JOIN
US FOR WORSHIP
THIS SUNDAY, December 3rd, The First
Sunday of Advent, there will be one
service only at 9:00 a.m.
There is a service of Morning Prayer on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday Evening Services
In December we will
have a Blue Christmas service on
Wednesday, December 13, at 5:30 pm. This service is open to everyone, but
is particularly for those who struggle with the holiday season due to some sort
of loss: death of a spouse, a child, a sibling, a close friend; loss of a job
or a house; a loved one who suffers from addiction; or any loss that is
difficult, and makes it hard to be merry. It is a service of remembrance and at
the same time, a time to lift up our blessings even as we grieve a loss.
Mark your calendar
for Wednesday, January 10 at 5:30 pm when
we will have an evening prayer service drawing on the Celtic tradition. More on that to come.
We hope you will join us for worship and
fellowship.
READINGS FOR SUNDAY
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Year B
Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
FROM THE INTERIM RECTOR
Welcome to Advent!
Advent is upon us! On
Sunday we begin the season of Advent, and a new church year. For those of you
who follow the lectionary, the calendar of scripture readings for each Sunday
and feast day, we begin Year B. For much of the coming church year we will be
reading from the Gospel of Mark on Sunday mornings.
Advent means
"beginning" or "arrival". It is the season of preparing for
the coming of the Christ Child - preparing our hearts, minds and souls. It is a
time of waiting, and a time to remember that Christmas is about so much more
than the commercialism that is thrust upon us everywhere we turn.
As our culture
becomes more secular and Christmas becomes more commercialized, Advent becomes
ever more countercultural. For me it provides a much needed respite from the
busyness of the season; a reminder to be sure to make time for quiet and
contemplation, to make space for God.
To give us all an
opportunity for quiet communal prayer, we will have a service each Wednesday at
5:30. Services on December 6 and 20 will be a form of Evening Prayer taken from
various resources. On December 13 we will host a Blue Christmas service. This
service is for everyone, but especially for those for whom the holiday season
can be painful. It is a quiet candlelight service of remembrance for those we
have lost and of hope for the future. I hope you will join us.
Advent Calendars
We have a limited
number of Advent calendars this year. If you’d like one, they are available on
the table in the Parish Hall.
Carpooling to Betsy's Ordination
Betsy Hess'
ordination to the Diaconate is on Saturday, December 16 at 11:00 at St. Paul's
Church in Concord. An ordination is a huge milestone in the life of the
ordinand, and a beautiful service as well. I know of a number of people who plan
to attend. If you are interested in attending and would like to carpool, please
let me know via email (interimsaitv@gmail.com) or sign up in the parish hall on
Sunday. Carpoolers should plan to meet at the church at 9:00 and leave no later
than 9:15 in order to have time to find parking and seating.
Mark your calendars! Our annual
outreach discussion
will be held following the 9:00 service on Sunday, December 4. This is the
opportunity for us as a parish to review the organizations that we have
supported in the past, consider new organizations, and make recommendation to
the Vestry. We regularly support organizations in which members of the parish
take an active role, so if you would like to recommend an organization in which
you serve, your suggestions are welcome. Please come prepared to speak briefly
and accurately about that project. All are invited to come be part of the
conversation and enjoy participating in this corporate act of generosity.
CHRISTMAS ALTAR FLOWERS
If
you wish to dedicate Christmas flowers in memory or thanksgiving of a loved one
or friend, there will be slips in the bulletins and on the Parish Hall table or
you may email your request to Deb at office@standrewsinthevalley.org.
To help defray the cost of our Christmas flowers and greens we are asking for
$20 for Christmas altar flowers this year.
55+
COMMUNITY
Autumn is calling
and so is our Cortland Apple Butter! So delicious with a pork loin roast!!
It's available now or come see us at the Tamworth Farmer's Market on December 2nd. It'll be indoors at the K.A. Brett School in Tamworth 9am-1pm. We'll be hanging with the Jammin' Divas (Carol & Chris M) from St. Andrew's in the Valley..so you know it'll be fun!
It's available now or come see us at the Tamworth Farmer's Market on December 2nd. It'll be indoors at the K.A. Brett School in Tamworth 9am-1pm. We'll be hanging with the Jammin' Divas (Carol & Chris M) from St. Andrew's in the Valley..so you know it'll be fun!
PLEDGE PROGRESS
Help
us reach our Goals!
Rector Search Fund
Goal ~ $ 20,000
32 pledges $ 8,899.00
~
2018 Stewardship
Pledge ~ Goal $148,215.00
52 pledges $ 139,130.00
DINNER BELL
There is no Dinner Bell on Christmas Eve, December 24th
but
all are invited to the Dinner on Christmas Day
Dinner Bell cook team for this Sunday December 3rd
FRIENDS
Dinner Bell cook team for next Sunday December 10th
ADAMS
~
Thank you for your volunteer
work in this special Outreach program!
SEARCH COMMITTEE
The Parish Profile is completed!
Click on “Parish Profile” button to read!
With joy at the completion of the Parish Profile the Search Committee now begins a new phase of its work: the receiving and
reading of applications from our prospective candidates. The applications,
vetted by the Bishop and The Rev. Canon Hannah Anderson, will be sent to us from
Diocesan House in Concord. After this, we will conduct Skype interviews with
each of the candidates. We think, with time given to prayerful reflection, that
this phase will occupy us through November. If so, we will start scheduling
visits to parishes in Advent.
We continue to be encouraged by your prayers: keep
them coming!
Lisa Thompson,
Search Committee
SEARCH
TIME-LINE for 2017
October-November: Begin
receiving names and applications of candidates.
Reading and reviewing applications.
Prayer for St. Andrew’s
during the search process.
Everliving and everloving Lord,
as we are in the midst of our challenging task to search for our new rector, we
pray that you continue to lead our parish to be in one mind and spirit through
the conclusion of this journey. May we be strong in the assurance that
you are guiding us and carrying us safely to calling the person you have chosen
to be our rector. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Search Committee
Pat Adams, Betsy Hess,
Tom Huckman, Cathie Lewis, George Rau, Lisa Thompson.
COMMUNITY FOOD CENTER
The Food Pantry thanks you for your contributions throughout the year.
The monthly item
for December is dish detergent.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
An Invitation from the Brothers at SSJE:
If you would like to receive #AdventWord this year we invite you to click this link www.adventword.org/sign-up. #AdventWord – the Anglican Communion’s Global Advent Calendar – begins on Sunday, 3 December, 2017, with images and meditations available via email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. During the 23 days of Advent, a daily email featuring the #AdventWord of the day will go out at 5 a.m. each day, and respondents are encouraged to share their responses to the meditations and images to the aggregated prayer walls within the advent calendar.
As monks we pray with images of Jesus in icons. #AdventWord helps teach everyone how to pray with images as we prepare for the coming of Emmanuel. We developed #AdventWord to bring joy. We have passed it on to Virginia Theological Seminary to work with the Anglican Communion Office and we are excited to see #AdventWord being offered to a wider world.
James Koester SSJE, Superior,
The Society of Saint John the Evangelist.
FORWARD DAY
BY DAY FOR TODAY
THURSDAY, November 30, 2017
Matthew 4:19 And [Jesus] said to them, “Follow me,
and I will make you fish for people.”
Followers of Jesus
pass on the good news every day in sincere conversations and acts of common
decency. Caring enough to listen compassionately to someone else’s pain, grief,
or remorse can convey the message of grace and new life more profoundly than words
we might speak.
The martyrs of the
ancient church died—often gruesomely—rather than renounce their faith. But the
Greek word from which martyr comes doesn’t refer to death. It means to witness.
Andrew died in Patras, Greece. He was tied to an x-shaped cross and died over a
two-day period. Throughout his ordeal, he shared with onlookers his faith in
life found in Christ.
As the baptized, we
witness to the resurrection by how we live. Our compassion for others, our
perseverance through hardship, and our humble pursuit of peace and justice
demonstrate that a world-transforming love is at work in our lives.
MOVING FORWARD: Write down the story of how Jesus has
called you into ministry with him. Share your story with someone you love and
share it with us by using #ForwardDayByDay.
FROM Deb IN THE OFFICE
IT’S NOT TOO EARLY!
This
is your head’s up to be thinking about your Annual Reports. Come December committee chairs should be
pulling together their notes to complete reports for submission to the
office. If you have enough information
to complete and send your report it is always appreciated to submit it as early
as possible.
Most
folks have their last year’s report but if you need an electronic copy or hard
copy please let Deb in the office know and she will be happy to provide that
for you. REPORTS ARE DUE JANUARY 15TH!
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
If you do not see your birthday or anniversary listed, please make
sure Deb in the office has an information sheet on file for you.
Birthdays
6 Carolyn Seston
12 Hettie Buck
13 Suzanne Morgan
15 Bob Seston
26 Sarah and James Huckman
27 Debra Hoyt
30 Gretchen Behr-Svendsen
Anniversaries
8 Bob & Carolyn Seston
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