What Is Christmas Like at Plainfield UMC?

Plainfield, Indiana • December 24, 2025

Christmas Eve at Plainfield United Methodist Church is a night filled with warmth, beauty, and the kind of sacred anticipation that makes this season so meaningful. Whether you’ve called PUMC home for many years or you’re planning your very first visit, you’ll find a community ready to welcome you, walk with you, and share in the joy of Christ’s birth.

The celebration begins with the 4:00 p.m. children’s service in the Worship Annex—a lively, interactive gathering created especially for families with young children. This service is full of energy and wonder, using storytelling, movement, simple carols, and hands-on experiences to bring the Christmas story to life. Because it’s designed with safety and accessibility for little ones in mind, this is the only Christmas Eve service without candle lighting, allowing families to relax, participate, and enjoy the moment without worry.

As evening settles in, the Sanctuary opens for the traditional Christmas Eve services at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., longtime favorites for many in our congregation and community. These services are filled with stirring music from PUMC’s festival choir and orchestra, blending classical arrangements with beloved Christmas hymns that lift the heart. Through Scripture readings and a thoughtful Christmas Eve message, worshipers are invited to enter the story of Christ’s birth—its hope, its mystery, and its promise for today.

For those who cherish the stillness and sacred quiet of late-night worship, our 11:00 p.m. service offers a beautiful and contemplative way to welcome Christmas. This candle-lit service is accompanied by PUMC’s Festival Bell Choir, whose shimmering tones fill the Sanctuary with a peaceful, reverent glow. The gentle ring of the bells, the soft lighting, and the unhurried pace create a space where the mystery of the night feels especially near.

One of the most treasured moments of Christmas Eve at PUMC comes near the end of every Sanctuary service: the candle-lighting ceremony. The lights fade, one candle is lit, and the flame is passed across the Sanctuary—person to person, family to family—until the entire room glows with warm, flickering light. With candles raised, the congregation joins together to sing “Silent Night”, creating a moment of peace and stillness that stays with worshipers long after they leave.

Children are welcome at every service. Their excitement, questions, and even their wiggles add to the joy of the night. Christmas Eve is for everyone—every age, every background, every story.

For many, Christmas Eve at Plainfield UMC is a beloved tradition. For others, it becomes a first step back into a faith community or a quiet place to breathe in the middle of a busy season. And for all of us, it is a reminder that Christ enters the world not in perfection, but in presence—in light, in hope, and in love.

As we approach Wednesday, December 24, 2025, we hope you’ll join us for one of these meaningful services. Everyone is welcome, and a place is prepared for you at Plainfield UMC.

Plainfield UMC Christmas Food Drive: Sharing Hope With Our Neighbors

Donations Accepted Through Sunday, Dec. 21 • Donation Depot

As Advent unfolds around us—with its soft glow of candles, its quiet promise of hope, and its gentle invitation to make room for Christ—we are reminded that this sacred season is not meant to be experienced alone. It is a time when light grows in community, when generosity becomes an act of worship, and when compassion takes on flesh in the simplest of ways.

This year, more than ever, many families in Hendricks County are carrying heavy burdens. Rising costs of groceries, utilities, and everyday essentials have stretched household budgets beyond their limits. And while the world is decorating for Christmas, some of our neighbors are wondering how they’ll fill their pantry, let alone prepare a holiday meal.

A Family Waiting for Hope

Imagine, for a moment, a young family of three—a mother, father, and their newborn child. Their home is full of love and new-baby joy, but also the quiet worry that comes when bills stack up faster than paychecks. With a single income and the added expenses of formula, diapers, and medical needs, every dollar is weighed, every purchase reconsidered.

As Christmas approaches, they want to create a warm celebration for their baby’s first holiday. Yet behind their smiles is the question many families share this year:

Will we have enough?

It’s for families like this that our Christmas Food Drive exists. A few donated cans, a box of cereal, or a bag of rice can transform a season of worry into one of relief and gratitude.

How You Can Give

Throughout the Advent season, Plainfield UMC is collecting nonperishable foods to support local families facing food insecurity. Items such as:

Canned vegetables and fruits
Hearty soups, stews, and chili
Pasta, rice, and boxed meals
Peanut butter
Cereal, oatmeal, granola
Beans
Shelf-stable milk or milk alternatives

Drop donations off during business hours at Door 2, or in the Donation Depot (near Door 1) on Sunday mornings, anytime before Sunday, Dec. 21.

A Call From the Heart of Advent

Advent is about preparing a place—for Christ in the world, and for compassion in our hearts. Giving to the food drive is a simple, beautiful way to live out that calling.
Your gift—small or large—can ease the burden of a neighbor and make Christmas morning brighter for a family who needs a sign of hope.
If you have questions or wish to arrange a larger donation, please contact Mary Raver at mraver@pumc.org.

May our generosity this season shine as brightly as the star that led the world to hope.

Growing Young

Abby Lietz – Associate Pastor, NewDay Praise

Our Growing Young Team has been busy at work behind the scenes and recently attended a two-day summit in Lapel, Indiana with our Cohort groups to develop next strategies. While this is something we are excited about enacting, it is important to remember Growing Young is a process that takes time to nurture, and if it’s done correctly should never really end.

Thanks to your enthusiasm in this Growing Young movement, 126 of you participated in our recent churchwide survey. Your responses to questions about the six core commitments exhibited by churches who are Growing Young show our church is strong in three areas:Taking Jesus’ Message Seriously, Engaging in Warm Relationships and Being The Best Neighbors. The survey also showed our church scored low when it comes to Empowering Keychain Leadership, Prioritizing Young People and Families Everywhere and Empathizing with Today’s Young People. Our Team believes if we focus on Keychain Leadership and Prioritizing Everywhere we will inherently improve in the area of Empathy.

Keychain Leadership means empowering young people by inviting them into roles and activities that already exist in the church. For example, Veronica is a student at Avon High School who currently helps lead the NewDay Praise Band on a weekly basis. We can do a better job in Keychain Leadership by getting to know our young people – like Veronica – and discovering their interests and talents as we invite them to lead and share their voices. Do you know five young people in our church? Today is a great day to start praying for our young people and making an effort to know them!

Prioritizing Young People and Families Everywhere means allocating attention and resources to young people and families in our congregation and beyond. While we need to be better at reaching and serving all young people, we especially see a need to focus on those whose ages range from their teens to mid thirties. Conversations with our key leaders about how we allocate staff time and responsibilities as well as our financial resources are to come. We plan to dispatch all teams, groups, committees and classes across PUMC toward this effort as well. We hope to start soon with tangible projects such as sending care packages to college-age students, as one example.

As mentioned earlier, by focusing our prayers, attention and energy on the above two commitments we will naturally improve in the realm of showing empathy to today’s young people, which means we will be able to move beyond judging or criticizing and actually understand and act on behalf of younger generations.

We continue to seek your prayers and pray you are as excited as we are to experience the Spirit moving all of us through this process! Our prayer is that we will not just grow young, but become a place where people of all ages thrive and grow closer to Jesus and the living out of his missional call in their lives! Thank you for being part of the journey!

God’s Holy Invitation Set Free

Pastor David Neuen – Lead Pastor, dneuen@pumc.org

This month, the Church of England announced that Sarah Mullally will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman ever to hold that role. This is a historic moment within a church tradition that only began ordaining women as bishops a little over a decade ago. I grieve that there will be individuals within the Anglican communion who will refuse to take communion from her. Groups like the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans articulate that she embodies the liberalizing of theology that they fear. I am not naïve to the weight of prejudice that remains against women in ministry leadership across the Christian spectrum. But for this week, I can celebrate one denomination’s courage to overcome injustice rooted in fear.

My experience with the Biblical text and today’s movement of the Spirit attests to God’s persistent call to ALL God’s people to serve in a multitude of ways. Humans create limits, consolidate power, and hold the Holy Spirit captive. God continues calling, even when human systems get in the way. There is rejoicing in heaven when the Spirit of call finds liberation and all God’s children can step into the spaces where God has fitted them to lead.

I should be careful as I throw around the word “call.” Our minds immediately lurch to ordained ministry, to those who stand behind pulpits, administer sacraments, and are set apart for unique roles of service. For some reading this article, the invitation to serve in that capacity is becoming real and you are finding that God’s persistence is undoing your resistance and the barriers placed by the culture around you. I am praying for clarity in your discernment and an awakening to your “Yes.

But the language of calling is far broader, deeper, and more beautiful than limiting it to ordained ministry alone. Leadership, service, and vocation are gifts from God that can take unexpected shapes, sometimes challenging us, often surprising us, and always stretching us beyond what we thought was possible. Each of us is called, some to serve in important capacities within the local church and others to shepherd and bless their homes and workplaces as they bear witness to the way of Jesus in everyday life. Calling is the work of the Spirit, engaging all of us in the Great Commission and in the embodiment of God’s kingdom on earth. And heaven help us if we get in the Spirit’s way.

How is God calling you? Maybe this is the year your faith grows through expanded leadership or by taking a risk. What obstacles are standing in your way, holding you back from following that call? I’m praying that chains be loosed, hearts and minds set free, so that all might embrace the opportunities to which God is beckoning. Young people can see themselves in places of influence within their religious communities. Women can imagine no boundaries to their role in the work of God. And anyone regardless of story and experience can step forward to serve and bear witness to Christ’s love in new ways.

If you sense God nudging you toward something new, or if you’d simply like to talk more about discerning your call, reach out to one of our pastors. We’d love to walk with you in that conversation.

Finding Your Place at Plainfield UMC

Everyone Belongs. Everyone is Loved.

At Plainfield United Methodist Church, we believe faith is a journey best traveled together. Whether you’re new to church, returning after time away, or seeking a deeper connection with God and others—there is a place for you here.

You Are Welcome Here—Just as You Are

We like to say that we are not a perfect church. We are not people who have it all together, or who always do the right thing—but we are people who are trying to be more like Jesus and love more like Jesus. So you are welcome here, just as you are.

All Are Accepted and Affirmed

No matter your age, background, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or life story—you are fully accepted, included, and affirmed at PUMC. Here, God’s grace is for everyone, and there are no exceptions.

How to Get Connected

Worship With Us – Join us in person or online each Sunday at 8:45 or 10:00 a.m. Come early, stay after, and introduce yourself—we’d love to meet you.
Attend “Meet PUMC” – This 30-minute orientation is offered regularly to help you learn more about the church and discover your next step. No sign-up required—just show up.
Join a Group or Class – Find community through small groups, Bible studies, and Sunday classes. There’s something for every age and stage.
Serve With Purpose – Volunteer opportunities are everywhere—from feeding ministries to tech teams to children’s worship. Find a role that fits your gifts and passions.
Become a Member – Ready to go deeper? Membership is open to all. Visit www.pumc.org/nextsteps or talk to a pastor to learn more.

There’s a Place for You

At PUMC, we’re learning, growing, and loving together—imperfect people following Jesus in community. No matter where you are in life or in faith, you are not alone. And you are always welcome.

Visit www.pumc.org or stop by the Welcome Desk in the Main Lobby to take your next step today.

Stay Connected: PUMC Launching New Text Messaging Service

Timely updates. Real connection. Right to your phone.

Life moves fast, and we want to make sure your church can keep up with you. That’s why Plainfield United Methodist Church is introducing a new text messaging service—a simple way to stay informed, inspired, and involved.

Starting August 3, you’ll begin receiving meaningful updates directly to your phone—if you sign up for text messages. No app required, just timely messages that help you stay connected to your church community.

What to Expect:

Worship updates (including weather-related changes)
Event reminders (like the Fish Fry, service projects, and more)
Volunteer needs and opportunities
Occasional encouragement and devotional messages

We promise to keep it brief, relevant, and only when it matters.

How to Sign Up:

It only takes a minute:

Go to pumc.link/update or scan the included qr code
Update your contact information as needed
Under Phone Number, select YES to “Consent to Text Messages”

That’s it! Once you’re signed up, you’ll begin receiving important updates and reminders from PUMC beginning August 3.

Prefer in-person help? Visit the Welcome Desk in the Main Lobby on Sunday mornings. Our team will gladly assist you.

Why It Matters

Church isn’t just a place—it’s a community. And community means staying connected. This new service is one more way to help make sure you never miss what’s most important—because your time, your presence, and your participation matter.

Sign up today and stay connected all week long.

We’re better together—every message, every moment.

Your Privacy Matters

We value your trust. PUMC will never share your personal information with outside parties, and we will never spam your phone. You’ll only receive occasional, meaningful updates related to church life. You may opt out at any time.

Growing Young

Pastor Abby | alietz@pumc.org

Growing old is our default – it happens naturally, and inevitably! We see the results of growing older when we look in the mirror, get out of bed each morning and look around our congregations! With age, however, comes beauty, wisdom and responsibility. Decades of living in the love and grace of Jesus have given our faith community deep roots; season after season, your ongoing commitment to building the Kingdom of Heaven here and now yields a rich harvest! Growing older isn’t bad – we love old! We just know it’s not the whole story!

We at PUMC are stepping forward together, not chasing the fountain of youth – but rather venturing into new territory as we discern where God is calling and leading us next. We may all be growing old, but our church can continually engage in practices that ensure we are always Growing Young, too!

Growing Young is a movement catching fire in mainline churches across the United States aimed at helping churches better engage and minister to young people, ages 15 through 29. Backed by the research, data and careful attention of the Fuller Youth Institute, we know this age group is one that has left bare spots in our church communities. We know there are young people in this age group out there, but more often than not we don’t know who they are or how to share life with them – even when they do find their way to our church.

PUMC belongs to an Indiana UMC Growing Young Cohort of 25 other congregations all spending 18 months learning how to better engage and minister to young people. We are studying the Six Core Commitments of Growing Young and how we can apply them to our life together. Those Commitments are Unlock Keychain Leadership, Empathize With Today’s Young People, Take Jesus’ Message Seriously, Fuel a Warm Community, Prioritize Young People and Families Everywhere and Be the Best Neighbors.
In order to reach our goal of better engaging and ministering to and with young people – our Growing Young Team needs your help! You are invited – whether you are a member or not – to take our Growing Young Survey. It is available via the QR code or link here. This academically-validated survey tool will help our church understand how well we are engaging young people, providing vital insights into our strengths and areas of growth – so we need as many of us as possible to complete this survey in order to get the best snapshot of where we are at present. The survey is anonymous and will take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete. If you are reading this but do not have online access to the survey, members of the Growing Young Team will be in the Main Lobby at church Sundays after worship June 29th, July 6th and July 13th to help you.

The Growing Young Team, alongside clergy staff and other key church leaders, will reflect on the survey results to discern where God is leading us, especially as we get a clearer picture of how young people are perceived and experienced in our church. The survey results will also provide recommended next steps to enhance our life together. The ultimate goal is for PUMC to grow in our vitality and how we make disciples of Jesus of all ages!

The survey will close July 18th, but don’t wait! Please provide your honest feedback as soon as possible, and pray for the team and our church as we all work to make good use of this opportunity to learn and grow. The survey is just the beginning – we need all of us to Grow Young! Thank you!
If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Abby at alietz@pumc.org

Faith in the Fire: How God Led Us Through Every Storm

John Williams – PUMC Member

I was a miracle baby – I have an elder brother, 12 years apart. My late parents, Emily & Solomon, always introduced me to people saying “he is our miracle son.” My mother was told she could never conceive. She visited different doctors but all said the same. One day, my dad was informed a pastor from Houston, Texas was visiting Pakistan and their church as well. He was known to be a great healer. They were very fortunate to meet him. He prayed over my mum and told her with great faith she would conceive soon. After a few months mum conceived. People around them who knew their situation, including the doctors, were astonished with this great miracle.

The faith of my parents helped them achieve what they were longing for, as prayer without faith lacks power and purpose. It is so important to acknowledge and thank God at all times.

As years passed by, the anticipation of when I would finally find my wife approached. We met in 2005 and married in 2007 by Our Almighty Father who guided us in every setback we had, related to issues with our families in denial due to our different nationalities. My wife is a beautiful and strong woman who has always stood by me and our family in challenging times. came along my daughter in 2009, followed by my son in 2014. God has been so merciful and has blessed us with amazing children; we always ask for His guidance so we may teach them right from wrong & so they choose the path of life by keeping Jesus the center of it.

Our family has faced challenging situations. The worst was when my daughter’s life was threatened. Whilst I was already going through a desert experience, losing my job due to COVID and my wife was on thin ice with her job as well this led to our children not being able to continue schooling; I also lost my mother around this time. Under the circumstances, we completely became hopeless, problems came crashing upon us as all this happened too fast. This was my time to go on my knees and pray, which I did with tears pouring down, and all I had to say is, “Father I have no idea what comes up next for us, you guide and lead us to what you want for us as I have no clue of what I am going to do.”

Within a few months Almighty God navigated a new path for us and it led us to the United States of America.

Our lives took a U-turn as soon as we arrived. The greatest joy for us was to see our children attending school again. But what really stood out most was the church we came upon. Attending PUMC has been a transformative experience. The sense of community and belonging we’ve found here is inspiring. The sermons often provide us with valuable lessons we can apply to our daily lives, fostering a deeper connection with our faith. Overall, our time at this church has not only enriched our spiritual lives but has also welcomed us to many beautiful people and the love they bestowed on us.

I thought to myself when hardships and unmanageable situations occur, why is that the only time I approach God and implore Jesus for help? What I have understood is I should not only go to Him in tough times but also remember Him in the good. By doing this, I comprehended that God never judges no matter what I did or said. God has and will always be by my side under any circumstance. And I want to thank God for all God has done for my family and I. In the end I can say that from the very beginning until now my life along with my family has been nothing but a testimony to Jesus’ unending love for us. He is our living God, our strength and our shield.

Witnessing God’s Beauty Along the Way

Pastor David Neuen – Lead Pastor, dneuen@pumc.org

Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

In the early morning, we departed the bustle of Sydney city streets and skyscrapers to journey west to the Blue Mountains National Park, sometimes called “Australia’s Grand Canyon.” Within two hours, the urban sprawl gave way to a landscape that was ancient, wild, and rich with stories. We were welcomed into eucalyptus forests that stretched in every direction and cliffs that fell away into blue-tinged valleys.

We spent the day hiking beneath towering sandstone cliffs, along narrow stone paths carved into the rock itself. The trail hugged the side of the mountain, sometimes only wide enough for one person to pass. We clung to each other as the valley opened up beside us into the deep canyon.

We reached Wentworth Falls, where water tumbles in thin white ribbons into the canyon below. Just above the main plunge, the water glides its way across stone—softly, steadily, sacredly. Our brief pause to rest and listen to the water’s steady splash was a gift of prayer.

Later, we visited Echo Point and looked out over the famous Three Sisters, sandstone pillars standing like guardians above the Jamison Valley. There’s an ancient Aboriginal origin story of love, war, and magic that defines them, but even beyond the mythology, the spires evoke awe and wonder at creation’s unique display.

As evening approached, we made our way to Lincoln’s Rock, a flat cliff-side ledge often called the “edge of the world.” There, we watched the sun set over the valley, the sky painted in gold and tangerine. Everything grew quiet. Our family huddled together in the hush.

As God’s handiwork, each different perspective of the forest, cliffs, and valleys brings an expanded attitude of awe and praise for the Creator’s brilliance and imagination. Every vantage point of this unique landscape brought us back to the signature blue mist giving the range its name. The intense color is the result of oil particles from the eucalyptus trees lifting into the air where they are met by sunlight filtering through producing the inspiring beauty.

The greatness of God is the capacity to make all things and every person a grand wonder. In our every days, we share our words, ideas, energy, and emotion, and Holy Spirit light filters through producing splendor and inspiration for others to behold. It is no work we perform. We are here, grace is ever present, the light of Christ never fades, the majesty of God is evident. As we tend to our growing in God’s revealing and transforming rays, God will produce the love, joy, and hope that will sustain the earth.

Take those moments and find inspiration in this ball of life God has made. Yet remember that you too are equally God’s miracle, a vessel through which holy light shines, evoking awe, producing bright color, and drawing others into the excitement of life!

Open Your Pantry, Open Your Heart: PUMC’s Spring Food Drive Is Underway

At Plainfield United Methodist Church, our mission is to love God, love people, and serve the world. One powerful way we live out that calling is by caring for our neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity. This spring, we invite you to be part of our Quarterly Food Drive, beginning Sunday, May 4.

Each item donated helps stock the shelves of local food pantries, supporting families across Hendricks County and surrounding areas. Your generosity puts meals on tables and hope in hearts.

How to Take Part

Pick Up a Bag: Starting May 4, grocery bags will be available in the main lobby. Take one home and fill it during the week.
Return Donations: Bring your filled bag back the following Sunday, or drop it off anytime during the week at the Donation Depot.
Give Financially: Monetary gifts are always welcome and will be used to purchase the most-needed food items. Please mark gifts as “Food Drive” in the memo line or select that designation when giving online.

Most-Needed Items

Canned vegetables, fruits, soups, and meats
Boxed meals, rice, and pasta
Peanut butter, cereal, granola bars
Baby food and infant formula
Shelf-stable milk and juice

Why It Matters

Food insecurity continues to impact families throughout Indiana. In 2022, more than 950,000 Hoosiers, including 1 in 5 children, faced hunger. Even in our own community, many individuals rely on food pantries to get through the week. Your donations help fill the gap and offer relief to those who may not qualify for other forms of assistance.

Be the Church in Action

Jesus calls us to feed the hungry—and we can answer that call together. Whether by filling a bag, writing a check, or saying a prayer, your participation helps share God’s love in a tangible way.

Let’s open our pantries and our hearts to bless others this spring. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ in our community.

Together, we can feed hope.