In the season of Advent we enter into a holy space of darkness and waiting. We wait for a transformed world, for the promise of Emmanuel, Christ with us. Waiting can be so hard and we can do it so imperfectly as our impatience gets the better of us. But it is important to remember that Advent waiting isn’t exclusively about slowness and stillness. It’s also about action. It’s about defiantly proclaiming a promised future in the midst of our present reality. It’s about the transformative power of proclaiming the Good News in midst of our waiting. So join in on the active Advent waiting as we walk toward the birth of Love Incarnate!
ADVENT 1 (Nov. 29) - Proclaim the Coming Hope
ADVENT 2 (Dec. 6) - Proclaim Power & Promise
ADVENT 3 (Dec. 13) - Proclaim God’s Justice
ADVENT 4/BLUE CHRISTMAS* (Dec. 20) - Proclaim Joy in the Darkness
*Blue Christmas is a worship specifically designed to hold the grief and struggle of this season alongside the coming hope in Emmanuel. It is more quiet space with interactive pieces that allow space to name the heaviness (grief, suffering in the world, loss of a job, a relationship, or a home, etc.) while pointing us again to the coming of the Light.
CHRISTMAS EVE (Dec. 24) - Proclaim Love is Here
CHRISTMAS 1 (Dec. 27) - Proclaim Salvation
EPIPHANY (Jan. 3) - Proclaim the Light of Christ
Pr. Lindsey has created a playlist of songs to help set the mood during Advent this year. They are an eclectic mix of styles and include both old and new songs. They focus on this season of waiting for the coming Savior!
DATES: Wednesdays, Dec 2, 9, & 16
TIME: 6:30-7:15pm
LOCATION: Sanctuary
Join us for a short evening worship to ground us throughout the Advent Season. We will be focusing on the imagery of light connecting videos with scripture. So come to sing, wonder, commune, and pray our way through this holy waiting!
This year our Advent series speaks to how we might live out hope in the seasons of waiting, proclaiming the Good News of Christ wherever we go! Many of our neighbors go without the basic dignity of quality clothes that fit, especially for the every growing kids and youth of our city. So this year we will be collecting gently used clothing to help stock the shelves at The Nest, the clothing closet at Howard Bishop Middle School. They are especially in need of large and extra-large clothing items for females and males. So take a moment to clean out your closet. Pick up something extra while you're out shopping at Goodwill or Target. Let's clothe the young people of Gianesville with extra love and warmth this Advent season!
We will gather items under the tree starting on Sunday, Nov. 29th and throughout the Advent & Christmas season. After our last Sunday of gathering (Epiphany: Jan. 3) they will be collected and donated to The Nest.
Look for the Christ Child Tree in the narthex to receive your gifts to show Christ’s love. This year’s donations will support Better Together. Your gift carries God’s love to others, making a difference through resources Better Together offers like host families provide short-term care for children, job fairs offer meaningful work opportunities, and mentors guide and encourage, helping families to stay united. Place your offering in a red stocking and hang it on the tree. Take an ornament from the tree for your tree at home!
DATE: Sunday, December 6
TIME: directly after worship
LOCATION: Kaiser Center
Everyone is invited to join us for an Advent brunch directly after worship! It will be a feast of all kinds of breakfast goodies. You really won’t want to miss this time of delicous food and wonderful fellowship. Please sign up for what dish you would like to bring in the binder by the volunteer bulletin board in the Kaiser Center!
DATE: Sunday, December 20
TIME: directly after worship
LOCATION: Kaiser Center
Bring your favorite holiday treat to Christmas Cookie Sunday on December 20. All families are asked to bring their favorite Christmas cookies to share at Hospitality time. Then come and join for fellowship complete with these homemade treats and a cup of hot chocolate!
DATE: Thursday, December 24
TIME: 4:30pm
LOCATION: ULC Sanctuary
Come to this special family friendly candlelight service to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We will gather to sing our favorite Christmas music, hear familiar scriptures, and hear the amazing story of Emmanuel, God with us!
DATE: Sunday, Jan. 3
TIME: 10:25am
LOCATION: ULC Sanctuary
We will get to hear the story of the magi following a star. And we will get a chance to pick our star word. This is a tradition of picking a star word at random during worship. Then, just as the wise men had their star, allow this word to guide you, shining a light onto your path for the coming year to follow for this coming year! You won’t want to miss it!