BRANCHES December 2017

BRANCHES
MEDITATIONS ON THE
INCARNATION
Finding the True Meaning of Christmas
Impact of India
Core Commitments:
We Seek the Restoration of all Creation
DECEMBER 2017 | southwood.org
Five Fun Ways to Spend Time with Your
Teens this Christmas Season

SOUTHWOOD
OVERVIEW
CONTENTS
3 pastor's note
BRANCHES
DESIGNER Eli Maples
CONTRIBUTORS
Will Spink
Skeets Simonis
Sarah Niemitz
Ron Clegg
Derrick Harris
Peter Render
James Parker
PHOTOS
Eli Maples
Phillip Lackey
Pete Meenen
Southwood Members
FEEDBACK!
We want to hear from you! Please send
your suggestions and comments to
branches@southwood.org
1000 CARL T. JONES DRIVE | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35802
(256) 882-3085 | WWW.SOUTHWOOD.ORG
COVER PHOTO
Southwood Kids Christmas Decorations
CHURCH STAFF
CHRISTINE BETTS Assistant Director, Youth/Families
NIÑA CASH Director of Children's Ministry
RITA CLARDY Executive Assistant
SHANNON CLARK Administrative Assistant
RON CLEGG Assistant Pastor, Discipleship
TY COMMONS Youth and Family Intern
JANICE CROWSON Director of Facilities/Finance
KIM DELCHAMPS Administrative Assistant
TERRI GOOD Accountant/Bookkeeper
DERRICK HARRIS Asst. Pastor Elect, Shepherding & Young Families
ELI MAPLES Graphic Designer
SARAH NIEMITZ Director of Community Development
JAMES PARKER Chief Musician
PETER RENDER Assistant Pastor, Youth/Families
ANGELA SIERK Assistant Director/Children's Ministry
WILL SPINK Senior Pastor
4 session update
5 reflections
looking back at six years at southwood
5 impact india
lessons from abroad
6 meditations on the incarnation
finding the true meaning of christmas
8 ask a pastor
not feeling jolly at christmas?
9 core commitments
we seek the restoration of all creation
10 youth
five ways to spend time with your teens
11 all thats fair
UPCOMING EVENTS
Behold the Lamb of God
December 14
No Sunday School
December 24 & 31
Christmas Eve Services
December 24; 5:30 & 7:00PM
Office Closed
December 25-29
Express Grace Conference
January 27-28
WELCOME TO SOUTHWOOD
Take a moment to welcome our newest members who
joined Southwood on Sunday, November 19
From left to right: Ethan and Hannah Atkins, Logan and Robin Cardwell, Kate Cherry, Jacob Mahafza, Ty Commons, Keith and
Courtney Wagner, Adele and Jonathan Keim, Elizabeth Fleming, Hannah McFall, Julie Miller, Sharron Hunter, Evan and Amber
Colvard, Allison and Thomas Overfield, Elizabeth and Clay Sanders
Not pictured: Julie Blauwkamp, Ross Blauwkamp, and Michael Thele
2 DECEMBER 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

PASTOR’S NOTE
A Christmas Confession
I’m on the record for loving everything Christmas
– listening to holiday music in November,
reading multiple Advent devotionals at the same
time, and even watching Claymation Christmas
specials on TV. So it took me several trips up and
down the garage stairs with bins of decorations,
several hours wrestling with the tree stand,
and several conversations with my wise wife to
realize my “Christmas spirit” was anything but a
Christmas spirit.
(Side Note: Is it inevitably true that the “perfect”
tree all three girls finally agree on at the Christmas
tree lot is never going to be perfect to fit into our
tree stand when we get home? The odds of our
tree falling at some point in December are still
high, and I’m certain user error will have nothing
to do with it!)
Anyway, back to the real confession … The
criticism that our culture has turned Christmas
into a consumer holiday that is a celebration of
crass materialism rather than of the coming of
the Messiah is certainly correct. I think most of
us have become a bit numb to this reality in that
even though we acknowledge its existence, we
naturally slide right into the crowd spending well
beyond what we should on our own wish lists.
But what got me about my “Christmas spirit”
this year was the selfishness of the whole thing in
my heart. Even when I’m not being extravagantly
materialistic, I still want my perfect tree with my
perfect apple cider and my perfect family night.
I still want all my traditions, all my parties on
separate nights, and all my kids enjoying what
I enjoy about the holiday season. The list could
go on (and certainly includes everyone smiling
for a Christmas card picture), but my frustration
when I don’t get all these perfect things reveals
a deep selfishness that Christmas is to be about
my feelings and my visions of happiness.
What a contrast to the actual spirit of Christmas
that Jesus displayed (yes, that is what we as
Christians are claiming to celebrate). The
Incarnation of the Son of God is the most selfless
act in the history of the world, the sacrifice of the
perfect life rather than the pursuit of an idyllic
existence, the intentional giving up rather than
the aggressive grasping for more.
I love the way Frank Houghton says it in the
great Christmas hymn:
“Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest man;
Stooping so low, but sinners raising
Heavenwards by thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest man.”
That’s the true Christmas spirit, isn’t it? Becoming
poor rather than rich. Being uncomfortable
rather than comfortable. Stooping one’s self to
raise others. Perhaps having a heart like that
begins with confessing that I don’t naturally
function that way. It’s not merely that I need to
slow down and avoid all the hustle and bustle of
the holidays; rather, it’s that I need to repent and
have my heart reoriented.
Maybe it’s not too late to celebrate Christmas
that way this year – yes, by remembering
and teaching our kids that it’s not all about
accumulation of stuff for ourselves but more
than that, too. We’re going to focus this Advent
season at Southwood on the reality of the
Incarnation, on the Savior who came not to
be served but to serve and to give up his life
as a ransom for many. Maybe we can all set our
personal priorities, agendas, and perfect holiday
visions aside for a while to worship him and
prioritize others. I think maybe then we would
actually celebrate Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
Will Spink
Senior Pastor
If you would like to contact
Will, use the following:
will.spink@southwood.org
@WillSpink
DECEMBER 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 3

SOUTHWOOD
BRANCHES
SESSION UPDATE
The Session is looking forward to an exciting month of anticipating
and celebrating the birth of our Savior with some very special
events. The opportunity to host the Behold the Lamb concert again
(December 14) will bring 1,000 people – Southwood members,
friends, and neighbors – to enjoy this beautiful musical retelling
of the story of Jesus. Pray with us for the Spirit’s work through this
evening. Also remember the schedule for Christmas Eve, which falls
on a Sunday this year. Our regular Sunday worship service with a
children's moment will celebrate the incarnation at 10:30am, and we
will gather again at 5:30 and 7:00pm for our candlelight communion
worship services. Make plans to join us with your families for these
special celebrations as well.
As we have shared with you via congregational meeting and a recent
“giving letter,” our budget needs are still significant as we approach
the close of 2017 and plan for a 2018 budget with a fully staffed
church. Please join us in prayer for God’s provision toward the end
of this year. Not only do we love to see income exceed expenses
for a given year, but we also look forward to opportunities to give
additional money to our local and global mission partners as giving
allows. So, please pray and also consider giving to the church and
God’s kingdom work through Southwood and our partners at the
end of this year.
As always, if you have particular questions regarding giving,
please contact our church administrator, Janice Crowson (janice.
crowson@southwood.org). The Finance Committee, Diaconate, and
Session are currently wrestling through budget plans for 2018 and
considering how we can use all our material resources in the best
way for the sake of the kingdom. As always, plans for the next year’s
budget will be discussed at the Annual Congregational Meeting the
first Sunday of February.
REFLECTIONS
By Sarah Niemitz
I have half a page to share some reflections on the last six and
half years of working at Southwood. Let me say right here that I
cannot possibly condense all that I have learned, or all that I am
thankful for, into this space. However, as I reflected on the many
things God has taught me over these years, one thought proved
central.
God loves His Church, and He is committed to working in and
through her to bring His Kingdom and His glory.
There is a lot of cynicism around organized religion, and churches
(Southwood included) are full of sinners and therefore sin!
However, God’s word is clear: the Church is the bride of Christ
and, because of His commitment to her, God has made her an
integral part of His kingdom. When we see poverty ultimately
rooted in broken relationships, we see why the little “c” church
(all of which make up the big “C” Church) is so vital! The authors
of When Helping Hurts have defined poverty alleviation as “the
ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying
God by living in right relationship with God, themselves, others,
and the rest of creation” (WHH p78).
There are so many incredible opportunities in Huntsville, not
to mention around the world, to participate in this ministry
of reconciliation. Consider orphan care, financial literacy, job
training, tutoring — the list is long. God cares about every one
of those facets of poverty alleviation, and He calls His people to
engage meaningfully with His kingdom in those places. This is
why Southwood engages corporately with Jobs For Life, Lincoln
Village Ministry, Reaching Indians Ministry International, and
many others.
But dear church, you are not relegated to simply funding the
more important ministry of others; your particular role is critical.
You have been entrusted with the proclamation of the gospel,
and you have been called to build a community that reflects the
good news of the gospel you preach! When you collaborate with
others, you bring a unique gift. You offer a network of support,
a body where it is safe for someone to fall apart because there
are many to lift them up. You offer the lonely eternal belonging
in Christ and tangible belonging to a local body. You offer the
materially poor eternal riches in Christ and tangible care for
immediate physical needs. Our non-profit friends and local
organizations do not need the church to be more like them; they
need (and our neighbors need) the church to be the church!
Dear Southwood, I love being part of the kingdom with you!
I am leaving my job, but I am not leaving my church. I have
watched God do an incredible work over six years, humbling us
and teaching us what it means to receive His grace and share it
with others in ways that bring healing, not hurt. I cannot wait to
dive even deeper into what it means to love our neighbors as we
grow in grace together.
4 DECEMBER 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG
4 DECEMBER 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

By Will Spink and Skeets Simonis
Thank you so much for praying for us as we had the privilege
of representing Christ and Southwood in India for a couple of
weeks. We can’t imagine the trip going any more smoothly
and are grateful for God’s care and your prayers. Our mission
partners at Reaching Indians Ministries International (t), also
called Mission India, and their president, Saji Lukos, were
incredibly gracious hosts.
They invited us into their Leadership Conference the first week
with nearly 2,000 pastors, ministry leaders, and family members
from all 29 states of India and several neighboring nations.
Worship in Hindi and English, preaching/teaching through an
interpreter, and praying with dozens of people and families were
highlights of the conference for us.
The second week we stayed at the main Nagpur campus to
teach and develop relationships with 23 second-year seminary
students. The young men and women were an absolute delight
to us in the classroom, at the lunch table, and around campus.
Their hunger for God’s Word was inspiring as we walked together
several hours each day through the Bible’s story, God’s covenant
relationship with his people, and ways to preach Jesus from all
of Scripture.
There is no way we could express the impact of our experiences
on each of our lives in an article like this, but what follows are
some key takeaways we hope will be an encouragement to you.
An Active Abba
First of all, we got to see how God is at work in India and
Southeast Asia in really exciting ways – and we only scraped the
surface! Story after story of conversions taking place, orphans
being loved, churches being built, and cultures being changed
in villages that had never heard the good news of Jesus were
spiritually invigorating. While Hindus and Muslims make up
nearly 90% of India’s 1.4 billion people, Christianity is growing
rapidly, and we saw some of the evidence firsthand. Many
churches meet in homes or temporary structures, but the power
of the gospel is sweeping through India in fresh ways.
A significant part of this movement of God’s Spirit is the
introduction to people of a God whom you can know, with
whom you can have a real relationship as your “Abba Father.”
Most people there have heard of many gods, have idols in their
homes, or worship many aspects of nature. But they have also
been told by religious leaders that gods are distant, that they are
unworthy people of a lower class, or that love must be earned
through ritual, sacrifice, and obedience. Into that context the
story of a gracious God who comes to us and sacrifices himself
to know relationship with us is life-changing.
A Missionary Mindset
Perhaps partially as a result of this remarkable shift in one’s
understanding of God that comes to a Hindu who meets Jesus,
these new Christians immediately seem to see themselves as
missionaries. One student after another in our class spoke of
the desire to go back home to his village to share the good
news with family and friends. One young lady who grew up in
orphanages is particularly passionate to start more such “mercy
homes” where kids experience the love of Christ. Regardless of
the particular circumstances, they view themselves as sent into
the world on a mission from God, and we fed off their passion.
A Powerful Partnership
Whether it was this personal sense of transformation and
mission, the reality of God answering prayer, or the powerful
testimony of God’s Spirit in physical or spiritual healing, our new
friends functioned from a deep experience of God’s presence
and work. Whereas we are often able to explain from the Bible
how God promises to work, we noticed quickly how weak we
often are in our experience of that reality in our lives. At the
same time, we have many more tools and resources for training
in understanding God’s Word and theological instruction than
almost any Indian pastor at the conference.
The outcome of these two realities meant that there was a
beautiful partnership between RIMI and Southwood. In other
words, it is not hyperbole to say we learned much more from
them than they did from us. At the same time, we felt God used
our presence, our time in relationship, and our teaching to equip
workers for his kingdom in a valuable way. We left even more
excited than when we went about what God might continue to
do for his kingdom through this exciting partnership.
Meet RIMI President Saji Lukos and learn more about the
kingdom of God in India at Southwood's Express Grace
Conference; January 27-28.

MEDITATIONS ON T
He Came to be Our Light
John 1:9–13 (ESV)
“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming
into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made
through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his
own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who
did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of
the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Darkness is an awful thing, especially if it is prolonged. When our
kids were young, we had a power outage that lasted for hours.
At first it was an adventure with candles. Then it just became
oppressive. The kids became more agitated and fearful as the
darkness persisted. Imagine living in perpetual darkness. This
darkness is ignorance, ignorance of exactly who you are, where you
came from, and where you are going. It is ignorance of meaning
which only leads to despair, spending our lives groping in the dark
for anything that gives purpose, control, and significance, and
finding nothing.
The coming of Jesus turned on the lights once again. God Himself
broke into the darkness of our sin and depravity to bring the light
of the truth of God. In beholding the face of Jesus, we now can
know our Maker once again, and in the knowledge of Him life
finally makes sense. The light of the knowledge of God becomes
personal, and we are invited out of our darkness. More than that—
we are no longer alone. We who embrace the light have an identity
as beloved children of the Creator. In His light we are significant,
valued, and loved. Give thanks for the gift of light.
He Came to be My Curse
Galatians 3:13–14 (ESV)
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a
curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged
on a tree’— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham
might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the
promised Spirit through faith.”
As glorious and wonderful as the incarnation is, there is a dark
side. Jesus comes to embody all that God is, so that we can
behold the Divine. He also comes to embody the reason we
were in darkness in the fi rst place. Galatians 3 speaks of Jesus
becoming a curse. Curse, in biblical language, refers not to
some spell put on us by a witch or other malevolent being. It is
rejection. It is being cast out of community. It is isolation. To be
cursed was to be so offensive that there was no place for you
in the community of God’s people. That is what we deserved
for our sin. Our rebellion and rejection of God earned for us
a curse.
Jesus embodies our curse, suffering its wrath for us. He came
to embody our deserved judgment of total rejection so that
we might be included once again in the family of the blessed.
Jesus was not cursed because He somehow deserved it. He
became us. He became like sinful man, and was thus treated
as we deserve to be treated, so that we might be treated as
the beloved that He truly is. In His incarnation, our curse is
replaced with joyful fellowship and passionate love. Give
thanks that He became our curse so that we might know and
enjoy His blessedness.
6 DECEMBER 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

SOUTHWOOD
HE INCARNATION
By Ron Clegg
He Came to be Our Peace
Ephesians 2:13–15 (ESV)
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been
brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our
peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in
his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of
commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create
in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace.”
Laws present barriers. In the Jim Crow era of the American
south, there were many laws in place that separated races.
Those laws stated that if you had a certain skin color, you were
prohibited from sitting in certain places or drinking from certain
water fountains. This is also what Jews did centuries ago. If you
were not of their race or if you did not worship in the right way,
you were second class or worse. Laws are used to exclude the
“wrong” kind of people and to protect the “right” kind. What
we often do not realize was that there was another “Law” that
excluded everyone. It was the Law of God’s righteousness that
required total love and devotion. Sadly, because none of us can
get close to keeping it, that Law makes us all the wrong kind of
people.
Jesus was incarnated to destroy that dividing wall of the Law.
The Law first put us all in the same boat. We were all rejects and
were excluded. But by becoming a curse for us, Jesus fulfilled
the requirements of the Law, thus rendering it void. When He
did that, there was no longer a dividing wall between us and
God. We were now, in Jesus, the right kind of people. That also
means that we are no different from everyone else who was in
Jesus. Because of Him, we are all the right kind of people. There
is no longer a dividing wall between us and God and between
us and each other. Jesus became and embodied our “peace”.
He shut the mouth of judgment coming from law and instead
pronounces peace. No more hostility. No more dividing wall.
No more separation. We come to Him together as one new
community. Give thanks that Jesus became our peace and has
brought all peoples together in Himself.
He Came to be Our Glory
John 1:14; 17:22–23 (ESV)
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have
seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full
of grace and truth… The glory that you have given me I have
given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in
them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so
that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even
as you loved me.”
This is the most amazing thing about the incarnation. Jesus
became like me, entered the world as a servant, entered into
a world that was cursed because of sin, sin in which I am a
full participant. He became like the guilty, and then acted
righteously in the way we should have, giving us the credit for
His service. He was punished in our place so that we could be
blessed in His place. In other words, He became like us so that
we might become like Him.
If you think about that statement very long, your jaw will drop
and joy will well up from within. The gift that He came to give to
us is so much more than we normally realize. He did not simply
come to give me a better life here. Neither did He come merely
to give me a better life up in heaven. He came to give me glory,
a glory that is shared among the three persons of the Trinity.
We are made the right kind of people to share in the fellowship
of God Himself, in all of the love and passion that flows freely
among them. It all now flows to us, because Jesus became man.
This is what Christmas means. It is not just the birth of a sweet
baby, or the coming of our Savior from sin. It is the doorway for
us to know glory, to experience glory that this world cannot give
to us, and a glory for which we were made. Glory to God in the
highest! Give thanks for the coming of glory and the promise of
the glory that is to come.
DECEMBER 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 7

ASK A PASTOR
\
DERRICK
HARRIS
Pastor of
Shepherding
and Young Families
Q
Sometimes I struggle with
feeling “jolly” during the holiday
season. Is that normal?
A
What a great question. The
holidays can be a mixed bag. The
“experience” differs from person to
person. It is a happy time to focus
on Christ but can also be a time to
remember pain, loss, and loneliness. But the songs
say, “Tis the season to be jolly.” So, what if I don’t
feel jolly?
I love the holiday season. I love the food, the smells,
the trees, the time with loved ones and everything
that goes along with it. That being said, for me,
the holiday season can also be one of the most
stressful times of the year. Far too many times
I’m overly focused on my parental “folly” in the
midst of singing songs about the holiday “jolly.”
The extended time with family and children tends
to give me even more opportunities to compare
myself to others. Theodore Roosevelt once said
that “comparison is the thief of joy.” I’ve found that
to be so very true in my own life.
Alongside comparison stands judgment, either
judgment of my own failures, or self-righteous
judgment of my own “successes.” The comparison
can lead me to think thoughts like, “if I were just a
better parent then….” or even worse, “at least I’m
not like ____.” Sometimes my judgments give birth
to unreasonable expectations heaped upon the
shoulders of myself and my family where fellowship
becomes caricatured into a need to “perform”
when we’re at home or with others at parties and
family gatherings. The holidays are also a time for
us to remember loved ones that we miss so dearly.
All of that is bundled up into the season of “cheer.”
And so begins the gerbil wheel of fighting for that
holiday cheer.
If you experience sadness during the holidays and
if you have to fight for that cheer, please know
that you’re not alone. Whether it’s comparison,
loss, loneliness, or something in between, Jesus
understands your pain. I once heard someone say
that when God gives gifts, they come wrapped in
“people.” Jesus is that gift, and He understands
our pain and sympathizes with our weaknesses. God
has walked in our shoes before us and understands
how hard the road may be to walk. He knits us to
Himself through His Holy Spirit. We receive that gift
through faith alone. In the words of Martin Luther
King Jr., “faith is taking the first step even when
you don’t see the whole staircase.” The great thing
is that God is holding us in His arms on the path
now, and He will carry us to the end. He’s standing
right beside us all the time, and we may take our
pain to Him. He also gives us the gift of “people”
through His church so that we don’t have to walk
that staircase alone. This season, in our joy and
in our pain, let’s walk together and remember our
God who promises to give us mercy and grace to
help in our time of need. That promise is true for
the holidays and for every day of our lives.

CORE COMMITMENTS
By Will Spink
WE SEEK THE RESTORATION
OF ALL CREATION IN
HUNTSVILLE AND BEYOND
Jesus brings his kingdom both in word and in deed, so we are
committed to praying, working, and collaborating with others
for God’s kingdom to come here as it is in heaven. We long to
see Huntsville flourish and believe God has placed us in this
community for this community. Our prayer is that we would
be the kind of church that our city would miss if we were gone.
Our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our systems, and our
institutions are all valuable to God and worthy of our care. The
good news of Jesus Christ is for Monday through Saturday, for
us as God’s people, and for all of his creation, where the effects
of the curse are pushed back and He remakes everything as He
originally intended it to be.
– Matthew 6:10, Jeremiah 29:4-7, Luke 7:20-23, Romans 8:18-
21, Colossians 3:23, Isaiah 11:1-10
CHRIST-CENTERED
DEPENDENCE AND
PRAYER
RELATIONSHIPS
THE LEAST, LOST,
LITTLEST, LONELY, AND
LEFT-OUT
RESTORATION OF ALL
CREATION
When Jesus rose bodily from the grave, he affirmed that there
is good news not only for immortal souls but also for the entire
physical creation He had spoken into existence. The Light had
entered into and conquered the darkness – and had only just
begun the restoration project of making all things new. Now God
has dignified us with the privilege of participating in this eternal
project every day.
See, God cares about all of his creation and loves to see the original
order and beauty brought back to his good but fallen world. This
truth means that everywhere we engage the people and places
around us is imbued with great significance. It grieves me to hear
Christians who see no kingdom importance, no value to God, in
what they are doing with a majority of their time. Whether engineers
or mothers, volunteers or contractors, we all play meaningful roles
in the ongoing reclaiming of territory in the victory of light over
darkness, good over evil, God over Satan.
differently about some issues from us but who nonetheless
share the goals of this restoration project God has given
uniquely to his Church.
It’s really exciting to look out at our congregation on a Sunday
morning and think of all the places God is sending us during
the week, all the places our Savior will go with us for the
sake of his kingdom. The impact of the good news of Jesus
not only comes to us but also flows through us to a world
desperate for good news. Sometimes we will speak of its
hope; sometimes we will demonstrate its power; sometimes
we will pray for its advance. But always we rejoice in God’s
gracious restoration of us and God’s ongoing restoration
through us.
In fact, as the prophet Jeremiah reminded exiled Israelites in
Babylon, while we should long for our primary home in the
Promised Land, we must also work for the welfare of the city where
God has placed us now. God has called Southwood to impact all
of the world for his kingdom, but He has particularly placed us
in Huntsville to seek her flourishing. We long for our friends and
neighbors to meet King Jesus and know the glorious riches of
relationship with him, and to that end we strive to offer them a
taste of his kingdom – a kingdom that comes in word and deed,
with proclamation and healing, preaching and loving.
Individual Southwood members are bringing the light of the
kingdom nearly everywhere in our great city, and we have groups
working together in our school system, in jobs preparedness and
workforce development programs, in neighborhood improvement
across the city, in payday lending reform, and in many other places.
This shared commitment to the flourishing of Huntsville allows us to
partner with friends and neighbors who may look different or think

5
By
Fun Ways to Spend Time with
Your Teens this Christmas Season.
Peter Render
The Christmas season is fast approaching. Here are five
ways to maximize the extra time spend with your tweens
and teens this holiday season.
1
What’s The Plan?
It is unfair for your kids to leave the rigors of the
8am – 4pm school day only to find a lack of structure
on holiday. Maximize the front of your day and build in
wake-up times that allow you to spend time together
in the morning before work. Give them a structure for
the day so that it is not wasted. Maybe there’s even
time for a nap!
2
Chores
Giving your kids a sense of responsibility is
empowering for them during this down-time. With you
not around, they can be free to learn how to work in
their own way. Plus, with all of that work accomplished,
your evenings will be free to spend time together!
3
Phone Free is the Way to be
Make this a phone free Christmas break. Plan times
for them when they know that they’ll have access to their
phones, perhaps when you are at work or on a date. We
survived without phones on our breaks and they will, too!
4
Date Your Family
Make sure that you have plenty of activities
planned for weekends and evenings. This time of year
affords many unique and exciting things to do. Even if
you have to work, try to make yourself available to your
family for a few hours every day!
5
Don’t be a Scrooge
Make sure that your kids get to see their friends
over the break. A good rule of thumb is once every five
days. This way they’ll get to maintain connection, but
they will not overdo the time away from home.
Perhaps you have come to this point in the article and
are thinking of how you might implement some of these
things in your own home this Christmas. Perhaps you
have come to this point in the article and are waiting
for the punch-line. In either case, I want to invite you to
consider a couple of things as you welcome your students
into your home for this extended time together.
The suggestions that I make in my ‘5 Ways’ are not
necessarily wrong. Implementing various forms of these
things will be popular in many homes over the holidays.
But these things do create the danger of falling into three
selfish and sinful traps which we tend toward as parents.
Father Knows Best
Whether father, mother, grandparent, or other form of
guardian, we tend to operate under the assumption
that our kids will and ought to do as we say. While this
is certainly true to a point, it is important to remember
that we are raising up young men and women, immature
believers, to prayerfully mature into godly influences in this
world. Telling them what to do without consulting them
and then expecting them to do it is not only unrealistic,
but it establishes a dangerous pattern, more than likely to
be emulated by your child. Instead, talk with your spouse
and/or kids about what to do and how to do it.
You’re on My Time
It is absolutely true that our work is important. It does not
follow that everyone else in our families should shoehorn
life in based upon our work schedules, even our children.
The sinful tendency here is self-importance. While your
17-year-old might joyfully attend dinner from 6:30 – 7:30,
between your impromptu end of day sales meeting and
your planned sales call to east Asia, requiring his or her
attendance might be a bit over the top. Instead, consider
ways that you can move toward your family by finding
times to block off in your schedule upon which everyone
agrees.
Control
You need to know who your children are with and what
they are doing. The sinful tendency with controlling these
types of things often shows a fearful desire to exert our
own will, rather than trusting our Heavenly Father. I’ll
tread more carefully here, as situations vary and different
levels of control are absolutely prudent and necessary.
I encourage every guardian, though, to think before
saying ‘no.’ Consider your own heart before God prior to
applying motivation to you children or their friends.
Remember, your primary role as a parent is that of a
mature believer encouraging immature believers to grow
in the grace of Jesus Christ. Approach the upcoming
weeks with prayer, patience, and humility as you seek to
lead your children well. As you turn from your sin to King
Jesus, your kids only stand to benefit!

ALL THAT IS FAIR
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
by James Parker
This year we are hosting Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of
God for the first time in a while. It's been 5 years since we had
them at Southwood. As many of you already know, we are in for
such a treat. Peterson is a masterful songwriter and arranger, and
his crew of traveling minstrels represents a sampling of top-shelf
Nashville songwriters and session musicians. These guests will
be some of the best that the industry has to offer.
I have loved Behold the Lamb of God for many years. Back in
1999, when I was a student at Samford University, I saw Andrew
play at a large Baptist church there in Birmingham. He tried out
a bunch of new Christmas songs on the audience. I couldn't
believe my ears as he played "Matthew's Begats" and "Gather
'Round Ye Children, Come." This Christmas album has been
such a consistent backdrop to my holidays.
The songs on the album walk through the story of Jesus from
Genesis to Revelation. But there are a couple of instrumental
palette cleansers as well. One of these is his interpretation of
the song "The Holly and the Ivy." It's a familiar melody, and his
setting of it is the best I've ever heard. The warm finger plucked
guitar backdrop that upholds a perfect wedding of mandolin and
fiddle on the melody... it's exquisite! It's a short, simple, beautiful
interlude, much like the text of the original carol.
The old English carol describes the features of the holly, a
humble, prickly shrub, and uses those features to tell the story of
Christ's birth and death and resurrection. What a lovely thought!
And, by using this melody as a break from the singing in Behold
the Lamb of God, it's almost as if Peterson is trying to clue us in
to his own self-understanding. He probably views himself and his
songs as a somewhat boring, prickly shrub that might be used to
tell the whole story, the story of a "brave little boy who came here
to die like a man." And there for every iota of who he is and what
he has made becomes more valuable, as it magnifies someone
greater — a Savior for all mankind.
Here is the text of the carol. Read it, then listen to Peterson's
version (perhaps at Southwood on Thursday night, December
14), be blessed, and have a Merry Christmas!
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
The holly bears a blossom,
As white as the lily flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our sweet Saviour.
The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to do us sinners good.
The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
DECEMBER 2017 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 11

"Expressing Grace Around the World"