Acts 26:19

“The Christmas Village” is the result of a vision of Brenda Van Velkinburgh from a sermon on the sanctity of life by Dr. Phil Walker at Ridgecrest Baptist Church, in Madison, MS.  In January 2004, during his “Sanctity of Life Week” sermon, Brother Phil went through the statistics of abortions in the United States since 1973.  On the way home from church that morning, Brenda told Michael (husband) that she had a business plan that could make an impact on the lives of women. 

Brenda never felt called as a ‘sidewalk minister’, or to protest on the capitol steps.  She applauds those who are led to these missions, but her career allowed little time away from the office.  While Brenda saw no feasible hope to change what she believes is morally wrong in the laws, she saw a plan that would give young women a true ‘choice’ in the question of abortion and the Sanctity of Life. She wanted to use her organizational skills and financial blessings to pursue what she believes is a mission that was placed on her heart by God.

Over the next several weeks, research revealed that the majority of women aborting pregnancies were 18-25 concerned with their ability to raise a child.  Most of the reasons given by those surveyed dealt with maturity, career choices, financial obstacles, and life disruption.  While there are institutions for expectant mothers in the area, the requirements for entry are specific and do not provide for the expectant mother who doesn’t know what path she wants to take.  Most of these institutions are in an urban area with little security.

The more people that Brenda (and by now Michael was enthusiastically involved) spoke with about the possibilities, the more excitement and momentum built.  Professionals were volunteering their services: an attorney, OB-GYN’s, nurses, architects, accountants, and educators.

While God has not yet revealed the location, the goal is to break ground in 2006.  We have had the promise of land and will soon have architectural renderings.  Watch for updates!

We are currently building our two governing boards: 

      Board of Directors
      Advisory Board

Brenda
Van Velkinburgh

Statement of Faith

With this statement we affirm our dedication to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Great Commission to share that Gospel in the expectancy of His glorious return.  We believe:

1      There is one God, who eternally exists in three persons:  the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

2      The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God and is the only infallible and authoritative Word about God’s moral laws, our salvation from sin, and His plan for our lives.

3      We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in the power for atonement from our sins through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory to establish His reign on earth.

4      We believe that all men are sinners.  Only by grace through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice are all men provided redemption from sin, forgiveness for our guilt, and reconciliation to God and others. We become acceptable to God, or justified, not by works, but by God’s grace alone, through faith in Christ alone.

5      We believe in the present indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit draws sinners to repentance, assures us of salvation through understanding of scripture, and is in constant interceding prayer for Christians.  The Holy Spirit empowers Christians with talents to meet the needs of the lost, the poor, and the oppressed.

6      We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.  All believers are members of His bride, the church, which is not prejudiced by race, denomination, nationality, or gender.

7      The mission of Jesus was to reach the marginalized, elevate the downtrodden, heal the sick, save the lost, encourage the brokenhearted, and to empower the powerless. He was a friend of sinners and became a servant to all. He affirmed sovereign power by giving up everything.

8      Our mission must always conform to a Christ-centered communication of the Good News of the Gospels to transform lives through the work of faith, a labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, never diverted until His triumphant return.