{"id":33372,"date":"2021-12-14T08:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/?p=33372"},"modified":"2024-12-05T13:20:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T18:20:58","slug":"gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/","title":{"rendered":"God&#8217;s Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It\u2019s the Christmas season once again\u2014the time of year when peace is the hope of the world. But peace can sometimes be elusive, particularly when you work in ministry and must face heavy circumstances as part of your calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"God&#039;s Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us\" width=\"625\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nhP3l1QZqB4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me draw your attention to Isaiah\u2019s prophecy: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Isa 7:14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We know Immanuel means \u201cGod with us.\u201d How can we embrace that prophetic comfort in this current time? So many Christians serving in ministry are tired from the pressures and distractions swirling around, some even to the point of wondering whether continuing in ministry is still their call. If that\u2019s you, please hear the Christmas message that God loves you and is with you. And not only is God with you, but he wants very much for you to come to him. His arms are open wide to embrace you&#8212;always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Jesus was born, the Son of God became flesh and fulfilled Isaiah\u2019s prophecy. God was now with us. Later, Jesus himself made his presence with us permanent by saying, \u201cI\u2019m with you always, to the end of the age.\u201d Take comfort that Jesus will stay with you as you serve in your call from beginning to end. From Jesus\u2019 perspective, the prophecy \u201cGod with us\u201d has become the promise \u201cI\u2019m with you\u201d. His presence with us today is truly a gift of Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can we experience Jesus\u2019 gift of Emmanuel, God-with-us? Well, Jesus gave us the perfect model in his retreats to the wilderness to be with his Father. In prayer and solitude he found guidance, support, and a Father\u2019s loving embrace that told him everything is okay. That time with his Father gave Jesus the strength he needed to persevere in his mission. And Elijah is an example of\u00a0experiencing God&#8217;s embrace even when we are too depleted to seek it. When Elijah fled his ministry and wanted to die, God instead fed him, encouraged him, and launched him back into his call. And that guidance, support, and loving embrace is what Jesus wants to give you, right now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there\u2019s more that Jesus wants to give you. He gave us other ways to experience Emmanuel, God-with-us. Christians can be \u201clittle Christs\u201d to each other and provide an ear to listen, a heart to pray, and a partner to help process the challenges of ministry. In being both supportive and vulnerable, we can be there for each other as we press on. Other ways to be replenished for frontline ministry might include a stay at a pastors\u2019 retreat centre, professional counselling, or a reprioritization of self-care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emmanuel, God-with-us, Jesus, is with you right now, ready to listen to whatever is on your heart. Be encouraged by these Scriptures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 &nbsp; \u201cCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.&#8221; Matthew 11:28<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 &nbsp; Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00b7 &nbsp; Let us then approach God\u2019s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Christmas is the perfect time to remember that you are not alone. All the love, all the care, all the healing power of Emmanuel, God-With-Us, is now yours to receive as God\u2019s gift to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emmanuel! God with you! Hallelujah! Merry Christmas! From myself and the CCCC board and staff.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s the Christmas season once again\u2014the time of year when peace is the hope of the world. But peace can sometimes be elusive, particularly when you work in ministry and must face heavy circumstances as part of your calling. Let me draw your attention to Isaiah\u2019s prophecy: Therefore the Lord&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/\" class=\"linkbutton\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ts_fic_featured_image_caption":"A hay-filled manger, set against a warm glow of light. Used with permission.","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[542,544,223,137],"tags":[499,444,637,638],"series":[],"class_list":["post-33372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian-ministry","category-christian-spirituality","category-spirituality-of-leadership","category-uncategorized","tag-christmas","tag-encouragement","tag-gods-love","tag-gods-presence"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>God&#039;s Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us - CCCC Blogs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An encouragement to those serving in Christian ministry to let the Lord embrace them, support and encourage them, and help them persevere.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"God&#039;s Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us - CCCC Blogs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An encouragement to those serving in Christian ministry to let the Lord embrace them, support and encourage them, and help them persevere.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CCCC Blogs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CCCCCharities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-14T13:01:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-05T18:20:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2349\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"John Pellowe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@cccccharities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@cccccharities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"John Pellowe\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"John Pellowe\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/78129b8fafee8dfe3bb7f3d7c8e33569\"},\"headline\":\"God&#8217;s Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-14T13:01:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-05T18:20:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":611,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/11\\\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Christmas\",\"Encouragement\",\"God&#039;s love\",\"God&#039;s presence\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Christian\",\"Dynamic Christian Spirituality\",\"Spirituality of Leadership\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/\",\"name\":\"God's Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us - CCCC Blogs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/11\\\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-14T13:01:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-05T18:20:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"An encouragement to those serving in Christian ministry to let the Lord embrace them, support and encourage them, and help them persevere.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/11\\\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/11\\\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":2349,\"caption\":\"Used with permission.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/john\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14\\\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"God&#8217;s Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/\",\"name\":\"CCCC News &amp; Blogs\",\"description\":\"CCCC Blogs\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Canadian Centre for Christian Charities\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/260wbRGB.png?fit=260%2C260&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/260wbRGB.png?fit=260%2C260&ssl=1\",\"width\":260,\"height\":260,\"caption\":\"Canadian Centre for Christian Charities\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/CCCCCharities\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/cccccharities\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/canadian-council-of-christian-charities\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/78129b8fafee8dfe3bb7f3d7c8e33569\",\"name\":\"John Pellowe\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e5439962feafa2554de0378f025969e5215f2a92edf5742f1bf3bed1765d6304?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e5439962feafa2554de0378f025969e5215f2a92edf5742f1bf3bed1765d6304?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/e5439962feafa2554de0378f025969e5215f2a92edf5742f1bf3bed1765d6304?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"John Pellowe\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\",\"bonnie.pillsworth@cccc.org\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.cccc.org\\\/news_blogs\\\/author\\\/john\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"God's Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us - CCCC Blogs","description":"An encouragement to those serving in Christian ministry to let the Lord embrace them, support and encourage them, and help them persevere.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"God's Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us - CCCC Blogs","og_description":"An encouragement to those serving in Christian ministry to let the Lord embrace them, support and encourage them, and help them persevere.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/","og_site_name":"CCCC Blogs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CCCCCharities","article_published_time":"2021-12-14T13:01:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-12-05T18:20:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":2349,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"John Pellowe","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@cccccharities","twitter_site":"@cccccharities","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"John Pellowe","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/"},"author":{"name":"John Pellowe","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/78129b8fafee8dfe3bb7f3d7c8e33569"},"headline":"God&#8217;s Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us","datePublished":"2021-12-14T13:01:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-05T18:20:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/"},"wordCount":611,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1","keywords":["Christmas","Encouragement","God&#039;s love","God&#039;s presence"],"articleSection":["Christian","Dynamic Christian Spirituality","Spirituality of Leadership"],"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/","url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/","name":"God's Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us - CCCC Blogs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1","datePublished":"2021-12-14T13:01:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-05T18:20:58+00:00","description":"An encouragement to those serving in Christian ministry to let the Lord embrace them, support and encourage them, and help them persevere.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1","width":2560,"height":2349,"caption":"Used with permission."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2021\/12\/14\/gods-loving-embrace-christmas-and-god-with-us\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"God&#8217;s Loving Embrace: Christmas and God with Us"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/","name":"CCCC News &amp; Blogs","description":"CCCC Blogs","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#organization","name":"Canadian Centre for Christian Charities","url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/260wbRGB.png?fit=260%2C260&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/260wbRGB.png?fit=260%2C260&ssl=1","width":260,"height":260,"caption":"Canadian Centre for Christian Charities"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CCCCCharities","https:\/\/x.com\/cccccharities","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/canadian-council-of-christian-charities"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/78129b8fafee8dfe3bb7f3d7c8e33569","name":"John Pellowe","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e5439962feafa2554de0378f025969e5215f2a92edf5742f1bf3bed1765d6304?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e5439962feafa2554de0378f025969e5215f2a92edf5742f1bf3bed1765d6304?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e5439962feafa2554de0378f025969e5215f2a92edf5742f1bf3bed1765d6304?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"John Pellowe"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.cccc.org","bonnie.pillsworth@cccc.org"],"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/author\/john\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/shutterstock_340358903-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2349&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3642,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2010\/09\/01\/public-consequences-of-personal-spirituality\/","url_meta":{"origin":33372,"position":0},"title":"Public Consequences of Personal Spirituality","author":"John Pellowe","date":"September 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"As a ministry leader, your\u00a0spiritual life\u00a0is inextricably linked to the health of the ministry\u00a0you lead.\u00a0Here's what that means.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Great Leadership&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Great Leadership","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/category\/healthy\/great-leadership-healthy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Man pushing over a huge domino","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Dominoes.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Dominoes.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Dominoes.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Dominoes.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Dominoes.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36017,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2022\/12\/13\/gods-christmas-gift-to-us-peace-through-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":33372,"position":1},"title":"God&#8217;s Christmas Gift to Us: Peace Through Christ","author":"John Pellowe","date":"December 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"the God who created the universe is the God who is for you, who called you to ministry, and who equips you to serve. The peace of Christ gives ministry workers the confidence to persevere and be creative in ministry.","rel":"","context":"In \"Christmas\"","block_context":{"text":"Christmas","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/christmas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The manger with lighted Christmas trees and the cross behind it.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/steve-hruza-tvJuBF8IRWE-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/steve-hruza-tvJuBF8IRWE-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/steve-hruza-tvJuBF8IRWE-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15337,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2013\/10\/28\/organizational-spirituality\/","url_meta":{"origin":33372,"position":2},"title":"Organizational Spirituality","author":"John Pellowe","date":"October 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The most serious threat to corporate witness is the privatization of faith. A surprising number of Christians are not comfortable with group spirituality outside of church and home. But how can a Christian ministry know the will of Christ if it doesn't engage in group spiritual discernment? Here's how to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/category\/christian-ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stained glass window with dove and sunburst behind","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Holy-Spirit-window-sxc.jpg?fit=1018%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Holy-Spirit-window-sxc.jpg?fit=1018%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Holy-Spirit-window-sxc.jpg?fit=1018%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Holy-Spirit-window-sxc.jpg?fit=1018%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22535,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2016\/08\/29\/caring-for-your-soul\/","url_meta":{"origin":33372,"position":3},"title":"Caring for Your Soul","author":"John Pellowe","date":"August 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Christians working in ministry risk professionalizing their spirituality. If the only time you pray or study is for work, you will dry up spiritually.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Great Leadership&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Great Leadership","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/category\/healthy\/great-leadership-healthy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/P1140437_4.jpg?fit=1200%2C1045&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/P1140437_4.jpg?fit=1200%2C1045&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/P1140437_4.jpg?fit=1200%2C1045&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/P1140437_4.jpg?fit=1200%2C1045&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/P1140437_4.jpg?fit=1200%2C1045&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32085,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/cccc\/2021\/06\/18\/congratulations-the-christian-reformed-church-in-north-america-canada-corporation\/","url_meta":{"origin":33372,"position":4},"title":"Congratulations, The Christian Reformed Church in North America \u2013 Canada Corporation!","author":"CCCC","date":"June 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By demonstrating its commitment to integrity, accountability, and transparency through its compliance with the CCCC Standards of Accountability, the Christian Reformed Church has earned CCCC Accreditation. The Christian Reformed Church is a diverse family of healthy congregations, assemblies, and ministries expressing the good news of God\u2019s kingdom that transforms lives\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crxx_ChristRefChurch_logo_color-1.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crxx_ChristRefChurch_logo_color-1.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/crxx_ChristRefChurch_logo_color-1.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37953,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2024\/11\/12\/encouragement-for-leaders\/","url_meta":{"origin":33372,"position":5},"title":"Encouragement for Leaders","author":"John Pellowe","date":"November 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"CCCC members share encouraging leadership thoughts from the Bible, inspiring quotes, and more that they turn to when they need a boost.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Adaptability&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Adaptability","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/category\/effective\/adaptive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ava-sol-PILgsJoZ1kY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ava-sol-PILgsJoZ1kY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ava-sol-PILgsJoZ1kY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ava-sol-PILgsJoZ1kY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ava-sol-PILgsJoZ1kY-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p30X8p-8Gg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33372"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=33372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}