Christmas Cafe 3 By Pastor Joe

We are only 3 weeks away from our next Christmas Café. I'm very excited for the transformation which is going to take place over the next few weeks. The Christmas trees are being harvested and will soon be ready for decoration. Thanks to everyone who will cut, haul, shape, and decorate so that many others will appreciate our very green and colorful Christmas Café. As I have said in the past, our sanctuary will be beautifully adorned and it will be very memorable, but most importantly and prayerfully, it will help create eternal memories. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but to lose his very own soul? Honestly, very few of us are thinking about someone’s eternal condition during Christmas, but we should be! All of us are guilty of using the excuse that we are so busy. You will find no argument from me, yet Me less and Jesus more, means I must be intentional about participating and promoting our outreach. Do I want people to enjoy themselves? Absolutely! People are worth all the effort we go to, to present Jesus with excellence, and so our Christmas Café is one of those key outreaches where we do our very best to show people the love of our Savior. Treats are a significant part of the evening, yet more importantly is the eternal taste that only God can give. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” Everyone heads over to the relative’s house, with the expectation of holiday treats. When I was a young boy, I expected Aunt Janet to have her 7-layer bars. Christmas at Grandma’s meant lefse and so much more. Every grandchild anticipated treats to be part of the feasting. Our church families should expect the Gospel presentation to be part of every Christmas Café. This year’s theme is “Winter Wonderland”, The Wonder of Christmas. The music, message, and memorable treats,surrounded by the scenery, is all focused on the awe, the Wonder of Christmas! It is our privilege to declare the message of hope, which is Emmanuel, God with us is the true wonder. Janet, Pastor Scott, Sue Hart, Linnea Moss, Sharon Pearson and Brad Elness can help find a spot where you can help. Reach out to one of these folks today and let them know you want to participate. No matter what, please make sure you hand out invite cards and post a few flyers. We have two opportunities to reach out to your family and friends. Our annual Candlelight Communion Christmas Eve service is part of the whole outreach season. Come as you are on Christmas Eve, at 5 pm. An hour later we will be singing Silent Night and wishing each a blessed Christmas. Saturday, Dec 11th, and Friday, Dec. 24th (Christmas Eve) are key dates to remember! Don’t forget we need lots of Christmas candy canes. (Regular size please, and any color will be great.) Thanks for everything you do.