The season of Advent, which comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” or “visit,” begins with the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent has been celebrated as a season of the Christian Church for many centuries and spans the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, each Sunday receiving a special emphasis: Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, and finally, on Christmas Eve, Christ Himself! 

During Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. We remember the longing of Jews for a Messiah and our own longing for and need of forgiveness, salvation and a new beginning. Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward anticipating the second coming of Christ as the fulfillment of all that was promised by his first coming. 

Our liturgical color for Advent is blue, the color of hope. The Advent season marks the beginning of the Christian calendar— so Happy New Year!

Join us on Friday, December 6 at 6pm in the Circle Parking Lot as we gather around the Christmas tree with family and friends singing Christmas carols. Snacks, music and fun provided!

Please help Congregational Care share Christmas love with our REACH members. We will be distributing poin­settias for delivery on Friday, December 6th from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. after the tree lighting. Drive through the porte cochere at the side entrance to the narthex where we will load your car. You may request the number of poinsettias you wish to deliver along with specific neighborhoods or specific recipients. There are a few minor changes to delivery instructions in compliance with our Safe Church policies. These changes will be shared during pickup in the narthex. Share the joy of giving this Christmas season!

Thank you to all who will be providing gifts to this year’s Angel Tree children. Gratefully, all Angels were selected and now we ask that you return the gifts for your child by Sunday, December 8th. The gifts can be placed under the Angel Tree outside of the service you attend or dropped off at the Church Office anytime during the week. It is preferred that all gifts for each child be wrapped in the same paper for easy identification, that a gift receipt be included inside or out, and that the Angel be attached to the respective gift. Thank you again for your wonderful generosity!

In December, our monthly food collection will go to the Fairview Elementary School Backpack Ministry. This ministry helps ensure that 80 children have food during their Christmas break when school meals are unavailable. We encourage everyone to focus their efforts on supporting this important initiative.

We need your help! Please bring single-serving food items to place in backpacks for the students. Ideas include:

-Drinks: Juice boxes, non-perishable milk boxes

-Breakfast: Cereal boxes/cups, Pop-Tarts, granola bars, muffin packs

-Meals: Chef Boyardee cups, ravioli, beefaroni, pork and beans, mac and cheese cups

-Snacks: Fruit cups/cans, pudding cups, Jello cups, cookies, chips, pretzels, Rice Krispy Treats, Goldfish

Donations will be collected on Sunday, December 1st and Sunday, December 8th. You can also drop off items anytime before these dates in the designated bins located in the Administrative Area. Thank you for helping us share love and support with the children at Fairview Elementary this holiday season!

The Wesley 100 will be selling their delicious chicken pies just in time for Christmas on Sunday, December 15th. Pies will be available for purchase in the Dining Hall from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. and in the Asbury Room following the 11:00 a.m. service. Each pie costs $15. Pre-orders are encouraged and can be placed by emailing Edwin Bass at edwinbass@triad.rr.com or by contacting the church office. Don’t miss this chance to enjoy a holiday favorite while supporting a great cause!

This year’s White Christmas gift collection will take place during all three services on Sunday, December 17th. When you arrive to service, please keep your gifts with you until called to bring the gifts up to the alter. These gifts will go to West End Ministries and Leslie’s House to provide essential clothing, food, and supplies to men and women using those facilities. Please consider the purchase of one or more items from the following list. Items should be wrapped in white paper and may be brought up to the altar rail/platform during the final song. Items specific to men should be marked for West End Ministries and those for women to Leslie’s House. Thank you for your generosity!

Requested items:

• coats (L, XL, XXL)
• sweatshirts (L, XL, XXL)
• white socks
• stocking caps
• scarfs
• gloves
• flip flops
• blankets
• twin sheets
• toiletries
• canned goods

All are invited to drive-thru the Wesley Memorial campus and experience the Nativity story in a unique way. Encounter the Christmas story through audio narration, live actors, Christmas lights and more. Afterward, park and join us at our Christmas Village for free hot cocoa, popcorn, cookies and Christmas carols.

New this year: drive-thru available in Spanish!

The Christmas Drive Thru Experience on Dec. 15th from 5pm-6:30pm is an audio narrated journey through the Christmas story. Every year 150+ vehicles visit our campus to drive through the experience, and it takes 30+ volunteers to accomplish this powerful evangelistic outreach to our community. Help set up or tear down! Be an angel, Mary, or Joseph! In addition to live animals with the nativity, this year we will also be adding a "Christmas Village" in the front circle so guests can connect with our church afterwards. This is a great service opportunity for entire Sunday school classes, small groups, families, children and youth. To sign up for your spot, visit wesleymemorial.org/drive (click the big red button to sign up) or call 336-884-2204. Let's make this our best year yet!

Senior adults (age 60+) are invited to a special Christmas outing to High Point University’s Planetarium, featuring the programs “The Star of Bethlehem” and “Wonders of the Wintertime Sky.” On Wednesday, December 18, senior adults will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the church’s upper parking circle to board the church bus or caravan together in cars. The Planetarium experience includes a guided tour and star show from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., with no cost to attend. Following the program, those interested can head to Sammie G’s for lunch (at their own expense).

Please RSVP by Monday, December 16, by calling the church office at 336-884-2204. Indicate whether you plan to attend both the Planetarium program and lunch or if you will return to the church after the Planetarium visit. This will be a wonderful opportunity for senior adults to enjoy the beauty of the season and the wonders of the winter sky!

Don't Forget Your Christmas Memorials

This Christmas season, you can honor or remember a loved one by ordering wreaths or poinsettias to decorate the church. To place your order, contact Isabel Cruz via email at cruzvalencia@wesleymemorial.org or call 336-812-4808. The deadline for ordering and submitting payment is Monday, December 16th. Memorials will be listed in the December 22nd bulletin. Wreaths are available for $30 each, and poinsettias for $25 each.

Christmas Staff Bonus

The Board of Directors invites you to help us celebrate and bless our incredible staff this Christmas. Their dedication, hard work, and love for our congregation make Wesley Memorial a place of true connection and ministry throughout the year. If you would like to show your appreciation with a financial gift, you can participate in one of the following ways:

Write a check to WMMC with “Staff Bonus” in the memo line and place it in the Sunday offering plate, mail it to the church, or drop it off at the Front Desk.

Contribute online at wesleymemorial.org/give by selecting “Staff-Christmas Bonus” from the drop-down menu under “Fund.”

Let’s come together to show our gratitude for all they do. Please make your contribution by Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Thank you for helping us honor and bless our wonderful staff this holiday season!