Fourth Week of Advent

Faith Church celebrates the Day of Righteousness
by lighting the fourth candle of Advent this week.
We will also be singing the following carols:

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

He Is Born

There’s a Song in the Air

Go, Tell It on the Mountain

Also, youth and Sunday school children will present a short piece called
A Wondrous, Wooly Christmas.

The sermon is titled "With Fresh Eyes."

Sunday school starts at 9 a.m. and worship at 10:30. There is still room for more lambs in the Sunday school presentation.

We will have a service of candles and carols at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve

This week:
Narcotics Anonymous Tuesday, Dec. 22,  7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24,  7:30 p.m. and Sat., Dec. 27, 8 p.m.

Prayer Wed., Dec. 23, noon-2 p.m.

A Service of Candles & Carols Thurs., Dec. 24, Christmas Eve

Rejoicing

It's the third week of advent, and Faith church is excited. The kids are getting ready for next week's Christmas program and college students are returning to the congregation.

This week, we light the pink candle of

 REJOICING

“The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose,” says the King James version of Isaiah 35.1.

The prophet was looking forward to the redemption of Zion. On this day of rejoicing, like a sudden, brief parting of the clouds, we are called to rejoice in anticipation of our coming King. The focus of our attention on the advent wreath moves from the somber purple to the rosy pink, and the legends and stories and hymns sing of blossoming as well as light. 

Sunday school begins at 9 a.m. and worship starts at 10:30.

Second Sunday in Advent at Faith

ADVENT 2 - THE PROPHECY

On this second Sunday in Advent we celebrate the Messiah prophecy foreshadowed in Genesis, Numbers and proclaimed by such Old Testament voices as the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah and Malachi, and repeated by John the Baptist.

Isaiah also foretold John’s coming. “A voice cries, ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”(Is40.3) John te Baptist was the voice in the desert when Jesus came to Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John, seeing him, saw the Spirit descend as a dove from Heaven and remain upon him, and he cried out, “And I have seen and borne witness that this is the son of God.” (Jn1.28-34)

Sunday school is at 9 a.m. and worship is at 10:30. 

UMW meets after the service in the fellowship hall 2016

If you haven't picked up your 2016 Faith calendar, see Art.

First Sunday of Advent

Faith Church celebrates the first Sunday of Advent this week.  We'll be lighting the Candle of Light.

ADVENT 1 - FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

The first candle on the Advent wreath leaps into light. The Church Year begins.

This is a holy season, the time when Christians prepare their minds and hearts to receive anew god’s greatest gift.

Slowly the darkness of fear recedes. Slowly the shadows of sin fall back. The light that is to illumine our night is ahead. In worship prayer and thanksgiving we prepare ourselves. All Christendom waits in joyful expectation.

The Son of God will come. Through him we will know the Father. Light and love will reign!

Rev. Eldon Reich will be preaching, in the absence of Rev. Jon Damaska, in the absence of Pastor Jack.
Sunday school starts at 9 a.m. and worship is at 10:30.

This week, prayer group meets at noon Wednesday. UMW meets Sunday after church in the fellowship hall.

Thanksgiving Week

Sunday, church school will be at 9 a.m. for kids and adults.
Worship is at 10:30. Between Sunday school and worship, there will be coffee and fellowship in the greeting area.

The message Sunday is from 2 Timothy and titled "A Laying of the Kindling."
The youth will present the "Reader's Digest" version of the Abram story during the service, and there will be special music.

Congregational singing includes the following hymns:

“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”

“Now Thank We All Our God”

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
    and the Hymn of Sending Out:  “Shalom”

Faith will join North Highlands United Methodist for a Thanksgiving service 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m.

Then, Sunday, November 29, Faith will celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and light a candle on the advent wreath. It is the "Day of Light."

There will be music from Musicians of Faith, and the ancient word, the scripture, is from Isaiah 9.

The contemporary word comes from Rev. Jon Damaska and called "A Time to Wait."
The hymns will be as follows:

“O Come, Emmanuel”

“Lift Up Your Heads”

“Rejoice, The Lord Is King”

Hymn of Sending Out                    

“Shalom”

Children of the Light

Harvest Festival is this week at Faith Church. Members are asked to bring non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army, and Harvest offerings will be doubled by the church.

Sunday school starts at 9 a.m. Worship is at 10:30.
The message Sunday during the worship service is "Children of the Light."
Pastor Jack will be in Ephesians 5.

Hymns: “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”

     “This Is My Song”

      “Ye Servants of God”

What's on for this week?

Saturday, Nov. 7,  is the Charge Conference at the church. 10 a.m. Pizza to be served.

Sunday, Nov. 8, church school for kids and adults starts at 9 a.m., followed by a fellowship and coffee time. (Say hi to our new barista, Lee Schaunaman!)
Worship starts at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary.
The message this week is The Greatest Gift, and Pastor Jack will be in Mark 12.
Hymns in the service include I'll Praise my Maker while I have Breath, The God of Abraham, and I am Thine, O Lord

Wednesday, Nov. 11,  the prayer group meets from noon to 2 p.m. at the church
On Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m., Narcotics Anonymous meets at the church.
Saturday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous meets again at the church.
Next Sunday Nov 15,  is Fall Harvest Festival Sunday: offerings will be received for Salvation Army and Safe Harbor, and other gifts that donors may designate. All receipts will be matched from our Mission Funds!