Come hear Pastor Jim's message for Sunday, November 8 -
“The Best Is Yet to Come"
based on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
If you can't make it to church,
listen to Pastor Jim's messages here.
Christmas is coming....are you ready?
What is Advent and Christmas?
A time for waiting and a moment of great celebration.
Advent marks the beginning of the church year. It is a time for reflection in darkness, for renewal of hope and for a movement towards a beginning.
The season of Advent, as it first emerged in the Church in the fourth and fifth centuries, lasted, like Lent, for 40 days. Later tradition developed the Advent we know today, of four Sundays before Christmas Day.
It is a season of expectation and preparation as the Church prepares to celebrate the coming of Christ. Church decorations are simple and sparse, and purple is the traditional colour used. Advent falls at the darkest time of the year, and the natural symbols of darkness and light are powerfully at work throughout Advent and Christmas.
Christmas is one of the highlights of the Christian year and a time of great celebration.
We celebrate the mystery of God coming to live among humanity as one of us in the person of Jesus, son of Mary, the saviour promised by the prophets of the Old Testament.
This great feast that marks the anniversary of Jesus’ birth has inspired the many joyful customs and traditions that we use to mark Christmas. Many of these – carols, cribs, decorations, and special foods – are shared with and enjoyed by millions of people across the world. But there is more than tinsel, trees and reindeer. There is amazement, wonder and joy here.
The gospel accounts of the first Christmas provide so many ways for us to enter into the mystery of God becoming human. There are hosts of angels filling the night sky with singing; a group of astounded shepherds on a hillside who find their lives and expectations turned upside down; there is a shining star and the birth of a child, which, like many other births before and since, brings hope and possibility.
And the readings for Christmas Day – including the prologue to John's gospel – invite us to look beyond the joy of Jesus' birth to the significance of his life, and the saving power of his future death and resurrection.
The season of Christmas lasts for twelve days, culminating in another feast – that of the Epiphany on 6th January, when we recall how Jesus was first revealed to the wider world in the visit of the Magi (or Wise Men).
Christmas is a time to enjoy the riches of grace that God lavishes upon us and to have fun as a community in the presence of the Lord. It is also important to remember that Christmas can be a very lonely time for some people, as not everyone is surrounded by family and friends; some people may be facing Christmas alone without the company of a partner or loved one who has died.
A Christmas prayer
Holy Jesus,
by being born one of us,
and lying humbly in a manger,
you show us how much God loves the world.
Let the light of your love
always shine in our hearts,
until we reach our home in heaven,
and see you on your throne of glory.
Amen.
Information taken from https://www.churchofengland.org/faith/advent-and-christmas/what-is-advent-and-christmas 11/04/2026 SMM
This is our building,
but our church is our people.
Our congregation may be small, but we are mighty. We are an outreach, mission oriented congregation, with our eyes always looking for ways to help, and our hands and feet always working for the Lord. Check our missions page to learn more about us.
A heart filled with love has no room for hate.
Food Sense Information
Food Sense is a program where you can purchase a unit (or more) of food at a cost savings each month to help you and your family save money. The food is quality food and comes from the Central New York Food Bank. There are no qualifications, no subscriptions, and no requirements. You must pay two weeks before the delivery to guarantee your food and then pick up at the Oriskany Falls United Methodist Church. For more information, please either email mmarris1@twcny.rr.com with Food Sense in the subject line or call Sonia at 315-821-6130 and leave a message and she will return your call.
Food Sense orders will be taken Tuesday, November 3rd, 5:00 – 6:00 pm at the C W Clark Memorial Library at 160 N Main St in Oriskany Falls. You may also order online until midnight Monday, November 9th at https://foodbankcny.org/food-sense/. Help stretch your food dollar by getting some quality products from the CNY Food Bank at below retail prices. There are no requirements to order. Pick up will be on November 20th at 10 am at the United Methodist Church in Oriskany Falls at 201 Main St.
Current Events
These are the current events happening at our church. For more information on each event, click here to go to our calendar, and click on each item.
01
Sunday Worship
& Sunday School
Worship every Sunday at 11:00 am with Pastor Jim Faulks. Sunday School is now in session on Sunday mornings at 9:45 am with Miss Sonia and Miss Linda and Miss Emma.
02
Creekside Update
Creekside now has gift baskets on display along with our Christmas room being full of your holiday decorations and more! Stop in and shop now while the selection is prime! We are refilling daily.
03
Important days to remember!
Veteran's Day is November 11. Remember to thank a veteran when you see one.
Also, Creekside will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27. Happy Thanksgiving! My favorite meal of the year!
04
Bible Study
Bible Study...is in full swing on Wednesday afternoons at 5:00 pm, this time in Bouckville. We are studying the Nicene Creed, where it came from, why we say it, and what it really means. Come and join us. If interested, please let Pastor Jim know (315-246-2828) so he can order you a book.
Our Calling
Every member of our Church has come with a calling. Some are called to pray, some are called to listen. Some are called to volunteer, some are called to mission. Some are called to music, some are called to preach. Each has his or her own calling. We are all one with the Lord. See Romans 12:4-8.
Romans 12:4-8
New International Version
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
