Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church is a congregation that 

values a diversity of belief. Whether you're full of faith or full of doubt, 

you'll find people who have been there and accept you for where you are.

We welcome all people to worship, pray, eat, seek spiritual answers,

and enjoy life within this community of faith. All are welcome!

The season of Advent is all about preparing ourselves to welcome a child who illuminates hope, brings about peace, exclaims great joy, and embodies the love of God. Those four words: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are represented by the four candles on the outside of our Advent Wreath. Last week we focused on the third candle of joy, seeing how this pink light pokes a needed hole in the darkness of sorrow. This week we look to the fourth candle of love as we sing with the angels of "good news of great joy to all people." All are welcome to enjoy a special service of Lessons & Carols this Sunday, December 21 at 10:00 am as the congregation makes a joyful music to anticipate the birth of Emmanuel, God-with-us! Our kiddos will be participating as well with the inclusion of a Children's Christmas Pageant in the midst of some of the scripture readings. Please invite your family and friends to attend as you won't want to miss any part of this Christmas miracle!

Please note, adults and children will practice together in the Sanctuary on Saturday, December 20 at 10:00 am to rehearse. Please contact Terri Booth if you or your child still needs a costume fitting.

Sunday's Scripture:

Isaiah 9:2,6-7, NRSV

Isaiah 11:1-4a, 6-9, NRSV

Luke, 1:26-35, 38, NRSV

Luke, 1:39-56, NRSV

Luke 2:1-7, NRSV

Luke 2:8-16, NRSV

Matthew 2:1-12, NRSV

John 1:1-14, NRSV

Matthew 28:16-20, NRSV

Wish to worship with us again or during the week?

Click below to view last week's worship service.

Parents - The nursery ministry will be available for our little ones this Sunday but all older children will remain in the sanctuary for this special service.

Your Session met on Monday evening, December 15 for its final regularly stated meeting of the year. Wonderful reports from committees were heard detailing different ways our church is reaching out, especially in this holiday season to do the work of Christ in our community. The major item of interest was the discussion and unanimous approval of the 2026 budget. Your session is excited about upcoming opportunities in the New Year to see all the ways we can serve as the body of Christ in our community. Special thanks was given for the Elders in the class of 2025: Chris Broadhead, Amylyn Crawford-Thornton, Brenda Hutchins, Guy Ream, and KC Savage. The Session will meet for a leadership retreat on Saturday, January 17, and the next Stated Session meeting will be January 19 at 5:30 pm in room 221. We hope you have a blessed Christmas and we look forward to the New Year!

Gratefully,

Chris Broadhead (Clerk) & David Randolph (Moderator)

The Session has been faithfully at work regarding two matters that impact staffing here at Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church. The first is the replacement of our friend Tony Mowell. I continue to give thanks for Tony's five years of service and am grateful to the congregation for helping to celebrate his ministry last Sunday in worship. I am pleased to share that during this transition, the Praise Band will continue to lead worship within our Music Ministry and we are most grateful for this dedicated group of volunteers who share their gifts with each of us! At the same time, the Praise Band has been authorized by the Session to begin interviewing candidates for the next Praise Band Leader. This position will soon be posted online and the congregation is asked to please share it with interested individuals who may feel called to serve in this important way.

Additionally, the Session prayerfully discerned that it was necessary to make a change to how the church maintains our facilities. The building of Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church is currently used almost every day of the week by the church, the day school, and other missional partners. There are over 39,000 square feet here at CHPC and it became clear that it is a labor too great for a single staff member to clean, even with the assistance of church members who volunteer on committees like Building & Facilities. Therefore, the Session made the difficult decision to enlist the help of a cleaning service beginning in 2026. This change was not made lightly, as we grieve the impact it will have on a staff member and his family. Alec Paulsen has a great attitude, a can-do spirit, and he was willing to do whatever was asked of him during his year and a half service to the church. I am grateful the Session also decided to enlist the help of this new cleaning service two weeks early in order to give Alec that paid time to begin looking for a new opportunity.

Times of transition can be challenging because they force us to wrestle with the outcomes that arise from difficult decisions. And yet, we believe in a God who makes a way in the wilderness, calms the stormy seas, and bears our heavy burdens. This same God came down into the messiness of our world to turn distress into hope, disillusionment into peace, sorrow into joy, apathy into love, and isolation into connection. I welcome any questions members of our church family may have about these updates and would encourage you to speak with any member of the Session as well. May God continue to help us prepare during this season of Advent as we await the coming Christ-Child and the Kingdom of God Emmanuel will bring for the good of all people.

In Christ,

Rev. J. David Randolph, Pastor and Head of Staff

This past Sunday included a few special events in celebration of the Christmas Season! After worship, CHPC's Women's Ministry gathered for a White Elephant gift exchange. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together in the midst of a busy season and simply have a little fun! Thanks to all who came out and brought such wonderful food to share. Then later that evening, The Youth Group had their own seasonal celebrations with their annual trip to Bristol Motor Speedway in Lights! It was a super fun trip with some wonderful lights and Christmas carols. The very low temperatures could not destroy our holiday cheer--but the hot cocoa, warm funnel cakes, and toasty van certainly helped as well!!

And don't forget, the CHPC Youth Group will hold our annual Christmas Party at the Randolph's home from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. We will eat, exchange presents, and enjoy some festive games. Parents, please plan to drop off and pick up your student directly at the Randolph residence on December 21. Contact Tyler for more questions to to RSVP!

Please save this date for this year's Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church! We hope you and your loved ones will join us for this annual tradition as we celebrate the birth of Christ in our midst. Please invite your family and friends by sharing our facebook event here.

This year on Christmas Eve, the Missions Ministry Team will be accepting donations for our ministry partner Sleep in Heavenly Peace. We are proud to help them support children in our community who do not have a place to lay their head like our Lord and Savior long ago. We will accept new sets of twin sheets (normal size) and new pillows. Additionally, continued food donations for CHPC's Blessing Box are also appreciated for those who wish to ensure no one goes hungry in our neighborhood either. Please place any donations under the Chrismon Tree in the sanctuary. Thank you for your willingness to help shine the light of hope in our own community!

A new sermon series about "The Chronicles of Narnia" begins on Sunday, December 28 and runs through Sunday, February 15. All are invited to read along as we journey to this magical land to hear the tales of the Pevensie children, Mr. Tumnus, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, Prince Caspian, Trumpkin the Dwarf, Reepicheep the Mouse, Eustace and Jill, Shasta and Bree, the Professor and Polly, King Tirian, and of course, Aslan the lion. That last name is the one we have to watch out for the most, because after all, he's not a tame lion; and yet, he is good!

Below are the specific dates for those who wish to read along with each book:

• December 28 - The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
• January 4 - Prince Caspian
• January 11 - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• January 18 - The Silver Chair
• February 1 - The Horse and His Boy
• February 8 - The Magician's Nephew
• February 15 - The Last Battle

Save the date for the New Year’s Eve celebration from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, December 31 as we travel together across the pond to ring in the new year! Members are encouraged to bring a finger food or sweet treat to share. Please invite your family and friends; all are welcome!

Do you or your family have a Christmas Card or holiday photo to share? The church will be decorating our office bulletin board with photos to welcome visitors this Advent season. Please drop by a card or photo by the church so we can pin your smiling face on the board to show the warmth of this wonderful church family :)

The Flowers placed in the Narthex are given to the Glory of God in memory of Minerva Sexton and Leigh Ann Harless by Arnold Sexton.

The Remnant Sunday School Class takes a break this Sunday after worship and resumes on Sunday, December 28 in combination with the Disciples Class for a special discussion on the upcoming Narnia Sermon Series. All are welcome to participate in this lively discussion at 11:15 am in the youth room about that days sermon and particular book from this series. Please speak to David to learn more.

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection and a Celebration of the Life of Jonathan Hutchins will be held in the sanctuary on Monday, December 22 at 11:00 am. The family will receive friends during a visitation at the church starting at 9:30 am. Please keep Brenda, Jon, Emily, Whitney, Dan, and their granddaughters in your prayers we prepare to give thanks for Jonathan's life.

Thank you to all who placed their order for new CHPC T-shirt! Confirmations will be sent when we have an expected arrival date. Short-sleeve shirts will be $25, youth shirt sizes $20, and sweatshirts will be $35. Any monies raised will go to support the youth ministry as they remind us all of how God looks at each beloved child of God.

Are you interested in serving during Sunday worship? A worship volunteer training is scheduled on Sunday, January 18 for all individuals who desire to serve as a liturgist, usher, or communion preparer. Lunch will be provided for all those who attend. Please let David know you’re interested.

Schedules for serving in the nursery and with the children's ministry are being made now for the new year. Volunteers are needed to help support this meaningful ministry as we have welcomed new children into the life of our church family. Please consider offering your time and talents to help share the love of Christ with the smallest members of our faith community. Contact Tyler to sign up to serve today!

It’s not too late to return the annual Time & Talent survey to share how God is calling you to serve in the new year. Additional surveys are in the church office or on the church website here. Thank you for your willingness to volunteer and support the ministry of this church family!

It's that time of year for the Christmas Joy Special Offering! Your gift supports current and retired church leaders and helps to develop new leaders at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges serving communities of color. To give, use the offering envelope provided or give online. Please also let Sarah know to credit your gift to the offering.

As 2025 comes to a close, we continue to prepare for Christ’s coming by generously giving of our tithes and offering. Thank you for your continued support of Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church and for the ministry you help to offer in our community and beyond. Please make sure any final contributions are postmarked by December 31 to be included in this year's final giving statement. Please contact Sarah Johnson if you have any questions about your giving or to set up a pledge for 2026.

All items for the weekly online newsletter should be emailed to Mary at office@chpres.org by noon on Wednesday.

Please continue to pray for all those on the Prayer List:

Family of Jonathan Hutchins, Vicki Weber (Marissa Paulsen's mother),

Jay Walters, Richard Bilbro (Cecil Bilbro's brother), Esther Favors (Tyler Paulsen's abuela), Baby Justice Gilreath, Julius Maikis (Scoutmaster White's father), William Savage (KC Savage's brother), Fr. James Fliss (Doreen Heppert's brother), Tina Whiteaker (Teresa Strickler's sister), Beverly Shelton, Barbara Holt, Joyce Callahan

As well as those in Health Care/ Assisted Living Facilities:

Mary Ann Smith, Mae Dale, Sue Fortney, Linda Gibson, Millie Pruett



Do you have a specific prayer request you'd like to share?

Please contact a member of the Care Shepherds or Pastor David

and we would be happy to pray with you!