A Weekend of Lights, Community, and Grateful Praise
Reflections from a Full and Beautiful Weekend at JFUMC
Some weekends in the life of the church feel like a tapestry—woven together with moments of joy, community, music, hospitality, and worship. This past weekend was one of those rare, holy blends where each day brought its own blessing, and by Sunday evening, we could look back and see how God had been at work through it all.
A Holiday Concert That Sparked the Weekend With Joy
We began the weekend with a heartwarming Family Holiday Concert led by the Harmony Gardeners—an evening that felt like stepping straight into the magic of the season. The fellowship hall was filled with families, neighbors, and friends who gathered to sing, sway, and soak in the warmth of Christmas melodies.
And then, of course, the room lit up as Santa and Mrs. Claus made a special appearance. Children’s eyes widened. Parents smiled. Laughter bubbled throughout the room. There was nothing hurried or commercial about it—it simply felt joyful, wholesome, and full of wonder.
It was a reminder that music and shared moments can draw a community together long before a word of worship is spoken.
A Parade Full of Light and Laughter
Then, bundled in coats, we gathered outside for the city’s Christmas parade. The air was crisp, the energy was high, and the sidewalks were filled with families, friends, and neighbors waiting for the joyful procession to come through.
From twinkling floats to marching bands, the parade carried a sense of childlike joy that warmed the coldest corners of the evening. Standing there together—cheering, laughing, sipping cocoa—we were reminded why God places churches in the heart of a community:
not to watch from a distance, but to be part of the life that beats around us.
Opening Our Doors for Christmas in the City
The next morning, our building transformed into a warm hub for Christmas in the City. Local vendors arrived with creativity and heart, setting up tables filled with handmade goods, baked treats, and gifts crafted with love. For many, this was their first time walking through our doors; for others, it felt like a homecoming.
We were honored—deeply—to host them.
Our fellowship hall filled with color and conversation as children gathered around free crafts. Glitter, color, and imagination filled every corner. Volunteers knelt beside tiny chairs to help little hands create ornaments and keepsakes they proudly carried home.
Meanwhile, curiosity led many visitors into the sanctuary. We offered simple, gentle tours—no scripts, no pressure, no agenda. Just honest conversations about who we are, what we value, and how God is moving in our midst.
These moments weren’t “advertising.” They were ministry—opportunities for connection, peace, and hospitality. People left not with brochures, but with a sense that this is a church that genuinely welcomes and cares.
The day felt like community at its very best—joyful, creative, connected, and full of life.
Thanksgiving Sunday: Praising the Lord in Grateful Worship
After two full days of celebration and service, we gathered on Sunday morning for Thanksgiving worship—hearts tired, maybe, but filled to the brim.
Our Chancel Choir lifted the sanctuary with harmonies that wrapped around us like a warm embrace. Together, we praised the Lord for the blessings before us, the blessings behind us, and the blessings still on the way.
It felt fitting that worship came at the end of such a bustling weekend. All that joy, all that service, all that hospitality—it flowed naturally into gratitude. Into praise. Into a moment of acknowledging that everything we do is rooted in the goodness and faithfulness of God.
And as if God wanted to seal the weekend with one last reminder, our children processed through the sanctuary in their loud, joy-filled, perfectly imperfect praise parade—a beautiful, unscripted visual of what praise truly looks like: wholehearted, unpolished, and overflowing with delight. Their tiny feet and big voices reminded us that worship isn’t meant to be flawless. It’s meant to be real. It’s meant to come from the heart.
A perfect ending to a full and thankful weekend.
A Weekend That Showed Who We Are
When we look back on this weekend, a theme rises clearly to the surface:
This is what it looks like when a church shows up for its city.
With joy.
With welcome.
With creativity.
With open doors and open hearts.
From parade sidewalks to bustling vendor halls, from glitter-covered craft tables to sanctuary conversations, all the way to Sunday’s grateful hymns—every part of the weekend felt woven together by God’s gentle hand.
Gratitude for a Full and Beautiful Weekend
We are thankful for every vendor, volunteer, choir member, child, neighbor, and friend who shared part of their weekend with us.
Thankful for the laughter, the music, the hospitality, and the quiet moments of connection.
Thankful for a church family that steps up, shows up, and shines the love of Christ in every season.
And most of all, we are thankful for a God who meets us in every moment—on parade routes, in bustling hallways, and in the peaceful glow of Sunday worship.