I ❤️ Christmas
/Greetings in the Name of Jesus,
It is good to be back. Just before Thanksgiving, I had surgery with some complications that kept me out for a few weeks. I was back last Sunday to preach and help lead in worship, and I am feeling stronger each day. Thank you for the cards and well wishes over the past three weeks! Stonebridge UMC is an amazing church with a loving heart.
I love Christmas! The music, the lights, the special concerts, and the telling of the story of Jesus' birth make these few weeks the best of the year. We are blessed every Sunday with something special as we move toward the birthday of Jesus.
December 14th – This Sunday is our annual Lessons and Carols celebration. It is a time of hearing the story of Jesus' birth through special music, the singing of Christmas carols, and the reading of the Christmas scripture. We are putting out extra chairs to make sure we have room for everyone.
December 21st – The Sunday before Christmas is always special as we focus on the final few days before our Christmas celebration. We will sing some favorite Christmas carols and share stories of how God’s love is changing lives.
December 24th – My favorite day of the year! We will have Christmas Eve Candlelight services at 3:00, 5:00, and 7:00 p.m. The 3:00 p.m. service is held in the Robertson Activity Center and specifically designed for children and families as we tell the story of Jesus, sing “Silent Night”, and light a candle to commemorate Jesus’ birth. The 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. services will take place in Celebration Hall with special music, the singing of nativity songs, and dramatic candle lighting to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
One final note… thank you to everyone who helped to make Christmas special for the children and families that we help sponsor at Malvern Elementary School. The outpouring of love was awesome! Thanks especially to Sharon Laird and her team of workers who help facilitate our efforts to make Christmas special for kids who ordinarily would receive very little this season.
I look forward to seeing you this Sunday! Tell as many people as you can about our coming worship services. Invite someone to join you for worship.
Pastor John Allen