Advent Hub
Welcome to our Advent Hub! Below you will find a list of all of our Advent-related events! Click the button below to find out more about our Advent sermon series Prepare the Way.
Giving Opportunities
Christmas Offering
This year’s Christmas Offering will go to support all of McFarlin’s ministries. Your generosity fuels McFarlin and helps us continue our mission of Changing Lives That Change the World. Click the button above to give to our Christmas Offering, select “Christmas Offering” from the drop-down menu provided. To read more about how our Christmas Offering is different this year, please Click Here.
Poinsettia Sales
Orders Due Dec. 7 | Celebrate the Advent season by purchasing a $14 poinsettia to honor or remember someone special. The plants will decorate the Sanctuary during Advent services, symbolizing love, remembrance, and hope. Proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels. Order online using the button above or pick up a paper form at the reception desks.
Angel Tree
Gifts Due by Dec. 11 | Share the joy of Christmas with a child in need through the 2025 McFarlin Angel Tree! Your generosity helps bring Christmas cheer to children who might otherwise go without! Need help or want a child assigned to you? Contact Scott Meier at smeier@mcfarlinumc.org. There are 3 ways to give!
Choose a child from the Virtual Angel Tree, buy unwrapped gifts, and bring them to McFarlin with the child’s Color and Number clearly marked.
Order online and ship gifts directly to McFarlin, including the child’s Color and Number on the label.
Donate Online Here and select “Angel Tree”—we’ll shop for you!
Discipleship Opportunities
Advent Growth Group
Nov. 30 – Dec. 21 |This Advent, step into a focused season of preparation with a small group designed especially for those who aren’t already connected to a Sunday school class. Using Adam Hamilton’s church-wide study, Prepare the Way for the Lord, we’ll walk through the Scriptures that lead up to the birth of Jesus and explore what it means to make room for Christ in our lives today. Click the button above to RSVP!
Special Events & Services
Family Movie Night
Dec. 5, 5:45pm in Fenn Hall
Get ready for a heartwarming holiday movie night! Bring the whole family to enjoy an evening of festive fun as we watch The Grinch(2018) together. Join us for a cozy night, where we’ll laugh, sip hot chocolate, munch on popcorn, and let the spirit of the season warm our hearts—just like the Grinch’s heart that grew three sizes! No registration is required!
Magnificat: Choral & Orchestra
Dec. 7, 8:30 & 11am in the Sanctuary
Join us for a powerful morning of worship as McFarlin’s Chancel Choir, guest vocalists, and orchestra present The Magnificat: Mary’s timeless song of joy, justice, and hope. Set to stunning choral and orchestral arrangements, this sacred masterpiece invites us to reflect on God’s faithfulness and the transformative power of praise. Experience the beauty of Scripture and music woven together in our sanctuary as we lift our hearts with Mary’s words: “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
Handbell Christmas Concert
Dec. 7, 6pm in the Sanctuary
Join us as we celebrate 41 years of handbell music at McFarlin! This special anniversary concert features all seven of our handbell choirs—from children to adults—coming together for an unforgettable evening of music, memory, and ministry. The program will highlight beloved pieces alongside new arrangements that showcase the beauty and joy of this unique art form. Experience the sound of generations ringing together in preparing for Christmas!
60th Annual Candlelight Carol
Dec. 14, 6pm in the Sanctuary
Join us for McFarlin’s 60th Annual Candlelight Carol Service, featuring all our choirs and handbell ensembles in a moving celebration of music and worship that prepares our hearts for the birth of Jesus.
All are welcome to bring family and friends to share in the wonder of this cherished Advent tradition!
Sweaters & Sing-A-Long
Dec. 21, 11am in Fenn Hall
Celebrate the season with joy, laughter, and your favorite Christmas sweater! Join us in Modern Worship for a cozy, family-friendly morning of singing beloved Christmas carols together. From classic hymns to festive favorites, we’ll lift our voices in celebration of Christ’s birth. Whether your sweater is merry, matching, or marvelously tacky, come as you are and join the fun as we worship with warmth and wonder!
Blue Christmas
Dec. 21, 1:30pm in the Sanctuary
A Service of Reflection, Hope, and Healing
McFarlin’s Blue Christmas Service offers quiet reflection and comfort for those facing grief or difficulty during the season. Experience hope through the message of Emmanuel, God With Us. All are welcome to find peace, community, and the assurance of God’s love. There will be a lunch provided at 12pm in room 209. If you need childcare, please contact Daphne dfix@mcfarlinumc.org.
Christmas Eve Eve
Dec. 23, 7pm in Fenn Hall
Join us for a Modern Worship Christmas Service. Enjoy uplifting music from our Modern Worship band and a heartfelt message from Pastor Trey Witzel. We’ll sing “Silent Night” by candlelight, then share hot chocolate and Christmas cookies. Childcare for ages infant through Kindergarten is available.
Christmas Eve
Dec. 24
Christmas Eve is a special day at McFarlin, and we encourage you to invite your friends and family to one of our services. Childcare for infants through Kindergarten is available at the 4pm and 7pm Christmas Eve services.
- 4pm Family Communion Service
- 7pm Sanctuary Communion and Candlelight (Livestream available)
- 11pm Sanctuary Communion and Candlelight Service