Pastor's Letter • december 4, 2016

​My Dear Friends and Precious Family of God, please allow me to be among the first to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!  I love this wonderful greeting.  When we say, “Merry Christmas,” we are announcing “Good News,” a joyous, happy, wonderful, and cheerful celebration is taking place:  Christ is Born!  Salvation Has Arrived!  God has intended Good Will for all people, in all places, at all times.  It is a glorious Celebration of our wonderful Savior! 
 
Therefore, please do not let anyone take from you the great privilege of saying, “MERRY CHRISTMAS!”  Say it in every store you frequent.  Share this good news with every friend you have, and if they tell you that they are not Christians or that they do not celebrate Christmas; tell them that it's okay, you are simply sharing the joy of your celebration!  Christmas is YOUR Holiday. J 
 
I have a friend who is very dear to me, and is a Theist at best, and is quite agnostic in practice. When he is struggling with a problem or an issue, I try to help him in whatever way I can, and likewise he tries to help me.  Now, I never hide from him the fact that I am praying for him.  In truth, because he is my friend and he knows that I love him, he recognizes that one of the most precious things I can give him, is to take the time to pray for him.  It is my way of utilizing all of my resources to assist my friend.
 
Likewise Beloved, there are those in this world who just want to fight us for being Christians or do away with Christ from the public square altogether.  We certainly must not through our silence allow this to take place.  Our faith is a living faith, it is not a historical relic and our churches are not museums.  So, celebrate the BIRTH of the RISEN Christ, for not only is this a Living Hope, we are rejoicing over a Living God! I suspect that if you share our celebration with authentic love, there are far more who will appreciate your celebration than there are those who resent it.
 
To that end, we have a lot of celebrating going on…
 
·      WORKERS CHRISTMAS DINNER is tonight at 6:30 PM.

• Last Friday, Dr. Anderson and the PACE Students put on a wonderful Christmas Program.  This coming Friday night at 7:30 PM will be the PACE Christmas Concert.  Please join us.

·      WINTER WONDERLAND OUTREACH AND TOY GIVE-AWAY is NEXT Sunday…11 AM with lunch and the Toy Give-Away immediately after the Service in 105.

• Our CHRISTMAS PAGEANT is actually the NIGHT BEFORE THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS on Friday, December 23 at 7 PM.  Please plan to join us and BRING your friends.  We are praying the Lord brings a harvest that night.