Welcome to our service today. It is great to have you here and we would love to invite you to stay after the service and join us for morning tea.

As we gather on this Sunday before Christmas, our hearts are filled with anticipation for the celebration of Christ's birth. It’s a time when the world is wrapped in lights and festivities, but for us as believers, it is a reminder of the greatest gift ever given - Jesus, the Saviour of the world.

In Luke 2:10-11 we read words that bring comfort and hope, for in Christ, God stepped into human history, not as a distant ruler, but as a humble child, to bring salvation to all.

As we prepare for the coming of Christ, let us reflect on the profound mystery of God becoming flesh. The King of the universe chose to enter our world in the most unexpected way - born in a manger, to a young couple, in a small town. Today, let’s pause and remember the true meaning of Christmas: that God loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son, offering us grace, peace, and eternal life.

This is the last newsletter of the year. I will be taking a break and resuming these in late January. I look forward to seeing many of you at our Christmas Eve service at 7pm. I wish you all a very blessed Christmas and restful holiday.

With love and blessings

Sandra

Welcome to our service today. It is great to have you here and we would love to invite you to stay after the service and join us for morning tea.

Over the past 2 weeks we have been talking about preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ, a season rich in hope, peace, joy, and love. Love, the central theme of Advent, is embodied in the birth of Jesus, God's greatest gift to humanity.

In 1 John 4:9-10, we read, “In this the love of God was manifested towards us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” This love was demonstrated through the humble birth of Jesus in a manger, the ultimate sacrifice on the cross, and the promise of eternal life.

As we light the Advent candles, let us reflect on this sacrificial love that reached out to us in our sin. In this season of waiting, we are called to reflect that same love in our relationships, showing kindness, patience, and grace to others. Advent is not just about preparing for Christ’s birth - it’s about allowing His love to transform our hearts and overflow into the world.

May God’s love flow from us as we share it with those around us this Christmas.

Blessings

Sandra

Welcome to our service today. It is great to have you here and we would love to invite you to stay after the service and join us for morning tea.

I love the Advent tradition of lighting four candles over the month of December. The candles represent hope, peace, joy and love. Today let’s focus on peace, when we are reminded of the peace that Jesus brings into our lives.

In a world filled with chaos and unrest, the peace of Christ is a precious gift. In John 14:27, Jesus tells His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” This peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but a deep, abiding peace that comes from knowing God’s presence in our lives. It is the peace that calms our fears, quiets our anxieties, and gives us assurance even in the midst of trials. It is a peace that can be found in no-one else or anywhere else.

As we await the birth of our Saviour, we are called to be peacemakers, sharing the peace of Christ with those around us. Let this Advent season be a time to reflect on the peace Jesus offers and to extend that peace to others. In doing so, we join in God’s redemptive work in the world, preparing not only for Christ’s coming at Christmas but also for His return in glory.

Blessings

Sandra

Welcome to our service today. It is great to have you here and we would love to invite you to stay after the service and join us for morning tea.

The season of Advent is upon us - a time of waiting and preparation as we anticipate the celebration of Christ’s birth. During this season, we focus on the arrival of our Saviour, both as the child in the manger and as the promised King who will return in glory.

In the busy rush of holiday preparations, Advent calls us to pause and reflect. It is a time to reflect in the hope we have in God’s promises, remembering that the coming of Jesus into the world was the fulfilment of centuries of anticipation. A popular tradition is to light Advent candles, reminding us of the hope, peace, joy, and love that Jesus brings to our lives and allowing them to shape our hearts and attitudes.

Advent is not only a time of remembering the first coming of Christ but also a season to prepare our hearts for His second coming. We are called to live in a posture of readiness, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Light of the World. May this Advent season deepen our faith, renew our joy, and fill our hearts with the expectation of His return. 

Blessings, Sandra