MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS AND COFFEE HOUR: In honor of the Christmas Pageant, the Fellowship Events Team is hosting a special coffee hour in the parish hall following the 9:00 a.m. service today. Please join them for coffee and goodies and to thank all our talented children and our many, many parent volunteers.
There will be no coffee hour on December 22 or December 29. Best wishes to all who support and participate in the many ministries of our parish.
ADULT FORMATION
Sunday Mornings: Our Advent formation series, Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, continues today at 10:15 a.m. in the chapel. Please join the Rev. Javier Almendárez‑Bautista, as he leads a discussion of “The Holy Family Flight into Egypt.”:
Wednesday Evenings:St. Paul’s clergy are leading Advent Eucharist services on Wednesdays at 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. in the chapel. This week the Rev. Javier Almendárez‑Bautista will lead the services.
The Greening of the Church will be held on Sunday, December 22 right after the 11:15 a.m. service. While the Altar Guild is responsible for preparing the church for our Christmas services, we always welcome members of the congregation to come and help us decorate the altar, window and railings. Children can help us put out the crèche. In general, the greening takes a couple of hours and Altar Guild members will be in place to offer guidance and instructions. This is a fun event so we hope you will come and join us!
MOMS Christmas Gathering: MOMS alumni are invited to a low-key holiday gathering on Friday, December 20 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Participants in any version of MOMS from any year are welcome to join in. Bring a snack to share, if you can, and even if you have lots on your calendar, swing by to get a dose of MOMS in this hectic season.
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.). If you have questions, please contact Alison Arnold at alisonearnold@gmail.com or 919-605-0761.
THE ST. NICHOLAS MINISTRY sincerely thanks the congregation of St. Paul’s for the generous outpouring of love you showed through the gifts you provided for the children served by our ministry. The gifts have been sorted and delivered to the agencies we work with. The smiles and expressions of love and gratitude that come from the parents and children as they pick up their gifts are touching and heart-warming. You have truly made the love of Christ known through this effort. Thank you.
MLK Jr Day 2020 Rise Against Hunger Community Event information session today. Please join us at 12:30 p.m. in the conference room to learn about a special Community Collaboration Event with Rise Against Hunger for the upcoming MLK Jr. Day (January 20, 2020). St. Paul’s will participate by sending teams of 8-10 people to work alongside other Raleigh-area organizations. Questions? Contact Brooke Mautz or Ramsey McIntire: riseagainsthunger@stpaulscary.org.
The new plantings at the entrance of the church, near the youth wing entrance and in the courtyard are the result of the recent endowment distribution for grounds beautification. Thank you to the St. Paul’s Vestry for approving the plan for the “fall planting day” and to the team of individuals who discussed, planned, and implemented the project. A special thank you to the team: Elaine Hunt, Joyce Loughlin, Pete Stockett, and Julia Rudy.
STEWARDSHIP: VISION 2020 for the operating budget is well underway! As we work, walk, seek, welcome, and care together for a better world, we begin that journey in our little corner at St. Paul’s. If you have already pledged for next year, we thank you. If you have not, we encourage you to make the effort and make a pledge today. Wherever you are in your stewardship journey, start right there and step forward, in faith. Your commitment in the form of a pledge allows us to plan and grow all the amazing programs and ministries we’re so fortunate to offer at St. Paul’s. Extra pledge forms are available in the narthex. You may also go to stpaulscary.org to pledge with the push of a button.
CHILDREN’S Ministries: The Christmas Pageant will take place during the 9:00 a.m. service. Please join us in the parish hall afterwards for coffee hour.
Sunday School and Children’s Chapel will resume January 5th.
Save the Date! The annual Teddy Bear Tea will be held February 8, 2020.
Kids’ Club provides childcare for infants through three-year-olds during worship and Sunday school.
Advent Lessons and Carols, Next Sunday, December 15, at 4:00 p.m. – Presented by the St. Paul’s Choir and featuring the Voices of St. Paul’s and the Bells of St. Paul’s, this service’s origins date to 1880 at Truro Cathedral to feature their choir. A version of that service has been made famous worldwide by the Choir of King’s College Cambridge and continues to this day. This service takes about an hour and 15 minutes and has nine readings with hymns and carols to enlarge upon and reflect on each of those readings. If you enjoy the St. Paul’s Choir on Sundays, you do not want to miss this our largest outpouring of music of the year. It is also a great opportunity to invite the greater Triangle community into St. Paul’s. There is a reception afterward graciously provided by the Fellowship Events Team.