News for These Christmas Days and More

Merry Christmas on the eve of Christmas Eve (and happy Friday).

Most of you have heard by now that our offering from Christmas on Clairemont for Ukraine as of yesterday, has exceeded $31,000 and is drawing close to $32,000 with more continuing to come in. This is truly remarkable.

Especially in light of the Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday with the president of Ukraine addressing both houses and the American people, the focus for our Christmas on Clairemont offering could not have come at a more meaningful time. Thanks to all of you for your support of this great relationship with Pastor Andrei and Vinnytsia Grace Church. If you have not had an opportunity to contribute, we will continue to take donations for as long as we need to.

I am so grateful to each and every one of you. And I am so thankful to share in these good days of life together. With hope, peace, joy and love, I treasure being on this journey through Christmas with you. With that said and with 2023 on the horizon:

The trials of these past three years is worth a brief recounting.

Coping with a pandemic, wondering how to proceed, searching for new options for worship, fellowship and ministry, and finally, emerging into to a semi-post pandemic reality. I feel like our partnership is now forged with stronger ties and deeper understandings. Still with fits and starts, our finances appear reassuringly stable. Our online presence continues to evolve and expand. And while I wish our in-person attendance were more, we continue to welcome new friends of all ages and backgrounds. Further, we have healthy indicators that 2023 might well yield some strong, new opportunities we can be very excited about.

Bless you all. And may this Christmas once again be a reminder of God’s deepest and widest love for you in the great gift of Jesus. And may the New Year we share in the coming months be all that we need and more than we can imagine.

Love,

David