This Christmas, Share God’s Greatest Gift
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14, NIV). With this announcement that first Christmas night, the angels proclaimed God’s greatest gift to humanity – his only Son, Jesus Christ.
In Jesus, we receive the gift of peace – with God, ourselves, one another, and all of creation. As Paul celebrates in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Jesus transforms us from the inside out, so that we can become the people God always intended us to be.
There’s more! This gift isn’t just for us. Paul goes on to explain, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). God invites us to extend the gift of reconciliation to others, so that from one person, one culture and one generation to the next, all people may be transformed through the power of Christ.
At VMMissions, we continue to send and support ambassadors of God’s greatest gift. With your support, we were able to appoint 18 new mission workers in 2022, bringing our total number of those serving to 61. These ambassadors represent a kingdom that transcends national boundaries, hailing from 12 different countries, yet all with the same goal of sharing the peace that Jesus makes possible.
In Thailand, Steve Horst and Bethany Tobin partner with Life Enrichment Church among the Isaan people. They recently told the story of P. Dtha (pictured), a member of their church who turned away from God and began openly persecuting other believers. She eventually hit rock bottom and sought medical care. Her doctor actually encouraged her to return to Jesus, which led her to seek reconciliation with those she had wronged. She confessed her pride, anger, greed, and violence, and received forgiveness. She then began sharing the news with everyone she met. Now, P. Dtha’s story of reconciliation is drawing others to Jesus and the house church Steve and Bethany serve.
This Christmas, join us in offering God’s gift of peace through Jesus Christ. A donation to our Mission Fund helps us call, equip, send and support more ambassadors of reconciliation like Steve and Bethany. We know there are many worthy causes to support this Christmas season. We’re asking God to provide $180,000 by December 31 to propel us into the new year. Please consider a generous one-time gift or a monthly commitment as we share God’s greatest gift with neighbors near and far.
With gratitude,
