Christmas at First Alliance 2024
Services
Advent Sermon Series
Sunday, December 1
A Christmas Letter from the Apostle Paul
Romans 15:12-13
Sunday, December 8
A Christmas Letter from the Prophet Isaiah
Isaiah 9:6
Sunday, December 15
A Christmas Letter from the Apostle John
Revelation 12
Sunday, December 22
A Christmas Letter from the Prophet Micah
Micah 5:2-4
Christmas Adam & Eve Schedule
Invite your family and friends to one of these five identical candlelight services.
Monday, December 23
7:00pm
Tuesday, December 24
1:00pm
2:30pm
4:00pm
5:30pm
Nursery services for ages 2 and under will be available at all 4 services on December 24.
Service on December 29
On Sunday, December 29, we will not meet in our building. Instead we will gather in our homes to participate in an online service together. This service has been specifically designed to give thanks to God for our past year and to look ahead to God’s faithfulness in 2025.
This service will plan on faclex.tv at our usual service times of 8:15, 9:30, 11:00am, and 12:30pm.
It will also be available on our YouTube page to view anytime starting at 8:15am.
Other Events
The Weary World Rejoices:
Women’s Ministry Christmas Event
Thursday, December 5 at 6:30pm
Our Christmas event has been reimagined this year, and we can’t wait! Join us for dessert as we share an evening of carols, fun, and encouraging stories from a few of our own FAC women.
Invite your friends, neighbors, and coworkers to experience the joy of the season with you as we center on the joy we can find even when we and our world feel weary.
Please note that registration is limited to 300 due to change of event style.
Classic Christmas Celebration
Sunday, December 15 at 5:45pm
FAC Kids & FAC’s Intergenerational Team invite you to a Classic Christmas Celebration. We’ll spend time caroling, hearing the Christmas story, and remembering together the great gift of Jesus’ birth before asking ourselves what we can give Him in return. It will be an informal, family-focused, joy-filled night; everyone, young and old and those somewhere in between, will find themselves joining in with the Christmas cheer!
The Nursery will be open for birth through 2 years. Refreshments and fellowship will follow in the Atrium.
OUT Service Opportunity
Join us in serving our local partners this Christmas!
Option 1: Shop for a meal (or let us shop for you)
Help us provide meals for families this Christmas season with our partners Wellington Elementary, Booker T. Washington Elementary, and Russell Cave Church of Christ.
As in previous years, we have a set menu for the meals which costs about $70 for a family of 4–6. You will receive the list by email once you sign up.
Another option we have added this year is to donate $70 for a full meal or $35 for half a meal and we will shop for you.
Option 2: Help pack meals
Sign up to help package the meals for delivery on Sunday, December 15 from 12:30 to 2:30pm.
Option 3: Donate a gift
Thanks to everyone who has donated towards a gift for 30 women through our partner Natalie’s Sisters!
Drop-off Options
Drop-offs begin Sunday, December 8. We will be collecting items at the Gym/Dining Room entrance at the times listed below. Ring the doorbell and a volunteer will help you unload.
- After services on December 8 and 15
- Mondays through Thursdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm (through December 12)
The deadline to receive all items is Sunday, December 15. If you have any questions, please contact Tyrone Vinegar.
Daily Readings
A Christmas Letter From…
As a part of our Advent theme A Christmas Letter From…, we are going to send you some Christmas (e)mail!
Between now and December 25, you will receive 4-5 letters per week from a different friend of FAC. Some are from our FAC Kids sharing their Christmas favorites, some are from our cross-cultural partners with ministry updates, and others are from those in our church family focusing us towards Christ this Christmas season.
If you miss one, you can catch up below.
Advent Guide from the C&MA
We are thankful to the National Office of the C&MA who has supplied a weekly advent devotional guide to prepare our hearts for Christmas Day.
There are limited copies available in the atrium on Sundays, and you can access a digital and printable version below.
More Info on the December 29 Service
On Sunday, December 29, we will not be meeting in our building. Instead we will gather in our homes to participate together in an online service. This service has been specifically designed to give thanks to God for our past year and look ahead to God’s faithfulness in 2025.
This service will include:
- a look back at Sunday morning highlights
- a guided time of communion
- a conversation on reflection
- a brief message from Pastor Paul
- a video for our FAC Kids
We invite you to make plans to gather with a friend, group or family members to enjoy this service, although it is formatted so you can enjoy it as a time of solitude and reflection alone if you so choose.
We want to thank all of the FAC volunteer teams who have worked so hard to make this December a meaningful time of worship. It takes more than 90 volunteers every Sunday to open our doors to serve our FAC family from parking to greeting, children’s through college ministry and all of our groups and classes. We hope that this Sunday off site in homes gives our volunteers time to travel, rest and enjoy time together.
As the FAC staff will be serving in nine services over December 22, 23, and 24, this also gives them time to leave on Christmas Day to travel to see extended out-of-town family and return in time for preparations for our Sunday service on January 5 when we kick off our month of prayer!