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Advent

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	Gifts that Make the World a Better Place: Alternative Giving and UMCOR "Christmas is not your birthday, kids. It's Jesus' birthday! For Christmas, do you really think God wants you to have the Warhammer Xbox 360 game? Does God want you to accumulate more toys that just get dusty? Maybe God wants our family to help others this Christmas; to feed the hungry; to welcome the stranger; to volunteer at church; to love one another." Source: GBGM Mission News More about: Advent \| Children \| Christian love \| Jesus Christ \| Poverty \| Focus on Ministry with the Poor \| Date posted: Nov 20, 2009
	Advent Wreath Lighting Devotion 2009 Advent is the season in the Christian year when we hear and participate in the time of waiting for the birth of the Messiah, and we look with hope for the second coming of Christ. It is a time of intentional prayer for the light of Christ to fill the darkest corners of our world. We hear the voice of God in scripture. We hear the voices of God's people around the earth as we pray together for the brilliant light of Christ's love to warm the hearts and lives of humankind. Source: GBGM Mission News More about: Advent \| GBGM events \| United Methodist Church \| Focus on Congregational Development \| Date posted: Nov 13, 2009
	Christmas and Family: Good News for Everyone "Christmas is a time to share with family." Our ears, thoughts, and hearts are so full of such words that we believe that without family there can be no Christmas. For those who can't physically be with our families, Christmas can be a time of sorrow instead of rejoicing. Source: Advance More about: Advent \| Christian love \| Christmas \| Missionaries \| Uruguay \| Date posted: Dec 19, 2008
	The Word that Breaks our Codes Christmas Day, December 25, 2008 I grew up in the US speaking English. At 56, I’ve now also been speaking Spanish for the past 20 years. I still find it magical. It isn’t that I believe what my Spanish teacher said about Spanish being God’s language. Nor does it feel magical because I learned to speak it as if by magic. I did not. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Christian love \| Christmas \| Central America \| Honduras \| Latin America \| Date posted: Dec 18, 2008
	The Presence of Grace and Peace Christmas Eve, December 24, 2008 A man sat on a log at the edge of the washed-out hillside. A few hours earlier, heavy rains on the deforested hilltop had become a tidal wave of mud washing everything in its path into the river below. Hundreds of houses were lost. No one knew how many people had escaped and how many were buried in the mud. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christian love \| Christmas \| Jesus Christ \| Central America \| Honduras \| Latin America \| Date posted: Dec 17, 2008
	Gratitude and Giving in Tough Times Many of us have never experienced or even imagined anything like the economic downturn headlining the news. The term "recession" has finally been deemed appropriate to describe the current state of the US economy. For many, these are tough times. Source: GBGM Mission News More about: Advent \| Christmas \| Donations \| Finance \| United States \| World \| Date posted: Dec 09, 2008
	Mary from Nigeria Fourth Week of Advent 2008 Sisters and brothers, in those days a decree went out… from the government of Angela Merkel, the new chancellor in the Federal Republic of Germany. All the refugees & asylum seekers in the country had to be distributed among the regions of the whole republic according to their nationalities. Source: United Methodist Churches More about: Advent \| Christmas \| Immigration \| Refugees \| Germany \| World \| Date posted: Dec 04, 2008
	Advent Is Full of People Doing the Unusual Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2008 Luke 1 and 2 are all full of people doing the absolutely unusual. It is unusual for kings to visit poor folk's babies in a stable. It is unusual for kings to bring presents, kneel down to, and worship some unknown, homeless couple's child. And it is unusual for them to show solidarity with a tiny newborn human being rather than with their colleague king--Herod. That is what the evangelist Matthew reports us. Source: United Methodist Churches More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christmas \| Women \| World \| Date posted: Dec 04, 2008
	Sing the World Round in Advent During the month of December we remember the time of waiting for the Messiah and we look for the second coming of Jesus the Christ. We pray for the "Savior of the nations to come." Singing the songs of the world enlarges our understanding of John 3:16 during this season of preparation called Advent. One way to include global songs in your Advent worship is to choose one song to sing throughout the Advent season. There are several global songs that will enhance your singing this Advent that are available from Global Praise. Here are two suggestions for Advent. Source: Mission Education More about: Advent \| Christmas \| GBGM programs \| Music \| Bangladesh \| World \| Date posted: Dec 01, 2008
	Sing the World Round at Christmas This Christmas season join the songs heard around the globe! Sing "Infant Holy, Infant, Lowly" (Poland), "Angels We Have Heard on High" (France), and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" (USA, African American Spiritual) to share the story of Christ’s birth with the world. But don’t stop with these songs; explore the wealth of music that is available to celebrate Christ’s birth from the traditions, composers, and authors of the globe. Source: Mission Education More about: Advent \| Christmas \| Music \| World \| Date posted: Dec 01, 2008
	God Sang: A Christmas Meditation from Latin America First Sunday of Christmas, December 28, 2008 On November 15, 2008, God sang in Costa Rica. God sang because more than 40 women from 11 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were loudly rejoicing for what they've learned, shared and lived during a most amazing week together at the Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana (Latin America Biblical University), an ecumenical institution. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christmas \| GBGM programs \| Missionaries \| United Methodist Church \| Women \| Partners/partnerships \| Latin America \| World \| Date posted: Nov 29, 2008
	Mary's Cradle: Advent Reflection on Ministry in Appalachia Third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2008 The phone call from the physical therapist came hours before we were scheduled to open. She wanted to refer a grandmother who was caring for three special-needs grandsons under the age of four. Before I could finish with the case worker, my other line rang and it was the grandmother, searching for shoes and blankets for "her boys." Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Children \| Christian love \| Christmas \| Communities \| GBGM programs \| Missionaries \| Women \| Partners/partnerships \| North Eastern U.S. \| United States \| World \| Date posted: Nov 29, 2008
	Road Construction Ahead: Advent Reflections from Zambia Second Sunday of Advent, December 7, 2008 In Zambia, as in much of Africa, we are constantly dealing with simply getting from point A to point B. More than once, I have had our project's Toyota Land Cruiser break through a bridge deck and nearly roll over into a river. Our project workers and I have spent hours unloading cargo and hand carrying them up hills too slippery and rough to ascend with a loaded vehicle. Of course, most Africans don't even have motor vehicles and consider themselves lucky to have a bicycle. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Agriculture \| Bible \| Christian love \| Christmas \| GBGM programs \| Jesus Christ \| Missionaries \| United Methodist Church \| Africa \| World \| Zambia \| Date posted: Nov 29, 2008
	A Chosen Vessel: Advent Reflection on God's Call Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2008 Of the women in the Bible, Mary captures my imagination. I find something very special about her for having been the woman who brought Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, into the physical world. I often wonder what it was like to be the mother of Jesus. The mother of the most High God! Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christmas \| Prayers \| Women \| World \| Date posted: Nov 29, 2008
	Remember Where Our Hope Truly Lies: Advent Reflection on Mark 13 First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2008 As I am writing this, I am watching a news broadcast about the failing economy. Worries about banks failing, war, and environmental collapse seem to bubble up in many of my conversations. With such chaos around me, I have found it difficult to know how to hope, and in what to place my hope. Yet in Advent we are once again to hope and wait for the coming Messiah. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christmas \| Jesus Christ \| United Methodist Church \| Africa \| World \| Zambia \| Date posted: Nov 28, 2008
	Advancing Hope With 60 Years of Giving For the past 60 years, The Advance for Christ and His Church has received more than $1.2 billion and has responded to human need in more than 100 countries. One hundred percent of each gift to The Advance reaches its intended mission or ministry. Source: GBGM Press Releases More about: Advent \| Finance \| GBGM programs \| Bolivia \| Sierra Leone \| World \| Date posted: Apr 28, 2008
	Hallelujah Moment from Lithuania "Why are you here?" "Andrius" sat alone Sunday after Sunday, praying for his wife, praying that she would one day come and sit beside him. He prayed that they might worship God together in the Panevezys United Methodist Church in Lithuania. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Christian love \| Communities \| Family \| GBGM programs \| Missionaries \| Prayers \| United Methodist Church \| Europe \| Lithuania \| Date posted: Jan 25, 2008
	Christmas Day 2007 Devotions "Worship the LORD in holy splendor." These words at the apex of Psalm 96's paean of praise to the God who created us all and who reigns, no matter what momentary appearances indicate, aptly describe the sense many of us have gained through our childhood traditions of Christmas worship, or wish to attain when we turn out in such great numbers for Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship, midnight mass, services of lessons and carols, or similar tradition-rich occasions. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Christmas \| Missionaries \| World \| Date posted: Dec 18, 2007
	The Time of Fulfilment Has Come!! Advent 2007 Meditation Isaiah prophesied; the Psalmist had a sure hope; Mary was willing and obedient; Joseph was true to God's revelation in a dream: JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, WAS BORN AS A TINY BABE IN A GIANT WORLD!! Yet to be fulfilled is what part you and I, as individuals and in community, are to play in the unfolding chronicle of God's Plan. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christmas \| Communities \| Missionaries \| United Methodist Church \| World \| Date posted: Dec 18, 2007
	Christmas Eve 2007 As we consider the significance of the incarnation—God became a human—we find ourselves wanting to join the angels as they sing, “Glory to God in the highest”. Truly God is worthy of all praise and glory. Salvation has been brought to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christmas \| World \| Date posted: Dec 18, 2007
	Waiting ... For What? Advent 2007 Meditation As Pastor to the Family Members of the Disappeared in Northern Argentina, I frequently waited with people – at the excavation sites of mass graves, at court, for politicians – listening to the memories of what had been done, waiting for justice, waiting for the truth to be brought to light. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Christmas \| Communities \| Jesus Christ \| Argentina \| South America \| Date posted: Dec 14, 2007
	Change Your Life. God's Kingdom is Here. With the reading of the Gospel ( Matthew 3:1- 12 ) for this second Sunday in Advent, we hear again the voice of John the Baptist. Now John was not your normal appearing person, even for his time. Dressed in a camel hair habit tied at the waist with a leather strap and living in the desert with a diet of locusts and wild honey, made him a strange person for sure. However, the message he brought to those who came was as simple like he was, 'Change your life. God's kingdom is here.' Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christmas \| Communities \| Missionaries \| Rural \| United Methodist Church \| South Central U.S. \| United States \| Date posted: Dec 07, 2007
	An Advent Wake-Up Call: Advent 2007 Meditation We followers of Jesus Christ, lovers of the God who called all into being…begin Advent. With a wake-up call, we prepare for the mystery once again of the King who came and is still coming. But a call to what? Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Bible \| Christmas \| Communities \| South America \| Argentina \| Date posted: Nov 30, 2007
	Watch Night: Taking Stock This evening is watch night. In my youth, we gathered on New Year’s Eve for the ritual of reflecting on the end of the year. Sometimes we laughed at our foolishness for not fulfilling our resolutions. Then we wrote new resolutions--hoping that this time we would fulfill them. We were given an opportunity for a fresh start. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Christian love \| Christmas \| GBGM programs \| United Methodist Church \| Philippines \| Date posted: Dec 28, 2006
	Songs of Christmas - December 25, 2006 You can look at Christmas prayers, songs, and meaning differently according to your life experiences. You can sing Christmas praises to the Lord for His great mercies in a routine way or with spirit. You can make Christmas morning a time of faith or a time of haste. Source: Mission Personnel More about: Advent \| Christian love \| Christmas \| GBGM programs \| Jesus Christ \| Missionaries \| United Methodist Church \| Partners/partnerships \| Older adults \| South Eastern U.S. \| United States \| Date posted: Dec 24, 2006
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