While I love the act of giving beautiful gifts to loved ones, there's something disheartening about how quickly "Christmas" gets reduced to a wish list or shopping list. The "spirit of Christmas" includes heartwarming generosity, but it's a generosity so big that I cannot imagine containing it in gift boxes. It's about the radical love of a God who chooses to be present with us, in flesh. It's about the hope embodied in a God who dared to trust a young woman named Mary to give birth to our Savior, even though she would be compelled to make a trip late in her pregnancy and give birth in a stable, and even though this child and his parents would become refugees shortly after his birth.

But I'm getting ahead of myself; it's not Christmas yet. We're just this Sunday beginning the season of Advent, during which we prepare our hearts and lives for Christ. We begin with a bigger question: What are you waiting for?

To help us make space for Christ, this year we've prepared a special Advent Box devotional--it's a small gift box, with cards inside. On each one, there's something to read and do. You can open this Advent Box with your family, or alone--at the dinner table or wherever you can make space for reflection. I hope you will pick one up on Sunday. And I hope it will provide one small way to remember that this season is about so much more than what we can buy or give--it's about a world-changing gift from God.

And, to that end, I'd like to share a Christmas tradition from my family--perhaps it's one that you do, too. Instead of purchasing gifts for each other, we make gifts of donations to charity projects in honor of one another. (Sometimes we give a small gift too--like something we've made.) As someone who's privileged enough to have my basic needs met (and more!), it's so inspiring and delightful to get to open these envelopes on Christmas day--to read about the way our giving is multiplied in supporting meaningful projects, ministries and efforts.

There will be several options for ways you can buy these kinds of "gifts" at our All-in-One Advent Fun event on December 14--with donations to support Corazon's housebuilding in Mexico, Shared Bread's ministry of meals, and Imagine No Malaria's effort to end malaria. Or, you can be a part of Giving Tuesday to United Methodist Missions--the first $1 Million will be doubled by a matching gift, and you and search out and support projects of all types throughout the world, all that have been screened and selected by our UMC.

I pray that this week, as you celebrate Thanksgiving, you will experience gratitude that reminds you of how you're held in God's amazing love. And I pray that you enter the Advent season with a spirit of openness, so that you will receive the gift of Christ's coming in a new and powerful way.

Pastor Molly

Community Events and Other Opportunities:

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Your results will be helpful for our membership committee to know areas of interest in our church and see who still needs assistance connecting in our church. If you are already as involved as you want to be, just fill in the areas where you are already serving! You may pick up a paper copy in the office or go to our website and complete it. CLICK HERE

The SPRC is preparing the evaluations for our upcoming Charge Conference. This is an important time of year when we look at the accomplishments of the current year and establish goals for 2015. The committee has been meeting and sharing our thoughts with the staff and lay leadership. We have created an email address to provide you with the opportunity to share your joys or concerns with our committee. SPRC@BeachFaith.com This e-mail address is private and will only be accessed through our committee. If you would prefer to speak to someone personally, here is the list of members:

Gary Baughman, Sabrina Callender-Clewett, Nancy Colwell, Ron Day ,Johnna Kosnoff, Kathy McCandless, Jonathan Tuuholoaki, Darrell Uran and Joe Zeiler

The SPRC is working hard to provide our wonderful staff with the support they need to be successful. We encourage you to be a part of this work. Thank you for your support of our church.