I was afraid that COVID-19 was going to be the Grinch that Stole Christmas in 2020. But just as in the beloved Dr. Seuss story, Christmas came all the same. Even if we couldn’t observe it the same way, we still celebrated God’s gift of the Incarnation of Our Lord, the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.
So, instead of filling (or overflowing) the worship space 9 or 10 times on Christmas Eve, the coronavirus called us to get creative. We did! And you responded with your usual good humor and willingness to make the best of a not-so-great situation.
Our two-night Drive-Through Live Nativity had 823 cars participate, with an estimated 2,500 people. The virtual Sounds of the Season concert drew 2,400 views. Gathering in the parking lot on Christmas Eve to hear the Christmas story on the radio and sing Silent Night outside in a wind child of 15 below had 1,500 reservations. And our virtual Christmas Eve worship service has had 1,644 clicks to date.
I am grateful for the creativity and diligent work of the staff and your wonderful response!
More incredibly still, your offerings for the month of December, in the tenth month of a pandemic, came in above budget while we kept expenses significantly below budget. Your generosity in response to God’s love is nothing short of amazing. Thank you for your steadfast faithfulness!
