This Advent Sunday in Church School

ADVENT FUN THIS SUNDAY

Advent fun and tree lighting!

Family Ministries at the Hills Church invites you to join us for A SPECIAL Advent Kick-off celebration on

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28th (3:00pm-5:00pm). This special event will be held outdoors and in the Wallace Chapel (windows and doors open). Let us gather around the Advent letters of HOPE and enjoy this event for ALL AGES! The evening will be full of fun activities, including wreath-making stations, participating in a service project for those in need, tree lighting (come see our new lights), singing Christmas carols, and receiving "at home" Advent and gingerbread house kits!!! You do not need to sign up to participate; however, signing up helps our organizers estimate the number of gingerbread houses we might need! There is a suggested donation of $20 per family and $10 per individual (donations collected on the night of the event). Sign up HERE!

DETAILS regarding our safe return to church, children and youth programming.

This Sunday 11/28

Nursery care is available for under 3 yrs

To view our Livestream worship service, click HERE!

Join us for ADVENT in Church School!

During the Sundays of Advent this year, travel with Church friends as we explore the history and traditions of Christmas!

We will answer questions like:

Where do we get the word Christmas?
When was Jesus born?
What do Christmas trees have to do with Jesus?
Who is St. Nicholas?
Who is Emmanuel?

We will be inside and outside with a heater; please bring a jacket.

Join us in Wallace Chapel @ 10 am

This first Sunday of Advent, our church lawn will look a little different. HOPE will appear!

A group of dedicated church volunteers crafted large lawn Advent-themed words with great love and Christmas spirit as a gift to our community.

Each week the Advent words grow, there will be an opportunity to visit the church at a time that works best for you and take family Christmas photos.

Gifts for families in need.

Christmas Gifts for those in need.

A Family Opportunity to Serve Others.

You can sign-up to shop for Christmas gifts for a family (or individuals) in need.

Recipients are grouped by the family with gift suggestions for each family member. Families do not expect you to purchase every item on their wish list.

Presents should be wrapped and labeled with the recipient’s name and Family Code #.

Further instructions and sign up here: GIVE

Presents are due by Sunday, December 5th @ CHURCH

Questions? Contact Sue Spencer at suespencer42@gmail.com or 781-893-2972

A faith lesson at home for those that can't be at church this Sunday.

Read: Psalm 25 4-5 or A Good Ruler in your Spark Bible pg 178

Psalm 25

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all day long.

Reflect: I love spending time with my friends! However, many of them live far away from me. We stay in touch by sending email notes, Zooming once in a while, and sometimes I will send them something that I have made for them. Friends are important. They are the ones we can turn to when we are at the end of our rope and also when we need to celebrate. They are the ones who will listen and tell us the truth, the truth that helps us to see things clearly. The writer of this Psalm reminds us that God is our friend. God also sent Jeremiah to be a friend to the Israelites, to remind them that God was with them. We rarely think of God as a friend, as someone that we can depend on, as someone that we can talk to, as someone we can hang out with. Just talking to God is how we build that relationship. Honest conversation, one where we share our joys, sorrows, silliness, hopes, all of who we are is what prayer is about. God's name, Emmanuel reminds us that God is with us. This first Sunday we celebrate that Hope, Emmanuel.

Respond: While we can pray to God anywhere at any time, it is helpful to have someplace special to remind us that God is with us. You can make a special place in your house to remind you of God’s presence with you. Decide with your family where that place should be. In that place, you can put things that remind you of your friendship with God. Some things you might include are a cross to remind you of Jesus, a battery-powered candle to remind you of the light of God’s love, or some special things you have found outside to remind you of the wonder of God’s world. Maybe it's time to put up your nativity scene. What else would you like to put in your special place to be with God?

Prayer: (Have kids repeat each line)

Emmanuel,

Thank you for being our friend,

And for the work, you do in our lives

Thank you for guiding us each day.

We love you, God!

Thank you for sending Jesus

In Jesus' name, Amen!

Video Story: Whirl Kids explain Advent

Visit our website @ hillschurch.org

Sally Tomasetti

Sallyt@hillschurch.org