The Atwood Community Christmas celebration will be held this Sunday, December 2^nd , at 6:00 in the evening.  Bring some finger foods, the kids, Grandma and Grandpa, and a good story or two, and come on over to the Community Building. Santa still has this stop at Atwood on his agenda as he makes his around-the-world tour, so I’m sure you will want to be there to make him welcome. If you aren’t, you just might find only socks that don’t fit, mis-matched mittens, and a lump of coal in your stocking on Christmas morning.

The December Fellowship meal at our church is scheduled for Sunday, December 16^th after the morning worship service.  Following the dinner, a group from the church will go caroling in the afternoon.  

 This Sunday Joyce Searcy sang “The Cross in the Middle” as the special music selection. I thought of how Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus—and the hope and wonder of a newborn when that life has just begun.  This song brings instead a message about suffering and death that Jesus endured on the cross, and it seems such a needlessly tragic way to end that life.  

Not so.  Jesus knew the suffering and death He endured on that cross was not only needed, it was our only hope.  His love for us transformed suffering into new life and tragedy into joy.  Cruel, cynical corruption has been transformed into hope.  Because of Jesus and who He is, the cross of tribulation has been transformed into a celebration of hope and joy and salvation.

Kolby Johnson, who has been on several mission trips, was our guest speaker this Sunday.  His message was from Acts 1:8. Kolby spoke most about the mission trip to Belize that he went on with several other young people.  Everywhere they went the people were happy to see the “Missionaries! The Missionaries!” arrive. The mission group gave soccer balls to the children and organized them into groups for Vacation Bible School sessions.  They also presented a drama about Peter attempting to walk on water, and they distributed salvation bracelets so that the people could follow the way of Salvation.  

For most of the people they witnessed to, the Vacation Bible Schools, the drama productions, and the distribution of salvation bracelets planted seeds that would lead to people seeking the Lord.  Others made the decision to receive salvation that same day.  

Mission work is important.  Without it, the churches in your community would not be there.  How can we participate in mission work?  We can become full time missionaries if God calls us to do that.  Or we can be part time missionaries.  We can financially support those who go onto the mission field.  Just as important, we can support missions through prayer.  

No matter how else we support missions, we can be home-field missionaries by showing the love of Christ to those we encounter each day.  What is God calling you to do and how is He calling you to do it?