Last night was our Carols by Candlelight traditional carol service. It was great for several reasons. Luke and Josh, our resident opera singers, did a duet of "O, Holy Night," which was spectacular to kick us off (click here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLe7ftzdTCo). Rachel P and her team did a great job on decorating the room. It was a really chatty atmosphere beforehand and afterward. The readers all did an ace job. But for me the reason it was great was the people who were there.
We had been praying that people we invited would come. And they did. And they did from very nearly every avenue of invitation used. There were friends who had been invited who came, there were people from the flats above us, there was someone from the carol singing in Church Street, there were new and returning visitors from the Meetup group, people who come in the morning came for our evening and brought family with them, even mates from previous churches! We prayed they would come and they did. We would love for more to have come mind, so we aren't going to stop praying. But it was great to see so many there, from so many different areas of invitation.
Our great prayer now, and if you are the praying type please pray with us, that something sung, read, prayed or heard in the preaching would be used by God to plant in the hearts of those who came a seed of the gospel that will grow up into eternal life.
