Last Sunday, we kicked off our God With Us series to lead us through the Christmas season. We talked about HOPE—the hope that comes from knowing Jesus—and putting our hope in Him this Christmas, rather than the tangible things of the world. I am so grateful that even in the midst of the pain, loss, chaos, and so much more many of us might be experiencing this holiday season, we have a God who loves us so much that He sent us the greatest gift, his Son Jesus. I am grateful that we can put our hope in Him and in His love. And I am grateful that it doesn’t stop there! We get to be a part of bringing this hope to our community and to the world!

We are in the midst of Celebrate Differently, where we as a church are committed to caring for those in need around us and putting the love of Jesus on display in our community. It has been amazing to see your generosity in response to the opportunities we have put in front of you. We will be giving over 700 gifts to children and parents in need this Christmas! We have already collected hundreds of food items to stock the food pantry at Westmont Elementary! And just this past Saturday we had over 40 volunteers at Westmont to prepare the food pantry and paint the library! The principal was in tears at the end of the day, full of gratitude, because we as a church are committed to meeting the needs of those families. It is a beautiful thing to see YOU being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. And Celebrate Differently isn’t even over yet!! I want to remind you of a few upcoming opportunities to Celebrate Differently with us.

• The Food Drive for Westmont Elementary ends this Sun (Dec 11), so make sure you bring your food donations if you haven’t already.
• Annual Tree Lighting in Oak View is next Thu, Dec 15, from 5-7p! This will be an awesome community event as Mariners HB and Oak View families come together to celebrate Christmas. You won’t want to miss it!
• Oak View Christmas Party & Holiday Store will take place next Sat, Dec 17 where parents will get to come and “shop” for their kids, while kids are being entertained with cookie decorating, crafts and more!

Email me mbannister@marinerschurch.org to sign up to volunteer at any of these Celebrate Differently events! As we continue the Christmas season, what a privilege we have to bring HOPE to the people we serve and come in contact with. May we be “holders of hope” for those that might feel hopeless this season. Join us at one of these events and bring HOPE to a family in Oak View.

Imagine singing Christmas carols in English and Spanish as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our neighbors in Oak View…

Imagine looking into the eyes of a parent as you help them select the perfect Christmas gift for their child…

Imagine wrapping that perfect gift for an Oak View parent to take home to their child for Christmas…

Imagine the huge smile on the kids’ faces as their parents walk out of the Holiday Store with a bag of gifts selected just for them…

Imagine YOU being the answer to someone’s prayers for God to provide for their family this Christmas…

Imagine our community in Huntington Beach feeling loved and knowing the HOPE of Jesus because YOU were willing to show up…

Now let’s go be “holders of hope” together!

Monica