This joyous season of Advent is certainly one to look forward to. Our staff and students will be working hard with preparations for our Christmas Concert. We also have classes preparing for some Advent celebrations. Please try to attend one of our Advent celebrations if you have the chance. They are a good reminder of the purpose of the season.
Speaking of the purpose of the season; I have always tried to uphold the idea of ‘Keeping Christ in Christmas’. I do this by focusing on the Advent themes of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. This year, our faith plan of ‘A Horizon of Hope’ is challenging me to deliver hope. Recently, I saw this pic on social media:
This quote truly encapsulates the message of ‘Keep Christ in Christmas.’ This Advent and Christmas season I am challenging all the members of our learning community, including myself, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.
Have a blessed Advent and Christmas season,
Greg Kostiuk
PS – If you see me after Christmas time give me a Ukrainian Christmas greeting. In the Ukrainian culture during the Christmas season you say, “Khristos rodyvsya!” (Christ is born!) This is answered by “Slavite Yoho!” (Let Us Glorify Him!).
Greg Kostiuk 
I find money is always tight around Christmas time but that there are other fun ways to give that can make someone’s Christmas season bright! When I take the time to learn about people and listen to them I realize there’s lots of ways to bless them. I recently dug up our electric keyboard from the basement and loaned it to a University exchange student who is a piano player but hasn’t played a piano in seven years since living in Lethbridge because he doesn’t have a piano here. He was very happy when I surprised him with our large electronic keyboard and is excited to play it over Christmas break!