Our celebration of the Nativity of our Lord will be held on Monday, December 24th, Christmas Eve beginning at 7:00 p.m. Invite your friends, neighbors and family members to join us for Candlelight Worship with Holy Communion on this holiest of nights. All are welcome to come sing praises unto the New Born King.
The season of expectation and waiting is finally upon us. Advent invites Christians into the time of longing for our Savior’s return in glory, to take us unto himself and the place which he has prepared. In this faithful waiting, we express our joy and wonder, marveling once more at the miracle of Jesus’s birth. Everyone is encouraged to attend the Services of Advent here at St. Jacob’s and hear once more the foretelling of God’s gift of salvation through Christ the Lord. The following is a schedule of our Advent observance.
• 7:00 p.m. Wed., Dec. 5th – The Prophecy of John the Baptist
• 7:00 p.m. Wed., Dec. 12th – The Annunciation unto Mary
• 7:00 p.m. – wed. Dec 19th – The Annunciation unto Joseph; Worship on the Longest Night
The children’s choir is working hard learning music to help lead worship. We are talking a lot about Jesus as the light of the world. In Advent the children will call to Jesus, Prince of Peace, Messiah, to come show us the light that we might follow. At Christmas the children will ask us if we are ready for this light. Will we see Jesus as he comes to us? Will we see the person who needs our help? Will we reach out to those who are hurting? Will we be ready to follow wherever God leads us? And finally during Epiphany the children will announce, “Arise and shine, your light has come!” As we celebrate the seasons ahead we pray we will all be ready to let Jesus’s light shine through us. I encourage you all to talk to our children about ways in which you see Jesus in your day to day life and ways that we can all shine Jesus’s light on others.
Merry Christmas from the children’s choir.
December 1st is the beginning of Advent. It’s hard to believe 2018 is nearly over; I’m sure I only blinked a couple of
times! There are many worship opportunities in the coming weeks, including:
• Sunday services
• Wednesday evening Advent services, including a Longest Night service on December 19th (keep reading for information
on this special service)
• the Children’s Christmas program on December 16th (reception following)
• Christmas Eve Service at 7 pm
• Christmas Day Service at 10 AM
• a Service of Lessons and Carols on December 30th
• a Feast of the Epiphany special musical presentation by the combined choirs of St. Jacob’s and New Hope on January 6th
From Sola Publishing – Service for the Longest Night: The Seasons of Advent and Christmas can be a terribly lonely and difficult time for those who have lost loved ones. This service of the word and prayer is meant to provide a safe place to grieve and be comforted by God’s eternal love and light. It is often used on the night of the Winter Solstice, December 21st, the longest night of the year.
While the Children’s Program isn’t a worship service in the traditional sense, it is a time which allows the youngsters of the congregation to share the story of Christmas. “Come, Let Us Adore Him” promises to be a wonderful evening.
On Christmas Eve, you’re invited to arrive early – we will be singing carols starting at 6:45 as the pre-service music this year. The Children’s Choir will also be singing during the service. The Sunday after Christmas, December 30th, will feature even more carols as we respond to scripture with song.
And finally, we are very excited to partner with the choir from New Hope Lutheran to present a mini-cantata for the Feast of the Epiphany. It’s not often that the Day of Epiphany (January 6th, 12 days after Christmas and the commemoration of
the visit of the Magi) falls on a Sunday, so we hope that you will plan to join us for this special gift from our two choirs.
Please join us as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior this Advent and Christmas season.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Laurie
This year’s Children’s Christmas Program will be Sunday, December 16 at 6 pm with a short reception following the performance.
The program, “O Come Let Us Adore Him”, is based on the hymn “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
All children from kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to participate.
Practices will be on the following Sundays from 4 – 4:45 (immediately after Children’s Choir rehearsal): November 11th & 18th and December 2nd & 9th, with a dress rehearsal on Saturday, December 15th at 10 am.
Adult volunteers are also needed; please contact Angela or Laurie if you would be willing to assist us with this program. The deadline is to let us know is November 4th if your child(ren) will be participating; it will help us greatly in our
preparations for the first practice.
Our annual Thanksgiving Eve service of worship will be held on Wednesday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m. Join members of your church family as we lift our thanks and praise to God for all the blessings poured out upon His people. Invite your friends and neighbors and together we will make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
The celebration of All Saints is Sunday, November 4th. During the Prayers of the Church, we will remember those members of St. Jacob’s who have joined the Church Triumphant since last All Saints Day. During the prayers, as each name is read, a candle will be lit in memory of our loved ones. We welcome the opportunity to remember those who have gone before us in faith, and look forward to the day when Christ reunites all of his people in glory.
One of the busiest times of the church year is rapidly approaching. Between now and the end of the calendar year, there are many special services in the life of the church:
Mark your calendars, make plans to join us for these services and invite friends to visit.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Laurie
