Greetings Glen Mar,

I hope you are having a good week and have recovered from the remarkable event “Journey to Bethlehem” this past weekend! We had 1,819 people journey to the manager this year. Thank you to the entire JTB team that made it happen! I don’t need to tell you how much work goes into that production, but I will say I was impressed! It was a joy to get to walk it and participate in the good news of Jesus’ birth!

One of the realizations I had while I was kneeling as one of the Magi in front of the “baby Jesus” in the manger scene on Saturday and Sunday was that so many of the families who came through “Journey” over the weekend were not members of Glen Mar. This was truly a community-facing event that was designed and implemented for those outside of the four walls (or however many there are) of Glen Mar Church. I am so encouraged that you all would do something so big and time-consuming for others in the neighborhood. Of course, this is how church should be, but I saw it last weekend, and I want to continue to encourage you to reach out and share the light of Christ with others this Advent, Christmas, and beyond! Remember that the Day of Service will help us to do just that, so mark your calendars for Monday, January 19th!

In the meantime, I want to encourage you to invite someone to worship with us on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day! We have four services on Christmas Eve this year: a 4:00 pm Family Worship service, along with 7:00 pm, 9:00 pm, and 11:00 pm more traditional services. We will also have the traditional Christmas Day service at 10 AM. And if Christmas just isn’t feeling very “Christmasy” this year due to loss or grief, consider attending The Longest Night service on Sunday, December 21st at 7 PM.

I hope you will join us and invite someone to come to church on Sunday, December 21 for the Christmas Cantata as well as one or all of these upcoming services. In each service, we will praise God for all that God has done for us in sending God’s only begotten Son, Jesus, to not only save us but also show us how to live and love others in the Spirit of the living God. It’s good news to be shared as we anticipate God meeting us in the manger of our hearts again this year.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Chris