Celebrating the Birth of Christ
Join us in celebrating the birth of Christ this Advent and Christmas season. All are welcome to participate in our worship services, fellowship events, and opportunities for giving.
A Message from Pastor Eric
As we end one year and begin another, it is often a time for reflecting on the year that has been while also looking forward to the year that will be. The change of the year is a sign of the continually changing world. It can be a challenging time when we recognize how quickly the world around us changes. Many of the things that we assume are permanent and simply “the way it is” turn out to be “the way it is for now.” The rate of that change around us seems to be continually increasing and reaching a fever pitch. The anxiety that comes from continual change is real. For many people, they feel this acutely at church. Church for many is a place for comfort and a place to find something to hold onto that feels permanent, and so the reality that change happens even in the church can hit even harder than change elsewhere. It can even feel like a betrayal of the eternity of God.
Yet at Christmas we celebrate that God does a new thing. God changes the world, entering into it. In Christ, the old passes away and the pathway to the new is opened. The God who is eternally creating and bringing forth newness and novelty is at the heart of our Christmas proclamation. Newness in God is a core theological claim in Christ. In God there is certainly eternal consistency. We can trust God’s promises because God is the same today, tomorrow, and into eternity. At the same time, we also trust God because in Christ God brings forth something new for us, and does so continually.
In times of change, our task is to look to the proper things to cling to in their permanence, while embracing (or at least accepting) the reality that new things arise as well. We don’t get to pick what stays the same. The eternity we cling to is the Lordship of Christ and God’s promise of salvation. Most other things change, whether we like it or not. As we end 2025 and move to 2026, it is worth remembering the ways that God has been with us in the past and will continue to be with us in the future, while also looking forward to finding out the new and surprising ways that God will move us forward in the year ahead.
Christmas Worship Services & Events
Special Dates
- Annual Children’s Christmas Pageant:
Sunday, December 21 at 9:45 a.m. - Christmas Decorating:
We will be decorating the sanctuary for Christmas on Sunday, Dec 21st after the 10:30 Worship Service. All hands welcome to make our space festive. - Sunday Worship:
Join us on December 28 at 9:30 AM.
Christmas Eve Worship (December 24)
- 4:00 PM: Family Services
- 7:00 PM: Christmas Eve Service
- 10:00 PM: Cantata Begins
- 10:30 PM: Christmas Eve Service
Advent Fellowship & Activities
OWLS Luncheon – Sharing the Christmas Spirit
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the OWLS will get together in the Library at noontime for their annual Christmas luncheon. Again this year Georgetti’s Market and Catering in Cinnaminson will be supplying the main course. Appetizers, desserts, and the famous punches will be supplied by the committee. The main course includes Baked Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans with garlic & oil, Caesar Salad, Bread & Butter.
Ruth Fausak and Rozella Bower have created a festive Christmas program with traditional poems and stories. Barbara Duffy will provide piano accompaniment for singing carols interspersed throughout the readings. As always, a collection will be taken for a charity selected during the luncheon. A small charge per person will be collected at the door. Please sign-up on the attendance sheets on the bulletin board to help the committee determine the number of dinners to order.
Advent Devotion Books
Our lives should be full of peace, even in later years. The daily devotions highlight the message of having peace in the Lord always. They help us reflect on the uplifting themes of Advent and encourage active responses that express the reason for our peace: Jesus. This enlightening collection of Advent devotions reveals the wisdom and life experience of its various authors. Enjoy a fresh perspective each day.
This year our Advent devotional booklets are on the theme “Season of Peace.” The daily devotions in this large-print edition highlight the message of having peace in the Lord always. The readings for each day of Advent reflect on the uplifting themes of Advent and encourage active responses that express the reason for our peace: Jesus. This rich and enlightening collection of Advent devotions reveals the wisdom and life experience of its various authors. Enjoy a fresh perspective each day. They will be available in the narthex.
St. Matthew’s Favorite Hymns
Below is a list of the ten most popularly printed Christmas hymns in U.S. hymnals. Please rank them from 1 (favorite) to 10 (least favorite) and help us create a joyful list of St. Matthew’s Favorite Christmas Hymns! Kindly submit your slip in the marked basket in the narthex.
- ___ Joy to the World
- ___ Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- ___ It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
- ___ O Little Town of Bethlehem
- ___ Angels from the Realms of Glory
- ___ Silent Night
- ___ O Come All Ye Faithful
- ___ As With Gladness Men of Old
- ___ The First Noel
- ___ Angels We Have Heard on High
Christmas Decorating
We will be decorating the sanctuary for Christmas on Sunday Dec 21st after the 10:30 Worship Service. All hands welcome to make our space festive.
Christmas Pageant
Please join us on Sunday December 21 at 9:45 a.m. for our Annual Children’s Christmas Pageant.
Adult Forum Schedule
Dec. 7 – Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew
For the next year, our Gospel readings in worship will focus on the Gospel of Matthew. Come get an overview of what is distinctive about Matthew’s Gospel compared to the others to help you understand more clearly the readings in the coming year.
Dec. 14 – What is the Center for Conscious Living?
The Center for Conscious Living now meets in our Fellowship Hall on Sundays. Come get to know their senior minister, Rev. Christina Layer, as she shares about who the group is and their religious perspective.
Dec. 21 – Christmas Program and Decorating
Details to be announced.
Adult Forum will resume in January, with topics to be determined.
Specific Dates in the Month of December
- 12/1: World AIDS Day
- 12/1: National Christmas Lights Day
- 12/3: International Day of People with Disabilities
- 12/5–12/20: Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)
- 12/6: St. Nicholas Day
- 12/6: National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women
- 12/7: National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance
- 12/10: Human Rights Day
- 12/11: UNICEF Day of Change
- 12/14: First Night of Hanukkah
- 12/15: Bill of Rights Day
- 12/20: International Human Solidarity Day
- 12/20: Sacagawea Day
- 12/25: CHRISTMAS DAY
- 12/26: First Day of Kwanzaa
- 12/31: New Year’s Eve
Christmas Outreach & Giving
The Christmas Giving Tree
On November 16th, our Sunday School students and leaders decorated the wishlist tags for the Christmas Giving Tree. This service project benefits children receiving a variety of services from Oaks Integrated Care in Westhampton. Oaks was founded 50 years ago by a group of volunteers, and has grown into a private, non-profit organization that impacts up to 34,000 lives a year! They are dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, adults and families struggling with mental illness, addiction or developmental disabilities.
Let’s continue the tradition of Saint Matthew supporting this mission. Please consider taking a tag with a child’s name, age, and wish list from the tree in the narthex. It is also asked that if you choose a child that is requesting a clothing or footwear item, that you provide a gift receipt. Please return all gifts by 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 14th. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.
Peace,
-Melissa Feeney
Green Team’s Sustainable Holiday Guide
It’s remarkable to think that waste increases around 25% over the holidays. However, there are many ways to enjoy the holiday season while honoring God’s creation and “walking softly” upon the earth:
- Shop locally. Buying gifts from local merchants can dramatically decrease packaging waste and reduce pollution.
- Order early. Choose the slowest shipping option to decrease your footprint.
- Minimize food waste. Buy locally grown food and freeze leftovers.
- Reuse your multi-use grocery bags while out shopping.
- Recycle! Wrapping paper, cards, trees, and even holiday lights can be recycled. Drop off used lights at Moorestown Hardware.
- Skip the “stuff” and give the gift of a donation to a non-profit or food bank.
Also, the holidays remain a wonderful time to spend time in quiet reflection
on the wonder of creation, the new birth that God gives to all living things
through the gift of Jesus Christ. Give yourself the gift of a break this year,
by getting outdoors and experiencing the peace of and glory nature
through activities like hiking, biking, etc. One place to start is by visiting the South Jersey Trails website.