11 AM Worship Bulletin

11 AM SERVICE

11AM Order of Worship

A bulletin you can print at home

CONNECT CARD

Tell us how we can pray with you

& how we can connect you with ministries

GIVE

An expression of gratitude to God

WELCOME TO WORSHIP | sunday | december 21, 2025

a diverse, inclusive church experiencing and reflecting the love, hope and joy of Jesus Christ

to each other and our community.

WELCOME | Pastor Cathy Johns

WELCOME ONE ANOTHER

WAYS TO CONNECT | christchurchfl.org/ways2connect
Please see below.

* GATHERING HYMN | Leigh Neely, liturgist
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 240 (verses 1,2,3)

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”,

Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies;

With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

(refrain) Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born King!”

Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold him come, offspring of the virgin’s womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’incarnate Deity,

Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. (refrain)

Hail the heaven-born, Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and Life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. (refrain)

Charles Wesley | Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy| public domain | CCLI License # 487103

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God, who moved across the dark waters at Creation.
God’s words “Let there be light” filled the heavens and the earth with abundant light and goodness.
God loves, protects, and nurtures all of Creation.

We believe in Jesus Christ, God born among us a fragile baby.
His birth was heralded by angels. From shepherds to kings, people
came to worship Jesus, the infant king. His life, death,
and resurrection continue to transform the world with God’s love.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who gives us eyes to see all people as beloved children of God.
This Spirit calls us to live in peace, and with great joy, sing with the angel chorus:

“Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people of earth.”

* GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Henry W. Greatorex | public domain | CCLI License # 487103

LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE | Brian McComb, reader
Dancers Lyanna Castillo, Mary Campbell, Caroline Kretzschmar & Noelle Neal

Today we come face to face with the scandal of Advent: Mary, the unmarried mother; God Incarnate growing in Mary’s womb as a vulnerable baby; Joseph contemplating leaving Mary because of her pregnancy; God’s love at work in ways that society and propriety could not understand; God calling Mary and Joseph to faithfulness despite the fear of disgrace.

all With Mary and Joseph we choose to wait, watch, and listen for the way of Love instead of responding in fear to the world’s judgment.

We light this candle of love as a sign of our faithfulness as we seek, find and follow Emmanuel, God with us.

CAROL
O Little Town of Bethlehem | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 230 (verse 1)
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie,
above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Dennis Allen, Lewis H. Redner & Phillips Brooks © words: public domain | music: 1998 Pilot Point Music | CCLI License # 487103

OFFERING | Pastor Doug Johns
worshiping through the offering of our lives and gifts

· Place offerings in the plates or wooden boxes

· Give online at christchurchfl.org/give

· Text GIVE to 954.880.3885

· Mail a check to Christ Church, 4845 NE 25^th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

Connect cards may also be placed with your offering. Christ Church is a congregationally supported ministry. Thank you for your faithfulness as we reflect the love, hope and joy of Jesus to our community.

MUSIC MINISTRY
Candlelight Carol | John Rutter
Chancel Choir, Brubeck Brass
How do you capture the wind on the water? How do you count all the stars in the sky? How can you measure the love of a mother, or how can you write down a baby’s first cry? Candlelight, angel light, firelight and star-glow. Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Angels are singing, the Christ child is born. Shepherds and wise men will kneel and adore him, seraphim round him their vigil will keep; nations proclaim him their Lord and their Savior, but Mary will hold him and sing him to sleep. Find him at Bethlehem laid in a manger; Christ our Redeemer asleep in the hay. God-head incarnate and hope of salvation: a child with his mother that first Christmas Day.

* DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Bourgeois & Ken | public domain | CCLI License # 487103

MORNING PRAYER

THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

SCRIPTURE
Luke 2:8-20
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

These are the words of God for us, the people of God. Thanks be to God!

INTRODUCTION TO ANGELS

CAROL
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 218 (verses 1, 4)
It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold.
“Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on, by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.

ANGELS PREPARE

MUSIC MINISTRY
The Angel Gabriel | arr. Joel Raney
Ensemble

ANGELS PRAISE

MUSIC MINISTRY
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks | Craig Courtney

Chancel Choir
While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground. The angel of the Lord came down, and glory shown around. “Fear not” said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind; glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind. “To you in David’s town this day is born, of David’s line the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, and this shall be the sign: The heavenly Babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all meanly wrapt in swathing bands and in a manger laid. All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace: Good will henceforth from heaven to earth begin and never cease.

MEDITATION
Gloria! | Pastor Cathy Johns

ANGELS PROCLAIM

CAROL
Angels We Have Heard on High | The United Methodist Hymnal No. 238 (verses 1,2,3,4)
(Please bring your gift for Jesus forward and place on The Enchanted Tree)

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains.

(refrain) Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song? (refrain)

Come to Bethlehem and see Christ whose birth the angels sing;

come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King. (refrain)

See him in a manger laid, whom the choir of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while our hearts in love we raise. (refrain)

MUSIC MINISTRY
Gloria | Antonio Vivaldi
Chancel Choir, Brubeck brass
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Antonio Vivaldi, Elmer Robert Thomas | © 1985 Roger Dean Publishing Company, a division of The Lorenz Corporation (admin. by Music Services)
all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

* SENDING FORTH

MUSIC FOR CLOSING

Fanfare on “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” | arr. Clark Cothern

Brubeck Brass

* please stand in body or spirit.

Join us Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, for one of three services:
5pm child-led worship
7pm traditional worship with lessons & carols and
11pm traditional worship with holy communion

For a complete list of all the ways to conect click here