cross view baptist church december 2017 view baptist church december 2017 why i don’t give...
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Cross View Bapt ist Church December 2017 WhyIDon’tGiveChristmasGiftsMichaelGuillenIloveChristmas.Somuchso,myfamilyhasplacedstrictlimitsonhowsoonIcanstartlisteningtoChristmasmusic.Mysononcewroteashortessayforschool,titled“TheAttackofTheEarly-ChristmasDad.”
ButwhileIloveChristmas–thecelebrationofGod’sloveforus–Idonotlikethematerialisticorgyithasbecome.ItremindsmeofaquoteattributedtoGandhi:“IlikeyourChrist.IdonotlikeyourChristians.YourChristiansaresounlikeyourChrist.”
EvenifGandhididn’tactuallyspeakthosewords,theycertainlyringtrue.Especiallyatthistimeofyear,whenAmericans–Christianandheathenalike–willeachspendanaverageof$660ongiftsandthenreturn$250-plusbillionworthofthem,includingnearlyone-thirdofallonlinepurchases,rightafterChristmas.
Irealizethatbyquestioningthetraditionofgift-giving,IriskcomingofflikeLutherKrank,TimAllen’scharacterin“ChristmasWiththeKranks.”OneChristmas,hetellseveryone–family,friends,co-workers–he’snotgoingtobegivingoracceptinganygifts,whereupon…well,let’sjustsay,itdoesn’tgowellforhim.
I’veavoidedLuther’sunpleasantfatebybeingmorediplomatic,gentlyspreadingthewordamongfamilyandfriendsthatIreallydon’tneedorwantanythingforChristmas,excepttheircontinuedlove.AndI’mnotalone.AccordingtoanewHarrispoll,sevenoutoftenAmericanssaythey’dhappilygiveupgift-giving,iftheirlovedoneswentalongwithit.
Accordingtothesamesurvey,nearlyhalfofusfeel“pressured”tospendmoreongiftsthanwecanafford.Moreover,NerdWalletsaysthat56percentofAmericanswentintodebtbuyinggiftslastChristmas;andmany–including24percentofmillennials–arethisveryminutestilldiggingoutofthehole.
Ididn’talwaysfeelthisvirtuouslyaboutthecelebrationofChrist’sbirth.AsacorrespondentatABCNews,Ilovedreceivingthenetwork’sgenerousChristmastimegifts.Oneyear,whenNightline’sexecutiveproducer,TomBettag,sentmeaholidaycardexplainingthat,inlieuofagift,theshowhadmadeacharitabledonationinmyname,Iwasbummed.Ifeltcheated.
Thismanyyearslater,IprizeTom’sspiritofgivingandtryemulatingit.Forinstance,myfamilyandIkeepanearoutallyearforspecificneedsinourcommunitythatmightmakeformeaningfulChristmaspresents–suchasacordoffirewoodforaneighborwhousesapotbellystovetokeepherhousewarmallwinter.
Iaskedsomeofmybelovedcolleaguesfortheirfavoritealternativestomindlessgift-giving,andtheysaid:
*(JoanLunden)Wegivepromissorynotesforkindnesseswe’rehappytoprovide.“Bossescouldbringinafitnessinstructorormassagetherapisttotheoffice…thegiftofhealthtotheiremployees.”*(ChazCorzine,MichaelW.Smith’smanager)FromtheSt.JudeChristmasGiftCatalog,wegivethings“likeachemotreatmentforachildinneed.”
Towhichmyfriendsandfamilyadd:
*Weencourageourkidsandgrandkidstogiveusthegiftoftimetogether.*Wesendletterstopeopleinourlives,describingthingsweadmireaboutthem.*Wehostspecialdinnersforfriends,tosharetheloveandlightsofChristmas.*Wecontributetocharitiesthathelpthefamiliesofprisoners.*Wegivethegiftofcleanwatertopeoplewhodon’thaveit.
Ifmoreofusboughtintothesesuggestionsinsteadoftoday’sholidayratrace,wemightmakebelieversofGandhi-likeskeptics.Moreimportantly,we’dbehelpingputChristbackintoChristmas.
ChurchSecuritySeminarSaturday,December16from8am-12pm.
Theclassisfreeandopentoanyonefromanychurch.
Theclassstartswithanoverviewofchurchviolenceandathreatassessmentofthechurchbuildingandoperatingprocedures.Then,itmovestothedevelopmentofchurchsecurityplansintheeventthat
somethingdoesgowrong.Thistrainingisbasedonyearsofresearchdatafromactualactsofchurchviolence.
IthasbeenfeaturedonFoxNews,CNN,ABC,CBS,andNBC.Thecoursehasbeentaughthundredsandhundredsoftimesthroughoutthefourstatesarea.
Forthosewhoareinterested,pleaseRSVPbycontactingthechurchoffice903-794-6066.
Our2017LottieMoonChristmasOfferingwillbetakenupfromNovemberuntilFebruary.
Ourchurchgoalis$4,000.
Anyone interested in going to see Noah’s Ark in March or April,
please contact Rick Buchanan or Carolyn Sparkman. Tickets are $64 for 2
days at the museum, 1 day at the ark plus $28 a night at the Holiday Inn Express (breakfast
included). Meals will be extra.
Senior Adult Christmas Party Tuesday, December 19
at 10:30 at Debbie Miller’s house,
113 Arizona in Wake Village. There will be a short program
and A covered dish lunch.
East Texas Baptist University
Christmas Festival Concert
Friday, December 1
7:00pm Baker Chapel
Featuring:
University Choirs, Symphonic Band, Handbell Choir
and Guitar Ensemble
Tickets are $10 Free with ETBU ID
4-Brandi Burrow 5-Ronnie Wilburn 6-Mason Burrow
10-Gene Matthews 10-Mike Speer
11-Addison Smith 11-Jean O’Rand
15-Dianna Johnson 15-Karis Coleman 15-Nathaniel Smith 18-Kellie Mabry
19-Stanley Howell 20-Amber Hernandez
20-Billy Sparkman 20-Alana Higgins 22-Sister Speer 22-Doug Wadley 22-Hailey Turnage
23-Steve Kroll 25-Ginger Jones 26-Rick Buchanan 28-Nicholas Latham 29-Jan Bateman
30-Kelsey Coleman
Dates To Remember December 3-10 International Missions Week of Prayer December 10 @ 5pm Leadership Team Meeting December 16 @8am Security Seminar December 17 Christmas Meal (after morning service) (No evening services) December 24 @ 5pm Christmas Eve Service December 25 & 26 Office Closed for Christmas December 31 New Year’s Eve (no evening service)
cvbaptistchurch.com 3268 North FM 2148, Texarkana, TX 76120 903-794-6066
Walk Through Bethlehem
See the shops & visit with the merchants as your guide walks with you through the market place of the city of Bethlehem. Midway Baptist Church December 2-3, 6:00pm—8:30pm December 9-10, 6:00pm—8:30pm
2017 Christmas Programs
MyrtleSpringsNovember30,December1&3at7pm"AMountainChristmasMemory"
HighlandParkDecember10at10:45am"HereWithUs"
LibertyEylauDecember17at6pm"FamilyNightatChristmas"NewBostonFBCDecember17at6pm"ChristmasCarolSing"
PleasantGroveDecember17at6pm"AtLast,Noel"