January 2, 2025
From Ulisses Vasquez:
Happy New Year and Christmastide!
On January 6th, at the end of the 12 days of Christmas, many Christians around the world will celebrate the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day/Día de Los Reyes. The picture above is of the Rosca de Reyes, a sweet, crown-shaped bread eaten mainly in Mexico, Spain, and other Latin American countries on the Epiphany. This holiday celebrates the visitation of the Magi or Wise Men to the infant Jesus and his family. Although our Sunday service is January 4th, there is much to appreciate from these travelers!
As we look to 2026, let the journey of the Magi be a reminder of our journey as Radiant Covenant Church. The way to practice the simple way of Jesus is to first seek the presence of the living king. The way of being people of love and justice begins by reorienting our lives to Christ. The God whom we seek to know more deeply is the God who sought to be among us.
Writing about the Magi, Zambian minister Joe M Kapolyo writes “God will reveal himself wherever people are looking for him.” Let us continue to be a church that helps one another seek our savior. Our Emmanuel. Our God with us.
This Sunday at Radiant, we will have a special service that will allow us to reflect on this Christmas narrative. We will use the Discovery Bible Study as our guide to explore what this scripture passage says about God, people, and about our lives. We are excited about what we will learn from one another.
As we enter 2026, may we bring our talents, our struggles, our gratitude, our laments, our hopes, our failures, our stories, and our whole selves as gifts to Jesus.
Here are Jesus’s words for us:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
Grateful to be on this journey of faith with you all!
See you Sunday! at 10AM at MJC”
RADIANT EVENTS CALENDAR
1/5 – Sunday Worship 10AM at MJC
1/11 – Second Sunday Lunch and Membership Class @ ELC following worship.
1/11 – Home Church Restart
1/11 – Radiant Youth Group is back! 5:47PM
SECOND SUNDAY LUNCH & MEMBERSHIP CLASS 1/11
On January 11th join for lunch! We’ll provide the food and chew on the idea of church membership rogether. All welcome for lunch, regardless of level of interest in membership (you can leave whenever you like). Btw – here are some resources on membership on our linktree — take a look.
RADCOV KIDS SCHEDULE
There are some opportunities to serve in children’s ministry in 2026. Please contact Crystal Nicholson if God is leading you to explore serving in this area: (408) 802-7061
COMMUNITY NOTES:
FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY IS COMING TO RADIANT….
Financial Peace University is a nine-week class that’s helped nearly 10 million people learn step by step how to pay off debt, invest wisely for their future, give with outrageous generosity. We hope to begin in Mid-February. Interested? Questions? Contact Rob Shank (209) 610-5459. More information to come!
BAND APP
One way to connect at Radiant is to join our BAND APP group. Think of this as a sort of Radiant message board — our own little social media space. People can extend invites, share about needs and opportunities.
PRAYER
Join us for preservice every Sunday at 9am at MJC near the children’s ministry rooms.
GIVING UPDATE
Thank you for your generosity and partnership in Radiant’s ministry! We ended the year strong, meeting about 95% of our giving goal for 2025. More information soon to come about the 2026 budget.
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:7-8
Here’s the link to online giving.
Grace and Peace!
Zach
[email protected]
209-497-3710
www.radcov.org
