Is the eve

of the year 2000 a time to seek a safe harbor, to party

all night, or repent?

According

to the Rev. Dr. John Avant, pastor of New Hope Baptist

Church in Fayetteville, Christians should,

"Celebrate and share the joy... we're celebrating

2000 years of the Savior. Let people who don't know the

Lord see the joy in you," Avant told his

congregation.

He believes

that too much attention has been given to Y2K. "I've

made an effort to think about the whole issue in a

different way. The threat of Y2K has caused a lot of

people to worry about possible disasters. That's very

self-centered of us. There will be nothing worse

happening on Jan. 1 than what's happening right

now."

Avant was

referring to issues faced today in society, such as

hunger, violence and the collapse of the culture.

The best

advice for dealing with Y2K fears is to seek solace in

God, according to Avant. Referring to the letters of

Peter in the Bible, Avant quotes, "Cast all your

anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline

yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your

adversary the devil prowls around looking for someone to

devour..."

"I

offer you a sovereign God who's in control. He'll be

enough for us," Avant promised.

"What

will happen on Jan. 1? Nobody knows what will

happen," he admitted. He described a number of

possibilities - nothing at all, minor

inconveniences, major inconveniences overseas, extended

crises, total meltdown.

"I

believe there will be minor inconveniences here and some

problems overseas, particularly in Third World

countries," he said.

Avant has

advised his congregation to prepare for Y2K as they would

ready themselves for an ice storm. Taking a practical

approach, he suggested having a disaster supply kit

available, as recommended by the American Red Cross.

"I don't believe you'll need it, but someday,

somebody will need help. Have water and flashlights.

Don't stockpile food... don't send to Oregon for a

10-year supply of lentils. The scariest thing is churches

stockpiling food. It bothers the fool out of me... there

are people who are hungry today. If there were a major

cataclysm, the church would become a fortress," he

said.

He also

advised people not to make a run on the banks. A sure

fire way to undermine the American economy is to withdraw

all your funds. "The greatest danger is our own

dumbness," he warned.

Avant said

he knows that "God knows I am and where we'll be and

that's enough for me... follow Him boldly... in the

middle of Y2K and everthing it brings."