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Christmas Eve (Dec 24)
4:00 PM & 5:30 PM
Both services on Christmas Eve are identical with a blend of traditional and contemporary music, the Christmas story, and a Candlelight Silent Night. You and your family are invited to stay after either service for treats, hot cocoa, and a special Christmas-themed photo-op for your family by the fireplace, all with live Christmas piano music in the background. The 4:00pm service will be streamed live. The recording will be available to be viewed anytime after the service ends. Click the video here to access the Christmas Eve Service livestream. |
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December 11
Christmas music is among the most known and loved music we carry in our hearts. Come join us on Wednesday, December 11, at 6:30pm for an evening of singing familiar Christmas hymns, songs and carols, cookies and conversation. Invite your family and friends, all are welcome! For more information, contact Dianne Mehrkens.
We encourage you to get a copy of "Advent at Home: A Family Guide to Advent and Christmas," written and compiled by Pastor Jim to help bring more depth and meaning to your home during the Christmas season. The word "advent" refers to the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day when we prepare our hearts for the arrival of Jesus. This guide will help you understand the different symbols of Christmas and the story of St. Nicholas. It also provides weekly advent readings, discussion questions, and activities to consider incorporating into your family's advent experience. Printed booklets are available at the Welcome Desk or you can download a digital copy below.
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November 24-December 13
You are invited to participate in blessing families this holiday season through the Goodhue County Christmas project. Between services on November 24, December 1 and December 8, you may select your tags/gifts to purchase. All gifts are due to the office workroom by Friday, December 13th. We will be wrapping the morning of December 15th, and all are welcome to join us in the gym.
December 21 - January 3
"Be fair to the poor and to orphans. Defend the helpless and everyone in need. Rescue the weak and homeless from the powerful hands of heartless people." - Psalm 82:3-4
Join us as we provide shelter within the walls of our church building for people who are temporarily without homes during these coldest weeks of the year. Volunteers are needed to check-in guests, provide dinners, and keep guests company until the night staff can arrives to stay the night and provide breakfast.
December 1 - December 22
Each Sunday in Advent (the four Sundays anticipating the birth of Jesus), you'll discover the power of Christmas.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1 - THE POWER OF HOPE
We all long for hope in this world. The problem is that we look for that hope in the wrong things. During this Christmas season, remember where true hope is found—not in the great and powerful, not in the pleasures of wealth, not in the things of this world. True hope is found in the humblest of places—the manger.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8 - THE POWER OF PEACE
We all long for peace in our world, in our communities, in our families, in our own hearts. So where does peace come from and what does it look like? We need not look to the powers of politics. They only disappoint us. We need not look to the comforts of materialism. It never satisfies us. Rather, we must look to the Prince of Peace, Jesus our Savior.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 - THE POWER OF JOY
There are so many things in this world that bring us joy—our friends, our family, our pets, our hobbies, our jobs, money, possessions, etc. But these things are all fleeting. We can lose them at any point. Where do we find joy when life is not so great? We find it in Jesus.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22 - THE POWER OF LOVE
We tend to underestimate the power of love. Not that kind of love. The kind of love that comes from God. The deep love that he has for you. The deep love demonstrated by Jesus in healing and serving others. The kind of love that drives out fear. The kind of love that brought Christ to the manger and his Spirit to you.
We all long for hope in this world. The problem is that we look for that hope in the wrong things. During this Christmas season, remember where true hope is found—not in the great and powerful, not in the pleasures of wealth, not in the things of this world. True hope is found in the humblest of places—the manger.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8 - THE POWER OF PEACE
We all long for peace in our world, in our communities, in our families, in our own hearts. So where does peace come from and what does it look like? We need not look to the powers of politics. They only disappoint us. We need not look to the comforts of materialism. It never satisfies us. Rather, we must look to the Prince of Peace, Jesus our Savior.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 - THE POWER OF JOY
There are so many things in this world that bring us joy—our friends, our family, our pets, our hobbies, our jobs, money, possessions, etc. But these things are all fleeting. We can lose them at any point. Where do we find joy when life is not so great? We find it in Jesus.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22 - THE POWER OF LOVE
We tend to underestimate the power of love. Not that kind of love. The kind of love that comes from God. The deep love that he has for you. The deep love demonstrated by Jesus in healing and serving others. The kind of love that drives out fear. The kind of love that brought Christ to the manger and his Spirit to you.
