Thanksgiving Eve Youth-Led Worship

Wednesday, November 23 at 7 pm

Worship on Thanksgiving Eve either at the regular noon liturgy or at 7 pm for the annual Youth-Led Praise and Thanksgiving worship. The spirit of Thanksgiving is to give, so please bring food donations for the Gethsemane Food Pantry.

The annual Angel Giving Tree will be on display in the Narthex. Choose an ornament for holiday donations to T.A. Brown Elementary School families. A take-home Advent devotional will also be available in the Narthex. Advent begins Sunday, November 27.

Angel Tree 2022

It’s that time of year again! Gethsemane Lutheran members and families are invited to continue a neighborhood holiday tradition by sponsoring T.A. Brown Elementary School children and families. Once again, we’re asking individuals/families to donate gift cards that can be purchased through Gethsemane Lutheran Children’s Ministry (GLCM).

Angel Tree Instructions

  1. Visit the Angel Tree Sign Up and select a family dinner and/or a child to sponsor (in the children’s slots, the M or F indicates gender). Provide your name, email, and phone number.
  2. Once you have signed up, purchase gift cards from either HEB (for family dinners) or Target/Walmart (for children’s gifts). For the blanket, give a check or $15 cash, do not buy a gift card. Please bring your gift card and/or money to Pastor Susie or Dar in an envelope labeled with the Angel number, the name of the family and/or child, and your name.
  3. Recommended amounts: children’s gifts $50 each and family dinners: families of 3 at least $75, families of 4-5 at least $100, and families of 6-8 at least $150.
  4. The deadline to complete your Angel Tree gift is Sunday, December 11th.

Thank you for your support of this ministry. Merry Christmas!

“Love’s Pure Light” Drive-Thru or Walk-Thru Christmas Light Show

Saturday, December 10, 6-8 pm

Gethsemane youth and Gethsemane Lutheran Children’s Ministry invite you to join us for “Love’s Pure Light,” this year’s Drive-Thru or Walk-Thru Advent/Christmas Light Show! We’ll have Christmas carolers, greetings from Santa and a special surprise treat for you at the end. Don’t miss out on all of the fun!

Advent Holden Evening Prayer

Join us for brief midweek Holden Evening Prayer worship services to fill your heart with the sights and sounds of hope this Advent season!

Written in 1985-1986 while Marty Haugen was the musician-in-residence at Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center in Washington State, this lovely setting of vespers follows the traditional form while using contemporary and inclusive language.

Wednesdays: November 30, December 7 & December 14
7 pm in the Sanctuary or via Livestream

Joyful Poetry of Advent Devotional

Joyful Poetry of Advent: A pilgrimage through Advent based on the poetry of E.E. Cummings

Free Advent Devotional Available to Gethsemane Members

Pick up a copy in the Narthex or check G-News for a downloadable version.

The son of a pastor and a thoughtful theologian in his own right, E. E. Cummings often explored spiritual terrain in his poetry – including a group of brilliant, inventive, provocative poems related to Advent and Christmas.

In this Advent devotional, biblical texts and Cummings’ poems call us to keep awake, watch, and wait for God to arrive on Christmas morning. All you’ll need is your favorite Bible and Cummings’ “Complete Poems” (all the poems referenced in the devotional can also be found online). Week by week, simple candlelight services and weekly practices will help us read, reflect, sing, and prepare – all for the sake of deepening the joys of the season.