There are so many things about the Christmas season to love. First and foremost, it is the celebration of the coming of our savior. It is a time of family gatherings and special meals. It is a season of beautifully decorated homes, of tree trimming and outdoor lights. It is a time of giving and receiving gifts as an expression of our love for one another and as a reminder of the greatest gift, the coming of Christ. It is caroling and candlelight services. But one of my favorite things about this season is the spirit of giving. There's something about the Christmas season that seems to bring out kindness, love and generosity.
Reminder: Gifts for the Giving Tree are due back by this Sunday.
This year, as we have for so many years, our Rock Church family will provide hundreds of gifts for needy children in our area. We will gather up and distribute various forms of assistance (fuel, food, medicine and more) for the elderly and the needy in our region. And then, separate from what we do together as a church, I know that many of you will additionally support many worthwhile missions and charitable organizations. And every year I hear wonderful and heartwarming stories of the ways that some of you will reach out directly to neighbors in need. I love that spirit of giving and generosity that permeates Christmas.
Certainly we see this happen in many areas of our culture. But as the Church of Jesus Christ, we want to lead the way. I want our communities know, to see, that Christians are among the most generous people in the world. Not to draw attention to ourselves, but to lift up the name of Jesus. Some of you may have heard that we just launched a new initiative integrating our For Our Community work and our Connection Cards. If you haven't heard, for every Connection Card that comes in each week (paper or online) Rock Church will donate a dollar to a missional outreach. Through December 19th, the money will go to gifts for needy children through our Giving Tree program. Beginning on Christmas Eve throughout all of January, the proceeds will go to disaster relief for those impacted by the recent devastating tornadoes.
We are doing this because as a church we want to be generous. God has given us so much, blessed us in so many ways, that we want to be generous in his name. The good news is you don't have to wait until Christmas Eve to begin supporting this important work. If you would like to make a donation, to be added to what will come in through the connection cards, you can go directly to our online giving page and make a donation right now. If you're using the E-giving link, make your donation on the line designated for missions with the word “tornadoes” in the memo box.
The Apostle Paul wrote “the Lord loves a cheerful giver.” There's something beautiful about being joyfully generous to those in need and to the work of the kingdom of God, particularly in this season of giving. Have a blessed week.
Love you all,
Pastor Steve