Saint Andrew's-in-the-Valley 

Thursday MEMO
December 29, 2011




Christmas Eve at Saint Andrew's


This coming Sunday, January 1, 2012, Holy Name Sunday
and New Year’s Day, we will have a ONE SERVICE ONLY at 9 am with our rector, Rev. Heidi Frantz-Dale, presiding.

Readings for this Sunday:
Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:15-21


What a glorious weekend of Christmas Services!
There was an abundance of people here to rejoice on Christmas Eve worshiping God while delighting in music with Val May and Aislin Hird on harps, Randy Ouellette on trumpet, Bernice Thompson on organ, our own choir, and the congregation's own hearty, joyful singing of carols.






Children at the Christmas Eve 5 PM service participated in the telling of the Christmas story and in the setting and blessing of the crèche.

To hear the interactive Children's sermon click below. http://standrewsinthevalley-2011blog.blogspot.com/



Thank you to all who participated in the success of the Christmas Dinner, especially Carol Tubman, whose never ending energy comes through for this end-of-the-year feast. She was recognized with a thank you card signed by all the dinner guests.


Ed Walters entertained Christmas Dinner guests with accordion and song.

By the way... Does anyone know when this much appreciated and much enjoyed tradition of a Community Christmas Feast began? Was this the 12th? The 15th? The 20th?


It’s that time of year…that is YEAR END!
Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 5th, following our ONE service at 9:00 AM. Debra will be looking for your committee reports for our Annual Report as soon as you can get them to her. Final due date being January 17th. Please don’t wait until the last minute. Send them via email to the office or drop off a hard copy to her in-box. If you need a copy of last year’s report, please send your request to her and she can either email it to you or provide a hard copy.

9 o'clock Wednesday morning Services of Morning Prayer continue. ALL ARE WELCOME! We gather in the church to pray the daily office together. Using the Episcopal Church's calendar of greater and lesser saints as presented in Holy Women, Holy Men, each service commemorates a particular person, recognized by the church for the compelling ways in which each lived his or her faith.

For reflection during this Christmastide, from Brother David Vryhof of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist:

Like Jesus, we too are beloved children of God, and like a stone carver uncovering the figure within, God chips away all that is superfluous and non-essential, so that the essence of who we have been created to be may be revealed.

May we prepare to begin the New Year of 2012 open to that truth.

Blessings,
Heidi+


UPCOMING WEEK’S CALENDAR:
Friday, December 30: 10a-noon Food Center
Saturday, December 31: 8pm AA (Parish Hall) & Al-Anon (Prince Room)
Sunday, January 1: Holy Name Day: Happy New Year!
One service only at 9 AM Holy Eucharist
Monday, January 2: Church office closed
Tuesday, January 3: 10-noon Food Center
8pm AA (Parish Hall)
Wednesday, January 4: 9 AM Morning Prayer
We remember Elizabeth Seton, Founder of the American sisters of Charity, 1821
Thursday, January 5: The church is always open for prayer during office hours and at other times by arrangement.