Worship. Serve. Grow.

Bulletin Announcements for Sunday, Dec 16, 2018

REQUESTS FOR REIMBURSEMENTS: To help St. Paul’s close it’s 2018 accounting, please turn in all requests for reimbursements by tomorrow, 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.

MUSIC: Today, 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.

COFFEE HOUR MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS: Children’s Ministries and the Fellowship Events Team are co-hosting a special coffee hour in the Parish Hall following the 9:00 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 next week.

ADULT FORMATION
Sunday Mornings: Our Advent formation series, Holy Longing in Turbulent Times, continues today, December 16, 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. J. Carr Holland explores “The Song of Isaiah.”

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 19. The service includes the study of the upcoming Sunday’s lectionary and is 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 23rd, 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.

CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT: Cary Presbyterian church is inviting everyone to join them for an Advent evening of worship and silent meditation on Friday, December 21st at 5:00 p.m. After a time of prayer, readings, and songs, we will walk the labyrinth in candlelight. Cups of hot cider will be available to help warm our hands and our hearts as we focus our spirits on the Light of the World. Wear comfortable shoes, dress warmly, and bring a flashlight.

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. So far, we have collected $985.68 toward our $3000 goal!
• Children’s Chapel and Sunday School (Children’s Formation) are on vacation until Jan. 6, 2019.
• Thank you to all the Children and Volunteers for their time, dedication and service with the 2018 Christmas Pageant!

YOUTH
• Youth Christian Formation: We’re on Christmas Break, no classes until January 6th.
• EYC Tonight 5:00-7:00 p.m.: Christmas Party – We’ll celebrate early with a party including a Gift Exchange (bring a wrapped gift, only spend $5-$10, something fun but not gross) and an Ugly Sweater Contest (wear your most “memorable” Christmas sweater, shirt, sweatshirt, or “outfit”). There will be prizes for tackiest, weirdest, and ugliest clothing. Come have fun with us.
• No EYC December 23 or December 30.