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Pastoral Christmas Letter
When we think of Christmas we often think of gifts. We give our loved ones gifts. The Magi gave gifts to Baby Jesus, but most exciting of all is the gift that God has given us in Jesus Christ—Himself in the flesh! Emmanuel—God is with us! We celebrate the arrival of a new kingdom in the birth of King Jesus. He is our gift to us. His abiding presence in our lives makes life new, and joy is restored. Boy, I would hate Christmas without Jesus.
But as we pause to meditate upon the gift that God has given us in Jesus, we’re compelled by God’s love to share that gift with others. In recent weeks, you helped us by sending more than seventy gifts to the children of the inmates at St. Gabriel’s prison, gifts that these women will be able to give to their children with dignity. You made that possible. Thank you for allowing God’s gift to flow through you, and special thanks to our Women’s Ministry for leading the effort!
As I write, Grace Church is gearing up to give out 450 beautiful “God’s Creation” wall calendars to our neighbors. This has become an annual way for us to reach out to the Bywater to let them know that the people of Grace care for them. Our members have come together to place in each calendar a gospel booklet and a little invitation to visit Grace Church. I hope that you’ll help us in our efforts to distribute these gifts to our neighbors.
I also hope that you’ll join us at Grace for our Family Christmas Dinner on Sunday, December 20 at 5:00 p.m. We’ll enjoy music and food as we remember God’s priceless gift to us in Jesus Christ. This service will actually be Jake and Diana Bondurant’s last service with us, and our church family will miss them dearly. We’re asking that you bless them any way that you can. Perhaps through a gift card of some kind. Be creative!
Most of all, I hope that you’ll take the time to appreciate God’s great gift to you in Christ Jesus and be compelled to share His gift with others. Your church family hopes that you will let us be a part of your life this season as we celebrate the gift of Jesus together.