Sunday, we had a wonderful group of kids with us, and our lesson focused on something that might sound a little tricky at first: the genealogy of Jesus.

We learned how Jesus’ family line stretches all the way from Abraham to King David, through the time of the Babylonian exile, and finally to Joseph, the husband of Mary. This family history helps us understand that Jesus is part of God’s long-promised plan and the one God sent to bring hope to the world.

While a genealogy can feel like a long and complicated family tree, it teaches us something important. God’s story is big, and it includes everyone. Many of the people in Jesus’ family were ordinary people. Some made mistakes, and some had difficult stories, but God worked through each one of them. This reminds us that God works in every family and in every generation, even when we cannot yet see the whole picture.

To make the day even more exciting, Santa stopped by after lunch to visit with the kids. He took time to hear their Christmas wishes and handed out stockings filled with goodies. He even paused his busy schedule to wish all of our kids a very Merry Christmas.