Minister's Message 

Dear friends,
Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of our King, Jesus Christ and I always look forward to celebrating his birth on Christmas Day.  Let us think about the characters involved in that first Christmas:
Who was she?
Mary: a young Jewish girl; found to be pregnant before marrying Joseph; not from an important family; not rich; but afraid and yet quietly excited because she had been chosen to carry God’s son.   
Who was he?
Joseph: a working Jewish man – a carpenter by trade; surprised to hear that his fiancée was pregnant; a good man because he wanted to do the right thing; afraid and yet quietly trying to accept that Mary was carrying God’s son.
Who were they?
Shepherds: working men who due to their hours could not always get to worship and so were sometimes looked down on by the Temple leaders; chosen by God to be the first to hear the news from singing Angels; the first to visit the special child born in a stable.
Who was he?
Jesus: the Son of God; born on earth to Mary and Joseph; in a stable not a stately home; living among us; walking with us; letting us know how much God loves us.
Who are we?
A pregnant girl; a working person; a traveller on the road; every person; afraid; excited; joyful.  All of us chosen by God to know the wonder of his Son living among us; walking with us; letting us know how much God loves us; letting us know that he wants to reach out and be here for every one of us.
IMMANUEL – GOD WITH US
 I wish you a peace-filled and joyous Christmas. 
God bless from Rev Linda.