Volume 9 Week 50 December 14, 2003
Have You Invited A Friend To Christmas Eve Worship?
Christmas Gift Giving Ideas And The Greatest Gift Of All: Life With Jesus!
I have a couple of topics today. Read on!
This first
topic just seemed like something you should know about at Christmas time. I’ll quote the article from our church worker
publication, Reporter.
LWML offers
greeting cards for those in military service.
“Recognizing the importance of supporting U. S. military men and women serving overseas, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is offering greeting cards that Synod members can send to their family and friends stationed far from home.
“The ‘salutations, greetings for military personnel’ cards come in five designs: thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthday and ‘saluting your service.’ Each includes encouraging words and a Scripture verse.
“For example, the ‘We Salute your Service’ card, which may be sent anytime, carries the sentiment:
“’Long days. Long nights. Loneliness, worry, fear. Duty. Honor. Courage. Faith.
“’Know that in everything, and through every cirmcumstance, your heavenly Father is with you and cares for you.
“’Know also that we think of you and pray for you daily. We honor you and your great service. You are in our hearts and on our minds. We pray for your safe homecoming, and that God would grant you confidence, peace, faith and joy, now and always’.”
“The military cards were developed ‘as part of the LWML’s continuing support of our military personnel, providing encouragement for those times when home seems so far away,’ said LWML President Linda Reiser.
“The cards are priced as follows: one to nine cards - 85 cents each; 10-25 - 75 cents each; 26 to 75 - 70 cents each; and 76 or more - 65 cents each (prices do not include shipping and handling). The cards may be ordered in any assortment. To order contact the LWML office in St. Louis at [314-268-1530].
“The LWML also will accept donations to make cards available at no charge to chaplains and others who may be able to use the cards. Donations may be sent to the LWML at P. O. Box 411993, St. Louis, MO 63141-9998.”
I’m always moved by the depth of support that so many of you share for our faithful in the armed forces. You veterans especially know the impact of mail and words of encouragement from the Lord and from fellow Christians.
Local Assistance
for a Soldier
One of our pre-school fathers has been called up from the reserves to active service. As you have heard repeatedly, this is a great hardship on the family, as those on active duty are not only away from their spouse and children for what is often an undetermined length of time, but family income generally also takes a very significant drop.
One practical way that our Center for Early Childhood Education helps families out in times like this is to cover the cost of pre-school tuition. A small fund has been established from past special gifts from grandparents, church members or other supporters of this important ministry. Due to needs of a number of families this year, the scholarship fund is being greatly taxed.
Your special gifts toward the Mount Calvary CECE (with a note designating it for scholarship assistance) would be a wonderful, loving offer of support to a soldier and his child, ensuring continued attendance at our preschool during a difficult time for any child.
LMA Toy Offering
There
are many toy drives going on, but I hope you will consider the Lutheran
Ministries Association (LMA) toy drive.
LMA is our local agency for chaplaincy programs, serving nursing homes
in underprivileged areas of the city and county, and those incarcerated at city
and county jails. The toy drive is to
provide Christmas gifts to children whose parents are in jail. Bring your unwrapped gift (so LMA knows where
to direct it) to church by today (Sunday) or early Monday when LMA will pick
them up.
Christmas Eve
Christians around the world think that American Christians are goofy.
There is a very unusual phenomenon in our country that is not seen elsewhere: Christians who have no church. These are people who profess faith in Christ as their only hope of salvation, and yet are not affiliated with a worshiping community. Various explanations have been offered: bad past experiences with the “dead orthodoxy” of some mainline denominations, American individualism that results in a spirit of independence from others, six day work weeks that leaves Sunday as the only day to “hunker down.”
I don’t discount the work of the devil in this. It is one of his age old tricks to separate the sheep from the flock, one by one, to make them easier prey for his vicious and destructive acts.
Many in our community, either Christians with no church home or “seekers,” those who might attend a church because they recognize a spiritual need in their lives, believe that the doors of churches are closed to them.
People in churches don’t know why they feel that way.
I do.
Almost all the growth in American churches happens in new churches. Once a church has gotten off the ground, after about 15-20 years, they tend to become focused more on the needs of members than about outreach to those who do not know Christ or do not have a church home. This is a naturally occurring phenomenon among all organizations. Circles of friends become, over time, closed groups.
I read recently that most older, established congregations are very happy being closed groups. They are unresponsive to the needs of those around them and are generally not very welcoming of guests, nor passionate and resourceful in their outreach. Of those established churches that make a concerted effort to try to become outward focused, only about 25% actually succeed. The cost is too high. It takes too much change. It’s expensive in time and resources.
I am convinced that we are in the 25%. I’ve seen how this congregation welcomes its guests and new members. I’ve witnessed your willingness to change.
That’s why it’s been such an easy decision to change our worship schedule on the most traditional night of the year, Christmas Eve. Times of services are 6:00 PM and 9:30 PM in an effort to make it easier for those who have to church home to attend along with you and your family.
You may have to change for the sake of those you bring to worship. I know you can, and I’m anxious to meet your friends, on Christmas Eve and on the Sundays that follow. Give the greatest gift of Christmas, life with Jesus!