Have you ever had a quest for knowledge that defied political, social, or religious boundaries? This state of enlightenment is what drove the “three wise men” or magi, who were gentile, to seek out and worship a Jewish baby born in Bethlehem. Why were these men wise, you might ask.

We believe their wisdom was born from a knowledge and fear of the Lord that was handed down by their ancestors throughout the centuries. We have reason to believe the magi were also well-versed in astronomy and understood celestial objects, space, and the physical universe at that time. The star was significant to the magi because of a prophetic timetable, given by the angel Gabriel to Daniel, which they were educated about.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV)

In ancient Greek, the word “epiphany” means showing, manifestation, or appearance. The word is principally used in Christianity to refer to the manifestation of Jesus to the gentiles (i.e., non-Jews), namely, when the “wise men” visited and paid homage to the infant Jesus. According to God’s plan, even at his birth he was laying the groundwork for inclusion of all humankind to be a part of God’s family.

Prayer:
Our heavenly Father and Creator of all the universe, we humbly come before you just as the wise men did. Help us to desire a relationship with you. Please give us wisdom in all the decisions we make and give us the heart to believe the unbelievable. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Randal Roberts, Associate Pastor
Maumee, OH, US

In December we held our Very Surrey Christmas Parade and Neighborhood celebration with our church family and neighbors. We had over 21 decorated golf carts, muscle cars, and floats and were joined by the Oklahoma City Police and Fire Departments. It was incredible and the neighbors went all out!

After the parade, we loaded into our church building. We offered free face painting and craft tables, hosted by neighborhood businesses and volunteers from the school. There were professional pictures with Santa from a neighborhood photographer. And there was a hot chocolate and cookie bar sponsored by our neighborhood Lion’s Club and our favorite coffee roasters!

We had well over 500 in attendance at the celebration (and hundreds more who watched the parade) and neighbors simply hung out together for hours. I just sit in awe of what I see Jesus doing. He is using this church building in all the ways we dreamed it would be used. He’s building bonds through relationships. He’s breaking down walls. He’s flipping the script. He is eliminating this entire idea of an “us” within the church walls and “them” outside. We are just a “we” in Jesus. The church participating in what Jesus is already doing is simply breathtaking. This event was a reminder that at GC Surrey Hills, we truly are “Neighbors Loving Neighbors.”

Ceeja Malmkar, MTC Coordinator
Surrey Hills, OK, US

The Grace Communion South Kansas City Love Avenue team generated many ideas while planning for Christmas. We chose two events to bless our surrounding neighborhood. The assistance I receive from my team has been invaluable, and they are amazing servant leaders. We stepped out boldly to see where the Holy Spirit would lead.

Using our facility’s large yard and circle driveway, our first event was what lovingly became known as the “Drive-by Christmas Cheer.” Our talented Pastor Terry McDonald made flyers that we distributed to our schools and our surrounding neighborhood. We wore costumes such as a beautiful dancing elf, a very jovial, dancing Santa Claus, and two snowmen. On the drive and lawn, we placed two 6-foot, lighted candy canes strategically to show entrance and exit. And a very cheerful lighted gingerbread man faced the road. A projector flashed a colorful festive light show on the building.

The costumed members danced and offered a warm welcome to passing vehicles. It was a wonderful sight to behold. We served our guests hot chocolate and hot apple cider. We passed out candy canes and Christmas ornaments that were wrapped in greetings from our congregation and our QR code.

We had such a great time and 22 neighbors participated. Some children even got out of their cars to look more closely at our costumes and have fun with us. They were so cute. It is our belief that those people were the ones God wanted us to bless. What a joy!

We are actively serving a neighborhood elementary school, and I’ve been volunteering in one of their kindergarten classes. As our second event, we chose to bless this classroom of children with what became known as “Adopt a Classroom.” We decided to give a pair of Christmas pajamas and a book to each child. The teacher was excited about this idea and provided the sizes for all 19 children. Our congregation prepared the packages. On the day of delivery, four individuals in our group, in costume, delivered the gifts. Watching the students’ excitement and joy invigorated us. We presented the teacher with a gift as well; she was surprised and grateful.

We send encouragement and prayers to all our churches and ministry leaders. Every person touched reveals God’s love, and we are excited to continue this effort in 2024.

Barbara Leatherman, Love Avenue Champion
Kansas City, MO, US