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STATE MISSIONS: Why We Celebrate
Paul White
What could stop you from Celebrating Christmas? For many, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ is not so much a Christian holiday or festival, but rather an opportunity to decorate our homes and yards, attend parties, overindulge, and overspend. For many, it’s just a good reason for a day or two off work.
In reality, Christmas is an opportunity to pause and give thanks for the hope, love, and joy that can be found in Jesus — our Savior and friend. As we exchange gifts with loved ones, we should remember the gift God gave us in Jesus. This gift signifies that we are loved, never alone and have hope for the future.
After Jesus’ birth, a group of wise men visited him. They acknowledged Jesus’ kingship and worshiped him. Then, they opened their treasures and presented Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 1:11). Not much has changed, as wise men still seek out this same Jesus, knowing he is God in the flesh.
During this time called Christmas, we too, can offer up our worship and thanks to God through prayers. What prayers, you might ask? Prayers of thankfulness for the most wonderful gifts — hope, love and joy. Your Christmas this year may appear different from previous years. A lot can change in a year. Perhaps circumstances beyond your control have dampened or overshadowed the images of hope you hold. However, I want you to understand that the true meaning of Christmas is not determined by the number of gifts or the type of food.
The message of Christmas remains unchanged, whether you are surrounded by family, missing loved ones or spending the season alone. It is not affected by the house you live in or do not live in. God’s love is for everyone. You are not alone. You are loved, and you can feel both hopeful and joyful. That is the true meaning of Christmas.
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “During the week, a group of sisters from the church, led by Mrs. Sayra, wrapped gifts for the church’s children and the community. We will deliver over 600 gifts. On Thursday, Dec. 19, we plan to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. Each participant will be able to learn about the story of Jesus’ birth and the purpose of His life on Earth.”
“We had 53 children on Sunday, which was the maximum attendance at Sunday School. We thank God for these children and pray for good teaching and teachers trained in the Word, committed to God and well-prepared to teach children. This is a good opportunity to do cross-cultural missions locally. If you have the gift of teaching and are called to serve children, consider making a six-month commitment with us and teach at our Sunday School. Language won’t be a barrier as all the children speak English. For more information, contact us at (501) 753-3166. Thank you for praying for us.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “We had a great time in our Discovery Bible Study (DBS). We have enjoyed strong attendance and engaging discussions that help us uncover the truths about God and His Word. This coming week will mark our last session of the year before we take a break until January.
“We held our Christmas dinner on Saturday, Dec. 14. Our members worked on decorating the fellowship hall and tables. Praise God, there was plenty of food to enjoy. This year, 45 people gathered, and we had a great opportunity to hear the gospel message.
“Pray for this time of festivities. We will have brethren going out to visit their families in different places. Pray for the January plans. We start the year by praying for every family in the church. Both Kory and I visit each family to pray for them. Thank you for your support for missions. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “We had another great week at Faith Chapel with good attendance and a wonderful time of worship. We are certainly enjoying our new building! Some of our first-time visitors from last week’s dedication service returned and informed us that others would also be back. Praise God, both families had kids and said they really like it here. I know the Lord will work all that out, but it is nice to hear. We had four more first-time visitors today, and they also said they really liked it. Praise God again!
“I had to go to Little Rock on Thursday for Mom’s funeral. I conducted the service, and it was challenging. Still, I’ve performed similar services for my dad, Karen’s parents, my sister, and my uncle. It’s never easy to conduct a funeral for someone you love. However, I know without a doubt that Mom is with the Lord. I also recognize that some of her grandkids and great-grandkids needed to hear the gospel, and I preferred they hear it from me. As Scott Small stated, ‘God called me to preach, and I’m going to preach at this funeral.’ Thank you all for your prayers during this time!
“Thank you once again for all your prayers and support. It means so much to us to know that you care enough to pray for us and for Faith Chapel. We also pray for you and are thankful to God for you.”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “Faith journey had a big week for our community ministries. We were finally able to return to our nursing facilities after a couple of weeks of absence due to a men’s retreat and illness within the facilities that limited our access to the residents. It was wonderful to worship and study Scripture with these amazing people again. They were just as excited to see us as we were to see them!
“We held our monthly meeting at the local middle school for our ‘Mountain Movers’ Christian Council. Over 55 students and faculty joined us to learn more about Christ. We studied Luke 2 and challenged them to go home and share the Christmas story with their families during this season. We hope God will bless them and their loved ones as these students draw nearer to Him through the message of our Savior’s birth.
We had our last men’s Bible study this past Tuesday night. This group of men has truly enjoyed the time we’ve shared seeking God’s guidance in our lives. They’ve learned a lot about one another, but more importantly, they’ve also gained insight into themselves through Christ’s teachings. They are eager to begin our next study after the new year, and we hope to invite new men to join us when we start the next session.
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA:Roberto Marcelletti writes, “We celebrated with our Christmas service this week. It is an event where children, teens and adults serve together in the same program. During the week, we gather to train the chorale, drama and songs that the music ministry will share, as well as enlist the sisters who will prepare the delicious dishes for our Christmas lunch. On Saturday morning, we hold the final rehearsal but first share a biblical text with the people who will be serving for the first time, emphasizing the importance of doing it from the heart for the Lord with excellence.
“On Sunday, after the sermon titled ‘The Most Wonderful Song of Christmas’ from Luke 2:8-14, we reflected on the purpose for which Jesus came: to bring glory to God and peace to men, as proclaimed by the choir of angels in Heaven. Following this, we held our Christmas program, where both children and adults offered their worship to the King through our acts. We concluded with gifts and food for everyone.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “What a magical night we had Friday night! Our worship leaders canceled a week before our scheduled monthly Collective Worship Gathering last Sunday. Instead of aiming for the next Sunday night, we tried something different. Instead of having our connection groups this week, we held a Christmas party/Collective Worship Night on Friday night. This is when our Garfield Connection Group usually meets, so we held it at the home where they meet.
The place was packed with nearly 30 there. We had an incredible fellowship of finger foods and desserts. Then, we went into the living room for a Discovery Bible Study on Gal. 5:1 and worship. We closed with the song ‘The Heart of Worship,’ and I sat back in awe and said that, for the first time, I was the closest to practicing the message of that song. Amanda and I reflected on how authentic the fellowship and sharing in the Bible study were. We also loved how the Garfield Coach, Rodney, led us in prayer for a group member having surgery.
“Please pray for us as we plan to launch our youth program in a few weeks. We also had the opportunity to spend some time with South City Church, our sending church, this week.”
“Please pray for our coaches’ households — Chadwell, King, Leatherwood, McCandless, Petrocelli, Sailors and Simon. Also, pray for the prospective coach households of Stewart and Wright.”