Reclaiming Christmas

The culture we live in has lost Christmas. We celebrate each other (which is good), we give presents (which is fun), but mostly, we celebrate a lifestyle of privilege.

We purchase things to show people in our lives how much they mean to us. Many of these things are simply trinkets that make life more fun for a minute or two, and there is temporary value in that. But the Creator became a baby to make life better forever. What if at Christmas, instead of running around to find the perfect gift for everybody on our list, we gave our time and our money away to make life better for strangers? After all, we were strangers to God when He gave himself to us.

I want us to remember that Christmas is really about a poverty stricken family being shocked. Their world was rocked by the powerful intrusion of a baby into the womb of a young virgin girl. Christmas demands that we forget everything we think we know and kneel before an infant who is the only hope we have.

If you want to give presents that’s fine, but as a community let’s do all we can to be shockingly different from those around us this year. Let’s be a reminder that Christmas is not about us, or stuff, or shopping lists. The birth of Jesus is a shocking disruption of everything the world holds dear. What if the way we celebrate it reflects that?

There are three ways Bismarck Community is coming together to be different this year. I urge you to try one of these or make up a new tradition of giving without receiving that runs against the grain of our culture.

Merry Christmas to you, and Welcome, King Jesus, into our often tidy lives!

The Jemo Health Fund

The point of this fund is to provide better health through nutrition and ongoing medical care to our sponsored kids in Ethiopia. In 2012 the average American family spent $212 per child on Christmas gifts. If every sponsor family were to give just $150 ($62 less than the average American child receives in toys) the fund would reach 100 percent.

Parents, this is a great way to get your kids involved and teach them that Christmas is about giving. Too often we say this while we drop a few coins in the Salvation Army bucket on the way out of the mall. Why not encourage them to take something off their list so that someone else can have something more?

Myhre Quarter Sale

Myhre Elementary students will have the opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts for their parents and siblings for 25-cents each on Friday, December 20. BCC has been asked to help at the event! Wrapping paper, tape, gift tags are also needed and can be brought to the church by Wed 12/18. Volunteers are needed to help set-up Thursday 12/19 at 3:30pm and to help with the sale on Friday 8:30-12:30. Volunteers are the biggest need for this event, followed by wrapping supplies, but if you have gently used items that would make nice Christmas gifts (no clothes, electronics or videos) those are welcome too! For more info please contact Kristy Rose 202-2001 kristywrose@gmail.com

Meal Baskets for Freedom Fellowship

We want to ensure that, like most of us, the families of Freedom Fellowship have a bountiful feast this Christmas. Please purchase the following items to ensure that happens. We will add a frozen turkey and deliver these meal baskets by Christmas Eve.

*1 box of mashed potatoes

*1 box of stuffing

*1 can or jar of turkey gravy

*2 cans of vegetables

*1 can of cranberries

*1 can of fruit

*1 can opener

*1 package of cookies

*1 Christmas card with a note of love and encouragement

*Place all of these items into a foil roasting pan large enough to hold a turkey.

Please have all baskets to BCC by December 18!