Cross View Bapt ist Church December 2017 WhyIDon’tGiveChristmasGiftsMichaelGuillenIloveChristmas.Somuchso,myfamilyhasplacedstrictlimitsonhowsoonIcanstartlisteningtoChristmasmusic.Mysononcewroteashortessayforschool,titled“TheAttackofTheEarly-ChristmasDad.”

ButwhileIloveChristmas–thecelebrationofGod’sloveforus–Idonotlikethematerialisticorgyithasbecome.ItremindsmeofaquoteattributedtoGandhi:“IlikeyourChrist.IdonotlikeyourChristians.YourChristiansaresounlikeyourChrist.”

EvenifGandhididn’tactuallyspeakthosewords,theycertainlyringtrue.Especiallyatthistimeofyear,whenAmericans–Christianandheathenalike–willeachspendanaverageof$660ongiftsandthenreturn$250-plusbillionworthofthem,includingnearlyone-thirdofallonlinepurchases,rightafterChristmas.

Irealizethatbyquestioningthetraditionofgift-giving,IriskcomingofflikeLutherKrank,TimAllen’scharacterin“ChristmasWiththeKranks.”OneChristmas,hetellseveryone–family,friends,co-workers–he’snotgoingtobegivingoracceptinganygifts,whereupon…well,let’sjustsay,itdoesn’tgowellforhim.

I’veavoidedLuther’sunpleasantfatebybeingmorediplomatic,gentlyspreadingthewordamongfamilyandfriendsthatIreallydon’tneedorwantanythingforChristmas,excepttheircontinuedlove.AndI’mnotalone.AccordingtoanewHarrispoll,sevenoutoftenAmericanssaythey’dhappilygiveupgift-giving,iftheirlovedoneswentalongwithit.

Accordingtothesamesurvey,nearlyhalfofusfeel“pressured”tospendmoreongiftsthanwecanafford.Moreover,NerdWalletsaysthat56percentofAmericanswentintodebtbuyinggiftslastChristmas;andmany–including24percentofmillennials–arethisveryminutestilldiggingoutofthehole.

Ididn’talwaysfeelthisvirtuouslyaboutthecelebrationofChrist’sbirth.AsacorrespondentatABCNews,Ilovedreceivingthenetwork’sgenerousChristmastimegifts.Oneyear,whenNightline’sexecutiveproducer,TomBettag,sentmeaholidaycardexplainingthat,inlieuofagift,theshowhadmadeacharitabledonationinmyname,Iwasbummed.Ifeltcheated.

Thismanyyearslater,IprizeTom’sspiritofgivingandtryemulatingit.Forinstance,myfamilyandIkeepanearoutallyearforspecificneedsinourcommunitythatmightmakeformeaningfulChristmaspresents–suchasacordoffirewoodforaneighborwhousesapotbellystovetokeepherhousewarmallwinter.

Iaskedsomeofmybelovedcolleaguesfortheirfavoritealternativestomindlessgift-giving,andtheysaid:

*(JoanLunden)Wegivepromissorynotesforkindnesseswe’rehappytoprovide.“Bossescouldbringinafitnessinstructorormassagetherapisttotheoffice…thegiftofhealthtotheiremployees.”*(ChazCorzine,MichaelW.Smith’smanager)FromtheSt.JudeChristmasGiftCatalog,wegivethings“likeachemotreatmentforachildinneed.”

Towhichmyfriendsandfamilyadd:

*Weencourageourkidsandgrandkidstogiveusthegiftoftimetogether.*Wesendletterstopeopleinourlives,describingthingsweadmireaboutthem.*Wehostspecialdinnersforfriends,tosharetheloveandlightsofChristmas.*Wecontributetocharitiesthathelpthefamiliesofprisoners.*Wegivethegiftofcleanwatertopeoplewhodon’thaveit.

Ifmoreofusboughtintothesesuggestionsinsteadoftoday’sholidayratrace,wemightmakebelieversofGandhi-likeskeptics.Moreimportantly,we’dbehelpingputChristbackintoChristmas.

ChurchSecuritySeminarSaturday,December16from8am-12pm.

Theclassisfreeandopentoanyonefromanychurch.

Theclassstartswithanoverviewofchurchviolenceandathreatassessmentofthechurchbuildingandoperatingprocedures.Then,itmovestothedevelopmentofchurchsecurityplansintheeventthat

somethingdoesgowrong.Thistrainingisbasedonyearsofresearchdatafromactualactsofchurchviolence.

IthasbeenfeaturedonFoxNews,CNN,ABC,CBS,andNBC.Thecoursehasbeentaughthundredsandhundredsoftimesthroughoutthefourstatesarea.

Forthosewhoareinterested,pleaseRSVPbycontactingthechurchoffice903-794-6066.

Our2017LottieMoonChristmasOfferingwillbetakenupfromNovemberuntilFebruary.

Ourchurchgoalis$4,000.

Anyone interested in going to see Noah’s Ark in March or April,

please contact Rick Buchanan or Carolyn Sparkman. Tickets are $64 for 2

days at the museum, 1 day at the ark plus $28 a night at the Holiday Inn Express (breakfast

included). Meals will be extra.

Senior Adult Christmas Party Tuesday, December 19

at 10:30 at Debbie Miller’s house,

113 Arizona in Wake Village. There will be a short program

and A covered dish lunch.

East Texas Baptist University

Christmas Festival Concert

Friday, December 1

7:00pm Baker Chapel

Featuring:

University Choirs, Symphonic Band, Handbell Choir

and Guitar Ensemble

Tickets are $10 Free with ETBU ID

4-Brandi Burrow 5-Ronnie Wilburn 6-Mason Burrow

10-Gene Matthews 10-Mike Speer

11-Addison Smith 11-Jean O’Rand

15-Dianna Johnson 15-Karis Coleman 15-Nathaniel Smith 18-Kellie Mabry

19-Stanley Howell 20-Amber Hernandez

20-Billy Sparkman 20-Alana Higgins 22-Sister Speer 22-Doug Wadley 22-Hailey Turnage

23-Steve Kroll 25-Ginger Jones 26-Rick Buchanan 28-Nicholas Latham 29-Jan Bateman

30-Kelsey Coleman

Dates To Remember December 3-10 International Missions Week of Prayer December 10 @ 5pm Leadership Team Meeting December 16 @8am Security Seminar December 17 Christmas Meal (after morning service) (No evening services) December 24 @ 5pm Christmas Eve Service December 25 & 26 Office Closed for Christmas December 31 New Year’s Eve (no evening service)

cvbaptistchurch.com 3268 North FM 2148, Texarkana, TX 76120 903-794-6066

Walk Through Bethlehem

See the shops & visit with the merchants as your guide walks with you through the market place of the city of Bethlehem. Midway Baptist Church December 2-3, 6:00pm—8:30pm December 9-10, 6:00pm—8:30pm

2017 Christmas Programs

MyrtleSpringsNovember30,December1&3at7pm"AMountainChristmasMemory"

HighlandParkDecember10at10:45am"HereWithUs"

LibertyEylauDecember17at6pm"FamilyNightatChristmas"NewBostonFBCDecember17at6pm"ChristmasCarolSing"

PleasantGroveDecember17at6pm"AtLast,Noel"