Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com | Inset: Hobby Lobby

Each year Hobby Lobby, a faith-based arts and crafts store, distributes a Christmas message in newspapers across the United States. This year’s Christmas message read, “Glory to the Newborn King” featuring an image of baby Jesus lying in a manger with a lamb next to him. A star shines in the background in the night sky behind him. At the bottom of the ad, Hobby Lobby included a passage from Isaiah 9:6 which says, “And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Hobby Lobby has over 1,000 store locations across the U.S. and the newspaper ad will appear in every town that has a Hobby Lobby store. “This ad serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and celebrates what millions of people around the world and for centuries have considered a turning point in human history — the birth of Jesus Christ.” The outlet expressed their intentions saying, “With the addition of social media, many more thousands of people view and share the hope-filled messages.”

The company identified that ad as a partnership with Need Him Ministry  “to invite anyone who would like to know Jesus as Lord and Savior to contact chataboutjesus.com.” It also offers free Bibles on mobile devices.

Hobby Lobby began the tradition of placing Christmas and Easter messages in newspaper back in 1995. David Green, the company founder, “felt commissioned by God” to provide “testimony” to newspapers about the true meaning of Christmas. “As you celebrate this Christmas season in the warmth of family and home, may you be drawn to the Savior; He who left the beauty of Heaven on our behalf and became like us, that we might become like Him,” the Christmas 1996 ad read. “If you know Jesus as your Savior, then this season already has a special meaning. If you do not, we encourage you [to] find a Bible-believing church in your community, and to discover a relationship with this Christmas with the God who loves you more than you can begin to imagine.”

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