For those of us who gather in Advent expectation, we know that the only perfect gift ever given was the one we received in Jesus Christ. Yet, our congregation knows that our collective gifts through the Christmas Joy Offering celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ, the “perfect gift” from a gracious God.
Think back on those people in your life who have truly developed your faith. It may be a pastor or Christian educator, a youth minister or Sunday school teacher. Devoted and caring leaders have led many of us in the way of Christ. Church workers have shaped our faith, and they have been God’s gifts among us. As we celebrate Christ’s coming and think of the profound impact these individuals have had on us, the Christmas Joy Offering provides a way for us to offer a gift in response, especially for those church workers who find themselves in times where they need assistance to pay bills or receive life-saving medical treatment. Our gifts through the Christmas Joy Offering support these people who give so much of themselves to Christ’s church.
God also is calling new leaders for our Church and world through the ministry of Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. Menaul School in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Presbyterian Pan American School in Kingsville, Texas; and Stillman College, a Historically Black College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are sustained through the generosity of Presbyterians, which means a brighter future and enhanced opportunities for those students to use their talents and skills to serve God, the Church, and the world. When you give to the Christmas Joy Offering, you help sustain these promises and uplift our siblings in Christ by reducing their burdens and opening new paths of opportunity.
When we receive the Christmas Joy Offering on Sunday, December 22, may you give generously in thanksgiving to God for the most perfect gift of all, the gift of Jesus Christ.