Welcome to our worship service on Sunday morning, December 4, 2022! The order of worship can be found here.
EMMANUEL’S NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
*Advent Devotional Booklets from the Society of St. Andrew are available in the Sanctuary Narthex. You are also invited to use the SoSA coin boxes to save your spare change to support their gleaning ministry, which helps to put food that would otherwise go to waste on the tables of hungry people.
*Today’s December Communion Offering will support our church’s Holiday Food Box Ministry. Three times a year (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) our church coordinates a community effort to provide a holiday food box (including a ham or turkey, canned vegetables, stuffing mix, fresh potatoes, apples, cookies, rolls and beverages) to needy families in our area. Thanks to the generosity of church members and others in our community, we were able to provide 60 Thanksgiving boxes in November and plan to do the same in December if enough funds are available. Please consider a gift toward this ministry so that we can provide the food boxes at Christmas time. Your gifts will be received with the regular first Sunday Communion Offering on December 4, or any time during the month of December. Please use your Communion Offering envelope for your gift, or clearly mark it for Holiday Food Boxes. Your generosity is most appreciated. Many thanks to Mike Stinnett, who coordinates this ministry, and to all the volunteers that work together to pack and deliver the boxes.
*Special Advent Opportunities: Please see the purple insert in today’s bulletin for a full list of the special opportunities available for the Advent and Christmas seasons. Extra inserts are available at the Sanctuary entrances for you to use in inviting others to join you for these special events.
*TODAY, Sunday, December 4, 3:00 p.m. ~ Come and join in as we share Christmas Caroling along Main Street. We will return to the church Social Hall for a light soup supper and ornament-making. Bring a friend and a pot of soup, and also a bread or a plate of goodies to share. Everyone is invited! If the weather is not conducive to caroling, or if you only wish to attend the Soup Supper, please arrive at 4:00 p.m.
*“Sacred Space” Advent Meditation, Prayer and Communion ~ Thursdays of Advent, December 8, 15, and 22 from 5:00 – 5:45 p.m. in our Sanctuary. Come and find a quiet space to center your spirit on Jesus Christ during the busyness of this season. Each gathering will begin with a time of silent meditation. We will then share together in a brief devotional thought, prayer and holy communion. All are welcome.
*Sunday, December 11, 10:30 a.m. ~ Share the Warmth Service featuring a blessing of the handmade offerings from our prayer shawl ministry that bring love and care to so many. We invite everyone to bring a new hat, a pair of gloves or a scarf for men, women or children for us to share with the needy families in our community. The service will also include an extended children’s time featuring our youngest disciples!
*Sunday, December 18, 10:30 a.m. ~ Our Chancel Choir presents our annual Christmas Cantata entitled Behold the Star: A Christmas Journey to the Light of Christ by Lloyd Larson, followed by a covered dish luncheon. The church provides chicken, beverages and paper products. The congregation is invited to bring casseroles, side dishes and desserts. Come and bring someone with you!
*Poinsettia Tree for Advent and Christmas: Our congregation looks forward each year to the beautiful poinsettia tree that enhances our worship during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Please see the bright green form in today’s bulletin if you wish to place a poinsettia on the tree in honor or memory of someone. The suggested donation is $12/plant and forms need to be returned no later than Friday, December 9. Because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, poinsettias will not be available for pick up until after morning worship on Sunday, December 25.
*Church Family Christmas Cards: Again this year, the congregation is invited to participate in our Church Family Christmas Card distribution which allows us to share postage-free Christmas wishes with our church family. Please prepare your cards in envelopes with the name of the recipient on the front of each envelope. Place your cards together in a plastic zip-lock bag with your name on the outside of the bag. Drop off your cards in the Narthex tub anytime between now and Sunday, December 11. Your cards from the church family will be returned to you in your same plastic bag beginning on December 18. The savings in postage gives us all an opportunity to make an additional gift to the church or to the charity of our choice. PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to send cards to some of our homebound or nursing/retirement home friends, or to those who do not worship with us regularly, addresses are available in the church directory or church office for you to mail them. The church is not able to mail cards that are not picked up.