Christmas in July in Colorado 

On Saturday, July 25, 2026, women gathered at By Grace Community Center in Fountain, Colorado, for the Christmas in July Event—a joyful day of faith, friendship, encouragement, fun, worship, teaching, salvation, and fellowship.

The event was held at By Grace Community Center, where Pastor Kenea Reyes helped introduce Aglow to the community. By Grace Community Center has a food pantry, and Aglow was able to join them and pray for the people who come to the pantry.

From the moment guests entered, they stepped into a Christmas wonderland. Decorated Christmas trees, dozens of wrapped presents, gingerbread houses, and café tables dressed in red tablecloths with white lace doilies filled the large event center. Hot coffee and rich hot chocolate were served as worship created a warm atmosphere centered on Jesus Christ.

Worship leader Rae Maldonado came in from San Antonio, Texas, especially for the day. As she began to lead, the women joined together in worship, magnifying Jesus, our Savior and Living King.

Elizabeth Parker, President of Pueblo, Colorado Aglow Lighthouse, also serves on the South-Central CO Aglow Area Team. She brought an evangelistic message on “The Gift of Salvation.” Teaching from John 1:1–5 and John 1:14, she reminded everyone that the greatest gift ever given is JESUS Christ. John 1:1–5 declares: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

John 1:14 says: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Her fiery evangelistic heart was evident as she shared God’s love and the gift of salvation. When she gave the invitation to receive Christ, many women raised their hands for salvation. On this day, July 25, 2026, these new believers’ names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. These women who were born again will never be the same!

Nancy Wiswell, who serves on the Aglow Area Team with Elizabeth, followed with “The Gifts That JESUS Gave Us.” As a teacher of the Word, she used Scripture and personal testimony to teach about the many gifts believers have received through JESUS, including the Fruit of the Spirit. Women wrote down Scripture references and recorded them on their phones so they could study them later. Several shared how surprised and thankful they were to discover just how many gifts JESUS has given His children. Nancy did an excellent job sharing all the gifts that JESUS has given us. We only need to activate them in our lives by picking them up and using them.

A delicious buffet luncheon followed, with an abundance of food, Christmas cookies, festive cupcakes, homemade treats, and gingerbread-house decorations. It was a wonderful time for friendship, conversation, and fellowship.

After lunch, Kay Blevins, President of the Fountain, CO Neighborhood Lighthouse, presented a one-woman skit about the condition of the heart. As the skit began, a chair was placed in the center of the room, representing the heart. While bringing in Christmas gifts from shopping, Kay enters, pulling a large piece of luggage with HURTS written on it. The skit uses six signs to tell the story of what is happening to our hearts.

As the story unfolds, the signs expose a heart with no vacancy left for JESUS—a crowded heart filled with social media, calendars full to the max, and luggage full of hurts being dragged behind her. If we allow our hearts to become crowded, those things can squeeze out the room that belongs to JESUS. Kay cries out to JESUS, “Have I left no room for You? Am I lukewarm?”

Then Kay leads the audience in making room for JESUS through repentance and then pulls out the sign, “MY HEART IS RESERVED FOR JESUS.” The skit brought laughter, awakening, and the reality of the microwave world we live in. The world is busy and crowded, but God’s Word keeps the heart steady and centered on JESUS. The Living Word of God that we read from the Bible gives us life and anchors us daily. We must read the Living Word daily to keep our lives balanced and our hearts full of Him. The Word is life and truth. JESUS came to give us life and life more abundantly every day. John 10:10b says, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

By the final scene, the heart that once had no vacancy has changed. The final sign declares, “MY HEART IS RESERVED FOR JESUS.” Make every day a “Christ-Must” in our hearts. Every day we can celebrate by honoring JESUS and giving Him first place in our hearts.

Women left the Christmas in July event with smiles, renewed hope, and strengthened faith—but many left with so much more. Some left with new lives in Christ, others with repentant hearts and changed actions, and many carried home Scriptures they could apply to their daily lives.

The message of the day was clear: JESUS is the Greatest Gift of All. He is not a gift to be celebrated only during a season. He is our Savior, our Living King, and the One who desires first place in our hearts every day.

Christmas may come once a year, but JESUS is the Gift we can celebrate every day! We would love to hear the creative ways you are presenting Jesus in your community. Why not take time today to tell us?