Advent

Advent is a season of preparation and anticipation that comes at the end of the calendar year, but marks the beginning of a new church year. The materials we are using for our 2024 Advent theme, Words for the Beginning, were created by A Sanctified Art. They highlight the words we need to hear again and again as we begin a new season, using artwork and themes inspired by quilts, providing warmth and comfort as we begin again.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

5:00 PM - Family-friendly service
Stories, songs with guitar accompaniment, and permission to wiggle around a bit. In person only.

8:00 PM - Traditional candlelight service
Lessons and carols with Communion, featuring music from our chancel choir and church orchestra. All are welcome for Communion. In person and live-streamed.

resources

Devotional booklet
Readings for each week of Advent. Print copies are available in the Narthex. An electronic version is available from the church office upon request.

Photo-a-day Advent calendar
A photo inspired by a different theme word each day of Advent on CPC's Facebook and Instagram pages.

Focal scriptures in the CPC App
A weekly scripture reading and message delivered through the CPC mobile app.

References from sermons
The Transformative Practice of Writing Love Letters to Yourself with Elizabeth Gilbert

Words for the Beginning playlist
A playlist of music for Advent on Spotify.

Materials to borrow from the CPC Library
  • For Adults - standalone devotionals and holiday fiction.
  • For Children - picture books and DVDs for a faith-filled Advent and Christmas.

A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT
IN FOUR PARTS

This year's Christmas pageant will be presented in four episodes, one per week of Advent, during the Children's Time in our Sunday morning Worship Services. Join us at 10:30 AM in person, livestream, or watch the recording afterwards.

WEEKLY PHRASES

Each week we will focus on one phrase, as follows:
  • First Sunday of Advent - You Are a Blessing
  • Second Sunday of Advent - We Can't Go Alone
  • Third Sunday of Advent - Do the Good That Is Yours to Do
  • Fourth Sunday of Advent - Hope is Worth the Risk
  • Christmas Eve - Love Knows Your Name
  • First Sunday After Christmas - Don't Forget to Laugh
  • Epiphany Sunday - The Road Isn't Straight

CALENDAR OF Events

Calendars
CPC Events
Children's Ministry Calendar
CPC Youth Ministry Calendar
CPC Meetings
Sabbatical Calendar
Advent 2024

GIVING QUilt

This year during Advent our Narthex will feature a Giving Quilt in lieu of our traditional Giving Tree. Envelopes requesting grocery store gift cards in small denominations will be posted on a bulletin board. As the envelopes are taken, a quilt-themed artwork designed by A Sanctified Art and completed by our children will be revealed. The gift cards will be given to users of the food pantry at Dorcas Ministries so they can purchase fresh items like eggs and milk at local stores. 

GROUP ADVENT STUDY

A discussion-based class led by Rev. Alan Bancroft  and inspired by the Words for the Beginning  devotional. In the church parlor Sunday mornings 9:15-10:15 AM, and also online via Zoom Wednesdays at 7:00 PM.

MORE ABOUT THE 'WORDs FOR THE BEGINNING' THEME

This year's Advent theme, Words for the Beginning, comes from the talented folks at A Sanctified Art. As in previous years, we will be using materials created by them throughout Advent.

Advent is a season of endings and beginnings. As the calendar year ends, a new church year rushes in. Christ’s birth ushers us into new ways of living and loving—and yet, we feel the weight of many things ending. What are the reminders we need to move faithfully through this threshold? A Sanctified Art has crafted an Advent series filled with blessings, with the words we need to hear again and again as we begin a new season. Imagine the words Mary would speak to her newborn son. What scriptures and stories would she impart to him? What lessons would she teach him as he grew?
 
And so, the weekly themes may feel like the lessons taught to children, but in reality, these are lessons we continue to learn and relearn as adults. They may sound like the messages imparted to loved ones during special ceremonies or sacred rituals such as weddings, ordination services, or baptisms. You are invited to enter this Advent season as if you are entering a sacred new chapter, holding fast to the reminders that will bolster you for the journey ahead. In many ways, pregnant Mary was surrounded by endings—large and small, personal and political. And yet, Mary proclaimed hope in a God who was and is making all things new. As we also move through new chapters, may these words for the beginning renew us and remind us of the ways we are called to live out our faith. No matter what you are facing, no matter what this new day brings, let love be your beginning.
 
A Sanctified Art was inspired by the visual concept of quilting. Like a quilt formed by scraps of old fabrics and meaningful family items, this worship series stitches together the ancient scriptures and reminders we need to hear again and again. Quilts have been used for physical protection, comfort, ceremonies, abolition, family heirlooms, advocacy, and more. Quilting is a medium that transcends countless cultures, regions, and time periods, but is a craft rooted in community and storytelling.