“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2 

We are weeks away from celebrating Christmas and the reality of Christ’s birth and what it means for us.  I have these words, the verse written above, ringing in my ear.  There is something sweet about the urgency and the dependence that came with the question, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?”  

I feel there is so much that is relatable to us in that inquiry. “Where is he?” We ask that more often than we possibly even realize. We see such need in the world, in our own communities, in our schools, places of work, our homes, and our hearts.  “Where is he?” And the answer is,  “He is here.”  

If we jump forward to the Easter story, the same question was asked at His tomb. “Where is He?” He was in fact not in the tomb. He was risen.  He was standing right in front of Mary. And He is standing right in front of you… and me.  

“We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 

Just as sweet an urgency is our need to worship.  So many answers to our prayers through the gates of worship and the courts of praise.  My prayer for us this weekend is that it be a time of refreshment. I pray that as we gather with our families, friends, body of Christ, and houses of worship, that we would rest in His presence. That we would rest from our worries and cares and praise Him for His unending mercies and provision and provision to come. 

I pray that in this coming season leading into Christmas and beyond, that we would bow our heads in reverence, lift our hands in praise, and usher in a spirit of thanksgiving.  

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4

Have a blessed weekend! 

In Christ, 

Kathy Thompson 

A note from Mrs. Wilson regarding the donations for Hurricane Helene
 

On a trip in October my husband and a few friends made contact with Cloudland Baptist who is operating as a distribution center and actively helping those in their area. When we had another chance to make a trip that way we immediately knew it would be just to that church. With everyone’s help and donations, in supplies and funds, we were able to nearly fill a 16’ trailer with food. With the great amount of funds we received we were able to make a Costco trip and buy a large amount of frozen meat, something that we knew from the church was a huge need as everyone had lost any frozen food while the power was out. The church was incredibly grateful for the supplies, and by the end of the day over half of what we brought (and all the meat) had been passed out to those in the community. We were able to stay for church the next day and build relationships with the people. It was so encouraging to be among the body of Christ that is acting out Acts 20:35, that it is better to give than to receive, and that is continuously praising the Lord through the trials they are facing. Things are slowly going back to normal, but it will be months to years before everything is rebuilt. If there is anyone that is interested in continuing to provide financially, they have GoFundMe pages to help pay for heating costs over the winter and funding to buy toys for the children in the area for Christmas. These can be found on their Facebook page (Cloudland Baptist Church). 

Doe on the Go “Booyah”

Make sure to stop by Cedar Bend Church at Millpond in Osceola this Saturday! Our fundraising committee and volunteers will begin selling booyah and baked goods at 10 and be there until later afternoon.  We are so grateful for our fundraising committee and the time and heart that has gone into this event! We are equally grateful for our volunteers and those coming out to support VCS in this event!  We will see you there! 

Greenery Pick Ups!!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Christmas greenery fundraiser! Our balsam ropes, wreaths, poinsettias, and other items will already be here on Monday! You will be able to pick these items up between the hours of 12:00 to 4:00.  Plan ahead and look forward to enjoying and delivering these items! 

Help Needed 

Osceola Community Church is looking for volunteers from adults or high school teachers to sell raffle tickets for Feed My Starving Children on Monday, November 25th from 3:30-6:30; Friday, November 29th from 3:30-6:30; and Saturday, November 30th 10:00-2:00.  If you are available and willing to help, please contact the school office and we will connect you to who you need to talk to. Thank you for considering! 

School Safety and Threat Assessment Training Update

Mrs. Thompson was able to attend an all day School Safety and Threat Assessment Training in St. Croix Falls this past Tuesday.  She learned much and will continue that conversation with staff members as we learn and train together.  It was a day filled with information.  We continue to take these things to heart and to the Lord in prayer. Staff’s first conversation was in our Thursday staff meeting.  We are grateful for training we receive each August during Teacher Training Week with local deputies and law enforcement. Please continue to pray for staff, students, parents, and both our school,  neighboring schools, and houses of worship. 



Fruit Sale

The fruit sale is now active! We encourage all of our families to use this as an opportunity to help us raise money for our students and the school. Fruit shipments will begin on December 2nd, arriving at the buyer’s address or their designated recipient. Deliveries will be completed before Christmas.

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