Christmas is here!

Well Christmas has arrived, the new year is just around the corner and for many holidays are almost upon us. Hallelujah. And if there has ever been a year when we might be looking forward to some peace and quiet surely it would be this year. 

In world conflicts the Ukrainian war continued, the Israel/Gaza conflict overflowed, and even the Suez Canal is all but closed. In local events electricity prices are on the rise, interest rates are on the rise, rental costs are on the rise, school fees are on the rise, illness, death and covid are on the rise and as a result of all of this individual and family stress is on the rise.

Can we have any confidence that things are going to come good? 

Well, don’t we need to hear the message of the angels this Christmas:

”But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭11‬)

There is good news - and it is that Jesus has come and is coming again to bring peace. Future hope does not centre on the circumstances of life or changes in the world when you know Jesus but our confidence is in his preserving power, comforting strength and certain return. Hallelujah indeed. 

All our Christmas service information is on the website (christchurch.com.au/christmas) and I am looking forward to seeing you at our many and varied services.

Come the new year we will launch into our Summer Series we have titled “Our Hearts Desire”. It’s a tribute to Tim Keller whose ministry many of our members have benefitted from despite his being located in New York. Tim died in May this year and his legacy is his writing and incisive clarity in preaching. We will be leveraging off his book Counterfeit Gods and examining Power, Success, Love and Money. 

Of course, Summer is a time when many of us take holidays but it is also the time when many people also go looking for a new church so we are working hard at making every Sunday at Christ Church excellent. We would love you to be ready to welcome new people when you come to church during January, letting them know about our church, our priorities and our mission. We are prayerfully seeking to build wholehearted disciples of Jesus and love when new people join the work to be built themselves and to help others. Please be ready to welcome people well.

Our 2024 Launch Sunday will be February 4. Make sure you are there to hear about plans for the year and to get excited for all we are praying God will do in our midst throughout the year. All our normal Sunday ministries will start that day and we will be jumping back into 1 Corinthians to complete the second part of the book.  

But for now, Merry Christmas. I do hope and pray you are able to give thanks during the coming week for the goodness of God, certain that we have seen and will see his goodness in the land of the living. Jesus has come and will come again. Hallelujah.