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The VOICE of St. Luke's
December 25, 2011 |
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Christmas at St. Luke's | |
Christmas Eve Sat. 12/24 
4:00 pm Family Service with pageant
11:00 pm Festival Service with Carols & Communion
Broadcast live on WJTN 1240 AM, and SE 93.3 FM
(note: there will be incense at the 11 pm service)
Those who can are asked to help distribute Poinsettias to
our homebound parishioners. Please come up to the chancel at the conclusion of
the 11 pm service for a card and plant for someone in your neighborhood.
Christmas Day Sun. 12/25
10:00 am Communion Service in the Chapel
(No 5 pm Saturday or 8 am Sunday services)
Wishing you and your dear ones a Blessed Christmastide!
The Parish Office is closed Monday, December 26th |
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The Twelve Days of Christmas | |
I hope you will join me in a little conspiracy. The secular world has largely taken over Christmas, BUT they think it ends on December 25. The famous carol reminds us that Christmas is in fact a season lasting 12 days stretching from the midnight service on Christmas Eve right through the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. When we visited our companion parish in Puerto Rico some years ago I was struck by how much more important Epiphany was there than Christmas Day and how wonderful it was to keep celebrating for the whole season.
These twelve days offer us an excellent opportunity to really celebrate a religious Christmas with no competition from Santa, Incorporated. Here are a few ideas for celebrating:
- Sing Christmas carols each day
- Volunteer at St. Susan's Center or drop off some clothing or housewares to the Thrift Shop or Community Helping Hands
- Actually make time for prayer each day and just thank God for all your blessings
- Call a few of the people you got Christmas cards from that you never see any more
- Make meal time a little more special by cooking with friends and family and saying grace
- Tell the people you love how grateful you are for them
- Come to Roxanne Wendling's for an Open House on Saturday, December 31st from 1:30-4:00 pm
- (Shameless plug) Come to the 12th Night Concert by the Chautauqua Chamber Singers on Friday January 6th at First Presbyterian Church (Elisabeth Rankin and I are singing)
Whatever you do, and wherever you are this coming week, may the Peace and Joy of Christ permeate your lives this holy time of year.
--Fr. Eric |
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Church Calendar | |
SAT, Dec 24th
4:00 pm Family
Christmas Eucharist & Pageant - church
11:00 pm
Festival Eucharist -
Church
Sun, Dec 25th
10 am HE - Church
(No 8 am service)
MON, Dec 26th
Office
Closed
TUES, Dec 27th
9 am - 12 noon
Thrift Shop Receiving
WED, Dec 28
7:30 am
Men's Bible Study
No Youth Group
THURS, Dec 29
No Women's Bible Study
9 - 11 am
4th Street Cafe
10 am - 2 pm
Thrift Shop Open
12:05 pm
HE w/ prayers for healing - chapel
No Choir
FRI, Dec 30
10 am - 2 pm
Thrift Shop Open
SAT, Dec 31
1:30 - 4 pm
Open House @
Roxanne Wendling's
5:00 pm
Holy Eucharist - chapel
SUN, JAN 1st
8 am HE - Chapel
10 am HE - Church
2:00 pm
Service on the Slopes @ Ellicottville |
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Prayer List | |
Please include in
your prayers:
Evelyn Bingham;
Sharyn Olsen Soderlund;
Carol Barr;
Neal Gustafson;
Donna Vanstrom;
Bethine Grunewald;
Barbara Peterson;
Rachel Ditzler;
Dorothy and Richard
Meier; JoAnn Call;
Patricia Nagle;
Caleb; Mark; Charlotte; and Kathleen. |
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Join Bishop Franklin's Journey | |
You're invited to subscribe to the blog and comment on his posts. You'll find the subscription box on the blog's homepage at www.jerusalem-crossing.com. |
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Church School is on hiatus until January 8th, 2012. | | |
On January 8,Church School returns to our theme of "Great Beginnings" with the story of Jesus calling the first disciples - the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James and John. They left their boats and followed Jesus to become "fishers of men." Ahoy mates, cast the nets over the side, and let's see what - or whom - we catch!
The Acting Apostles will begin their next adventure, too - a chancel drama for Lent.
Join us on Sundays at 9 a.m. |
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ADULT FORUM | |
There will be NO Adult Forum on Sunday, December 25 nor on Sunday, January 1.
The Forum will resume on Sunday, January 8.
Merry Christmas from the members of the Forum Planning Committee - Janet Card, Linda & Peter Dawson, Jim Holton, Paul Johnson, Paula Pickett, and Barbara Bumsted! |
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Weekly Youth Night - Wednesdays | |
If you are a teen in grades 7 - 12, this is the place for YOU! No judgment, just conversation. A safe place for you to be yourself, explore your faith, make and be friends to each other. Regular Wednesday night meetings begin again January 11th from 7 - 9 pm*; we'll be on break Dec 28th & Jan 4th.
(*Note the time change for winter/spring time.)
Adult volunteers are still needed to share in our Youth Nights. Want to know more? Talk to Miguel Covarrubias our director of Youth Ministry.
Missions Trip Deadline - We will be going to Denver Colorado July 22-29, 2012. But, before we go we need to know a few things. We have a deadline of Jan. 11 for our first count. If you are interested in participating in our mission trip, you will need to have a deposit of $50 as well as a firm "yes! I am going" by this date.
Jan 20-21st, 2012 at the Diocesan Ministry Center Youth Overnight Event with Bishop Bill for grades 6-12; cost is $10 per person. Registration deadline is Monday, January 16, 2012. |
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Communication at St Luke's | |
There are lots of ways to keep up with news and events at St. Luke's. Did you know that we broadcast our service every weeknight on Channel 19 at 7 pm? Our website has information about upcoming events as well as links to all you could ever want to know about the ministries and people here at St. Luke's. You can also read back issues of the VOICE at our archive there. You will also find links to our Facebook and Twitter pages. And did you also know that we record the adult forum every week and post it as a podcast. You'll find the links for those podcasts on our site as well. The vestry and property committee are also looking at options for improving our videotaping capabilities and you should hear more about that in 2012.
Bookmark our Website: www.stlukesjamestown.org. |
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Annual Meeting and Vestry Elections | |
At the annual meeting on Sunday, January 29th, 2012, the members of St. Luke's will elect: one warden, three vestry members, and three delegates to diocesan convention. All candidates should be adult communicants in good standing, meaning that they should be baptized or confirmed members who are faithful in attending worship and in "working, praying and giving for the spread of the kingdom." To nominate yourself or someone else for any of these positions, contact Donna Phillippi by phone at (716)386-3136 or email phillippi.donna@gmail.com. |
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Journey of Faith Inquirers Class | |
You are warmly invited to join the
"Journey of Faith," our course for adult membership in St. Luke's Church. Part I will be held on Wednesdays: January 25, February 1, 8 & 15 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. To find out more or sign up, call the office at 483-6405 or email stluke@netsync.net. |
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News from the Fitzgeralds | |
Since 2000 St. Luke's has been supporting Dan Fitzgerald and his family as they have been doing missionary work with the Baka people in Cameroon. Dan is a linguist and his major work has been to translate the Bible into the Baka language. One of the great challenges was that he had to first create a written language for them! He has sent us an illustrated booklet of the Baka translation of the Christmas story. You can find it on the bulletin board on the stage area of the undercroft. This has been a year of great transition for the Fitzgeralds. Dan will continue in a limited capacity with the Baka, but he is moving more and more into consultant work with other translation organizations. He and his family have also left the Episcopal Church and have been received into the Roman Catholic Church in Fillmore, NY. Having fulfilled our ten year commitment to supporting the Fitzgeralds, we are phasing out our financial support for them. But we can certainly celebrate this wonderful accomplishment. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Dan and his family, and thanks to the generosity of St. Luke's members and vestry, we have been blessed to play a significant part in actually bringing the Word of God to people who had never heard it before. Well done! |
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12 Days of Christmas Party | |
You're Invited ... as the 12 days of Christmas continue,
come to a Holiday Open House on December 31st
from 1:30 - 4 pm
at Roxanne Wendling's,
275 Camp Street, Jamestown, NY.
All are welcome. |
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Coming in JANUARY !! | |
Youth Overnight Event with Bishop Bill - Jan 20-21st at the Diocesan Ministry Center for grades 6-12; cost is $10 per person. Registration deadline is Monday, January 16, 2012.
AND, The Bishop's Ball is February 11,
7 -10PM at the Diocesan Ministry Center.
Open to grades 7- 12; the cost is $5. |
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The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, Bishop of Western New York. The Rev. Eric M. Williams, Rector. The Rev. Susan Anslow Williams, Associate Rector. The Rev. Deacon Cathleen Smith. The Rev. Barbara Baxter, Priest Associate. The Rev. Sandra N. Dower, Associate. Miguel Covarrubias, Youth Minister. Kim Johnstone Mann, Parish Secretary. Barbara Bumsted, Director of Adult Formation. Andrew Schmidt, Director of Music. Paula Pickett and Donna Phillippi, Wardens.
Office: 410 North Main St., Jamestown NY 14701
Phone (716) 483-6405 * Fax (716)483-6406
Learn more about us on our website: http://www.stlukesjamestown.org |
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