Dear Friends,

As Christmas draws near, I want to offer my deepest thanks for your faithfulness to our community and to the shared work of bearing Christ’s love into the world. Christmas invites us to celebrate the astonishing truth that God chose to enter fully into our human story through Jesus, embracing a world that is often wounded, yet never beyond hope.

Throughout this year, I have been inspired by the many ways you have lived out that incarnation. Through worship, care and support, education, and outreach beyond our walls, your generosity and commitment have made it possible for us to be Christ’s body in the world. Even in challenging moments, we have witnessed love that is steady, courageous, and quietly transformative.

As we look toward 2026, there will still be work that asks much of us. Yet we move forward trusting Christ, the one who sustains us and rekindles our imagination for a world longing to be made new. Every Christmas, we are reminded that the story does not end at the manger, but continues in the life we are called to live. Howard Thurman gave that calling words in his poem “The Work of Christmas”:

When the song of the angels is stilled,

when the star in the sky is gone,

when the kings and princes are home,

when the shepherds are back with their flocks,

the work of Christmas begins:

to find the lost,

to heal the broken,

to feed the hungry,

to release the prisoner,

to rebuild the nations,

to bring peace among the people,

to make music in the heart.

May we recommit ourselves to the work of Christmas, not only in this holy season, but throughout the year ahead, trusting that God is already at work among us and through us.

May God bless you this Christmas season.

With gratitude and affection,

Chip