Christmas Eve Services
Experience the wonder of Christmas Eve at Countryside! Families are invited to a joyful family-oriented service at 5. Our 7pm candlelight service featuring the Countryside Choir celebrates the light and hope of Christmas.
Wednesday, Dec. 24, 5pm: Children and Families Service, featuring Countryside’s Children’s Choir, the Christmas Story, with Carols and Costumes.
Wednesday, Dec. 24, 7pm: Candlelight Service, featuring the Countryside Choir.
If you are unable to attend, follow this link to our Countryside Community Church YouTube page.
All-Church Events
Sunday, Nov. 23, 11:15am: Hanging of the Greens! A joyful tradition at Countryside! Volunteers help decorate the Church for Advent & Christmas. Volunteers enjoy a soup lunch. The winning soup is served at the 2026 Annual Meeting!
Mondays, Dec. 1-22, noon: Advent Bible Study with Pastor Jenny.
Saturday, Dec. 5, 7pm: Jazz Coffeehouse. Your favorite beverages from Common Grounds Coffee House, cookies from the Worship & Arts team and the smooth cool sounds of our own Countryside Jazz Band! A Countryside tradition!
Saturday, Dec. 13, 4pm: Christmas Pops Organ Concert. Countryside Organist-in-Residence Alex Ritter brings pop holiday favorites from the last 60 years to life on Countryside’s Buzard Opus 47!
Sunday, Dec. 14, 7pm: Christmas Cantata with the Countryside Choir.
Sunday, Dec. 21, 4 pm: Christmas Pipe Organ Extravaganza. Get the family together to hear Christmas music with Countryside’s organist-on-residence, Alex Ritter, playing on our beautiful Buzard Opus 47!
2025 Advent at Countryside
This Advent, Countryside enters a season shaped by a simple but courageous question: What do you fear? Our theme explores how fear and hope are rarely opposites—they are interwoven, often encountered at the very same moment. Advent asks us to hold both honestly, trusting that God meets us not only in our brightest hopes but also in the places where we tread carefully, unsure of what comes next.
Luke’s Gospel begins the story of Jesus with a telling detail: “In the time of Herod…” To modern readers, it may seem minor, but it points to a world filled with oppression, economic disparity, deep uncertainty, and instability—a world not so unlike our own. And yet, woven through these opening scenes are the whispers of angels speaking a surprising message again and again: “Do not fear.” Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the magi do not pretend that fear is absent; instead, they move through their fear. They ask questions. They cling to courage. They trust in good news. They say, “Here I am, Lord.”
At the heart of this year’s imagery is a lantern—a symbol inspired the vision of a vigil. Imagine hands cupping a candle: the flame seems small, fragile, almost too easy to extinguish. And yet, when we gather in community and share its light, it grows. One flame becomes many, wrapping the whole room in warmth. The darkness doesn’t disappear; it actually helps us see the glow more clearly. In these vigil spaces, grief and fear dance with gratitude and hope. Connection, courage, and the reminder that God is near begin to rise.
This Advent series takes seriously the angels’ message and the fearful context of Herod’s world, inviting us to consider our own fears with the same honesty. Fear can divide, paralyze, and even become a tool of oppression. But what if we formed a different relationship with it? What if naming our fears helped us loosen their grip—so we can see where God is breaking in and where hope is already stirring? Could our fears even become catalysts for love, justice, and bold action?
Our lantern imagery helps hold these questions. Like hope, a lantern steadies our hands as we step into uncertain places, offering just enough light for the next faithful step. Its swirling flame suggests movement and Spirit—the kind of hope that refuses to stay contained. The photography echoes this interplay of dark and light, capturing patterned shadows and the unexpected beauty that emerges when fear and hope meet.
As we journey toward Christmas, may your hope become gritty and resilient. Hope that trembles is still hope. This season, may we insist on hope together and trust that God’s good news is greater than our fear. Lanterns in hand, we step forward.
Download the Advent 2025 Event Calendar here!
Advent Devotionals
Hard copies of the 2025 Advent devotional booklet will be available at church for a nominal fee. If you would like to read an electronic version, please email office@countrysideucc.org to request the link to a special online version. Due to copyright limitations, we are not able to post the whole document online.
Sunday Morning Services in Advent: How Does a Weary World Rejoice?
Sunday, Nov. 30, 10am: In the time of Herod, we long for God to break in. Luke 1:5-13.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 10am: When we’re running out of hope, God is at work. Matthew 11:1–11.
Sunday, Dec. 14, 10am: Even in our fear, we are called forward. Luke 1:26–39.
Sunday, Dec. 21, 10am: When you’re afraid, give me your hand. Matthew 1:18–25.
Christmas Eve Services
Experience the wonder of Christmas Eve at Countryside! Families are invited to a joyful family-oriented service at 5. Our 7pm candlelight service featuring the Countryside Choir celebrates the light and hope of Christmas.
Wednesday, Dec. 24, 5pm: Children and Families Service, featuring Countryside’s Children’s Choir, the Christmas Story, with Carols and Costumes.
Wednesday, Dec. 24, 7pm: Candlelight Service, featuring the Countryside Choir.
If you are unable to attend, follow this link to our Countryside Community Church YouTube page.