The fourth Candle of Advent is the Candle of Love. 
Its light is meant to remind us of the love that God has for us. 
We light this candle to remind us of how God’s perfect love is found in Jesus. 

The prophet Isaiah, in Chapter 7, verse 14, points us to the love of God, given in his son.

“The Lord will give you a sign.  
Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, 
and shall name him Immanuel – God with us.”

We light the Candle of hope. 
We light the Candle of Peace. 
We light the Candle of Joy. 
We light the Candle of Love. 

Let us pray: 

Gracious God, may the light of your LOVE
shine in our lives and be reflected to all the world. 
Fill us with your love,
that we may rejoice in hope,
trusting that in the fullness of time
you will fill the earth with heaven’s peace.
Through Christ our Lord,
​Amen.


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The third Candle of Advent is the Candle of Joy. 
It reminds us of the joy that Mary felt when
the angel Gabriel told her that a special child would be born to her –
a child who would save and deliver his people.

The prophet Isaiah points us to the joy of Christ
​for all of creation in his prophecy from chapter 35, verses 1-2, 5-6:

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
The desert shall rejoice and blossom;
Like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
And rejoice with joy and singing.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
 and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 
then the lame shall leap like a deer, 
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.”
    

We light the Candle of hope. 
We light the Candle of Peace. 
We light the Candle of Joy. 

Let us pray: 

Gracious God, in Jesus Christ you come to forgive our sins
and to guide us in your path of peace to live a life of hope. 
AS we celebrate Christ’s birth,
deepen our love for you and for our neighbor,
so that we may be filled with the good news of great JOY
which has come to all the world in the light and gift of Christ our Savior.
Amen.

​

1st Sunday of Advent, December 1st
9:15am -  Sunday School
10:30am - Worship

2nd Sunday of Advent, December 8th
9:15am -  Sunday School
10:30am - Worship

3rd Sunday of Advent, December 15
9:15am -  Sunday School
10:30am - Worship Service of Lessons and Carols
                 
4th Sunday of Advent, December 22
9:15am -  Sunday School
10:30am - Worship

Christmas Eve, December 24th
church office will be closed
5:30pm - Christmas Eve Family Worship
(an engaging and special worship service for the
youngest members of St. Giles
​ and their families and friends)
9:00pm - Christmas Eve Communion and Candlelight Service

​

If you enjoy singing, please consider joining the St. Giles choir. Choir is not just about singing, but love and laughter and community! 

We have begun working on the Thanksgiving and Christmas music with our church family. 

Rehearsal is on Wednesday evenings from 7:15-8:30pm. On Sundays,  we gather at 10:00am to prepare just before worship.

Come join us as we make a joyful noise and give yourself the gift of fun and music midweek with the St. Giles Choir. 

 Before we know it, we will be dressed in red and singing carols. 

But first, we will decorate. 

Join us in decorating the Sanctuary for Advent after worship on November 24th. This is a joyful time of hanging the greens and putting up the Chrismon tree. This is a fun activity for families of all shapes and sizes and ages. 

If you would like to join in the fun, please let Brenda Drake know or indicate your interest in the Friendship Pads on Sunday so we can have snacks for everyone who is coming. 

What happens when our world falls apart?

How do we press onward when our tightly-knit plans unravel into loose threads?

What do we become when our identity or the path we're on comes undone?

What if all of this is not the end we fear it will be?

In our unraveling, sometimes life surprises us with unexpected joy, love, and hope with a new beginning we couldn't have imagined. Sometimes we need God to unravel us, for we long to be changed.

This worship series explores four or so stories of unraveled shame, identity, fears, grief, dreams, and expectations. These are stories where God meets us in the spiraling, unraveling our plans - and us - into something new.

We hope to see you in worship for this series from October 20th - November 24th. 

UPDATE: 
The St. Giles Chrsitmas Angel is finished for 2019!

Thank you to the volunteers for all of your hard work, dedication, laughter, fellowship, and friendship! Caroline Welsh and Janice Henderson

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The St. Giles Christmas Angel is a long standing tradition and it's time to create this year's Angel.  The first workshop is scheduled to being on Tuesday, September 17 at 5:30pm and also Wednesday, September 18 at 10:00am. Join us in the Taylor Ed Building for fun and fellowship. No required skill level. For more information, email Caroline Welsh cjwelsh85@hotmail.com.  
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We are looking forward to our Fall Sermon Series... What Disciples Do. 

Although Christians are often identified by what they believe, Jesus seemed to care more about what his followers did. Faith practices, along with theological beliefs, are crucial to Christianity. These four to six weeks of Ordinary Time offer an excellent opportunity to explore what disciples do: practice generosity, wrestle with God, and pass on faith to our family, to name a few. Through this series, we hope and pray that we're all challenged to live out the exciting call of Jesus, "Follow Me".