Christmas Can Change the World...

Christ tends to get overlooked at Christmas. Somewhere in the bustle of wrapping paper, shopping malls and endless shopping lists, there is a story we long to connect with. It's a story of a Savior who came to Earth wrapped in nothing more than human skin who would one day redeem the world one person at a time.

What if this year, was different? What if you could usher in a Christmas that put Christ's story at the center of our family's celebration? What if you could see beyond the presents and hustle and bustle to the manger and cooperate with the Lord at Christmas to help change the world in a real way, one person at a time?

The Christmas series begins this Sunday at Christ's Place. And you can be a part of changing the world this year. To help you, we have several local and global outreach projects you can be a part of. From giving away free donuts to people on Christmas Eve, to buying gifts and giving money to people in need, to helping purchase a well in Darfur, Sudan so people can have clean water.

What if this year, Christmas changed the world?

SERVE Saturday

Last Saturday we served in three locations in this city: F Street Community Center, People's City Mission Distribution Center and in our very own parking lot. From 9 am until noon, 31 single moms and widows pulled their cars into our lot to be washed, dried, cleaned and vacuumed, as well as have their oil changed and fluids topped off. Some cars had burnt out headlights replaced, tires filled up and more.

One car even received a new tire. Outreach Coordinator, Nathan Kroll, was afraid the woman's car would not even make it out of our lot, due to the shape of one of her tires. She had no spare and no ability to purchase a new tire. We were able to bless that woman last Saturday by paying for a new tire for her car!

We have received several notes of thanks by mail and email this week. One woman said that her car had never been cleaner. Another women expressed their extreme thankfulness and gratitude that people from our church would do something so nice.

A big thanks to everyone who volunteered last Saturday! A little love goes a long way...

Stretch the Benjamin Videos

Thank you from the Friendship Home

One of the Stretch the Benjamin projects was a makeover night at the Friendship Home, Lincoln's only shelter for battered women and their children. This was just one of the thank you's that was received from the Friendship Home.

Thank you so much for all of your work to help the women and children at the Friendship Home. The women had a great time being pampered and the products will be very useful for everyone in the shelter. It is only with the help of groups like yours that we can provide services in Lincoln. All the volunteers really made a difference with the women and boosted morale in the shelter.

Trunk N Treat - a success!

The Journal Star highlighted Trunk N Treat and Pastor John was featured on Channel 8 news the night before inviting people from the community to join us. Because of media coverage and your help inviting friends and neighbors, there were tons of people at Trunk N Treat - many who were visitors to the church.

We put on fun events and activities, praying that God would use them to draw people to Himself and that they would be open to the idea of church and inviting Christ into their lives. We know seeds planted that we often never get to hear about. But...we received an email from a woman thanking us for what we did.

She said she has been praying for her daughter, her husband and their kids - that God would send Christians into their lives because she doesn't think they know any and they have never gone to church. She called her daughter yesterday - who informed her that she was at a "Halloween thing" in a church parking lot that she had read about in the paper. The mother was in shock and really felt that this was an answer to prayer.

She says, "Keep reaching out to your community, because I know for a fact God used your church with my family. Pray they keep hearing the draw of God to know more Christians. Thank you for your outreach."