The Shamrock - November 27, 2013

Parish Life - by CeCe Balboni, Senior Warden

Dear Parish Family,

There is much to report on the Parish Life front. First let me thank all who visited Vestry last Sunday. Having Elaine Judge, Diane Rankin, Joan Reddicks, and Bill Murphy with us was energizing, enlightening and generous. Elaine gathered a meal for the meeting. Thank you all.

There has been a lack of clarity around our parish events calendar because there have been changes from years past with little or no explanation. For this I apologize. At the same time, I will report with real gratitude and hope for the course we are on in this context.

This year has been one of transition. Sometime I think in terms of Formation and Reformation. The obvious has occurred to us. We really are a sacramental community who enjoys partying as opposed to a partying community who also enjoys gathering on Sunday morning.

With the redoing of our Parish Hall we have had a wonderful opportunity to reimagine our Sacramental socializing community. At the same time we refreshed the Parish Hall, we have been focused on the 10:30 a.m. service with the support of our choir and its excellent leader Chad, and our 8:00 a.m. service has been growing. Our hope is that weekly worship together deepens our friendships and that our friendships deepen our worship. As Fr. Dick often reminds us, we gather at the Table and move out from there. This makes us unique among other socializing communities, because we are first a Spiritual Community - the community of St. Patrick's Episcopal Church.

With this in mind and heart I hope to see most of us gathered for worship and for the following events:

Upcoming Dates:

Advent Breakfast and Wreath Making - December 1, Parish Hall. Joanne Cropper and Nancy Armstrong organizing.
Christmas Party at Donna Kunz' home - December 20
Epiphany service and Burning of the Greens family event - January 5, 4:30-8 p.m. Keith Harper
organizing, Elaine Judge and Diane Rankin working on liturgy with Fr. Dick.

Details: Bring your Christmas tree, wreath or a simple piece of green to add to our light of the world fire. Gather in the nave. Bring an hors' de oeuvre to share. Drink tickets will be sold and hot cocoa, tea, coffee, and soft drinks will be provided in the parish hall. Dress warmly for our outdoor fire or comfortably for our indoor fire.

Parish Meeting - January 26. This is an important date as we will elect new Vestry persons.
Valentine's Dinner and Dance - Details to follow and committee forming.
Easter Breakfast - Details to follow and host committee forming.
Pentecost - Committee forming.

While this list is incomplete, it does present an idea of the seasons ahead. Please continue to look in the Shamrock for Parish Life updates, including the details for Hospitality House.

You may notice that each event is hosted by a committee. Each event needs one organized soul to gather

those to imagine, set up, clean up and inspire the rest of us. Thankfully, our parish is replete with wonderful

hosts and supporting folks. Please jump on board for any event that interests you. To volunteer, contact the

office, Dana Dolan, any staff person or vestry member. We are all ears.

St. Patrick's News

Collect for Thanksgiving: Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Liturgy Changes in Advent: As Deacon Ed mentioned in his Advent article in last weeks' Shamrock, we will have some changes to Sundays during Advent. The ﬁrst is that the time before the services will be in silence. From 7:45 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. and again from 10:15 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. we'll ask for silence in the ofﬁce and narthex as well as in the chapel and the nave (there will be "shhhhhh" signs to remind us of that in the narthex). That silence will be broken only by the gentle sounds of music as Chad accompanies our meditations on the piano.

There will be no announcements -- every attempt will be made to include all necessary information about church happenings in the service bulletin. That means the services will start promptly at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Office Closure: The office will be closed from noon Nov. 27 through Friday, Nov. 29 for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen Monday, Dec. 2.

Advent at St. Patrick's: Join St. Patrick's in Advent as we are calm and silent and at the same time ﬁlled with excitement about the coming of Christ.

Parish-wide Advent wreath making and breakfast - Sunday, Dec. 1, 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Parish Hall During the education hour you can create your individual Advent wreath and enjoy a delicious breakfast. Fr. Dick will speak about "What is Advent, the 'first season' of the new year".

Advent Evenings Dinner and Program

Simple dinner of soup (vegan and meat) and bread at 6:00 p.m., program begins at 7:00 p.m. RSVP for dinner to Amanda Vaughn or 770-455-6523 the Monday before.

Dec. 4-Celtic Waiting: The gathering presents a contemplative service, influenced by modern Celtic spirituality, including prayer and poetry, music, guided meditation, and silence. Reflection by Darby Christopher. Music by Ramsay and friends.
Dec. 11-Christmas Concert with Paul Tate: Join us for traditional holiday favorites, Paul's original music, a carol sing-along, and more.
Dec. 18-Moravian Lovefeast:The service begins with a welcome and then Christmas hymns and carols that provide the subject matter for our devotional thoughts. During the service a warm slightly sweetened bun will be served along with mugs of coffee and lemonade.

Advent Quiet Day - Saturday, Dec. 7, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

A contemplative experience on the prophecies and narratives of Jesus' birth. As you prepare for the

celebration, prepare your heart in eager expectation of His coming.

Click here to see the full schedule of adult Christian Formation offerings for the fall.

Stewardship Update: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Cor. 9:7:

So far we have received 94 adult pledge cards for a total of $389,928! This is a wonderful start, and we are so thankful for you generosity.

It is never too late to pledge! Pledge cards for the 2014 Operating Budget are available in the office andyou can find a printable pledge card here. Pledge cards should be returned to Nicole Cone, Parish administrator.

Quiet prayer with Mary: During advent, there will be a painting, praydue, and paper in the narthex. Spend a moment in prayerful meditation, give a written response, and put in the box beside the painting. Do you have a question or message for Mary?

Christmas Flowers: Christmas Poinsettias, which are placed at the altar for the Christmas services, are available for ordering now through the Altar Guild bulletin board in the hallway by the office. The cost is $20 each. The poinsettias are a lovely way to honor friends and family during the season of Christmas. The deadline for ordering is Sunday, Dec. 16. Please note the information you want printed in the bulletin (in honor of / in memory of) and note "Christmas flowers" on your check.

Luncheon with Beth Sarah Wright: St. Patrick's is hosting a lunch on Jan. 10 at noon. Beth Sarah Wright will be our speaker for the event. Tickets are $15. To purchase a ticket, please call the church office at 770-455-6523 or email Amanda Vaughn.

Want to Join St. Patrick's? Please email Amanda Vaughn or call her at 770-455-6523 for more information.

Christian Formation

Lectionary for this Sunday

Sundays

Nursery - newborn - 4 years - Room 6

Everyone is invited to the Parish Hall on Sunday, Dec. 1 for an Advent breakfast and wreath making

during the formation hour.

Workshop on Grieving During the Holidays:This free three-hour workshop is intended for anyone who

has experienced a loss of a loved one. It will meet in the Lanier House living room (at the Cathedral of St. Philip) on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The group will be facilitated by Dr. Doyle Hamilton, Pastoral Counselor, Care and Counseling Center of Georgia. If you have questions, contact Doyle at (404) 636-1457, ext. 439 or via email.

Introductory Biblical Hebrew: Biblical Hebrew is often thought of as difficult to learn. However, by learning it in the context of a simple text, such as the book of Ruth, all the basic information about the language can be acquired, and students find themselves able to progress into other texts with relative ease. More information here.

Ministry News

Malachi's Storehouse Christmas Toy Drive: Get in the Christmas Spirit! Join us for our Annual Christmas Toy Drive as we support our Malachi's families. We encourage you to give your time and would appreciate your donations of toys, gift cards, gift wrap, and tape. Cash donations are also welcome. The children we are serving are ages newborn - 18 years old. Please bring all donations to St. Patrick's and drop off in the boxes in the Narthex.

Toys will be distributed to pre-registered parents on Sunday, Dec. 22 following the 10:30 a.m. service. We are using an on-line program for parishioners to sign up to help.

Please sign up for Malachi's Gift Giving event 2013 - here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click here to go to our invitation page

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders.

If you have any questions please email Judi Carlson or call her at 630-220-2178.

Help "For the Kid": Malachi's Storehouse receives a large portion of the Christmas toys they distribute from an organization called "For the Kid". They need volunteers to help with the party as well as donations for the silent auction. A volunteer registration form can be completed online here. Donation to the silent action can be registered by completing the form on online here. Please call Mike Cropper at 770-843-4168 with any questions.

Malachi's Storehouse Photos: Photographer Bill Monk visited Malachi's last week and took some amazing photos. Click here to see his album.

Sound Ministry Needs Your Help: Not only is the sound ministry looking for people to help each week, but they are also in need of an iPad for this ministry. If you have one you'd like to donate, please contact Tom Nichols.

Cloverleaf Meeting: What are your ideas for the 2014 Cloverleaf? Come for lunch in Room 1 after church Sunday, Dec. 1, and we'll share our ideas. All are invited to discuss plans for next year.

What is God Calling You to Be?: A 14-week program of training and spiritual formation for outreach, pastoral care, service and mission will be offered beginning in January under the sponsorship of the Institute for Ministry and Theological Education. The program comes from the Community of Hope International, founded by an Episcopal priest and based on prayer and Benedictine spirituality. More information here.

Parish Birthdays

Week of November 24

Ellie Nichols, CJ Wright, Chris Bright, Margie Cook, Julian Williams, Beth Scupham,
Keith Jackson, Shelba McDowell

Happy birthday!

This Week at St. Patrick's

For more detailed information, please check the website. If you are not on the weekly Shamrocks email list and would like to be, please email Amanda Vaughn.

Thursday, 11/28

**OFFICE CLOSED - Thanksgiving**

12:30 p.m. Holy Spirit Prayer Group, Library

8:00 p.m. The Male Room (AA - Men only), Room 14

Friday, 11/29

**OFFICE CLOSED**

9:30 a.m. Dream Group, Library

8:00 p.m. The Dunwoody North Group (AA), Room 14

Saturday, 11/30

Sunday, 12/1

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Chapel

9:00 a.m. Advent breakfast and wreath making, Parish Hall

10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Nave

1:00 p.m. Cloverleaf Meeting, Room 1

Monday, 12/2

9:00 a.m. Tai Chi Class, Narthex

10:30 a.m. Staff Meeting, Room 1

7:00 p.m. Men's Accountability Group, Room 1

EfM Class, Room 8

8:00 p.m. AA (open), Room 14

Tuesday, 12/3

6:45 a.m. Men's Prayer Group, Room 8

6:00 p.m. German Ensemble, Choir Room

Wednesday, 12/4

12:15 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Healing Prayer and Anointing, Chapel

3:00 p.m. Malachi's Storehouse, Parish Hall

6:00 p.m. Advent Evening Dinner and Program, Parish Hall/Nave

7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room

Income Summary

Actual Income (Adjusted) - YTD*	Budgeted Income - YTD	Year to Date Difference: Actual - Budgeted	Projected Year End Difference	Projected Year End Difference (% of Annual Budget)
$420,959	$464,677	($43,718)	($48,369)	-9.4%
* : pre-payments of pledge values have been annualized

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Thank you for being a faithful reader of the Shamrock!

Visit the website for more details on events and programs.

Contact us:

The Office is open Monday thru Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The phone number is 770-455-6523.

Deadline for submitting news items for The Shamrock and bulletin is noon Tuesdays. Send news and photos to amanda.vaughn@stpat.net. Most news items will run for two weeks.

The Shamrock is published weekly. It is distributed most Wednesdays.

All content submitted is subject to editing.

Contact: Amanda Vaughn, Director of Communications, 770-455-6523 or amanda.vaughn@stpat.net

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