“Love, Hope, and Light in the Community”

9:30 Sunday School

Today's Leaders

*Song Leader: Garlan Yoder
*Worship Leader: Sonya Gasser

 *Message: Kevin Gasser

Announcements

The annual Staunton Mennonite Women Christmas party will be held this Wednesday, December 2, beginning at 6:00pm. The meal will be provided at a cost of $10 per person. Please bring a mug for our special hot drink bar, and 1 dozen cookies to share. Please RSVP today to Sonya or Kathy.

There will also be an all-church Christmas meal on December 9 starting at 5:30pm. Please join us for a simple meal of pizza as well as sharing in a time of singing and Christmas crafts. Everything will be supplied by the fellowship committee.

Staunton Mennonite has been invited to “adopt” children from the Valley Mission for Christmas. In the coming weeks we will have some basic information available for each of the children living at the Mission. The hope is that we can provide a shoe-box-sized gift for each of the children. Please consider how you might be able to give to our less fortunate neighbors.

Please pray for:

• Those who are lonely, hungry, or suffering this Christmas season

Psalm 25:3 (NRSV),
“Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.”

No one truly knows Christ unless they follow Him daily in life" - Hans Denck

Thank you for joining us in worship today.  If this is your first time at Staunton Mennonite, please fill out the “Welcome” card in the back of the pew and place it in the offering plate.

Hope: I will fulfill my gracious promise Call to Worship Leader: We live in troubled times, waiting for God’s burst of light into our dark world. People: Lift up your eyes! God’s justice is on the way. Leader: Liberating God, sustain us and help us to walk in your ways. People: Free us from the chains of prejudice and the shackles of sin. Leader: This is the moment to wake from sleep. Be ready, Jesus is coming to set us free. All: Let us worship God, whose mercy promises us new life through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Praying God of Advent, in the darkest days and nights of the year, our hearts turn toward your promised light. Help us to not fear the shadows in our own lives; help us to have courage to face what binds us and keeps us from living in freedom in Christ. Lead us in your light to a manger where the face of God—truth, justice, mercy—shines bright and clear. Amen. —adapted from Sing the Story #125 Sending Now may God increase our love for one another and for all, and strengthen our hearts in holiness so that we will be blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent–Epiphany worship resources are produced cooperatively by Mennonite Church Canada Formation, the Denominational Ministry of Mennonite Church USA, and Leader magazine. Bible readings for today: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36. Bible readings for next Sunday: Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6. Mennonite Worship Bulletins © 2014 MennoMedia, Harrisonburg, Va., and Waterloo, Ont. Printed in the USA. 11-29-15