Elevation Church Orlando rang in the New Year with a Praise Party. The Southern Baptist church invited its congregants to welcome 2022 with praise and worship.
Welcoming New Year
The event took place on Friday, Dec. 31. Pastor Petr Buzyan informed congregants that no childcare will be provided for the worship service.
The church provided snacks and refreshments during the worship service.
He encouraged members to join the church in welcoming the New Year. Buzyan said that it was a great way to bid farewell to the old year.
The pastor welcomed the congregation to ring in 2022 as one church family.
The pastor challenged his congregants to reflect on the past year during the worship service. He also asked everyone in attendance what they were most thankful for in 2021.
Challenging Year
The pastor said that 2021 might have been a challenging year for many. He also comforted those who were hurting because of the pandemic.
Buzyan assured them that the church was one with them in their prayers.
The pastor challenged his congregants to view rest from a different perspective. Buzyan said that feeling tired was a natural human reaction.
He told the congregants that it was something that many of them felt. Feeling tired could result from overwork, stress, and too many expectations.
The pastor invited the attendees to look at rest in a different light. He said that rest was a period of comfort for many because it was a pause from the rush of the world.
Taking Comfort in Christ
He challenged everyone to take a step further by building an intimate relationship with Jesus. Buzyan said that the New Year would inevitably come with challenges. That part of life was something that was to be expected.
Buzyan encouraged his congregants to take 2022 as an opportunity to foster a relationship with Christ. He said that an intimate encounter with Jesus went beyond prayer.
The pastor posed another challenge. He told his congregants to leave behind the hurts of last year.
The New Year brought a myriad of opportunities to become better people. He urged his congregants to look beyond their human emotions and choose Christ.
He also said that if they let Christ carry their burdens, the weight of the world would not seem so heavy.
The pastor comforted congregants for the pains brought about by 2021. He invited them to journey with the church in hopes of a better and brighter year.
He said that all things are possible with God. Buzyan encouraged church members to look to Christ when they felt that there was no hope.
The pastor told his congregants that there was no telling what the New Year would bring. He challenged them to give up their selfish ways and surrender their lives to Jesus.
What is Elevation Church?
According to the Elevation Church website, the church believes that the Bible is God's Word to His people.
Human authors penned the Bible with God's help. The church also believes that since the Bible is the Word of God, it is without error.
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