Dear friends and members of Franklin United Methodist Church,
I can’t get the song out of my head. Christmas and the New Year are quickly approaching, I can’t shake the refrain of Europe’s 1986 classic, “The Final Countdown.” Your lucky the synthesizer music does not translate well into text. We’re in the final countdown to Christmas and the New Year. No doubt, final preparations are being made. As you finalize your holiday plans, I want to invite you to our Christmas Eve services and encourage you to contribute to this year’s Christmas Offering.
There will be two Christmas Eve services this year. The first will be a “Pop-up” Christmas Pageant at 5 pm. This informal service will include the singing of carols and a live casting (from the congregation) of a nativity scene. Everyone will have some part to play. Everyone can be a star! The second service will be Lessons and Carols at 11 pm. This very traditional service will include a series of scripture readings and carols, culminating in the singing of “Silent Night.” All of our Christmas Eve Services will be held in-person in the sanctuary, in-person virtually using Google Meet, and live streaming on YouTube. Details for how to join the services virtually can be found below. All in-person in the sanctuary worshippers must wear a mask over their mouth and nose the entire time they are in our building.
All Christmas Offerings this year will go to support the regional and global work of Christ through the United Methodist Church. The great strength of our denomination is our connectional nature. Every local United Methodist church supports the work of the whole Church through a shared financial commitment to the whole. The Franklin United Methodist Church has a long and proud history of paying 100% of its missional responsibilities (apportionments). This year, our Christmas Offerings will go to support our commitment to the regional and global church. These funds support regional initiatives like starting new churches, supporting summer camps for youth, and refugee and asylum seeker resettlement in New England through JFON (Justice for Our Neighbors). Globally, apportionments go to support missionaries, disaster response, and global health initiatives among a myriad of other things. Your Christmas Offering can be given in-person at our Christmas Eve services, online at franklinumc.org/giving, and/or sent via USPS (82 W. Central St., PO Box 313, Franklin MA 02038) with a note that says “Christmas Offering.”
It’s the final countdown (da-da-da-daaaa, de-de-de-de-dummmm) to Christmas. As you make your final preparations, I hope you’ll make plans to attend one of our Christmas Eve services at 5 pm and/or 11 pm and give what you can to support this year’s Christmas Offering.
Merry Christmas!
Rev. Dr. Jacob W. Juncker
Pastor
Pop-up Christmas Pageant
Join the Franklin United Methodist Church for a Family (Pop-up) Christmas Pageant on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 5 pm. We will sing Christmas Carols while our esteemed pageant directors pick the cast from those in attendance to set the nativity scene. Everyone will have a part to play. Everyone can be a star!
This service will occur in-person in the sanctuary, in-person virtually using Google Meet, and live-streamed via YouTube. All are welcome.
GOOGLE MEET JOINING INFO
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ouk-zahh-jmv
Or dial: (US) +1 318-935-0196 PIN: 752 517 320#
Lessons & Carols
Join the Franklin United Methodist Church for a traditional service of Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 11 pm. This service will include scripture readings and carols.
This service will occur in-person in the sanctuary, in-person virtually using Google Meet, and live-streamed via YouTube. All are welcome.
GOOGLE MEET JOINING INFO
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ake-mykk-sxf
Or dial: (US) +1 413-591-2154 PIN: 607 633 157#
Sunday Morning Worship
The Franklin United Methodist Church worships every Sunday at 10 am. Services are held in-person in the sanctuary, in-person virtually using Google Meet, and live-streamed via YouTube. All are welcome.
GOOGLE MEET JOINING INFO
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ens-kcoq-bgg
Or dial: (US) +1 262-885-7027 PIN: 172 874 072#
In addition to this post, this information has also been shared in letter form and sent via USPS. If you did not receive a letter, please contact the Church Office to make sure that it has your updated address.