Greetings from Pastor Nina 

Come, O Gift of heaven's harmony,
and attune my third ear,
the ear of my heart,
so that I may hear,
just as Mary, faithful woman of Israel, heard.

O God, the time is too short,
these days are too few
as I prepare for the feast
of the birth of Mary's son.

Busy days, crowded to the brim,
with long lists of gifts to buy
and things that must be done.

Show to me, also your highly favored child,
how to guard my heart
from noise and hurry's whirl,
so that I might hear your voice
calling my heart to create an empty space
that might be pregnant with heaven's fire.

Quiet me within,
clothe my body in peacefulness,
that your Word
once again may take flesh -
this time, within me -
as once it did in holy Mary,
long Advent days ago.

Action Inquiry Rallies Held Monthly 

Our first Action Inquiry rally of the fall in November was a chance to check in on previously announced inquiries and to see what is percolating in terms of new inquiries.  The Spirit is at work at All Pilgrims! We have had a number of successful programs take place over the summer and early fall that have stirred new energy and interest in our community and our congregation.
 
We will be continuing the Action Inquiry rallies every third Sunday of the month indefinitely.  Starting with the Rally in December, we will be making changes to the format to make them shorter and more productive. They will be quicker check-ins on what's going on and opportunities to raise ideas that might turn into full inquiries.
 
As we invite more members of All Pilgrims to join the Action Inquiry process - either by creating an Action Inquiry or supporting one that is getting started - we should be pointed at two things: 1) Does this help us to explore our purpose statement and what it means for us?  2) Does it express our gratitude for what we have experienced here at All Pilgrims ourselves?
 
The New Beginnings process offers us an opportunity to reflect on the gifts that this particular faith community has given to us and to be grateful for them. It's also an opportunity to reflect on who else needs to receive these gifts. Who do we long to share this experience with?
 
As the Sufi poet Rumi said "Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground" - meaning there are many ways to show thanks. What is yours? What is ours? The New Beginnings process is all about answering that question.
 
Please join us at the upcoming Action Inquiry rallies to take part.  If you have an idea or questions about the New Beginnings process, please contact chairman Eric Liljegren, seattleviking@comcast.net

Pastoral Search Continues 

The pastoral search committee is following the procedures recommended by both the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ, and that means the search for a long-term pastor is a slow, deliberate process.  Nothing moves at a quick pace, and the committee hopes church members are not becoming impatient with the slow rate of progress.
 
To bring everyone up-to-date: The committee has completed the review of profiles sent by no less than 77 candidates interested in being considered for our pulpit. Just to give an idea of the scope of just this first step in the process: one candidate's profile was 37 pages long! (We wondered among ourselves if his sermons might be 1½ hrs. long - ha ha!!)
 
A process of elimination has been completed and 8 candidates remain for consideration.  Additional eliminations involve making phone calls to the candidates' references (6 - 8 people each in most cases and bringing reports of the outcomes of those calls for committee discussion.  With a few finalists chosen, the committee was advised to bring back the UCC & DOC regional/conference ministers for recommendations for interviewing the finalists (including simulated interviews). The process of elimination resumes until a single candidate is selected.
 
Once a selection has been made, the finalist will be presented to the church council for approval.  If approved, a recorded sermon will be requested, and when received, the congregation will have the opportunity to hear it and recommend (or not) that a "call" be issued.

In a recent teaching, Pastor Nina reminded us that all of us at All Pilgrims have a role to play in growing the church and doing ministry.  We are looking to identify new leaders and volunteers from among our new members and friends. Here are some opportunities for you to step into service.

• Financial - Both the Finance Committee and the Treasurer are looking for individuals with experience and interest in managing money to work hands-on to accomplish a variety of tasks. This is not an advisory role.  Qualified individuals should be detail oriented and be able to provide 5 to 10 hours of time per month.
• Secretary - The Council Secretary would like an Assistant Secretary who is reliable and detail-oriented organizer to bring some order to records, bylaws and other information. Time commitment is 5 to 10 hours per month.
• Angel Corps - We are looking to create a list of people willing to be called for short-term projects like hanging the greens (and taking them down), yard clean-up, etc.  You do not have to have specialized skills just a willingness to show up and give several hours at a time.

Please contact Vince Larkin or Kathleen Hosfeld to find out more about these opportunities or to sign-up.

Groups, Committees & Events
 

Have you ever wanted to learn more about Advent?  Do you need a break from the stress of the week and seek a time to become more centered?  Join us for an evening Advent Prayer Service as we prepare for Christ's birth.  Each week will focus on a different prayer practice:  taize, labyrinth, lectio divina and centering prayer with group advent poem.  The service is open to all people including those who do not attend APCC.  Contact Justin Umbright or the Church Office with any questions.
 
Where:  The Chapel at All Pilgrims Christian Church.
When: Tuesdays, November 24th - December  15th
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Join us in prayer on Tuesday, December 1st, World AIDS Day for all those who have or are suffering from HIV/AIDS here in our local community and around the world.  All Pilgrims will be open as a quiet respite for prayers from Noon - 10:00 pm.  All people are welcome, so please tell your friends and neighbors.  The prayer vigil is designed so that people can stop in on their lunch breaks, after the workday or before night shifts, or as part of their evening time.  Meditative music, candles and reflection materials will be available.  Please respect those in prayer by quietly entering or exiting the church. 
 
May we honor those that have passed away from HIV/AIDS and its complications.  May all those living with HIV/AIDS be strengthened by our prayers.  May we be enlightened with further compassion and understanding and may we grow ever closer to a definitive cure accessible to all people.
 
If you would like to volunteer to help host this prayer vigil, please contact Pastor Nina through the Church Office.

Please join us in the spirit of giving as we celebrate YES! Sunday on December 13th.  We will celebrate membership anniversaries from October, November and December and will make a special recognition of the contributions of our friends and non-members.  We hope everyone will be able to join us that Sunday and will take this opportunity to reconsider their current level of giving to All Pilgrims.  Please come prepared to fill out a pledge card and help us build our budget for the next year.

Once again, as they did last year, members of the church's hospitality team, headed by Michael Small, are sponsoring a Christmas Soup Social.  With strong involvement by the green-blue cluster, several types of soup will be offered along with rolls and salads.  The event was a real hit last year and will, undoubtedly, be a big hit again this year.  The soup social will take the place of the usual coffee fellowship after the worship service.

OFFICE CLOSURE 

Christmas Eve Service