Our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be held at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 24th. Please invite your family, friends and neighbors to attend this special service of readings and hymns as we celebrate the joy of Christmas together!
“Good news… Great joy… All the people!” Luke 2:10
The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired United Church of Christ clergy and lay employees and their families for over 100 years, providing emergency financial help, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “thank-you” checks to our lower-income retirees.
This year, amidst many unforeseen new realities, the Christmas Fund continues to respond with love to the emergency financial needs of many who serve the church.
Please click HERE for more information, to watch a video about the Christmas Fund and to donate directly to the UCC.
You can also donate to the Christmas Fund through Brookmeade by bringing/mailing us a check with “UCC Christmas Fund” in the memo line, or by choosing “UCC Christmas Fund Offering” on the drop-down menu when you give online with Tithely. Brookmeade will be collecting for the Christmas Fund all through the month of December.
Thank you for your support of the Christmas Fund!
Please join us immediately following service on Sunday, December 12th when we will hold a brief ceremony to give thanks for the history of our Memorial Garden and remember those whose names are honored there. During this ceremony we will be collecting small containers of dirt which will be transplanted into the new garden when it is established. In this way, we will be giving thanks for past times and memories while looking forward with hope and anticipation for a new Memorial Garden and all the future memories it will hold for our community. We will be holding this ceremony rain or shine and encourage all who are able to attend and participate!
Our next trip to the Project CURE Warehouse (2300 Clifton Ave.) is scheduled for Saturday, December 4th, 9:30 am – 12 pm. We will be sorting medical supplies. Newcomers are very welcome but please wear a mask! For planning reasons and to make sure we are COVID safe we need a head count for our group prior to volunteering. Please RSVP to Cindy D. ASAP if you plan to attend (or to the church office). Thanks and see you there!
In Brookmeade tradition, this Christmas season we will be collecting toys for the “Last Minute Toy Store.” This project provides free gifts for children and teens whose families are unable to. They are looking for donations of new toys, stocking stuffers, books, games, sporting goods, and arts & crafts!
Janet L. has offered to organize the toy drive this year and we are so thankful to her for keeping the Brookmeade spirit alive in this way! We will be collecting toys from Sunday, 11/28 until Sunday, 12/12. You can bring toys to put in the donation box on Sunday mornings or during Lauryn’s office hours (Mon, Wed, Thurs 10am – 2pm).
Here are the guidelines for purchasing NEW toys and other items:
“New, unwrapped toys (no clothing or footwear) and other age-appropriate gifts in the $10 – $25 price range are needed for ages newborn to 18 years. Gifts for all ages are helpful, but in the past we have had a special need for items for teenagers and toddlers. We do not accept toys that require batteries to operate.
It is sometimes hard to find gifts for teens. Please consider donating gift cards in the amount of $15-$20 to stores such as: Bath and Body Works, Walmart, Old Navy, Rue 21, Target.
If you would prefer to buy specific items, here are some ideas: Jewelry, make-up kits, purses/wallets, watches, ear buds, ear phones, journals, curling irons, shavers or trimmers, candles. Please steer away from clothing, shoes, and small accessories.”
To find out more about the Last Minute Toy Store, visit their website here: https://www.lastminutetoystore.com/
Learn & Grow is a time of study and reflection on the Bible, theology, and the issues of today. We meet on Zoom each Thursday at 7:30 pm for about an hour or so. For Advent, we will use a study guide from Amy-Jill Levine called “Light of the World.” Here is our upcoming schedule for the holidays:
Advent Study: Light of the World by Amy-Jill Levine Begins Dec. 2nd!
December 2: “The Meaning of Memory” Luke 1:5-25, 57-64
December 9: “The Promise of Potential” Luke 1:26-56
December 16: “The Journey to Joy” Luke 2:1-40
December 23: No Class this week
December 30: No Class this week
January 6: “The Gifts of the Gentiles” Matthew 1:18-2:15
The Vanderbilt English Language Center is collecting furniture and resources for Afghan Refugees. They are accepting donations of free/cheap clean furniture from the Nashville area, as well as gift cards (Target, Walmart, Kroger, Publix etc.). Please contact the church office if you’d like to learn how to make a donation. Any help is appreciated!
The Nashville International Center for Empowerment is also accepting donations and volunteers, as they plan to resettle 300 Afghan refugees in the Nashville area in the coming weeks. For more information and the link to donate, visit: https://www.empowernashville.org/afghanistan/
Please join us Saturday, November 20th as we decorate our church building for the Advent Season starting at 10:00 am. There is a Christmas tree that will need to be put together and decorated. We are asking folks who have access to fresh greenery such as pine sprigs, evergreen branches and magnolia leaves to bring those to decorate with. Come and see what else is planned to make our Church festive for the upcoming season! Refreshments will be provided by the Fellowship Team.
In Brookmeade tradition, we are accepting orders for Red and White Poinsettias for the Christmas season. 6.5″ poinsettias are $9.00 , 8″ poinsettias are $16.00. The poinsettias will decorate our sanctuary for the Christmas season and are available for you to take home after the Christmas Eve service. Please fill out an order form (located in the front foyer) or call/email the church office (615-352-4702; brookmeade@comcast.net) to place your order no later than Wednesday, November 17th. Thank you!
First Sundays of the month we collect our COW Offering. Monetary donations are split between Second Harvest of Middle TN and Heifer International. You can also bring canned goods on Sunday morning to donate to Second Harvest. Please designate your check for COW Offering or if you give online you can choose COW offering on the drop-down menu on Tithe.ly. Thank you for supporting these important organizations and helping Brookmeade fight hunger!
brookmeadeucc.org 