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First Assembly of God Newsletter December 2009 |
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That time of the year is here again, when the air gets crisper, the days grow shorter, and just about everyone's thoughts turn to Christmas. In the past, the Christmas season officially started with Thanksgiving, but today the Christmas decorations appear even before Halloween. Every year we hear the cry raised far and wide, "We must get the spirit back into Christmas!" What can we really do to prepare? Advent is the season when we should take the time to think about the "why" of Christmas. Why all the decorations? Why all the preparation? Why all the buying and selling, and all the hustle and bustle? It should be a time to look within our hearts to see if there is anything that stands in the way of Jesus' coming. If Advent is to mean anything for us today, the meaning must come from family and home. Attending church together is one way of preparing ourselves for the Advent. On the Christian calendar the year begins with Advent. Advent is the period of the four weeks preceding Christmas. The word "Advent" means literally "coming" and refers to the coming of Jesus as anticipated by the prophets. It also refers to the fact that Christ not only has come as a babe to Bethlehem, but that He will come again as a conquering King. Advent is the time of preparation and anticipation. The meaning and joy of Christmas cannot be grasped hurriedly. It is a time for new planning, new attitudes, and new inspiration. It is a time when families can draw closer together in their anticipation and celebration of God's gift to the world--His Son, Christ Jesus. There are many joys of life to have without spending money. We need only to look around us to start enjoying the many things that God has placed in the world for our enjoyment: family, friends, and experiences of everyday life. We do not always need to be doing something or going some place to have fun. There are many things we can give people and receive from people that don't come in boxes with pretty wrapping paper and bows. Things like talking with one another instead of watching television, random acts of kindness to family members and neighbors, and adopting a needy family this Christmas instead of spending a large amount of money on presents that aren't really needed. We lament that the commercial world has taken over the true meaning of Christmas, but there is something that we can do about it. We can stop ignoring the spiritual or religious aspects of Advent and Christmas. This is our chance to say "yes" to God through our family and friends, even though a "no" would be much easier at times. When we want to say "no," we should try to remember that God said "yes" when it would have been easier to say "no" to rescue us from the penalty of sin. Christmas is God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Only God could love that much! Merry Christmas! — Pastor Jeff |
BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATOR NOTES
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By the time you read this the Christmas season will be in full swing. I hope that you and your families have a wonderful Christmas season and are able to keep the focus where it belongs. I also hope that we can all enjoy Christmas in a way that does not break the family budget. An unfortunate result of overspending for Christmas is that the bills keep coming long after the wrapping paper is discarded and the newness has worn off of the gifts. In early December we will be putting out the 2010 tithing envelopes. I encourage all of you to pick up a box of envelopes and sign your name on the list next to the number that is on your box. The best way for you to insure proper credit for your giving is to use assigned tithing envelopes and make sure that they are filled out when you place them in the offering. The counters and Treasurer do their best to accurately account for loose checks in the offering, but it is most helpful when you use tithing envelopes and have filled in your name and the appropriate designations on the envelop. We thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. During 2009 we tried something new by providing regular givers with unofficial quarterly updates of your giving. These were provided as a courtesy to help you track your giving to the church. I would be most interested in knowing if this was helpful and if we should continue the practice in 2010. The official copy of your 2009 giving will be provided to you no later than January 31, 2010. At this time of year it is appropriate to remind you of the IRS requirements for year-end giving and how it is receipted. The general rule is: A contribution is effective when it is delivered. This means that a check delivered to the church in January 2010 cannot be deducted in 2009, even if it is backdated to 2009. One exception is a check that is mailed (and postmarked) in 2009 is deductible in 2009, even though the church does not receive it until 2010. This means that all offerings you wish to have credited to your 2009 giving must be received at the church by Thursday, December 31st, or they must be mailed and postmarked by that date. This would also be a good time to check with your financial advisor if you are thinking about year-end charitable contributions from investments. We sincerely thank you for your continued support of the ministries of First Assembly. May God richly bless you during the Christmas season and the upcoming new year of 2010. — Steve Parsons |
