As winter weather is back in full force, we want to remind you that if AASD has a delay, the office will open at 10:00 a.m. rather than 8:00 a.m. In the event of a cancellation or virtual learning day, office staff will be working from home. Please stay safe and warm.

The Youth Group returned safely from their winter retreat yesterday afternoon and had a wonderful time connecting with one another and with other teens from the area. Thank you to the leaders and volunteers who drove and attended the retreat with our teens! Next up are the Youth Group’s Lenten Fish Dinners, their main fundraiser of the year. Dinners will begin Friday, February 20, and will be held each Friday during Lent except Good Friday. Prices are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (65+), $13 for children 10 and under, and $15 for single take-out meals.

Valentine’s Day is coming up! We are currently taking orders for chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day pickup. Orders with payment are due by February 12. Order forms are available at the church or can be emailed upon request. 100% of the proceeds will support the disaffiliation loan.

Tickets go on sale in just one week for our 2026 Christian concert featuring Rhett Walker and Olivia Lane, with special guest Follow! Ticket prices will be announced at the end of the week. Mark your calendars for March 15 at 6:30 p.m.!

There are still some 2026 church calendars available! Please pick one up for your home, office, or to give to a friend. They can be found on the table in the sanctuary.

February newsletters and calendars will be mailed by the end of the week and also sent out via email. Reading plans will be included in the email version, and if you would like a printed copy, they will be available for pickup at the church.

 

We hope you can join us this Sunday! Worship services are at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m., with Sunday School for ages 4 through adult from 9:30–10:30 a.m. Please note that Youth Sunday School and Youth Group will not meet this week as our Youth Group will be returning from their retreat.

Join us today, January 17, for our monthly Soup & Sandwich Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

Beginning this Sunday, Valentine’s Day chocolate-covered strawberries will be available to order! They are $10 per dozen, with orders and payment due no later than February 12.

Sign up this Sunday to join us for Family Game Night and a loaded nacho bar on Friday, February 6, from 6:00–9:00 p.m.!

Mark your calendars! Our next combined service will be Sunday, February 22, at 10:00 a.m.

Jr. Church is running low on snacks and drinks. Single-serve bags of chips are a favorite! All donations are appreciated. Please provide single-serving snacks and, if possible, no artificial dyes due to allergies. Small waters and juice pouches are also needed. Donations may be dropped off on Sundays or during office hours. Please do not ship items to the church. Contact Ashley or the church office for a shipping address if needed.

We’re only about a month away from Lent! The Youth Group’s annual Fish FRYdays will begin February 20. Volunteers are needed on Fridays to help with prep before 4:00 p.m. and to assist during dinner from 4:00–6:30 p.m. Please contact Nic Harclerode if you are interested in helping.

We’re excited to announce our 2026 Christian concert featuring Grammy and Dove–nominated artist Rhett Walker, happening Sunday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. Opening the evening will be Follow (local act) and Olivia Lane—national recording artist and host of SiriusXM’s The Message. Ticket information coming soon—save the date! In the meantime, be sure to check out Rhett Walker on his YouTube channel.

Please let me know if you need a copy of your 2025 Giving Statement. I will have printed copies available to hand out on Sunday. I was off yesterday, so if you requested a printed copy to pick up, I’ll have it ready for you on Sunday, or you’re welcome to stop by during office hours. If you requested an emailed copy, those were sent out last week. If you don’t see it, please check your spam or junk folder. If it’s still not there, let me know and I’ll be happy to resend it.

Join us this Saturday for our monthly Soup & Sandwich Luncheon! All are welcome from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Our Youth Group will be attending a winter retreat at Camp Manatawagon in Saxton this weekend. Please keep them in your prayers for safe travels and a time of connection and fellowship.

If you are interested in building use or rentals, please let us know. January is nearly full, but there is currently some availability in February.

 

We hope you’ll join us this Sunday for worship at 8:15 or 10:45 a.m. Sunday School is offered for ages 4–adult, including a Youth Group Sunday School class for grades 6–12, from 9:30–10:30 AM.

Interested in singing with the Easter Vocal Choir? Please sign up on the table in the sanctuary. For more information or with any questions, contact Braydon, our organist.

Join us this Sunday as Pastor Brian announces the artist and date for our 2026 Christian concert! Details will be shared on Facebook and emailed on Monday.

The Social Events Committee will meet this Sunday following the 10:45 a.m. service in the Wesley Room (formerly the Narnia Room). All are welcome to attend!

Youth Group returns this Sunday at 6:00 p.m! We’ll be sharing details about the winter retreat happening later this month. All students in grades 6–12 are welcome. See Nic Harclerode with any questions.

Join us for our January Soup & Sandwich Luncheon on Saturday, January 17, from 11:30 a.m. –1:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Please sign up if you can bring a soup or help that day.

Join us for the Ladies’ Breakfast on Saturday, January 24, at 8:30 a.m. at Denny’s in Altoona. Women and girls of all ages are welcome!

Save the date! Join us for our January Soup & Sandwich Luncheon on Saturday, January 17, at 11:30 a.m. We’d love your help—please sign up in the sanctuary to bring a soup or assist with the luncheon.

If you would like a set of 2026 offering envelopes, please let Jill know—there are a few extra sets available. We kindly ask that only regular offerings be placed in the numbered/assigned envelopes. For 20/20 giving (or loan-only giving), please use the green envelopes. Gifts to other ministries or missions should be placed in a generic envelope (from home or one provided here at church). Green and generic envelopes are available at each entrance.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 6, we will be taking down the Christmas decorations beginning around 9:00 a.m. All help is greatly appreciated!

The ROCK returns this Wednesday at 4:30 p.m! If one of your 2026 resolutions is to serve more, The ROCK would love to have you. For more information, contact Ashley at ashleymiller1228@gmail.com.

 

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.