Advent 2025: Year A

Theme: “Waiting, Watching, Rejoicing: Advent with Hope”

As we enter the season of Advent, we step into a sacred time of anticipation, reflection, and hope. Advent is more than a countdown to Christmas; it is a journey that invites us to prepare our hearts, minds, and lives for the coming of Christ—both in the nativity of our Savior and in the promise of His return.

This year, our Advent series, “Waiting, Watching, Rejoicing: Advent with Hope,” will guide us through Scripture, helping us to recognize God’s hand at work in the world and in our lives. Each week, we will explore themes that inspire us to live faithfully, act with integrity, rejoice in the waiting, and embrace the promise that God is with us.

Here’s a glimpse of our Advent journey:

1. First Sunday of Advent: November 30
Sermon: The Uncertainty of Life: Are You Ready?
Life is unpredictable, but God’s faithful presence is our certainty. This week, we reflect on living with readiness and hope, trusting in God’s perfect timing.

2. Second Sunday of Advent: December 7
Sermon: Living with Integrity in a Broken World
In a world that often seems fractured and unjust, God calls us to live with honesty, courage, and righteousness. We will explore how to shine God’s light faithfully in the darkness.

3. Third Sunday of Advent: December 14
Sermon: Rejoicing in the Waiting: Lessons from Mary
Waiting can feel long, uncertain, and even frustrating—but it is also a sacred time of preparation. Like Mary, we are invited to rejoice, trust, and praise God even as His promises unfold.

4. Fourth Sunday of Advent: December 21
Sermon: God with Us: The Promise that Holds Us Together!
Through the coming of Jesus, God gives us the ultimate promise: Immanuel—God with us. This week, we celebrate God’s presence that sustains, unites, and strengthens us in every season of life.

5. Christmas Eve / Nativity of the Lord: December 24
Service: Candlelight & Holy Communion
On this holy night, we gather to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Christ Jesus. Through candlelight, song, and communion, we welcome God’s love into our hearts and the world around us.

6. First Sunday of Christmas: December 28
Sermon: Hope That Travels with Us
Christmas does not end on December 25. The hope of Christ journeys with us into the new year. This week, we reflect on carrying the joy, peace, and hope of the season into our daily lives and into the world around us.

As we journey together through Advent, may this season remind us to watch for God’s presence, prepare our hearts for His coming, and rejoice in the hope that He brings.

Let us enter Advent with expectant hearts, ready to celebrate Emmanuel—God with us!