Cookie & Ornament Exchange Friday, December 2
This annual gathering is traditionally held on the first Friday in December. Members of Orchard and their friends, neighbors, and/or family are invited to come to Orchard on Friday, December 2, at 10 am. Enjoy fellowship with each other, along with brunch, a cookie exchange, and an ornament exchange. Participation in exchanges is optional. If you're participating in the cookie exchange, bring a batch of your favorite cookies, and an additional container to take home your "new" cookies. If you're participating in the ornament exchange, bring a wrapped ornament. Need childcare? Contact Tracey Huber to arrange. The hosts are Michelle Bianco and Barb Gallett.
Parents Night Out Friday, December 2
Drop off your children 8 and under for some early St. Nick fun from 6 - 8:30 pm. Head to the WOW Room in the Children's Wing for pizza, a Christmas craft, hot chocolate, and a movie. Get a head start on some shopping or go on a date before the holiday rush. Sign-up is required. Contact Tracey Huber with any questions.
Breakfast with Santa & Santa’s Workshop Saturday, December 3
Ho! Ho! Ho! What could be better than an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, followed by a personal visit with Santa? Breakfast is $5 for adults and kids 12 & up; $3 for children 3-11; under 3, free. Gluten-free pancakes will be available. Have your picture taken with Santa. Take home a special keepsake ornament. COVID-safe options for visiting Santa will be in place. After sharing wishes with Santa, the children can head down the hall to do a little Christmas shopping at Santa’s Workshop and get those gifts wrapped—all with a little “elf-help”! This is the PERFECT event to invite friends, neighbors, loved ones, or someone you know who has children to come and enjoy Orchard's hospitality!
Christmas Cantata Sunday, December 11
The Chancel Choir will present "The Voices of Christmas”at both the 9 am and 11 am services at their Christmas Cantata offering. This special service is a masterpiece that combines beautiful music with monologues and testimonies from Biblical and modern characters This season, listen and rejoice with the Voices of Christmas!
Advent By Candlelight Tuesday, December 13
Advent by Candlelight is our annual Advent tea and worship service for Orchard women and their guests (ages 12 and up). On Tuesday, December 13, we are taking a moment to reflect on the season. The evening begins at 6:30 pm as women gather outside the sanctuary and enjoy a cup of our famous holiday wassail. The service starts at 7 pm. Click here to sign up to host a table or come as a guest, or scan the QR code.
Rockin’ the Manger Saturday, December 17
Our Praise Band and Singers will help celebrate the season with a free Christmas concert as part of "Rockin' the Manger," a fun community outreach event from 1 pm to 3 pm. We'll have live animals and a manger scene outside, hot chocolate and kid activities inside, and then a 2 pm concert with holiday favorites and audience sing-alongs, both secular and sacred. It'll be fun, kid-friendly, and great to invite friends and family to!
Longest Night Worship Service Wed., December 21
December 21 is the longest night of the year. Perhaps this year has felt like one of the longest ones in your life; perhaps you're missing someone in your life or you're grieving things that just have not turned out how you imagined or hoped. At this Longest Night Service on December 21 at 7 pm in the sanctuary we will acknowledge that, for many people, Christmas is a time of loneliness, sorrow, alienation, sadness. This service offers a way for people to claim those feelings and still feel surrounded by the compassionate love of God.
Christmas Eve Saturday, December 24
Christmas Eve is Saturday, December 24. We will celebrate the birth of Christ at three distinct worship services.
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Our 4 pm service will be the perfect one to bring children to. There will be plenty of music, the Christmas Story told for (and by) children, and lots of opportunities for everyone to participate in the joy of the evening!
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6 pm worship will have music led by the Praise Band and Singers.
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8 pm worship will be more traditional music led by the Chancel Choir and organ.
All services will end with lighting candles as we sing Silent Night.
Celebrate Together at 10 am Sunday, December 25
On Sunday, December 25, wear your fabulous, fashionable, festive sweater (aka “ugly Christmas sweater”) or seasonal outfit. We’ll worship together at 10 am and afterward enjoy a special hot chocolate (and coffee) treat! We’ll be merry and bright and add lots of joy to this Christmas worship!