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                Merry Christmas to all of our youth families! Can you believe that the Advent Season is already here? For me personally, it seems as though we just celebrated Christmas a couple of months ago, rather than a year ago. Black Friday has come and gone and I am writing this article on “Cyber Monday.” As I watched the morning news today, I couldn’t help but think about the huge role the media plays in how we prepare for and celebrate Christmas. The media frenzy around this past weekend and all the sales was pretty ridiculous. My son Scott made a trip to JC Penney earlier in the week and heard one of the sales people lamenting about the upcoming weekend of madness and sales and said, “I don’t know what all the hype is about. The sales are pretty much the same all month. We just advertise them more this weekend.” As I reflect on my purchasing experiences last year, I seem to remember that some of the sales after the big buying weekend were actually better than the post-Thanksgiving sales. Right now many of you are wondering, “Danny, what’s your point?” I’m glad that you asked. My point is, I wonder how God is honored and glorified by what has become a “cultural Christmas” celebration in our society? We tend to get so wrapped up (no pun intended) in our “To do’s” and making sure that we have purchased all of our gifts that we don’t really take the time to worship. Sure, we have an Advent reading and wreath in our worship services. We have a Christmas Eve worship service, but what about the rest of the month? Let me encourage you to take the time to consider what messages you are conveying to the rest of your family this Advent season. Are you taking the time to worship the new born King? Are you like the wise men willing to search and seek until you find Him no matter what the cost?

                The December issue of Living with Teenagers magazine, available on our media display just outside the church office, has some great suggestions for family worship this Christmas that have my mind thinking. After all, Deuteronomy 6:7-9 does place the responsibility for teachable moments and spiritual growth on us as parents. There is a saying in Africa that when an older person dies a library is burned because they rely so heavily on the passing on of stories from one generation to the next. What kind of stories are you passing on? Better yet, what kind of stories can you create in your children’s lives to pass on when it comes to the Christmas season, celebration and God’s involvement? What about taking a family outing to Bethlehem through the use of a live nativity? My soon-to-be daughter-in-law was telling me how her family gives to others at Christmas by doing things like feeding a Compassion child, or purchasing a chicken or goat for a family in a third world country. I guess my point is, what I am learning about myself and that is, I need to find ways in which to be creative and find ways to worship and lead my family to worship this Christmas season. Who knows, it may just make for an even merrier Christmas for all.

 

                Every other year we have a purity discipleship study for our teens during the month of February. This year we are expanding it to include a parent study. Beginning February 14, Danny will lead Pure Parenting, from 5 to 6:15 p.m. for parents. This study is designed to aid parents in helping their teens with issues of purity. When you stop to think about it, society has made a god of sex and we, along with our teens, are bombarded with messages to worship at its altar. It is there that parents often feel like their cry to wait and remain pure is a lot like being the piccolo player in a marching band of trombones. As loud as culture may be at times, remember that it is the parent who is consistently the number one influence in a teenager’s life. So while teens may be surrounded by the blaring sounds of trombones, it is the piccolo that they desire to listen to. Make plans to come and participate in this study that will help to equip you on parenting for purity.

 

 

06 – Children’s Christmas Music – We will not have youth discipleship on this night so that our teens can support our children’s choirs as they lead us in worship.

12 – Youth Christmas Fellowship – Our youth will be having a Whoville Christmas fellowship and service project all rolled into one. We have been collecting items to put in gift bags for our Special Needs Sunday school class, and we will use our fellowship as one last push for items and to assemble the bags. We will meet in the fellowship hall from 6 to 8 p.m. for our Whoville Christmas Celebration. Teens are encouraged to wear long pajama pants and dress and look like characters from Dr. Suess’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas story. We will begin the night with a crazy Whoo dinner and Whoo games and then we will assemble the gift bags so that the Grinch can’t steal Christmas from our Special Needs members. Not only that, but we are going to give the additional bags to those members to take back to Hollins Manor and the Wilkinson Home so they can have gifts to give to their friends in those places on Christmas day.

13 – Adult Choir Musical and Tasting Tea – Our adult choir will be presenting, The Word Became Flesh during two performances at 3 and 6:30 p.m. There will be the annual Tasting Tea following the 6:30 performance in the fellowship hall. Be sure to invite friends and family for this wonderful opportunity to worship.

16 – Church Christmas Banquet – Tickets are already being sold for this great time of food and fellowship. This year’s entertainment will be a variety show provided by several of our youth and college students. Be sure to purchase your tickets in advance since there will not be any available the night of the banquet.

24 – Christmas Eve Services – We will have our annual Christmas Eve services on Thursday, December 24, at 5 p.m. for families with younger children and the candlelight and communion service at 8 p.m. These services have become a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.