12/23/06 St. John’s News & Notes
A Merry Christmas Eve/Eve to you, my friends,
I’m writing a day late as I took yesterday off to take may Dad back to my Sister’s home on Orr’s Island. Hope you weren’t searching your incoming email files, worried about missing this valuable piece of writing!! Here’s the news for today.
Don’t forget our schedule of worship services for tomorrow, Christmas Eve:
We will have one service on Sunday morning - at 9:30 AM. We will celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent at this service - it won’t be an early Christmas celebration. In the evening we’ll have three services: 6:30 PM for people of all ages - with the Cherub Choir, Adult Choir and Men’s Choir participating, lighting of the Christ candle, communion and my telling of “The Christmas Candle” by Richard Paul Evans; 9 PM a service of lessons and carols, concluding with communion; and 11 PM a traditional Christmas Eve service with special music by the Adult Choir, communion and lighting of the candles (outdoors) at the conclusion of the service. I hope you’ll be able to make the morning service and at least one of the evening services. And if you have friends or family in the area who don’t have a church to go to, please invite them to join you at worship. You and they will be glad that you did!!
The Christmas offering that’s received this year will go toward our own church expenses. It is our usual practice to give this offering to a mission/service agency in the area, but in light of our extremely tight financial situation at the end of 2006, the Church Council voted to use the money to help cover our expenses for the year.
This comes from Betsey B.: “Although we’re not having formal Sunday school on the 24th, all children and youth are invited downstairs to celebrate Jesus’ birth during the morning service. Sunday school teachers are not expected to be downstairs, although you’re more than welcome. There will be ONE MORNING SERVICE on the 24th at 9:30AM. Children will start out in the Sanctuary, as usual, then they’ll head downstairs for the celebration. Please don’t send your children down early, there will be no adults to supervise. We will enjoy an exclusive screening of the VeggieTales movie, “The Toy that Saved Christmas”, complete with popcorn. We’ll also be decorating our own sugar cookies, singing carols and working on some crafts. We hope you’ll bring your children (youth too, we can always use the help) to church on Sunday morning. Anyone who can also bring a dozen unembellished sugar cookies, please reply by email. Thanks and almost Merry Christmas! Betsey B.”
The next bit of news is from Cheri N.: “(Following the “retirement” of Sherrie F. as Altar Guild Coordinator) I continue to learn more about the Altar Guild responsibilities. . . I need some help getting the poinsettia plants ready for delivery on 12/26 and the help of people to deliver them. The care team will be helping, but we have 50 plants that will be given out. Sherrie and I have communicated and, other than the nursing homes, she had people deliver 2 plants each. So I need about 12-15 more people. I have a list from Sherrie that I will try to contact before Friday, but if you can list it on the “News and Notes” Mark that people could come on 12/26 between 8:30 to noon, that would be great. I hope this day finds you happy and well. Hope the spirit of the coming Christ is finding a place in your heart. God Bless and many thanks! Cheri”
The Church Office will be closed both Monday and Tuesday of this week. If you need Sandy or me, we’ll be back in the office on Wednesday morning.
That wonderful group of folks who prepare our monthly newsletter for mailing came yesterday, and polished off the January newsletter in what seemed record time!! Thanks folks. In that newsletter you’ll read about action taken by our Church Council last Monday evening. I encourage you to look for the article/letter and read it carefully.
Looking ahead:
We’ll have two worship services on December 31st, as usual. We have a new member joining our church at one of them!!
On Sunday, January 7th, we’ll celebrate Communion within a special service - Wesley’s Covenant Renewal Service. It’s a wonderful, powerful, spiritually meaningful way for us to renew our commitment to Christ. I hope you’ll make an extra effort to me in worship.
Then on Sunday, January 14th, the youth will lead us in worship, at both services. Are there any college students in your household who would be willing to “come back” and help with the service? Speak to Nancy Whitehouse or Natalie Hanson.
I guess that’s all the news that I have for today. I REALLY look forward to seeing you in worship tomorrow morning AND evening!! Please bring with you any friends or family members who don’t have a church home! Peace, Mark