Archive for Christmas

Christmas Eve

// December 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // Christmas

I’m so excited about Christmas Eve at CCV this year.  Our creative team has been working overtime to create an experience that will help us connect with God, each-other, and the message of Jesus. 

…colorful Christmas lights on a cold winter’s night
a candle’s warm glow that brightens a darkened room.
All around us are images of light, especially at this time of year.
But there’s one light that shines brighter than all the rest,
the light that came into the world that first Christmas night.
Celebrate Christmas Eve at Christ’s Church of the Valley
and experience the story of Jesus’ coming to earth,
the hope that he brought that night and how he continues to illuminate our world today.

Our service times will be at 2:00, 3:30, 5:00, and 6:30.  You wont want to miss it!

Merry Christmas!

// December 25th, 2008 // No Comments » // Christmas

Our Christmas Eve services were great last night. One of our leaders in the church pulled a few of us aside after the first service and said, “Don’t change a thing! I brought a friend with me and it was her first time at CCV. She didn’t know what to expect and she loved it and she will be bringing her husband back for a visit!” That is what Christmas Eve is all about. All of us need to remember that there is hope in this world and we need to make sure that others hear that message.

I topped the night off with a late night walk with my son Michael, looking at the Christmas lights in our neighborhood (since AJ was already sleeping). We talked about the which lights were our favorite, and I made sure that he knew I missed him since I was gone most of the day. After we got him in bed, I exchanged gifts with Shelli so we could enjoy the moment with out the chaos of the boys in the morning. It was the perfect ending to a great day. I am so thankful for God’s blessings and I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas All Mixed Up

// December 16th, 2008 // No Comments » // Christmas

My buddy Jon posted this the other day and I had to share:

What I Love About The Christmas Season

// December 8th, 2008 // No Comments » // Christmas, family

Ok so the last post was a little negative and I feel like getting back to my positive self! Here is a list of ten things I love about the Christmas season:

1. The First Snow – I know its crazy but I do love shoveling the driveway! Now, I do hate it when it’s so deep that you can barely lift your shovel out of the snow. But there is just something I love about looking back on a freshly shoveled driveway when you are done.

2. Christmas Shopping – Not just any type of Christmas shopping… most of it I’m indifferent about. However, there is one gift I really get excited about buying. Every year I can’t wait to figure out what will be the perfect gift for my wife. I love the look on her face when I get it right. I love Shelli so much and she is worth more than I could ever buy.

3. New York City – I haven’t been there for Christmas in a while but there is nothing else like it. The window displays, the lights, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I can’t wait until my boys are old enough for me to take them.

4. Charlie Brown – By far the best Christmas cartoon of all time. I love it!

5. White Elephant – This classic gift exchange activity was designed for people like me. I love the challenge of figuring out who wants what, so that I get what I want out of the pile of crappy stuff people bring to these things. I often end up laughing so hard that I go home sore!

6. Reflection – At the end of every year my Dad and I often have a conversation about the past 11-12 moths and identify a theme in our lives for that year. It is an important conversation for me and I look forward to having it with him every year. I’m sure I will post about it when we have the talk. Stay tuned.

7. Wine – Not just any wine. My favorite wine. Since holidays are some of the few times my family all gather together so we will share a bottle of wine from Maganini Winery. It is a favorite place for us to go in the Hudson Valley. They serve excellent food and make great wine.

8. Spiritual Openness – For whatever reason, people tend to be more open to spiritual things at this time of year. It could be a psychological thing because of our culture, or maybe it is related to the weather due to the change of seasons. It really doesn’t matter why but I notice I tend to have more spiritual conversations with people far from God around Christmas.

9. The Christmas Tree – I will never forget the childhood memories I have of putting up our Christmas tree. My dad would put on some Christmas music and my mom would pull out the ornaments and hand us each one that was special. Mine was a Mickey Mouse ornament and I could’nt wait to put it on our tree every year.

10. Family – This time of year I am so thankful for my family. My parents, grandparents, brothers, wife, and my children. I love them all and I am so grateful to have each of them in my life.

What would you add to the list?

Keeping Christmas Simple

// December 2nd, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Christmas, family, ministry, small groups

This year we are doing something a little different at CCV and in the Chiapperino home. We are going to be keeping our Christmas simple. It is an attempt we have made every year, mostly out of necessity, but this year we are approaching the simplicity with great intention. Our home will be participating in the CCV Christmas Covenant. Here is what the covenant is all about:
As members of the CCV family, we will seek to make Christ the center of our Christmas holiday celebration by…

1. Creating a modest budget and committing not to buy any gifts on credit.

2. Adopting a child from the CCV sharing tree.

3. Reading the Christmas story, Luke 2:1-20, on Christmas Eve and asking, “What’s the greatest gift Jesus gave you this year?” and ending in prayer.

4. Creating a “savings jar”, saving money from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve; bringing the savings to CCV’s Christmas Eve services to be given to an annual benevolence event (Casas Por Cristo or an African mission that will take place next year).

5. Making a gift “from the heart” for people in your immediate or extended family that cannot be purchased.

By signing this Christmas Covenant, I/we agree to partner with others from CCV to make Christ the center of this Christmas holiday.

This week all four of us will sign the form (the boys in crayon!) and turn it in during offering. Here is the plan so far:
  • Modest budget – we are 99% done with our shopping, it has been modest, and it has all been bought with cash.

  • Adopt a child – we are actually helping quite a few people this year. Our Home Team is filling bags for those in need at a local soup kitchen, we are also helping kids in need in the Norristown school district (where one of our group members is a teacher), and helping with the CCV sharing tree. If you attend CCV and you are not part of a group I would encourage you to sign up during this month. New groups are launching in January. I love serving others with my Home Team!

  • Read Luke 2 – I will do this Christmas Eve

  • Savings Jar – We have already started filling it!

  • Make a gift – hmmm… I’m not very crafty, I will need Shelli’s help on this one!

Even if you are not part of CCV consider keeping Christmas simple this year with your family. How can you make it a Christ centered Christmas instead of a consumer Christmas? If you have any ideas I would love to hear them! Leave a comment to share and fill me in on how you handle the holiday.

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