Are you ready for Advent?

November 3rd, 2021

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:1-5

Advent is only 3 weeks away and despite all the anticipated joy and merriment, Advent can be a dark season. As we get wrapped up in shopping, family squabbles, busy schedules, and seasonal effective disorder as a result of shorter days and longer nights, it becomes understandable that we feel more burdened than excited for Christmas. Yet, for those of us who follow Christ, this season was never about spending, busyness, or conflict, it is about anticipating the most important birth in human history. The day Jesus was born is the day "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14)

This year our theme is "Lighting the Way to Christmas." Since we are Jesus' body in this world, we aim to see and be a bright light in a dark season. Through events, rituals, and works of charity we will see the radiance of Christ flow into us and out into the lives of those around us. May the light of Christ shine so brightly that no darkness can overcome it.

We've got big dreams and it's going to take us all doing our part to make it happen. There are a ton of opportunities for you to get involved that fit your schedule and gifting. Take a moment now to look through our activities and consider how you would like to offer your time, talents and resources toward our goal to Light the Way to Christmas. This should be a whole lot of fun!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON OUR BUILDING

Did you know that Christmas lights were originally used for more than just making houses look festive? It's true, Christmas lights started as candles in windows to tell weary travelers that they were welcome to come inside from the snow and cold for some shelter and warmth. A house with lights in the window was an open invitation.

We hope that Valley Chapel is a community whose lights are always on to anyone who feels like their life is a blizzard. In order to brighten up our church's home we would like to put Christmas lights on the building from November 28th until Epiphany on January 6th. With a tight budget we are calling on you to help fund the lights. You can donate toward this fun project using the button below and giving to the "Special Projects" fund.

Help us buy Christmas Lights

A SPOTLIGHT ON JESUS AT MOONLIGHT MAGIC

Each year, Warsaw gathers on the first Friday of December (12/3) for Moonlight Magic, a fun event put on by the Chamber that celebrates Christmas while supporting local businesses. We were originally planning an event on the following Saturday, but realized that joining in the fun of Moonlight Magic would help us be a bright light where our community was already gathering. We will be hosting an outdoor mini VBS for families to enjoy that will include music, a fun message, and a craft.

HOW TO HELP OUT
Stage Team: Help show families how to sing and learn sign language to "Light of the World" by Lauren Daigle
Craft Team: Help families create glow-stick Christmas candles they can carry around town to "Be a Light"
Greeting Team: Invite families passing by to join in the fun and wish them a Happy Advent with a smile.

THE KIDZ PAGEANT IS BACK

On Sunday Dec 12th our Valley Chapel Kidz will be leading us in worship by telling the story of Christmas through songs, readings, and more! They start practicing next week (11/14) during the worship service.

HOW TO HELP OUT
Kidz: Show up for rehearsals on Nov 14, 21, 28 & Dec 5th, + Sat Dec 11th
Parents: Volunteer to help in the kidz wing. It starts with a simple background check.

VOLUNTEER

WHO WANTS TO JOIN A CHOIR?

Would you like to sing in a choir? Our worship leader Hilary is organizing a choir for our worship service on Dec 19th. Rehearsals will be on Nov. 24th at 8pm and Dec 12th after worship. When you sign up, Hilary will be in touch.

Join the choir