Message from Clearview Community Church
Merry Christmas,
I’d like to take and introduce myself; I’m Pastor Grant over at Clearview Community Church, the blue church under the water tower on main street here in Kindersley. My wife and I moved here back in May of this year from Ontario. There has been a lot of change for us over this time and a lot of things to get used to. But I have enjoyed getting to know people in this community and one thing that Rosanna and I noticed from day one was people’s generosity. So, I would like to share a passage with you that doesn’t normally come up at Christmas time and hopefully it will encourage you to continue in your generosity this Christmas season.
Luke 14:12-14 (The Message)
“Then he turned to the host. “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbours, the kind of people who will return the favour. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be – and experience – a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favour, but the favour will be returned – oh, how it will be returned! – at the resurrection of God’s people.”
At Christmas time I’m sure that many of you have traditions that involve multiple dinner plans over the holidays with family and friends. We get excited when we think and plan out what we are going to have and what games are going to be played and so on, and those are great things. But what about those in our community who don’t have any plans? Those who have lost loved ones, or those who are struggling financially and can barely put a meal together let alone a fancy Christmas one with Turkey or Ham and all the fixings.
Maybe you can’t give anything this Christmas season, but you could probably add another chair to your table. So, a question I have for you to ponder this Christmas is who needs to be invited into your celebrations this Christmas season? God, through his Son Jesus invites all of us to come and join His table. He wants us to in turn extend that invitation to others.
This Christmas Eve we are having a service that will start at 7:00 pm but the doors will be open at 6:00 pm for refreshments. We want to extend the invitation beyond our family and friends but to everyone in our community. We want to bless those families in our community who are in need this Christmas season so we have decided that all proceeds from that service will be given to our local food bank here in town. Since moving here, I find that I have a greater understanding of what it feels like to be alone in community of people who are strangers to you, and I also know from my past what it’s like to barely scrape by financially. So, if you are alone this Christmas season or if you are struggling, I want to personally invite you to join us Christmas Eve and celebrate with us.
I hope to see you there,
Blessings, Pastor Grant Clearview Community Church