I hope you’ve had a blessed week! As we move deeper into the Christmas season, I’ve been reflecting on the beautiful calling God has given us, not only to worship Him, but to carry His presence into the places and people He surrounds us with. The gospel always moves outward. It finds its expression not just within our walls, but in the relationships, we nurture, the conversations we engage in, and the everyday moments where we choose to reflect Christ’s love.
This coming weekend, we have a unique and God-given opportunity to live out that calling through our Community Christmas Market. This market is more than just festive stalls, good food, and holiday cheer. They are a bridge, a space where our church and our community can meet on common ground. It’s a place where people who may never walk into a Sabbath service might experience the warmth, kindness, and welcome of God’s people in a natural, joyful environment.
I truly believe the Holy Spirit is preparing hearts even now. Long before the first stall goes up or the first car drives onto the property, He is already drawing people towards us. People who are searching for hope, healing, connection, or simply a sense of belonging. Our prayer is that as they walk through our gates, they’ll sense something different… a peace, a joy, a presence that reflects Jesus Himself.
This is where you come in. I want to encourage you to enter this weekend with intentionality. Come with your heart open and your eyes lifted. Look for the person standing alone. Offer a warm greeting to the family walking past your stall. Ask someone how their week has been and genuinely listen. Sometimes the smallest interaction becomes the doorway the Holy Spirit uses to touch a life.
Let’s be a church that doesn’t just host an event but embodies the heart of Christ. A church that sees our community not as visitors, but as people deeply loved by God. A church ready to plant seeds through kindness, through service, through a simple conversation that might linger in someone’s heart long after the markets are over.
My prayer is that these markets will become more than a seasonal celebration. I pray they become a moment of divine encounter, a space where our community experiences the love, welcome, and hope of Jesus through us. I pray that the Holy Spirit leads people onto our grounds, directs them to the right conversations, and uses each of us to reflect His grace in real and meaningful ways.
Church, thank you for being a people who show up, who care, who serve, and who love well. I am grateful for every one of you. Let’s step into this weekend with expectation, faith, and a heart ready to connect.
With love, David Peñate.
