The Love behind Christmas

In the spirit of Christmas, our brothers and sisters from Australia held their annual Christmas Fest, with the goal of sharing, giving and celebrating together. This incredible event took place at Unidus Community Centre on the 7th of December, drawing almost 700 attendees.

Now, it is not a small feat to run an event this big, but our God always provides! This time around, God opened the way to have 650 toys to be generously donated by the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust. Every child received a special gift upon arrival, bringing countless smiles and moments of delight. But that’s not all for the kids. The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services rolled in with their fire truck, causing every child’s face to light up with joy. Each kid got to try on the firefighter suits and even take photos with the fire crew. What a blast that must have been!

God’s favour shone brightly during this event, as God brought together so many people to make this event a success, namely the Benevolent Society, 54 Reasons, Inspire Youth and Family Services, Queensland Police Service, Anglicare Queensland, and many more. An added privilege was also having the support of the local federal member and state parliament member, whose presence underscored the importance of community events like Christmas Fest in bringing people together and fostering connection. With that said, none of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of 140 volunteers. Their invaluable contributions of energy, passion, and commitment brought Christmas Fest to life.

But the Christmas celebration doesn’t stop there. On the same day, in the continent of Asia, there was another Christmas gathering in Kalumpang, Malaysia! This intimate celebration was hosted by the Hope Mission School, an outreach program in Kalumpang, Malaysia, which has been a source of hope for the small-town community. In an area where local schools are often understaffed and underfunded, the program provides free English tutoring to children and youth, helping them build a brighter future.

This celebration gave an opportunity to bring families together, children, youth, parents and grandparents who faithfully send them to the Mission School every week. And our God didn’t fail to amaze us here too, as the initial expected attendance was only 40, but by the end of the night, God miraculously brought 96 people together, filling the space with worship, laughter, and fellowship!

Amidst the wonderful celebration, a powerful moment came when four precious lives, an elderly grandparent, a parent, and two youths accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Three generations stood together, touched by God’s love, reminding us that His grace reaches every heart, at every age. This is the goal for all of us, that the seeds planted through this Christmas event will continue to bear fruit for God’s glory.

And that is what Christmas is truly about, being touched by God’s love. Let it be in the smiles of children being blessed with gifts, reminding us of the Abba Father’s greatest gift to us all. Or let it be in the personal experience of God’s love as we accept Him as our personal Savior. We hope that as you read this article, you too are reminded about God’s love that extends beyond the Christmas celebrations into our daily lives!