The Portal

Should we trust these guys to find our new meeting space? You decide…

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4304382897390984001&hl=en[/googlevideo]

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The “Singspiration” led by “The Hughes Family Singers Featuring Amy Lagotte” stirred these teenagers to stand and sing (albeit off-key). Neil Brooks is no shabby photographer. View his Christmas Gala picture gallery >>

(Note: Neil doesn’t like rotating pictures on their sides.)

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka_zhhUciQQ[/youtube]

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Did you know “joy” is used almost 200 times in the New Testament? Did you know “joy” is the most frequent word used in the Bible to describe Christian life?

Christians are truly God’s “Joy to the World,” like we saw at the “2008 Christmas Gala.” It was a record-breaking celebration of joy with almost 200 people! A contagious enthusiasm called “joy” filled the room (especially evident in dancing later). I think our Gala rocked more than any office party, and without the liquor! (Well, liquor was available at the Rusty Nail but I didn’t see anyone guzzling it. Did you?)

We lost our meeting place, a newspaper reporter was there investigating us (but he seems to like us), we still don’t know where or when we’ll meet again, and yet it was truly a Gala Christmas affair, by all accounts. How can anyone explain this, unless they understand the history of Christianity?

The Christian Legacy of Joy

From the beginning Christian history is littered with the same unconquerable joy, like these people: “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials!” (1 Peter 1:6). The same weird thing happened when the officials “called in the apostles and had them flogged,” but “the apostles left the high council rejoicing!” (Acts 5:40-41).

Did you know “joy” is unique to Christianity? It’s not taught or held in esteem by any of the world religions, which makes sense: our joy comes from the freedom of knowing God’s grace. But man-made religions are all about good works, earning salvation, great self-effort, and very somber, dark rituals. Buddhism extols a state of serenity through severe discipline, and its “serenity” is really the absence of joy (and all other emotions). Islam is a severe religion and is spread by warfare, not joy. Jehovah Witnesses are much like the early Puritans who forbade all celebrations by law, and Mormonism is equally strict and full of foreboding. Isn’t it tragic when people think Christianity is just like the others?

It’s amazing to meet a stranger who turns out to be a Christian. Suddenly “joy” fills the conversation! I saw this recently with Yife Gao, a Chinese Christian from Craig Smith’s new Bible study at Akron University. (View their hot video online!) Yife came to America in August and barely speaks English, but we had such a blast, I can only describe it as “joy”. (Other diners at Panera bread wished we weren’t so joyous, I think!) But it was sweet to meet a baby Christian born in the outlaw home church movement in China. Those poor Christians have every reason to feel oppressed and depressed, but instead the home churches are a thriving, joyous movement, now 100-million strong and causing much embarrassment to the atheist communist government. Yife’s parents are communists, so they treat him like a traitor, and yet losing his family didn’t faze his joy in Jesus Christ!

View all the Christmas Gala pictures here >>When a Christian is bored or depressed, a spiritual problem is surely stealing that Christian’s joy. Maybe they’ve grown distant from good Christian fellowship, or maybe alienated with Jesus for some useless reason. (Why run away from someone who really loves you?) But joy should be an over-riding constant in a Christian’s life, because it’s a “fruit of the Spirit” just like love (see Galatians 5:22). There may be varying degrees of joy, because we certainly aren’t always “leaping with joy”, but a healthy spiritual life is marked by the confident optimism of Christian joy.

It’s more natural for Christians to be filled with joy (“And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” - Acts 13:52), despite oppressive circumstances (“I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction!” – 2 Cor. 7:4). Paul’s letter to Philippi was written during his long imprisonment, but it’s called “The Letter of Joy” because “joy” appears more often in this short letter than his other writings, even the long ones.

Oh the Joy of 2008!

Our own (unscientific) poll shows that 60% of us said 2008 “was a rockin’, cheese-handling jamboree spritual poop-flingin roller coaster of ecstasy”, and another 25% called it “Amazing! I grew like a kid in puberty minus the B.O.” Nobody felt bad about it. (See the full results and Talk Line feedback.)

Aside from silly polls, the evidence is clear that morale is not only high, but spiritual growth is occurring on a scale never before seen in NeoXenos. Consider how many people are taking the initiative to launch this wide variety of ministry efforts:

1. We launched and maintained an inner-city, after-school program with South Street in January.
2. We started a new KSU Bible study in August that continues to grow.
3. We started the “Western Ohio Enterprise” Bible study for three colleges near Toledo.
4. We started a new Akron University Bible study for international students, and it looks good.
5. We grew another 20-25% at CT.
6. We started a Discovery Group among Stow neighbors.
7. All our existing ministries lost their experienced leaders to these new ministry initiatives, but new leaders and teachers suddenly appeared from within the groups!

And every week it seems someone is sharing about yet another person meeting Jesus Christ, especially since this Fall. All this energy cannot originate through human devices, and certainly it isn’t our great organizational skills at work: it is the spiritual life of Jesus Christ working through many different people in many directions.

From Whence Commeth Indomitable Joy?

What a great question that is! Why are Christians so joyful?

I always knew Christian joy is sparked by the Holy Spirit dwelling inside a grateful and responsive heart, like this: “At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, ‘I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth…’” (Luke 10:21) But until our own recent “afflictions”, as Paul calls them, Christian joy in the midst of persecution was perhaps a bit theoretical, for me.

Now I see it, and I see why joy is so tightly-coupled with Christian persecution: it is the elation of the heart released from tangled thorns: “The one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22) The Kosmos suffocates spiritual life with a mountain of counterfeit hopes and dreams, and it’s so dreary to live by “the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” (Col. 2:8) With persecution we reach the end of our hope in such bland living, and reach instead for “the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

At least, that’s what I saw last weekend at the Rusty Nail.

Additional Information:

• Christmas Trouble, which is a podcast of the Christmas teaching; also Christmas Anecdote, by Becky. It\\\'s a good insight into the sacrifice Christ paid to step into this realm.

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8207264028785745392&hl=en[/googlevideo]

(You can visit this video at Google video and vote for it!)

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“They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.” These words from 2 Corinthians 8:2 could easily describe NeoXenos this past month.

The turmoil this past month was amazing: losing our CT meeting, dealing with accusations from all directions, lining up unplanned meetings, Body Meetings, Prayer Meetings, and more – yet we were able to “be diligent to preserve the unity of the body” (see Ephesians 4:2) in a most amazing way, as last week’s Progressive Dinner demonstrated.

Despite all this harassment the Body of Christ was amazingly generous, giving $14,803.25. That was our best month of the year!

Isn’t it amazing how wonderfully our Savior, Jesus Christ, is taking care of us?

Now we must find new facilities, and do it immediately. This will increase our budget as much as $15,000 for 2009.

We’re at a vital crossroads: when we talk with new landlords about renting another facility, we must demonstrate some financial stability, and our buffer is our only asset.

In order to rebuild our 2-month buffer and stay on-budget for 2008, we still need $13,531 this month!

The Lord has blessed us with a great fellowship. We’re impacting in ways we never envisioned earlier this year. How edifying it is to hear about the new International Bible Study and the Western Ohio Enterprise (a.k.a. “WOE”) at last week’s prayer fest – where did all those new ministries come from?

The Lord is moving!

We’re seeing growth, salvations, and more excitement than we’ve ever before seen in our groups.

Fill out an ACH form for direct withdrawal. We highly encourage you to use the ACH option for your giving if you do not already do so. This is critical in this time of flux. You can also mail checks to our address:

NEO Xenos Christian Fellowship
PO Box 1631
Stow, OH  44224

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Saturday, December 20th at 6 pm NeoXenos will celebrate in style at the Rusty Nail Banquet Hall near Twin Lakes. The fireplace will be roaring, Keith will deliver a Bible study, the Children’s Choir will ressonate, and the Rusty Nail will deliver a smorgasborge of fine food. Christmas 2008 will be an evening to remember: .

And it’s only $5 per person for a fine Christmas meal!

“I call that a bargain — the best I ever had!” says The Who.

The Itinerary

We have a Great Gala lineup:

• 6 pm – “How Would You Rate 2008 for Your Spiritual Growth?” MCs Kyle McCallum and Brian Bassett lead us in a lively discussion.
• 6:15 pm – The Xenos Children’s Christmas Choir dish up a highly-polished set of Christmas carols.
• 6:30 pm – Dinner is served.
• 7:15 pm – “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men!” (Titus 2:11) delivered by Keith McCallum, with prayer and discussion led by Neil Brooks.
• 7:45 pm – “A Video Survey of the Year 2008″, by Mark Michalek.
• 8:00 pm – “The Hughes Family Singers, featuring Amy Lagotte” lead us in “Singspiration” – a silly-super-fundy title for our NeoXenos Gala Christmas Caroling.

Followed by more spontaneous festivities, dancing, and whatever Christmas cheer we might wish to share.

Watch the Advertisement:

[flv]http://www.therustynail.net/video/rustynail.flv[/flv]

Stay posted for more details!

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Watch this video about Uncertainty…

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7339642080224082879[/googlevideo]

“Go and make disciples of all the nations.” So begins the Great Commission. But are we obeying Christ’s call?

The Perspectives class is a great way to enter the Great Commission. It begins at the Hudson Community Chapel on January 12^th and meets Mondays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Or take the class on Tuesday evenings, beginning January 13^th at Grace Christian Missionary Alliance Church in Middleburg Heights.

All our new ministries are so exciting: the Discovery Groups, the International Student Ministry, Crossroads, and the Western Ohio Enterprise demonstrate how many in our fellowship are pursuing the Great Commission.

But are we taking the gospels to “all the nations” by participating in God’s work around the globe?

Meet missionaries serving in the Middle East or in cannibal tribes or the slums of India

What Will You Discover?

If you want God to rock your world, take Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. The fifteen-week course offers a challenging look at the theology, history, and methods of missions. It’s appropriately titled, as any alumni will agree: the class transforms your view of God, the gospel, the world, and your part in God’s plan.

Meet missionaries serving in the Middle East or in cannibal tribes or the slums of India. What stories they tell, and the pictures and insights! This is a typical night at Perspectives class.  It means developing deep convictions and new understandings you never held before.

“It was really eye-opening to see how much of the world doesn’t have access to the gospel and what missionaries are doing that we have no idea about,” Diana Michalek said. She also loved learning about the many indigenous movements such as the underground church in China. Her favorite memories of the class include a video about how a tribe in Papua New Guinea came to Christ and hearing Don Richardson (author of The Peace Child­) speak.

It’s so easy to get bogged down in our own culture’s version of Christianity, but it isn’t an Americanized belief,” said Jackie Leon. “Learning about missions broadened my understanding of the way the Lord works around the world.” This was important to Jackie because a secular friend told her Christianity was a Western religion, but the Perspectives class helped her understand that, “God doesn’t want every church to be like the Western church.”

Practical Learning

“We’re learning about things we can do here,” Diana said.

Ryan Leon agreed: “It really helped to learn about the history of missions, what worked and didn’t work in different fields.”

Be forewarned: Perspectives will change you. Diana, Jackie, and Ryan have taken new steps to financially support missions work, write to missionaries, teach others about missions, reach out to international students, and learn more through reading. The Gibsons, missionaries to Taiwan, took the course as freshman in college and asked, “If we’re able to go, why not go?” It’s a scary question, but the Gibsons are so glad they asked it.

“I recommend every Christian take Perspectives,” Jackie said.

Check out perspectives.org for more information and to register soon!

Video Describing the Course

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7015285992431636337[/googlevideo]

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For those interested in Automatic Clearing House (ACH), you can now download this ACH form.

When you fill it out, either mail it to us or bring it to CT and give it to Katrina. With an ACH form, you can setup regular, monthly giving straight from your bank account.

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