Tis The Season
The holidays are here! Over the next few weeks we have a number of exciting opportunities for worship, fellowship, and ministry. Here is a listing of all of the special FBC holiday events and opportunities.
Operation Christmas Child—Christmas Shoeboxes
This is your opportunity to share Christmas joy with a child in another country. The deadline for the shoeboxes is Sunday, November 20.
Salvation Army Christmas Angels
This is your opportunity to share Christmas joy with a local child. The angels will be available this Sunday. We need to have all of the gifts in the fellowship hall no later than December 5.
Pastor’s Pantry Candied Yams
We are providing Candied Yams for the holiday meals distributed by Pastor’s Pantry. We have not reached our goal of 400 and the deadline is this Tuesday. Bring some Candied Yams before Tuesday!
Thanksgiving Sunday, November 20
Come, ye thankful people, come! We will raise our voices in song as we “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!” The choir will sing, “For the Beauty of the Earth” by John Rutter. We will sing the traditional Thanksgiving hymns and I will deliver a Thanksgiving sermon. This is always a special Sunday of gratitude and joy.
First Sunday of Advent, November 27
The season of Advent fluctuates each year depending on what day Christmas falls on. This year, Christmas is on a Sunday, so Advent is a full four weeks. On the first Sunday of Advent we will light the first candle on the Advent wreath and sing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
Christmas Breakfast, December 4
We are having a special “Christmas Breakfast” on Sunday morning, December 4. Join us for a delicious country breakfast as we enjoy rich fellowship together. There is no charge for the breakfast, but we will be receiving donations for our expanding Sunday School ministry.
Second Sunday of Advent, December 4
Our Sanctuary will be fully decorated for the Second Sunday of Advent. During the preceding week, our gorgeous Chrismon Tree with over 200 sparkling Chrismons will be put in place. All of the wreaths, garland, and lamps will adorn our Sanctuary as we welcome the “Newborn King!”
Christmas Food Boxes, December 7
A long-standing tradition in our church is the annual food boxes. Here is a note from Julia Dunn concerning this important ministry.
Wednesday, December 7th is an important hands-on mission opportunity for our church. We will be preparing Food Boxes for 60 Food Insecure families in our community. Volunteers with trucks are needed to pick up food from Food Lion at 9:00a.m. Please call or text Jim Honeycutt at (336) 408-7294 if you can assist. Also vital to the success of this project are volunteers to sort food and pack boxes. Please report to the Fellowship Hall at 9:30 if you can help with packing. Monetary support is needed to fund this project. Make checks payable to the church earmarked Food Boxes. This is a project we can all participate in.
With gratitude,
Julia Dunn
Nine Lessons and Carols, December 11
It is one of the greatest Sundays of the year. Join us for the 48th Annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Wes has prepared another fantastic program as we celebrate the coming of the Christ. You don’t want to miss this great Sunday of powerful music and Christmas joy!
Children’s Christmas Program and Celebration, December 14
The Martha Best Children’s Center always has a special Christmas program that features the children. Parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors come to witness this joyful presentation. For the first time, we are making this a church-wide event. We will all gather in the beautiful Sanctuary for the Christmas program. Then we will go to the Fellowship Hall for a festive time of Christmas refreshments, fellowship, and joy.
Fourth Sunday in Advent, December 18
On this great Sunday of Advent worship we will light all four candles of the Advent Wreath in anticipation of Christmas Eve.
Cancer Services Christmas Party, December 22
We are once again hosting the annual Christmas party for patients of Cancer Services. You will be invited to provide food and refreshment and assist in the party. This is always a very joyful time for people in great need of hope.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service
It is one of the greatest services of the year. We will begin before 5:30 p.m. with traditional Christmas music. We will be serving Communion, although you will have the option of a prepackaged Communion kit. Following the service of Communion, the lights will be extinguished and we will hear the Word of the Lord proclaimed in the darkness as the Christ Candle is lit. . . . then, one by one, each candle will follow as we sing “Silent Night.” Our service will close with “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
Christmas Day Informal Worship
We will gather in the Sanctuary at 10:30 a.m. for an informal time of worship. The Nine Lessons will be replayed on the radio. There will not be a YouTube broadcast, but the Nine Lessons service will be available to watch again.