At the end of 2011 our Northwest Hills family gave special GO (Global Outreach) offerings, primarily to cover the relocation expenses of five Northwest Hills members who will go out as new full-time missionaries in 2012, but also to assist with the travel costs for two Northwest Hills short-term mission teams that will serve overseas this year. I am pleased to report that the total of those offerings amounted to $21,874. Great job, church family, providing for those special global outreach needs...

In January, six from our Northwest Hills family went out on self-initiated short-term missions. John & Diane Reese, Chris & Cathy Soward, along with daughters Christina and Shawn Soward traveled to Haiti to assist a variety of ministries with teaching and with water projects. Martha Wagner and Joann Stutzman traveled to Ghana, West Africa, to participate in outreach to women at Ghana Fest 2012.

You do not have because you do not ask. That’s God’s word to us about prayer from the book of James, chapter 4, verse 2. With that in mind, think about the number of answers to prayer we have not received because we never asked God for them in the first place.

Congratulations to Mike & Loren Wisniewski on the birth of their son Gabriel Quinn on December 13! We celebrate the dedication of children to God by three families in our December 11 worship service. Those dedicated are Luke Charles Hammagren (parents Erik & Becca), Samuel Biorn Hoffman (parents Ben & Jenny), and Elijah Nicolaas Volkert (parents Nick & Michelle).

God has given us a wonderful holiday gift this year: the opportunity and privilege of sending our five from our church family to serve as new long-term global missionaries! The Elders have opened a special GO Offering fund from now through Christmas Day to receive contributions for both the relocation expenses and the travel expenses of two short-term teams that we will send in 2012 to assist our missionaries already serving in Mongolia and Uganda. The total goal for the offering is $30,000 and ...