Notes about Christmas Services & Schedules:
-The Christmas Eve and Day service schedule is listed in the section below, and it's on our website as well.
-Please notice that on December 26, there will be only TWO services that day, at 8 am and 10 am.
-The Church Office will be closed on December 27 & January 3.
For those with sensitive noses: There will be incense used at the 11 pm Christmas Eve service. So if you are sensitive to such things, you may want to consider attending one of the other services (4 pm or 7:30 pm).
Please donate to the "Winter Coat and All Things Warm" Drive for St. Andrew's Food Program. Now is the time to clean out your closets for gently used winter coats, hats, gloves, rain gear, and scarves. Winter clothing items can be placed in the designated box in Farlander Hall. A warm coat or rain jacket is very much appreciated by the guests of the St. Andrew's Feeding Program, who often are homeless or live in unheated housing. Thank you very much. Incarnation has been very generous in contributing to this program in the past few years.
Epiphany Service and Supper! Sign up for the all-parish dinner occurring on January 6 celebrating Epiphany. There will be a worship service beginning at 6 pm followed by dinner in Farlander Hall at 7 pm. We'll be serving a traditional beef stew. Put your name on the sign-up sheet in Farlander Hall and plan to bring something to contribute if you like.
A big 'Thanks!' and a 'Can you help, too?' Needy families with kids who are students at our 'adopted' Burbank Elementary School have been excited to get bags filled with nutritious food from the food bank. As part of a special grant - 'Farm to Family' - we've had Incarnation volunteers at Burbank School on Thursday afternoons, helping distribute fresh produce, baked items, and some packaged foods. A big Thank You! goes to volunteers Lauren Cole, Patty and Mike Hickey, Alice Macondray, and Catherine Thomson. Can you help, too? Only one and a half hours on a Thursday afternoon at our school. You don't need to commit for every Thursday .. how about only one Thursday a month? No heavy lifting required. You only need to bring a friendly smile. Talk to one of the folks who have already participated, then call Mike Hickey, 568-6856, to see how easy it is for you to help these needy families.
When filling out your Christmas cards this year, take ONE CARD and SEND it to this address: A Recovering American Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20307-5001. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these soldiers could get to bring up their spirits. Please tell others about this!
Via Media Sign-up! The Via Media sessions will be starting January 9 (Sunday 11:15am-1:15pm in Room 3) and going for seven consecutive weeks. Via Media is a series of classes that explore our faith from a unique Episcopalian point of view. Topics such as the Holy Spirit, The Bible, and Jesus Christ are talked about and you are encouraged to ask your questions and explore with others through conversation, friendship, worship and radical hospitality! Each class starts off with a delicious meal, a time of fellowship and getting to know one another. There is a sign-up sheet on the Small Groups table in Farlander Hall. If you want to learn more about Via Media or about being "confirmed" or "received" at Incarnation, visit our website at www.incarnation-sr.org and go to Christian Ed-Adult Education or contact Mitch Garcia at 707-703-4162 or email smallgroups@incarnation-sr.org.
Come and share in the Mystery of Centering Prayer: The source of Centering Prayer, as in all methods leading to Contemplation, is the indwelling Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The focus of Centering Prayer is the deepening of our relationship with the living Christ, and discerning our call to action. With discipline this practice leads to building communities of faith and bonds people together in mutual friendship and love. Truly learning how to love our neighbors as ourselves. As the new year approaches, please consider trying something that will make an impact on you and the community in which you live. We meet on Monday nights between 5 pm and 6 pm. All are welcome. On our website there is short video introduction by. Fr. Thomas Keating explaining this contemplative practice. Go to the Small Group webpage and then click on Prayer + Contemplative.
Poetry Gathering: The Poetry Group will be starting up again in January. These groups explore a wide range of poets and their poetry. Through reading and conversation we discover the richness of this art and how it can be used as a spiritual practice in our lives. If you're interested in attending or would like more information there is a sign-up sheet on the Small Group table in Farlander Hall. Or you can contact smallgroups@incarnation-sr.org.
Calling All Ministry Leaders! Our website is filled with information about our church and about the many ministries here at Incarnation. Some of that information may be outdated or possibly just plain wrong. I need your help and ask that you go to our website and locate the ministry you are involved with as a leader and please check to see if the information is correct. If your ministry is not on our website, then I need to know as soon as possible so I can add that information to our site. I thank you all in advance for your help and you can contact me at smallgroups@incarnation-sr.org to send along any changes or updates.
A Weekend with Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault -- Love, Contemplative Style: Centering Prayer and Awakening the Heart. When: Friday, Feb 11 & Saturday Feb 12. Where: Grace Episcopal Church (1314 Spring Street, St. Helena, CA 94574). Cost: $75 per person for both days, $25 for Friday only, $50 for Saturday only (includes lunch). Note: Purchase both days before December 10, 2010 and receive a free copy of "The Wisdom Way of Knowing." Grace Episcopal Church in St. Helena welcomes contemporary mystic, Cynthia Bourgeault, writer and internationally known Retreat Leader. Reservations are necessary. Call Grace Church at (707) 963-4157 or email invite@grace-episcopal.org.
From Health Ministries: DrugWatch.com is a comprehensive Web site database featuring extensive information about thousands of different medications and drugs currently on the market or previously available worldwide. DrugWatch.com includes up-to-date information about prescription and over-the-counter medications and includes details about associated side effects to aid in the protection of patients and consumers. If you're taking more than one medication at a time, check it out!
