O light come down to earth:
Advent 2025 at Wilshire
When Advent begins on Nov. 30, Wilshire will enter into a liturgical season of expectant waiting where we will look to the themes of light and dark to guide us. In a time that feels so dark in our world, we will look to the Scriptures to inform how we, as people of faith, can reframe both light and dark in tandem. What does it mean to await the coming of the Light of the World? What do light and dark have to say about hope, joy, peace and love? Join us as we hold a candle for one another and discover together.
Sunday Mornings
Join us each week for worship at 11 a.m. in the beauty of our decorated Sanctuary as we prepare our hearts for the coming Christ. The first Sunday of Advent is Nov. 30.
Christmas Eve Services
Wednesday, Dec. 24. | 4 and 11 p.m. | Join us for worship on Christmas Eve as the waiting of Advent gives way to the joy of Christ’s birth. Our 4 p.m. service is suitable for all ages, while our 11 p.m. service is more formal and includes celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
Advent Sunday School series
Darren DeMent and Katie Murray will lead a Sunday School series for adults on the four Sundays of Advent at 9:45 a.m. in McIver Chapel. In the class, the Advent virtues of hope, peace, joy and love will be explored using the poetry of Wendell Berry, whose “Sabbath Poem: 1986, I” inspired our Advent theme. Starts Nov. 30.
Adventurers Grapevine outing
Tuesday, Dec. 2 | 3 p.m. | Join the Wilshire Adventurers for a bus outing to Grapevine, the Christmas Capitol of Texas on Dec. 2. The group will enjoy the sights and sounds of the season as they wander Main Street for shopping, dining and fun. Cost: $25 each. The bus will depart Wilshire at 3 p.m. and return at 9 p.m. Register at wilshirebc.org/events/grapevine. Adventurers is a fellowship group for anyone 60 and up.
Dec. 3 Vespers: Moravian love feast
Wednesday, Dec. 3 | 6 p.m. | McIver Chapel | Join our pastoral residents for a Moravian love feast-themed Vespers. Moravian love feasts, first held in Germany in 1727, are based on the agape meals of the early church and are often held at Christmas or other special occasions. The service will include music, Scripture and poetry; in keeping with love feast tradition, coffee, tea and sweets will be served in the Parlor afterward.
Celebration of the Green
Sunday, Dec. 7 | 6:30 p.m. | Sanctuary | Wilshire’s choral and instrumental groups will perform in the beauty of the decorated Sanctuary in this annual favorite event. A reception with cookies and cocoa will follow in Community Hall.
Children’s Christmas pageant
Wednesday, Dec. 10 | 6 p.m. | Sanctuary | Kindergarten, Pre-K and 3-Year-Old choirs will be in costume as they sing and act out the Nativity.
Songwriter Vespers: Holiday Edition
Sunday, Dec. 14. | 4:30 p.m. | Choral Hall | Darren DeMent and company will explore the full range of holiday emotions through songs by Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Lyle Lovett and others. Part worship service and part coffeehouse concert, this won’t be your typical church Christmas program.
One Starry Night
Friday, Dec. 19 | 6:30 p.m. | Bring the whole family and invite friends and neighbors to One Starry Night, our free interactive Bethlehem Experience, on Friday, Dec. 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Community Hall will be transformed into the village of Bethlehem, with shops, tradespeople, food and storytelling about the whispered birth of a special baby. This event is especially suited for families with children, but will be fun for all ages.
• Volunteers are needed. Learn more at wilshirebc.org/osn-volunteer or contact LeAnn Hampton at kitel@tx.rr.com.
Giving Tree
Starting Nov. 23, select a tag from the Giving Tree in James Gallery and fulfill a Christmas wish for a child or adult served by our Rental and Utility Assistance Program or a local mission partner. Scan your tag’s QR code and we’ll send you a due-date reminder. Our Virtual Giving Tree is also coming soon.
Poinsettia sales
Help decorate the Sanctuary for Advent by ordering a poinsettia in honor or in memory of a loved one. Dedications will be listed in the Dec. 7 worship folder. Each plant costs $14, and donors may take them home after Christmas Eve services. Order forms are available in the office, or you can order and pay at wilshirebc.org/poinsettias. Deadline to order: Nov. 30.
Sign up kids to build Nativity scene
Elementary school kids are invited to help build the Sanctuary Nativity scene by carrying elements to the chancel at the start of worship. We’ll begin Nov. 30 and build the scene week by week until it is complete at the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve service. Sign up at wilshirebc.org/nativity.
Tree of Hope and Remembrance
Help decorate Wilshire’s Tree of Hope and Remembrance in the South Lobby by writing the name of a loved one as a memorial or your name as a survivor of cancer or another disease. Blank ornaments and markers are provided at the tree, which is decorated with bracelets representing different forms of cancer. Hang your ornament on the tree anytime and feel free to take it home close to Christmas for your own tree.
Library Nativity sets
Stop by the Library during the Holiday season to enjoy a display of Nativity sets from around the world. Most are from the collection of Wilshire member Linda Garner.