"We are destined to suffer." These are the words of a Bangladeshi farmer following the devastating cyclone that ripped through the coastal area of Bangladesh recently. As you may have heard, more than one thousand people died in this tragedy! Apparently, cyclones and other destructive weather elements are not uncommon to that area. So almost on a yearly basis terrible weather wreaks havoc on the poor folks of coastal Bangladesh. Our hears and prayers embrace this suffering community, and we long for that time when suffering will be no more.

Whereas there are choices that some people can make in order to avoid some kinds of suffering, Christians on the other hand are people who have been called out by God to suffer for Him! Christians will suffer for their belief and actions in following God's will. Our Lord Jesus repeatedly stated that we will suffer as His followers. The author, James, even encouraged us to be joyful when we suffer for Christ! IN First Peter we learned:

This is the manner in which we regardless who are not from within the Christian community. How much more shouldn't we be united with those of the Faith! I am not a proponent of "radical Christianity" (whatever that means) but we must be willing to serve God, and each other regardless of the cost. So, let's continue to think about what matters most to us, to God!

Keep your eyes in His Word simultaneously looking for His appearing.

Thank you for giving my family such a wonderful "Going Away" party! It was indeed humbling to see so many of you that Sunday night as you continued to share your lives with us. Thank you for the words of encouragement, the cards, the gifts, and especially the prayers. Thank you, Pastor Shook, for the support, love, and encouragement over the past two years. I will greatly miss each student and staff volunteer. We love each of you.

With Great Memories of You, Pastor Anto n

    So the title isn't so original, but I can't help it. Once in a while, I have to be predictable so the unpredictablility doesn't become predictable. I'll pause for a moment to let you chew on that one.

    It's good to sit back and really let things sink in or they do become old hat. Times like Christmas can get that way. We always get together with family and we always open our presents at ceratin time and we always go to Christmas Eve worship and we always sit in the same place. Have you just sat and wondered aobut how we got where we are? There are times when the routines just don't work anymore. Christmas can bring out the best and the worst for families. It is often the hardest time for sidows and widowers as they adjust to life without their spouse. Estrangements hit especially hard when one sees the happiness of the faces of families brought totheter in cleebrations. There is no Hallmark greeting for those situations.

    I recently saw an email, one of those mass forwards, from someone in Texas. It was a listing of definitions of love according ot kids. Way down at the bottom was a story about author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia who once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose net door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little irl went up to the old gentelman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When her Mother ased her what she had said to the neighbor, the little girl said, "Nohting, I just helped him cry."

    It's easy at this time of year to avoid the people and placeds that seem to be the opposite of the "spirit" of the season. I think we avoid these situations because we don't know aht to say or do. This Christmas, so far, the greatest gift I have received comes from a nameless four year old that showed me what to do. The greatest gift this Christmas can be "nothing, I just helpe dhim cry."

                          "Sing"cerely, Pastor Paul

 Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noel! Merry Christmas!

Most of us would be delighted if we could attract 15-20 un-churched folks to church each week. We would be ecstatic. The truth is we probably double those numbers each and every week.

As Anton and his family have relocated and as the search for a youth pastor is just in the early stages, I have had the privilege of being involved in the youth program for the past few weeks. My role is to oversee and evaluate and, in the process of doing that, I have been surprised by the numbers of kids who come who are not in any church on Sunday morning.

Now, only the Lord knows anyone's true heart condition, but, I am reasonably sure that a majority of those kids would not fit the description of "Christ follower." Yet, they clearly have an interest in discovering who Jesus is and how he might impact their lives. I would estimate that we are talking about 15-20 kids on any given Sunday night. Wow! What an opportunity!

Besides the junior/senior high youth, we see many young "pre-Christians" each week at AWANA. I would hesitate to state a number, but I would imagine it is at least in the 15-20 ranges when we think of kids who are moving in the right direction, having possibly made a commitment, but haven't had the opportunity to live it out over time.

Now, I mention this because I have been guilty of thinking too narrowly when I think of how well we are attracting seekers to our services. Usually, when I think of visitors or guests, I think of the Sunday morning worship service. And, I tend to think of adults. In fact, when I pray, I generally pray with that focus in mind. Through the opportunity and necessity created by Anton's departure I think God is reminding me of the other entry points into faith here at Osco.

How should we respond to the opportunity God has given us to share the love and Good News with so many people? Several things come to mind:

Pray for Jesus to reveal Himself to those who come seeking.

Begin perceiving visitors and guests who don't know Christ as people who are moving toward Christ (pre-Christians)

Pray that they will find Osco Community Church to be a warm, welcoming and accepting place.

We need to pray for our congregation, children and youth workers, pastors and all who have opportunity to share God's love and message of life with these pre-Christians.

Thank God that he has made us attractive to the age groups most likely to be converted-- those under 18.

Pray expectantly that they will become followers, but don't be surprised if it takes some time.

Pray for grace and wisdom to love those who may not behave like church kids---they're not...yet.

Recognize the amazing opportunity and privilege we have been given, and focus your prayers, energy and resources on what could easily grow into a spiritual awakening among this community's children and youth.

Pray for the Youth Pastor Search Committee and pray that God will send us the right person in His time.

Pray daily for both AWANA and for our teen ministry.

The term pre-Christian means that we fully expect God to work miraculously in their lives just as he has in mine and yours. If we will follow the above points while exercising this type of faith, I believe we will see many professions of faith over the next months and years. May God do His work in and through us.