Pastor Jim's Blog

Hope Can Live Again

Christmas has come upon us! Not actually, but everywhere signs of the season are evident. Tis the season to be jolly, which is translated as stressed, over fed, and broke. Do I sound like a grinch? Maybe a little, but to help me to get into the right attitude for Christmas, I thought I should be looking at the practise of Advent. Now, I grew up in a tradition that Advent was what other churches did. I had no real experience with it. As I researched Advent, I found out, comes from the Latin word, “adventus” which means coming or arrival. Advent is specially designed to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, first to bring us salvation and then eventually to bring us to Glory where we will be with Him forever. Considering our culture and what goes on at Christmas, it is easily apparent that little or nothing of it has to do with Christ and his coming, so for those who don’t know…

The Advent season begins four weeks before Christmas. This Sunday being the first Sunday of Advent, we will mark the occasion with a scripture reading and the lighting of the Advent candle and every subsequent Sunday thereafter until Christmas. Each candle will represent a particular theme; hope, peace (preparation), joy and love. On Christmas Eve we will light the Christ Candle during our community Christmas Eve dinner.

This Sunday the Advent candle represents hope. Hope is something every kid has at Christmas. Sadly, as we get older, hope is often replaced by hopelessness. With the passage of time, the magic of Christmas can turn into a nightmare of fighting over where the kids will spend Christmas day, a drunken family brawl, a wife at home alone with three little kids wondering where their dad is. And then there are those who try to recapture the magic by making things appear hopefulthrough the illusion of credit cards, lines of credit, and pay day loans. Hope can be especially illusive for those who are experiencing a medical crisis with a dire prognosis, who have lost a loved one this past year, or who are simply alone without a friend to call their own.

Some call it a “A BLUE CHRISTMAS”. Why not try to have a “new” Christmas. Hope can come alive again by putting Christ into our Christmas. Throughout the Old Testament there is a continual theme of one coming who will make right the injustice, who will bring peace to the troubled, who will help the afflicted. In short, there is one coming who will make your life new again. The message brought hope to the weary traveller of life. Listen to the prophet Isaiah, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-19) He was speaking of the coming Messiah, Jesus, the one who can make all things new. The road we travel can be a tough one, but when Jesus travels with us, the road not only becomes bearable, but even enjoyable.

This Sunday, we will be sharing on the great hope that is ours in Christ. This can be your greatest Christmas ever, not because your circumstances will change dramatically, but because hope can fill your heart again. And the promise is sure, “hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). When we allow hope to live again through Christ, our circumstances which may be calamitous today, will incrementally change for the better. This is God’s promise, this is the gift of Christmas.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Growth Groups

The new year will be coming upon us soon! We have opportunity for you to start the new year off on the right foot by trying something new and life giving! Group sign ups are now open for the January 3rd start up. 

Groups meet once a week in home environments on Wednesday and/or Thursday nights. We delve into connecting deeper with each other and God by sharing our personal lives, studying based on the previous Sunday’s sermon.  Times are also designated for service projects and social times.

If you are interested in either facilitating a group or hosting in your home, please contact the church.

To sign up, simply call the church office 352.1722, email office@kcfoffice.com or sign up on Sunday at the church information table.

SpagHaiti

Each year we sponsor an annual event to raise funds for Haiti. This year it is on Wednesday, Dec 5th at KCF. The money raised will go towards furnishing a home for orphans in the Children’s Village.

Children are often abandoned or sold as domestic slaves. Haiti Arise rescues these kids, places them in a family, and provides an education for them.

Please help us to give a home to eight more children by attending and supporting SpagHaiti dinner.

Join us KCF on Wednesday, Dec 5, 6pm.

Tickets - $30 per person ($20 tax receipt offered). Children 10 and under are free. Vegetarian and gluten free options will be available.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Join us and invite friends and family to this wonderful and fun Christmas eve free turkey dinner with all the fixin’s. Monday, Dec 24 at KCF.

For volunteer opportunities, please contact the KCF office.

Our Daily Bread

We want to give thanks to those who heard our call and sent in donations to ODB. We can continue to provide lunch to hungry people because of the faithfulness of those who care. If you have not donated yet, please consider doing so today. You can make a significant impact with a hungry person by donating to Our Daily Bread in Nelson, BC. We have seniors, children, women, young and older people come for food, community and support. Individual lives have been changed forever by the love shown at Our Daily Bread. Please help someone today by donating $100 or what ever you can online at http://kootenaychristianfellowship.com/dat/?p=odb-donations Our Daily Bread Nelson Hot Lunch program. Thank you for supporting those that need it.

S.H.A.R.E. Nelson

Need a new wardrobe? Looking for some Winter clothes? Want to know how to get a good deal on some great items? WE NOW HAVE CLOTHES AT S.H.A.R.E. Nelson. Check it out!

Follow us on our Facebook page and don’t miss out on any sales.

S.H.A.R.E. is accepting and receiving donations and new items are being put out for sale every day. If you would like to volunteer at S.H.A.R.E. we currently have great opportunities.  Call the store at 250.352.1222 or stop by the store to inquire.  Click on this link to check out S.H.A.R.E.’s video! Check out our FB page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aZX9v7gxdM

Reading the Bible

If you follow the monthly reading program, you can successfully read the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in a year. I have attached this month’s prescribed reading to this newsletter. Start something new and watch God's word make a difference in your life.

Calendar of Events

  • Bright Lights After School Club, Tuesdays at 3:30 – 5:15pm, Call Doreen for information 354-2077
  • KCF Ladies Potluck Dinner and a Movie (Grace Card), Monday, Dec 3 - 5:30pm at the Reimer home
  • SpagHaiti Dinner at KCF, Wednesday, Dec 5, 5:45pm. Tickets $30/person.
  • Christmas eve free community dinner. Monday, December 24, 6pm at KCF.

Visit our website at http://www.kootenaychristianfellowship.com for all the news, sermons, and places to donate.

Pastor Jim

November 29, 2018

Celebration: Sunday: 10:30am - 12pm In Person Church or Facebook

Kootenay Christian Fellowship
520 Falls Street (1/2 Block up from Baker Street)
Nelson, BC  V1L 6B5 

Pastor Jim's Blog: Hope Can Live Again

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