The most loved church event of the year happened last night: All Church Christmas dinner.

Everyone loves it. Everyone looks forward to it. Everyone brings their family (not just those of their family that attend our church).
We get whole clans of families at this dinner. It’s wonderful!

Oh, and everyone helps. ❤
From set-up, decorations, games, music, serving appetizers, serving dinner, bringing desserts, to clean-up! Pretty much every person who comes does something.
It’s called the Church Christmas Dinner, but we all know it’s Family Christmas Dinner.
The church is called the family of God after all. We are all redeemed and adopted in to God’s family. Called to be his children through the blood of Christ. It’s amazing, beautiful, and incredibly appropriate for God’s children to gather and celebrate Jesus’ first coming together. We look forward to Jesus’ second coming! Why would we ignore the glory of his first coming that bought our redemption?

My husband and I are trying to be so intentional this year by taking every opportunity to teach out kids what Christmas is about: the birth of our redeemer, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

We have an added blessing in our family of December birthdays! This has also helped us teach our kids about Jesus’ birthday.

Eve’s birthday (she will be 1, oh my!) is the 16th, and my birthday is a week later on the 23rd. I’ve always loved having my birthday so close to Christmas. Now, I get to share it with my daughter too. I couldn’t ask for anything better. ❤

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing!
Glory to the new-born king!

Soli Deo Gloria!