Services and studies
First Baptist — The Rev. Dan Cash will deliver the message, “Discovering God’s Mercy,” at the 9:30 a.m. Sunday service at the church, 3300 Fairlawn Drive in Columbus. Scripture for the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be Luke 1:46b-55. Music worship will be led by the Glad Ringers and the Chancel Choir.The youth coffee fundraising activity will be open before and after the service.The 16-member Mission Team will be commissioned for their travel to Chile during the Christmas school break.
Child care is provided for infants, and children’s church is available for toddlers and preschool-age children.
Classes for all ages will begin at 10:45 a.m. The Children’s Sunday School lesson will be “Mary Visits Elizabeth,” as found in Luke 1:39-55.
The Revision Service, a casual family focused service, will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Information: 812-376-3321; fbccolumbus.org
Westside Community — Pastor Dennis Aud will lead the 10 a.m. Sunday family oriented service with the message, “God Knows How To Lift Us Up,” from John 12:23-28 at the church at the corner of State Road 46 West and Tipton Lakes Boulevard in Columbus. The children ages preschool through sixth grade will join the regular worship service and will be singing some of their favorite Christmas carols for the congregation.
A nursery for youngsters up to 2 years old will be offered during worship. The regular children’s ministry program will resume during the 10 a.m. worship service the following Sunday.
Westside will be reading the “One-Year Bible” together as a church beginning in 2016. Bibles are available at the church for families needing one.
Several Bible studies and small groups meet throughout the week. For more information on these studies, contact the church office at 812-342-8464.
East Columbus United Methodist — The Chancel Choir will present the Christmas Cantata “Gloria” at the combined 9:30 a.m. Sunday service at the church, 2439 Indiana Ave. Cookies will be served after the service in the fellowship hall. Sunday school will meet at 10:40 a.m. for all ages and Bible interests. Children’s church will host a “Happy Birthday Jesus” party. A toddler room/nursery is available during the service. An evening service will not be conducted.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The church office will be closed Thursday and Friday.
Petersville United Methodist — On the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Rev. Stormy Scherer-Berry will give the message “Peace” during the 9 a.m. service at Petersville United Methodist Church, 2781 N. County Road 500E. Scripture will be from Luke 1:39-45 and 46-55, read by the worship leader Patsy Harris. Scherer-Berry will present the children’s story, along with Joe Bush and Larry Nolting. Junior church for children ages 5 to fifth grade will be led by Betty Hilycord and Sandy Williams. A time of fellowship will immediately follow worship, and Sunday School begins at 10:30 a.m.
The Monday night Bible studies, the Tuesday night Sit and Stitch class, and Thursday morning Prayer group will be on hiatus until January.
The candlelight Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. Dec. 24 will be led by Scherer-Berry. Those attending will be invited to participate in “Christmas Outreach” by taking special Christmas gift bags to those who are working on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day such as policemen, firemen, convenience store and gas station employees and medical personnel.
A joint choir from Petersville and Newbern United Methodist Church will present the cantata “Sing a Song of Christmas” during the 9 a.m. Dec. 27 service at Petersville, and at Newbern during the 10:30 a.m. worship service that same day.
Information: 812-546-4438
First Presbyterian — New pastor The Rev. Felipe Martinez will lead the 9:30 a.m. Sunday service at the church, 512 Seventh St. in Columbus. It marks his first weekend with the church. Instrumentalists and singers of all generations will help with a musical journey from present day Columbus to Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem using an adaptation of “Petit Noel,” a dramatization using French Christmas carols.
A reception to welcome the Martinez family will follow the service.
Information: 812-372-3783; fpccolumbus.org
First United Methodist — The Rev. Howard Boles will use Scripture from Micah 5:2-5a and Luke 1:47-55 to present the message, “Advent Questions: Where Should We Look?” at both the 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday services at the church, 618 Eighth St. A special music celebration will be part of both services and a Christmas cookie and coffee reception sponsored by the Tuesday Night Small Group will be conducted in Fellowship Hall between services.
Travelers Class will not meet this week.
The monthly book club will meet 6 p.m. Sunday as part of Sunday Night Connections. The Rev. Boles will lead the discussion for “Plainsong” by Kent Haruf.
The Christmas Eve worship schedule is a family service at 6:30 p.m., a jazz service at 8:30 p.m. and lessons and carols at 11 p.m. The Rev. Boles will preach a Christmas poem at each service.
Information: 812-372-2851; fumccolumbus.org
Flintwood Wesleyan — Christmas Breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 10 a.m. with worship beginning at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the church, 5300 E. 25th St. Worship will be led by the Rev. Wes Jones. No Sunday school this weekend. Individual/family candlelight communion will be from 3 to 6 p.m. No other evening activities are scheduled.
Ladies’ Connections meets at 10 a.m. on the second and fourth Monday of the month in the Friendship Center led by the Rev. Teri Jones.
Information: 812-379-4287; flintwood.org
Old Union United Church of Christ — Pastor Kirby Rupp will lead the message “Two Women of Importance,” with readings from Psalm 80:1-7, Hebrews 10:5-10 and Luke 1:46b-55 at the 10 a.m. Sunday service at the church, 12703 N. County Road 50W, Edinburgh. Sunday school begins at 9 a.m. with fellowship at 9:40 a.m.
Bible study meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The 200th Anniversary Old Fashioned Candlelight Service will begin at 11 p.m. Christmas Eve.
Information: 812-526-9430
St. Paul Lutheran — The Las Posadas service will be at 4 p.m. today beginning in the education building and ending in the chapel. This is a traditional service in Latin America that recounts the difficulty of Mary and Joseph in finding a place to spend the night on the first Christmas. A fiesta will follow in the education building.
Pastor Doug Bauman will deliver the message, “Miracles,” based on Luke 1:29-45 during the 8 a.m. Sunday service at the church, 6045 E. State St. The children’s Christmas program, “Good King Wenceslas,” will be during the 10:45 a.m. service.
Information: 812-376-6504
Becks Grove Christian Church — A Christmas Eve service will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the church, 8009 Becks Grove Road, Freetown.
Information: 812-988-4203
M
usicSt. Bartholomew Catholic — The church’s concert series is hosting an Anniversary Christmas Celebration at 7 p.m. today, with a fundraising dinner for the parish Boy Scouts troop from 6 to 6:45 p.m. The concert features the combined choirs of the parish — the St. Bartholomew Choir, Children’s Choir and Brass Choir, which will perform together with Fairlawn Presbyterian Chancel Choir and several guest singers from the Columbus community of faith.Bogdan Minut, St. Bartholomew’s director of music, said he sees the program featuring woodwinds, chimes, piano and organ as “fresh and inspiring.” The program will include both traditional tunes and modern selections and arrangements in a variety of vocal and instrumental combinations. Plus, there will be favorite sing-alongs and a dramatic, Dan Forrest arrangement of “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” as a finale.
Information: 812-379-9353; saintbartholomew.org
St. Paul Lutheran — The second Presbyterian church Beecher singers and orchestra of Indianapolis conducted by Michelle Louer will present a Christmas concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, at the church. Concert organist Charles Manning will perform Christmas favorites and lead audience in the singing of carols. A pre-concert harp recital will begin at 6:40 p.m. Everyone is invited. Admission is free.
Events
Central Heights Church of God — The Christmas program “Super Hero Christmas” will be performed at 10:30 a.m. Sunday with refreshments to follow at the church, 3151 Sharon Lane.Information: centralheightschurchofgodcolumbus.comSt. Paul Lutheran — An Advent service focusing on “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem” will be at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at the church, 6045 E. State St. The theme will be “Kings from Bethlehem,” based on II Samuel 7 and Luke 1:26-33.
The Spanish Candlelight Christmas service with communion will be conducted at 4 p.m. Christmas Eve in the chapel.
A Christmas Eve Family Candlelight service, “The Bethlehem Prophecy,” based on Micah 5:2-4 will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the church and a Communion Candlelight service, “Bethlehem — House of Bread,” based on Luke 2:1-20, will be at 11 p.m. at the church. Congregational carol singing will precede both services.
A Christmas Day service of lessons and carols, “The Shepherds of Bethlehem,” based on Luke 2:1-20, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the church.
Information: 812-376-6504
