Advent 2023

A Season of Hope

Christmas Missions Offering

Nov 28-Dec 31

An annual offering that goes toward meeting the needs of our city, country, and world. The funds collected for this offering will be given to partners who are devoted to the advancement of the gospel in Charlotte to the ends of the earth.

christmas eve services

December 24

This year, our Christmas Eve Services will take place on Dec 24 during our regular service times at each campus! Children ages 4+ are welcome in service! Limited MercyKids programming will be available for ages 6 mo-3yrs.

THE Why

Why we have hope

Advent is the season leading up to Christmas Day. The word “Advent” means “arrival” or “coming,” and during this season, we actively remember the many years God’s people waited for Jesus.

The several weeks leading up to Christmas is a season where we shift our focus back to our greatest hope, Jesus. It reminds us of the waiting God’s people endured before us so we can learn to endure waiting for his second coming.

So, whether we’re spending our time serving those in our communities, giving sacrificially to those laboring for the gospel, or meeting together as a church family for worship and community, we pray this year’s Advent season is one of felt, experienced, and known hope in Jesus!

Keep reading to see how you can participate in Advent this year, and join us on Christmas Eve!

Webpage Advent - Advent 2023: A Season of Hope

Sermons & Digital Guide

Each Sunday in our Advent series, Pastor Spence will lead us through the gospel of Luke as we encounter a song, a prophecy, the arrival of someone special. Come and see how these stories bring hope for us today!

Pick up your 2023 Advent Guide in the lobby at the campus you regularly attend, or download the digital version!

sermon series

Our Advent series begins December 3, 2023. Find sermons after that date by clicking the button below.

Christmas Missions Offering (CMO)

The Christmas Missions Offering (CMO) is an annual offering that goes toward meeting the needs of our city, country, and world. The funds collected for this offering will be given to partners who are devoted to the advancement of the gospel in Charlotte to the ends of the earth. Whether it’s a faithful partner in Charlotte, or a missionary team seeking to reach those with no access to the gospel, we are praying that these funds will help them meet the physical and spiritual needs in our world. Read some of the ways we plan to use this year’s giving below!

Open Until DEC 31

Beginning December 1, click the button below, and once redirected to PushPay, choose Christmas Missions Offering (CMO) from the drop-down menu!

  • Church planting and revitalization efforts in the greater Charlotte area. With 90% of churches on the decline, we hope to help those seeking to plant and revitalize gospel ministry all over Charlotte.
  • Allan and M’lynn Waruhiu (sent by Mercy to Nairobi, Kenya in the summer of 2022) to continue planting Mercy Nairobi and Mercy House. These funds will help plant this church in the heart of Nairobi and help set up a transition home for homeless women and children.
  • Organizations that provide feeding programs to children, dignity to the homeless, support for foster care and families seeking to adopt, and pregnancy resource centers that show dignity and gospel love to people who need it.
  • Prioritize sending missionaries to unreached people groups in difficult places. Financially supporting movements of the gospel among the unreached will help catalyze our vision of carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Serve our Communities

We have chosen these partners because they minister to at-risk children and their families, which is the heart of our church’s community engagement efforts. Our desire is for the children and families we serve to experience the love of Christ, to know they are loved, and to know we advocate for them.

Review the list of Community Engagement partners below and find a date and time that works best for you or you and your community group to serve!

QUESTIONS?

Are you curious about serving our communities beyond Advent? Learn about our ongoing partnerships with Community organizations.

NOVEMBER 15-DECEMBER 15

HEART FOR MONROE | FEED FIVE THOUSAND

Heart for Monroe’s annual Feed Five Thousand event takes place from mid-November to mid-December. They collect non-perishable food items for holiday meals and gift cards to distribute to families so that they can purchase their own turkey or ham. To sign up, click the email button below and send a quick message to Mike Herman letting him know you’re available to serve! He will follow up with you!

Deadline to sign up: November 15
Volunteers Needed: 30

DECEMBER 5

CONGREGATIONS FOR KIDS | WE SEE YOU

An over-the-top, multi-church, community-wide event radically celebrating caregivers and advocates in the child welfare space. Think lights, music, incredible speakers, dinner, and tons of awesome giveaways. They need people helping with set-up, tear-down, and serving food.

Morning Set Up | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM 
10-15 Volunteers needed to set up for the event

Evening Event | 4:30 PM – 9:30 PM
3-4 Volunteers needed to serve at the event

Deadline to sign up: November 21
Volunteers Needed: 20

    DECEMBER 7-8

    CONGREGATIONS FOR KIDS | MERRY MARKET

    Merry Market welcomes volunteers to prepare the store, assist as personal shoppers for social workers, and re-stock the toys. We need 10 volunteers to serve with two different shifts:

    December 7 | Shift 1 – 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
    December 8 | Shift 2 – 11:45 AM – 2:30 PM

        Deadline to sign up: November 21
        Volunteers Needed: 20

        DECEMBER 9

        DREAM CENTER | ADOPT-A-BLOCK

        Give hope and bring transformation to Charlotte’s most underserved neighborhoods through consistent and dedicated home visits, relationship building, and physical acts of service. Charlotte Mecklenburg Dream Center volunteer teams bring hope and a heart to serve the streets of the J.T. Williams, Reid Park, and Thomasboro neighborhoods of Charlotte. Mercy Church has established relationships ministering to the people in the J.T Williams neighborhood, around the corner from our Northeast campus. Spots are limited at each location. Before signing up, please click here for instructions. 

        Deadline to sign up: November 20
        Volunteers Needed: 30

        DECEMBER

        QUEEN CITY PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER | PROJECT LIGHT AND LIFE 

        Mercy Church has sponsored two families who have used the Queen City Pregnancy Resource Center to choose life for their children.  Recognizing that finances are a barrier to making this life-saving decision for many families, we want to honor and celebrate them by blessing them with Christmas gifts!

        NO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

        JOIN US ON CHRISTMAS EVE

        Sunday, Dec 24

        This year, our Christmas Eve Services will take place on Dec 24 during our regular service times at each campus! Inivte your friends and family to join you! Children ages 4+ are welcome in service. Limited MercyKids programming will be available for ages 6 mo-3 yrs during services. Learn more about each of our campuses by clicking the button below!