Just a friendly reminder that we’ll only have one service scheduled for 10 AM this Sunday. Unfortunately, there won’t be Sunday school, Jr. church, or a staffed nursery.

Reminder: The office will close tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. and will reopen on January 5. If you plan to stop by today or tomorrow morning, please call ahead so we know to expect you. Jill will be preparing various areas throughout the building and may not hear the buzzer.

Services will be held on Wednesday, Christmas Eve, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Please be sure to check the card table for any Christmas cards for you or your family, and to pick up your poinsettia if you placed an order.

January newsletters will be mailed today and emailed tomorrow. The church Christmas card video is linked below for those who may have missed it during yesterday’s service.

2025 Church Christmas Card video

Reminder: On Sunday, December 28, there will be one service at 10:00 a.m. We will return to our regular service times on January 4, 2026.

We invite you to join us this Sunday for one combined worship service at 10:00 a.m. We look forward to worshiping together with you.

• The morning will begin at 9:55 a.m. with our 2025 Church Christmas Card video
• This will be followed by the 2nd Ave Kids pageant and the remainder of the worship service
• We will also be welcoming new members during the service

Please note: There will be no Sunday School, Jr. Church, or staffed nursery this Sunday.

Just a reminder—if your child or grandchild is in the pageant, please plan to arrive between 9:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

Jill still has a few T-shirt orders that need to be picked up. If she doesn’t see you on Sunday, she will reach out on Monday morning.

If you’d like to purchase a poinsettia, Jill will have a few extras available on Tuesday for $7 each (check or exact cash only). Feel free to stop by between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to get one—or more.

January newsletters will be emailed and mailed out on Monday.

Please check the tables in the Elevation Room for any Christmas cards for you or your family. Cards may still be dropped off Sunday through Tuesday, and I’ll be sure they’re out in time for the Christmas Eve services. The card table will stay up through the end of the month.

If you were unable to attend services yesterday, you can catch up on YouTube. The 8:15 service is now available, and the 10:45 service will be available later today.

Tomorrow marks the commencement of our Christmas Gift Giveaway and Soup & Sandwich Luncheon. We extend our sincere gratitude to all individuals who contributed through the church Christmas card, enabling us to provide these gifts to families in need. The church Christmas card video will be presented immediately prior to the 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday, December 21. Subsequently, it will be accessible on YouTube on Monday, December 22. Physical copies will be dispatched to our homebound residents, while additional copies will be available for collection at the church.

We have 15 poinsettias remaining for purchase, each priced at $7. At this time, they are not available for listing in honor or memory of any individual. However, they will be available for collection on Wednesday, December 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., or following Christmas Eve services. I will post a Facebook announcement this afternoon to make them available for purchase. If you are interested in any, please inform me promptly.

The Youth Group held its Christmas party last night and will be on a break until January 11. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your unwavering support of the Youth Group throughout the past year.

Please be advised that the ROCK will be on hiatus until January 7.

Service Schedule for the Rest of the Year:

• December 21, 10:00 a.m. – Combined Worship with the Children’s pageant.
• Christmas Eve, December 24 – 4:30 p.m.: Traditional Service, 7:00 p.m.: Contemporary Service. Candle-lighting: Both venues will host candle-lighting ceremonies.
• December 28, 10:00 a.m. – Combined Worship Service

There won’t be Sunday school for the rest of the year. The nursery won’t be staffed at these services, but it will remain open as a cry room for parents or guardians to take their children aged 3 and under (and stay with them) as needed.

The church office will be closed from 12:00 p.m. on December 23 until Monday, January 5.

We look forward to having you join us on Sunday as we commemorate the third Sunday of Advent! In addition to being the final week of Sunday school in 2025, this will be the final Sunday of the year with two service times (8:15 a.m./10:45 a.m.).

If you ordered 2nd Ave t-shirts or sweatshirts, your orders have arrived! Please see Jill on Sunday to pick yours up. If you are unable to pick them up on Sunday, please stop in during office hours next week.

If you would like, you can bring Christmas cards to 2nd Ave. and put them in the box next to the Gathering Place. They will be available for pickup on Sundays or during office hours starting next Wednesday.

Poinsettias are still available to order for $7 each. They are available to take home following the Christmas Eve services.

Please continue reading so you don’t miss out on anything here at 2nd Ave during these final few hectic weeks before Christmas!

The cookie exchange and ugly sweater party is exclusively for adults tonight from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The carol sing will take place at Maybrook on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Please arrive at the church parking lot by 1:30 p.m. if you are carpooling.

On Tuesday, December 16, there will be a soup and sandwich luncheon that is open to everyone and a Christmas gift giveaway that was only available through pre-registration. Lunch will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the giveaway from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Both require assistance!

We will have a combined service with our annual Christmas pageant for 2nd Ave Kids on Sunday, December 21 at 10:00 a.m. They will tell a classic nativity tale this year. Please attend in person if you can, as the pageant cannot be filmed!

Christmas Eve services will take place on Wednesday, December 24, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. After the 4:30 p.m. service is over, a video of it will be uploaded to our YouTube channel. At both services, candles are lit.

On Sunday, December 28, we will have one service at 10:00 a.m.

Everyone is welcome to our NYE family celebration on Wednesday, December 31, starting at 6:00 p.m! Kindly register at the sanctuary table. This event is family-friendly!

For our break, the church office will close at noon on Tuesday, December 23 and stay closed until Monday, January 5. During this time, phone messages will be reviewed several times and urgent emails will be returned.

Beginning this week, you are welcome to bring in Christmas cards for those at 2nd Ave for a card exchange. Please put the cards in the wrapped box that will be near the Gathering Place. Cards will not be distributed until after the gift giveaway on December 16. The box will be open until December 22 (you can bring cards on Sundays or during office hours, but please call ahead to ensure we are in). Cards will be available for pickup through January 4. Please only bring in cards for those who attend here on 2nd Avenue. If you have any questions, please contact me.

We will not be in the office during regular business hours tomorrow because we will be shopping for our Christmas giveaway. Please call if you intend to stop because we may not be present.

This Wednesday marks the final ROCK for 2025. Thank you to everyone who helped provide gifts for each child in attendance!

Our gift giveaway and soup and sandwich lunch will be held next Tuesday, December 16! The giveaway will take place from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., followed by a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Help is required for both!

The Iron Bridge Dinner Theatre’s production of “Nuncrackers” will be performed here at 2nd Ave next Thursday through Saturday (18-20). There are no other activities taking place in the building this evening or on Saturday. They will be in the kitchen and social hall with their props, etc., beginning Sunday evening, December 21. Please be respectful of their belongings and the space they have rented from us.

Please note that the last Sunday we will have regular service times is this coming Sunday, December 14. On December 21, there will be a combined service with the 2nd Ave Kids Christmas pageant at 10:00 a.m. Services on December 24 at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. combined service on December 28. These days, there won’t be a staffed nursery, Jr. Church, or Sunday school. If an adult needs to take a child under the age of three, the nursery will be available as a cry room.

The church office will close at noon on Tuesday, December 23 and remain closed through January 4. We will resume regular hours on Monday, January 5.

 

We hope you can join us this Sunday to commemorate the second Sunday of Advent and Holy Communion at both services. The services will begin at 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

Sunday is the last day to sign up for the church’s Christmas card for 2025.

Poinsettias are still available for order. You can find the forms on the entryway tables.

Here are some important dates for the rest of 2025!

• Tuesday, December 9, the office will not be staffed during regular hours as we will be shopping for our gift giveaway. If you plan to attend church, please call ahead as there may not be anyone present.
• Wednesday, December 10, marks the final ROCK of 2025.
• Sunday, December 14, marks our final Sunday of the year with regular service times. (Services on December 21 and 28 will both commence at 10:00 a.m. Please note that Sunday school, Junior Church, and the staffed nursery will not be held on these days.)
• Tuesday, December 16 will be our gift giveaway from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and our Soup & Sandwich lunch 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., help is needed!
• The church office will close at 12:00 p.m. on December 23 and remain closed until Monday, January 5.
• The Christmas Eve Service on December 24 will have two service times: 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Both services will feature candle lighting.
• The New Year’s Eve family party at 2nd Avenue will begin at 6:00 p.m.

We started our Advent journey on Sunday with a message from Rev. Mark Stewart titled “Advent Understandings.” If you were unable to attend, you can watch it on our YouTube channel.

The ROCK will only meet two more times in 2025! We’re wrapping up donations for the annual Christmas gifts. If you are not aware, we provide a gift to each child who attends the ROCK each year thanks to donations from the congregation.

We are currently accepting poinsettia orders and church Christmas card signups.

Poinsettias can be ordered until December 14, or until we sell out, whichever comes first. Flowers will be available to take home after Christmas Eve services.

Next Sunday, December 7, is the deadline for church Christmas card sign-ups and payment. Your contribution of $10 or more will help fund our December 15 Christmas giveaway. (This year, sign-ups have been slow; as of right now, only 14 people have signed up; at least 35–40 people or families are expected to participate). You can email me your own image or one of the ones we provide.

We hope you will join us as the Advent season begins tomorrow, Sunday, November 30. Services are held at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. Rev. Mark Stewart will deliver a message titled “Advent Understandings.” Pastor Brian will be there to lead both services.

Advent devotionals were sent out via email earlier this week, and printed copies are available at the church.

Poinsettia order forms are available on the entryway tables, and payment is due with the order.

Sign up for the church Christmas card with a $10 or more donation to help provide gifts for some needy families this Christmas! Sign-up forms are available on the front table, near the ROCK Christmas board.

A reminder that the office will be closed on Monday and reopen on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. As we enter this busy season, we recommend calling ahead to let us know you plan to stop by, as we may not always be in the office. During this time of year, we may have errands to run or be in other areas of the building and not hear the door buzzer.

 

Please be advised that the office will be closing tomorrow, November 25, at 1:00 p.m. until Tuesday, December 2. In the event of a pastoral emergency, please contact Pastor Brian directly. Phone messages and emails will not be returned until December 2.

We are now accepting orders for Christmas poinsettias. These beautiful flowers will be available for pickup after Christmas Eve services. Each poinsettia is priced at $7.

Church Christmas card sign-ups commenced yesterday, and we’re making excellent progress! A donation of $10 or more will ensure your greeting is featured in both the video and printed cards. The video card will be showcased during our combined service at 10:00 a.m. on December 21. All donations will be dedicated to our Christmas giveaway.

Our daily Advent devotional will commence on Sunday, November 30th. Each day, the scripture, devotional, and prayer will be shared on Facebook. Physical copies of the devotional are available at the church, and the PDF version can be accessed by clicking here. Additionally, the scripture verses are also included in our daily reading calendar.

The ROCK is still collecting donations for their annual Christmas gift for each child. They are approximately $500 short after yesterday’s donations. Please let Ashley know if you have any questions.

Thank you to everyone who generously donated toward our Thanksgiving meal giveaway! The meals were distributed this morning. We couldn’t have accomplished this without your unwavering support!