Merry Christmas!
Max Edwards
I love Christmas! I love the sights and smells. I love the family get togethers. I love the food, and the fun. I love the music, and I love the worship moments. And I especially love the greatest gift ever - - Jesus!
Yes, I know that it is over-commercialized
(think, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”) Yes, I know that we clutter it up with busy-ness
(remember “The Miracle on 34th Street”) Yes, I know there are a few who just don’t get it … (consider “It’s a Wonderful Life”)
But even so, the true meaning of Christmas has a way of clawing past all the distractions and distortions and hitting us right between the eyes with one compelling truth, that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Christmas isn’t an American thing. Christmas isn’t a Nashville or Hollywood thing. Christmas isn’t a Hallmark movie, a parade, or a play. Christmas isn’t about the North Pole, and it isn’t about trees, or lights, or tinsel, or mistletoe, or eggnog, etc. And Christmas isn’t just for kids.
Christmas is about Christ
He is the greatest gift ever given, and ever to be given. He is the cure for all the ills and evils of this world. Jesus is our hope, and He is our peace. He restores us to God by the gift of grace through the power of faith. He blesses His flock, being both our Shepherd and Savior. He fills our hearts with Joy that surpasses even our deepest heartaches.
Merry Christmas!! Celebrate the greatest gift!
Two Items of Note for 2026
Our Kerusso is going to be published in a slightly different way in the coming year.
We are aware that you receive hundreds of emails a week, and while the Kerusso contains vital pieces of information about the EMC, we want to improve its readability while respecting your valuable time.
To that end, we will be publishing the Kerusso just six times in 2026, on a bi-monthly basis, with a combined January/February edition coming to you near the middle of the first month (January in this case).
We hope that by tightening the production schedule you will find it to be more informative, less redundant, and highly beneficial to you. The January/February issue will be exclusively focusing on the upcoming General Conference meeting in July of 2026.
Zoom Meeting Opportunity
Just a few days ago you received an email from Rev. Hammond, our General Secretary, about a proposal from General Council regarding our planned officer elections to be held in July of 2026 at Conference. The proposal will be made to elect one General Superintendent as well as one Assistant General Superintendent, and two Conference Superintendents. The members and delegates of the Conference will decide if this is their wish.
The Council will host a few ZOOM Meetings in early 2026 to give opportunity for questions and answers about the proposal. The first of these meetings will be on January 20th. Every pastor will receive a ZOOM invite to this meeting in early January. Mark it on your calendar if you’d like to join.
Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
From the Desk of the General Secretary/Treasurer
Rev. Brian Hammond
As we enter this blessed Christmas season, my heart is grateful for the faithfulness of our churches and the light you bring to your communities. Christmas reminds us that God's love took on flesh and dwelt among us, bringing hope to a weary world. In the midst of our busy schedules and the challenges we face, may we pause to reflect on the wonder of Emmanuel—God with us. My prayer is that you and your church family will experience renewed joy, deeper compassion, and steadfast unity in Christ during this time. May the peace of the newborn King fill your hearts, your homes, and your ministries, now and into the coming year.
A Few End-of-Year Reminders:
Office Holiday Closing. Please note that the EMC Headquarters office is closed from Christmas to New Year's. We will close on Wednesday, November 24, and reopen on Monday, January 5 our office staff will also be off during those days.
Required Annual Reporting. As I did last month, I want to remind you that all credential holders and churches are required to submit an annual report. The reporting deadline is January 31. Please find the report form here:
2025 Annual Report Form
End-Of-Year Contributions. We will hold our books open for the first week of January 2026 so we may issue a 2025 receipt for contribution checks written, dated, and postmarked by December 31, 2025. An online gift becomes taxdeductible on the date it is made. Our online program issues a receipt at the time of the gift.
Online Giving. January is a great time to begin using our new Planning Center Giving platform. You can set up an online account or explore online giving at the link here: EMC Online Giving. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
Tammy and I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
EMC Board of World Missions
Bill & Lisa Walker, BWM Co-Chairs
In a couple of weeks, Lisa and I, together with 11 other EMC’ers from Elizabeth City, NC, and Salem, VA, and Conference Superintendent Aaron Withrow and his three oldest children, will be winging our way to Manila, Philippines, for the Asia Pacific Conference Mission Exposure!
Following a national EMC youth congress, we will be spending New Year’s in the Philippines.
The final days will involve a health clinic in a needy area. The Mission Exposure trip will cover two Sundays, so we expect to visit multiple EMC congregations!
Thank you to all who have given to help each one raise the needed money for this trip! Updates will follow!
Please pray for the Mission Exposure Team
The Asia Pacific School of Ministry invited me, Bill, to teach “The Doctrine of Man” in October.
The Life and Truth Bible Institute in Mexico has asked me to teach Doctrinal Theology I, II, and III starting in December, and Biblical Geography in the Spring.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas!
May the warmth of the love of Jesus fill your hearts anew this season, and may it spill out to those around you!
Please Note:
During 2025, we have shared excerpts from reports turned in for the year of 2024. We do not have space to share every report but we try to share from a variety of states from those who choose to share a more personal update in their report. Obviously, by the time we reach the later months of 2025, the information is a year old, but it still shares how God is working in a variety of ways to help us minister to those in the pews as well as outreach to each larger community. We hope these excerpts help encourage and unite and possibly give insight into ways we can minister in our own communities as we see what God is doing. Praise God for the ways He is using the EMC to lead people to Jesus and to disciple believers.
PastorPaulSpeagle–NorthCarolina
Excerpts from Pastor Paul’s 2024 Ministry Report
It is with great joy and delight that I share my report. 2024 was our 42nd year and in many ways, it has been the best year yet! I praise God for the anointing of the Holy Spirit in our church this past year. We have enjoyed a sweet spirit of unity, and we give God thanksgiving for such blessings! Our attendance has increased 30% over a couple years ago!
We were part of community revival services together with Hearts on Fire and Gibsonville Christian Church in the spring and fall. We were able to send $5000 to our sister EMC at Linville, NC for Hurricane Helene storm and flood damage. We were able to finish our remodeling project for the Fellowship Hall after 2 years and use it for many gatherings and functions. It looks fantastic, for which we are very grateful! Our EMM and EMW started having monthly meetings on the 2nd Sunday by having lunch together followed by our meetings and it is working really well. We are truly grateful for all that God has done and are looking forward to what He is going to do as we await the coming of our Lord!
PastorRussCochran– Texas
Excerpts from Pastor Russ’s 2024 Ministry Report
How can we expect God to give us new people if we are not discipling the ones we have? God is growing our discipleship groups. Refuge Ministries continues to see significant growth spiritually through Bible Studies, Discipleship, Classes, Preaching, EMC Haggard School of Ministry and caring for each other. Some examples of our groups are Sunday school for adults & children, children’s church, youth group, Men’s & Women’s Bible studies, Home groups, Mom Life, Men’s groups, and several Wednesday night adult groups & prayer.
We have great youth and children’s leaders. We had a wonderful Youth and Kids camp. Our Mother’s Day Out program continues at both our Copperas Cove and Killeen campuses. From our church body, God called the Phipps family to pastor an EMC in Oregon and the Petersens to West Virginia to pastor an EMC. We continue to be a place of Refuge, Renewal, and Release.
We still have a space issue, but it is a good problem to have more people than space. We continue to find creative ways to make everything work. We have a building committee looking at a new sanctuary.
PastorTonyMeads–Virginia
Excerpts from Pastor Tony’s 2024 Ministry Report Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; Again I will say, rejoice!” Through God’s divine inspiration, the Apostle Paul incites you and I to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Then, without hesitation, he emphatically repeats the charge with “Again I will say, rejoice!” To live in such a constant state of always rejoicing we must draw from the reality that our joy comes from The Lord. Although this past year has had its challenges, in our world and for each of us at Christ Church, we continue to sing God’s praises. I attended a pastors’ conference at EMC Headquarters this year. During one session we had the wonderful opportunity to sit down, listen to, and talk with Bill and Gloria Gaither. The most memorable moment for me came as the two shared about their own journey, to which Bill simply quoted these words of the song, Through It All – “…Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus; I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His word ” Over the past year, we’ve each gone through our own share of difficulties and challenges; however, through it all Christ remains our hope and stay. So, as we move forward, through each and every challenge, “Rejoice in the Lord always!” Our Heavenly Father is so very faithful. There is absolutely nothing we will face, that together, with Him, we cannot overcome.