Hi Newport Church Family,
We pray that you are experiencing an abundant measure of God’s presence and grace during this Christmas season.
The Mystery of the Advent of Christ
It’s hard to believe that we are only 7 days away from Christmas!
As we make preparations for Christmas with family and friends, amidst all of the business, celebrations and unremitting challenges of life let’s open our hearts anew to receive a fresh measure of hope, love, joy and peace.
The focus of Advent, the anticipation of Christ’s arrival, is not only on the past, but also on the present and the future.
· The Past – As we remember the wonder, mystery and glory of the birth of Christ.
· The Future – As we anticipate the return of Christ in majesty, splendor and power.
· The Present – As we welcome Jesus into our hearts, the place where He longs to live and rule.
Paul wrote about the mystery of the Advent, past present and future to his son in the faith Timothy.
Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith Christ was revealed in a human body
and vindicated by the Spirit.
He was seen by angels
and announced to the nations.
He was believed in throughout the world
and taken to heaven in glory.
1 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
One of the great mysteries of the Advent is not only the birth of Jesus, but that Christ Himself can dwell in our hearts by faith.
I pray that Christ may live in your hearts by faith.
Eph 3:17 NLV
Let’s take time in this season to ponder the mystery of Jesus’ birth, anticipate the wonder of His second coming, but above all to welcome Him into our hearts so that Christ can live in our hearts by faith.
As we do this, God promises to fill our hearts with His presence so that we can know:
· HOPE in the midst of Hopelessness
· LOVE in the midst of Conflict
· JOY in the midst of Hardship
· PEACE in the midst of Turmoil
And because of this, we will be able to bring that same HOPE, LOVE, JOY, and PEACE to our world.
May the Advent of Christ make each one of us a hub of hope and faith this Christmas!
Christmas Eve at Home Online Premier –Friday 24th December 6pm
This year our Christmas eve service will be online premiering at 6pm, and we would love for you to join us with your family in your homes.
We will have the opportunity to gather, connect and interact live on our Newport Church YouTube channel!
Let’s do all that we can to make room in our schedules for 35 minutes so that we can celebrate this moment together.
Here is the link to the service, which we would love for you to share with your family and friends https://youtu.be/EvY1Bdggef8
Sunday December 26th 10am Service
Our Sunday service will be at our usual time and we will also be livestreaming for those who will unable to join us in person.
Let’s finish the year strong and set the stage for 2021 with hearts full of faith and expectation!
The Greatest Gift of All
Christmas is a time when we exchange gifts because we remember the Advent of Jesus who is the greatest gift of all!
As a church we can only be a gift to our community because of your generosity, and we want to thank you for the gift that you are and the gift of your giving. You are making a difference!
As we approach the last week of the year, our prayer is that we will enter 2021 from a position of strength as a result of our collective generosity.
For those who would still like to contribute to our Thanksgiving Offering or who would like to give your regular donations or tithe, you can do so by clicking here.
May God multiply the seed you sow according to His promise!
This Sunday!
We can’t wait to see you this Sunday, either in person or online. It’s going to be a great morning and it won’t be the same without you!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NIV
We love and appreciate you all greatly,
Pastor Jonathan & Dianne Wilson
Senior Pastors