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"But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for see—I am
bringing you good news of great joy
for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
~The Gospel of Luke 2:10-11



​I was born in Savannah, which meant day trips to the ocean. I remember the vast depth being overwhelmingly scary, especially when the tide came in or the waves would knock me over. My parents would be near, which calmed my fears because I knew that I was safe. It was experiences like this with the people that I loved that made my childhood fears seem small. However, the knowledge that I had people who loved me, no matter how far I traveled, gave me the courage to explore the world and all of its wonders. I am sure that we all had hoped for what this year would look like in the beginning, and then March happened, and that vision became obscured. Needless to say, 2020 has been life-altering: the Pandemic, protests, and postponements have all re-shaped how we engage with one another. Some have risen to the occasion, while others have chosen to wait out the storm. Some have relocated across the country to start over. However, many are now left without a home or resources to continue. Regardless, we are all learning how to adapt together while we are mostly apart. Many of you have asked when we can return to what seems the most familiar to us. I acknowledge your heartbreak over how this year is ending. COVID-19 cases are still on the rise across the globe, and protective guidelines have been implemented to keep us safe. As a result, we were not able to celebrate Easter in our building, we have not hosted our weekly fellowship, and we will not be in our sanctuary for Christmas Eve. However, our leadership has accepted the challenge of this unprecedented year, and we thrive due to these efforts. Worship In Our Homes has transformed from a stagnant medium to more dynamic and interactive services via Zoom. Our Council has engaged our community through hebdomadal phone calls and recurrent deliveries. We have revitalized the use of our Seed Money through Thrivent as a means to promote stewardship at Apostles Lutheran Church. The Children's' Chapel is our newest ministry to take place on Sundays at 3:00 PM. We have also cleaned and decorated the Nave to record our Christmas Eve Worship. Hopefully, this will be a very unique year out of the many we will share one day. The future is as uncertain as it has always been. However, we do not have to fear what is to come. Jesus Christ was born during uncertain times, and 2020 years later, God's Mission still has a Church. Our Church is not a building; it is the relationships that we build with Jesus as our center and care for our neighbors. I wonder what the Holy Spirit will inspire us to become next year? We'll figure it out.

     “Keep some room in your heart for the Unimaginable”
                                                            ~Mary Oliver

In God’s Abiding Love,
Pastor Jeniffer Tillman, Mission Developer