Vision 2026 is Jan. 7

To kick 2026 off in the right direction, we are having a joint leadership meeting to discuss Woodmont’s priorities for the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Dinner will be at 5:30 PM with a presentation in Carpenter Chapel at 6:15 PM. Board, Elders, and Deacons are expected to attend.

Click the button below to RSVP for dinner.

Christmas Eve schedule

2:00 PM and 3:00 PM Napkin Nativity services in the sanctuary - designed for families with young children, our early services are about 30 minutes and feature carols, the Christmas Story, and a hands-on interactive experience called “The Napkin Nativity.” The services are identical, so pick whichever one works best for you and your family’s Christmas Eve schedule!

5:00 PM Older Children & Youth Candlelight service in the sanctuary - a candlelight service focused on families who have children in both the elementary and middle/high school age range.

5:00 PM Contemporary service in the chapel - now in year two, our first modern Christmas Eve service features a full band and an immersive worship experience in Carpenter Chapel.

7:00 PM and 9:00 PM Candlelight & Communion - a longstanding tradition, our evening services tell the story of Christmas through “Lessons & Carols.”  The two services are nearly identical, so pick whatever time works best for your Christmas Eve plans!

Walk Thru Bethlehem this Sunday

Our annual Christmas gift to Nashville is this 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:

• Roman soldiers
• Rabbis at the synagogue
• Parking

Click the button below to sign up!

Costumes need to be picked up as soon as possible and our final costume pickup date is this Saturday, Dec. 13, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.

Advent is in full swing. We are now busy at Woodmont getting ready for Walk Thru Bethlehem! The village is being built every night this week. Our leadership team has been working on this for months. For over 40 years now, Woodmont has been putting on this major event for the Nashville community, and many who travel in from out of town. What first started as a live nativity scene up at South Hall in 1983, put on by our youth group (honoring Anne Keith), has grown and evolved into a major community event where thousands walk through the doors of our church to experience what it felt like when Christ was born. I want to thank the WTB planning committee and the many members who are working very hard this week to get ready for this major event. It is no secret that it takes a LOT of work and hundreds of volunteers to pull off this major event every year. This is a MAJOR undertaking but always worth it!

It is always a labor of love and an outreach to our community. But we need to be aware of “WHY” we do this. Why do we work so hard to bring the Christmas story to life? Why is this outreach so very important? Consider this:

• Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ, the light shining in the darkness and the darkness not overcoming it. In the midst of the secular culture, many will forget why we celebrate Christmas in the first place, and this is a great reminder. Right here in Green Hills, we bear witness to the real meaning of Christmas!

• WTB is a major outreach of our church and a gift that we give to the Nashville community every year. Put simply, it is an act of love, generosity, and joy that impacts thousands of people.

• WTB always brings our church community together. Our church has grown significantly over the years. We have three different worship services every Sunday, and we don’t always get to see each other. WTB is a community-wide event where we can come together, work together, and get to know each other better. This strengthens the relationships of our faith community.

• Woodmont has a reputation throughout Nashville for hosting this event. We should take great pride in this fact and keep working year after year to make it even better.

• When it’s over, we are always glad that we kept the tradition alive. The gratitude expressed by those who come reminds us that this event is a significant part of their Christmas tradition!

Please spread the word this week to your friends and neighbors to come to Bethlehem on Sunday. It is a transformational event! Years ago, Phillip Brooks had a powerful experience in the Holy Land on Christmas Eve while worshipping at the Church of the Nativity. He wrote these words that would become the famous lyrics to one of our favorite Christmas hymns:

O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by;

Yet in the dark street shineth

The everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight.

This is what Christmas is all about. This is why we put on Bethlehem year after year. This is why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus Christ can heal a broken world. He can heal our pain and our divisions. He can bring us the peace that passes understanding and help us to experience joy. He can make us whole again.

Make your "Generations of Faith" pledge

If you haven't already, it's not too late to make your pledge to our "Generations of Faith" capital campaign! Simply click the button below.

Welcome, new members!

Kaylor & Jessica McCracken, joined Dec. 1

Leadership nomination kickoff

This year, we will be nominating 1 Board Chair-Elect, 3 At-Large Board Members, 7 Elders, and 35 Deacons. Nominations are accepted through Jan. 31, 2026, and the committee will meet in February.

Our 2026 Nominating Committee is:

Alissa Mansfield (chair)

Kempton Presley

Ragan Graves (deacon)

Damon Bowers (deacon)

Mary Graf (deacon)

Cathy Johnson (elder)

Kirtley Whittington (elder)

John Stauffer

Chad Greer

Questions to consider for potential leaders are:

1. Are they regularly present in worship?
2. Are they growing deeper as disciples of Jesus?
3. Do they have a servant's heart?
4. Do they put the church and others first?
5. Can they help lead Woodmont into the future?
6. Are they positive, encouraging, and willing to grow?

Advent Week 2

Sunday, Dec. 7

CHILD DEDICATION - Jones Alexander Jafari, son of Matthew & Christin Jafari

This Sunday, Dec. 14: Week 3 of Advent

“Experiencing Joy in Bethlehem” • Clay Stauffer • Micah 4:1-4 & Luke 2:1-20

Please note that we will not have any type of breakfast in the gym this Sunday due to Walk Thru Bethlehem. We will also have no evening youth activities.

Our schedule for this Sunday is:

• 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
• 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Walk Thru Bethlehem

"Churches, Polarization, & A Walk Thru Bethlehem"

Clay recently appeared on NewsChannel 5's "Issues of Faith" with Ben Hall and you can click the button below to watch!

One December Sunday, I was heading to church for an early rehearsal. It was one of those frosty mornings, and I was bundled up with Christmas carols playing on the radio, and my travel cup of coffee next to me. As I stopped at the light at the intersection closest to our house, our neighborhood Contributor salesman waved.

He looked cold—nose red, gloves with holes in the first two fingers. I could say that I felt flooded with compassion, but if I’m honest, it’s probably more accurate to say I felt a combination of gratitude and guilt: Gratitude for my cozy life, and guilt that I didn’t have much more to offer at that particular moment than the purchase of this man’s newspaper. I rolled down my window, greeted him, and held out a $5 bill. “God bless you,” he said, taking the money from my hand, and then stepping back. “Have a good day.” I was confused. He hadn’t given me the paper I had paid for. “Wait a second,” I said, “Can I get a paper, please?” He shook his head, “I’m all out. Sorry!” 

At this point, the light changed, and the person behind me honked, and it was time to go. As I drove on to church, I felt a little huffy. Here, I’d paid more than double the price of the paper this man was selling, and got nothing in return! That just didn’t seem right! My charitable feelings devolved into me feeling a bit cheated. Humph! I sulked a little while the car stereo played a carol, the words “How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given…”

As I turned into the church parking lot, I felt my soul gently chiding my indignation: Every moment of our lives, God gives us extravagant love with no expectation of a return on that investment in us. Our world works on a system of exchanges—something for something—but our relationship with God is so different.

With God, it’s something amazing for nothing, really. God showers us with gifts of hope, peace, joy, love, and mercy without requiring so much as a thank-you note in return. How could I begrudge another child of God anything at all? In the end, what I received from my encounter with that salesman was worth far more than the five dollars I paid. I think I owe him a thank you, don’t you?

This Wednesday at The Center for Hope & Healing

Woodmont's Lady Llamas open season with a resounding victory! The team is coached by Jerry Johnson.

The Woodmont Wizards, coached by David Mason.

GEMS Dec. 16

Our next GEMS meeting will feature "The Sounds of Christmas" with Sarah Huffman, Kathy Hart, and Bill Lauderdale on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 11:30 AM in Room 200.

Make reservations by calling the church office (615) 297-8563 or email jan@woodmontcc.org

Pick up your Advent poinsettias in the Gathering Hall

If you haven't already, please pick up your Advent poinsettias in the Gathering Hall (the large room beside the sanctuary with the TV that we currently use for overflow seating) at any time during the week or on Sunday.

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

Church calendar

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