Anglican
IT is nearly Jesus’ birthday, the day God gave us our Saviour! Honour Jesus’ birthday with love, joy, peace and hope with whom, and however, you celebrate Christmas Day.
Last weekend we had a great Boot Sale with many attendees and happy raffle winners. Thank you to everyone who donates to, or works towards, this church activity. It enables us to give to others in various ways.
During January there will not be any Wednesday services or the monthly Ultima service.
Christmas services are Saturday at Nyah West at 7.30pm with lots of carol singing, then on Christmas Day there will be a service in Swan Hill at 9.30am. All welcome.
Have a happy and safe Christmas, the time of Jesus’ birth.
Grain Shed
THE good news is…
Tomorrow at 6pm we are holding a Christmas Eve service and everybody is welcome. Let the celebrations begin.
“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).
On Sunday, Christmas Day, there will be no church service.
A Christmas message from our senior Pastor La’Mont:
May I start by using Scripture?
“Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.” Luke 2:14
In these two verses, the Lord greets us this Christmas day with the wonderful message of the birth of our Lord Jesus.
As Mary was the one who was highly favoured and chosen by God to bring the greatest gift of God into this world, likewise we are highly favoured today by being called by God to a full understanding of the reason for this season.
We rejoice in our God that His love and grace were revealed in sending Jesus whose birth we celebrate every Christmas.
Jesus is the only hope for desperate mankind in need of peace with each other and above all peace with God. In Jesus, we find forgiveness for our wrongs, and reconciliation with God and others.
This is a free gift from God, and this is the message of the season. As the old Hymn goes:
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come.
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
and Heaven and nature sing…”
So come highly favoured, the King is Jesus. Prepare room in your life for Him and His joy will fill your life.
Have a blessed Christmas from all of us here at the Grain Shed church family.
Uniting
FOR some, the end of the working year falls today.
For others, there will be a busy Christmas Eve as last-minute preparations are completed.
For many who serve our community, Christmas Day will be a time of dedication to our wellbeing as we celebrate.
Wherever you find yourself this Christmas, remember that you are seen by a God who loves you.
Christmas is a time to realise our value in God’s eyes.
He came to us as a baby in a very humble place. God with us, his desire to declare his love for us by being one of us.
Over the last few weeks, we have been exploring what is means to give of ourselves.
We have talked about how we might give our time and presence in meaningful ways to those we love, our community and across the world. Giving with intention, relationally and listening.
God gave all that he had – all of himself so that we would know our worth to him. May you realise afresh this Christmas how loved you are.
There will be a Christmas Eve carols service at Swan Hill UC on Beveridge Street at 7pm and a 10am service on Christmas Day. Everyone is welcome.
