December Update

With the coming of the new year, I've decided to do something a little different here at nateholdridge.com. I'm going to share a monthly update on the first Wednesday of the month. I have discovered many of you would love to know what's happening in my life and ministry, and since so many of you pray, this will serve as a great way for me to distribute some prayer requests. If this isn't your jam, that's fine; I don't mean to be a bother. It's just that I don't put much of "myself" into my regular writing and articles, so I hope a monthly update helps you get a better glimpse into what's going on with Nate Holdridge.

Nate

Since returning from sabbatical in August, I have been working pretty hard and am looking forward to some time enjoying family and friends this December. The months of September, October, and November each had me traveling for ministry, so I am looking forward to a month without any guest speaking or ministry travel.

I will also be leading our annual Calvary Monterey Christmas staff party. I've previously written about this gathering and how it's a great time for us to reflect on the past year, along with a time for me to thank each member of the team in front of the others. It should be a lot of fun, a great way to head into Christmas and the New Year.

I'm also looking forward, as always, to Christmas Eve. We will have four services this year. People often ask me how it feels to speak four times in a row, but honestly, since my Christmas Eve message is so short, it's not as draining as it sounds. I think our worship team gets more fatigued than I do. But it will be a great night to celebrate Jesus. If you are in the Monterey area on Christmas Eve, come on out (12 noon, 2, 4, 6 pm at Calvary).

After Christmas, I will take a few days off to be with family and recharge for the New Year. I can't believe 2020 is almost here. It seems like just yesterday I was buying my Y2K survival kit.

Family

Christina and I are doing great. We felt refreshed during our sabbatical, and now that we're in the groove of everyday life back in Monterey, we are so thankful. The life Jesus has given us is so full and rich. And, for us, the Thanksgiving to Christmas season is filled with so much fun and tradition.

We are looking forward to extended family (both sides) for Thanksgiving, Candy Cane Lane night, the Calvary Staff Christmas party, a friend's Christmas party (where I've played Santa for over a decade), and tons of musical theater performances.

And that's what's keeping our girls busy this December. All three of them are in a local musical theater program, and each of their classes has a Christmas show they put on at various times all over the Peninsula. We'll be at tree lightings, the mall, and other public venues watching our girls sing and dance for Christmas.

We are enjoying this year with the girls. Lauren just turned 16, Violet will turn 14 in January, and June is 12. It's been amazing to watch them grow up, and Christina and I feel so lucky to parent them.

Plans: Tuesday Night Church

Something big I'm excited about is the launch of Tuesday Night Church at Calvary, starting January 14. Years ago, our church had a regular midweek church service, and I am bringing it back, but with a twist.

The plan is pretty straightforward. I am going to teach a little over half the nights and will take the church verse-by-verse through the Old Testament, starting with Genesis. It has been a prayer and desire of mine to bring people through the Word, and I see it as a pastoral responsibility to read, preach, and teach Scripture (1 Tim 4:13). After taking our time through the first few chapters of Genesis, I hope to adopt a relatively quick pace of two or three chapters per night. All the teachings will be posted here at nateholdridge.com for others to enjoy, hopefully for years to come.

On the other nights, I have asked a small group of up-and-coming pastors in our church to tackle other books of the Bible (likely Galatians in 2020). I want these men to be raised up and get opportunities to teach in a multigenerational environment. We will also take time off from regular exposition for worship nights and special subjects that would be helpful to modern believers.

Finally, the plan at this point is to take a six or seven-week break from these services from Thanksgiving into January each year. Since the night services will require quite a bit of work, it will be helpful to regroup each year and to rest and recharge for the next year.

I am very much looking forward to what God is going to do at Tuesday Night Church. I know many believers on our Peninsula need more than Sunday and Life Group gatherings. I know many will grab the recordings online. My hope is for the Word to be implanted in thousands as a result of this work.

Plans: nateholdridge.com

I am getting set for 2020 with the website and will talk more about this in January. We are planning some fun things for the new year. Thank you so much if you subscribed via email. If you are an email subscriber, thank you so much for joining me.

Additionally, in the new year, we will release my next book. It is called "Christ Unites" and is about the book of Ephesians. I can't wait to tell you more about it, but I hope many of you enjoy it once it is released.

Prayer Requests

"You also must help us by prayer..." (2 Corinthians 1:11).

1. Wisdom in retaining health and balance with the new responsibility of Tuesday Night Church. I need to see various strategies to get the job done, but also discernment to know what I cannot do anymore.
2. The Holdridge Family: Last Christmas season was sweet, but made difficult when Christina herniated a disk and was laid out for a few weeks. We are praying for a different kind of December, one where mom is healthy.
3. Nate & Christina: Continued prayers for our marriage to become stronger than ever. We love each other, but always want to grow.
4. Protection: We believe we are engaged in a spiritual battle. Prayers for the protection of Jesus are welcomed.
5. Christmas Eve Services: For Christ to be honored and exalted through everything said and sung at Calvary that night. We also would love to see many visitors at that special time.

Thank you, and Merry Christmas!