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Sunday morning worship at CUC is at 10:00 AM
with the He/SheBrews Café following in the Van Roon Community Hall
Advent/Christmas Dates
- Sunday, December 21
- Worship with The Winnipeg Brass
- Wednesday, December 24
- 5:00 PM Christmas Eve Family Service
- 7:00 PM Christmas Eve Communion Service
- 9:00 PM Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion with Senior Choir
- Sunday, December 28
- 10:00 AM Worship and Baptism
- Sunday, January 4
- 7:00 PM Lights for Lives Worship Service
Dear Friends
Welcome to worship for Sunday, December 21, 2025.
Merry Christmas! As the day for which we prepare in Advent draws ever closer, it is an immense blessing to offer you the hope of your church that the day and season before fills you with tidings of comfort and joy.
It is also a blessing to extend an invitation to you to join us as you feel able for the worship services at Charleswood over the next ten days. Each offers the opportunity to soften the Christmas season and deepen your celebration of the birth of Jesus.
This Sunday, December 21 is Advent 4 and the candle we light on our Advent wreath is that of Love. In addition, we have a bit of a local tradition that makes glad the worshipping heart. We are welcoming back the Winnipeg Brass quintet whose presence adds more to the worship experience than I can describe. The blending of trumpet, trombone, French horn, and tuba in the capable hands of these talented musicians is as comforting at Christmas as it is inspiring at Mardi Gras. With the strains of familiar carols this really is the soundtrack of the nativity.
On Christmas Eve at 5:00 we welcome those for whom a shorter, family-friendly worship experience adds meaning to the Christmas festival. In story, song, prayer, and symbols, the journey to Bethlehem will be re-visited.
At 7:00 on Christmas Eve we have our early evening communion service. This is in part to provide options for worship at a time when personal and family schedules have to be taken into consideration. It is also an opportunity for those who would like children to experience communion at Christmas but who worry that a later time and dimmer lighting might be a bit of a challenge.
Our traditional candlelight communion service with the Senior Choir begins at 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve. I have often described this as a bit of a homecoming service as the sanctuary fills with many who grew up in our church and are home for the holidays having begun their own lives, careers, and in some instances, families. Many people have commented to me about the rich gifts Shauna, Faisal, and the choir have been offering this Advent, something that will be no less true on Christmas Eve at 9:00.
Finally, an invitation to join us on the Sunday between Christmas and New Years, December 28 at 10:00 AM. This is the Sunday that falls during the proverbial “12 Days of Christmas” and some think of it as a relatively ‘low’ day church-wise. That is kind of true given what has preceded it. But we have had many moments of great joy at this service over the years while celebrating the sacrament of baptism. Once more this will be the case with both an infant baptism and an adult baptism taking place that day. All done in the joyful Spirit and friendly environment of Charleswood at worship.
May the gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love find their place in your hearts this Christmas season.
Grace and peace,
Michael
- For news and events, please have a look at Life & Work on our website: Life and Work
- Share the service with friends by forwarding this email or using this link: https://youtu.be/0iwcRHgLq4k
- Read this week’s scripture lesson here: Matthew 1:18-25
- Did you know you can support this ministry by e-transfer, automatic withdrawal (PAR), and gifted securities, in addition to weekly or monthly cheques? For Offering Information please visit: https://charleswoodunited.org/support/ Thank you for your generous support.
