By Rev Peter Paine/Port Chaplain

and member of Gorleston Baptist Church

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as the song goes. I must admit that I enjoy this time of the year, with all the decorations and lights, carols and of course Father Christmas. The children’s faces light up whenever he’s around, and everyone seems to be in a better mood.

 

CHRISTmas is the time of new birth, new hope new expectations just around the corner. For the Christian, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and the start of his earthly life. The shepherds who were the first to receive the news on the hillside, the wise men who travelled from lands afar on just their transport of the day, the camel.

 

Today, we hear about news good or bad in just a ‘click’ of a button or via our television screens from the constant news channels there are. So let me share some “Good news” with you. Just over 18 months ago Borough Wide Churches Forum launched a new web site call network Yarmouth (www.networkyarmouth.co.uk). It’s aim was to bring all churches from around the borough together to share information with one another, and to inform anyone who wished to look at the site as to what various churches are doing or the times of services, or what facilities they have to hire. Starting with a small team we worked hard at putting out the news to Yarmouth, but because we were on the worldwide web many others came to find us. At the end of last month we have regular visitors to the site of around 40,000 per month, from all parts of the world. We organise the weekly Viewpoint column in the Mercury and on the web pages, which we think is very good for a small church site. We share the news of not only the churches in the borough but of other like minded people who share our common aims. At the very heart of our site is our Saviour Jesus Christ whose birth we will be celebrating through various services including Carol Services. Many people who may not normally step inside a church will go to church and sing the familiar carols and hear the Christmas story.

 

In this time of world recession, may I bring to you the joy of the world in the baby in the manager, who grew up to be a man and to leave us with some of the most remarkable stories ever written in the greatest book ever published. Without Jesus Christ we would have no Christmas.

 

On behalf of the team at www.networkyarmouth.co.uk and the Viewpoint team, may I say a ‘big thank you” to all who have contributed to the Viewpoint this year, and we look forward to working with many others in the year ahead. To the staff at the Mercury offices who have helped us during this year, but especially to you who read the column, that you may find true happiness throughout the written articles.

 

From us to you A VERY HAPPY AND CHRIST FILLED CHRISTMAS, and a Blessed New Year.

 

 

I, too, would like to wish all of you a very happy CHRISTmas. This year has held a great variety of emotions for all of us, but I wish for all our readers a very peaceful, Christ centred 2009 with many new experiences to be treasured

 

 

  

May Peace, joy and happiness be with you all this Christmas and throughout the year ahead.

 

 

 

 

Amid all the pleasure and excitement of giving and receiving gifts at Christmas time let us remember the greatest gift of all, bought at great cost to our Saviour Jesus Christ, - Salvation. God bless you all!

 

   

 

 

Jesus showed us that God is infinitely more than Creator - He is a Father with a Father's love for His children.  In that manger at Bethlehem God revealed Himself as He really is - God is Love.

 

 

 

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus let us also remember his promise that he will be coming back in clouds of glory to take us to a place that he has prepared for us. Christmas joy and blessings to everyone!