It’s hard to believe Christmas has come and gone — and fast too!
And what a Christmas The Browns have had in our first year here in Fort Worth, Texas.
Our first Fort Worth Christmas has truly been made and marked by God as one to remember, forever!
Of course, we decorated our humble abode with the markings of Christmas and the reminders of giving God the glory so that His peace and goodwill be made known in the hearts and lives of Fort Worth citizens.
Our Season of Advent
One of the special ways our family celebrates Christmas is through the season of Advent — the preparation of the heart in anticipation of the arrival, the coming of Jesus.
The season of Advent is celebrated on four consecutive Sundays, beginning on the Sunday closest to November and ending on December 24, Christmas Eve.
Throughout the month or season of Advent, we remember and reflect on the true meaning of the birth of Jesus through various activities — prayer, song, devotions, and the sharing and reading of God’s living Word, the Bible.
It’s such a sweet time for our family as a whole, especially our kids. They love the Advent calendar.
It not only helps to count down the days until Christmas but there is also an activity of some sort that daily prepares and aims our hearts towards the nature of God coming through the birth of Jesus.
In addition to the Advent calendar, our family embarked upon reading daily from a book written by Maggie Philpot (a Fort Worth local) — God Is Coming: An Advent Journey.
Our kids thoroughly enjoyed this book (as did we), tracing the story of God’s relentless pursuit of His children (us too!) and all the anticipation of the holiday season in simple, rhyme and meter.
We were gifted this book from Plant Fort Worth, and highly recommend it as an easy way to educate, inspire, and center our hearts on the importance of Jesus’ birth — and His second coming.
If not watchful over our hearts, Christmas can easily turn towards the way of the world. Instead of sharing and spreading the light of Jesus, we turn from God and others to selfishly favor ourselves. We light our own heart’s desire to be the mainstay of Christmas instead of Jesus.
While it’s good to get and give gifts, we must never lose sight of God being the greatest giver of all — and God birthing Jesus as the true reason for the Christmas season.
Another advent activity we did and celebrated was welcoming and inviting others along our journey, specifically our neighbors.
We shared the spirit of Christmas by welcoming our newest neighbors to our neighborhood with a sweet treat jar of Double Fudge Brownie Mix.
It’s our hope that the practicality in our gift opens the door to engage with our neighbors to do life together — just as Jesus served in practical ways during His journey on earth.
And speaking of doing life together, one of the greatest moments of Christmas this year was God miraculously allowing us to host a Christmas Eve and Candlelight Service.
You’re likely thinking, “what’s the big deal about hosting a Christmas Eve Service?”
In one sense, you’re right. It shouldn’t be a big deal for a church to host a Christmas Eve service and to have a venue to do so.
But what if I told you the following, how would you respond?:
We never planned to host a 2022 Christmas Eve and Candlelight service.
And… that a state-of-the-art venue, designed with church plants in mind, would be available for use.
AND… that a complete in-person service was planned for Fort Worth a week before Christmas Eve.
Exactly! You would likely respond how we did:
To God be the glory to provide Southwest Christian School’s The Clay Center for Christian Leadership as a turn-key venue — audio, video, chairs, and, a specular view.
God graciously gifted us a Christmas to remember by having 17 adults and 11 kids attend Mosaic Church Fort Worth’s first-ever, in-person service.
We celebrated Jesus together with an evening of amazing songs, a hope-filled, inspiring message, and other Christmas elements — including hot chocolate and cookies afterward.
The most touching part of service, also my wife’s favorite part of Christmas Eve service each year, was remembering the birth of Jesus as we all sang Silent Night while holding candles lit from Advent wreath’s Christ candle — representing the light and life of Christ Jesus.
And all of this marked The Browns and Mosaic Church Fort Worth’s first Christmas in Forth Worth, Texas.
We’re in awe of all that God has done, and all the more hopeful for how God will make himself known in 2023 to our family, neighbors, co-workers, and the nations of citizens that call Fort Worth home.
A Christmas miracle this year was… with many more miracles, signs, and wonders from God to come as we look forward to next year.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and partner with us so that you don’t miss out on the miracle of miracles that God is working through the planting of Mosaic Church Fort Worth.
We love you and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Christ Jesus!
The Browns
P.S. Oh and one more thing…
