s an invitation to an active faith, rooted in the identity of Jesus. Like the first disciples, we are invited to come and see all Jesus is doing in our world, and then to go and tell others the Good News. We will explore the sometimes-surprising revelations of God through Jesus as we dig deeper into this story. See you Sunday morning, in person or online.
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SERVING AT THE CO-OPWe need 10 volunteers to serve at the Co-op on Saturday January 24th from 10:00 to 11:30am. Please let Rod Baker know if you are available to help out.
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CAMPUS MINISTRY SUNDAYOn Sunday, January 25, we will welcome visitors from The Table, the campus ministry in Athens that Rev. Diane works with. Rev. Haley Lerner, a United Church of Christ minister, will preach that morning, and we hope to have a some campus ministry students join us for worship. Our new Regional Minister, Rev. Dr. Adam Harmon, will also join us for worship and lunch. Plan to join us for this special Sunday!
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SOUP LUNCHOn Sunday, January 25, the Congregational Care and Connect team will host a soup lunch after worship. This is a chance to enjoy delicious soup, meet our campus ministry visitors from Athens, and talk with our new Regional Minister, Rev. Dr. Adam Harmon. You can sign up to bring soup, crackers, corn bread, desserts, and other fixings in the gathering space this Sunday. We especially need at least one more vegetarian soup.
This lunch will also kick off our Souper Bowl of Caring collection for the co-op. Between January 25 and February 8, you are invited to bring canned soups and crackers to help feed our neighbors who are hungry. You can leave all soup donations in the gathering space with other co-op donations.
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NEW LENTEN STUDY FOR ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOLAs we prepare our hearts for the journey toward Easter, the Adult Sunday School class will begin a new study in February using An Unlikely Lent by Rachel Billups. This engaging and accessible book invites us to explore the unexpected ways God shows up in ordinary lives, surprising places, and unlikely people. Through weekly reflections and practical spiritual practices, Billups encourages us to look for God’s presence in the moments we might otherwise overlook.
This study offers a meaningful way to deepen your faith during the Lenten season and connect with others in our church family. If you would like to join the study, please contact Rev. Teresa. All are welcome as we begin this journey together.
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UPCOMING EVENTS IN JANUARY
Sunday, Jan. 18
9 am: Choir
10 am: Sunday school
11 am: Worship
Tuesday, Jan. 20
6:30 pm: Let’s Eat! at the Diner at Webb Gin
Sunday, Jan. 25
9 am: Choir
10 am: Sunday school
11 am: Worship – Campus Ministry Sunday
12 pm: Soup Lunch
Check the calendar of events on our church website at https://lawrencevillechristianchurch.org/calendar/ to stay updated on what’s happening in our church community.
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THIS SUNDAY’S WORSHIP LEADERS
Greeter: Candace Richardson
Scripture: Marilyn Parks
Communion Meditation: Lee Thompson
Elders: Libby Ballew and Brian Ballew
Deacons: Nancy Groves and Candace Richardson
Communion Preparation: Libby Ballew
If you are interested in serving as a worship leader or greeter, please contact Rev. Diane or Rev. Teresa.
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E-GRAM AND ANNOUNCEMENT GUIDELINES
Each week, our e-gram newsletter helps us stay connected, informed, and inspired. We welcome e-gram article submissions up to four weeks in advance. Please send your content by Tuesday at 5:00 PM via email to both Diane@lawrencevillechristianchurch.org and Teresa@lawrencevillechristianchurch.org. E-gram submissions can include ministry updates, event announcements, community celebrations or milestones, and prayer requests.
Announcements shared during worship are drawn primarily from the e-gram. If you have a time-sensitive update or urgent prayer request to share, please email it by Friday at 5:00 PM to the same email addresses as above. Thank you for helping us build a vibrant, informed, and spiritually grounded community.
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LECTIONARY SCRIPTURES FOR JANUARY 18 AND JANUARY 25
The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly readings used by many mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The lectionary readings will shape much of our preaching, and may be helpful in your own Bible study and devotional life.
January 18, 2026
- Isaiah 49:1-7
- Psalm 40:1-11
- 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
- John 1:29-42
January 25, 2026
- Isaiah 49:1-7
- Psalm 40:1-11
- 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
- John 1:29-42
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ZOOM LINK FOR WORSHIP AND CHURCH MEETINGS
For Sunday worship and other online meetings, use this link:
https://zoom.us/j/6284633067?pwd=YzVMN0EwQUVrb0FRM1phVkZEUjZFQT09
For those who DIAL IN, Call (646) 558-8656
Zoom Meeting ID: 628 463 3067
Password: 1234
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SUPPORT THE LAWRENCEVILLE CO-OPThank you for your support of the Lawrenceville Co-op as they feed our neighbors in Lawrenceville and Dacula. LFCC donated 178 pounds of food over the past month. Food donations are needed more than ever as we enter the winter months!
Co-op’s Most Needed Food Items
- Cereal
- Applesauce
- Shelf stable milk
- Canned tuna/chicken
- 12 count or 18 count egg cartons
Most Needed Personal Care Items
- Size 4 and up diapers
- Feminine pads
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WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH DISCIPLES AT THE REGIONAL AND GENERAL LEVELSKeep up with the latest news going on in our region and our general church. Click the links below to find the latest news within the Disciples.
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Each Monday at 6 pm, wherever you are and whatever way is comfortable for you, we pause and pray for our church. If you have conflicts with this time, whatever time is comfortable for you, pause and pray for your church. Below is the church’s prayer list you can use. You are welcome to make up your own prayer list as you pray.
Psalm 40:1: “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”
Celebrations
- Nicholas Anders has a birthday on January 15
- Martha Westbrook has a birthday on January 15
- Michael Williams has a birthday on January 19
Weekly Prayers
- For our co-ministers, Rev. Diane Bales and Rev. Teresa Bensch
- For our general and regional church, and for our new Regional Minister, Rev. Dr. Adam Harmon (who will visit our church on January 25)
- For the students and campus ministers visiting for Campus Ministry Sunday on January 25
Immediate Needs (names in bold are newly added or updated)
- Mary Jo Alvord (recovering at home)
- Lynn and Margaret (former LFCC members; Lynn is home after a recent hospitalization)
- Jeanie Morgan (grieving the death of her high school best friend Nancy Benson Paige-Bell)
Ongoing Needs
- Our country and our world
- Our members and friends at home, including Mary Jo Alvord, Odessa Adams (hospice care), Gen Ashby, David Chamberlain, Bessie Kirby, Eva Krahwinkel, Neva Maffett, Ada Mullinax, Bill Phyfer, Bob Powell, and Jimmy Saturday
- Our family and friends with ongoing health challenges
- Howard and Joanne White (Bob Hanson’s neighbors)
- Ada Mullinax and her sister Linda Kellmann (health challenges)
- Nancy Welty (health challenges)
If you have an update to the prayers and concerns, please let Rev. Diane know (diane@lawrencevillechristianchurch.org).
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That’s all we have for this week. Please pray for the church and everyone in it, that we continue to follow God’s plan as we share the Good News. God bless you all!
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