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Twas the Week Before Christmas....
Christmas is a great time for stories.  I love the Nativity story.  And our family has a bunch of Christmas movies that we like to watch year after year.   So I'm going to tell you a few "stories"...these ones are true stories about things happening as Christmas approaches. 
All Through the House

Our staff and leaders can be a bit of a tough crowd when it comes to party planning.  Every year we have everyone over to our house for a Christmas party.  There was a loud consensus that no one wanted to do the re-gift exchange this year and NO ONE wanted to repeat last year's karaoke experience.  So Cheryl and I were left with the challenge of planning this year's event...what to do?
 
With the "Get Out There" theme ringing in my ears it seemed appropriate to have a party that was "out there" rather than "in here".  So, once our guests arrived, Cheryl and I organized them into six teams and sent them out with 100 pennies each to trade for gifts that would be put together to bless two families - one in our church family and one connected with the Pregnancy Resource Centre. 
 
The six teams: Gold 1 and 2, Myrrh 1 and 2 and Frankincense 1 and 2 went out into the night with zeal and came back two hours later with great stories, fun pictures and more than $1,500 in gifts for the baskets we put together.  While they were gone, not a creature was stirring back at our place.  Kind of a weird party when you think about it.  But everyone seemed to have a great time.  Wonder what we'll come up with for next year?
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care 
 
Which communicates the hope that you hang your stocking before you go to bed, and by morning it gets filled up.  Kind of like setting out an annual budget and hoping the offering plates are filled enough to cover what you hope to do.  (Am I stretching the analogy?  Wait, it gets even better!)
 
There is no doubt that the recession is changing the way we approach our personal finances and it will have an effect on the church family finances too.  We are grateful that God has provided through you so abundantly for the past seven years, but we don't want to presume that the growth we have seen each year will continue into 2009 given the economic scene. 
 
In order to bring in a 2009 budget that respects what we're seeing, without stripping out the faith component that makes us unique from governments and businesses, we have made some decisions that will affect the delivery of some of our ministry initiatives because we are committed to bringing in a budget that is as close as we can get to what our actual revenues were in 2008.  Let me give you a few of the details...
  • there will be no salary increases for any staff in 2009;
  • we have cut back on one full-time staff position effective immediately;
  • we will make no capital purchases in 2009;
  • we will not be transferring any money from the operating fund to increase our reserve or future funds;
  • all ministry budgets have been cut by 10% to 15% over what they had been in 2008;
  • our global fund transfer has been reduced by 1%;

These are just some of the cuts made to the budget, but they highlight the steps we have taken to respond to what we believe will be a tougher year for most of us.
 
One new thing we will be doing this year is to transfer 1% of all regular offerings to our HOPE fund as well as continuing to receive a monthly HOPE offering in anticipation of greater benevolent needs in 2009.
 
We need you to continue to be faithful in your giving...generous, cheerful, regular, proportionate to your income giving.  God blesses those who support his Kingdom work (Proverbs 11:24-25; Matthew 6:19-24; 2 Corinthians 8-9). 

In hopes that St. Nick
 
The elders are pleased to announce that Ken Robinson has eagerly taken on the role of treasurer for our church family (not quite "St. Nick" but close enough for the sake of the story).  He will take on the responsibility of overseeing our finances and working closely with our staff and elders to ensure that our direction is unhindered and that we are carefully monitoring how the resources of this church are used for God's glory and according to the standards set by the Canada Revenue Agency.  Be sure to thank Ken for taking on this role.  
And filled all the stockings
 
If the stockings are the offerings, then it is actually you that fills them and Ken just makes sure it is all done right and we stay on track.  As we close out 2008 in the next week and a half, we need to ensure that we give in such a way that it shows that we take responsibility for this ministry...for this church.  It is our family.  We need $75,000 in the final two Sundays to meet all of our regular obligations including eliminating a deficit that is standing at about $38,000.  We don't want to carry that into 2009.   
 
I have asked you to give a special offering before year-end to help us finish strong.  You can donate online, at the office and during the Sunday offering time.  We will not be taking an offering on Christmas Eve.  The office will be open on Wednesday, December 31 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM for you to stop by and give an offering.  Gifts may be given anytime up to midnight that day in order to qualify for a 2008 charitable receipt. Just phone the office to make arrangements.
There arose such a clatter
 
A good clatter!  God is doing so many great things in the lives of people around you each week and that was no more obvious than on Sunday, December 7 when we witnessed fifteen people obey Christ and his Word and get baptized as a testimony to their faith in Jesus Christ.   Take a few moments to listen to the audio from that day and watch the photographs of lives being changed.
What to my wondering eyes should appear?

Not a sleigh and reindeer, but the awesomeness of our God.  We saw it and heard it in those stories of changed lives and we're hearing it in our teaching this month in the series "The Appearance of Jesus Christ". I've got a couple of messages left to take us right up to Christmas.  I'll ask the question on Christmas Eve, "Do I Love His Appearing?"  And we'll stand in awe of our God and Saviour in worship as Jody and the team brings us to God's throne in song and readings.  

We'll be together as the church and with the friends and family members you have invited on:
 
Christmas Sunday, December 21 at 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM
(come early for pre-service Christmas worship)
and
Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24 at 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
 
It will be great to see you at these special times of worship and to greet you all with a blessing from our God.  The only thing left to say is...
 
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!
 
    Todd   
       (with gratitude to Clement Clarke Moore)