This Sunday is December 30, so most of the Christmas leftovers should be history by now, just in time to start working on the New Year's Eve/Day leftovers. Then, by Epiphany (January 6) we'll be all ready for New Year's resolutions and exercise regimens. And so it goes, or seems to, every year! So, if Christmas is here and gone, what do we have to show for it? We've had some great worship services and celebrations, but do all those things really make any difference in our lives? We will ponder those thoughts on Sunday as we prepare to enter a new year.

Rosann Naim, soprano, and Keicee Naim Newton, mezzo-soprano will sing The King of us all by Jill Galina. Organist Gavin Craig will play Où s'en vont ces gais bergers by Claude-Bénigne Balbastre; Love Came Down at Christmas by Charles V. Stanford; and Fanfare on ANTIOCH by Gerre Hancock. Our congregational hymns will be Once in royal David's city (IRBY), Love came down at Christmas (WHITNEY), and Joy to the world! (ANTIOCH).

Christmas Eve Services

A week from tomorrow is Christmas Eve. FCC will host two worship services on December 24^th as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The 5:00 p.m. worship service will be geared toward children, with several activities which they will be invited to take part in. We will also join in Holy Communion which the children are invited to participate in, at the direction and discretion of their parents. Our 7:30 p.m. worship service will be a traditional scripture and carols service which will include Holy Communion. The Meeting House Choir will sing at the 7:30 p.m. service. Both services will close with the candlelight service. Come join us on this night of all nights, and bring a friend or neighbor.

This Sunday's Service

The Sunday before Christmas is a time of heightened expectation. We light the final candle on the Advent Wreath and settle down to wait for the Christ child. Why do we put so much emphasis on Christmas, commercial as well as religious? What is the significance of the rituals we go through each year? What inner need does Christmas satisfy for each one of us? The answers to those questions are probably as numerous as the stars in the sky on a mid winter night, but they bear consideration. The sermon title is "Why Christmas?" and the scripture reading is Luke 1:39-55.

Decibells will play Love came down at Christmas (with Of eternal love begotten), a traditional Irish melody and a 13th century plainchant, arranged by Cynthia Dobrinski, and Pat-a-Pan, a Burgundian carol, arranged by Jeffrey A. Hall. Melissa Fritsche and Laura Howey, sopranos, will sing Laudamus te from Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria. The Meeting House Choir will sing The angel Gabriel from heaven came, a Basque carol, arranged by Anthony Prower. Organist Gavin D. Craig will play Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 599, by J. S. Bach. Our congregational hymns will be O Christ, how shall I meet you (ST. THEODULPH) and many others during the Moravian Love Feast.

This Sunday our Joyful Noise Children's Choir, as well as the JNITS younger children's choir will take us on a Christmas journey entitled, "Following the Star." Join us as we learn that God's love is spoken in many languages around the world, but always has the same meaning within each human heart. Elizabeth Hale and Anne Amador direct our children's choir, Janice VanDerbur accompanies on piano, and some of our older youth help out to make this Christmas journey complete.

The Meeting House Choir will sing Lift up your heads, O ye gates by William Mathias. Organist Gavin D. Craig will play Voluntary on Winchester New by Craig Sellar Lang, and Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes Sohn, BWV 601 by J.S. Bach. Our congregational hymns will be People, look east (BESANÇON), and Return, my people (REPTON).

Poimaino meal, Saturday, December 15th

Our next Poimaino meal is Saturday, December 15^th , which is the third Saturday of the month.

Cooks are to arrive at 9:00am and “minglers” by 11:00am. The meal will be served at 12:00 noon with a concurrent 50-cent garage sale. Donations for the garage sale can be either:

· Dropped off at St. Peter UCC between 10am-2pm Tuesday or Wednesday

· Delivered to FCC on Sunday or during office hours.

· Brought with you Saturday morning.

If you drop of your donations at FCC or St. Peter, be sure to mark your boxes/bags with “Poimaino”.

Here are the details.

What: Poimaino Community Meal

When: Saturday, December 15th, 9:00am – 2:00pm

Where: St. Peter UCC, 9022 Long Point Rd

Who: Volunteers needed for cooking, set-up, garage sale, cleaning and mingling with our guests

This Sunday at the 10:00 a.m. service, The Meeting House Choir will present the cantata "Gaudete" by Anders Ohrwall. Written for the Swedish Radio Youth Choir, the ten songs included in this choral suite are drawn from Sweden's oldest songbook for schools (Piae Cantiones, 1582). The Choir will be accompanied by an instrumental ensemble including flute, oboe, and bassoon. Please invite your family and friends to this musical service to celebrate the Advent/Christmas season.

The Meeting House Choir will sing Gaudete, a work compiled from the Piae Cantiones, the oldest Swedish song book for schools published in 1582. It is arranged by Anders Öhrwall. Organist Gavin D. Craig will play Es ist ein Ros' by Johannes Brahms, Improvisation on "Gaudete" by Gavin D. Craig, and Psalm 42 by J.G. Walther. Our congregational hymns will be Comfort, comfort ye my people (PSALM 42), and Watchman, tell us of the night (ABERYSTWYTH).