Those Who Dream

Advent & Christmas 2023

Psalm 126 – a text often read during Advent – says, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.” What does it look like to live as those who dream? The prophets, the psalmists, John the Baptist, Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Joseph, the shepherds, the magi, the early church – they were all dreamers. They received, discovered, and responded to God’s dreams for the world, that God’s Kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven. Join us this Advent as we dream alongside the major Advent players.  Join us as we seek and sow God’s dreams for our world.

Those Who Dream

Christmas Eve Morning:
Join us on Sunday, December 24 at 10 a.m. for a combined 4th Sunday of Advent service.

 

Christmas Eve:
Join us to celebrate the birth of our Savior at one of our Christmas Eve services!

12 p.m. – Communion Service, Sanctuary (Traditional)

3 p.m. – Children’s Services, Sanctuary and CLC

5 p.m. – Communion & Candlelight Services, Sanctuary (Traditional*) and CLC (Contemporary)

7 p.m. – Communion & Candlelight Services, Sanctuary (Traditional) and CLC (Contemporary*)

9 p.m. – Communion & Candlelight Service, Sanctuary (Traditional)

*Livestream Services on YouTube

Those Who Dream:
Go deeper this Advent season with a daily devotional booklet written by AUMC church members and staff.  Psalm 126 says, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.” What does it look like to live as those who dream? The prophets, the psalmists, John the Baptist, Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Joseph, the shepherds, the magi, the early church – they were all dreamers. They received, discovered, and responded to God’s dreams for the world, that God’s Kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven. This Advent in worship and in this devotional, we will seek and sow God’s dreams of hope, peace, joy, and love for our world.  The devotions in this book will begin on November 27 and end on Christmas Eve.  It is available in print in Crossroads and online here.

Click Here for Devotional

Advent Wreath Making:
Bring your family out for a special time of preseason fellowship as we make advent wreaths to use at home.  This event is Wednesday, Nov 15, immediately following the final Wonderful Wednesday meal of the fall.  Whether or not you choose to eat dinner, you can register on Church Center to make a wreath by selecting “Family Advent Wreath Kit $5” (one kit per family).  We will supply the metal wreath ring, greenery, set of candles, and devotional, and we will walk you through the easy assembly instructions.  

Join us and start a new, meaningful family tradition!

Register on Church Center

Apex UMC will be participating in the The Apex Rotary Club Christmas Parade being held this year on Saturday December 2, 2023 starting at 5:00pm. The theme this year is ‘Let it Snow!’ We hope to see you there!

Apex Parade Info

2nd Annual Light of the World Festival:

You’re Invited! Join us on the Apex UMC Campus Sunday, December 17 from 4 – 6 pm

Activities will include: The Nativity/Caroling/Orchestra (4:30), Carnival Games, Inflatable Slide, Train Ride, Food Trucks (4-6:30pm), Hot Cocoa and more!

We need your help to welcome our church and community to a fun celebration! Register on Church Center to volunteer at the Festival. Questions? Contact norma.wallace@apexumc.org.

Volunteers Needed

Christmas Store:
There are many families in southern Wake County who do not have adequate resources to purchase gifts for their children at Christmas time. They find themselves struggling just to make ends meet for the necessities of life. Additionally, there are many other people in this area who have abundant resources. They find themselves wanting to help their neighbors, but they do not know what the need is or how to help. The purpose of the Christmas Store is to bring these two groups together. 

Beginning November 4th you can take a tag from one of the Christmas trees in Crossroads, the CLC and the Discipleship Center. You purchase new toys/gifts appropriate to the age and gender on the tag and place the gift under the tree with the tag attached by December 3. The Store will be held this year at United Church in Apex on December 8 and 9. Parents will have the opportunity to “shop” for gifts for their children from the donations we help provide. This is a great opportunity to involve your kids in a generosity lesson for the holidays. Contact Mary Morris at marymorris115@gmail.com with questions. Thank you for your generous support.

 

The Semillas Trees:
Semillas de Unidad (SdU) is a tutoring program that seeks to address the educational gap of underserved Hispanic/Latino students. Gifting trees will be in the crossroads December 13-December 31 with tags to collect. The tags include school supplies as well as various dollar amounts that will sustain the mission of this program. Through a collaborative approach Semillas creates cross-cultural support systems for Hispanic/Latino families. Thank you for your support.

 

Feed the Children:
1 in 5 children in the Triangle go hungry every day. Feed the Kids takes action against childhood hunger in our community by providing weekend meals and snacks to food insecure kids through local schools. Not only does this ministry help individuals become healthier children, but it also enables them to be fully engaged students. They are currently in nine schools feeding 150 kids a week. They are currently in need of individually packaged breakfasts, snacks, ramen, and canned meat. You can leave donations in the bin marked Feed the Kids in the traffic circle. If you would like to volunteer with Feed the Kids or for more information, please visit the website: feedthekidsnc.org! Thanks so much for your continued support.

Christmas Poinsettia:
Order poinsettias to be displayed in our worship spaces this Advent and Christmas season in honor or in memory of loved ones. The deadline to place an order is 4:00pm on Monday, December 4.
Plants are $15 per dedication.

Poinsettias will be placed in worship on Sunday, December 10.

Poinsettias may be taken home on Christmas Eve, December 24.

Questions? Contact Todd Arant at todd.arant@apexumc.org

Order a Poinsettia