A Month of Giving

At our Christmas Eve Gathering I said that the spirit of Christmas is giving ourselves to others. And I can't remember a December in the last 19 that I've spent with Nags Head Church when that spirit has been more evident.

That's especially telling because during those 19 years we have seen times of greater prosperity as a nation and here locally.

I wish I knew all of the examples to share with you, but here are some of the ways Nags Head Church gave this December...

• Over 200 pounds of groceries were delivered to the Beach Food Pantry. The food was given as an offering at our annual Thanksgiving Eve Gathering.
• The Advent Conspiracy motivated many in our congregation to take a serious evaluation of their Christmas mentality and make radical changes in their giving. We have a blog post where those who got into AC can continue to share their stories.
• "Unspeakable Joy", our Christmas concert on Dec. 11 took up a love offering for Ocean View Baptist Church in KDH. The Saturday night after Thanksgiving they lost their fellowship building to a fire. At the concert over $1800 was received to get their building fund started.
• The Lottie Moon Christmas offering for Foreign Missions will likely total closer to $2000 than the $1000 goal we had. Besides the almost $700 that came in from Boars Head hams (what a great idea from Brad and Rebecca!) your offerings to missions blew us by our goal.
• Once again winter coats were collected and distributed to those in need. This year over 200 coats came in, added to the almost 400 we gave away last year.
• "Ruthie's Kitchen", a weekly meal for the homeless and hungry on the beach was staffed Tuesday night by NHCers. They prepared and served a meal of spaghetti, toast, salad, mac and cheese and hot dogs. The food was purchased with the offering received on Christmas Eve.
• Several families within our flock recieved financial assistance and Food Lion gift cards. We're able to do this because of the offerings we receive on First Wednesdays.
• Many of our church families took on their own projects, giving back to the community in creative ways.

God the Father is a giver. He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus, the Son is a giver, laying down His life for our salvation. The Holy Spirit is a giver, enabling us to minister to others with supernatural abilities - spiritual gifts. When we become givers we're copying them.

Christ said it this way.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matt. 25:34-40)