the illumination New Offering on Wednesday nights beginning January 9...

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1 Volume 37, Issue 22 November 28, 2012 the illumination news from New Offering on Wednesday nights beginning January 9... DISCIPLE: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study... a 34 week small group study covering the Old and New Testaments. Christian discipleship is the spiritual practice of becoming like Christ moving from the person you are to the person God has created and empowered you to be. One key step toward experiencing this critical transformation is studying the Bible, God's holy inspired Word, and applying its truth to your life. DISCIPLE is a program of disciplined Bible study aimed at transformation, not just information. Its goal is to develop strong Christian leaders equipped to serve as faithful witnesses of Christ in the world. This study guides you through the Bible in an organized easy-to-understand way so that you hear what God is saying to you through Scripture and discover what He is calling you to do as a disciple. Through the work of scholars, your own personal commitment and dedication to daily Bible study, plus dynamic weekly smallgroup discussion, DISCIPLE promises to aid your spiritual transformation. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you will discover not only what is inside the Word, but what is inside you: the divine potential to live fully and intimately with God through Christian discipleship. Please prayerfully consider DISCIPLE. You're cordially invited to join us on Wednesday nights. Course Facts: 34 week study (17 weeks - Old Testament, 17 weeks - New Testament) Meets weekly on Wednesday nights, 6:15-7:30 pm, let us know if you need childcare January 9th through May 15 - Old Testament Resumes Sept. 4th - New Testament Registration fee is $45. Scholarships available For more information, please contact: Lee Hunter, , leehunter9004@att.net, Bill Sleeper, , wsleeper@aol.com, Peter Toy, , peterftoy@gmal.com Inside this Issue Pg. 2 Annual Parish Meeting, Dec. 9 Pg. 3 Parish Life Pg. 4 Year-End Financial Reminders Pg. 4 Blood Drive on Dec. 9 Pg. 5 New Vestry Members Pg. 6 Epiphany Celebration on Jan. 6 Pg. 7 Stewardship Note Pg. 7 Christmas Schedule Pg. 8 Christmas Flowers Donation form on December 2 1

2 S AINT DAVID S EPISCOPAL CHURCH The Illumination Twice Monthly Newsletter of St. David s Episcopal Church Rector The Rev. Kenneth Swanson kswanson@stdavidchurch.org Newsletter Editor Linda Thomas linda@stdavidchurch.org 1015 Old Roswell Rd. Roswell, GA (office) (fax) Church Office: M-Th 9:00am - 5:00pm Friday 9-11:30am Church office office@stdavidchurch.org Church Web Site: St. David s Preschool Peggy Fallon, Director Preschool Fax: preschool@stdavidchurch.org In the event of a Pastoral Emergency after hours, call the church office at , follow the voice prompt, hit the #6 on your keypad, leave a message, and the Priest on call will return your call. The next issue of the newsletter will be mailed on Dec. 12. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 7, CALENDAR a.m./ a.m./ p.m. JFH=Jeffords Fellowship Hall, PH=old Parish Hall Saturday, Dec. 1 8:30 Men s Bible Study-PH 8:30 Adopt-a-Road clean-up 8:45 DOK JFH front half 9:30 Taize rehearsal-choir room 10:30 AA mtg.-ph 7:00 Girls Choir Concert-Nave Sunday, Dec. 2 4:30 EpiscoPALS caroling on Canton St., Roswell 5:30 Men s Club Christmas Dinner-JFH 6:30 Sophia s Sabbath Monday, Dec. 3 9:00 YMCA ELR Pgm.-JFH Classrooms 10:00 59 & Holding Prayer Class 6:00 Spiritual Direction 6:30 EFM Bethany 6:30 Scouts-Sinclair House Tuesday, Dec. 4 6:30 Bible Study at Dockery s 9:00 Roswell Bridge Club-JFH 12:00 59 & Holding Lunch-PH 7:30 Roswell Harmony-Choir rm Wednesday, Dec. 5 9:00 YMCA ELR Pgm.-JFH classrooms 9:00 Roswell Bridge Club-JFH 10:00 First Wednesday Healing Eucharist Nave 10:30 Women of Wonder-House 11:00 Women s Bible Study-PH 5:30 Wed. Night Dinners - JFH 6:30 Wed. Night Program - JFH 6:30 Disciple Class Orientation in PH Thursday, Dec. 6 10:00 Ladies Thurs. a.m. Bible Study PH 1:00 Brain Injury Group-JFH classroom 6:00 Al-Anon Mtg. PH 6:00 Unidad-JFH front half 7:00 Grief Ministry Nazareth 7:30 Choir Rehearsal-Choir rm. Friday, Dec. 7 9:15 Homeschool Co-op-JFH Saturday, Dec. 8 8:30 Men s Bible Study-PH 8:45 DOK-JFH front half Our church calendar is continuously updated on our website at Fall Worship Schedule 7:45 a.m. H.E., Rite I 8:00 a.m. Breakfast in Jeffords Hall 9:00 a.m. H.E., Rite II 10:15 a.m. Sunday School for all ages 11:15 a.m. H.E., Rite II 1:15 p.m. Mass in Spanish 6:00 p.m. Chapel Mass Lectionary for Dec. 2 Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-36, Psalm 25:1-9 Lectionary for Dec. 9 Daniel 12:1-3, Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 3:1-6, Canticle 16 St. David s Eucharistic Visitors: If you or a loved one would like to receive the Eucharist when unable to attend regular church services, please call Allison Wilson ( ; achwilson@yahoo.com) or Steve Granade ( ; sgranade49@bellsouth.net). St. David s Episcopal Church invites you to the Annual Parish Meeting Sunday, Dec. 9, :15 a.m. in Jeffords Fellowship Hall Please plan to attend this important business meeting of our church! 2 November 28, 2012

3 P ARISH LIFE Attention Ministry Chairs Annual Reports are due by Friday, Nov. 30, The reports need to be ed as a WORD file/attachment to linda@stdavidchurch.org. If you do not have , please call Linda at , ext. 104, to make other arrangements. It is your opportunity to give, in writing, a report to the congregation of the accomplishments of your group to be included in the Annual Parish Report booklet. Call the number above if you have any questions. Christmas Flower Dedications Giving to the Christmas Flower Fund is a lovely way to honor loved ones as we celebrate the birth of Our Lord. The donations are used to purchase flowers, garland, wreaths, greenery, poinsettias, etc. that the Flower Guild uses to decorate St. David s for Christmas. If you would like to contribute to the fund for Christmas flowers, please fill out the special form on the last page of this newsletter. Acknowledgements of all contributions will be published in the Christmas Service bulletins. Troop 430 Christmas Greenery Did you order evergreens from the Scouts? Your pick-up day is this Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. 11 a.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. in the courtyard. All payments are due upon receipt of greenery. Attention all knitters and crocheters: We are still collecting winter scarves to take to the homeless people who attend the Church of the Common Ground in downtown Atlanta. A good size is 12" by five feet, and please use washable yarn. We have lots of yarn for this project, in the Nazareth Classroom. Please take some home and start a scarf! Rector s Forum on Dec. 2 The topic will be The Amistad Mission in Bolivia, and Thoughts on Pilgrimage. Please plan to join Ken Swanson in Jeffords Hall at 10:15 a.m. "Taize worship"...is a lovely liturgy consisting of simple chants (prayers set to music), brief biblical readings, and periods of silence. Candles create a serene and peaceful environment for contemplation. The St. David's Folkmassters invite you to experience this gentle form of worship in the Nave on the following dates: Wednesday, December 5 and December 12, 7:40-8:15 p.m. (following the Wednesday night program). 59 & Holding Christmas Lunch...will be Tuesday, December 4, at 12 noon. Bill Sleeper will lead the program with Christmas music, including singalongs. Joanie and her volunteers will be serving their famous beef tenderloin lunch. Everyone is encouraged to come and enjoy the fellowship, and to invite a guest. Please make reservations by calling , ext 125. This is especially important if you are bringing a guest. Golf Cart Ministry Do you ever miss functions and meetings in Jeffords Hall because of the steps? Do you ever need help getting from the parking lot, especially those adjunct parking areas, to church or to Jeffords Hall? A new ministry sponsored by 59 & Holding is now available for all members of St. David's needing help getting from the parking lot to the church, or between the main level to Jeffords Hall and back. Just check in at the front entrance to the church when you arrive. Advent Meditations: Journey through Advent Booklet The St. David s Advent meditation booklet for 2012, Journey through Advent, is being distributed this coming Sunday, Dec. 2. Each family is invited to take a booklet to use for personal or family meditation time throughout the season of Advent. This booklet contains daily meditations written by your fellow parishioners and clergy. The hope is you will be blessed by these thoughtful and prayerful offerings/gifts. 3

4 A SPECIAL 1928 LITURGY ON DEC. 2 A Special 1928 Liturgy Sunday, December 2, at 11:15 a.m. On this coming Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent, we will have a special liturgy using the Communion Service from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. This was the communion liturgy used by all Episcopalians until the 1970's, and will bring back memories of those olden days for those of you who are life-long Episcopalians. We have been asked by parishioners if we could do this liturgy on a Sunday morning, and we decided the First Sunday of Advent would be an appropriate time. So many things have changed in how we worship, but we will attempt to conduct the service the way it might have been done at St. David's two generations ago. Year-End Reminders from the Finance Office... The last date that contributions can be received in order to claim a charitable tax contribution for 2012 is Monday, December 31st. Checks and cash that are received by St. David s after the 31st will not qualify for a 2012 deduction, even if the check is backdated to However, checks that are written, mailed and postmarked by December 31st will be deductible in You may want to consider donating stock to fulfill your pledge. Gifts of stock can provide donors with a double tax benefit. First, you are able to claim a charitable donation on the current amount of the donated stock, not just the amount you originally paid for it. Second, you do not pay taxes on the appreciated value of the stock. Should you decide this is something you might want to do, please contact Cathy Cheatwood in the finance office at , ext. 120, to get St. David s account number and DTC # required for a broker to broker transaction This is a fairly easy way to make the transfer without all the paperwork. Important: News Flash regarding making stock donations to St. David s! There have been some changes to our account, so please call or Cathy Cheatwood in the Finance Office for the new information BEFORE making a stock donation. Lastly, St. David s appreciates all your contributions. Each individual gift, financial and spiritual, will make a difference! Sunday, December 9, 2012 all morning in the front parking lot Donors must be at least 17 yrs. of age, weigh at least 103 pounds, and show a valid photo I.D. 4 November 28, 2012

5 PHOTOS Al Thompson installed as new Verger on Oct. 28, Pictured from left, Lead Verger, Bruce Thomas, Al, The Rev. Ken Swanson. St. David s Preschool celebrating Thanksgiving with their annual feast! NEWLY ELECTED VESTRY MEMBERS CONGRATULATIONS and THANK-YOU! to all our Vestry candidates who ran for election for the 2013 Vestry: David Bacon, Scott Freeman, Terri Neal, Diana Quinn, David Simmons, Fred Speyrer, Lori Thompson, Hal Williams. Many thank-you's to the outgoing vestry members for their service these past 3 years - Lisa Puckett, Jim Wilson, Bill Irwin, Marilyn Hedrick. Newly elected vestry members: David Bacon Scott Freeman Diana Quinn Lori Thompson 5

6 EPIPHANY CELEBRATION! Sunday, January 6, 2013 It s an all NEW Epiphany Celebration on Sunday, January 6 at 4 p.m. It will also be held in Jeffords Fellowship Hall and followed by light refreshments. It s a wonderful way to recap the Christmas season and all its joy and to gather for fellowship before the busy-ness of everyday schedules resume. All Children Can Participate!! All Sunday School children, age 2 through 5 th grade are included. Two-year-olds through 3 rd grade have non-speaking parts such as sheep or angels. There is no need to sign-up or put your child s name on any list. All Sunday School children who want to participate are welcome. Fourth and fifth graders can sign-up for the main cast with speaking parts. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the hallway outside the Nave. Questions? Call or Susie Clements at x131, Susie@stdavidchurch.org. Rehearsal Dates for main cast will be announced at a later date. We plan to also have one dress rehearsal for everyone during the Sunday School hour on Sunday, January 6. Additional Volunteers Needed We will also need adult or youth volunteers to chaperone each age group and help with costuming. Please contact Judy Beecham at x122, or her at children@stdavidchurch.org to volunteer. THANKS! Susie Clements and Judy Beecham, Children s Ministries WONDER- FULL WEDNESDAYS FULL The History of The Jews Wednesday Evenings at St. David s, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Rev. Kenneth Swanson, Ph.D. Were an alien from another planet to examine the history of human civilization on earth, perhaps the most remarkable story of all would be the history of the Jews. How is it possible that a people so politically insignificant, never at any time in history representing more than a tiny fraction of the earth s population, have had such enormous influence on the world we live in? Topics coming up are listed below: December 5: Early Medieval Judaism and the Development of Kabbalistic Judaism December 12: The Spanish Renaissance Dec.19 to Jan. 2: No Class Please join us for the Wednesday Night Dinners from 5:30 6:15 p.m. Dinner and childcare reservations are required by the Monday of each program week by calling , ext All reservations can be made online at Please tell us the names of the children and their ages when you register for childcare. 6 November 28, 2012

7 STEWARDSHIP Wrap up of St. David s 2013 Pledge Program We Can t Out Give God! St. David s remains a truly blessed place! But no matter what we do, no matter what we give - God does more. God gives more! As tools of His work, each and every one of us has the chance to shine in His light by fulfilling His promises! For those of you who have submitted a pledge card already - thank you very much! It is through your commitment of treasure, time, and talent that we build our ministry programs. For those of you who for whatever reason still have not turned in your pledge card - I beg you to please do so right away - on line, in person, etc. - use whatever method is easiest for you. The Finance Committee and Vestry are charged with the task of creating a budget on only the amount that has been pledged, and without your written commitment they are bound to work with less. So far we received 297 pledges for $1,220,460. Our goal is 400 pledging units and $1.5 million to run St. David s as the lay leadership and Clergy define to be our current mission. Anything less will result is less programming and ministry. I don t know if this will be taken as fair warning or not, but I will continue my resolve to bring biblical Stewardship to you through any means available. For true Stewardship is the only way to experience the joyful giving that awaits all of us. Thomas Nolfa Stewardship Celebrate Christmas! Christmas Eve, December 24 2:30 p.m. Children s Christmas Liturgy (with nursery: infants 2 s) 4:30 p.m. Children s Christmas Liturgy (with nursery: infants 2 s) 6:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish 8:00 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist 10:30 p.m. Musical Presentation 11:00 p.m. Festive Choral Eucharist Christmas Day, December 25 11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Cathedral Bookstore Sale at St. David s! The Daughters of the King (DOK) will sponsor the Cathedral Bookstore once again this year on Sunday morning, Dec. 16, in the mailbox hallway. Come do your Christmas shopping and select from these unique gifts, books, and treasures! 7

8 ADOPTED HOLIDAY FAMILIES Our thanks to everyone who has supported the Holiday Families Program this year!! We have 23 stars remaining for the taking by Sunday, This will make a total of 406 gifts to be delivered to NFCC from St. David's!! The DEADLINE for turning in gifts is SUNDAY, DEC. 2, 7:00 p.m.. Please turn the gifts in UNWRAPPED with stars attached. Blessings to you all! CHRISTMAS FLOWERS Flowers and greens for Christmas services are made possible by your generous donations. The amount is voluntary, but the usual contribution is $50. You may use this form, sign up online at or use the notebook on the chest in the church hallway to sign up in the special section for Christmas Flowers. Return this form with your check made payable to St. David s to the church office. PLEASE NOTE: The Flower Guild cannot order Christmas flowers until they know how much money is available to spend! They will spend only the amount taken in by donation. Your donation and information below need to be RECEIVED in the church office no later than Monday, December 10 th to be included in the Christmas bulletin inserts. Given by In memory of In thanksgiving for 8 November 28, 2012

9 ADOPT-A-ROAD CLEAN-UP DAY! St. David s has adopted Old Roswell Rd from Holcomb Bridge to Mansell Rd. as part of Roswell s Adopt-a- Road clean-up program. As part of St. David s Green Guild s commitment to green parish activities, St. David s is now responsible for trash pick-up along Old Roswell Rd. By working together, we can Keep Roswell Beautiful. Clean-Up Day: Date: December 1, 2012 Time: 8:30 a.m. Place: St David's Parking Lot by Preschool playground Who: All parishioners age 12 and older (under 18 requires a written waiver signed by parent) What to bring: Gloves and a friend The city will supply trash bags and reflective safety vests For more information, please contact Jared Grigsby, Green Guild Chairman jaredgrigsby@yahoo.com Our children learning about the Church in their Holy/First Communion class. Holy Communion Sunday was Nov. 4. 4th & 5th graders with EpiscoPALS and Children s Choirs enjoy an outing recently at Cagle s Dairy Farm. 9