I have heard many people say how costly and expensive Christmas is.  Many people get themselves in such a financial condition, buying gifts, hosting parties, and such that they will be paying on their credit cards bills for the next five months.  So I guess Christmas is costly.  

But in our rush to buy presents and spend money, think about how costly it was for Jesus to come to this earth:

• It cost Joseph the embarrassment and rumors that his soon-to-be wife was pregnant with a child that was not his.
• It cost Mary her comfort to have her Son born in a stable and to lay him in a manger.
• It cost Mary and Joseph the benefits of home during a long period of exile in Egypt to protect the babe Jesus.
• It cost mothers in and around Bethlehem the massacre of their babies by the cruel order of Herod.
• It cost the shepherds the complacency of their shepherds' life, with the call to go to the manger and to tell the good news.
• It cost the wise men a long journey and expensive gifts and changed lives.
• It cost the early apostles and the early church persecution and sometimes death.
• It cost Paul, John, and Peter as well as other missionaries of Christ untold suffering and hardship to spread the good news.
• It cost Stephen and James and other Christian martyrs of all ages their lives for Christ's sake.
• More than all this, it cost God the Father His own Son-He sent Him to the earth to save men.
• It cost Jesus a life of sacrifice and service, a death cruel and unmatched in history. (Author Unknown)

            So before we complain about how much Christmas cost us or any other thing cost us for that matter; think about how much it cost Christ Jesus to come to this world to die for our sins and redeem all people.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.   And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name…”

(Philippians 2:5-9)

By Mark T. Tonkery

A week ago, Kentucky and several states around were hit with a deadly tornado. Many people lost their lives, and many more lost their homes and businesses from the tornado. As soon as the disaster was reported I had several contact me to see how they could help. After talking to our  

elders and other congregations a plan was put together to collect and take items needed to May field, KY; one of the areas hit the hardest by the tornado.  

It was short notice but as soon as the message was sent out on the “call tree” and placed on social media the donations started to come in. There were many congregations contacting us wanting to help, individuals brought donations in and helped load and pack things to be sent to Kentucky.  

 It was amazing to see the members of the Camden Ave. congregation and the area congregations working together. It was the Body of Christ functioning, each doing their part as Rom.  12:4-6, teaches, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” Wow, did our congregation and others use their gifts! 

 As I think about the past week’s events, I came across the following story: When Anwar Sadat of Egypt was assassinated, they provided a temporary burial place beside Egypt’s Unknown Soldier. How interesting that Egypt’s best-known soldier should be buried beside Egypt’s Unknown Soldier! In the kingdom of God, there are many unknown soldiers. They march right beside the well-known soldiers. They each do their part. What each soldier in Christ does is important! Without their work, the well-known (the preachers, elders, and deacons) would not be as known. Without the widows, widowers, the retired couples, the college students, the middle-aged, the singles, the mothers, fathers, etc. nothing would be accomplished! 

 Thank you to all the soldiers of Christ, who helped, donated, packed, folded, loaded, gave,  hauled, and volunteered. Thank you for being the active, and faithful Body of Christ. Without you,  we could not do what we have done! 

Gal. 6:10, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who  are of the household of faith.” 

P.S. We are still learning what the needs of the people are in Mayfield, KY, and will do our best to inform the congregation of their needs. Thank you again for  

your concern, help, and ongoing help. The donations were  

taken to the Seven Oaks Church of Christ, in Mayfield,  

KY. May God bless you! Mark T. 

                         In ancient China, the people desired security from the barbaric hordes to the north, so they built the great Chinese wall. It was so high they knew no one could climb over it and so thick that nothing could break it down. They settled back to enjoy their security. During the first 100 years of the wall's existence, China was invaded three times. Not once did the barbaric hordes break down the wall or climb over the top. Each time they bribed a gatekeeper and then marched right through the gates.  The Chinese were so busy relying upon the walls of stone that they forgot to teach integrity to their children.

                   Even today we can have the best home security systems, the finest health care money can buy, the safest car, or live in the securest neighborhoods and still lose our children to drugs, alcohol, immorality, or other harmful influences.  The key is what are we teaching our children? Are we teaching them right from wrong?  Are we actively involved in their lives?  Do we know their friends?  Do we know what is going on at school? Are we being a family to our children?  And most important are we teaching our children to put the Lord God first in their lives?

                   Isaiah 54:13, states, “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”

The success of our children and our families depends on many things but the main thing the Bible teaches us is to center our lives on the Lord.

                  One of the saddest passages of the Bible is Hosea 4:6 which reads, “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.”

                  Notice this verse’s warning; if we do not teach, model, and set godly examples for our children, they will fall away from God.  Hosea 4:6 goes on to teach that God will even ignore our children because we chose not to follow Him.  

                  Why would God ignore our children? Because we have not taught our children to know and follow the Lord.  They cannot know and follow the Lord if we have not made God a priority in our life.

                   The wisdom of the Wall of China still rings true today.  Don’t be so busy relying on physical things to bring us security, but spend time with your children teaching them things of God that will give them security for eternity.  

By Mark T. Tonkery

 “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more” (1 Thess. 4:9-10).

Paul in 1 Thess. 4:9-10 commends the Thessalonians on their brotherly love and encourages them to keep on loving one another.  I feel that way, and I am sure you do too about the Camden Ave. congregation, we are a warm and friendly group of Christian but Paul would want us to keep up the good work in being friendly and kind to one another.  Not only is this biblical but it is also important to growing the church of Christ.

In a recent survey by Thom S. Rainer, he reported that 41% of Non-Christians who became Christians and 61% of Christians who transferred their membership to another congregation came because of the friendliness of the congregation. Of course, there are other major factors like evangelism, doctrine, and Biblical preaching, but we must not overlook friendliness of the members of the congregation, our friendliness is important to helping teach and showing the lost what we believe about Christ and His Word.   

      Many individuals have either turned to or away from the Lord because of the welcome extended or neglected by a local church.  All Christians should be concerned about being friendly and greeting one another especially our guests at every service.  Here are some suggestions that may help each of us in greeting those who visit the services of the church: 

• Go to our guests and welcome them; do not wait for them to come to you and introduce yourself.
• Greet all age groups.
• After you have met them, help introduce them to others.
• Especially if they have children show them their classroom, nursery, and restrooms.
• Make sure they receive a bulletin.
• Invite them to other church activities, church dinners, or out to lunch.
• Ask them to fill out a visitor’s card and place it in the offering basket.
• Ask them to sit beside you.
• Invite them back to our next time of meeting.

“Five minutes—that is all it takes to make a positive or negative impression on guests to our worship services. Those first impressions often determine if guests will return. Because those first five minutes are so important, we want to do everything we can to make sure our guests are sought out, greeted, and made to feel welcome.

I am asking ALL of our members to take one simple step to help make sure our guests feel welcome. For the first five minutes before or after each worship service is started or dismissed, will you look for guests to greet. This is the most important thing we can do to be seen as a friendly and warm congregation. Will you invest five minutes in eternity?” (Adopted from:  http://yourchurchcangrow.com) 

Remember: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly…” (Proverbs 18:24).

Written by Mark T. Tonkery 

                         “I had a very stressful week.  Some mornings I hesitated opening my eyes for I knew the real world was awaiting me with all my problems.  I didn’t get much sleep last night, kept awake from the worry, but I kept my problems to myself.  I didn’t want to bother you.  You have your own problems I reasoned.  Why make my problems your problems?  And then it happened, Sunday rolled around.  My energy was low, but I knew if I could just make it to services if I could only make it.  That extra hour of sleep was needed, but I pulled myself up and pinned a smile for the next two hours.  I couldn’t let my church family know I was hurting.

                         Perhaps you greeted me with a handshake when I entered the door or just smiled from across the pew.  Perhaps you warmly spoke to me with love and sincerity or sat next to me bowed silently in prayer.  Perhaps you sang with all your heart or quietly placed your hand on my shoulder and made me feel important.  Perhaps you drew me into a stimulating conversation after Bible Study or I just felt the excitement of being among my brothers and sisters.  Maybe you just said a little prayer for me this week.  Whatever you did, thank you.  Words cannot express the uplifting I have gained by being here today to worship with the saints.  I leave with a real smile.

                         I don’t know if I can make it another week, how will I do it?  Oh, I almost forgot, I can come back tonight and Wednesday evening to be re-energized to take me to next Sunday.  Thank you, brothers and sisters.  Thank you for loving me.”

 (Anonymous, taken from the Rockport, WV Church of Christ Bulletin April 25, 1999)