Dear friends in Christ,
I hope you’re all staying dry on this windy and rainy day. We’ve got a lot going on here at MCC as we head towards Christmas:
Middlebury Tree Lighting: This Saturday
The Middlebury Tree Lighting is Saturday 12/4 @4:30. Our church will again be providing hot chocolate, and the Westover School will also be helping us with the event! I hope to see many of you there!
Christmas Pageant 12/11
Please join us next Sunday, December 11th for our annual Christmas pageant during the worship service. Rehearsal will be Saturday, 12/10 from 10:30am-12:00pm. If you’d like to participate, there is still time to sign up! For more information please see Valerie Beard. (vbeard@middleburyucc.org)
Reverse Advent Calendars
If you’d like to use the Advent season as a time to give back, we’ve got Reverse Advent Calendars with activities to support Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries (GWIM). It’s attached here, or paper copies are available in the Social Hall. Food banks often have low inventory after the holiday season, so this is a way to help GWIM restock.
Christmas Eve Readers Needed!
We’ve still got spots open for people to read the lessons at the 5pm and 11pm Christmas Eve services. For 11, we also need volunteers to light the Advent wreath/Christ candle. Please email me (kmanzi@middleburyucc.org) if you’re interested! I’ll have all the lessons printed out on Sunday to make it easy to pick one you’re comfortable with.
Christmas Caroling: 12/19
Meet at the church at 5pm on 12/19 to go caroling around to our neighbors to spread some Christmas cheer! More details to come.
Mission Projects
- Star Tree
- Star Tree gifts are due in the Church Office by December 12th. Gift Range is between $35.00 to $50.00.
- Christmas Baskets for Middlebury Families
- Sign ups are up on the bulletin board outside the Social Hall for items for Christmas dinner baskets
Christmas & New Year’s Services
12/24@5pm: Candlelight Family Christmas Eve Service
12/24@11pm: Candlelight Communion Service
12/25@10am: Christmas Day Service: We’re planning a shorter, more casual service with opportunity to sing favorite carols, hear the Christmas story, a short meditation on Christmas, and get a chance to ask Pastor Katrina anything you’ve wanted to know about Christmas/the Christmas story.
1/1@10am: New Year’s Day Service: This will be a shorter, more casual service, but we will have a sermon, communion, and an opportunity to sing carols and hymns welcoming in the New Year.
Dr. Keggi Book Signing
Our very own church member Dr. Keggi has written a memoir of his life, My Century: A Memoir of War, Peace, and Pioneering in the Operating Room. Dr. Keggi is giving a talk and doing a book signing on 12/8 at Waterbury Hospital and on December 13th at the Middlebury Library. The flyer with more information is attached
General Comments
Thank you to all our volunteers who helped decorate the sanctuary for the Advent/Christmas season! We also have new bows for the wreaths this year thanks to our volunteers as well! Pictures are attached of the new bows and the sanctuary.
This Sunday is the second Sunday in Advent, and we’ll be spending some time looking at the character of John the Baptist who prepares people for Christ’s ministry.
Peace,
Pastor Katrina