Third Sunday of Advent with the Rev. Emmanuel Ato Mercer 8:00 a.m. in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-20 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 Canticle 9 Sermon for Today: Father Manny deliver today's sermon, and you can view it once the 10:30 worship has begun. Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

Take a break from the intensity of the holiday season and join fellow seekers of a relationship with the Divine on the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Center for Spiritual Nourishment. The 2nd Saturday CSN offers experiences that engage the mind, body, and spirit by offering a safe space for you to explore an array of opportunities for spiritual growth.  The CSN is for anyone interested in spiritual nourishment, regardless of religious affiliation or beliefs. Sessions are offered a la carte.  12/10 Update: We experienced a building availability issue and have updated the schedule and locations.  Please note that all activities will be in the Administrative Building (mostly downstairs).  Unfortunately, accessing the sessions will require navigating half a flight of stairs as the building is old.  We apologize for the inconvenience.  We are taking the necessary steps to ensure we do not have any facilities conflicts in 2025. Join us Saturday, December 14th, for any or all of the morning as we offer: This Month at the CSN: Self and Spirit – Who Am I? led by Mike Looney For many of us our sense of self can become confused by the pace of life and our experiences, impacting our ability to connect with the Divine.  In this session we will leverage online self-assessment tools as we discuss how trauma, success and other forces impact our ability to be fully present with the Divine. Contemplative Meditation led by Leah Chrest Discover the desire God has to commune with us and how to inwardly attune ourselves to the Spirit's voice.  Learn (briefly) about the history of contemplative Christianity, study the power of breathwork, be led through guided visualizations, become proficient in multiple techniques for stilling the mind, and practice drawing focus into your heart center.  In a mixture of teaching, discussion, and practice, strengthen your ability to engage in the equally important side of the conversation with God--if prayer is talking to the Lord, meditation is listening to God’s voice, and being changed by God’s presence.  2 sessions/month (both the same) .   Yoga led by Jane Adams The word yoga means union. Yoga is a centuries-old sacred practice for integrating and unifying body, mind, soul, and spirit and involves the entire person. There is often breathwork and meditation, along with physical asanas or movements. This yoga practice will be customized to meet the needs of the practitioners who show up. If students prefer, they may practice seated in a chair. Yoga class will take place in the sanctuary of historic Old Brick.   Does Science Really Contradict the Bible? hosted by George Toth NDE (Near-Death Experience) accounts scientifically collected support a spiritual existence of extraordinary beauty and complexity.  Intelligent Design provides evidence of a creator and a reflection of character.  We will discuss a small amount of this evidence and if science does really contradict the teachings within the Bible.  A resource center will be available for the curious to further their understanding.    Spiritual Direction Group by Andrea Noel In this spiritual discernment and direction group we will practice listening deeply to each other using prompts from scripture, poetry, nature, and our bodies. These practices are designed to help us notice and respond to the voice of the Holy moving in our lives. Want More Information? Have Questions? Wish to Help Lead Future CSN Sessions?

Hearty Thanks for a Heartwarming 2024 Angel Tree Drive What a memorable Christmas it will be for each of the 12 children whose wishes are being fulfilled, for their families, and for all the helpers who have made it happen. We focused our support on a group of middle-school-age “angels” to meet a need identified by the Howard County (Central Maryland) division of The Salvation Army . It sponsors the Angel Tree in Howard County and elsewhere.  Generous parishioners granted all of the children’s wishes, either by purchasing new items or by donating funds. Soon after Thanksgiving, you rapidly filled up all 48 slots on the   Christ Church 2024 Angel Tree SignUp .  Our “angels” will be receiving gifts such as a scooter, a skateboard, a football, headphones, and twin sheets and comforter. And, thanks to you, each “Angel” will have an outfit and new shoes to wear after the holidays.   Outreach Commission member Melanie Yaksich led the drive, which culminated on Dec. 6 when she was joined by Angela Braham and Jenny Cecil to sort the incoming gifts. These were matched to each “angel,” bagged, and then delivered by Dec. 9 to the Salvation Army’s warehouse space. The timing allows families to receive and wrap their children’s gifts as parents anticipate a much brighter Christmas than otherwise possible. On their behalf, please accept this hearty “Thank You!” DreamBuilders Chocolate, Tea, and Coffee, Just in Time for Christmas! We will be selling DreamBuilders  goods after all three worship services this Sunday, Dec. 15, and next Sunday, Dec. 22. Proceeds will go to help fund DreamBuilders disaster recovery missions, including what will be the group’s third trip to Kentucky for another blitz build. The trip is scheduled June 15-21, 2025.   Last summer a multigenerational team built homes in flood-damaged Hazard, Ky. Christ Church was represented by Director of Youth & Family Ministries Kiona Lookingbill and Jasmine and Alex Opiri.   The chocolates, hot cocoa mix, and fair-trade coffee and tea are scrumptious, for a worthy cause, and just in time for Christmas.   FISH Asks for Volunteers As Well as Groceries and Toiletries in its Bin and Basket  FISH  of Howard County is calling for new volunteers. If you are interested, ask parishioner Andy DeLong, who is FISH treasurer and a newly-elected board member of the nonprofit, which provides committed support to Howard County residents. Please continue to put non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar or in the marked yellow bin on the breezeway between Old Brick and Parish Hall. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support. Columbia Community Care Plans Holiday Activities, Ways to Help Kids Columbia Community Care  (CCC) plans holiday activities to help children and their families, including CCC’s annual giveaway of children’s presents. That distribution of toys and gifts for kids 2 to 16 will take place on Saturday, Dec. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during a celebration at Wilde Lake Middle School (WLMS). The deadline is Friday, Dec. 20 to donate items at WLMS or at Cozy Cafe, 8006 Main St., Ellicott City, MD. C heck   the CCC Facebook Group  for updates. To volunteer, go online to “Support CCC” .   Those who need help are urged to go to “Get Help”  on CCC’s website. Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Our point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers its contents. DreamBuilders Has a Few Upcoming Events in 2025 Join us for our General Meeting on Sunday, January 12th, at 3 p.m. at Temple Isaiah - Come hear about all the work we will be doing in 2025! We have a spring project with the ARC of Howard County in April, and we are talking with Bridges to Housing Stability about renovating one of their properties as soon as January! And we’ll be returning to Kentucky in June for another blitz build. We’ve got a great video to show of our 2024 Kentucky team, featuring our own Christ Church missioners, Jasmine, Alexander and Kiona along withl their team mates.    And mark your calendars! The annual DreamBuilders Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction will take place on Saturday, March 8th at Temple Isaiah. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we’re going to need your help! We will be organizing donations for the silent auction soon. Blitz Builds are expensive, as we fund building materials as well as housing, food and transportation for our missioners.    To learn more, visit https://dreambuildersmd.org/ In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

We had such a fantastic turnout for the Youth Ministry's Wreath-Making Fundraiser! Along with the many people who gathered to create these seasonal works of art, others placed orders for wreaths and centerpieces, and every cent goes to help support Christ Church Youth Ministry activities throughout the year. Many thanks to Kiona for coordinating the volunteers and participants, and our gratitude goes out to each one of you who participated!   #youthfundraiser   #christchurch   #hocomd   #episcomd   #adventseason2024   #christmas2024   #SeasonOfWaiting

A fantastically fun and festive First Wednesday Fellowship—that's the perfect way to describe last night's final FWF gathering of the year! We were so thrilled to see many wonderful people dressed up in their not-at-all-ugly sweaters and to see wonderful people gathering to cheer them on. A huge congrats to Rebecca Warlow for taking home the top prize with her stupendous seasonal sweater! Thank you to Jenn Atkins and everyone who helped bring the First Wednesday Fellowship events to life for another incredible year. Whether it was fresh crabs, succulent barbeque, brilliant board games, tasty homemade soups, an Orioles game at Camden Yards, or any of the other great events, the FWF team really brought a variety of fun and engaging gatherings to our common life. Christ Church's FWF defines "fellowship" best!   #fellowship   #FellowshipAndFun   #fellowshipwithGod   #episcomd   #Christmas   #uglysweater   #uglysweater   #uglysweaterfun   #hocomd   #hocomd

Everyone is encouraged to join us for Advent Quiet Day on Saturday morning, December 7th. This important Christ Church tradition, presented by the Spiritual Life Commission, marks the start of the Advent season. This year, we are pleased to welcome back Rev. Kirk Kubicek, a long-time friend of Christ Church. He will lead us in prayer, discussion, and song and help us to prepare to better focus and retain our perspective in these hectic weeks leading up to Christmas. We'll gather in Old Brick for an informal breakfast and conversation at 8:30 a.m. and then take part in a morning of readings, spirited discussions, shared community, and periods for quiet meditation. Our retreat then concludes around 12 noon with an informal Eucharist. It's a very special gathering each year, and we hope that you'll join us as we let the Light enter our feelings and actions to make this a peaceful and joyous Christmas season.