GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS BY BROOKS WILSON THE GROWING ZONE BY TOM GILLESPIE AN EVERYDAY HOPE STORY BY ANONYMOUS

Transcription

1 GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS BY BROOKS WILSON THE GROWING ZONE BY TOM GILLESPIE AN EVERYDAY HOPE STORY BY ANONYMOUS

2 Her list begins with memorizing a phone number. It continues with actions like making mix tapes and calling a theater to get movie times. It concludes with getting your old checks back from the bank every month. The list was compiled by Kim Komando in an article she wrote a while back for USA Today called 20 Things We Don t Do Anymore Because Of Technology. Isn t it amazing to consider all of the changes in our life because of the gift of a smartphone or tablet? Gifts have that power. They can change our daily habits or even eliminate well-worn routines. A thoughtful gift can deepen a relationship, or a surprise gift can begin a new one. Gifts can open up a whole new world for people. by: Brooks Wilson Years ago, a dear friend got me a surprise gift - a baseball signed by legendary, Baltimore Orioles third baseman, Brooks Robinson. Through that simple gift branded from my namesake, I was able to begin a dialogue with Brooks through the mail. It developed to the degree that when his health was in jeopardy years ago, I was able to pray for him and speak encouragement into his life. It was just a baseball, a simple gift, but it opened my world one degree more. That s the possibility of a gift. Of course, gifts are as old as Christmas itself. When Matthew records the early years of Jesus life, he remembered the visit of the Magi. Those Persian high priests, studied in the ways of astrology and the magical arts, followed a star to find this Messiah. Tradition has said that there were three of these Magi, and they have even been given names - Gaspar, king of India, Melchior, king of Persia, and Balthasar, king of Arabia. 1

3 Some have identified them as representatives of the three groups of peoples that descended from Noah s sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth (Asian, African, European). But, Matthew doesn t record their number or names. All Matthew says is Magi. Yet, he does describe their gifts. They presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). These were expensive gifts, symbolic gifts, powerful gifts. I wonder if South Side could enter that same tradition of gift giving this Christmas. In order to show the generosity of God and acknowledge the birth of our King, we would like to offer three gifts as well. To our church family, we want to give the gift of growth. Over the next few weeks, our church will highlight an online ministry resource called RightNow Media. It has been called the Netflix of bible study, and it hosts thousands of videos of Christian content, from children s shows to conference workshops to bible studies. It unleashes bible study from our building at certain times and puts it on your screen when you have time. We hope it will open a whole new world to your faith journey. To our community, we want to give the gift of hope. Over the past month, South Siders have been meeting the physical needs of people in our community through our Everyday Hope Project. We have invested $10,000 into the hands of everyday missionaries to bring gifts to neighbors and co-workers, classmates and friends. During this Christmas season, we ll hear how those gifts have blessed our community, brought change to people, and crafted hope. To our world, we want to give the gift of love. South Side has partnered with a wholistic ministry in a slum neighborhood called Korogocho Nyayo, located in Nairobi, Kenya. There are 500 students there, from preschool to fourth grade, and we would love to buy each child a pair of shoes and socks for the upcoming school semester. For $25, you can provide a student with a durable pair of shoes and socks. It could very well be the only pair these students will have. Would you change the world of these students through a simple gift? In a world dominated by injustice and a country reeling from violence, may these simple gifts honor the Prince of Peace and bring his kingdom change to our world. Merry Christmas! 2

4 by: Tom Gillespie The Grow Zone is our ministry to kids birth - 5th grade and attendance is growing! The Grow Zone isn t just a place to drop off your kids during services. It s a place where our youngest church members begin to grow in their own spiritual development. The Grow Zone Team is comprised of over 100 caring staff and volunteers who work on a rotating basis. These servants surround our children with biblical examples, stories, songs and games to demonstrate the love of our Creator. There are check-in computers on both the main and lower levels. As each child arrives, their parent or guardian checks them in. A two-part self-adhesive badge is automatically generated with the child s tag showing their name and grade level. Another claim tag is attached to assure the child is returned to the same adult that checked them in. We want to make sure that no child leaves with someone other than the person they came with. 3 To provide the safest environment possible, the Grow Zone is a protected area. With classrooms located on the main and lower levels, maintaining security is a high priority. These doors remain open prior to services to allow parents to bring their child to the appropriate classroom. Once classes start, the doors are secured. Anyone coming in late or leaving early must enter the reception area on the main level to gain access to the Grow Zone wing.

5 Pastor Rodney Hull recently completed a 12-month course study to receive a Certificate in Children s Ministry from the Kid- Min Academy. His desire to improve himself reflects the impact he has on this vital ministry. Each week the volunteers that are serving that morning meet to pray together and discuss that day s theme. Before each Sunday they discuss their focus for the day and share ideas. Like in our adult services, our children have a specific area of faith to focus on. Encouraging posters and decorations change each month with a new message. The 25-person Nursery Staff monitors and cares for the smallest babies up to 2 years old. Our 20-person Preschool Team directs their attention to active toddlers ages 2-5, and our 35-person Elementary Staff work in small groups split up by age. These groups encourage interaction through bible study, Q&A, and creative activities. At the appropriate time the halls fill with elementary kids all headed in the same direction at the same time. It can get crowded but their destination is clear. It s time to gather together for the Large Group presentation. The various small groups combine in the large group room to share the message of the day with each other. The combined group comes alive with worship, singing and praising God, communion, and offering. From birth through 5th Grade, the intent of the Grow Zone is to offer age-appropriate discipleship opportunities to our children. By combining faith with fun, they learn more about God s mission and His impact on our daily lives. If you d like to volunteer in Grow Zone in any way, contact our Children s Pastor, Rodney Hull. rodney@southsidechristian.com 4

6 OUR CHURCH S BIBLE STUDY LIBRARY IS NOW DIGITAL... AND GIGANTIC. OVER 18,000 DISCIPLESHIP VIDEOS FOR KIDS, YOUTH, AND ADULTS. South Side utilizes RIght Now Media to equip everyday people with a unique digital platform of biblical resources. With Right Now Media, you can instantly stream biblical teaching in the comfort of your home, on the go or in your small group! Enjoy resources from over 350 leading Christian publishers and ministries - with over 18,000 BIble study videos and 2,000 kids episodes. 1 Request an invitation by providing your address. This resource is free for anyone that calls South Side home! 2 3 Click the Get Started button in the . Create your profile and explore! If you have any questions about Right Now Media, contact adam@southsidechristian.com.

7 Family News New Members Welcome to these new members who have recently joined. Baptisms: Larry DuPont Donna Oglesby Membership: Susan Shattuck Abigail Shaver Rosanne Elder Sympathy Extended to those among our congregation who are grieving the loss of loved ones: To Sandie Whalen on the death of her husband To Julie Snyder on the death of her brother Congratulations To those who have welcomed newborns into the world: To Carlos and Bethany Romero on the birth of their son, Nathaniel. To Caleb and Christina Sheets on the birth of their daughter, Zoey. To the Kennett family on the birth of Kyle and Nellie s daughter, Makayla. The following is an anonymous story we received from a South Sider who used the Everyday Hope Funds to help someone in need. My wife and I selected our friend and co-worker as the recipient of the Everyday Hope Project. Whenever we can, we try to share the Gospel to him as he is skeptical to commit to Christ. He s been struggling with a medical condition for about four months now. Ever since he was admitted in the hospital this summer we have continued praying for him, and we try to let him know. To help, we ve been offering to get groceries and run errands for him. He always declines and says we already do enough. We wrote a note and attached it to the Everyday Hope Envelope from South Side. We took the envelope to him at work and asked if he remembered that we had been praying for him. He replied, Yes. We went on to tell him that now our church family is praying for him, and that we all wanted to give him this envelope. He took the envelope and said, Thank you. I will have to send a thank you card. As he continued opening the envelope, he saw the $250 and our hand-written note where we had written James 2:14 - Faith without good deeds is dead. He became silent and emotional and simply replied, thank you very much. For more Everyday Hope Stories visit southsidechristian.com/ehp 6

8 South Side Christian Church 2600 S. MacArthur Blvd. Springfield, IL Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Springfield, IL Permit 645 (RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED) SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 9:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. southsidechristian.com