ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please remember to silence your cell phones.
24 Christmas Eve
- 4:00 p.m. – Child friendly celebration of the Eucharist with a special homily for the children.
- 7:00 p.m. – A celebration of the Eucharist with wonderful Christmas hymns.
- 10:30 p.m. – A celebration of the Eucharist that concludes near midnight making this our “Midnight Mass”.
25 Christmas Day
- 10:00 a.m. – Contemplative celebration of the Eucharist.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES
- The Children’s Little Brown Stewardship Basket is working toward our 2019 Note in the Pocket Sort Day, scheduled for June 9, 2019.
- Children’s Chapel will be held today at the 9:00 a.m. worship service and is open to all children ages 3 through 2nd Please follow the Children’s Cross Processional after the Collect. Children’s Chapel will be on vacation Dec. 16, 23, and 30.
- Sunday School (Children’s Formation) continues today at 10:10 a.m. in the Education Building. Sunday School will be on vacation Dec. 16, 23, and 30.
- Calling all Christmas Pageant enthusiasts! We still have openings for non-speaking angels, shepherds, animals and soldiers. Please contact Christine Ingram to join us.
- Pre-EYC meets today from 11:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in the Youth Wing. We will be assisting the St. Nicholas Ministry and having our Christmas Party!
YOUTH
- Youth Christian Formation: The lesson today is entitled “When the Going Gets Tough: Running from Problems.” Middle School meets in the Youth Wing (go straight there, snacks are provided) and High School meets in Room 10.
- No EYC Tonight: Catch up on sleep and homework after the lock in!
Pledging for the 2019 Operating Budget: We need your 2019 stewardship pledge! Your stewardship pledge covers our annual operating budget for 2019, the funds that keep our ministries going and the love flowing! We are asking everyone to bump up those pledges 5-7% if possible, to help cover the growing cost of doing what we do. You can pledge online through website or complete a pledge form (available in the Narthex) and place it in the Offertory Plate. Thank you!
Requests for Reimbursements: To help St. Paul’s close it’s 2018 accounting, please turn in all requests for reimbursements by December 17, 2018. Please be sure to include all receipts and appropriate approval signatures. Thank you for your help.
Heifer International – Alternate Gift Giving Opportunity: Heifer International invites us to give Christmas gifts to our friends and loved ones in the form of donations. These gifts send working animals to families in need around the world, to help alleviate hunger and poverty. You can place donations in the Heifer Ark during Sunday morning services or send a check to the church office (checks made out to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with Heifer International on the memo line). Please take a Heifer greeting 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. Your donations help St. Paul’s reach our annual goal of $5000 that purchases a GIFT ARK of animals (two cows, sheep, camels, llamas, etc.). Thank you.
Hurricane Relief Work Day: We have been invited to join Rev. John Gibson and Grace Episcopal Church in Clayton on their next work day in Warsaw, NC next Saturday, December 15th. This one-day project, organized by Baptists on Mission, will provide labor for clearing damaged homes in this area. No skills required. Unaccompanied minors must be matched with Safe Church Trained adults; families are welcome. For more information, please contact Mary Kintz at marykintzpt@gmail.com.
The Women’s Study Group will meet Tuesday, December 11th from 12:00-1:30 p.m. in the Bride’s Room to discuss The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah. From Amazon: “In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska.” This will be a wonderful book to read and discuss. If you have any questions, contact Leah Dail at leahdail@gmail.com.
COFFEE HOUR MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS: Dorcas Ministries is hosting coffee hour in the Parish Hall following the 9:00 a.m. service today. This local organization provides affordable clothing, food, training, and tools for self-sufficiency to those in need. Stop by to enjoy coffee and refreshments and perhaps learn how to volunteer in the Dorcas Thrift Shop.
Next week Children’s Ministries and the Fellowship Events Team will be co-hosting coffee hour. After the Christmas Pageant, come to the Parish Hall to enjoy coffee and goodies in celebration of this joyous event.
ADULT FORMATION
Sunday Mornings: Our Advent formation series, Holy Longing in Turbulent Times, continues today, December 9, at 10:15 a.m. in the chapel. We’ll discuss readings often overlooked in the lectionary – the psalms and songs of scripture. These texts were written over hundreds of years, in times of prosperity, destruction, and exile. They express Israel’s longing for justice, hope, and redemption in a troubled, unpredictable world. Join us today as the Rev. George Adamik explores “The Song of Zechariah and the Magnificat.”
Wednesday Evenings: St. Paul’s clergy are leading Advent Eucharist services on Wednesdays at noon and 7:00 p.m. in the chapel. Join us on December 12 and 19. These services, which include study of the upcoming Sunday’s lectionary, are a rich preparation for Christmas.
MONTHLY DEVOTIONALS: “Welcoming in Christ” is the discipleship-stewardship emphasis linking St. Paul’s 60th Anniversary and the Anniversary Capital Campaign. Each month a special devotional reflection is offered. The timely theme for December is “Advent: Anticipating and Reflecting the Light of Christ – Welcoming St. Paul’s future.” You can find these devotionals on our St. Paul’s website www.stpaulscary.org. If you’d like to share your thoughts on a theme, you may email them to reflections@stpaulscary.org.
Greening of the Church: The Greening of the Church will be held on Sunday, December 23, right after the 11:15 a.m. service. Please join the Altar Guild in decorating the Altar and windows, hang the roping, putting out the crèche. We have a large space to decorate so the more the merrier! We also need fresh greenery to fill the 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 (not on the tarp) to the right of the church doors during the day of the 23rd. This is a fun event, so we hope you will come and join us!
Altar Flower Memorials: The Altar Flower Chart for 2019 will be placed in the narthex in early December. Flowers are usually given in memory of or / and in thanksgiving for loved ones, or to commemorate special occasions in our lives. The Altar Guild requests a donation of $45.00. Checks may be made payable to St. Paul’s with Altar Guild flowers noted on the memo line. Please sign up on the flower chart at least 3 weeks in advance for your name to appear in the appropriate Sunday bulletin. Stop by the sacristy after the 11:15 a.m. service if you would like to take the flowers you donated home.
MUSIC: On December 16, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. the St. Paul’s Choir and the Bells of St. Paul’s offers the annual Advent Lessons and Carols service. This year’s music includes works by Felix Mendelssohn, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and John Rutter amongst others. The ensembles are led by Rusty McKinney, Minister of Music, and accompanied by Joanna Li, Organist. Carols and hymns are alternated with scripture readings that take us from Advent themes to the doorstep of Christmas. Please attend and invite your friends and neighbors.
“A Babe is Born” – a CD of the St. Paul’s Choir performing music from Advent and Christmas is available again this year, but at a new low price. At only $5 per CD, this professionally recorded collection of great music makes an excellent Christmas gift for everyone you know. Come see us in the Choir Room after the 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services on Sundays to purchase.