Come and celebrate the Seasons of Advent and Christmas with St. Matthew’s Anglican Church this year. Please read on for more detail about all the different Services and activities on offer!
CHRIST THE KING & STIR UP SUNDAY: Sunday 20 November is the last day of the Christian Liturgical Year. On this day we celebrate the reign of Christ Jesus. Getting ready for Christmas, we also celebrate Stir Up Sunday. This is a special tradition for St. Matthew’s wherein the ingredients for the Parish Christmas Cake are brought forward, each representing a part of becoming more like Jesus, and during Communion, everyone is invited to stir the Christmas Cake batter as we pray ‘O Lord, stir up the wills of Thy faithful people..’
ADVENT REFLECTIONS: Feel free to download Week One HERE.
ADVENT SUNDAYS 1 TO 4: Advent is a Season in the Church Year. It is about getting ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus at Christmastime. It is easy to be distracted by decorations, buying gifts, and parties this time of year, but these do not really prepare one’s heart to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world or to receive Jesus again in the heart at Christmas. Advent helps slows us down, and to enter a reflective and prayerful four weeks.
THE ADVENT SHARING BASKET: This Advent our Church outreach will include ministering to others through giving to the Food Bank. Each Sunday in Advent we are invited to place an item in the Sharing Basket set up in the Church Foyer. Each week we have nominated an item we are invited to add to our Sharing Basket:
Advent One November 27 – Cereals – Weetbix, Cornflakes, Muesli etc
Advent Two December 4 – Biscuits or Crackers
Advent Three December 11 – A Canned Food Item
Advent Four December 18 – A Sweet Treat
ST MATTHEWS COMMUNITY CAROL SERVICE: 5:30pm is the ideal time to bring the whole family to our Community Carol Service. This is a children-friendly hour of singing Carols, hearing again the Holy Story of Jesus’ birth, dressing up as angels and shepherds, and joining the stable animals as we all celebrate Christmas together, then stay on and enjoy a sausage sizzle and ice-cream.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE: There is something sacred and special about coming out in the cool and dark of the evening to usher in the joy of Christ’s birth. Come to our midnight service with Carols, a Blessing of the Crib, and Eucharist.
CHRISTMAS DAY FAMILY SERVICE: Gather with the whole family, 9:00am at St. Matthew’s, for morning tea with Christmas Cake followed by our Christmas Day Family Service with Carols, Communion, and a Childrens Story.
St Matthew's Anglican Palmerston North 