Bret Lamsma

As we use the gifts that he has given us to praise him, we can’t help but grow as well. We grow in understanding about who God is and who he created us to be. Our faith in who God is grows. And our connection to God’s people and the larger story of salvation grows as well.

I thought about the relationship that we developed, and how the time that we spent together years ago was now directly tied in his mind to his men’s discipleship planning group. Whatever it was that we did together was discipleship, and it pointed him to Christ and the church and a faith that he still holds today.

This New Year’s Eve service is really a series of three services connected by music sung by the congregation. Each section focuses on a different part of the Old Year or New Year.

In the first section we thank God for what he has done for us in the past. In the second section we ask God to forgive us as we enter into a New Year, and in the third section we are reminded to start out the New Year with a solid foundation. Each section consists of songs, Scripture

readings, a short reflection on the topic and the Scripture reading, and prayer.