 |
 |
5 Dec 2008
|
The eClarion
A Weekly Publication of
Christ Episcopal Church of Puyallup |
|
|
New Regular Feature this Week
In addition to the "This Sunday", "Next Week", and "Announcements" sections, a new regular feature is being added to The eClarion this week.
"Mark Your Calendar!" will feature upcoming events that are a bit further out; events and occasions that are beyond the range of Next Week or the Announcements. It will be a simple list of dates with only a spare sampling of details. Because entries on this list will remain for several weeks (until they get close enough to graduate to announcement status), new entries will be placed in bold so you'll know to add them to your calendar.
We hope this will be a useful feature for you, and that you'll be able to add many of these events to your calendar well in advance!
|
|
 |
This Sunday
|
|
|
December 7th
The Second Sunday in Advent
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the
prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may
greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
8am: Holy Eucharist
Our early service is unaccompanied by music and usually lasts about 50 minutes. Coffee and fellowship are offered before the service begins in the parish hall, while the sanctuary is available for quiet prayer. Another coffee hour follows the service.
10am: Pageant Rehearsal for participants in our Christmas Eve Pageant. This will take place during the first 10 to 15 minutes of the service.
10am: Holy Eucharist with Children's Sermon
This Eucharistic service is accompanied by organ and choir. During the sermon time, children will be invited forward to participate in an interactive exchange. A special visitor is rumored to be in town...
A coffee hour for kids and adults follows the service.
11:30am: Music rehearsals
Following the worship services, our musical groups gather to prepare for the next weeks' offerings.
TheTapestry Singers' offer a Concert today at 3 pm in the Sanctuary. Suggested donation is $5; refreshments will be served after the show.
A Celebration of the Life and Ministry of James Ray Bolles
The funeral begins at 5pm with bagpipes, drums, flags, and tartan plaid in procession.
|
|
Next Week at Christ Church
|
|
|
December 8th through 13th
Monday
Cornerstone Office Closed
Tuesday
No Vestry or Finance Committee Meetings tonight,
moved to next week.
Wednesday
Eucharist & Lunch, 12:05pm, Sanctuary
Friday
Youth Cafe Annex, 7pm, Forza Coffee
|
|
Announcements
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
Raffle to benefit scholarships for women's retreat: A large Christmas basket has been donated, and will be raffled off over the next few Sundays. Tickets will be $ 1 apiece or 6 tickets for $5. The winner will be announced on December 14th.
Sonora Concert: Sunday, December 14th at 2 pm in the Sanctuary. They will be performing a variety of sacred and secular holiday music with the showcase piece being Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on Christmas Carols".
Santa's Seconds Sale is this Saturday, December 6 from 10 am to 2pm. Setup will be on Friday, December 5, starting at 10 am. All volunteers are welcome (and needed!). A light lunch will be served on both days. Things that sell well: jewelry, stationery, greeting cards, Xmas decorations, clothing with a Christmas motif, linens, pictures, knick-knacks, candles, toys, games, and current books. Items should be in good repair. Donations may be left on the stage in the Parish Hall. If you have questions, please call Stephanie Roberts at 253/840-4370.
Knitting Ministry: will meet again on Monday the 15th of December, at Forza Coffee Company , 210 W. Pioneer Ave., located in down town Puyallup, at 6:00 pm. Anyone who is new to our Christ Church family and would like to know what the Knitting Ministry is all about, please come and join us. All skill levels are welcome. Our ministry provides warmth and comfort to those who are facing difficult times.
Freezing Nights Ministry: churches in Puyallup are gearing up to house Puyallup's homeless overnight, when the temperature drops below 35 degrees. There are currently 8 churches who have offered to host, and we are short of volunteers who will spend the evenings at the churches. There are usually 3 or 4 people every night that volunteer to set up cots, help with meals and other tasks. Over the course of the winter this can get taxing on volunteers unless we recruit more to be involved and spread the work around. If you are interested in being a volunteer for hands on personal relationship type ministry to the homeless in Puyallup please call Mary Briskee at 253-840-5866 or email freezingnights@comcast.net. You can also talk to Elsa, who has been involved in this ministry since it's inception 4 years ago.
General Announcements
Christmas Season Services:
Christmas Eve
4pm Eucharist with Children's Pageant
10:30pm Caroling and Christmas Eve Festival Eucharist with incense
Christmas Day
10am Eucharist and Baptism
First Sunday of Christmas (December 28th)
8 & 10 am Lessons and Carols
*Please note: there will not be a Wednesday noon service on December 24 and 31st.
The Church Office will be closed December 25th-January 1st.
The children will be presenting a pageant telling the traditional story
of the Nativity at the Christmas Eve service at 4:00 pm. All children,
grandchildren, and guests are invited to participate. Rehearsals will
begin on November 30th during Sunday school time (10:00 - 10:40).
Additional rehearsal may be needed closer to performance date.
Junior
high and senior high students are encouraged to participate as a chorus
that will enhance the telling of the story of the Nativity. Those
students that are adept at playing a musical instrument are also needed
to accompany the congregation and soloists.
If interested, or if there are questions, please contact Shannon Mitchell at (253) 445-4436 or by e-mail.
Contributions - Not after 12/31!
Unlike contributions to an IRA, you cannot bring in a check to the church on the first Sunday in January (or later) and expect it to be counted as a gift in 2008. Even if you date it 2008, it cannot be accepted. The general rule is that it must either be in the church office by December 31st, or it must be mailed to the church with a postmark of December 31st or before. It is our understanding that there is no "grace period" on this with the IRS!
December is 'Baby Supplies' month for the Food Bank In honor of the birth of Christ this month please help out earthly babies by bringing formula, baby food, or diapers. Thank you for sharing your blessings with those less fortunate!
|
|
Mark Your Calendar!
|
|
|
These are events a bit farther off. Mark your calendars now, and if you have any questions in advance, contact the office.
January 18th: Senior Sermon Luke Owen, 8 and 10am services.
January 11th: Guest Preacher Kelly Demo, 8 and 10am services.
January 25th: Annual Meeting, 9am.
February 7th: Chili Cook-Off, 5pm.
February 20 to 21: Vestry Retreat.
February 22nd: Bishop Rickel Visitation, 8 and 10am services.
February 25th: Ash Wednesday, 12:05 and 7pm services.
|
|
Confirmation, Reception, Reaffirmation, and 1st Communion
|
|
|
Episcopal Visitation at the End of February
Bishop Rickel will be joining us on Sunday, February 22nd. This is your chance to receive the Episcopal sacraments of confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation. The sacrament of confirmation is available to those who have not been confirmed in any denomination. Usually younger folks, but not always. Reception is the sacrament for those who have been confirmed in another denomination but now wish to formally pledge themselves to God in the Episcopal Church. Reaffirmation is for Episcopalians wishing to make a special rededication of themselves.
In addition to these Episcopal Sacraments, a 1st Communion Class will be forming after the first of the year and will culminate with this visit by Bishop Rickel. All young children are welcome in this class whether they have begun receiving communion or not. More details about this class and it's meeting dates/times will be available in next week's edition of The eClarion.
If you are, or know someone, eligible for these opportunities, contact the church office or Fr. Ben right away.
|
|
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging
|
|
|
A New Outreach Opportunity in January
On the weekend of Jan.11, The Rev. Kelly Demo, will be here at Christ Church to teach and preach on behalf of Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. CFCA is an international sponsorship organization that pairs people here in the States with children and elderly in one of 25 developing countries.
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church has made it a priority for the church to embrace the Millennium Development Goals put forth by the United Nations. These eight goals (including eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality, etc.) form a blueprint agreed to by all the world's countries and the world's leading development institutions.
So what does that mean to you? These goals can seem too big for one person to try to tackle. However, through responsible giving, you can significantly change one life; thereby changing the world from what is was before. Sponsorship through CFCA is a viable and trustworthy way that you can become personally involved in a global movement.
More details are available through the CFCA website. Come and hear about this exciting program on Jan.11.
|
|
Stewardship Update
|
|
|
Giving Update for 2009
Our Stewardship Season Pledge Drive is doing well, but we still have a bit further to go. Here are some vital statistics:
Number of pledges in 2008: 101
Number of pledges for 2009 (so far): 93
Dollars pledged in 2008: $206,272.00
Dollars pledged for 2009 (so far): $208,434.00
Amount needed to balance our draft 2009 budget: $33,773.00
Number of people who pledged in 2008 but have not in 2009: 16
Amount of pledge dollars this represents: $25,120.00
Number of new pledgers this year: 9
As always, there are some good numbers and some bad numbers. Perhaps the best news is that even in an uncertain financial climate those who have pledged to give next year have pledged to give more. We have more money from fewer people (which is itself both good and bad news), and on average pledgers have increased their giving by 7.3%
The other great news is that nine new pledges have come in from folks that have joined the church in the past year.
The bad news is of course that we are short of a balanced budget, and that we have too many pledges from last year not yet turned in. Even with nine new pledges we have fewer pledgers than we did last year: not a sustainable situation.
Giving is not a precise science, and is always a little scary right at the end of the year. Given the economic news pouring out doomsday scenarios, the fact that our givers are being so generous is reason alone to give thanks. Pledges are not about a dollar amount, but about a commitment to be generous. If you have not yet made a pledge, please prayerfully consider doing so now. Thank you.
|
|
Questions? Comments? More Information?
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
