‘Tis the season…for the Christmas Joy Offering. If you are looking for worship resources to connect your congregation with this Offering, our office has you covered.
Our worship resources, written by the Rev. Thom M. Shuman, Stated Supply Pastor, Honorably Retired Galloway Presbyterian Church, Galloway, Ohio, and Associate Member, Iona Community, include:
- Readings
- Call to Worship
- Opening Prayer
- Call to Reconciliation
- Prayer of Confession
- Assurance of Pardon
- Invitation to Offering
- Prayer of Dedication
- Invitation to the Lord’s Table
- Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
- Sending
Some congregations receive the Christmas Joy Offering in the context of a candle lighting service. Whether or not that is your congregation’s practice, you may find our Christmas Eve Candle Light Litany a helpful resource as you celebrate this season in your faith community.
Finally, we have a beautiful hymn suggestion, A Savior Born, a Gift of Joy, written to the tune of O Waly Waly LM, along with sheet music available for download. This hymn celebrates that God’s gift of Jesus Christ to the world is a gift of joy— a joy that we as a church are called to share with those who are in need. The third and fourth verses refer to the Christmas Joy Offering.
Additional resources, such as Minutes for Mission and children’s curriculum, can be found on our website at http://specialofferings.pcusa.org/christmasjoy. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for weekly prayers during Advent based on these resources.
We hope you utilize our worship materials in the lead up to the Christmas Joy Offering on December 23rd. Blessings to you and your congregation during this Advent season.