CCY Connect NOVEMBER edition 2025

Some things just don’t make sense on the surface. But when God is involved, the unexpected becomes beautiful.

Paul writes about the churches in Macedonia:

“In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” — 2 Corinthians 8:1–2

Did you catch that?

• Severe trial - yet overflowing joy.
• Extreme poverty - yet rich generosity.

How?

Jesus changes people and hearts.

As we enter this season, we are inviting our church family to reflect that same kind of joyful generosity. Here at CCY we often say:

“You can’t do everything, but everyone can do something.”

That’s not pressure - it’s freedom. We don’t give to prove anything. We give because God has already given us everything in Christ.

And if you find yourself on the receiving end of blessing this year—please allow the blessing to happen. That is also obedience. I recently spoke with a sister in our church who shared how hard it is for her to accept help because she loves to be the giver. But sometimes the most faithful act is to say yes and allow God to love you through others.

Below are several opportunities where we as a church will be living this out together:

• Boxes available beginning Sunday, November 2.
• Filled boxes due back November 16.

Christ’s Church of Yukon is once again partnering with Operation Christmas Child to share the love of Jesus with children around the world. Each shoebox is more than a gift—it is the Gospel carried in simple form to a child who may never have heard the Name of Jesus before.

How to participate:

• Pick up a shoebox in the Gathering Area or use a similar-sized box from home.
• Fill it with toys, school supplies, hygiene items, and a personal note.
• Return it to the foyer by Nov. 16, along with the small shipping donation.

Thanksgiving Bags

Brown paper bags with a suggested grocery list will be available to pick up in the Gathering Area. Fill a bag with Thanksgiving meal items and return it to CCY by the Sunday before Thanksgiving. There will also be a QR Code that sends you to a shopping list for the Thanksgiving Special Walmart is running. The shopping list is for 10 people and is a total of $40.

Our philosophy is simple:

• If you are in need — take a bag and enjoy the blessing of a Thanksgiving meal.
• If God has provided and you’re able — fill a bag and bless another family.
• Any remaining bags will be distributed to families in need within our church and community.

Blessing Tree

The Christmas season is a beautiful time to reflect God’s love by caring for one another, and our Church Blessing Tree is a special way to do just that!

This ministry gives our church family the opportunity to bless each other in a tangible way. Maybe your family could use a little help this year - with gifts for your children, groceries for your pantry, or other needs. Or maybe you’d love the chance to be a blessing to another family and share the joy of giving.

Everything is handled confidentially — only church staff will know which families are receiving gifts.

Important Dates:

• Sign up to receive or bless a family by November 23rd.
• Families who sign up to give will be partnered with another family the week of November 24th.
• All gifts should be returned unwrapped by December 14th.

For those looking to sponsor or request support, simply fill out a form in the church lobby or visit our website at www.ccyok.com/blessingtree to get started.

Together, let’s surround one another with love and generosity this Christmas season and show what it truly means to be the family of God.

Christmas Extravaganza (Christ’s Closet Ministry)

Families from our community will come and “shop” for gifts for their children—and children can choose gifts for their parents. Everything is free, including lunch and clothing.

Volunteers are needed! Sign up here: ccyok.com/extragavanza-volunteers

Kingdom Churches Offering — Early December

Each year we select one of our mission partners to bless through a special offering. This year, we will be sending our gift to Guatemala, supporting the expansion of ministry and possibly the construction of a new church building.

Let’s Pray Together

Lord, lead us. Show us where to give, where to serve, where to receive, and where to trust. Make us a people who overflow with joy and abound in generosity, not because we have much, but because You are enough.

Amen.

Morning Glory Christian Academy – Loving our Neighbor

This coming summer, 2026, CCY will take a group to San Raymundo, Guatemala, to serve at Morning Glory Christian Academy. The academy, which started in 2001, helps approximately 650 children from the surrounding community and employs around 50 staff members. San Raymundo is a municipality with over 31,000 residents, with about half living in the ten small villages around the city center. Many people (~71%) in the area are of Mayan descent, and they work in agriculture. If you want to learn more about the school and what is happening there, please take a moment to watch the video.

CCY first visited the school in 2016 and has returned every three years to continue serving and encouraging the children and staff. CCY also provides financial support to the school through the mission’s budget. This year, we will be working with and caring for the children and staff while also assisting with work projects at the school. We have always believed that these trips are a team effort involving every church member, so here are some ways you can get involved:

PRAY

Pray for the safety and travel of the team during the trip. Pray that the hearts of the children and staff will be softened and encouraged as they hear the gospel and about the love of Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

FINANCIAL

We will be holding several fundraisers between now and then to cover the costs of travel and work projects. We would appreciate your support during these events, whether through donations or financial contributions. (Philippians 4:19)

JOIN US

If you're interested in joining the team, there's still time to make that commitment. We will have a meeting after church on November 16 to go over the details, and Rob Courtney, our missionary at the school, will be there to answer questions. (Mark 16:15)

In Luke, Jesus is quoted as saying,

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).

Will you join us on this journey as we seek to love God and love others while making Christ more fully known to our Guatemalan neighbors? Let's continue to impact the kingdom locally and globally.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Each year on Veterans Day, we pause as a nation to honor the men and women who have worn the uniform of our Armed Forces. These individuals have demonstrated courage, discipline, and devotion in their service to preserve the freedoms we enjoy. Their willingness to sacrifice personal comfort and safety for the sake of others reflects a profound form of love, one that mirrors the very example set by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In John 15:13, Jesus speaks of the greatest expression of love: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. This verse captures both the heart of military service and the heart of the Gospel. Just as our veterans have stood in harm’s way so that others might live in peace, Christ gave His life so that all might live in the fullness of God’s grace. His sacrifice was perfect and complete—an act of selfless love that redeems and transforms us.

For me, this message carries personal meaning. During my own time in service, I experienced moments when fear, uncertainty, and the weight of battle felt overwhelming. In the years that followed, I faced the deep struggles of depression, PTSD, and anxiety - real battles that many veterans know all too well. Yet, through it all, God’s hand was upon me. He met me in the midst of my brokenness, replacing fear with faith, despair with hope, and pain with peace. It was through His strength that I found healing and a renewed purpose in serving Him and others.

As we honor our veterans, let us not only express our gratitude for their service but also remember that God is still at work in the lives of those who have served. He is the ultimate Healer, Restorer, and Redeemer.

This Veterans Day, may we be reminded that true leadership is found not in power or prestige, but in service and compassion. Let us follow the example of Christ by giving of ourselves for others, standing for truth, and extending the love of God in all that we do. In doing so, we honor both our veterans and our Savior, who showed us what it means to love completely.

New Middle School Sunday School Class

There’s something exciting happening on Sunday mornings for our 6th–8th graders!

Our new Middle School Sunday School class, led by Matt Smith, meets each week at 9:30 AM in the Conference Room. This discussion-based, small-group class gives students a place to ask questions, grow in their faith, and learn what it truly means to have a genuine relationship with God.

The middle school years come with plenty of challenges, and for young believers, those challenges can be even more intense. That’s why this class is designed to help students stand firm in their faith and discover how to live it out every day.

Using a workbook Matt personally created, titled Growing Spiritually, students dive into lessons about prayer, reading God’s Word, fasting, and living righteously. The workbook was beautifully designed by his wife, Librada, making it both engaging and meaningful for young readers.

Matt has a deep passion for Christ, the Bible, and helping kids understand how faith connects to real life. Through open discussion and Scripture study, he encourages each student to grow stronger in their walk with God - equipping them to navigate today’s world with confidence and conviction.

If you have a middle schooler, invite them to be part of this amazing group! It’s a great way for them to connect, grow, and discover that faith isn’t just something you believe - it’s something you live.