Advent + Christmas + Epiphany Activities
Advent Festival | December 1 | 11:30 am
Officially welcome the Advent season with us! The annual Advent Festival will take place after worship on December 1. Sandwiches and other light lunch food will be provided. Activities and crafts for all ages include Advent calendars, Christmas tree ornaments, wreaths made of freshly-cut greenery, painting holiday scenes, luminaries, and more. There will also be a service project component, assembling toiletry kits for community members in need.
It’s Always Advent | December 4 | 6:10 pm
As part of our Shandon on Wednesday (SOW) programming, the evening adult class on December 4 will be an overview of Advent as a liturgical season. Rev. Jenny McDevitt will teach. Dinner is served as part of SOW each week. Sign up for dinner here.
Community Christmas Concert | December 8 | 4 pm
Shandon’s music ministry and friends will sing and ring in the season! The Chancel Choir and guest orchestra will present Cecilia McDowall’s “Christus Natus Est” and Margaret Bond’s “The Ballad of the Brown King.” These pieces will be interspersed with traditional carols (with everyone invited to sing) and holiday favorites. There is no cost to attend, but a retiring offering will benefit the Shandon Cluster of Churches Serving Hand Middle School.
Advent Bonfire + Chili Dinner | December 8 | 5 pm
Bundle up and join us on the Church Lawn! We’ll gather for chili and hot drinks followed by s’mores and singing around the bonfire. If you can, bring your own chairs and blankets (but don’t worry, we’ll have extras available as needed). We’ll provide the hot drinks and s’mores, but you provide the chili. To help us plan, please sign up if you plan to bring chili to share.
Service of the Longest Night | December 19 | 7 pm
The carols proclaim this is “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for some, the holidays are heavy and hard. This quiet, prayerful service makes room for all the feelings the season may stir up, and reminds us that the light still shines in the darkness.
Christmas Eve Family Service (Pageant) | December 24 | 4 pm
Enjoy the Christmas story as told by Shandon’s youngest theologians during this family-friendly service. Children’s roles will be assigned based upon age. We’ll have rehearsal (with pizza), but all children in attendance will be able to participate in various ways. To help us prepare costumes, sign up your children here. Questions? Contact Heather Woolard-Lawson, Director of Children’s Ministry.
Christmas Eve Service of Carols + Candlelight | December 24 | 8 pm
Join us as we tell the familiar, holy story of the night the world changed forever. We’ll sing beloved carols, remember the story, and finish the service with candlelight. The Chancel Choir will assist in leading worship. Rev. Jenny McDevitt will preach a sermon titled “What If It Doesn’t Actually Depend On Us?”
Welcoming Christmas Service | December 24 | 11:30 pm
Meet us on the Sanctuary steps (along Woodrow Street) for a brief service that will welcome Christmas when it first arrives. We’ll sing, pray, tell the Christmas story, and conclude with candlelight at midnight. This service will not include a sermon.
Breakfast Church | December 29 | 10:30 am
We’ll gather around tables in the Activity Center to worship over breakfast. We will celebrate the hope and promise of a new year with song, prayer, scripture, and reflection. RSVPs are never required for worship, but it will help us plan the meal. If possible, RSVP here.
Epiphany Sunday | January 5 | 10:30 am
In worship, we will observe Epiphany Sunday. Everyone will receive a “star word” to help guide them through the year ahead. We will also celebrate the sacrament of The Lord’s Supper.