Do you remember the first Christmas you celebrated as a new follower of Jesus Christ, and the special meaning it gave you as you embraced the greatest gift of all?
This year, more than 150 people celebrated their first Christmas as new believers in Christ because of the Christmas outreach events that were held over the last few weeks!
As a friend of Wesleyan Native Ministries, I know you’ll want to join me in praising God for what He is doing to open the hearts of Native people through special Christmas events like these, and other ministries throughout the year.
Thousands of people heard the Christmas story and gospel message presented in a culturally relevant way at this year’s Native Nativity programs, which were held in seven communities in South Dakota and Montana.
Native Nativity Program
Clips from the film Miracle in the Wilderness (starring Kris Kristofferson), were shown. It’s a western Christmas story about a kidnapped frontier family which shares the story of Christ’s birth with an angry Blackfoot chief and his tribe.
Interspersed between the film clips were Christmas carols sung in both English and Lakota. Then the gospel was presented very clearly in a culturally relevant way, and a brief invitation was given.
More than 150 responded by taking new steps of faith in Christ. They were given New Believers Bibles, and everyone else received a Native adaptation of the Gospel of John.
After the Christmas program, everyone enjoyed a traditional Lakota meal of buffalo stew, frybread and wojape (a berry pudding).
Buffalo stew, frybread, and wojape.
Following the meal, all of the elders were honored and given blankets, then each child received a gift.
We’re grateful for the many individuals and churches that donated money and Christmas gifts to help make these events a reality.
Thank you for your partnership with Wesleyan Native Ministries, to empower Native men and women to take the lead in reaching their people for Christ in culturally relevant ways!
Your support continues to have an unprecedented impact!
And while more Native people are responding to the gospel than ever before, we still need more and more laborers to help bring in the harvest!
All the children received a gift.
Would you please join me in praying that God will raise up more Native men and women as pastors and leaders who will reach their people for Christ?
If it’s been a while since you’ve given, or if you’ve never donated to Wesleyan Native Ministries, would you please join with us today and give a generous gift to help resource what God is doing to reach North America’s First Nations for Him?
You can give online at our secure donation page at www.WesleyanNativeMinistries.org/giving.
Thank you for whatever you can do to help!
– Rev. Rich Avery, Director
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