The Gift of Christmas

Transcription

1 The Gift of Christmas Wherever you live in the world, Christmas is in the air in some form at this time of year. It is a season of the heart, and the central theme of the messages we hear on the radio, on the television, and in churches, orbits around the mystical topic of love. Love is an elusive term that can mean many different things to many different people. But it remains true that experiencing love, being warmed by love, and sharing love is an idea that connects deeply with people at their emotional centre. We may not know exactly what love is, but we often know it when we experience it. The word Advent literally means, the coming, and Christmas is about Love coming to find us each of us right where we are. It is about deeply experiencing the Love we re all ultimately looking for this Christmas. While people wander the shops this season, searching for the perfect Christmas presents for those they love, the story of the Incarnation in the Bible reveals to us the perfect Gift that God chose for each one of us. That Gift, that Blessing, is a specific kind of love offered and secured for us in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no greater Gift on planet earth that could be given from God to you than this love that heals, forgives, saves, affirms, and ultimately changes us from the inside-out. And yet, even the most devoted of us don t always look for the kind of love we need in the person of Jesus, no matter how often we sing the Christmas carols or hear the lofty sermons. The faintest imitations of love can capture our affections and disorient us from the most magnificent blessing you or I could receive an encounter with Christ s love. No deadly despair, lingering loneliness, or freezing fear can stand against the living warmth of Christ s love embracing us at the very core of our identity, saying: You are beautiful, you are special, and you have great value to me. I am committed to you, and all you are becoming. You are mine, and I am yours. As perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible says, For God so loved... that He gave His only Son (Jn. 3:16). Jesus is the Love of God, expressed to us, at Christmas. Based on a sermon by Revd Thomas Bell (Vineyard Churches) November 2016

2 DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS 15 th Helen Unwin 16 th Stan Cooper 20 th Carole Cooper 30 th Annetta Holloway DECEMBER SERMON TEACHING 4 th Pastor David 11 th Pastor David 18 th Sunday School Nativity 25 th Christmas Day - Pastor David Items needed are: Cereals Coffee Instant Mash Pasta Sauces Tomato/Brown Sauce Tins of: BIG Soup Cooked Meats Spaghetti Christmas sweets, biscuits, chocolates Dried Milk Jam Sugar Vegetables (esp sweet corn) Tomatoes Fruit PLEASE SEE CAROLE COOPER WHO COORDINATES THIS MINISTRY FOR KINGS COMMUNITY CHURCH

3 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19 The Leadership Team carried out an assessment of outreach ministries recently to see if the vision put in place three years ago remained relevant today. At the meeting with Christine Wheatley and her Tiny Tots team, it is fair to say that although passionate to serve Jackman s carers of under 5 s, the current situation was no longer serving its original purpose and the team could not see a way forward. Christine s story below shows how God is doing a new thing at KCC and how we need to listen to Him and let Him take control Tiny Tots has been running for about 15 years in its current format. Over the past year we had seen a decline in the amount of children passing through our doors. Many went on to full time school and others stopped coming as younger children napped in the afternoons. This posed a dilemma for us. Do we continue as we are and hope things change or do we try something different? We consulted carers to find out what they wanted from a play group. Following this, we changed to a morning session as it would make it easier for carers to come in after dropping older children at school. Nowadays there are so many different activities, club and things to do during the week that families are often spoilt for choice. The days of a simple playgroup wasn t at the top of a families list of things to do. We took some time out to pray and ask God what He wanted us to do with this group. None of us felt ready to give up but we knew we needed to change the way we did things. After several weeks of teething problems and very poor attendance, it was suggested we offer tea and toast to those carers attending the group. Many came straight from the morning school run with no time for breakfast. So by offering somewhere to have breakfast and a chat where children could play safely, Tea Toast and Toddlers was born. In a few weeks, we have seen this group grow, e.g. last week we had four new child minders join us with 8 new children. Change can be a scary process but if we are listening to God and are prepared to make the changes as He directs, it can also be a time of excitement as we experience new things and new friends. Tiny tots is, in essence, still here serving the community but in a different way which is right for now- the season that we are in. We have four mums expecting babies between now and February so the dimensions of the group may change again in the future, but for now we are once again touching the lives of those who attend the group and are looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens Ecclesiastes 3:1 Christine Wheatley

4 Monday, 13 th December - 12:30 Special Christmas meal booking required See Mike Ewings or Pauline Cowell for details King s Community Church Thursday 1 st December at 7pm Bring and Share your favourite foods PLUS clothing sale in aid of Rehoboth Children project in Kenya. See Christine W for further details The Two Chimneys Thursday 15 th December at 7pm See Stan for details and menu choices

5 The Christian life should resemble a fruit tree, not a Christmas tree - John Stott A Christmas tree is decorated by buying lights, tinsel, silver beads, baubles... A fruit tree simply bears the produce of its own nature. Similarly, we may decorate our lives with good deeds and other moral characteristics, but sooner or later our inner natures will reveal themselves. With all our flaws, as Christians we believe that Jesus changes the inner person, by giving a 'new birth', and in so doing He causes the Holy Spirit to come into our lives. The presence and in-dwelling of that Holy Spirit will produce the 'fruit of the Spirit'. The fruit of the Spirit enables us to get our relationships right Paul, writing his letter to the churches in Galatia, spells out what the fruit is. He specifies nine particular qualities: The first group comprises love, joy and peace, which are all marks of true godliness. Love is for God and others; joy is much deeper than happiness (like the flag flying at the top of a castle to let you know the king is in residence!); and peace is the consequence of being in a right relationship with God one which doesn't depend on our circumstances. The second group, patience, kindness and goodness, deals with our attitudes towards others. Do we show patience when we are driving, for example? Are we kind to others especially when they are at fault? And what about goodness? Jesus went about doing good, but most of us just go about! The final three, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, deal with our inner attitudes. The faithful person can be relied upon to keep his or her word; the gentle person doesn't fly off the handle when provoked; self-control is not just keeping one's temper but also relates to things like the consumption of food and drink, the use of leisure time, and the way we handle our money. Remember that fruit doesn't appear on a tree instantly it takes time to grow, and needs to be nurtured and protected. If you want to see a perfect example of someone who bears all this fruit in their life, read the biographies of Jesus in the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Courtesy of Church on the Net (2016) "Joy is Love exulting and peace is Love at rest Patience Love enduring in every trial and test: Gentleness, Love yielding to all that is not sin: Goodness, Love in actions that flow from Christ within. Faith is Love s eyes opened the living Christ to see; Meekness, Love not fighting but bowed at Calvary: Temperance, Love in harness and under Christ s control; For Christ is Love in Person, and Love, Christ in the soul." by Dr. K.D.Moynagh

6 BIND US TOGETHER LORD BIND US There is only one God, there is only one King. There is only one body, that is why we sing! bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. bind us together Lord, bind us together in love Fit for the family of God, purchased by His precious Blood. Born with the right to be free: Jesus the vict ry has won. bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. bind us together Lord, bind us together in love We are the family of God, we are His promise divine, we are His chosen desire, we are the glorious new wine. bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. bind us together Lord, bind us together in love Words & Music: B. Gillman

7 O Come All Ye Faithful Joyful and triumphant Christmas Carols Sunday 11 th December at 6pm Annual Christmas Carol Concert at Kings Community Church featuring Pixmore Primary School choir Saturday 17 th December Ivel Court at 1.30pm We have invited member of St Paul s Church to join us as a witness to Jackmans Estate, then on to: Garden City Court at 3pm the residents are really looking forward to this annual event let s not disappoint them Christmas Nativity King s Community Church at 10.30am - The Sunday School team present the story of Jesus in an interactive and fun way come and join the fun and hear something incredibly special and personal! For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

8 RESERVE A PLACE FOR A HOMELESS PERSON THIS CHRISTMAS As usual, in December we will be looking to donate to CRISIS AT CHRISTMAS Just reserves one place and provides - v Welcoming support from people who really care v A chance to shower, freshen up and get clean clothes v Three nutritious hot meals including Christmas dinner v A health check and treatment from a doctor, optician and dentist v An introduction to Crisis year-round services for training and support for the future

9 This is the second charity on which KCC will focus prayer and love offerings this Christmas. v 22 could supply one family with a food package for immediate emergency relief v 45 could supply various types of grain, vegetable, fruit seeds and saplings to one household for one year v 86 could supply three water filters to supply clean water to 100 students SEND. REAL. HELP. NOW Thousands of innocent people are being forced to flee an endless war. We can also help by donating towards winter CARE packages to families in need now

10 PRAYER FOCUS DECEMBER 2016 Let us give thanks for answered prayer for Kim and family. God the Father is working out His purposes for the blessing of His children and the glory of His love and power. His great provision is only a token of His abundant generosity to His family in King s Community Church. Give a clap offering* to Jesus! Clap your hands, all you nations (Psa 47:1) For Melda in Kenya, who the Lord raised from the dead. She still needs our prayers for improved health and strength. but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles Isaiah 40:31 For all the ladies that shared in the conference ARISE at Letton Hall. God did some amazing things in our lives especially in emotional healing and we want to grow in the knowledge He gave us. There is something special about being set aside with sisters in Christ. Away from the usual journeys and having time to refresh and fill ourselves with God s treasures for our individual needs. His love led us to take stock of our place in His kingdom and with each other too. Praise His name. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace Proverbs 3:17 As we draw near to all the many activities of the Christmas season, let us keep hold of the precious gifts that the Holy Spirit speaks into us, His children, every day and remember the goodness of Father God who gave us Jesus to live on earth and sacrificed Himself for us, died and rose again that we might have eternal life with Him in glory. May we keep our eyes firmly fixed on our gift to the Father, of hearts fastened to the joy of serving Jesus and one another with love and peace. Showing grace in holy lives and speaking hope. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace Ephesians 4:3 Pauline Cowell *The Bible encourages us to give a clap offering as a demonstration of joy over a victory which has now been experienced. A right response to answered prayer therefore is to go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands Isaiah 55:12

11 As King s Community Church we are committed to our mission To glorify God, seeing lives changed by His Power, the declaration of His Word and through Holy living and example Regular Activities Sunday 10.30am Praise, Worship & Communion Service Including our Children's Ministry Kings Kids Monday 6.30pm pm King s Club (Term time only) An hour of activity, fun and teaching for children in reception to school year 6 Tuesday 9.30am 11.00am TEA TOAST AND TODDLERS (Term time only) A fun time for all babies, toddlers and their carers Tuesday - Bible Study and Cell Groups 7.45pm to 9.30pm - friendship, study and prayer Friday Corporate Prayer am and pm For details, please do ask No charge - KCC offers an all-inclusive package Please ring and make an appointment if there is anything you would like to talk to us about. King s Community Church Office: Whiteway, Jackmans Estate, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 2PP Tel: (Answering machine) Office.KCC@btinternet.com Website: KING S COMMUNITY CHURCH WE ARE committed to friendship, worship, discipleship and mission; WE ARE NOT concerned about people's backgrounds - All are welcome