Walk Thru Bethlehem - help is still needed!

Our annual Christmas gift to Nashville is only three weeks away on Sunday, Dec. 14. We have plenty of opportunities to bring this immersive event to first-time visitors and returning friends and family. Families have made Walk Thru Bethlehem a family tradition for decades.

We still need plenty of help! Sign up and volunteer now! Below are the important needs we still have:

• Special roles
• Parking
• Village build and teardown
• Costume roles

Click the button below to sign up!

Costumes need to be picked up as soon as possible. The costume room will not be serving needs on the day of Walk Thru Bethlehem. Check out on one of these dates below

It's time to check out your costumes! We need everyone to make plans for one of the following dates:

• Sunday, Nov. 30 — 9:00 AM to 12:15 PM
• Wednesday, Dec. 3 — 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
• Sunday, Dec. 7 — 9:00 AM to 12:15 PM
• Saturday, Dec. 13 — 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon

Christmas Eve schedule

• 2 PM - Napkin Nativity service (younger children) in the sanctuary

• 3 PM - Napkin Nativity service (younger children) in the sanctuary

• 5 PM - Children (older children) & youth service in the sanctuary

• 5 PM - Contemporary service in the chapel

• 7 PM - Traditional service in the sanctuary

• 9 PM - Traditional service in the sanctuary

Hanging of the Greens this Sunday

Our annual Hanging of the Greens service is this Sunday, Nov. 30, at 5:00 PM in the sanctuary, followed by The Tasting party in Drowota Hall. The service marks the beginning of the Advent season and features carols sung by the congregation and the Cherub Choir, Grace Notes, Handbell Choir, Jubilation, and the Chancel Choir.

The Tasting Party this Sunday

The Tasting party, which takes place after the Hanging of the Greens service, is a long-time Woodmont tradition held downstairs in the gym. Reservations are not needed, but if you plan on attending, please bring a bite-sized sweet or savory item to share with 20 people that is ready to serve. Food items can be dropped off downstairs in the kitchen beginning at 3:30 PM this Sunday.

If you are unable to attend the festivities but would like to contribute, please label your food items and leave them in the kitchen before the event.

If you have any questions, contact Robin Heyne at (615) 406-3514 or rheyneinteriors@gmail.com

This week, I am working hard to cultivate a mindset of gratitude. I encourage you to do the same. Take time to reflect and name your blessings. Spend time with the people you love. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for our church and all the ministries we have. I am grateful to live in Nashville, TN. I am grateful for my friends. I am grateful for my Vanderbilt students who always keep me sharp. I am grateful for the amazing response that we have had to our capital campaign this fall to move Woodmont’s vision into the future. Gratitude is a mindset. It is a way of living. As great as Thanksgiving is, we should not need a holiday to remind us of why it is so important.

Thanksgiving week is an ideal time for us to acknowledge the fundamental difference between envy and gratitude, coveting and contentment. We live in a culture with an economic system that, to some degree, fuels itself on coveting and comparison. Are we not told over and over again by marketers and advertisers that we deserve things that are bigger, better, and nicer than what we have? Are we not told that we would be so much happier if we just went out and bought whatever it is they are promoting because we deserve it? Isn’t the American Dream predicated on the fundamental concept of having a better life than the previous generation? We don’t just want to give our kids what we had – we want to give them something bigger and better. And then we wonder why we are never satisfied and why so many feel entitled.

Capitalism is far from a perfect system. It has its flaws. However, we must acknowledge that capitalism has lifted millions out of poverty across the globe and provided incentives and opportunities that many never dreamed they would have. Yet, at this particular moment in history, we are seeing the results of drastic inflation, rising costs, financial stress, and the inability of many families to pay for basic things like food, housing, insurance, and health care. While many live comfortably, many others struggle to make ends meet. Populism is the direct result of many people feeling left behind by the system and being ignored by the elites. The ongoing conversation around “affordability” and “cost of living” is at the center of politics and elections. Both sides try to use it to their advantage.

There was a famous grant study done at Harvard over a 75 year period. They tracked 268 male students who graduated from Harvard between the years of 1938 and 1940, many of whom are now deceased, in order to find out what makes for a happy and meaningful life over the long haul. The results were published in a book called Triumphs of Experience. Here's what they discovered. Love is what matters most. Connection to other people and forming meaningful friendships is what matters. Moving from narcissism to connection is what matters, and working through challenges and adversity in life makes us who we are. Without these struggles, we cannot build character and learn resilience. The research showed that money and power, although important in achieving business success, do not necessarily equate to more happiness unless they are accompanied by the other things that bring us love, connection, and joy. No matter what we may have, we need people in our lives. Believe it or not, the world has many lonely mill

Duke theologians Stanley Hauerwas and Will Willimon once said, “Our problem as humans is not that we are full of desire, aflame with unfulfillment. Our problem is that we long for that which is unfulfilling. We attempt to be content with that which can never satisfy. What we want is power and status. Alas, we find that no matter what we have acquired, there is always someone we envy.” This is the great spiritual challenge. We can heed the words of Paul as we celebrate Thanksgiving: “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty.” Success addiction and upward mobility quickly become a trap. It has been proven that genuine gratitude for what we already have can help eliminate fear and anxiety, envy and jealousy. Thanksgiving is a week to slow down, spend intentional time with family and friends, acknowledge the basic blessings that we often take for granted, and give thanks for what and who is in our lives. It is much more than a holiday. It is a mindset.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enneagram presentation & Midweek Worship Dec. 3

December's Midweek Worship will feature a special presentation by Enneagram expert Hunter Mobley called “The Enneagram, Christmas, and Managing Stress” at 6:15 PM following a 5:30 PM dinner in the gym.

This is a full-band, casual service meant to give you a midweek uplift and reset. Come for some encouragement, music, and fellowship! Click the button below to RSVP for dinner.

Welcome, new members!

Marian Schmidt

Anthony Sleiman

Bill & Janet Weiskopf

Pick up your Advent poinsettias in the Gathering Hall on Sunday, Dec. 7

New this year! Instead of picking up your Advent poinsettias from the sanctuary, we will have them available on a table in the Gathering Hall (the large room beside the sanctuary with the TV that we currently use for overflow seating) on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the earliest.

We had originally arranged for these to be delivered by this Sunday, Nov. 30, but unfortunately have received word that there is a delay.

The sanctuary will be adorned with artificial poinsettias to keep everything looking great all through Advent! All live memorial poinsettias will be available in the Gathering Hall.

This Sunday, Nov. 30: Week 1 of Advent

9:30 AM & 11:00 AM • "The Many Yes’s of Christmas" • Rev. Farrell Mason • Luke 1:26-38

9:40 AM The Bridge • "Pressing Passionately Into Hope" • Rev. Jay Hutchens • Isaiah 26:7-9; Jeremiah 29:11-12; Romans 8:22-26

Our schedule for this Sunday is:

• 8:00 AM – Continental breakfast in the gym
• 9:30 AM – Informal service in the sanctuary
• 9:30 AM – Middle school service in the youth lounge
• 9:40 AM – The Bridge service in the chapel
• 11:00 AM – Traditional service in the sanctuary
• 5:00 PM – Hanging of the Greens in the sanctuary
• 6:00 PM – The Tasting Party in the gym

Please note that our youth group is involved in the Hanging of the Greens service, so we will not have our usual youth activities this Sunday, Nov. 30.

New! 8:30 AM adult & children's Sunday School hour

Continental breakfast with bagels and muffins starts at 8:00 AM in the gym followed by our 8:30 AM Sunday School classes. Grab some breakfast and join a class!

New adult Sunday School offerings:

A Place for Peace - Intended as an opportunity for connection and intentional gathering for depleted parents to live intentionally and unhurried, turn their minds and attention to God, and encourage eacg another. No required reading or homework. Starting next week, the class will be focusing on Advent with readings from the book The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler.

For more, contact Alex Scarbrough Fisher at alex.scrabrough@gmail.com

The Gathering Class - A space to come together for prayer, study, and community. The group will begin by diving into the Gospel of Luke and following a study guide by N.T. Wright to grow their understanding of the text and share meaningful conversation. This is especially geared toward parents in the season of raising children — whether little ones, school-aged, or teenagers— but is open to anyone seeking connection and fellowship. For more, contact Carey Whitworth at carey.whitworth@gmail.com and Grant Mullins at gcmull@gmail.com

If you are interested in your child attending the 8:30 AM Sunday School program, please click here to fill out our registration form.

Thank you, Woodmont!

Thank you to everyone who donated food, gift cards, and monetary support to Metro Schools’ HERO Pantry. Because of your generosity, Woodmont was able to provide at least 80 bags full of breakfast, dinner, and snack items for families in insecure housing situations. We were also able to supplement the pantry with additional food items to be used going forward. You are such a blessing in the lives of so many families that are struggling to find stable homes.

Fall-Hamilton is so very thankful for each and every one of you - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

CWF Dec. 2 meeting

Our next Christian Women's Fellowship meeting will feature Christmas entertainment from WCPS Preschool Director Martha Duff, Music Teacher Jody Galloway, and The Woodmont Consort on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 11:00 AM in Carpenter Chapel. You can RSVP for lunch by calling the church office at (615) 297-8563.

Room In The Inn open dates

Woodmont is serving unhoused people once again this winter season through our partnership with Room In The Inn. Each Friday night from November to March, we serve people in need. Signups are going well, but there are still plenty of opportunities to provide meals or stay overnight with our guests.

Angel Tree dropoff due this week

Drop off Angel Tree gifts and sign in by the Gathering Hall tree by this Sunday, Nov. 30, at noon, which is Thanksgiving weekend. Please see the email sent by Tracy and Ann on Monday for details on how to drop off this week before Sunday, if needed. 

See Angel Tree for Fannie Battle Day Home 2025 for full details on buying, bagging, and tagging, including a link to print bag tags. 

To help load the truck at church and deliver gifts to Fannie Battle this Monday morning, Dec. 1, contact Tracy Crawford (crawfordbt@icloud.com / 615-294-4157) or Ann Wiles (annwiles@gmail.com / 202-607-4159)

Learn more about Heart for Africa

Heart for Africa is a faith-based humanitarian organization that focuses on bringing hope to the Kingdom of Eswatini, Africa in the areas of Hunger, Orphans, Poverty and Education. To learn more, click the video above!

A group of our 9th grade girls at the Stauffer's house on Sunday, Nov. 23

Church calendar

For a full list of everything happening at Woodmont, click the button below to view our church calendar.