Love Came Down At Christmas - Calvary's Adopt-A-Family

Bring THE LOVE OF CHRISTMAS to Calvary's Adopt-A-Families:

1)    Mom and Dad with a son and daughter.

2)    A single Dad with a son

3)    A single Mom with a son

*The adopt-a family tree is in the gathering space.

1.      Take your tag(s) off the tree. Feel free to collaborate with friends for larger gifts.

2.      Return the NEW WRAPPED gifts and place under the tree.

3.      ATTACH THE TAG with a small piece of tape on each gift.

4.   Families also need: new shelf-stable food; toiletries and cleaning items are always helpful (these do not need to be wrapped – just place in the designated boxes)

5.   All Gifts MUST be returned by NOON, SUNDAY DECEMBER 21st, so we can deliver to the families in time for Christmas.

Thank you for helping make these families' Christmas bright!!

Christmas Cantata

Come join us for worship on Sunday, December 14th at 10am as Calvary's Senior choir present our 2025 Christmas Cantata. 

Blue Christmas Service

Every year as we approach Christmas some find there is no joy in their hearts and that it is hard to celebrate the season. Blue Christmas worship services help us to re-focus on what Christmas is all about. Join us this year for a meaningful service on Sunday, December 21st at 7pm led by Carl Shephard. 

Christmas Eve Worship Schedule

Join us on Christmas Eve and Worship our Newborn King!

  4:00pm - Family Worship Service

7:00pm  - Traditional Worship Service

*All services feature carols & candlelight 

Celebrate with us, for unto us a child is born!

Virtual Prayer Request

If you have a prayer request that you would like lifted during Sunday services you can now submit them online at our website or by clicking the link below.  We have also created this QR code, which can be found in the Sanctuary and round the building.  It can be scanned at any time to send a request.

Calvary Online Prayer Requests

Christmas Offering

As the end of the year approaches, please consider making a Christmas gift to support the ministries of Calvary.

Offerings can be made electronically or with cash/check by simply earmarking your donation as a "Christmas Offering". Envelopes can be found on the round table in the Gathering Space. 

Join a House Church

Calvary’s House Church ministry continues to grow and remain a vital component of our worship life together. With five active house churches, thirty participants we are seeing tremendous response. One participant has said “Joining house church was the best thing I’ve done for myself in a long time.”... See More

 Click here to see the Top of the Week email

 For more information, and upcoming events check out our  Family Ministries Page.

Christmas Pageant - "A Christmas Wish"

This year's Christmas pageant - "A Christmas Wish", will take place on December 21st during worship. If you would like your child to participate this year, please sign up here: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48AEAE2CA6FEC43-59112323-christmas

Please note: Children in the Christmas pageant should plan to attend Children's Choir following worship to learn the songs! Dress rehearsal will take place on December 14th. 

Living Nativity

Calvary’s King’s Kids invite our church family and community to join us for a special evening as we present the "Living Nativity" on Sunday, December 21st from 5–7pm. This beautiful tradition brings the Christmas story to life through our children’s heartfelt retelling of Jesus’ birth. It’s a simple, meaningful experience that blesses both those who serve and those who attend. The show runs approximately every 15 minutes with goodies, crafts and family fun in the Gathering Space between showings! Live animals help bring the joy of the story to life! 

Volunteers Needed for Calvary’s Living Nativity

To help make this event run smoothly, we are seeking volunteers for three important roles:

• Bakers
Help create a warm and festive welcome by providing homemade treats for guests as they arrive. Cookies, bars, breads—any simple baked good adds a personal touch of Christmas cheer.

• Parking Attendants
Be the first friendly faces our visitors meet! Parking Attendants help direct cars safely and efficiently, ensuring a smooth flow of traffic and a positive start to everyone’s experience.

• Youth Nativity Guides (Angels)
Youth are invited to help lead groups to the nativity scene while dressed as angels. This role sets a joyful tone and helps guide guests with warmth and excitement.

Serving together in these roles helps support our King’s Kids as they share the message of hope, love, and light this Christmas season.

If you feel called to help, please sign up using the link below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054CA8AE2EABF58-60639706-living

Thank you for helping make this year’s Living Nativity a meaningful blessing for all!

A New Addition to the Upper Parking Lot:
The Calvary "Blessings Box"

As part of Calvary’s growing commitment to address food insecurity in our community, we are excited to share that a new Blessings Box has been installed in the upper parking lot. This small, free, drive-up “mini-food-pantry” is designed to be an immediate source of help for neighbors who find themselves in need between visits to the St. Ambrose Food Pantry or other local resources.

While it may look simple—a weatherproof cabinet stocked with essential items, this Blessings Box represents a deepening of Calvary’s mission to embody Christ’s compassion in practical, accessible ways. It expands our presence as a church that not only supports the work of established food ministries, but also steps forward to fill the gaps they cannot always meet.

Why This Project Matters

Many families in the Capital Region, even in our own well-resourced suburb, experience moments when the month runs longer than their groceries. School breaks, job changes, medical bills, and winter heating costs can push households, especially those with children or seniors, into sudden food insecurity. Hunger does not always announce itself in large, dramatic ways; often it shows up quietly, in the in-between spaces of daily life.

The Blessings Box is our way of meeting those moments with dignity and care. It operates on a simple principle: “Take what you need, leave what you can.” Like the free little libraries many of us love, this mini-pantry invites both generosity and grace. Anyone can add items when able. Anyone can take items when needed. No questions asked. No barriers to access.

Partnering, Not Competing—with St. Ambrose Food Pantry

This new ministry is not meant to replace or compete with the long-standing and well-loved work of the St. Ambrose Food Pantry, with whom Calvary is blessed to be in partnership. Instead, the Blessings Box strengthens that connection by filling the gaps that larger food pantries, by their nature, cannot always address.

While the St. Ambrose Food Pantry provides robust monthly and emergency support, their hours and resources are limited and the need is great. Pastor Nick at Newtonville UMC shared that their own Blessings Box has been used so heavily that they struggle to keep it stocked. That is a sign not of failure, but of deep need and deep opportunity.

By sustaining both ministries together; our monthly/weekly pantry collections for St. Ambrose and our weekly/daily restocking of the Blessings Box, we can broaden our impact without straining any one system. The two ministries complement each other beautifully:

• St. Ambrose Food Pantry: Structured, comprehensive, high-volume support.

• Calvary Blessings Box: Immediate, 24/7, anonymous, stop-gap relief.

Both are essential. Both reflect Christ’s call to feed His sheep.

How You Can Participate

As winter approaches, we invite you to consider donating items that withstand freezing temperatures; bars of soap, toilet paper, paper towels, dry pasta, cereal, rice, dried beans, powdered milk, and similar goods. On Sunday mornings, you may continue bringing donations for St. Ambrose and add Blessings Box items to your cart or offering. Our ongoing “double-up” practice shows that we are capable of donating at a level that can meet both needs. Ensuring both ministries simultaneously remain well supplied.

Young families, long-time members, and those newly worshiping with us all have a role to play. Some may stock the box during the week. Others may give generously of shelf-stable goods. Still others may spread the word or pray for those who will quietly come to this box in moments of need.

A Step Toward Becoming a Church Known for Feeding the Hungry

This Blessings Box is more than a structure, it is a sign of who we believe God is calling us to be. As a congregation rooted in a prosperous community and poised at the crossroads of three cities with significant need, we have a unique opportunity to become known as a church that feeds hungry people—physically, spiritually, and compassionately.

By placing this Blessings Box in a visible, drive-up location, we are saying to our neighbors:
“You are seen. You are valued. You are not alone.”

Thank you for helping Calvary grow into this vision one item, one act of compassion, one neighbor at a time.

Calvary Night @ Sidewalk Warriors!!!

Thursday, December 4th

Show up and show your support of this mission tomorrow Thursday, December 4th! The mission of Sidewalk Warriors is to "provide compassionate support to those in need, offering hearty meals, essential supplies, and a sense of community." You may volunteer to assist with set-up from 3:45 - 5:45 pm, distribution from 5:45 - 8:00/8:15 pm, or stay for the entire time. They are located outside of Christ Church UMC, 35 State St., Troy. Please contact Grace Paster if you're able to volunteer or if you have any questions (gracepaster@gmail.com, 518-248-3780).

Support Calvary

If you would like to Support the ministry of Calvary, you may do so using the link below or QR code. Thank you for your generosity.

https://giving.servantkeeper.com/CalvaryLathamUMC 

For more ways to support Calvary, please click here.