Blue Christmas  

Presbyterians Today, November/December Issue  

At Christmastime, some church members and leaders may be struggling with depression, anxiety or grief. A “Blue Christmas” or “Longest Night” service can bring comfort to people who are lonely or suffering and lets them feel the congregation’s love and support. But only one out of four congregations offers such a service.
Find out how you can bring Christ’s powerful message
of peace to own church family.

Click here to read the article

First Quincy Presbyterian Church 

On November 19, 1884, the First Presbyterian Church of Quincy was established with seventy-five charter members. By 1934, at the half-century of its existence, the church's enrollment had grown to nearly six hundred. These were the peak years of immigration, both locally and nationally. The many newcomers from Scotland and the Canadian Maritimes were drawn by job opportunities in Quincy's booming shipbuilding and granite industries. The present building, at 270 Franklin Street, was dedicated in April of 1962, two years after ground was broken to lay the cornerstone. While we still have descendants of charter members worshipping with us today, we are also blessed to have members who are from places like Bangladesh, Malawi, Trinidad, Nigeria, France, Japan, Albania, Brazil, and even California!

Our pastor, Drew, is in his first year at First Presbyterian. He began in May, and is settling in nicely with the community. This Advent season has brought special worship and service opportunities for our church. On Saturday, December 1, our church’s mission partner, The Forgotten Initiative, worked with the local DCF office to host a Christmas Party at our church for local foster parents and children. TFI gathered volunteers from many South Shore churches, and we had over 200 guests! Two weeks later, our music director, Allen, and the adult’s and children’s choirs hosted a concert at a local retirement home on Saturday, December 15, the day before hosting a Choir Cantata for worship on Sunday, December 16. At the publishing of this note, we are also preparing to host a Blue Christmas worship service on Wednesday, December 19. We pray that this will be a meaningful time of reflection and worship for those dealing with pain and loss this Christmas. These three Advent events at First Presbyterian have reminded us of the peace and
hope that Christ brings.

We certainly appreciate your prayers! Specifically, please pray for our families who are having a tough Christmas season, due to finances, health, or grief. Please pray for a peaceful and joyful Christmas Eve service, for our local, national, and global mission partners, and our congregation as we explore new ways to engage our neighborhood. Please also pray for our Californian pastor, who will be experiencing his first New England winter! Thank you!
 

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