Because questions about a Christmas Eve service come up every year, here are my thoughts to consider if your church is planning a Christmas Eve service this year.
A recent conference on “Retrieving Nicaea for Evangelicals,” which was sponsored by the Center for Baptist Renewal and held at Oklahoma Baptist University, featured insight into the Nicene Creed.
Advent should remind justice-minded Christians their “yearning” and “longing for more” is rooted in the awareness God’s Kingdom has come, but it also is yet to come, theologian Will Willimon told religious leaders on a Zoom call convened by Pastors for Texas Children.
The human brain is wired to crave novelty. Long before smartphones and streaming platforms competed for our attention, God designed our minds to scan the environment for anything new, surprising or out of place.
Regarding Christmas specifically, genuine Christians would never show open contempt for the nativity, but our familiarity can rob us of its joy.
Advent should remind justice-minded Christians their “yearning” and “longing for more” is rooted in the awareness God’s Kingdom has come, but it also is yet to come, theologian Will Willimon told religious leaders on a Zoom call convened by Pastors for Texas Children.
“Faithfulness in this season calls me to be present with my family in a way that cannot be sustained by the obligations of my current ministry role. Our mission remains unchanged because it is rooted in God’s calling, not in one individual. God’s plan for this organization is bigger than any single person’s role. I have every confidence the Lord will guide and undergird WMU. His faithfulness does not change.” —Sandy Wisdom-Martin
Most congregations have not fully captured God’s vision for them and too often settle for average — rather than strive for exceptional, says George Bullard.
Scott Foshie’s tenure as IBSA executive director officially begins April 1. But as of Jan. 1, he has a plan for his first 100 days. “In my apprenticeship season with Nate (Adams), which I am grateful for, I am also going to be in a deep listening season.”
For 49 years, South Carolina Baptists have provided a Christmas gift to every inmate in the state, bringing hope to nearly 1 million people over the life of the ministry.
