For those who are new to Cobblestone or never heard the term “Simple Christmas”- here is a short explanation. Simple Christmas is a conscious effort on our part to simplify the holidays by focusing on the truth that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and no gift on this Earth will ever match that. Many families spend so much time and money on gifts when we already have plenty– while there are others in this world still looking for “just enough”.
We ask everyone to prayerfully consider using a portion of what you would typically spend on Christmas gifts for others, and give that amount towards our church focus- which this year is Destiny Rescue. It may be a set amount or it may be a percentage of your total- whatever works for your situation. It is a great learning opportunity as well, for those with children, to let them be involved in the decisions and educate them about the needs of others and what impact we can have.
Brian has explained Destiny Rescue during service and there are plenty of resources to educate you and your family as to their mission and purpose. According to Destiny Rescue approximately $1,500 is the cost to save one teen from being trafficked in the sex industry. Our goal this year is to raise enough to free 5 teens- from this horrible industry. That means $7,500 is our goal…but we will also be happy to surpass it and help even more! To date we have donations totaling almost $3,000! Which means in our first week we are almost halfway there….WE GOT THIS COBBLESTONE! You can give online on the website, on our phone app, or using PushPay using the “Simple Christmas” tab instead of general. All donations at church should be marked on the check for “Simple Christmas” in the memo or inside an envelope with “Simple Christmas” on the outside.
As always…thank you Cobblestone for your heart of Service to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Nick Vrettos, Missions Pastor
