Advent, Week 4: Joy – Resilient Joy: The Lord is Near.
As we are nearing the end of Advent, we look forward to the “good news of great joy for all people” that the angels proclaimed in Luke 2. But joy is sometimes elusive, and it can ebb and flow with the ups and downs of life. This week we will look at Phillipians 4 and at Paul’s instruction to believers to “rejoice in the Lord always”. Is that even possible?!?. We will see Paul’s basis for a resilient joy throughout the seasons of life: “The Lord is near”
Join us for our monthly Service and Learning gatherings. Some activities require registration, and some are drop-in. Please read below for all the details.
Community Ministry, a group of people from some local churches, come together weekly to prepare and serve a meal at 22 Willow for those seeking a hot meal and a place to find community. We have the opportunity to join them on the 2nd Thursday of the month to eat with them, build relationships and support the work of creating community.
No Registration Required
Sunday, December 14, 2025:
Learning in Sanctuaryat 22 Willow (9AM)
No registration Required.
Cooking & Baking at 22 Willow for A Better Tent City (9AM)
We will prepare food in the kitchen at 22 Willow to be shared with our friends at A Better Tent City.
Christmas Cookie Decorating & School Supply Kit Assembly at 22 Willow
We will divide the group into two, and take turns decorating cookies for our friends at ABTC, and put together school supply kits for school in need in our region.
This week we continue the Advent season by lighting the candle of Peace. In this act we recognize our longing for peace to come fully to this world, often gripped in the horrors of violence and hatred. We will be exploring the calling to peacemaking in Jesus teachings, and how scripture guides us towards peace as an outward expression of the peace in our own hearts. We will ask questions like; how can the state of our own hearts guide our outward approach to peace? And does scripture bring anything meaningful to our search for peace in ourselves?
This Advent, we are invited into an active kind of waiting—one that is creative, and collective.
We begin with a bare tree, and week by week, we will contribute to its transformation. As we explore the profound themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, we will add a piece to the tree, participating in its—and our own—transformative becoming.
This is more than decoration; it’s a shared story. Join us as we gather around “The Becoming Tree” and discover how our shared anticipation and collaboration can make all things new.
