Manna Family,
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… or is it? If we’re being honest, for many of us, it’s perhaps been a tough and tiring year. Personally, my family and I are doing pretty well thanks to our summer sabbatical. Nevertheless, I’m continually hearing from others that this has been one of the more frustrating and worrisome years in a long while. Sounds like a great time to focus on what Advent is all about.
The Advent Season (the four Sunday’s leading up to Christmas) is a time for Christians to ‘look forward’ to Christ’s coming and the promises that were ushered in that first Christmas morning. As believers on this side of God’s Incarnation, we have the blessed ability to not only look back at Jesus’ first coming as a miraculous moment of God’s grace and truth touching our planet, but we can also look ahead with assurance that His second coming will finish everything He started in the most marvelous of ways. As hard as it may seem at times, there is indeed Good News of Great Joy ahead!
Join us each Sunday this month to unpack the powerful promises within Isaiah 9:1-7, as we engage with a sermon series we’re calling, “The Weary World Rejoices.” If you’re feeling exhausted and worn down, or heaviness and grief has overwhelmed your soul, be encouraged – God is near, and He knows what you long for. When you awaken to the true meaning of Christmas, you’ll discover that there’s only one proper response: Rejoice!
Praying for you,
Chris Shinnick
Mark Your Calendars
LOVE GOD
ROC 2025
This year’s theme was ‘Harvest – The people God plans to reach through you’. Pastor Chris and Pastor Donnie expanded the ROC in Sunday’s messages to include both applications from our value to Love The World, go out and bring others in.
We will continue to support those who GO OUT and share the Gospel throughout Okaloosa County and the world while supporting our home as we BRING OTHERS INto the new building God has given us.
Despite completing the ROC series, the fund will continue to accept offerings throughout December 2025 and all of 2026. If you missed the service on November 24th, there was a time of prayer to fill out the Commitment Card for 2025. Click the link below and share what actions you are committing to in 2025.
Manna Kids
Investing in the Future
Our amazing Manna Kids SERVE team members use their individual gifts and talents of prayer, teaching, evangelism, and so much more to disciple the next generation. Manna Kids provides a great opportunity for kids to see God move and grow their faith. Thank you, team members and parents, for partnering with us to train kids to change their worlds.
We are excited to offer a special Manna Kids experience during each service for nursery through fifth grade this Christmas Eve. Invite a friend to join us–we can’t wait to see you there!
Partnering with Parents
You can follow along at home with what we are learning in Manna Kids! Click the link below for this month’s curriculum, learn more about The Loop Show (4th/5th), KonnectHQ (K-3) and Bible Adventure (Nursery/Preschool), and also find valuable parent resources.
Love Each Other
SERVE Team Christmas Party
Have you served with a team or at an outreach in 2024? If so, register to join the SERVE Team Christmas Party! This year, we will have a large family-style dinner in the Niceville Children’s Park. Come enjoy the beautiful decorations, fellowship, fun contests, and food! We will be located in the large pavilion within the children’s park. This will provide a large space for fellowship and fun at minimal to no cost!
What to bring: Please bring your best side dish!
Manna will provide everything else. All you need to bring are the sides.
Contests:
1) Everyone will have the opportunity to vote for the best side dish.
The winner will take home a prize.
2) Wear your ugliest sweater! Whoever has the most votes at the end will receive a prize.
Activities:
Along with your side dish, please bring a Homemade holiday card with you. There will be a table where you can ‘leave one & take one.’
In your card, share a prayer, a joke, or a fun picture to brighten another Manna friend’s day!
Small Groups
Our Fall Small Groups cycle is underway, with nearly 200 people connecting with others each week. We’re actively hearing and gathering stories of life change. If you’ve been positively impacted, please share your experience with Pastor Donnie at Donnie.Hatcher@manna.church.
We’ve got a great team of Small Group Coordinators praying for and encouraging our Small Group leaders. If you’re leading, know you’re not alone – we’re here to give you the support you need!
Growth Track
Growth Track is a 3-part Small Group experience focused on becoming the person God has created you to be. We explore this in the context of Manna Church and the Multiply movement. In 2024, we’ve had 64 FirstStep graduates, 44 NextStep graduates, and 25 LeaderStep graduates. Seeing that many people discover, develop, and deploy into their God-given purpose is a great reason to celebrate!
There will be no Growth Track groups meeting during December. You’re invited to join us when we kick things back off in January 2025.
Manna Stu
Have you met the Manna STU Uzars?
Avery Selvage, Trand Scott, Hayze Watson, Sierra Busby and Sam Satterwhite ( not pictured) are the teenagers elected by the youth group to represent the entire group. This role gives our Uzars many opportunities to step into leadership and grow in their walk with Christ.
This picture shows them leading their peers in a short devotion on the topics: practical application of biblical principles and lukewarm christianity.Life change happens in the context of small groups and that change is helping the next generation through Manna STU.
