What a wonderful and joyful afternoon we had last Sunday at our annual Special Needs Christmas program. Back in the spring we started to brainstorm our options for our program, having no idea what December would hold. We were very intentional to pray for wisdom and guidance when it came to not just our program theme, but also the safety of our students and those who would be attending. As I prayed for our program, I never once heard the Lord say “no” or “now is not the time.” Instead I was filled with multiple options that all led to our program taking place either in person or online. We hit plenty of challenges and roadblocks from the moment we started to practice via Zoom in September, but we continued to pray and moved forward. This led to a beautiful program put on by students who so deeply wanted the opportunity to share about God’s love for every human.

This year we had 19 adults participate in our “Journey To The Manger” Christmas program. Our students learned choreographed dances and were all given at least one line to say. Each of those lines all woven together told the beautiful story of Jesus’ birth. We had students who were angels attending “angel school,” shepherds who wished they were on a warm island somewhere, and manger animals who wanted to make sure everyone knew they were part of a “respectable stable,” not some stinky petting zoo. The audience laughed and cried, but most importantly opened their hearts to hear the amazing Good News of Christ’s birth. This year, for many, has felt like one challenge after another. As we approach the final weeks of 2020, let me encourage you to seek Christ and experience the true meaning of Christmas and all the Good News that it brings.

Merry Christmas!

Alise Ramseyer