Operation Christmas Child Packing Party

• Begins at 9am
• Gym (use the main entrance)

We are getting together and packing Operation Christmas Child boxes. The items have been purchased - we need your help to pack them into the boxes. Register to work alongside others to pack up these gospel opportunities!

Light refreshments offered. We will pack from 9am until we finish - This typically takes 2 to 3 hours.

Twas the Season of Advent

• Advent Banner & Resource Pack handed out November 16th & 23rd

Celebrate Advent with us! 🌟

This Christmas season, our Children's Ministry invites families to journey through Advent together with a special daily devotional based on the book given last year, 'Twas the Season of Advent, by Glenys Nellist. Each day families can either read a daily devotional or watch and/or listen to one of our staff share that devotional on our YouTube channel.

To help you engage in further conversations with your family, we are offering an Advent Resource Pack and an Advent Banner that coordinates with the book/recordings.

The Resource Pack & Banners will be available in the Children's Lobby November 16 & 23 - 1 per family, please.

It is not necessary to have the book to participate, but if you did not receive a book last year and desire one you may order from Amazon.

Operation Christmas Child Collection Week

• November 17th - November 24th
• Lobby

First Church has been a regional and central drop-off site for the last several years, collecting around 2,000 boxes from our community and thousands more from other regional sites. We load the shoeboxes into cartons to eventually be sent all over the world. We collect all of those boxes during the National Collection Week. You can volunteer to work during our collection times.

Responsibilities Include:

• Greeting and receiving boxes from groups and individuals.
• Praying over the boxes that we receive.
• Helping to pack them and get them ready to be shipped.

Community Christmas Tree

• Nov 30th & Dec 7th
• Lobby & Children's Ministry Lobby

Join us at our Community Christmas Trees on November 30th and December 7th in both the Main and Children's Lobbies! The trees will be decorated with ornament shaped tags with gift items on them that the person taking the tag is committing to provide. All gift items must be returned to the Lobbies (unwrapped) by December 14th. These items will supply a Christmas Shoppe that will allow kids in our community connected through Mission 25 the opportunity to "shop" for gifts for their families.

Intergenerational Service

• 9am & 10:30am
• Worship Center

Both our 9am and 10:30am services will be intergenerational, meaning everyone in Kindergarten and up will be with adults in the Worship Center for those times. 

Stepping Stones Preschool Christmas Program

• 6:30pm
• Worship Center

Stepping Stones Preschool is having their annual Christmas program on Thursday, December 11th at 6:30pm in the Worship Center.

Student Ministries Sunday PM Late Night

• 6-9 PM
• Church Building

Wrap up the semester with a special Student Ministry Late Night Christmas hangout packed with high-energy games, a carol-filled worship set, and a Christmas message about real hope and joy. We’ll have plenty of pizza (and some festive surprises). This is the last Sunday PM before break - perfect for inviting a friend. Come ready to laugh, worship, and celebrate Jesus together!

Holiday Office Hours

• Closed Dec 24th - Jan 4th

The church office will be closed from December 24th through January 4th to give our staff and volunteers a time to rest and be with family and friends. If you need to reach a pastor during this time, please call the church office and leave a message.

Year end gifts may be:

• Given in the black giving boxes through Sunday, December 28
• Made online at fcog.church/give through December 31
• Mailed to the church office postmarked by December 31

Christmas Eve Services

• 4pm, 5:30pm, 7:00pm
• Worship Center

This family-friendly service is a time for us to worship Jesus together. We will sing carols, open Scripture, and light our candles together, all to remember the night that God became flesh.

Intergenerational Service

• 9am & 10:30am
• Worship Center

Both our 9am and 10:30am services will be intergenerational, meaning everyone in Kindergarten and up will be with adults in the Worship Center for those times.