My pastoral vision for leading Grace Baptist Church is threefold: Preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls and the transformation of lives. Empower and equip our members to turn our energy outward. Seek racial reconciliation in our local communities.

As pastor, I have had the privilege to see the presence of Christmas throughout the life of the church. I have experienced the birth of Jesus in the conversions of souls in our midst. I continue to hear from people how the Lord is giving them hope in difficult situations. I have listened to the weeping of a woman because Jesus has flooded hear heart with His tears for a person in need. I have seen the heartbreak in the eyes of one of our members who saw the suffering that the homeless population endure in Camden, New Jersey. I have seen Christmas as the Lord entered into the life of man who responded to the word of God and came forward to give his life to Christ. Praise the Lord for His presence in our midst! The Christmas spirit will continue to reach our community when the church keeps salvation, transformation, and reconciliation at the forefront of the season.

Christmas is more than the traditions that surrounded the month of December. The traditions create the playing field for an evangelist to share Jesus Christ as the point of a person’s deepest need. The Christmas call is moving us away from going through the motions that at best try to revive a past Christmas, but seek to experience the presence of Christ in our community.

As you read this entire newsletter, you will see that every facet of ministry is reaching out this month. True Christian faith is a movement not a religion. Faith moves us out of our comfort zone and into the playing field of Christ. Jesus says that the harvest fields are ripe, but there are few who are willing to go. Are you willing to go? Christmas will be experienced when our community church goes out and experiences faith in action. Worship will be a celebration of what the Lord is doing outside the walls of the church. Look for Christmas (Christ presence) in the eyes of a stranger, listen to a person’s story, and discover how the Lord offers us the greatest gift of all ---Immanuel – God is with us!

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)

Merry Christmas ---Love Pastor Jay