“Love, Hope, and Light in the Community”

9:30 Sunday School

Today's Leaders

*Song Leader: Susan Huyard
*Worship Leader: Marlene Wenger
*Offertory: Emy Yoder
*Children’s Time: Lois Sell
*Accompanist: Leah Huyard

 *Message: Kevin Gasser

Announcements

Eastern Mennonite School is putting on “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” today at 1:30. Come support our own Luke Huard! Tickets are available at the door.

Church Council will not meet this month.

There will 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 for the children. Everything will be supplied by the fellowship committee.

Staunton Mennonite has been invited to “adopt” children from the Valley Mission for Christmas. Information is available for each of the residents under the age of 18. The hope is that we can provide a shoe-box-sized gift for each child. Please consider how you might be able to give to our less fortunate neighbors. Gifts are due December 13.

Staunton Mennonite will be serving the evening meal at the Valley Mission next Sunday, December 13. Please see Kathy if you are able to bake cornbread, chop vegetables after church next Sunday, or would like to help serve the meal.

Please pray for:

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

• Those who lost loved ones in the recent mass shootings

Luke 3:6a, “Prepare the way for the Lord…”

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.

Love: Love may overflow Call to Worship Leader: We wait for God’s light to burst into our dark world. Open your eyes. Unstop your ears. People: As we prepare for your coming, we recognize that we are in need of change. Leader: Like the valleys and hills, the crooked paths and rough places, we need your mercy to transform us. People: We confess that we still live in the shadows of apathy, greed, and prejudice. Burn away in your refining fire all that keeps us from you. All: Kindle in us your merciful love so that we may be freed to serve and worship you in spirit and in truth. Praying God of faithfulness and truth, you sent your servant John the Baptist to preach in the desert and summon the people to repentance. Make us and all things new, that in the wilderness of our hearts we too may prepare a way over which your Son may walk. Amen. —adapted from Sing the Story #126 Sending May our love overflow more and more with full knowledge and insight to help us determine what is best. We are confident of this: the one who began a good work among us will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 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. Today is the second 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: Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; 3:1-6; Philippians 1:3-11. Bible readings for next Sunday: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18.