You are invited to a wonderful celebration of the true meaning of Christmas on Wednesday, December 20, at 6;00 p.m., in the MFC. 1st Explorers and children of the church are working hard to prepare for an outstanding hour of skits, Scripture reading, and music. “Let Heaven and Nature Sing” will make you want to sing along with the enthusiastic voices of our children. Please come! Doors open at 5:45 p.m.
1st Explorers After-School Ministry Update
Flowers for Sanctuary
If you would like to provide flowers in the sanctuary for Sunday morning services, please contact Gwen Messer at 828-506-8370, or Janice in the church office to be placed on the calendar.
UCM Food Drive
United Christian Ministries has asked churches to provide food for children who may not have food at home during their time off from school during Christmas Holidays. Our church needs to supply 200 individual cups of applesauce and 100 cups of mac and cheese individual servings. Those can be dropped off at the church’s Loving Kindness Center by December 15.
Send Us Your Prayer List Updates
Add this email address to your contacts list on your devices so that our staff and Pastoral Care Team can learn of your prayer requests as quickly as possible. And yes, you may still contact the church office directly at 828-586-2095 to share your prayer concerns, as well.
Giving the Jesus Way
United Christian Ministries is in need of pasta sauce, ramen, pancake syrup, applesauce (6-pack individual cups), and laundry detergent. To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. Thank you!
Join Us for Worship!
Join us for worship on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary! Also join us for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. for all ages!
The CDC recommends that you wear a mask indoors.
Maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others.
Our worship service will be streamed online at firstbaptistsylva.com.
Hurray for Our Nursery Workers of the Week!
Thank you to Beth and Lucie Moore for being in charge of the nursery last Sunday.
Looked like everyone had a great time!
Carrie Nelson and Pearl Hall will serve in the nursery on December 17.
Thanks to another mother-daughter duo for working with our little ones.
There is still room on the schedule to serve “the least of these”
on Sunday mornings. It is a blessing to see their smiles and enthusiasm as you spend
time with our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Please contact Cheryl Beck (cabeck@ncsu.edu) if you would like to help.
A Children’s Library Christmas
Children, parents, and grandparents: Be sure to check out the Children's Library next time you are at church. There is a good selection of Christmas books for toddlers through older children as well as some holiday DVDs. There is also a Christmas scavenger hunt (with prizes) you can do while you are in the library. Check it out!
Choir Presents Songs of Joy
This Sunday, 12/17, the Sanctuary Choir will present it’s annual special Christmas music program for the 10:30 AM worship hour. This is a tradition that has been in place long before I began in 1983, and it seems that there is always a surge of energy and excitement for this project. And, well there should be! We have the opportunity to express our joy concerning the wondrous event that changed the history of the world, forever.
Christmas is a season that seems to provide special memories for everyone. Families share time together more during this time, than any other time of the year. It is the season of giving and receiving, and people sharing stories and “catching up” around the table, or in the den. We need this time of connection to our loved ones, and our friends. Our human condition is nourished by the presence and affirmation of others we value and care about.
This special music offering comes rather close to the October 15th celebration of Homecoming, but I found that the choir was ready for the challenge, and faced the task with enthusiasm. How can we consider the birth of Christ, and not be excited. For our organist, Lorie, this program has special meaning, as we are singing a beautiful new anthem which she has provided in memory of Norman. He loved Christmas expressions in music, and she chose “See, Amid the Winter’s Snow” by South Carolina composer, Dan Forrest for that reason.
Other selections you will hear include the expressions by shepherds and angels, in settings of familiar Scriptures and exclamations of joy. Our regular choir members will be joined by two WCU music students (in addition to Daney), a member of the community chorus, and a former choir member. Maddie and Ellen will join us for the last number, and we will have flute and two percussionists accompanying our selections, in addition to piano and organ. I am so thankful for the faithfulness of the people working in the music ministry here.
I know that you will be blessed by the message you hear through the text and the music on Sunday. Call some friends and invite them to this special annual service.
Merry Christmas! Bob