Saturday, December 31, 2022
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Advent Activities with Kids
Waiting does not come naturally for children. And yet, the Advent season is all about waiting, hope, and anticipation for Jesus’ birth. Special services at your church help families celebrate the coming of Jesus. A wreath of candles placed near the altar commemorate the passing of the four weeks of Advent, and the appearance of purple pastor stoles and church banners reminds us of repentance. To further help children appreciate the meaning behind this season of anticipation, we’ve made a list of Advent ideas to prepare young hearts and minds for Christmas during the Advent season.
Read more, here.
Bethany Lutheran Church
1011 Ulatis Drive
Vacaville, CA
(707) 451-6675
mychurch@gobethany.com
Website
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
5 ADVENT ACTIVITIES for Catholic Children
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Thursday, December 15, 2022
The Days of Advent Introduction - Brother Francis 17 clip
Monday, December 12, 2022
Advent, Week 3
Friday, December 9, 2022
‘In All Things’
Some 20,000 Lutheran youth and adults flocked to Houston in July for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering.
Photography by Erik M. Lunsford | Fall 2022
On a sunny morning in Houston, around 20,000 LCMS youth and adults heard God’s Word, confessed their sins, received absolution and the Lord’s Supper, and sang together during a Divine Service at Minute Maid Park.
This service was the culmination of the five days of the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering, held July 9–13 in Houston under the theme “In All Things,” based on Colossians 1:15–20. In a church body of around 1.8 million, Gathering attendees represented more than one out of every 100 LCMS Lutherans, as well as partner churches from 11 other countries.
The week was full of mass events, Bible studies, topical sessions and service projects. Youth groups donated blood, made recordings of books for Concordia Publishing House, and worked with LCMS Recognized Service Organizations like Lutheran Braille Workers and Orphan Grain Train. More than 4,500 participants were deployed to serve throughout the city, and many others built beds for the nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Peace that were then delivered to children in the Houston area.
Read more, here.
Bethany Lutheran Church
1011 Ulatis Drive
Vacaville, CA
(707) 451-6675
mychurch@gobethany.com
Website
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
November Life Together Digest with Pres. Harrison
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Loving and Serving Local Families
Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carol Stream, Ill., serves families in the community through its monthly Breakfast with Baby event.
Photography and story by Erik M. Lunsford | Fall 2022
Before the dew had evaporated on a Saturday morning in May, mothers and their young children were already arriving at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carol Stream, Ill., outside of Chicago.
Families gathered for the monthly Breakfast with Baby event, an outreach ministry that the church started in October 2019. Despite the pandemic, over 70 families continue to attend.
“We want the whole community to know that Christ has invited them into our home and His home. They are a part of our family and we’re here to take care of them as best we can and not only in Word and Sacrament, but also in physical needs,” said the Rev. Tom Sanders, vacancy pastor at Our Savior.
Inside the church’s gymnasium, tables and racks displayed available children’s clothing, while an area of strollers and toys under a large cross attracted children to one end of the room. Guests waited at the door to register near a sign that read: “God loves you! And so do we!”
Lauren Thomas, a wheelchair-bound mother of two with one more on the way, let daughter Viola ride on her lap with a bag of clothing while son Gideon walked behind, carrying another bag of items. Thomas, who has visited several times, said she’s thankful for the help from the church.
“Breakfast with Baby is a service we’re providing for people who are in need,” said Dawn Janke, one of the coordinators of the event. “We don’t question what that need is. We just know that if they’re coming, they are in need of something.”
Read more, here.
Bethany Lutheran Church
1011 Ulatis Drive
Vacaville, CA
(707) 451-6675
mychurch@gobethany.com
Website