Special December Christmas Events
Sunday, December 21 - 4:00 pm
Service of Longest Night
Christmas Eve Candlelight Services
Wednesday, December 24
4:30 pm Christmas Eve Worship (service livestreamed; band prelude begins at 4:00 pm)
10:00 pm Christmas Eve Worship
Worship in person or online
You can worship in person or online. Worship begins at 9:30am Sundays. To worship online with your church family:
Children’s Church
After the children’s message, kids pre-K through 5th grade will move to their own time and space for faith formation.
Adult Faith Formation | December 21 | Hope for Creation
We will briefly refer to the advent devotions, then focus on singing carols together, led by Richard Collman.
LIGHTS OUT FOR THE YOUTH on December 21
On Sunday December 21, the Northfield community is invited to raise awareness of youth housing insecurity. You're invited to turn out your lights from 6-7 p.m., and to donate to the efforts of the Northfield Union of Youth to provide supportive housing. Faith leaders will be hosting a brief moment of silence and prayer at Bridge Square at 6 p.m. when the lights will be turned off downtown. For more information and to donate, visit www.lightsoutfortheyouth.org.
Sunday, December 21: Service of the Longest Night
4:00pm, Sanctuary
Sometimes referred to as a Blue Christmas service, this gentle time together is meant to be a calming and centering time amidst a hectic and potentially painful time of year for those grieving or hurting.
Super Wednesdays! Next: January 7
- Fun, Faith & Food (snack) – K–5th Grade – 3:30–5:30 pm*
- Community Meal – 5:30–6:15 pm
- Adult Choir – 6:15–7:15 pm
- Youth Group – 6:30–8:00 pm
- Handbell Choir – 6:30 pm
* Contact Pastor Donna if you'd like to learn more. Free busing is provided from Bridgewater and Greenvale; walking escort from Spring Creek.
A special thank you to everyone who participated in the Christmas Pageant. The alpacas--Annie and Oakley--played their parts well, as did the shepherds, sheep, barnyard animals, stars, kings, camels, and, of course, Mary and Joseph. Thanks, Jeremy and Crew! And all who made it happen behind the scenes: Paula, Diane, Ashlynn, Charlie, Kathryn, Jesse, and Pastor Donna.
Advent study with Bishop Lanette: 'A Child is Born'
Plan now to participate in the 2025 Advent Study led by Bishop Lanette. In this study, United Methodists across the Dakotas and Minnesota are invited to read "A Child is Born" by Amy-Jill Levine. Dive into the narratives of Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, and Samuel to reveal how they foreshadow and enrich the timeless Christmas story. Levine shows readers how Scripture's earlier birth stories anticipate the story of Jesus’s birth and how His birth resonates and gives new meaning to those earlier stories. Discussions will be held via Zoom on Monday evenings, Dec. 1-22. More details will be provided as the first discussion draws near. All are welcome!
When
Monday, December 1, 2025
Monday, December 8, 2025
Monday, December 15, 2025
Monday, December 22, 2025
2026 Offering Envelopes
The 2026 Offering Envelopes are available for pickup in the hallway outside the church office. They are labeled with your name in alphabetical order. Using your numbered offering envelopes helps the counters and the office correctly credit your contributions to you. If you currently do not have numbered envelopes assigned to you or you do not see envelopes with your name, please contact Sandy in the church office to receive some.
Nativity Displays
MICAH is once again hosting nativity displays in the church narthex. Please stop by and view the many creche displays and the stories they tell.
Northfield UMC Youth Group (current grades 6-12)
NUMC Youth Group includes time for fun and recreation, community building games and activities, a mini-lesson to help our young people connect to God in everyday moments, and time for supporting and celebrating each other through our highs and lows.
Youth Group is Wednesdays from 6:30-8pm unless otherwise noted.
December Youth Group:
During December we will be exploring the themes of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love through games, activities, discussion, and outreach, including a fun filled “Santa’s cart” outing.
Youth Christmas Party
Please check the weekly Youth Email for updates on date and time. There will be games, white elephant gift exchange, and fun holiday cheer!
December 24 and 31: No Youth Group
Service Opportunities for Youth
Wednesdays from 6:15-6:30pm: Help clear tables after the meal.
2nd Sunday of the Month: read scripture during worship or help in worship.
**look for a sign-up/more info in the weekly Youth Email
**Not on the Youth Email list? Send an email to youth@northfieldumc.org to be added. Please include your name and relationship to youth, youth name and grade and a cell number to be added to the Youth Group chat group (optional).
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sundays
9:30am – Worship
10:30am – Coffee in Fellowship Hall
10:30am – Adult Faith Formation
Sunday, December 21: Service of the Longest Night
4:00pm, Sanctuary
Tuesday, December 23: Women’s Bible Study
9:00am, Room #120
Wednesday, December 24: Mission Sewing
9:00am, Room #120
Wednesday, December 24: Christmas Eve Service
4:30pm, Sanctuary - musical prelude starts at 4:00pm
10:00pm, Sanctuary
Friday, December 26: Men’s Breakfast
8:00am, Fellowship Hall
Creation Care Step
Are you regularly in a queue to pick up a child or grandchild from school? Fluctuating temperatures can entice you to turn on the engine one day to run the air conditioner and the next to crank up some heat. Emissions from idling cars, however, send particulates into the air, which research has shown affects the cognitive performance of children. Keep the engine off while you wait.
Super Wednesday Meal Menus
No Super Wednesday December 24th and 31st.
Care Team Prayer List
Please pray for the following folks in the week ahead.
- Hold the family and friends of Linda Ashton in prayer. Linda died on December 4, 2025.
- Hold the family and friends of Bob Franklin in prayer. Bob died on November 15, 2025. A memorial service was held at Northfield United Methodist Church on December 18, 2025 at 3 pm. Read Bob's obituary here.
Please note that we cannot add anyone's name without their express permission, so if you would like prayer on another person's behalf, we need to have confirmation of their willingness to be included on this public list.
Church Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Friday, 8:00-noon
NUMC News Contact
If you wish to have a church announcement added to the weekly NUMC News email messages please email the information to the church office at northfieldumc@gmail.com.
Support the ministries of
Northfield United Methodist Church
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Northfield United
Methodist Church
1401 Maple St
Northfield, MN 55057
www.northfieldumc.org
(507) 645-5689
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