Dec. 19 & 26 we will return to a unified service at 10:30.

This year on Christmas Eve we will be holding two services:

4:00 PM - This service will be a time of celebration in the Greenway parking area with songs, a spontaneous nativity for kids, snacks and hot beverages with fire pits.

8:00 PM - Traditional Candlelight Service in the Sanctuary.

Thank you to all of our volunteers who have taken part in making our church look beautiful in preparation for Christmas!

By now I’m sure you’ve heard that we are having a 4 PM Family Block Party on Christmas Eve in the Greenway Parking Lot. This will be lots of fun with firepits, hot chocolate, and cookies. After all it is Christmas Eve and we have to have cookies. That’s where you come in. I am in hopes that you can bring some of your favorite cookies by my office on Wednesday the 22nd or Thursday the 23rd to be shared on Christmas Eve the 24th. I am also in hopes you can join us. Bring the family, especially the kids and grandkids.

The Sunday morning fall classes have ended. There will be Christmas-themed classes on December 12, but no classes the rest of the month. Wednesday classes have also ended until January.

Saturday, December 11 from 9:30 AM - 12 PM, Third Presbyterian church will be hosting a lecture by Paul Sydnor on caring for refugees.

We are excited to offer deeper and timely teaching into God’s compassion— and our cooperation— in helping the hurting through a lecture by Paul Sydnor on caring for refugees.

Paul Sydnor serves as the ministry leader for the International Association for Refugees in Lille, France, where he works with local churches to open a center for holistic refugee ministry. As an ordained pastor and a co-founder of the Refugee Highway Partnership (RHP) in Europe, Paul has helped build church-based ministries among refugees and asylum seekers throughout Europe since 1985. Hear the stories of displacement among a small community of believers in Malta. 

To learn more about this event, visit https://www.thirdrva.org/news-events/special-lecture-gods-heart-for-refugees.

In keeping with the St. Giles tradition of placing poinsettias in the Sanctuary in memory or honor of loved ones we will be taking orders until noon on December 9th. The price this year is $12 and you may place your order with Rachel at rachel@stgiles.org.

We will be meeting for a special time of worship and reflection for a "Blue Christmas". For those who might not be familiar with what this is, we would invite you to come support those who find this time of year particularly difficult. May we gather together and stand alongside those who are carrying grief and are mourning. This may be for a loss due to death (either recently or in years past), or it may be for those who are experiencing painful relationships for whatever reason, or something similar, etc. We want to be supportive and create a healing space for those who are experiencing sadness or grief in any form this holiday season. Come and join us for this special service at our women of the church fellowship meeting on Tuesday, Dec 14th at 9:45.

We are now live-streaming many of our events, including Sunday worship and some of our classes on our YouTube channel. These can also be viewed later at the same YouTube channel. Take advantage of the opportunity to catch up on anything you’ve missed, or to share these ministries with friends who might benefit from them.