New Horizon Church

December 3, 2025

 A greeter stood in the cold wind, cheerfully waving as I pulled into the parking lot at New Horizon church. A second greeter opened the door and a third handed me a program as I entered the sanctuary. Pastor Mark Jordan enthusiastically welcomed a fairly full room to the first week of Advent. A family came up to light the white candle.

The stage was festively decorated, lights low. The worship band—guitars, bass, drums, keyboard, and singer; players a little older than usual—enthusiastically engaged us in updated renditions of carols at maximally allowed volume. The holiday season is here! 

Younger kids then went off to their classes and a woman told us about the current missions project, Days for Girls. Hand-made hygiene kits allow girls in impoverished cultures across the globe to stay in school throughout the whole month. Look it up. Impressive!

Next was something new to me:  a full church membership covenant ceremony. Actually, this is being done over three Sundays, in three groups, not everyone at once. Fiftyish people of the 150 or so in attendance went to the front with their membership covenant pages to affirm, in several steps, aspects of the Apostles Creed. “As we take upon ourselves vows of membership at NH, we are responding to God’s calling to enter a covenant relationship with Christ’s Church, New Horizon Church, the Global Methodist Church and one another.”

After offering baskets were passed, the Star Wars intro played on a big screen. “The Epic Tale.” Then followed “Jesus Christ” in the same format with Galatians 4:4-7 replacing the Star Wars opening crawl up the screen. Our message from that text emphasized that Christ was sent when the fullness of time had come. God knew from the beginning he’d have to come to redeem us. We can appreciate his timing in Kingdom life whether we are currently in joy or still waiting in pain. Be on the lookout for God, especially when something surprising happens. “It takes particular vision to see what God has done.”

The service ended with communion. Congregants went to tables, took a piece of broken bread and dipped it in the cup of juice. (Individual servings were also available.) We were then dismissed and I went back out into the windy morning.