The celebration of Advent begins Sunday, December 1. It is always a special season of focus. During this time we focus on three ‘comings’ of Christ: His arrival in history as a baby born of Mary, His return in fearsome glory at the end of time and His intermediate entrance into our own lives. As we look back at the coming of Christ and expectantly look forward, this season calls us to examine our own lives and to be spiritually ready just as we have been encouraged in Matthew 25 most recently. Though Scripture doesn’t require us to celebrate Advent or do anything different this time of year, we believe it is a great opportunity to discover, celebrate and enjoy the gospel together.

The focus of our messages during this season will be in Matthew 26-27, as we have a holy remembrance of the coming of Christ not just to the cradle, but to the cross. I love the following quotes that give us such a focus for this Advent season:

Christianity knows nothing of an incarnation which can be defined apart from its relation to the atonement (James Denney).

The cradle led to the cross – we must see it in this context. It is more than a marvel of nature, but a marvel of grace (Packer).

The whole of Christ’s life was a continual passion; others die martyrs, but Christ was born a martyr. He found a Golgotha, where he was crucified, even in Bethlehem, where he was born; for to his tenderness then the straws were almost as sharp as the thorns after, and the manger as uneasy at first as the cross at last. His birth and his death were but one continual act, and his Christmas Day and his Good Friday are but the evening and the morning of one and the same day. From the crèche (cradle) to the cross is an inseparable line. Christmas only points forward to Good Friday and Easter. It can have no meaning apart from that, where the Son of God displayed his glory by his death (John Donne, The Book of Uncommon Prayers).

As we look to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross this Advent, the elders want to invite you to sacrificially participate in our advent giving this year. This year’s goal is $82,000. In years past, you have given above and beyond to help fund the work of the gospel both locally and globally. We want to invite you to pray and join in doing the same again this year. As you pray let me encourage you to meditate on 2 Corinthians 9.6-8. Let this be a joyful get to this advent season.

Here is how the funds will be distributed this season. $52,000 will go toward our normal monthly giving and the over and beyond amount of $30,000 will go toward specific ministry endeavors locally and globally. $20,000 will be committed to the following global efforts: Gospel for Asia Missionaries and Jesus Wells ($5,000), The Israel Family in Eastern Europe ($5,000), The Marshall Family in Lyon, France ($7,000), Guadalajara Mission Work ($2,000) and Funding Nafian’s Bible Training Classes in Papua New Guinea ($1,000). $10,000 will be committed to the following local efforts: Church Adoption Fund ($1,000), Real Options for Women ($4,000), LINC Creekview HS Work ($3,000), and Jimmy Huston’s Summer Ministry with World Impact ($2,000).