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Gracias to the Kids, again ...
| Thanks to Hannah Lederle-Ensign for setting up coffee time Sunday morning.
Thanks to the children of the church for decorating the sanctuary, and thanks to Don Hodgen, Sam Foulke and Chuck Abbott for helping the kids.
Thanks to Don, Karen Kimmel, Jeanette Regetz, Reg Mitchell and Hannah for their work last Saturday morning cleaning up inside and outside.
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Readers Needed
| We will celebrate Christmas Eve with a service rich in lessons. If you'd like to be part of the service as a reader please let me know.
Also, on Sunday, Dec. 26, our worship will include more readings than most Sundays, including a multi-part narration that calls for several readers. If you'd like to be part of that one, please let me know.
The part of "the voice of God" has already been taken (Martin jumped at that), but there are other voices needed. Be one!
Send me a note and I'll get you the words.
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Pledge Drive Update
| Unfortunately there is no news.
The week following Thanksgiving we began the annual drive for pledges to the budget for the coming year with a bang, receiving 14 pledges totaling $31,080 for the 2011 CPC budget.
We have not received additional pledges. Our goal is $85,000.
Thanks so much to all those who have pledged already. It is tremendously helpful to the budget process. If you haven't offered your pledge yet, please consider doing so this weekend.
Pledge cards are available at church or send me a note and I'll e-mail it to you.
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Explore Membership in January
| Several of you have asked this fall about joining the church.
We're planning to put together an "exploring membership" group for January. We will meet following worship on January 9 and 23.
Would you like to be part of this group?
Please let me know as soon as you can so we can begin working out a schedule of gatherings. Send me a note at:
revdocdee@gmail.com.
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Small Group Update
| Our final small group gathering of the fall has been scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 18. If you've not been able to attend a small group meeting and would like to get on the invite list for this one, please let me know.
Session is working with the feedback provided through these gatherings, and several significant innovations will be coming early in 2011 as a result.
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Advent: Coming With Joy
Progressive ... Inclusive ... Diverse | December.2010
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Greetings!
 There is so much going on this month that if your blink you're going to miss something. You are not going to want to do that, so you are going to want to read all of the information this week. Please.Sunday morning we talked about hopes, and the importance of community to our hopes. Love binds a community together, so this week we'll focus on how love grounds our hopes. Advent is a season for preparing, and thus it is a season of hope. Newlyweds Josh Burruss and Heather Bean Burruss will light the third Advent candle this Sunday. Come and celebrate the season. Following our own Seasons of Spirit lectionary, our readings Sunday come from Psalm 146 and Isaiah 35:1-10. The meditation is, "Advent of Love." peace,
DavidPS: The Family Circle Sunday School meets in classroom A this Sunday following worship. We're having lots of fun together. You should join us! |
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December Brings Joyous Worship, Fun and Service
December always brings a rush of shopping, parties, and events of all kinds. Grounding all of that in worship, service and fellowship with your sisters and brothers in faith brings depth and meaning to the season. Here's an updated calendar of such opportunities this month at CPC.  - Saturday, December 11: The Lederle-Ensign clan invites you to their annual cookie baking open house from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. We'll have a steaming pot of chili, and enough sugar, butter and flour to put a small army into a food coma.This year it's also a "party with a purpose," as we're trying to raise a little money for People of Faith for Equality Virginia for those who feel called to support that work.
- Sunday, December 12: Plan to stay after worship for "Carols and Cookies," as we sing our favorite Christmas hymns and munch on cookies from the great cookie bake.
- Saturday, December 18: join the Clarendon Child Care Center families in a cookie decorating extravaganza (10:00 a.m. - noon). Cookies will be part of the A-SPAN meal we serve on Christmas Eve.
- Monday, December 20: Our monthly evening of bagging groceries at AFAC. We'll gather for a simple pot-luck meal after bagging.
- Friday, December 24: We feed folks with A-SPAN -- meet up at church at 5:45 p.m. We'll have a simple meal of bread and soup at 7:00, and gather for Christmas Eve lessons and carols at 7:30.
Come and worship! Come and serve! |
A Season for Giving
Clarendon has a long history and tradition of remarkable generosity. This season provides several additional opportunities to share from our abundance of talent and treasure. Here's a list of special giving opportunities and offerings for December: - We are receiving new and gently used unwrapped book for The Reading Connection (through Dec. 19). There's a "wish list" posted at church, and also on their web site.
- We are collecting gift cards for Doorways (Giant, Safeway, Target) through Dec. 19th. You can put them in the offering or give them to Molly DeMaret.
- Sundays Dec. 19 and 26 we will receive the annual Christmas Joy offering. This offering supports retired church professionals and the historically racial-ethnic schools of the PC(U.A.A.).
- Christmas Eve we will receive an offering to support the work of AFAC.
In addition, we received word this week that A-SPAN needs additional volunteers to distribute meals on these evenings:
- Tuesday, Dec. 7
- Friday, Dec. 10
- Monday, Dec. 27
- Wednesday, Dec. 29
If you can help on any of those evenings, please contact Sarah Morse at A-SPAN or call her at 703-842-0168. Also, please let me know if you are able to help out so that we can coordinate volunteers.
Finally, we have received a couple of dozen rice bags from AFAC that we'd like to transform into reusable tote bags for AFAC clients to use. If you'd like to take on a small sewing project, please let me know.
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Please Note: A Call for Coats, Gift Cards ... and Ideas
With the cold weather upon us we've seen an increase in the number of people seeking assistance from the church. By long-standing policy we do not provide direct cash assistance, but we do try to give aid in other direct ways, including clothes and gift cards to grocery stores. If you have some gently worn warm clothes to donate we can certainly use them. Also, small denomination gift cards from Giant are always welcome. If you have additional ideas for ways that we can meet some basic needs in the community, please make suggestions. We are trying to develop additional direct aid capacity that does not exceed either our space constraints or our staffing limits, but that can help with some basic food and clothing needs.
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Prayers of the People
Several prayer requests this week, including prayers for:
- Barbara Allen, as she recovers from a broken shoulder.
- John Lundquist, who will undergo surgery next week at Arlington Hospital.
- Johnn Gunn, as he mourns his grandmother.
- Heather Bean Burruss, as she mourns her aunt.
Our Seasons of the Spirit prayers for the week include John Cochran, Ditty Boaz and Jane Bond. Let folks know that you hold them in the light. Readings for the week include: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 6:17-31; Isaiah 32:16-17. (I'm linking those this week, and will continue to do so in the weeks to come if people use the links.) |
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