Nathan Neighbors
Follower of Christ, Husband, Father, & Youth Pastor
Sorry it’s been so long since I last blogged. The Christmas season has been hectic here at church and at home. I’m just finishing up some final details here at church before vacation and I’m on my way home now to spend quality time with the boys and Ashley. We’re looking forward to having the week off and seeing all of our extended family this coming week. If I don’t see you before, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Today’s the first Sunday of Advent. It’s a time to prepare our hearts for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. All across the world, churches are putting up decorations and lighting the 1st candle of the Advent wreath today. We’re preparing in our home too. This week we put up the tree, the stockings, the lights, and now the house is ready for Christmas. All four of us are getting prepared to celebrate Christ’s birth. But you know, it’s not too easy to get Christmas pictures made of preschoolers. In fact, it’s usually pretty crazy at the Neighbors’ house at Christmas time with Anderson & Ellis. They’re always pulling on the ornaments and wrestling during picture time. Remember the classic hymn, “Silent Night?” I doubt it was a very silent or calm night with baby Jesus that first night in the manger. It never is in our house, unless they’re “sleeping in heavenly peace.” Here’s a little video we put together for you as a Christmas gift to our family, friends, and other folks who love our boys! Merry Christmas. (by the way YouTube makes the video a little fuzzy)
Last night was an awesome youth outreach event. The Creative Arts team of youth at Morningside did a window at Spartanburg’s Downtown “Dickens of a Christmas” event. Each year the Arts Council puts on this event on main street to kick of the Christmas season. It’s themed in a Charles Dickens – Victorian style and everyone dresses in period costumes. There are tons of musicians (including our Handbell choirs), booths, carolers, food vendors, and scenes depicted in the storefront window. Literally, thousands of people come downtown for the evening.
This year we decorated a window to look like an old candy story at Christmas to depict the Legend of the Candy Cane. We had teenagers in the window looking like the store keeper and children eating candy. Outside the window a few of our students did periodic readings of the story for the children. In addition, we handed out candy canes with the scriptures for what each part of the candy cane symbolized related to Christ. Though we were there for three hours, we handed out all 1000 of our candy cane and flyers in 45min. Wow! After we ran out we started handing out candy we had in the window. In the end, it was a great way to connect with the community and share the Good News of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Nathan Neighbors 