"Christmas is a time for giving." At least, that is what the commercials all say. And you and I know very well what they mean... Christmas is a time for buying whatever product they are selling. It is no small thing to consider what we are worshipping during the holidays. Is it our Savior and our God in the form of a baby that we are focused on? Or are we focused on how far we can press our credit limit in order to purchase the "right" gifts?

"WAIT! Stop right there Pastor, " you are probably thinking. "It is NOVEMBER! We don't need Christmas stress and the coinciding pastoral guilt for another month. Isn't it enough that the catalogues and commercials are already here? Not you too!"

Okay, fair enough. I get sick of how much earlier "Christmas" comes each year as well. However, I do have a good reason for turning your thoughts towards that season in this article. This year for Advent we are going to be doing something a little bit different. Instead of our usual Wednesday evening worship services, we are going to be doing a series called the Advent Conspiracy. This is a challenging program that causes us to think about how we go about the Christmas season. If we are honest, we all get bogged down and stressed out by the fake glitz and glimmer of the shopping malls and we all too easily lose our focus on the Christ child. Wouldn't it be wonderful to actually focus the whole season on Jesus and His love and not on overpriced kitsch? The Advent Conspiracy will help us do just that.

Over the four weeks of Advent we will see how we can focus on Jesus by worshipping fully, spending less, giving more, and loving all. And here is how it will work: On Sunday morning I will preach on the theme for the week (as listed above). Then on Wednesday evenings we will meet in the homes of our brothers and sisters at Faith to watch a video and discuss that theme and how it may impact our Christmas practices. I won't lie, it will challenge us, but, I think, in wondrous and marvelous ways! Instead of focusing on gifts that are forgotten in a month, we will driven to worship the Gift, the incarnate Jesus Christ, whom God gave to us that first Christmas!

Please prayerfully consider joining one of our home-groups for this four week experience. It is my prayer that God will work through this Advent season to re-orient our lives around Jesus, not just for Christmas, but for eternity!

P.S. On a quick side note, we are looking at an exciting opportunity to go to Poland next summer on a mission trip. If this interests you, check out the page titled, "Short-Team Opportunity: POLAND" in this issue of the newsletter. If you have questions, please see me ASAP!