can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift
Love All
that turns into the next family heirloom. Time
to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids When Jesus loved, He loved in ways never
sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and imagined. Though rich, he became poor to love
sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked and
love visible through relational giving. Sounds the sick. He played to the margins. By spend-
a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too ing less at Christmas we have the opportunity
big, right? Need a few ideas? Just go to www. to join Him in giving resources to those who
adventconspiracy.org and see what others have need help the most. When Advent Conspiracy
done to give more during the advent season. first began four churches challenged this simple
concept to its congregations. The result raised
more than a half million dollars to aid those in
need. One less gift. One unbelievable present in
the name of Christ.
Christmas can still change the
world. This year give presence.
Como gives up beverages
to give water to others
Kurt Boemler is a candidate on the elder
track in the Missouri Conference who is serv-
ing as a Student Local Pastor in the North
Texas Conference while attending Perkins
School of Theology. His sister-in-law attends
Windsor Crossing in the Saint Louis area, and
clued him into the Advent Conspiracy, an inter-
denominational movement started by Windsor
Crossing and Five other churches. Boemler pre-
sented it to the church council at Como UMC
in Como, Texas, where he is appointed, and Como UMC
they decided to do it.
Como UMC renewed the tradition of fasting age). That money was sent to a mission called
for Advent by abstaining from all non-water “Blood: Water Mission” for the 1000 Wells
beverages for the entire Advent season. They Project that digs and maintains fresh water
tracked what they would have drank during wells in economically depressed countries.
that time, and calculated the cost of what they “In addition to the church offering, by word
would have drank (sodas, juice, milk, coffee, of mouth friends and family across three states
tea, etc.). Then on Christmas Eve they brought also participated and contributed their own
their savings as their offering that night. donations,” Boemler said. “It was an amazing
In the past two years, they had never had blessing.”
an offering above $200. Through our Advent For more information call 903-488-3541 or
Conspiracy fast, they were able to raise $680 e-mail kurt.boemler@gmail.com.
(in a congregation that worships 40 on aver-
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