Hi !
We're in the Christmas Spirt this week at Eliot Church...there's lots of exciting events happening! Come and be a part of the celebration! |
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Hanging of the Greens &
Christmas Caroling
Saturday, December 4
Everyone is invited to join the Spiritual Life Commission in Decorating the Sanctuary with evergreen wreaths, garlands, Christmas tree and window candles from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.
Also, everyone is invited to join the Parish Life Commission in a Christmas Caroling Tour. Christmas caroling to Eliot members and friends who are homebound is a wonderful Eliot tradition and a meaningful and fun way to start the Christmas season. This year we will carol at Chetwynde and Evans Park as well as in several homes. This is a great family event and no singing skills are required! Especially welcome are instrumentalists to accompany those singing. Do you have friends who like to sing? They are most welcome also. We will leave the church promptly at 3:00 PM with caroling completed by around 5:00 PM. For more info,email Susan Nason or call her at 617-965-1811.
Come be part of one of those events that helps to make Eliot a vibrant church.
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Holy Communion this Sunday
Last spring, the Spiritual Life Commission hosted a forum to discuss the various ways that Christians celebrate the Lord's Supper and receive the bread and cup: grape juice or wine? passing plates of bread and small cups of juice? coming forward individually to receive the bread and juice from a worship leader? gathering around the table and serving each other? dipping the bread, or drinking from the cup? We come from many different traditions, and each of these practices has a history with special significance for some of us. To honor those various traditions, we will experience Lord's supper in different ways. This Sunday, December 5, we will invite the congregation to come forward to receive the bread, and dip it in the cup (this is called communion by intinction).
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Order Your Poinsettias!
The Deadline is this Sunday, December 5
This is a time to honor those we love during this season of Advent. Make your choice of White, Marble or Red. Each plant is $10.00.
Either see the sign up sheet in the hallway to place your order or email Terri WJ with it. Please be sure to include your dedication.
We would appreciate your payment when you order. Please: - Make your check payable to "The Eliot Church of Newton" and write "Christmas Flowers" in the memo space.
- Place it in the offering plate or
- In the envelope on the sign up sheet in the hall or
- Mail your check directly to the church office.
- If you pay with cash, please be sure to put your name on it!
Please do not hand your check to anyone in person!
You may take your plants after the Christmas Eve service, or you may donate them to one of our not-so-out-and-about folks (we hope to have some left to deliver to them). Speak to Elizabeth Woodbridge (617) 924-2048 if you would like to donate them or take them home sooner. |
Christmas Pageant Rehearsals Begin
this Sunday, December 5
We will present our Intergenerational Christmas Pageant during worship on Sunday, December 19 at 10:00 am. Once again this year, our story has been penned by our own Jon Bassett. All ages will be touched by this story. For more info or to sign up to participate, contact Jon Bassett.
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Advent Workshop
This Sunday, December 5 at 12:30
Following Christmas Pageant Rehearsal, join the CE
Commission for lunch and enjoy crafting for kids and adults until 2:00 pm. We'll make ornaments and other holiday crafts that you can use for gifts and decorations in your home. It's free and all are welcome! For more info contact Pastor Karla.
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Calendar for the Week of
December 5 - 12, 2010
Wednesday, December 8
8:00 AM: Men's Breakfast in the Parlor
7:15 PM: Women's Spirituality Gathering in the Parlor
Thursday, December 9
5:00 PM: Sacred Conversations Group in the Pastor's Office
7:15 PM: Festival Choir Dress Rehearsal
Sunday, December 12 - Christmas Music Sunday
9:00 AM: Festival Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary
9:30 AM: Children's Choir Rehearsal in the Parlor
10:00 AM: Worship for all
10:20 AM: Children dismissed for Sunday School
11:30 AM: Christmas Pageant Rehearsal
11:30 AM: Adult Forum: Jesus' Genealogy
3:00 PM: Advent Open House at the Pastor Tony's home
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CMS Christmas Shops
Gift Collection Sunday, December 12
Once again, Eliot Church will be participating in the City Mission Society's Christmas Shop, which brings the joys of giving and receiving to many people in the Greater Boston Metropolitan area annually. In 2007, over 2000 people benefitted!
Gift Suggestions: NEW Items Only! (listed by priority)
- Winter coats, sweaters and sweatshirts. (large sizes especially)
- Hats, mittens, gloves and scarves.
- Socks and underwear.
- Blankets and backpacks.
- Toys, games, and books for all ages.
- Gift cards from Target, Walgreen's, CVS, Kohl's or other merchants.
We will collect our gifts on Sunday, December 12 and transport them to first Church in Winchester. For more info, contact the church office 617-244-3639 or office@eliotchurch.org or Patrick O'Reilly 617-964-4593 or patevan@aol.com. If you would like to volunteer time to this project see the flier on the Mission & Social Justice bulletin board or contact CMS directly at (617) 742-6830.
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Advent Open House
Sunday, December 12 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM
All Eliot members and friends are invited to Pastor Tony's home for an Open House on Sunday, December 12 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM. (182 Tremont Street in Newton Corner).
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The Eliot congregation has been wonderfully generous in donating good used winter coats and other clothing for the homeless and disadvantaged over the past several years. This year, working in collaboration with Alex Kern and Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, we will collect winter clothing for clients of the Community Day Center, an service center in Waltham, (www.communitydaycenter.org) and the Haley House, a soup kitchen and service center in Boston (www.haleyhouse.org). The Haley House needs mens' clothing and shoes, as well as blankets, backpacks, toiletries, etc. The Community Day Center can use adult mens' and womens' coats, especially large and extra large. Children's clothes are also welcome. Please bring in clean clothes by December 12. There is a table in the entrance to the Sanctuary for your contributions. [back to top] |
Delivering and Distributing Clothes to the Homeless. The couple who has been collecting coats from Eliot and several other places, transporting them to Boston, and helping
distribute them to those in need for the past several years would like to pass this volunteer opportunity on to others to take over. In addition to collecting clothes from churches, rummage sales, etc, they have gone to St Paul's Cathedral near the Boston Common for two Mondays per month, where they spend about three hours sorting and distributing the clothes. This would be a great volunteer ministry opportunity for two to four (or more) people to share. I
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Longest Night Worship Service
Sunday, December 19 at 5:00 pm
For some, the holidays are difficult to manage. Stress, depression, grief can be deep during a time that seems for everyone else to be jolly. Do you need some quiet space? A healing space? Time for prayer, for support, for comfort? An hour to just be? Then join us for quiet reflection, prayer and meditation.
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Meals for Stroshanes - Could you make a meal for Rich Stroshane? Siu Wai had some surgery this week and will be on a liquid diet, but a few meals for Rich, starting this weekend, would help them out. Please contact Susan Nason ASAP nasonse@aol.com or 617-965-1811 if you could provide a meal. Thank you.
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From Mary Lou Gleason
Dear Eliot Family,
I want to thank all those who were involved in the Thanksgiving Feast this year. A bounteous, delicious meal (the best ever!) was delivered to me by John Clark. It was put together by the children in a decorated bag (so attractive) with a personalized card.
I enjoyed it all so much and want you to see that those who had a part in this treat know how much I appreciated it.
Sincerely,
Mary Lou
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