Our financial year ends on December 31st. If you have any bills, check requests, or receipts for the 2019 year, please submit them to Walt Shealy so he will be prepared to close our books. Please see Walt if you have any questions.
The congregational retreat to Camp St. Christopher in Charleston, SC, for January will be rescheduled to a later date. Watch your newsletter and worship folders for updated information.
The Altar Guild is getting ready for 2020. As in the past, an altar flower sign-up sheet will be posted in the Narthex on Sunday December 1st and will remain until Sunday, December 29th. Many times, members wish to provide the altar flowers in memory of loved ones or in honor of anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions. If there is a particular Sunday YOU would like to furnish the altar flowers for the worship service, please indicate your choice by signing up for that Sunday. PLEASE NOTE: During Advent only one vase of flowers is needed. Also remember that artificial flowers are not used for altar flower arrangements.
All members of our St. Jacob’s church family and friends are invited to keep Christ in Christmas as we worship on Christmas Morning. This service is “come as you are.” Children in pajamas, adults in relaxed and casual dress are all most certainly welcome. Come make a joyful noise and share in the blessing of Christmas with your church family. Worship on Christmas morning begins at 10 AM.
Don’t forget our congregational meeting on December 1st to pick Council Representatives and approve the 2020 Budget.
Our Christmas Eve Service of Worship will be held on Tuesday, December 24th beginning at 7 PM. Come worship the new born King! Join us and invite your friends and neighbors for our traditional candlelight service as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Christmas is not always a joyous time for everyone. Each year, there are some who will experience the Christmas celebration for the first time without a cherished loved one. There are also others who will find themselves facing difficult circumstances in life or loneliness. Still, the love of God out shines even the darkest night.
Once again, on the longest night of the year, we will gather for worship and give thinks for the light of Christ, especially as He comes to us at Christmas. Our entire church family, friends, neighbors and community is invited and encouraged to attend this candlelight service. Please be sure to tell others about this worship opportunity of prayer, peace and the power of God’s love. Worship for Blue Christmas begins at 6:30 PM on Saturday, December 21st.
Everyone is invited and encouraged to come worship with us each Wednesday evening in December for Advent Vespers. The focus of our worship will be our Need for Redemption, God’s Promise of a Savior, and the Fulfilment of the Promise through Jesus Christ. In keeping with the worship time of our Wednesday Evening Light, Advent Vespers will begin at 6:30 PM.
Our current membership roster will be in the Narthex window from Sunday, December 1st until Sunday, December 29th. Please take a few minutes to check your household entry and indicate changes, corrections and/or additions that need to be made. We especially need to know if you no longer have a land line and if your cell number, email and mailing addresses are correct. You can make changes in the posted roster, indicate changes on the Friendship Register sheet, complete a change of address card or call the church office. Our Ministry Teams and Auxiliary Groups use the information from the roster to ensure everyone is made aware of important happenings at St. Jacob’s. Thank-You for taking the time to help keep our church roster and membership records accurate and up-to-date.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, our children have been hard at work this fall in children’s choir. In addition to learning anthems, the children have been learning the liturgy and taken on the task of leading the kyrie. We are also learning about other parts of the liturgy to be able to bring praises to God with the rest of the St. Jacob’s church family.
We are beginning work on our Christmas program. Mark your calendar for Sunday, December 15th at 6 PM. You won’t want to miss our Christmas program as we ask, “Is there any peace left on earth,” adapted from a program written by The Reverend David Wendel, assistant to the bishop. With so much conflict around us today between nations, politicians as well as in day to day life, it is easy to believe there is little peace left on earth. Come explore the true peace of Christmas. We hope that you all have a blessed Christmas season. The children’s choir’s prayer for you this December is “Dona nobis pacem.” Ask any children’s choir member what that means. They can all tell you.
