Advent and Christmas
Join us during this beautiful season as we await and celebrate the birth of Jesus!
On Christmas Eve, we will have services at 5 pm, 7 pm, and 11 pm. Find more information on Advent and Christmas Eve below.
Christmas Eve
Trinity offers three unique Christmas Eve services. Our Christmas Eve services are at 5 pm and 7 pm in the Great Hall and 11 pm in McCoy Chapel. Each service will be livestreamed on our website here and on Facebook.
All are welcome! Please explore the information below to decide which service is right for you.
Christmas Eve Worship Services
Christmas Eve is Sunday, December 24. We have three worship services available. All of our services include lighting the Advent wreath, singing of traditional Christmas carols, and closing with candlelight singing of Silent Night.
5:00 pm
Join us at 5 pm in our Great Hall for a family-friendly service that includes a special Trinity tradition: a Living Christmas Story. All children from age 3 – fifth grade are invited to play the parts of either angels, shepherds, sheep, wise men, or stars. There is no advance preparation necessary in order to participate, just plan to arrive to the Welcome Desk by 4:45 pm. Costumes are provided. There will also be childcare for infants (aged six weeks) through preschool. The Living Christmas Story takes place only at the 5 pm service.
This service is held in the Great Hall, a beautifully-designed accessible worship space with acoustic design features and rocking chairs for parents with infants.
7:00 pm
The 7 pm service includes a traditional service of Lessons and Carols, and closes with candlelight. There will be childcare for infants (aged six weeks) through preschool. This service is held in the Great Hall.
11:00 pm
Our late service includes Communion as well as the singing of traditional Christmas carols and closing by candlelight. Childcare is not provided for the 11 pm service. This service is held in our beautiful McCoy Chapel.
Accommodations
At Trinity, we strive to offer radical hospitality throughout the year. If you are new to joining us in worship, we want to provide information on the accommodations we are offering at this time:
- There are three wheelchair accessible entry points. If you are attending our 5 pm or 7 pm service in the Great Hall, please enter through the south or west entrances. If you are attending the 11 pm worship service in McCoy Chapel, you can find a wheelchair entrance on the northeast side of our building;
- Accessible bathrooms can be found in our main hallway;
- In the Great Hall, there are rocking chairs for use by new parents;
- Written sermons and large-print bulletins can be found outside the Great Hall and McCoy Chapel;
- Fidget toys are welcome in service and are available to borrow at our Welcome Desk;
- There are two gender neutral bathrooms that can be found at the northeast and southeast entrances;
- The majority of the chairs in our worship spaces do not have armrests, however, we do offer chairs with armrests for those who need them. If you need a specific type of chair, please ask an usher who will be happy to assist you.
If you have any questions or if we can offer further accommodations to you or your family, please email contact@tpcmckinney.org.
Seasonal Missions
Trinity offers many ways to practice extravagant generosity throughout the year. During Advent and Christmas, we partner with Heifer International and Christmas Giving Tree. Find more information by clicking below.
Heifer International
Heifer International is one of our missions for December.
For more than 70 years, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income.
There are three ways to give:
You can donate by writing a check to Trinity with “Heifer” in the memo line, or via Realm by selecting “Giving” and then “Mission of the Month”. You can also donate by clicking “DONATE” below.
All gifts will be matched dollar for dollar by an anonymous donor. Checks or gifts made on Realm must be received by December 26 to be included in the match.
Marion Medical Missions
Marion Medical Missions is our other mission in December.
Marion Medical Mission is an ecumenical, Christian, front-line, hands-on, volunteer, non-profit organization that responds to Christ’s call to serve by working hand in hand with God’s people in Africa. They aim to show the love of Christ through projects that directly impact the African people, stressing self-help and sustainability.
You can donate by writing a check to Trinity with “Marion Medical MIssions” in the memo line, or via Realm by selecting “Giving” and then “Mission of the Month”. You can also donate by clicking “DONATE” below.
Christmas Giving Tree
Trinity’s annual Christmas Giving Tree begins November 13 and ends December 13.
The Giving Tree is an opportunity to partner with families to provide toys, clothes, and essentials. Trinity will be supporting families from the Community Lifeline Center and Scott Johnson Middle School.
Christmas Joy Offering
On Christmas Eve it is our tradition to participate in our denomination’s special offering, which addresses the support needed by some of our leaders, including leadership development for communities of color, and providing assistance for Presbyterian church workers in their time of need.
Advent
Advent begins Sunday, December 3. Join us on Sundays in worship at 8:30 am or 11:00 am as we prepare for Christmas.
How Does a Weary World Rejoice? This advent we will seek to answer this important question. It is no secret that the world is weary and so are we. How do we hold space for our joy along with our pain? Join us this Advent season as we see to find out.
Below you will find more information on Advent, Trinity, and the coming season.
What is Advent?
Advent, which means “coming” or “arrival,” is the season where we prepare for the miracle of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, as a human infant 2000 years ago. Advent also reminds us that we still wait with expectant hope for Jesus to come again in power as the King of both heaven and earth. Beginning Sunday, November 27, we will spend 4 weeks preparing our hearts and minds for Christmas.
Each week in worship we will light candles on a traditional Advent wreath. These candles represent our Advent themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. The candles on the wreath represent the light of Jesus coming into the world. Each week will become progressively brighter until the central candle, the Christ candle, is lit on Christmas Eve.
Advent Calendar of Events
First Week and Hanging of the Greens: November 26
Join us for worship at 8:30 am in McCoy Chapel or 11 am in the Great Hall. Between services we will cover Trinity and our worship spaces with greenery as we prepare for the Advent season. Watch for various historic and adopted Christian symbols—the evergreens that promise life even in the coldest darkest times of winter, the wreath whose circle is never-ending, candles and other lights reminding us that Christ is the light of the world, and the white and gold Chrismon tree covered with crosses, crowns, doves, fish, stars and other Christian symbols.
First Week: December 3
Join us for worship at 8:30 am in McCoy Chapel or 11 am in the Great Hall. John Mark Solomon will be our special guest musician this Sunday.
Second Week and Cantata Sunday: December 10
Join us in the Great Hall at 8:30 am or 11 am for A Christmas Dream, our 2023 Christmas Cantata. Directed by Trinity’s Director of Music Ministry, Jennifer Jones, this beautiful cantata will feature the Trinity Choir, Children’s Choir, Orchestra, Narrators, and Soloists. For more information, click here.
Third Week: December 17
Join us for worship at 8:30 am in McCoy Chapel or 11 am in the Great Hall. Trinity’s PraiseKids will be performing in service this Sunday.
Do I need to be a Presbyterian to participate in the season?
No. Trinity welcomes all, wherever you are on your spiritual journey. From longtime Presbyterians to people uncertain about God, our halls are filled with people from all backgrounds and perspectives.
Being a PC(USA) church means honoring God’s stated desire to work through and in all people (Joel 2:28). We are intentionally inclusive and we believe that God uses the leadership and teaching gifts of all genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
We invite you to join us just as you are!
For more information or questions, contact the church office at 972-542-4629 or contact@tpcmckinney.org.