Did you know that in Mexico many Christians put on Shepherds’ plays to retell the Christmas story and a favorite Christmas food is tamales? Did you know that in Egypt many Christians celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6 with a 10 pm church service after fasting for Advent? Did you know that some Syrian Christians have a big bonfire and tell the nativity story on Christmas Eve, just like we did at Valley Church during COVID? Hymns are sung while the fire burns and afterwards everyone jumps over the ashes and makes a wish! In China it is common to give someone a “peace apple” as a Christmas gift to be eaten on Christmas Eve.
Believe it or not, this was God’s plan all along. That the name of Jesus would be worshipped throughout the whole earth! That men and women and boys and girls from all over the globe would know who Jesus is and would worship him in fullness and truth.
This Sunday we’ll celebrate the wonderful plan of God to have the name of Jesus go out to every tribe, every tongue, and every nation. Our text is the hymn in 1 Tim. 3:16 – a compact summary of God’s love for the whole world, wrapped up tight, just like a baby swaddled in a manger – the fullness of God in human form. We’ll finish our Advent Season on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 at 5 pm as we see the end of this little hymn with the glorious return of King Jesus into heaven!
Two Sundays ago, our Chairman Alex Auer announced some great news – that after 10 months of searching, praying, reading resumes, and listening to sermons, we extended an invitation to Dr Craig Shigyo as Lead Pastor. He has accepted that invitation and we will warmly welcome Craig, Amanda, and their two boys with open arms on Feb 2, 2025, as they join our church family.
I’ve already shared with you that for several years now, God has been at work in Val and me for time to do pastoral care of global partners and he has been opening some doors for us to serve together in this way. No, we’re not leaving Valley Church or retiring. We hope to have a transition much like Glen and Patty have done. I’ll be stepping down as Lead Pastor, but we hope to still be a vital part of Valley Church, just with a new role that the elders are exploring options on. The timing couldn’t be better – the church is strong and growing, we’re debt free and financially strong, and our vision is as clear as ever.
March 2025 will mark 24 years that Valorie and I have been at Valley Church. We’ll continue to trust God for great things ahead. I’m truly excited about this new season in front of us and believe God has great things in store.
Joy to the World,
Kurt