Carry the Light / Week 4
CC FAM!
What a great day we had yesterday as we wrapped up our Daniel series! It was also such a special moment to include our parent–child dedication in the service. My heart was full seeing our church family celebrate together.
As I take some time to reflect on 2025, I am reminded of the countless ways we have seen God move in our church. Between now and December 21, I will be sending an email each week. I will do my best to keep them brief, but it would mean a lot if you would take a few moments to read them.
The purpose of these emails is to:
Share practical details about our Carry the Light offering happening on December 21.
Highlight some of the amazing ways we have been Carrying the Light throughout this past year as a church.
Carry the Light Initiative:
Carry the Light is about how your faithful generosity is maximizing impact to our church, community, and beyond. The Carry the Light Offering will help us do three specific things:
Serve families in need this Christmas
Meet our 2025 budget needs
Pllant seeds for next year’s ministry
Our in-person offering will be on December 21, but you can give anytime before then. We are inviting every household to pray and be a part! Here is a simple way to approach this opportunity: Pray… Pause to listen… Respond with courage. Whatever amount God places on your heart to give, please remember our greatest impact happens when everyone joins in together!
This year, we have carried the light by…
Local Schools: This year, we have carried the light to 30+ schools in our area. We have done this by helping with teacher appreciation meals, providing food for athletic teams, supporting community events hosted by schools, and staying involved with FCA through providing team meals and participating in before-school programs. We also invested in “Back to Life,” an event that supplied over 180 families across Hamilton County with food, clothing, school supplies, haircuts, and physicals for athletes as the students started back to school. We are thankful to be able to support our local schools as they educate and care for students!
City Students: This year, over 200 students have come through our Sunday night services! These nights are full of bold worship, real community, and a growing hunger for God. We celebrated 10 baptisms and more than 15 students who made decisions to follow or recommit their lives to Christ. Here is a quick snapshot of some other ways we have been able to make an impact in the lives of students:
Our Student Leadership Program continues to thrive, with students planning and leading two full services and hosting a Parents’ Night Out that raised funds for Isaiah 117.
We also sent a team of eight students on a 10-day mission trip to the jungles of Panama, where they shared the gospel through discipleship classes, VBS, English programs, and supported local pastors serving unreached tribes.
Locally, City Students stayed active in our schools, showing up at 50+ events and partnering with FCA, CSLA, and Howard High to encourage students and share hope. We also serve as chaplains for a high school baseball team with weekly devotionals and prayer.
And this year, more than 200 people in our church committed to pray daily for our students, covering them in prayer and helping shape the next generation.
Closing Action Steps
If you would like to go ahead and give toward Carry the Light, just click the link below. This initiative is all about faithful generosity and maximizing impact! As a church, we are called to carry the light into our communities together. Remember, generosity is not about equal giving; it is about equal sacrifice. Every gift makes a difference!
Amy and I are so grateful for your partnership in God’s work here at City Church. Let’s keep seeking God together on this journey.