Successful Halifax Christmas Carol Events

One of the reasons why there are not more posts to this blog might be the reluctance of Christians to talk about something they have tried to do for the Lord to reach others with the great news of Jesus Christ. There's nothing wrong with humility - unless it prevents us from sharing what God is doing. Another contributing factor to the paucity of posts is the time required to capture in writing an event or an outreach activity. Understood!

But anytime you have something you would like to share that might encourage others to reach out with the Gospel, be sure to contact us. This is an easy blog. Your post could be as short as a couple of sentences or paragraphs - along with a few pictures.

In December 2019, Matthew Cain, in conjunction with the North Street Gospel Hall, and a group of Christian workers organized two Christmas Carol Gospel programs. One was held at a community center in Sackville, Nova Scotia on a Saturday evening, and the second event was held Sunday evening at the North Street Gospel Hall

A cadre of workers distributed invitations beforehand in the neighbourhood. The events were also promoted on FaceBook and Twitter.

I had the privilege of sharing a brief Christmas Gospel message at both these community functions.

Unfortunately,  I do not have a picture of Matthew Cain (aided by Andrew Swan) leading the singing of the carols. Matthew introduced each carol by offering a less than 60-second intro containing historical background to each carol, flavored with some appropriate wit.

The evening was a great success. Some of the community folks sat at the tables enjoying Christmas delicacies to the very end. Many expressed their gratitude. One couple said they sensed a 'spiritual joy' in the Christian young people who helped out. What an impression to be made!

No attempt to bridge this community event with a future Gospel service was made. It was simply a one-time event (may become an annual event) - with no strings attached. Wise! I am certain if anyone wanted more information, their request would have been granted. 😊

The Sunday evening session was held at the North Street Gospel Hall - in place of its regular Sunday evening Gospel service.

The format was similar. The crowd was much larger - with the main auditorium and balcony filled. People from all walks of life, of all ages, and diverse in their ethnicity and religious beliefs - attended.

More than one said how impressed they were with the acapella singing of the carols. The engagement was refreshing and the volume of the blended voices singing the rich lyrics of the Gospel Carols was soul-stirring. Our prayer is that the lyrics, the Gospel Message regarding the Incarnation, and the warmth and kindness of the Christians - would not only be soul-stirring but heart-reaching.

This video and some of the pictures above were taken before the pews filled up.

After the Carol Service, everyone was invited to enjoy Christmas refreshments. The dining room was filled to capacity. If anyone has a picture of the crowded dining room and the loaded tables of food, please send it along.

Christmas - Bible Verse Ornaments

Many of us are not into crafts. Some of us definitely don't have the creative gene. A few of us

struggle to follow clearly detailed step-by-step instructions for even the simplest of craft-building activities. If you too are challenged in this regard - take heart! You will be able to do this easily.

Follow the few simple steps. Click on the links provided to purchase the basic supplies. Get a few of your friends together in early November for a morning or evening. Brew some coffee. Offer a few crackers - if you have no delicious sweets in the house - and long before midnight, you will have a supply of professional-looking and attractive Bible verse Christmas ornaments to share as a part of your Gospel outreach activities. If you want more information - email Shelly Dennison.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tEpHBmzrgnnXe9tEazMKZ1bsniD9MnF0/view

'The Women in My Life' Brunch

A couple of years ago, I was staying in the home of Dave and Susie Curran, while helping in a Gospel effort with the Pennsauken, NJ assembly. Susie asked me if I would have a very short Gospel message for a group of women she was having over to their home for a brunch. I agreed. She told me she would be inviting, from the community, all the women in her life who impacted or interacted with her and her family over the years.

I wasn't sure what to expect but as the cars started filling their driveway and parking on the street, I realized an impressive number of women were coming to the Curran home. Former babysitters, teachers, an obstetrician, work associates, etc. It seemed that many of them were contacts through their Moms and Tots program. If I remember correctly, there were approximately 50 who came for brunch.

There are more pictures below. I was reluctant to take too many pictures of guests I didn't know, but I can assure you, the tables outside on the upper and lower patio decks were filled with "the women in her life."

This is not a bragging matter. It is simply an effort to share an idea with you and to encourage you - wherever you may live - to try the same thing or something similar. We all have people in our lives. You may not do it twice a year. Maybe you won't even do it annually. Perhaps you will just do it once. 

But who would turn down a delicious meal, a little gift-package to take home, and possibly a five minute message of love and light from the Bible?!! Even if you don't have the courage to share a five minute message - just showing kindness and Christian love, along with giving thanks for the food - would make lasting impressions and strengthen relationships.

Perhaps you want to wait until next summer. But its not too early to start to pray about it and to think of the possibilities. Start making your list of people you could invite. Set a date. And if you are afraid, by the time next Spring or Summer rolls around, you might 'drop the ball' on this or put it off another year - send out a 'heads-up' - a 'reserve the date-range' alert now for next Spring or Summer. Put your intentions in writing now and then it is more difficult to procrastinate in eight months time.

By the way, if you have tried something similar to this, let us know, or add your comments in the feedback section for this post below. 

I asked Susie to share a few details in this post which she has kindly done below.   -Peter Ramsay

We have been doing the Moms and Tots program at our local assembly for quite a number of years now. Among other things, this has brought me into contact with many women from the community.

Over the years, we have had many people from our neighborhood and the surrounding area who have come faithfully to the Moms and Tots program and have brought along their friends as well. While we are sure to include the message of the gospel with each lesson, I wanted to have a way for ladies in my life, including the Moms and Tots adults, to be able to hear the gospel clearly. I thought by using the venue of my home it would be a way to do so.  

So, I have had two brunches a year - Easter time and Christmas when I invite the ladies in my life - neighbors, friends, Moms and Tots adults, co-workers, etc. They come for a meal and then a short message is given to them.  

This has been a great avenue for conversation and has brought about some great discussions about eternal matters.  I love using our home for the Lord, as we feel it belongs to Him and we are just trying to be good stewards of what He has given us.  

Many of these women attend their own churches on Sunday; so, this has been nice way to share the gospel with them, regardless of their background.  Many of the women look forward to it and have also asked to bring along a friend! 

I do send home a plant with the ladies and a Bible based children book to the moms of young children. I like to give at Christmas time a Bible calendar for the new year to them as well.  

I feel by inviting these ladies into our home - they will see what is important to me and, hopefully, it is a testimony to all who come.

Anyone interested in doing something similar, I would suggest to start small.  Just ask the ladies in your neighborhood, or a small group of women in your life.  It will grow quickly. It has proven to be a blessing to me on so many levels!  

"Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last."

Anyone wanting any additional information feel free to email me by clicking here.

Christmas Baskets for the Neighbourhood - St. John's, NL

It's so encouraging to visit other places and to see what Christians are doing, both individually and collectively, to show kindness to others. Sometimes we do 'good works' as merely a strategy to ultimately see people respond to the Gospel. And if, after several attempts of showing kindness, they don't respond, we get discouraged and move on - because our strategy failed. The reality is, Christians should show kindness and do good works - not as a strategy but as the outflow of one's redeemed and regenerated heart. We are to do good for the sake of doing good. Period. 

Matthew 5:16, Luke 6:35, Acts 9:36, Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 2:10, Titus 3:1, Hebrews 13:16, 1Peter 2:12

Often the only time our neighbours ever hear from us is when we drop an invitation in their mailbox to attend a special Gospel service. What do we do to show them we are just 'nice' people? NICE regardless.

Recently in St. John's, Newfoundland, I noticed special Christmas bags and a few other things around the lobby and auditorium of the local church. And then I heard an announcement about Christmas Baskets for the Neighbourhood. I asked one of the Christian sisters, Cathy Tarrant, if she would prepare a report for lostsheepfinders.com and share enough details about the activity that others will be able to try the idea in their area. She kindly submitted this report: 

Christmas Baskets for the Neighbourhood
We started this work about 5 years ago.  It started as an exercise of Ruby Williams.  She discussed it with me and we decided to go ahead and do a dozen baskets for the houses in the immediate vicinity of the hall. [Gospel Hall / local church]  The next year we expanded and with others helping, we did 25.  For the last 3 years (including this one), we have been distributing 50 baskets.

The area residents now expect the baskets and are always very appreciative.  We always put a calendar with scripture verses, usually a Christmas tract and a small booklet such as 'The Case for Christmas', 'The Cradle, the Cross and the Crown' or similar.  Then we fill it with various items such as a mug, candles, candy chocolate.   

Christmas - Prime Time to Share Christ

Have you planned and ordered your Christmas evangelizing tools for 2017? Christmas and Easter are two important dates on calendars used by 7,575,018,210 people (as of a few minutes ago) in the world. Other belief systems, know very little about the Christian faith.

Friday, December 01, 2017 is not too early to start your activity as a local church or as an individual to share the eternally-significant meaning of Christmas. Seize every opportunity. If you are to be ready by December 01st - you need to start planning a minimum of 6 weeks in advance.

Do some brainstorming with your friends as to how many different ways you could get the 'message of Christ' out during the month of December. See how long your list can grow. What a great way to spend a couple of hours with your friends! Not really a game - but it could be fun, as well as spiritually motivating. It would be exciting to see the list of possibilities growing and growing.

As in any brain-storming session - don't debate the merits of each idea as they are put forward by the participants. No discussion. Just record every idea contributed. Once you have a long list - then start the discussion as to which ideas have merit and potential and what is doable and which ideas would be the most God-honouring and Christ-centric.

Think outside the box but inside the Book.

Prayerfully develop your action plan and assign responsibilities and get to work. You want to have everything ordered and received and ready to go by the first week of December. November will whiz by like a blur. Get at it now.

Have you thought of electronic Christmas cards with a link to a good Christmas message on a website?

If you are just one Christian and, by yourself, you would like to enclose a Christmas tract with your cards - here is a new one available: The World's Most Expensive Tree  It is based on an original post on heaven4sure.  For the price of three burger & fries combos, you can have 500 tracts!

In addition to Bible Truth Publishers, who offer the new tract above, you can also browse GospelFolioPress website for their Christmas material. There is no need for anyone to say - "If there was some good Christmas material available - I would use it."

Moments With The Book also offer a wide variety of Christmas tracts.

For the tech-savvy - many of the tracts that are available in hard-copy, can also be copied and pasted into your Christmas email.

Let's pray there will be more Gospel and personal evangelism efforts this December than at any other time in history. That's not too big a prayer to pray nor beyond the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve. We have more outreach tools available to us than at any other time in the history of the Church!

Think of just the opportunities on social media. Look at this social media graph updated this month:

Also, we have more people to reach with the Gospel than at any other time in the history of the planet. In fact, since I started typing this post, 5,877 new people have been born. As I sign off, the available audience for our Christmas message stands at 7,575,024,087.

If you would like to share your ideas about what we could be doing to share Christ during December, leave your comments below. Spread the message. Share this post. Also, if you are new to this site, search here for other Christmas-related ideas!

Christmas Carol Service 2016 Halifax

While it is fresh in my memory, I'd like to give you a little report on the Annual Christmas Carol Service at the North Street Gospel Hall in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was held on Saturday evening, December 10, 2016.

Matthew Cain said 2500 invitations were distributed around the neighbourhood and many contacts were invited to the 45 minute long service. It was followed by a lunch in the basement - yes, scrumptious Christmas Baking, coffee and apple cider.

It was also announced on Facebook and Twitter. A local Member of Parliament retweeted the notice to all his followers.

150 people showed up, filling the main level with some choosing to sit in the balcony. The singing was acapella. Several visitors commented on the quality of the lyrics projected on the screen and how much they enjoyed the singing. Singing positions alternated between sitting and standing.

A brief message (approximately 10 minutes) pertaining to Christmas and the Gospel was given - aided by 9 PowerPoint slides.

After a closing prayer and a concluding carol, most of the guests stayed for the lunch and seemed in no hurry to leave. Their feedback was very positive.

What a great experience it was to see so many guests in for the first time and to have them leaving with positive impressions.

Christmas Caroling Door-to-Door

by Steve Baumann

As the door opens, you can hear the group sing that well-known verse, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the newborn king!

Every year, we gather a group of people to join us around our community to go Christmas Caroling. This will be our eighth year. It has become a staple to our Christmas tradition.

What makes it special for our family is friends who join us every year. Others try it once or twice but generally most find the time very worthwhile. It is amazing how precious and profound the lyrics to our traditional Christmas hymns are, as we sing “Jesus” to our neighborhood.

Let me share why I believe Christmas Caroling may be the last open door-to-door outreach left in America people openly receive:

It is relevant. Statistics show the Christmas season is the most open time of the year for people to hear the meaning of the gospel. It is demonstrated by increased church attendance, publicly played music and faith-based television specials with Christmas themes. There is something about baby Jesus that attracts people. We regularly hear our neighbors say with a smile, “No one has ever carolled for us before!” We even get offers of food for singing and pictures taken of us.

It is biblical. Jesus commands us to share his message. Going door-to-door with a Bible may be taboo any other time of the year, but during Christmas Season, singing the gospel is still captivating. There is something special about singing the old carols. Biblical truth speaks loud and clear in our music, as we sing the recognizable songs.

It is relational. We often get to talk to our neighbors once done singing. In our busy lives, rarely do we get to know many neighbors. Yet, through caroling we have one moment where conversing and relating to one another takes place. One year, a family who in the previous year was so ministered to by our singing joined us the following year. And since they spoke Spanish, they were able to share Christ with the non-English speakers that we could not.

When we first started caroling in our neighborhood, I honestly didn’t think of it in terms of evangelism and outreach. It was just something fun to do that brought people together. But as we continue in the tradition, the opportunities have grown for sharing Jesus to a lost world. After we sing, we hand out Story of Jesus for Children and Magdalena DVDs. With so many languages available, we usually have one for all the languages spoken in our neighborhood.

For more ideas of Gospel outreach ideas at Christmas time on this blog type in 'christmas' in the search box. There are four or five additional articles. Also click here

Our wonderful experiences doing door-to-door singing have shown me people are hungry for a Savior! We have that person in Jesus, but how we approach people with the gospel matters. Christmas Caroling still works in our secular world.

Source:
https://www.cru.org/train-and-grow/life-and-relationships/holidays/christmas/a-welcome-form-of-evangelism.html

Christmas Eve Service

Christmas Eve Service
For the past five years the Assembly in Clementsvale, Nova Scotia (Canada)has had the opportunity to reach out to the community in the Gospel by holding a Christmas Eve Service. The idea all began when a co-worker asked if our “church” had a Christmas Eve Service. He and his father did not regularly attend any church, but liked to attend a service somewhere on Christmas Eve. It led us to ask the question, “Why not?” If there are people out there who turn their thinking to Christ at Christmas time, why not take the opportunity to present them with the message about Christ from the scriptures?

The following year we decided to try it – not knowing if anyone would actually venture out, with the busyness of finishing up their gift wrapping on Christmas Eve. In preparation we mailed out about 1,500 invitation to the surrounding rural communities. On the back of the invitation we also printed a gospel message, condensed from a Christmas Tract, in hopes that some might read it even if they didn’t come.

Click here to see the invitation.

(Good Christmas Tracts are available from “Moments with The Book” www.mwtb.org/site/gospel-tracts/topics/christmas-tracts.html.)

The ladies prepared baked goods and hot apple cider for a snack afterwards. That first year we were pleasantly surprised by having approximately 15 people from the community attending as well as some of the Christians’ families. Many of them had never been in the building before. That was enough encouragement to continue each year since then.

 
The Service
We begin the service with about 20 minutes of singing good Christmas Carols, many of which are packed with truth from the scriptures. For the first three years we used an overhead projector for the songs; since then we have used a printed program. The singing is followed by a prayer and a 15 minute gospel message with a Christmas theme. After that we have a table at the back with the snack. It allows us the opportunity to mingle and chat with the people who have come. We also have a table with gospel literature, texts, gospel calendars, etc.



The Encouragement
We have been encouraged by the attendance of many who would rarely attend “church.” We include in our invitation that the service is “Non-Denominational” hoping to make everyone feel welcome to attend. Each year we get a good number of visitors from the community as well as some unsaved relatives of the Christians.
 

In 2009 a lady attended who is a relative of one of the Christians. The message was about “The Visitors in Bethlehem” and the speaker emphasized that “God visited Earth” in the person of Christ. She questioned the statement that “Christ is God.” She had been previously exposed to wrong doctrine by people meeting with her in her home and telling her that Christ is not God. The Lord used that message to speak to her and she began attending a series of gospel meetings which began the next month. She was saved in that series and today she is in fellowship in the assembly. We give God the glory and look to Him for further blessing.

For further information or for electronic copies of any of our invitations or programs, please contact David & Pamela McClelland.

Seizing the Christmas Opportunity in the Community

Editor's Note: Yes, it is after Christmas, but now is the time to mark it on your calendar to start working on it in 10 months time, if the Lord hasn't come. The great thing about a blog is you can scan the labels for keywords e.g. Christmas, Easter, community, prisons, etc. Click on the word (the tag) of interest to you and all the relevant stories will come up for you to read. This story below has been submitted on behalf of the St. Thomas Gospel Hall in Ontario.

Fantasy of Lights
Each year during the month of December the local park is used to showcase light displays of local businesses and organizations called “The Fantasy of Lights”.  There is no cost in being a part of it, and it is an opportunity to share the gospel for a month.  The only thing that is requested of each group is to volunteer at the front gate where each car is greeted and donations are received to cover the costs of electricity and maintenance.

The St. Thomas Gospel Hall was excited to be a part of it this year.  Our theme verse was  1Timothy 1:15 and so to portray it we had a globe, a manger and a cross with the shadow of the cross reflected on the globe.

We were able to find an 8 foot beach ball on the internet.  With the talent of several of the believers we came up with a blue vinyl covering, and using a green tarp, cut out the land forms to make the globe.  In front of the globe, there was a cross and in front of that, a wooden manger.  Screwed to the back of the manger was a spot light that shone on the wooden cross creating a large shadow of a cross on the globe. 

To the left of the globe was a large banner with the theme verse, two globes portraying all of the landforms and a Bible.  Also written on the bottom of the banner was “Sponsored by the St. Thomas Gospel Hall” and our website stthomasgospelhall.com.  We decorated the posts holding the banner with garland, lights and bows.  We also outlined our assigned plot with a “fence” using garland and coloured lights.  It was exciting to see the different talents and gifts at work during the project. 

We had fun the two nights that we volunteered at the gate and supervised the park.  It was an opportunity to get some of the older Sunday school students involved with the volunteering.  It was a good feeling to be involved in a community activity and most of all knowing that Christ’s name was being lifted high for a whole month.

Calendars

With the help Jim Elliott of the Broadview assembly in Toronto we were able to make some attractive calendars to give out in the community and specifically to neighbours and areas where Sunday school children are picked up. 

 Jim Elliott printed:

•             Envelopes

•             Seals for the envelopes

•             Color photograph of a local scene

•             The calendar backing

•             The month pages

One of the believers took several pictures of local scenery and landmarks and then we chose two of them (for variety) to be printed and attached to our calendars.    Two Sunday afternoons the believers met for a couple of hours to assemble the calendars and the envelopes.  Each calendar had printed on it the name of the hall, the order of meetings, and a gospel verse on each month.

Christmas Baskets

In an effort to reach a group of people other than our Sunday school contacts we put together some Christmas baskets.  The idea was to provide the believers with a gift for their neighbours, co-workers, community service workers, or anyone else they wanted to reach with the gospel.

 

One sister found a greenhouse that was closing down, so got several baskets at a reduced price, and another sister made regular rounds to the second hand stores to pick up more baskets (the second hand ones were spray painted).  Good quality items were purchased to fill the baskets along with a calendar, Christmas bookmark, Christmas tract, notepad, and a pen with a verse.  The pads were printed by one of the Christians with a snowflake graphic including our website address.  In addition to the purchased items, a yummy white chocolate snack mix was made and bagged in Christmas cellophane bags. 

Another item included plastic spoons that were dipped in chocolate and crushed candy cane and bagged as well.  To make things more attractive little packets of hot chocolate, tea and popcorn were tied with curled ribbon.  Finally we filled the baskets, and wrapped them in cellophane with a bow and a gift tag.  We made around 80 of these baskets.  The believers took them according to their needs, and some took up to 10. 

The feedback was pretty exciting.  The shock on the faces of some of the community service workers was priceless as they received their unexpected gift.  These baskets opened the door for building relationships with neighbours as well.

Christian Kindness at Drive-Thrus

This is an easy way of witnessing for Christ - but it may cost you a dollar or two. This applies especially to coffee drinkers who go through coffee-shop drive thrus. Sure, if you are loaded or flush with cash, it will work at any drive thru as long as you are prepared to pay for more than a cup of coffee for the folks behind you.

You can do this anytime and without having anything on the back of your vehicle to indicate you are a Christian. You can do it out of just sheer generosity. But if you would like to connect a surprise act of kindness with your faith in Christ - then you will need something on the back of your car to indicate that you are a Christian. It could be a simple fish symbol or a cross - symbols that are universally associated with Christianity. Or it could be a non-tacky bumper-sticker. Perhaps you could have your own tasteful bumper-sticker made up at a local sign shop that simply says: "A Christian" or "The Bible" or "John3:16". Or if the local assembly of Christians has its own website, the bumper-sticker could be the website address.

Sometimes a bumper-sticker can be negatively provocative which we should avoid. There is a slight difference between one that says: "I'm a Christian!" and one that simple states: "A Christian". One could be mistaken for arrogance.

Here's how it works: so you are craving a coffee or cappuccino or a hot tea. You go through your favorite drive-thru and place your order. You look in your rear-view mirror and see another person or a couple placing their order. You have some cash on you and you decide to do it. They have been staring at your Christian identity on your bumper or your trunk. You get to the window to pick up your coffee and pay for it. 

1.  Roll down your window
2. With a smile, you say to the worker, "Oh, I'd like to pay for the folks (or friends or the car) behind me too." The worker takes a second to add the two totals together and then gives you the new amount.
3. You do a simple calculation to add a tip to the total amount of the two vehicles - and give the cash and tip to the worker - along with a pen or a cd or something.
4. You drive away sipping your drink.
5. The driver behind you moves up to the window and the worker says - "No Charge. The guy ahead of you just paid for your order."
6. The driver shakes his/her head and thinks: "Wow! That's cool."

Don't expect them to race down the road and wave frantically out the window thanking you for your generosity - but you can be sure of this: the driver noticed your deed and appreciated your kindness. AND, if you had something on the back of your vehicle to indicate you are a Christian - the driver would mull that over in her mind and make the connection between your kindness and your message. Probably the worker at the drive-thru window saw her reaction. You don't need to see it; just understand that it was well received!

 When the story gets told by the driver it may go something like this: "I was in this drive thru and I was getting impatient. The car ahead of me had one of those Christian stickers on the back of their car and quite frankly, the mood I was in, it bugged me. But then, when I went to pay for my coffee and donut, the worker said: "Oh, the guy ahead of you paid for yours!" I actually felt guilty. It was pretty cool."

Perhaps your deed of kindness may melt a hard heart who has been hurt by a Christian in the past. Your act of generosity may reverse or counter the negative image that driver had after watching so-called Christians 'protesting' on the evening news last night.

Can you afford to do this? Maybe not because not everyone orders just a single coffee. A driver might order a sandwich and a coffee and that will cost you $6.  But if you have $10 - you will be prepared. However, most of the time, when you look in your rear-view mirror and decide to do it - you won't be hit with a huge bill.

Use your head. If you look in the mirror and you see a bus or a loaded van or six people squeezed into a car - and you are not feeling rich - then it is probably not the time to say: "I want to pay for the folks behind me."

Yes, Christmas is a good time to do it. It is nice when unbelievers associated the Christian faith with GIVING and KINDNESS and GENEROSITY. But, it could be a work for the Lord you do all through the year if you have a few extra dollars floating around. Think of the positive impact on others even if you dedicated $10 a week to such an effort.

Christmas Gospel Outreach

Not too long ago, we were in a downtown Quebec City shopping Mall, surrounded by mostly French speaking Canadians. We love Quebec - but most unfortunately, our ability to converse in French is virtually non-existent. In the heart of Quebec City, surrounded by many shoppers speaking a language we love but do not understand, everything seemed so unfamiliar. Until....

Until coming over the mall's sound system we heard this beautiful carol being sung in English:

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

I'm not sure who else was praying in the mall that day, but I, for one, had to send up a quick 'thank-you' to the Lord for Mark Lowry's lyrics but also for the fact that it was being publicly played in a shopping mall in downtown Quebec City. Thank the Lord for every opportunity to mention the name of Christ and to share the story of Christ publicly. Often we spend our time bemoaning the fact that we can't share His lovely Name more and that we are restricted by this or that law. The question is: Are we taking advantage of every opportunity to exalt His Name before lost sheep in our current environment?

Christmas is an opportunity to speak often about Christ because there is still a certain receptivity to the story during the month of December.

The Christians in Grand Bend, Ontario developed a special Christmas Carol Story four panel brochure. It is attractive and the Gospel is clearly communicated. They have used it as a mail-out to their town but also for their annual Christmas Sunday School Treat.

You will not be able to read it due to the size on this blog but you will get the idea. If you would like to obtain a pdf copy of this brochure, click here to email Don and Anita Gratton.