Giving to Christ at Christmas is an annual holiday tradition at Beloved based on a simple idea. It’s our Savior’s birthday. That’s why we give gifts to each other. So let’s begin our gift giving with a gift to Jesus. Through Giving to Christ at Christmas, we are able to touch in a unique way the twin heartbeats of Jesus: the Church, through which Christ seeks to draw all people to himself, as well as those in physical need. Each year since Beloved’s Christmas 2001 birth, followers of Jesus at Church of the Beloved have been asked to give the most generous, one-time cash gift we can—above and beyond our normal giving as we would with any gift—to fund these twin heartbeats of our Lord.
Since its 2001 inauguration, Giving to Christ at Christmas has made a dramatic impact for the gospel of Jesus Christ, both here and around the world, as detailed here. Over $31,500 has been given to date. Our efforts have reached far beyond Charlotte to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and to Africa. We have assisted those in our community who lacked food, shelter, clothing and basic utilities. This year, the gifts will support the work of Jesus Christ through the ministry of Church of the Beloved.
On Christmas Eve 2006, Church of the Beloved celebrates her fifth birthday, at a wonderful party that will begin the night of Jesus’ birth and continue through the holidays ending with the annual Epiphany Pageant on January 7th. A friend of Beloved, celebrating this milestone birthday and passionately believing in Beloved’s mission and future, has given a $15,000 gift to Jesus, designated for the future work of Beloved, with a challenge to match or exceed it. These funds will place this congregation on a firm financial footing that will insure that this wonderful community will continue to transform lives for the Beloved for decades to come.
Thanks to the generosity of another, Giving to Christ at Christmas is coming home for Beloved’s birthday. We give thanks to Jesus for the anonymous donor who has made this special birthday opportunity possible and trust that this wonderful community will continue to reach out in ways that reflect God’s heart and desire. Through this gift, we can reach out and touch countless lives for the sake of Christ both now and in years to come.
How can you get involved? Bring your gift, marked Giving to Christ at Christmas, to Christmas Eve worship. If you can’t be present on that night, place it in the Sunday offering basket or mail it to the Development Office. Through these investments, countless lives will be transformed for Christ both now and in years to come. Our prayer is that this gift will truly honor the One whose birthday we shall soon celebrate.
