Don’t jump ahead into Christmas; enter into Advent.
This month of waiting, hoping, and wondering in the dark prepares us to truly enjoy the light of life that Christmas brings.
We have many happenings here at First Lutheran in the month of December to guide and prepare us for the joy to come.
Walk the Labyrinth in Advent
Prepare for the coming of the Christ child this Advent by stopping, slowing down for an hour, and taking a labyrinth prayer walk.
This year we are making the labyrinth available in the Chapel each day in Advent, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays) Come!

Want to Know more about Walking the Labyrinth? – Take a Guided Tour!
This Sunday, December 3, during the 10:15 a.m. Sunday Morning Learning time, First Lutheran’s Director of Spiritual Transformation Marcie Watson will give you a guided tour of how you can use our labyrinth for a deeper connection with God this Advent.

Wednesdays in Advent: December 6, 13 & 20

Lunch in the Loft
Each Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. in the Balcony, we will hold our Annual Lunch in the Loft concert series. These concerts feature area organists and instrumentalists playing seasonal music. Our musician line-up is:

December 6 - Robin Wagner, Organist St. Andrew Lutheran
December 13 - Marilyn Mark, American Guild of Organists
December 20 - Brett & Marita Wolgast, First Lutheran Church

Bring your favorite take-out or brown bag lunch and enjoy beautiful
Advent/Christmas music.
Advent Soup Suppers
We will serve Advent Soup Suppers prior to each Wednesday Evening Service. Serving will be 5 – 6:15 p.m. There will be at least two types of soup, bread, and salad offered each week as well as a kid-friendly style like classic chicken noodle. A free-will offering will be collected to offset the cost.
Dec. 6    Chili, Potato Soup
Dec. 13    Ham & Bean, Chicken Noodle
Dec. 20    Cheeseburger Chowder

Wednesday Evening Services
Our 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Advent services on December 6, 13, and 20 will focus on three influential mothers in the bible-Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary.  We will be singing music from “Holden Evening Prayer” and various settings of Mary’s song, The Magnificat.  Confirmation students will help lead the singing and prayers for this service.  Please join us for a quiet service of anticipation and hope.

Other Advent Activities & Events

HSM Sunday Nights - Cine: Christmas Movies
Sundays, Dec. 3, 10 & 17 at 6 p.m. in the Youth Room
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, which means A Christmas Story is playing 24 hours a day on some TV channel, and Elf quotes are coming back into fashion. These Christmas movies are beloved classics, so why not look at them a bit deeper this season? During the month of December we will watch a movie and the following week we will discuss it. Take a peek at our Twitter or Instagram to vote for your favorite!
 
Lessons & Carols with St. Andrew Lutheran
Sunday, December 10 at 4:00 p.m. First Lutheran Adult Choir will be joining the choir from St. Andrew Lutheran Church for a Lessons and Carols at St. Andrew Lutheran, 4420 Center Point Rd NE. The entire congregation is invited to participate in the service. There will be a social time afterward.

Keenagers Luncheon
On Thursday, December 14 The Jefferson High School Chamber Choir will present a musical program for our monthly luncheon. Serving starts at noon with the program following. Cost is $5 for lunch and the program. Sign up on the Senior Adult Page, or at the Welcome Desk.
“Jesus Is...” Advent Program for the Congregation
and its Children – Sunday, December 17, 3:30 p.m.
This service of lessons and carols was written to name ways to read the Jesus story through the Old Testament narrative.
We discover the different identities of Christ, both less familiar (Jesus is the New Noah), and more familiar (Jesus is the Good Shepherd).
We hope you’ll plan to join us for worship, and refreshments immediately following the program.

Confirmation Christmas Lock-in
All Confirmation Youth and their friends are welcome to start off Christmas break with a Lock-in on Friday, December 15,
7 - 11 p.m. The cost is $5. Registration on the Confirmation lock-in Page.

First Lutheran Choir Cantata
Sunday, December 17 at 9:00 a.m.
During our 9:00 a.m. worship service the Sunday before Christmas Eve, the First Lutheran Adult Choir and Orchestra will present Johann Kuhnau’s “For Us a Child is Born”. Kuhnau was J.S. Bach’s immediate predecessor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Join us in this musical, meditative worship experience.

Lessons & Carols Service
On Sunday, December 24, we will have one morning service at 10 a.m. at which our Adult Choir will lead a service of “Lessons & Carols” to usher in Christmas week.
Blue Christmas Service Sunday, December 3, 2:00 p.m.
This is a special service for anyone who feels the tension of both joy and trouble this time of year, especially if you have recently lost a loved one. We will gather to experience Emmanuel – God with us! Our hearts may not be full of joy for whatever reason, be it the loss of a loved one or a struggle with illness, however we can be filled with God’s presence and peace.
Our 3 p.m. Family Worship Service is planned for children and their families. There isn’t a regular sermon; instead the kids can go to the front and sit with the Pastor as he walks through The Christmas message. Our younger Children’s Choirs will sing.
 
Our 5 p.m. Celebration Service will be lead by our Celebration Praise Team band with a mix of traditional hymns, contemporary praise songs and new arrangements of old favorites.
 
Our 7 & 9 p.m. Candlelight Worship Services will be the Traditional Christmas Eve worship.
At 7 p.m. our Middle School Handbell & Choir, and High School Handbell Choir will provide special music.
The 9 p.m. service will feature the Adult Choir and Handbells Ensembles. Both of the late services will also feature special music and accompaniment by a brass ensemble.
 
All services will include communion and, as always, are open to the public. Please join our church family as we celebrate the birth of Christ!
 

Holiday Schedule

Holiday Schedule:
December 23 & 24 - Lessons and Carols Worship
    Services Saturday 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m.

On Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, we will have four services, details on the left.

The church will be closed on Christmas Day,  Dec. 25,
and on Dec. 26

December 30 & 31 – We will be using the special New Year’s Eve texts for worship Saturday 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m.