Everyone seems excited to see 2020 come to an end. I understand that sentiment because it has been a year unlike anything we have ever experienced. I truly appreciate your faithfulness to the Lord during this difficult year! I realize that we will not be able to have all of our usual Christmas celebrations, but I am very hopeful that we will be able to have a Christmas Eve Service this year. Right now we are in the process of planning a brief 6 pm service that will be very different, but also very meaningful and beautiful. I also understand that not everyone will be able to join us in person, but I do hope that you will at least make plans to join us for the live stream.
Our Finance Committee is hard at work preparing a budget for 2021. With all of the uncertainty, this is not an easy task! I am very grateful to our Treasurer and all of the Finance Committee for your hard and prayerful work. I pray that we will all do our part to make up the difference in our decreased giving and unexpected expenses these past few months by trusting God to keep his word in Malachi 3:10: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”
Remember that we are not given a spirit of fear – not in our finances; not in our health; not in our government; and certainly not in our faith. Instead, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us,” and nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Every single human being who has lived or will live suffers. This is a fact in our fallen world. But we do not have to live in fear. Scripture tells us 65 times in these exact words, “Do not be afraid.” So I am encouraged! I believe that 2021 is going to be a year in which God is going to do great things in and through His church! But we still have December, and we need to take this month to celebrate the coming of the Christ Child – and to remember these simple words to some simple boys and young men:
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
We love you,
Pastor Billy and Sandy