The Greatest Gift

Finding a perfect present is not easy. It may be too expensive or out of stock. No one likes when their present is returned to the store. As the wrapping paper is being ripped off the box we are anxious to hear a scream of excitement mingled with the genuine expression of surprise on the face of the gift recipient. I hope you’ll find your perfect Christmas gift for the person you love. There is a beautiful story by O. Henry about a young wife selling her hair to buy a chain for her husband’s watch while he is selling his watch to buy her a set of hair combs she had dreamt about. Eventually, the value of the gift is determined by the sacrifice we are willing to make. God gave us the most perfect gift. His sacrifice was unimaginable … He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ. It is truly the only gift that makes everything different because with this Gift we receive life eternal. “… the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

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Last Monday we had a church Board meeting. The agenda was packed with many important items. The Finance committee presented the auditors’ report. The report was a good testimony to an excellent financial management of our church funds. The board voted on some minor technical recommendations made by the auditors. We are blessed to have Greg Leavitt, the conference auditing department director, as our board member. New Facility Manager, Ryan Matthews, was introduced to the Board members. We are all happy that Ryan took over this important area of responsibilities. The Board also voted to ask Lisa Patterson to serve as the church clerk and Summer Bradford to take the position of Women’s Ministry director. Shelly Caswell, the OAKS principle, shared the vision for our school growth. Greg Leavitt presented a plan for the “10 Days of Prayer” for our church starting on January 6. The meetings will be held twice a day: at 8:30 am and 6 PM. I hope to see many of our church members attend these meetings. I was very impressed with a wonderful spirit of mission and unity among our church leaders. God is leading His church forward.

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The Christmas concert last Sabbath was a huge blessing for our church and for the community. The Fellowship Hall was full! Steve Darmody helped us all to start the Christmas season with an understanding of the great sacrifice of Jesus. I hope we’ll be sharing this spirit with everyone around us. Thank you, Steve!

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This Sabbath everyone is invited to join our church Christmas potluck. Bring your favorite dish. Bring enough for your friends and for any church visitors.