POTSDAM – Potsdam Presbyterian Church will celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 28, with a variety of activities.

Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and it is for Christians a time of faithful anticipation of the birth of Jesus. During worship, which begins at 10 a.m., the congregation will decorate the sanctuary with greens and light the first candle on the Advent wreath. Each Sunday of Advent a candle is lit to symbolize the light of God entering the world through the birth of Jesus. Each week marks a theme of the spiritual journey of Advent: hope, peace, love, and joy. The fifth and center candle is the Christ Candle and is lit on Christmas.

Following worship, a special coffee hour will be held in the Community Center. This day marks the last day of the Helping Hands drive to collect the Bed, Bath, and Blanket linens for local people in need.

All are encouraged to bring new or gently used linens to contribute to the drive.

The Advent celebration continues in the afternoon and evening. At 4 p.m., Linda Caamaño will lead an Advent Wreath Making Workshop in the Community Center.

Debbie Shipp and Louise Heintzelman will make and decorate Christmas cookies. People may bring their own cookies to decorate or dough to bake and decorate in the church kitchen as well.

The Christmas tree will be ready for decorating by the children.

At 6 p.m., there will be a Soup and Bread Dinner.

At 7 p.m., there will be a Christmas Carol Sing. Singing will begin in the center, then people will proceed outside to serenade the lighting of the newly restored Christmas Star on the main church steeple on Elm Street.

The church is located at 42 Elm St., at the corner of Elm and Lawrence Ave. For more information, call the church office at 265-9434.