Announcements

► What you need to know this week

• WHITE GIFT SUNDAY Giving – On behalf of many recipients, the Outreach Committee thanks you for your generous donations to White Gift Sunday on December 5th, 2021.
We delivered a van load of gifts and hats, mitts, socks, scarves to Hamilton; we delivered a mixed car load to Safety Net in Oakville and made two deliveries of outerwear to Kerr Street Mission, in Oakville. GIFT CARDS and cash to grocery stores, etc. were most appreciated, allowing many families to have that special Christmas.
Thank you so much in advance from your Outreach Committee and from the many recipients.

• Christmas Services Update: It’s been a long wait, but we are so happy to invite you to celebrate Christmas at Walton, both in person and virtually this year. While we won’t have our traditional live storytellers service for the littlest ones this year, watch your email for a link to one of our favourite storyteller’s services from years past. This is a great opportunity to snuggle up with your young kids and a cup of warm cocoa to worship together on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day in the comfort of your home. As well, we will be offering two identical in-person services on Christmas Eve at 5:00pm and 7:30pm, along with a virtual version which will be shared via email, on Facebook and on YouTube at 4:30pm. Registration for both in-person Christmas Eve services, as well as our Boxing Day service on Sunday, December 26, will open at 9:00am on Monday, December 20. Registration links will be on the Walton Church website as usual, or you may call or email the church office. Please note you may only register for one service on December 24th, not both. If registration is full when you register, please use the wait list option provided. We will be able to open up more spaces once registration has closed and family bubbles are assigned seats.
A Virtual Christmas Day Service will be sent out on Saturday, December 25th, at 2:00pm. Merry Christmas!

•Christmas Benevolent Fund Memorials- Everyone has the opportunity to make a special memorial gift to Walton at Christmas time, in memory of a loved one, friend or family member.
You are invited to make your memorial gift:
• By credit/debit card through the website by clicking here
• By texting a dollar amount followed by the word “Christmas” to 84321. Please also email your dedication message to stuart@waltonmemorial.com
• By cash/cheque through the church office — remember to attach your dedication message.
These memorial donations will be dedicated at a special time in the worship service on Sunday, December 19th, 2021. This list will also be emailed out after Christmas. In order for your donation to be included in the Christmas dedication, it must be received by Friday, December 17th, 2021.
All Christmas memorial donations will go to the Benevolent Fund, which is a confidential fund, managed by Rev. Gill with help from other staff, to help people in need due to illness, unemployment, or some unexpected accident, setback or tragedy. Every year it helps people in the congregation in need through financial and material assistance, it also helps those in the community and occasional transients who stop by the church looking for assistance. All donations to the Benevolent Fund receive a tax receipt.

• A reminder for all live services: You must register in advance each week. Registration opens at 9:00am on Monday and closes at 11:59pm on Thursday night. Please cancel if you are unable to attend.

• Sam’s Lady Rose Relish and Sam’s Bread & Butter Pickles (a very limited quantity) is available for purchase at $5.00 each, from the Church Office.

• Walton’s 2022 givings envelopes are now available for pickup. You are invited to drop by the church and ring the doorbell and we will bring your box out to you during the week. On Sunday mornings, you may notice your givings box is sitting in your assigned pew. Yes, if your name is on the top, those are for you.

• The Prayer Box has returned to our worship services. You are invited to drop your prayer into the Prayer Box on your way into service; it is on the table as you enter the Sanctuary. Each week the box filled with prayers will be brought forward with the offering plate and placed on the Communion table, and then will be passed onto the prayer chain. Of course, you can always call the church or email any prayer request you may have through the church office any day of the week as we did through our Covid closure.

• Children and youth are invited to view this week’s virtual Sunday School lesson online. Today’s Advent character teaches us how to become Christmas superstars, no matter how young or small we are.