Good evening and Merry Christmas Eve to you and those you hold in your heart, tonight and every night. It is Christmas Eve!!! And we are excited to celebrate together with you (with as much or little participation as you wish to engage in, no expectations from us) the coming birth of our Savior, Jesus! While the church year has just begun, the joy of the season can be a wonderful way to close out the calendar year. But we also recognize that for some people, this time of year is not one of joy or happiness, but instead of time of sorrow or mourning. If you are struggling this holiday season (or any other time of year), please reach out to us and let us know how we can help support you. You are a beloved child of God, a sibling of Jesus Christ, made in the image of God, and therefore beautiful just the way you are. God's love for you in unconditional and never ends. God loves EVERYONE, and we embrace that here at Stony Creek UMC.
On this Christmas Eve, we are finishing our Advent/Christmas sermon series, "The King is Coming," with a message titled, "A King Is Born!," utilizing our reading for today from Isaiah 9:2-7 (NIV) (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%209%3A2-7&version=NIV). Also in worship today, we will be singing some songs, lifting prayers, and joining together in liturgy. And do not worry, all of the information you need can be found by visiting https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oQfvMREhgK5zIuLEcev9enTA6T49baQM?usp=sharing where you can download a PDF version, named with the date of the service it goes along with. From time-to-time there may be additional inserts or content for certain services, so make sure to check out every file with the same date for today's service. And don't forget to keep an eye out on our Facebook for more updates to come!
We would also like to extend our deepest thanks to those who continue to help support our church and ministries through their time, their talents, their prayers, and their tithes. If you are looking for a way to help support the ministry work we do, please consider making a financial gift online at: https://www.faithstreet.com/church/stony-creek-united-methodist-church-ypsilanti-mi/giving. You can also reach out via our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stonycreekumc), church email ([email protected]), or call the church office (734-482-0240) to learn about other ways you can support the ministries done in our faith community. As you are watching online, if you ever have any questions, or just want to chat, please jump into the chat alongside the video feed on Facebook. There are almost always a few folks already there and happy to talk/chat with you!
One last thing (we know this is a LOT of information). You, YES YOU, are a beautiful child of God, made in God's image, which means a few critical things. One, you are a beloved sibling with us through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice to save the world. Two, you are loved unconditionally by God and there is nothing you can ever do to change that or stop it. Three, you will always be welcome at Stony Creek United Methodist Church (in-person or online). You do not have to be a United Methodist, a member of any other denomination, baptized, or ever a Christian. We love you whether you are rich or poor, young or old, no matter your social standing, your cognitive or physical abilities, if you have tattoos or colored hair, how you identify or who you love, we will love you just as you are! All we ask is when you are with us to try to show that same love and acceptance to others. We know that people will not always agree on everything, but we believe that we can disagree about certain things and still love one another. We want everyone to feel welcomed and a part of our faith community in whatever ways they are comfortable to do so, but we will not condone words or actions of hatred, oppression, or injustice towards others because of their sexual orientation, sexual identity, race, ethnicity, or any other part of their identity. If any of this goes against your current beliefs, we simply ask that you find another place of worship that better aligns with your beliefs, or if you think you can, open yourself and your heart to some conversations that may lead you to change your mind, your beliefs, and your understandings about the world and about God's love.
We pray that you always feel the love and grace of God in you, around you, and everywhere you go, and that you find Stony Creek UMC to be a safe, accepting, and open space where you are always welcomed just as you are!