ADVENT 2022

Hey Anthem!

Today is Thanksgiving Eve, which means the Advent Season will soon be upon us all. I wanted to take a moment to let you know about all of our upcoming events and details for the coming month.

Otherwise known as The Magnificat, Luke 1:46-56 is a dense, beautiful passage of Scripture, one that captures a unique moment in the history of our faith. Drawing in from the rich past of God’s people, incorporating the current joy of the incarnation, and looking forward to the redemptive hope of God’s work of salvation, these prophetic utterances of the mother of Jesus are a potent well for us to draw from ourselves. Join us, starting this Sunday, as we examine Mary’s song of worship together.

If you know Anthem Church, you know that it’s going to take more than some building remodeling to keep our Christmas joy dampened. Though we can’t host our annual Christmas Ball in the way we are used to, we still plan to have a fun party on Saturday, December 10. It’s a glow-in-the-dark/blacklight party, so come wearing your fun Christmas gear or anything that glows!

Our Annual Christmas Eve Gathering will be held from 4:30pm-5:30pm on December 24. This reflective and celebratory time will be for all ages. Join us as we worship Jesus in all his glory and celebrate his coming.

This year, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, and we intend to gather as God’s people one the Lord’s day! However, this gathering will look a bit different than normal. Our intention is for everyone attending to be able to be present to the gathering, so we will have no volunteer ministries: no Anthem Kids, no hospitality, no tech, and no livestream. We are also changing the time: join us 8:30am-9:30am on Sunday, December 25 as we worship Christ on Christmas Day!

During this Advent Season, I’d like to exhort each of you to consider engaging in a more intentional way in one of these important ministries. Both of these are an opportunity to get our of our normal rhythms and present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2), serving God and others during this month where we celebrate God serving us in Christ.

Our Food Bank often gets busier during the holiday season, as the shipments get larger to provide more food for festivities. If it’s been a while since you’ve served at the Food Bank, or if you’ve never served, let this season be an opportunity for you to engage. Visit our Events Page to sign up for a shift or reach out to Deacon Paden Rourk for more details.

Our Prayer Room is open every Sunday morning from 9:25-9:40. Though this is just a 15-minute window on Sunday mornings, it is an incredible opportunity to pray corporately for our church with other members of our congregation. We are seeking to foster a hunger for God through corporate prayer - join us if there is any part of you that longs to see God’s hand move in our place and in our time.

By way of early reminder, the church offices are always closed the week between Christmas and New Years. This year, the staff is off all church-related duties from December 25 - December 31.

This year we will start the New Year with a normal Anthem gathering at 10am on Sunday, January 1. Here’s to a new year full of God’s presence and promises within his covenant people.