By Albert Lea Tribune

The newsroom staff at the Albert Lea Tribune asked pastors at various local churches what is the meaning of Christmas. We couldn&8217;t ask all the pastors, but we selected a handful and we hope you enjoy reading their comments on this Christmas Eve.

&8220;Christmas is the birth of the Son of God into human flesh in order to give his life as a payment for our sins. By faith in that birth, death and resurrection we can be saved from eternal torments in hell and instead enjoy everlasting blessings in heaven. By this faith alone can we have lasting joy and peace within us at Christmas time and throughout the years.&8221; &8212; Dennis Schmidt, Hartland and Manchester Evangelical Lutheran Churches

&8220;Christmas is when all of the world&8217;s people are rejoicing because of the birth of Jesus. God came to be among us as the baby Jesus in the village of Bethlehem to humble parents. He came as the savior of the world.&8221; &8212; John Bromeland, Albert Lea United Methodist Church

&8220;I was traveling through one of our small towns in southern Minnesota and there was a billboard with a picture of the local Catholic church and it had the phrase: &8216;Come home for Christmas!&8217; How appropriate for all who passed by and read this sign. Christmas is a time to come home. Not only

to the home of family, friends and loved ones, but also, it is a time to come home to our parish family.&8221; &8212; James Berning, St. Theodore and St. James Catholic Churches

&8220;The meaning of Christmas is this: That the eternal God of the universe displayed his incredible love for us by stepping into time and space; coming into our world as one of &8216;us.&8217; This he did, so that he might also die in our place, thus making it possible for all who call on the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, to live in eternity with him.

&8212; Clayton Balsley, First Baptist Church

&8220;It&8217;s the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.&8221; &8212; John Holt, Albert Lea&8217;s First Luth-eran Church

&8220;It&8217;s the celebration of the birth of our savior. Jesus Christ.&8221; &8212; Linda Gunderson, Central Freeborn Luth-eran Church

&8220;The star arose and the child was born, and with the child was born the promise of hope. May we be beacons of that hope throughout the year.&8221; &8212; James Young, Christ Episcopal Church

&8220;The meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ coming to this earth to be the savior of everything that will put their trust in him. That&8217;s the true meaning of Christmas.&8221; &8212; George Marin, Grace Christian Church

&8220;The meaning of Christmas was that the pre-existent God who created everything, the Word, took on flesh and became a human being because of his love for us.&8221; &8212; Tammy Dahlvang, Lunder & Round Prairie Lutheran churches

&8220;The meaning of Christmas is that Jesus Christ, the son of God, was born to be our savior, born to die for our sins and to rise to give us eternal life through faith in his name.&8221; &8212; Paul Aldrich, Zion Lutheran

&8220;Christmas is the beachhead of God&8217;s rescue operation of our world.&8221; &8212; Dave Hernes, East

Freeborn Lutheran Church

&8220;Christ coming to earth to reconnect us with the father.&8221; &8212; Mike Gerhardt, Church of Christ-Christian in Albert Lea.

&8220;The meaning of Christ-mas to me represents the many gifts that have been given to us because of the birth of the savior &8212; the teachings that we have been given and showing us how to live our lives and treat each other.&8221; &8212; Jared Petersen, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints