Advent Store | Festival of Christmas | Christmas Eve Service | Recommended Books
Sacred Spaces | Flat Bethlehem Star
Advent Store
Stop by the main campus during business hours or from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Sunday afternoons to choose from a selection of free craft supplies, votives, candles, etc. to create your own Advent wreaths and more. You can also pick up a photo of our church’s sanctuary beautifully decorated for Christmas to bring a piece of church home. A cart with the Advent Store supplies will be set up between the double doors at Entrance 2 for your convenience.
Photo of the Sanctuary
If you would like to print a photo of the sanctuary for your Sacred Space, click the image below.
Home Made Advent Wreath Ideas








Advent Wreaths to Purchase
Click on the image below to get more information on where to buy.
Check out more finished wreaths to purchase on Etsy.com!
Festival of Christmas

On December 16th, we will have our annual Festival of Christmas, which will be livestreamed at 6:30 p.m. This year’s Festival will be based on the theme, “What Shall We Give to the Christ Child?”
Christmas Eve Service

On Christmas Eve, we plan to have a livestreamed Lessons and Carols service available as well as a Christmas Eve parking lot service you can attend in person and listen to on the radio from your car! You can drive in, receive communion, light candles, and sing songs to celebrate Christ’s birth while remaining socially distanced. Stay tuned for more details! If you are interested in attending, please help us plan for how many vehicles to expect by taking our poll at: shorturl.at/uBKM910:05
Upcoming Advent Book Studies and Book Recommendations at a Glance:
Faithful Families For Advent & Christmas—This book has been given out to our families with children in the SHUMC children’s ministry program and is also recommended for all families! It gives meaningful ways for families to bring sacredness to the Advent and Christmas season.
Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience—Kristina White will lead a study on Almost Christmas, which explores how to wholeheartedly follow Christ from a Wesleyan perspective during the Advent season. Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.
God is Here: Daily Readings for Advent—Pastor Jim will lead us in exploring these daily readings to help us focus on being aware of God’s presence in the ordinary and mundane times of life this Advent season. Limited number of books available from Pastor Jim for $13 each.
Sacred Spaces
If you would like to share a picture of your Sacred Space, please email a picture to tech@southernhillsumc.org! You will be credited unless else specified.
Flat Bethlehem Star
During Advent, we will be doing a “Flat Bethlehem Star” activity (reminiscent of the “Flat Jesus” activity we did last year during the summer)! Come pick up a Bethlehem Star from the Advent Store cart at Entry 2 of the main campus. Each week of Advent follows a theme, and we are asking you to take a photo of your family with the flat star in a location or doing an activity that reminds you of that week’s theme. Each week, Pastor Jim will share a passage and invitation as a reminder of what to be on the lookout for. Please email your photos to tech@southernhillsumc.org so we can share them with the congregation!
Weekly Themes:
Week 1: Hope
Week 2: Love
Week 3: Joy
Week 4: Peace