Advent Conspiracy

     Sunday we began a new series called, Advent Conspiracy.  For many folks, Christmas is their favorite time of the year.  Its pretty easy to see why - presents, family time, days off of school and work, joyful music, snow… we could continue on because there is a lot to love about this time of year!  We’re not bashing that or saying that there is anything wrong with that, its great that people enjoy this season.  At the same time, as people who follow Christ, this season has a deep and rich meaning for us and we want to make sure that we drink that in over the course of the next month.

     In order to really engage the Christmas season we are joining in on an Advent Conspiracy.  That may sound a little sketchy to you but the idea is that we want to join together to bless other people during this season - pretty simple and really not sketchy at all!  Our goal is to change the way we celebrate Christmas a little so that instead of accumulating more stuff, we’ll have some money available to invest in a project that will give clean water to a village in Thailand that otherwise would not have it.  Having clean water to drink is a huge thing (do a google search and read a little about the effects of not having clean water!).  If we raise $500, 30-40 people will have the resources and help they need to pipe water down from streams in mountains into their village and for the first time in their lives they will have clean water available in their villages! The rest of the Central church family is giving towards the same goal and if together we raise $5,000 an entire village of 300-400 people will have clean water.

In order to do this, we’re asking you to consider doing two things:
(1) ask for less stuff - ask your parents to give you one less gift and instead donate what they would have spent on you to the Advent Conspiracy H2O Project
(2) give less stuff - instead of purchasing an item for someone who you were going to buy a gift for, give them a relational gift (more ideas to come for those!) and give the money you would have spent to the H20 Project

    Together, we can do things just a little differently this year and in doing so bless an entire village thousands of miles away!  I can’t think of a more beautiful way to engage the deeper meaning of the Christmas season and share God’s love with others.

     At Face 2 Face on Sunday, we talked about how Jesus showing up changes everything.  God moving into the neighborhood and promising that he would be with us always, changes everything.  Immanuel, “God with us”, changes everything!  We are invited to join with God, to believe, to have hope, to live the way Jesus did and in so doing leverage our lives to continue changing things!  One of the things that we recognize to be true in Jesus being born and giving his life for us is that his gift is a relational gift.  He gave himself and made a sacrifice, he gave so that we might know him and know love and grace.  So often, we expect things and gifts and stuff to fulfill us when in reality the things that we think will fulfill us often end up being forgotten about a few years down the road.  But the things we do remember, the things that have lasting meaning and significance to us are when people give of themselves and give us relational gifts, gifts that help us to know that we are loved and known.  This week, remember the relational gift that has been given to us in Jesus and consider what relational gifts you can give this year that might ultimately be more meaningful to your family and friends.  Maybe that means cooking a meal for your family, going for a walk with your mom or committing to have breakfast one Saturday a month with your dad, there are all kinds of gifts that we can give that will ultimately be much more meaningful than toasters and coffee mugs!