January 2026
I cannot believe the Christmas season has finally come and gone! Leading worship with all of you through Advent and Christmas Eve for the first time was one of the major milestones that I have been looking forward to since I became your pastor in July. Christmas Eve was always one of my favorite church services of the year growing up – especially the singing of Silent Night in a candle-lit sanctuary – and it was so moving to experience my first of these in my ministry. We had two beautiful special services in the month of December. The last Sunday of Advent featured our children and youth performing their annual no-rehearsal Christmas pageant along with a brief Advent “lessons and carols” worship, focused on the messianic expectation of the prophets and the appearance of the angel to Mary. I loved seeing the kids dressed up and getting to enact the wonderful story of Christmas. I hope these form core-memories that will stick with them throughout their lives. Our Christmas eve service was a traditional “lessons and carols” Christmas service, which told the story of Jesus from the fall in the Garden of Eden to his humble birth in a stable. The service featured special music from our church choir and a solo by my wife, Kelsey. Both services were very attended and, in my humble opinion, a success! Thank you to everybody for coming out to worship this holiday season!
Now that the new year is upon us, we can enjoy a moment of calm. All the rush of holiday planning – both in our home lives and in the Church – is behind us, and the beginnings of Lent and the Easter season are still weeks away. In this time, I would encourage you to find ways to feed your soul in these cold wintery months. It can be easy, even for people who do not regularly struggle with mental health, to feel depressed in these months after Christmas. The short days, the frigid temperatures, and the lack of something concrete to look forward to now that the holiday plans are over – all of these can make us feel low energy, directionless, and sad. With that in mind, try to find things to do that will fill your cup. Find ways to move your body. Get out in the sun when it is shining (bundled up, of course!). Schedule time to be with friends. Try to develop a prayer practice. None of these are a magic cure for depression, but they can make a difference for helping us manage the seasonal blues.
This is not a call to make any big promises or resolutions. The truth of the matter is that January is a terrible time for us to try to make major changes. At this time of year many of us are mentally, physically, and financially at our lowest point of the whole year, and that means we are the least likely to follow through on any substantial changes. Do not promise yourself that you will do too much and then feel guilty when you cannot deliver. Instead, start small. Take a cue from the infant Christ and make some baby steps. Small, obtainable things that will feed your soul and sustain your body.
I am so thrilled to begin 2026 and to spend my first full year being your pastor.
Grace and Peace,
– Pastor Jeff