NOTE: There will be no announcements in the Sunday bulletin for December 25 (Christmas Day) or January 1 (New Year’s Day).
THE GREENING OF THE CHURCH will be Thursday, December 22, from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. While the Altar Guild is responsible for preparing the church for our Christmas services, we always welcome the help of members of the congregation. Come and help us decorate the Altar and windows, hang the roping and, for the children, put out the crèche. Light refreshments will be provided by the Fellowship Events Team. We also need fresh greenery to fill various areas around the church – boxwood, cedar, Magnolia leaves, holly, etc. Please bring some when you come to Green the Church or you may drop off greens on the walkway to the right of the church doors during the day of the 22nd. This is a fun event so we hope you will come and join us!
TODAY – SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS: Join us today at 4:00 p.m., as the St. Paul’s Choir and Bells of St. Paul’s presents a Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent. Rusty McKinney, Minister of Music, leads both ensembles accompanied by Joanna Li, Organist. Music by George Frideric Handel, John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Carson P. Cooman and others reflect and enlarge upon themes presented in nine scriptural readings. This service is a wonderful opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to St. Paul’s for beautiful music and reflection on the season.
ADVENT ENVELOPES are available in the pews throughout Advent, and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Funds collected in these envelopes are designated to continue the mission and ministry of St. Paul’s.
DORCAS: What a pleasant surprise to find another 121 rolls of toilet paper on December11 which added to the 392 we collected on the week before. Thanks to all of St. Paul’s parishioners who gave so generously. St. Paul’s has half a shelf in the Dorcas Ministry Food Pantry and a commitment to provide toilet paper to give 1 roll per month for each family member in about 400 families identified through the Dorcas Crisis Ministry. We will be collecting TP again on January 8 – look for the bins marked for Dorcas in front of the church entrance. Contact Nancy Fierke at nfierke@bellsouth.net or call 919-467-8807 for more information or to volunteer at Dorcas Ministries.
PRAYER LIST RENEWAL: We ask that those who have requested friends and loved ones be included on the prayer list, email the office at Melanie.Fairbrother@stpaulscary.org or call the office at 919-467-1477 extension 10, to renew the request. Please contact Melanie Fairbrother by Monday, December 19, to renew your request. Call or email anytime to remove a name. Please do not assume that we know the name should be renewed.
I AM WELCOME | YOU ARE WELCOME | ALL ARE WELCOME: If you haven’t done so already, please fill in a pledge card online (www.stpaulscary.org) or fill out a paper copy (available in the narthex) and place it in the offering plate or turn it in to the office. The Finance Committee and Vestry meet soon to construct next year’s budget, and knowing your pledge will greatly facilitate that process. Through your generosity, St. Paul’s is changing lives. Thank you!
St. Paul’s Fall Stewardship Team
COFFEE HOUR MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS: Following the 9:00 service today, the Fellowship Events Team and the Stay at Home Parents Group are co-hosting a special Coffee Hour in celebration of Javier Bautista’s ordination. Please don’t miss this opportunity to congratulate the newest priest on our clergy team.
There will be no Coffee Hour next week.
ADULT FORMATION: Classes will resume January 8, 2017 with a series entitled “The Prophetic Voices of Scripture.”
HEIFER INTERNATIONAL invites us to give Christmas gifts to our friends and loved ones in the form of donations, which in turn help struggling families around the world lift themselves out of hunger and poverty. Our donations placed in the Heifer Ark on Sunday mornings buy working animals for families in need. Please take a Heifer card (available in the narthex) for each donation of $10 that you make, to send to family members or friends you wish to honor with your charitable gift. St. Paul’s annual goal is $5000, which purchases a GIFT ARK of animals (two cows, sheep, camels, llamas, etc.). With your generosity, we can give life-changing gifts to even more impoverished families and communities this year. Contact Alison Arnold for more information at, 919-605-0761 or alisonearnold@gmail.com.
CHURCH WORK DAY: Please join us on January 7th for our next volunteer work day! Our buildings are due for a bit of maintenance and “TLC.” We will need help with washing, replacing, installing, removing, and even de-greasing around campus! We will meet in the parish hall at 9:00 a.m. and will be working for most of the morning. Please feel free to come as you are able. For additional information or to offer up specific talents/resources, please contact Brent Hauser at 336-407-3285 or at bdhauser@gmail.com.
END OF YEAR OFFICE HOURS: The church office will be closed most of the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The office will be open ONLY on Wednesday, Dec. 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and on Friday, Dec. 30, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Please plan to conduct any end of the year business with the church during those hours.
FACEBOOK and QR CODE: Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/stpaulscary or visit our website via QR code.
LAST CALL FOR 2016 Check Requests and Reimbursements: All 2016 Check Requests and Reimbursements need to be turned in by Dec. 21, 2016. Please contact the church office with any questions or if you need assistance in completing the paperwork. Thank you!
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES
- The 2016-2017 Children’s Collection Basket is collecting funds to host a Note in the Pocket Sort Day on June 4, 2017. So far, we have collected $873.67 toward our $3000.00 goal.
- Children’s Chapel and Sunday School are on vacation until January 8, 2017. Thank you for your understanding as we give our volunteers a much-needed break for the holiday season.
- Coming up in 2017: Mark your calendars for our Teddy Bear Tea on February 4 and Communion Classes in March.
YOUTH
- Sunday School: The lesson today is entitled “Taking Risks: Trusting the Spirit.” Middle School will meet back in the Youth Wing and High School meets in Room 10.
- EYC Tonight from 5:00-7:00 p.m. It’s our Annual Christmas Party! Bring an appetizer (last names A-L) or dessert (last names M-Z). Wear a tacky Christmas sweater for our 5th Annual Crazy Christmas Sweater / Sweatshirt Competition and bring a wrapped gift, worth no more than $10, for our Silly Gift Exchange. We will also be going out to carol. Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight.
- Advent Study Tuesdays 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.: Come join us for our last look at C.S. Lewis’s world of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We will meet in the Youth Wing.