Advent 2024

Let us prepare our hearts and home for this special time of the year! Over the next month we have a full calendar prepared of various events and worship services for all ages to help us open our hearts to the arrival of baby Jesus and the Light He brings to us all.

We will begin the Advent season with a performance of our Christmas Cantata, “O Holy Light” during worship on Sunday, December 1 starting at 10:45 AM. Performing this cantata will be our Sanctuary Choir along with the choir from Thrasher United Methodist Church in Vinton, VA. The Shalom Handbell Choir, Melrose Instrumentalists, and fellow instrumentalists from Thrasher UMC will also be performing. Come and experience the wonder that this cantata performance will inspire.

If you are unable to make it in-person, please join us virtually by watching our live stream by going to melrosebaptist.org/live or by downloading the Melrose Baptist app. There will also be an evening performance of this cantata at Thrasher UMC on Sunday, December 8 at 6 PM.  

Creatives Night: Makers on Mission
We are hosting a special Creatives Night this month by calling all creatives of all ages to join us as we make tie fleece blankets to donate to local mission partners. We will also be celebrating Christmas with a small Christmas Party with food and sweet treats. We welcome adults, children, & youth to join us for this event on Sunday, December 1 starting at 5 PM.

Come ready for a worship experience presenting the story of Jesus’ birth through Living Christmas Cards. Our children’s choir, the Master’s Music Makers, has reached out to their Melrose family members of all ages.  Come share in the Christmas story together in our beloved place of grace! Worship will begun at 10:45 AM and will also be live streamed.

Our youth have been working hard preparing a production of The Skit Guy’s “Give the Gift Back”. This comedic play tells us the story of the birth of Jesus and teaches is where the Christmas spirit can be found when the manger is put into storage for another year. The youth will perform their production during worship on Sunday, December 15 starting at 10:45 AM and will also be live streamed.

Pastor Greg invites children, youth, and their families to join him for an evening of caroling on Sunday, December 15 starting at 5 PM. Together the group will go to The Park at Oak Grove nursing home, Church of Hope at Pheasant Ridge, and some homes of our homebound members. If you are planning to come, please meet at the church at 5 PM so everyone can ride together in the church vans.

Winter always brings with it the longest night of the year and it just so happens to always take place during Advent. This long, dark night can make the sorrows that we feel during this holiday seasons seem more profound. Join us on the longest night for a short worship service, called Blue Christmas, on Wednesday, December 18 at 6:30 PM in the Sanctuary. This service incorporates the recognition of our sorrows and the joy that can also be found when we look towards the Light. Communion will also be served during this service. All are welcome!

Here at Melrose we believe that Christmas Eve should be spent in fellowship with family and friends. Therefore we are hosting a Candlelight service during Sunday morning worship at 10:45 AM on December 22. We invite all to join us for this service as we finish lighting the Advent wreath and finish preparing our hearts for the birth of our Savior. We encourage all ages to attend this service. If you are a family with special needs we offer an open worship space in our Fellowship Hall with plenty of room for everyone’s needs and a Children’s Activity Cart for those with smaller attention spans.