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This Sunday
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December 14th
The Third Sunday in Advent
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might
come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let
your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor
and glory, 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 Soul Purpose
This Eucharistic service is accompanied by our contemporary music group, the Soul Purpose Band. 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.
2pm: Sonora Concert
They will be performing a
variety of sacred and secular holiday music with the showcase piece
being Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on Christmas Carols".
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Next Week at Christ Church
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December 15th through 20th
Monday
Cornerstone Office Closed
Tuesday
Finance Committee, 6pm, The Upper Room
Vestry, 7pm, The Upper Room
Wednesday
Eucharist & Lunch, 12:05pm, Sanctuary
Thursday
Men's Group, 7pm, Trackside Pizza
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Announcements
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Upcoming Events
Thank you to all who contributed toys to the Giftmakers Toy Drive. Six jumbo sized lawn and leaf bags were needed to transport all the toys the Christ Church donated to this cause. The spirit of giving is alice and well in our community!
'Nets for Life' will be on sale again today. Sales will support the church's commitment to the Church's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to help control and prevent malaria in sub-Saharan Africa by providing mosquito netting for those most at risk of this devastating disease. In parts of Africa where malaria is endemic, 3,000 children die every day and millions are left weak and disabled for life. For $ 12 you can help save three children's lives.
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.
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.
Epiphany Luncheon: Saturday, January 3rd at St. Mary's in Lakewood. Registration begins at 9:30 am. followed by Holy Eucharist at 10 am. Cost of the luncheon is $ 10 and the deadline for registration is December 30th.
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!
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Mark Your Calendar!
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These are events a bit farther off. Mark your calendars now, and if you have any questions in advance, contact the office.
January 11th: Guest Preacher Kelly Demo, 8 and 10am services.
January 18th: Senior Sermon Luke Owen, 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.
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Winter's Light | 12/21/08 | 5:00pm
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A Service of Light in the Darkness
Sunday, December 21st is the shortest day of the year-the day of most darkness and least light. Many cultures mark this day, not only to acknowledge the darkness but to proclaim the return of the light.
Christmas is a time of joy and celebration for all people. It is also a time of grief for many. Is this your first holiday season without someone? Is there a loved one whose absence at this time of year still hurts? Are you more likely to feel loneliness than joy during December?
Winter's Light is a quiet service of simple chants, meditative readings, and opportunities to share stories or light a candle in memory.
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Questions? Comments? More Information?
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