A Special Christmas Service in Southall
By Sonny Simak
On Sunday 23rd December Grace Church Southall had a special Christmas Service followed by a Christmas lunch. We were reminded of the great truth of why we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Time of Prayer
The service began with a time of prayer. Danny began by reading from Philippians 2:1-11, followed by a prayer of praise. We were reminded how awesome, exalted and great our Lord Jesus Christ is and yet He came into this world in humility and poverty.
Christmas Carols
Together, we sang Christmas carols as we remembered the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was a joyful time for the congregation to sing together and rejoice in Him.
A Story of a New Birth
A young man in our church called Ayaz was asked to share his story of how he had become a Christian and experienced what the Bible calls the new birth. We were all blessed and encouraged to hear how a young man from muslim/agnostic belief came to surrender his life to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christmas Message
Vic Gill preached a message on the topic of ‘Who is Jesus?’ from Matthew 2:1-12. Why did He come to this world? What was the reason for His unique birth? Vic Gill shared 13 points about the person of Jesus Christ. Here is a brief outline:
1. He was Born
2. He is Eternal
3. He is Divine
4. He is the Messiah
5. He is the God-Man
6. He came to die
7. He was crucified
8. He rose from the dead
9. He is ascended
10. He loves you
11. His command
12. His promise to you
13. He is coming back again
Fellowship
After the service, we had a special time of fellowship with a special lunch which the church members had taken part in preparing. It was wonderful just to pull up chairs and talk with each other over a nice lunch and cup of tea. It was especially good because we had visitors and had a special time to get to know them.
Great Encouragements
We were excited to see six newcomers.
We were especially encouraged by a man called Darly from Nigeria. Darly told us he was very determined to attend the service that he spent at least two hours looking for the church. He had received the invitation from Sunny and Milly during the church outreach on the 14th December.
He told us about his life, his story and how he has been subjected to rejection by many; including his own family members. He had recently moved to Southall and wants to be a part of a local church. He was also very encouraged by the hospitality and a warm welcome he received from the church members. He left with several gifts, Bible resources and food.
Sunny very honestly confessed to us how he had lacked desire and motivation on the day of the outreach, but still came along out of a sense of responsibility and obedience to God. It was through this obedience that Sunny met and invited Darly. It reminded all of us of the fact that whatever we share about God is not subject to our emotions, mood, and feelings. We share objective truths about God and if we simply obey God and share Christ in season or out of season, we will then witness God’s faithfulness and power in His work.
And lastly
As a church we would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas.
May God’s peace be upon your lives.