That greeting seems a little premature considering we still have over three weeks to go until
January, and that is how my pastor greeted our church last Sunday as the season of Advent
marks the beginning of the new church year. Mind you, he does this every year and every year
I find myself mildly surprised by the greeting. My mild surprise quickly disappears, though, as
pastor shares WHY we celebrate Advent. It appears every year I become so self-absorbed that I
forget. Maybe that happens to you as well?
We celebrate Advent in repentance and anticipation because in all our daily failings (those we
admit and those we don’t even realize), we still have hope. I am amazed as I consider how
much I don’t deserve it, I still have hope because of my Savior’s birth. In spite of all the hurt,
brokenness, and complete mess I bring to the table; I. STILL. HAVE. HOPE.
And so do you.
We have a God who chooses to love us. We have a God who willingly sent His only Son into the
world all those years ago to heal our hurts, to fix our brokenness, and to clean up our mess.
And so, as we continue toward the celebration of Christmas, we repent and ask God’s
forgiveness knowing we will never deserve it and amazed that He always gives it. Not because
of anything we have done nor will ever do, but because of what He has done for us.
As we celebrate this new church year and move rapidly into 2026, I would like to express how
grateful our high school’s leadership is to our community for the remarkable generosity you
have shown us over the course of these last three years. All of the prayers, words of
encouragement, and financial support you have provided is extraordinary. I often share in our
community how God continues to amaze us, yet we aren’t surprised because you- our Cadet
family. There is still work left to be done for A Bold Step, though. If you haven’t yet turned in
your pledge card or made a commitment to the project, now is the time.
May the rest of your Advent season and the peace of Christmas fill your hearts and minds with
joy, strength, and hope.