Church Newsletter For Christmas, 2002

Greetings and Merry Christmas from one who loves you!

It is with a joy filled heart that I write to you and wish you and yours a very joyous Christmas! I pray this Christmas season finds you filled with the peace and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ as we celebrate His birth. What a happy time for us as Christians as we rejoice in sure and certain knowledge that "...the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Truly, unto to us "a Savior is born". I pray that each of you will attend the Christmas service of your choice and be filled greatly with God's Holy Spirit.

Many of us will be spending Christmas with family, friends, and loved ones, and many will be traveling. I do hope that you'll be able to celebrate your Christmas with the people you hold most dear in your hearts. But this most joyous holiday is also a wonderful opportunity to minister to those many people who aren't able to be with their own loved ones. I hope that each of you is able to reach out this Christmas and share your holiday with someone who might otherwise have to spend Christmas alone. What a wonderful way to show the Christ in Christmas!

I also want to encourage you, my friends, to make this an especially spiritual Christmas. While so much of Christmas has become secularized and commercialized, we, as Christians need to make the extra effort to remind our neighbor of the true reason for Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior. This time of year presents plenty of opportunities to ask people you know or meet the simple question, "Are you a Christian?" This one question can make such a difference. And it immediately reminds people of the true reason this is such a wonderful holiday. I also pray that each of you will find some time this Christmas for your own quiet reflection on the meaning of Christ's birth. Please take a few moments this Christmas day just giving thanks to our Lord for His precious gift to us.

Our church has much to be grateful for this year. We've had many new members join, including many from all over the world. We've gained a great many new members from Great Britain this past year, as well as from Canada, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, The Philippines, Mexico, and many more countries. It's wonderful to see so many people joining our fellowship and starting new Christian web sites. Our church currently has over six thousand members, and growing. Many of our new members don't know where we fellowship in our church. Most of our fellowship takes place on our church bulletin board at http://members4.boardhost.com/ficotw/, so if you're not visiting our bulletin board you're missing a lot of great fellowship. We also have a very active Prayer Request Page at http://members.sitegadgets.com/ficotw/board.html, so be sure and visit there as well. Both are great places to meet other members of our church and share their fellowship.

I do want to thank each of you for your membership and participating in our church. It's wonderful to meet so many Christians from around the world, Christians who are excited about Christ and about sharing the good news that Jesus Is Lord! I enjoy so much hearing from you, and reading your testimonies, and hearing how much Christ means to you. I just want each of you to know how much you mean to me and how grateful I am for you, and for all you do.

Do remember this Christmas to pray for each other, and for our church. Remember to lift up your brother and sister, your neighbor and co-worker, your country and its leaders, and for peace on earth. There's so much to pray for in today's world, there's no excuse for not praying! Let's pray sincerely, let's pray spontaneously, and let's pray often. Pray for comfort for those who are hurting, pray for healing for those who are sick, and please pray for peace. This holiday, more than at any other time, pray for peace.

Let me close by thanking each of you again for your participation in our church. You, the members, are what make this such a wonderful ministry and fellowship, and without you, we just wouldn't be the First International Church Of The Web. Thank you, and keep up all your great works. I pray this Christmas is a truly joyous occasion for you and yours. May God's greatest blessings fill your every need. Until next time, brothers and sisters, remember, I love you. Thanks again, and God bless

Yours in Christ,
Brother Dave