Another Family Christmas

Last Saturday we once again rented the place we have used on several occasions before for different events. It was the second ever Hiragishi Izumi Church Family Christmas. We had asked people to let us know if they were coming so had a fair idea that we were going to get a large crowd again. And of course there were always going to be children who just turned up on the day. We had learned our lesson from last year when we struggled to cope as a very small church with the numbers who came so procured the help of some folk from other churches - a wise move as it turned out. This year we had also asked someone we knew from our Otaru days to come as our special guest. She is a ventriloquist who tells the Christmas story with her doll Gon chan in a fun and compelling way. So we got down early to set up and some children began to arrive half an hour before we were due to start. The kids and adults poured in - we had around 80 kids and over 20 adults. It was a great time of singing, games, food - and of course the amazing ventriloquist and Gon chan telling the story of Jesus coming to earth. One thing which we were immediately able to work out was that we knew almost everyone who had come. Many of the children were from the local school. Almost all the children from Lorna's English classes were there. A good number from the boys' football club came too. The lesson learned - how important is to be out and about in the commnunity, to be involved in activities locally and in particular to build up good connections with the local school. The challenge - to see some of the many people we have got know to move on beyond just coming to an event. We are hoping that at least some might feel they want to come and celebrate Christmas Day with us when we will have a low-key service in the same building followed by some games and food. Thank God that He is at work in Hiragishi.